Chapter 27 - The Immortal Just Wants to Live Happily

Jaemin and I were going to have a serious talk with Taeyeon regarding her sudden change in behaviour. I did not wish for this to continue any longer and I did not wish for Jiminie to have this fight with Taeyeon for long.

It's his mother after all.

However, before I decided to set up the talk, I decided to get his opinion about it and whether I ought to step in as I didn't want to overstep my boundary. If he says no, then I will respect his wishes and will never speak about it.

When I talked to him about it, he at first was hesitant but after hearing my explanation and my reasonings, he finally said that if this talk of ours sets my mind at ease and comes to a definitive conclusion, then by all means I should set up this meeting with her.

I roped in Jaemin with me as I didn't want to go alone and he too was curious as to why the sudden change in her demeanour. The fucker just wants some drama in his boring life. When we arrived at the cafe, we were there first so we ordered drinks and some dessert while we waited.

"Do you think she changed because of your status?"

"She would be demanding all sorts of nonsense after we get married, Jae."

"True."

"Or do you think she's having a weird syndrome because of your status?"

"You mean jealousy?"

"Yeah."

"That makes no sense."

"Her sudden behaviour change makes no sense either, dumbass."

"Isn't that why we're here?" I asked flatly. I took a deep breath and let out a sigh, grabbing the cup of coffee to take a tentative sip. "A sudden change in behaviour might mean that she's hiding her true self all these while."

"That can't be!"

"Or it might be Takeuchi."

"This is getting dramatic."

"You just like drama."

"That I won't deny."

Five minutes or so later, she arrived with an innocent-looking Takeuchi in tow. Flashy, loud and a totally different person entirely. I could feel Jaemin's eyes boring holes into me and I knew that she brought Takeuchi here without telling the poor man what was happening.

I pity him suddenly.

I watched as his excited looking eyes turned into pure confusion when he recognised us and his face turned pale as sheet when he realised what was happening. I would've chuckled if it weren't a serious matter. The range of expressions on the poor man was enough to land him in a movie.

Takeuchi, you poor soul.

"Let's make this quick," she said as she lowered herself onto the seat and an embarrassed Takeuchi sat down next to her, his face and his ears were gradually turning red.

Jaemin bristled as soon as she spoke. I watched her, wondering where she got the bravado from and broke into a smile. "It's nice to see you," I greeted. "How are you?"

"Can you skip all these nonsense greetings, Alice?" she interrupted. "I'm a fairly busy woman these days. Tell me what you want to talk about."

"I see," I replied. "Then, I won't take up your time."

"Good. Spit it out then."

A growl rumbled next to me, and I gave Jaemin a warning look. Taeyeon made a face at that, and I was surprised to see the kind of expression she could pull. This was my first time I was witnessing such an emotion from her. Gone were the kind, gentle and sweet Taeyeon that I knew.

What on Earth happened to her?

"Control your dog, Alice," she said flatly.

"What the fuck did you just say to me, you insufferable human?" he demanded.

Jaemin lurched forward in anger and I held him back with an arm, his chest bumping against my arm as I turned to stare at the two humans before me. Takeuchi looked terrified out of his wit while Taeyeon looked smug; like she won a big prize.

"Were you hiding your true self from us just because you knew we would take care of Jiminie?" I asked.

"You two fell for it, hook, line and sinker."

I let out a sigh of disappointment. That's too bad then.

"It seems that our friendship will end here," I said. "I can tolerate you talking smack about me but I cannot tolerate when you talk ill about Jiminie and Jaemin. My patience for you has worn thin. Thank you for the twenty or so years, you will not be missed."

I pulled out my mobile phone and dialed a number set on the speed dial. Sebastian picked up on the second dial.

"You can remove Taeyeon from all of the scholarships, insurances and whatever that we have with her," I said. "Including the one at the hospital."

"What?" Her voice was shrill.

"Okay boss."

I ended the call and pocketed my phone before I stared coolly at the human who's now turning pale from fear. "I wish you good luck for your unforeseeable future," I said quietly and waved her away. "You can leave now."

"But Alice, you can't do this to me!" she screeched as she shot up from the chair to point at me accusingly. "You promised -"

"I'm sorry, who are you again?" I asked flatly as I stared at her with a scowl, my patience wearing thin. "Takeuchi, please escort this wild woman out of the cafe. She's causing a scene."

The poor man jumped up from the seat as ordered, whispering to Taeyeon as he began hauling her out of the cafe while she continued with her verbal assault on me. I watched as she finally left and let out a sigh of disappointment before I took a sip of coffee.

"Is that enough drama for you, Jaemin?"

"Plenty."

.

I came home to Jiminie who was seated cross legged on the sofa munching on maltesers while he watched an anime on the television. I took off my heels and coat, dropped my bag onto the floor, removed my keys and phone - throwing them aside as I headed towards him.

"Hey welcome back, baby," he said softly. "How did it go?"

I didn't answer him as I climbed onto his lap and wrapped my arms around his torso, pressing myself close to his warmth. Taking in a deep breath of his comforting scent, I pressed my face onto his chest. He let out a soft sigh, his free arm winding around my back as he patted.

"Tell me."

"She wasn't the same person she had been back then," I explained. "She became a different person because she knew we'd take care of you. I … I couldn't bear hearing that from her. I couldn't believe that it could happen."

"I didn't want to tell you," he said as he rubbed my back. "When she said it, my heart hurt and I just couldn't believe it at all."

I let out a sigh of disappointment.

"We'll just go no contact with her," he said. "It'll be less painful for us."

"I took her off everything."

"What do you mean?"

"From insurances, banks, mortgages, and I took my name off from her scholarships too," I explained. "My lawyers are handling that right now. You might need to set up a restraining order soon, in case she does something stupid."

He lets out a chuckle. "This is why I didn't want to tell you," he said softly. "You're our beneficiary in almost everything and it will bury her if you were to do that. But I guess, she said something that even you can't tolerate."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's fine," he said as he wrapped me tighter to him. "She's got everyone fooled. I'm just glad that you two were around or I might be in bigger trouble."

"We're each other's saviours."

He laughed. "Yes."

.

"Baby, can you open this for me?"

My eyes were glued to the television screen when he came bundling over with a glass jar, wanting me to open it. I took the jar without another word, twisting the cap to open but I must've used more force than necessary as the glass shattered in my hands.

Jiminie let out a scream of surprise and he started apologising profusely as he went back to the kitchen to get a clean towel. I stared down at my hands in confusion, the two appendages staring back at me, seeing them covered in tomato sauce and blood seeping out from the cuts.

"Are you okay, baby? I am so sorry!" he exclaimed frantically as he came back with a wet towel, wiping away the tomato sauce and he watched as the cuts on my hands slowly healed up. "Oh."

"Don't step on the glass pieces," I said as I pulled him to me, carrying him up over to the sofa.

He made a sound of confusion as he was lifted up like he didn't weigh a single pound and he stood there awkwardly on the sofa, holding on the towel. He looked like he didn't know what was happening, a look of confusion on his face. I turned to look at him.

"You okay?" I asked.

He lets out a laugh. "I forgot that you're insanely strong," he said. "I was making a tiktok."

"A what?"

"I was pranking you," he explained. "There was a prank going around that you'd super glue the lid to a container and get your partner to open it and get their reaction when they can't open it but I had miscalculated that you'd shatter it instead."

I stared at him, the cogs in my brain whirring as I tried to put two and two together. "I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing when I opened the jar," I explained. "It wouldn't shatter even if you super glued the lid, boba. Do we still have tomato sauce? Weren't you cooking?"

He laughed. "I wasn't cooking, baby!"

"You weren't?"

"I was busy pranking you!"

"Oh."

"I'm surprised you didn't smell the super glue either! I was worried that you'd see through my prank and I thought I'd fail!" he exclaimed. "You were so focused on the drama!"

"I think these pranks won't work on me, boba," I explained quietly. "I … I don't -"

"It doesn't matter, I'm gonna try my own way."

I chuckled. "Okay, stay there," I said. "I'll clean that up."

.