1984 | choi chanhee ♫

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Y/N POV

Sweeping my hair back into the wind, a sharp gale battered each individual strand and stuck a few to my pink glossed lips. Chanhee's retro convertible sped through the neighborhood, a complete contrast the modern sports cars now parked on people's driveways.

"Chanhee." I laughed over to the pink haired boy in the driver's seat, "Put your seatbelt on, we can't get pulled over right now."
"Forgot about that." With a scoff he pulled the nylon belt over his chest with one of his palms, buckling it into the side of his seat with a secure click.

Turning into another street, I finally clocked where we were going. His house, as there were before there were no cars on the driveway. However the same ornaments dotted themselves in the living room window, his engine growling lowly as he pulled up on to the concrete. His keys jingled, pulling them out from the ignition as the old motor settled down noisily.

Scarlett red, as chipped and worn as it was old - the front door was the same one as it was in the 80s. Turning his key in the lock, he opened up inside to his now modernly decorated home. There was now a chair lift installed, indicating there was elderly residents and a brand new set of carpets to replace the old ones.

"Hello?" Chanhee's voice echoed throughout the house, the low haze of a TV muffled in to the background.
"Is someone there?" An older male voice called out, "Come in."
"Who could it be dear?" A female voice asked quietly as we made our way into where the voices came from in the conservatory. An elderly couple perched upon a double floral armchair smiling in anticipation, as they waited for somebody to turn the corner.
"It's my parents." Chanhee caught a glimpse of the two and hid around the corner of the hallway. "You need to go in first, I can't scare them like that."

Panicking for a second, I exhaled sharply before walking in to their vision. They appeared confused initially, however softened up when I approached them warmly.
"Hello dear. May I ask why you are here sorry?" The lady spoke up first, looking over her knitting needles with a curious smile poking the wrinkles in her aged cheeks.

"I'm Y/N, Y/N L/N." I put my hand out to greet them kindly before stepping back.
"Ah! You must be the L/N's grandaughter! Your Mother went to school with our Chanhee right?" The lady nudged her husband, who shrugged off her words with a grumpy sigh.
"She won't know who he is. Leave him out of it." He snapped slightly, trying not to sound too harsh when speaking to his gleeful wife.
"Oh well, what brings you here Y/N?" Trying to cover up the slight embarrassment, the lady simply giggled nervously before pursing her lips.
"I actually have a visitor, but I'm going to have to make sure you're both okay with it." I looked behind me waiting for the two to reply before I signaled him to come out.
"As long as they mean no harm we don't mind." The man shrugged unbothered, as I gestured for Chanhee to appear from around the corner.

Hesitantly, he walked into the conservatory, a horrific gasp leaving the woman's lips as he sat by me on the floor.
"C-Chanhee. Our Chanhee." She mumbled as if she had seen a ghost, "No this isn't possible, you di- you- is this a sick joke? Is he a hologram?"
Chanhee got up and held his Mother's hands between his own.
"It's me, Mom." He began to well up as she did, a tear slipping down her face as she pulled her son into a hug with her frail hands.
"I'm not sure what in the black magic is happening here, but I've missed you. I've missed you so much." She sobbed into his shoulder, his father on the other hand was frozen in shock. Looking between me and his son with a look of shock pasted to his withered face.
"I've missed you too." Chanhee choked out, moving to give his Dad a heartfelt hug.
"How?- What?-" Chanhee's Mom swiped the tears from her face, leaning forward in her armchair to talk to me.

"If I could even answer those questions for myself, I would tell you. Accidental time travel is all I got." I chuckled slightly, smiling as Chanhee returned to my side emotionally. I grabbed his hand and intertwined his fingers with my own comfortingly as he cleared himself up.
"For when you go back, remember not to go cliff diving with those idiotic friends of yours." His Father choked back his emotions, grumpily folding his arms over his chest with welled up eyes and blue stained lips folded in a stern line.
"Don't worry, noted." Chanhee chuckled back, a bright smile adorning his small face as his Father's lips curled into an endeared smile.

"It's been years since I've seen that smile." His mother grew emotional again, picking at the box of tissues beside her. "How it lit up every room you walked into. The smile you used to give me when you helped me in with the groceries. I've missed how you used to bribe me with it to borrow the pick up truck for the night or money to spend on a new gold jewelry set. I've missed how you loved yourself and would fix your hair in every reflective surface. The look on your father's face when you came home with it dyed that pink color was priceless, you were so free-spirited. If only... I didn't let you run too wild." With a bittersweet sigh, she tucked her chin into her neck shyly. Trying to hold back anymore emotions from spilling out at the first sight of her son after almost 40 years without him.

Chanhee beside me was in hysterics, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed helplessly. I rubbed his back soothingly, allowing him to bring his head to my chest in comfort.

"Silly me, I get carried away when I begin to talk about you." Chanhee's mother rose from her chair. Chanhee let me go, as I rushed to help her find her walking stick from the slot beside her.
"Y/N, would you help me get some drinks out. We'll leave these two to talk for a moment." She smiled with a genuine flash of her top teeth, making her way into the kitchen from the glass conservatory area.

Standing on her tip toes, the minuscule lady reached up to the top cabinet in hopes of reaching the china tea set from the highest shelf. Grasping it for her, I set it down in front of the kettle, following her steps as she began setting out the plates.
"Thank you my love. Oh gosh, I don't know where to begin with you. I have no clue what is happening, but I don't even know how to thank you for this." She shakily poured out tea from the boiled teapot, filling up the 4 cups, neatly sat in their saucepans.
"Don't worry about it Mrs Choi, he's the one that brought me here." I giggled slightly, carrying the wooden tray of goods into the conservatory to set on the glass table.

I gave Chanhee a small nod, seemingly to have cleared up after an in depth talk with his Father. So there we began, explaining the whole story to Chanhee's parents. Including every minor detail apart from one, our relationship or whatever was happening between Chanhee and I - realizing that neither of us really knew ourselves. We continued sipping tea as if this was a normal catch up with the in-law's, we laughed, cried and for some moments silence was all we needed.

"We have to get going, it's getting dark." Chanhee concluded the lengthy conversation with another huge grin glued to his face.
"I hope this isn't the last." His Mother said with a bittersweet smile, "But I'd be silly to think that." They shared one last lengthy hug before we left, the vintage convertible driving back into the night.

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AUTHORS NOTE..

does this count as almost a triple update today?..♡︎

well i have nothing else to say apart from i'm now an emotional wreckage after trying to edit this.. ♡︎

sending my love always..

clover <3