𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃. | m.yg ✓ [EDITING]

23. The Blue Sky

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"Joongki, dear."

Yoongi smiled softly before stopping the wheelchair. He walked around and kneeled in front of the woman. The nickname that came to love always made him smile.

"Yes, eomma?"

His mother tiredly smiled as he met Yoongi's gaze. "Take me to the park."

The boy nodded and stood up. He proceeded to push the wheelchair gently. The wind was cold that day and the weather was cool. His mother wrapped the long scarf around her fragile body tighter and buried her face in it because of the cold.

Yoongi, who noticed this, stopped for a moment to take his jacket off. He placed it around his mother with a soft smile on his face.

"Here you go, eomma." He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. His gaze lingered a bit longer, seeing how the color of his mother's face were gone. Pale and dull. Almost lifeless. The skin wasn't so smooth like it used to be. Yoongi stood up for he couldn't take it. He felt that if he looked longer, the more he would cry.

"Thank you, boy." The woman smiled brightly.

The mother and son soon reached the park. He positioned the wheelchair beside the bench, then Yoongi made his way to sit down beside his mother. They both stared at the blue sky, and that specific day, there were no clouds.

"Ah, the sky is much better without the clouds." His mother commented and he looked at her.

"It's more blue than it is. Very pretty." She nodded in approval like a child.

"Doesn't that color mean sadness?" Yoongi tilted his head curiously.

His mother let out a hearty chuckle. It sounded like melody to Yoongi's ears.

"No, boy. If blue means sadness, why would the sky be blue?" His mother's gaze slowly shifted from the sky to him, her eyes sparkling. "Do you think that the sky was colored blue so that every time we look above, we remember our sadness? We become sad the moment we look at it?"

She shook her head while humming 'nuh uh.' Yoongi bit back a chuckle, successfully refraining it from escaping his lips as he admired the side view of his mother.

"Then tell me what it means, eomma." Yoongi fully faced her, soft smiles and admiration seen on his face. He didn't feel so sad at that moment, curious on what was his mother thinking. He felt that it was his old mother that he was talking to again. The one who would threaten him with his slippers if he doesn't wake up early for school. The woman who curses at him whenever he prioritized basketball over his studies.

"For me, it means reliability, hope, and...serenity." She let out a deep breath as if she had been holding it for so long. "The past few years and months, I've always had the time to look at the sky. I was so mesmerized by it, it's so blue and bright."

Yoongi placed a hand on her mother's and began to rub circles around it with his thumb. He flashed a small gummy smile to his mother.

She looked back at the sky.

"Every time I look at it, it reminds me how every person has someone to rely on. To lean on. That there's always hope." She paused before continuing. "I always think that the sky is a peaceful place. A place where you can find tranquility."

Yoongi shuddered. His brows furrowed, not liking where his mother was going.

"Eomma." He breathed out.

"Yes, dear?" She met his eyes. "Isn't it beautiful?"

His eyes brimmed with tears and his grip on his mother's hand tightened but not too much as to not hurt his mother.

"Dear gracious. Why are you crying?"

Yoongi was silent.

The woman smiled painfully. "I want you to always look at the sky whenever you can, use it as an anchor when you feel like everything's too much. Hope, boy. You will be reminded that there will be someone for you who you can rely on, believe me."

How he wished it was true.

Nonetheless, the boy stayed silent, too hurt to say anything. Then ever so gently, the woman gestured him to move nearer to him.

"Come here, boy." She weakly raised her hand. "Let me lean on to your shoulder."

With silent sobs, he listened. In no time, his mother's head was already on his shoulder. He bit his lip to refrain himself from crying and shaking, but he couldn't control himself.

"I'm tired, Joongki."

"I want to rest. Is that alright, dear?"

Yoongi closed his eyes and nodded slowly as he shivered.

"Goodnight, Yoongi." She looked up at the sky.

Tears began to uncontrollably spill from his eyes as his mother's eyes fluttered shut.

And then she was gone. Eternally.

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