In Another Life: Han Ji Pyeong's Happy Ending (Start Up)

Chapter 44: Letting Go

Dal mi's POV

"Halmeoni! I'm home!" I call as I walk through the front door excitedly. "And look who I brought home with me!" I say as I peer over at Ji pyeong who follows me into the house.

"Halmeoni I-" I call but stop mid sentence as I see a familiar face standing before me in the living room.

"Oh? Mother?" I mutter, thinking my eyes are deceiving me. "What are you doing here?" I ask, eyeing the apron around her waist.

"Oh, Dal mi ah..." My mother says nervously and her eyes shift uncomfortably around the room. Behind me, I can feel Ji pyeong place an assuring hand on my back.

"Dal mi, you're home." Halmeoni emerges from the kitchen, ignoring the white elephant in the room. "Good boy! You are here too!" Halmeoni rushes forward excitedly to give Ji pyeong a hug.

"Halmeoni, what is she doing here?" I demand.

My mother looks down ashamedly.

"Dal mi ah... Mm..." Halmeoni presses her lips together, as if scared to break the news to me. "Your mother." Halmeoni coughs slightly. "Your mother is staying here with me because-"

"WHAT?" I shriek, cutting Halmeoni off. An unjust anger rises in my chest. The years of betrayal and anger rocks from side to side in my chest, like a boat being tossed and turned by the sea on a stormy day.

"Come here." Halmeoni says as she drags me off to the room. Ji pyeong follows closely behind.

"Halmeoni. This is ridiculous. How can you let her stay here after everything she's done!" I exclaim with frustration and fan my face furiously that feels warm. Tears peek out of the corner of my eyes.

"Dal mi, try to understand. I found her wandering on the streets." Halmeoni says and peers at the door, trying to make sure my mother doesn't overhear us. "It seems like her husband beats her. How could I let her go back." Halmeoni sighs.

"Why? Why not? She has such a big house. She has multiple houses! I'm sure she can hide from him in one of those houses!" I say in frustration. A part of me coaxes me to soften and understand where Halmeoni is coming from. But years of betrayal seizes at my chest, leaving me unyielding.

"Try to understand, orh? Dal mi ah..." Halmeoni asks and peers over at Ji pyeong as if seeking his help. Halmeoni quietly steps out of the room as Ji pyeong comes to me.

He gently guides me to the bed and gets me to sit down. He bends down, so that he's looking up towards me. With a small smile, he reaches out to brush a tear or two away from my cheek.

"I don't understand..." I whisper. Ji pyeong sits next to me and gathers me in his arms.

"Halmeoni has a soft heart. You know that." He says gently. "Her heart can't help but go out to every person who has nowhere to go." Ji pyeong says and sounds sentimental.

"I can't believe she has the audacity to come back here." I say, as images of my mother flutter across my mind.

"Maybe she's not back here with audacity. Maybe she's back here for redemption, hm?" Ji pyeong suggests gently and pushes the hair away from my face. I look up at him and he wears the gentlest expression. It soothes the burning rage in my heart.

"I just wish..." I say, feeling sorrow instead of anger. "I just wish that she hadn't left me for all those years..." I whisper quietly.

"It wasn't easy." Ji pyeong acknowledges and pulls me closer towards him. He kisses my head softly. "But for those years when she was with you, she was good to you, yes?" Ji pyeong asks. "Give her a chance. Maybe she'll be good to you and good to Halmeoni as well for these years."

I look up at him and he smiles affectionately at me.

"She makes me so confused." I sigh heavily. "When I see her, I miss her so much and yet I hate her so much. I don't... I can't..." I clasp my hand around my forehead in frustration. Ji pyeong pauses for a second, absorbing and taking in my grief as if it were his own.

"Perhaps," Ji pyeong says in a soothing voice. "Perhaps she regretted it as well. Maybe she regrets leaving you." He says.

"How can you be so sure?" I ask him.

"Because if a parent really wants to come back... no matter what, they'll find a way back." Ji pyeong says quietly and it makes me think of his background.

"So don't cry anymore, okay?" He whispers and kisses my forehead.

"Ji pyeong ah," I whisper. Now, all I can think about is the childhood he grew up in. His teenage years when he was all alone. The unspoken wounds and scars of his soul are so loud to me now. I can't think of anything else. Nothing else matters other than what I'm about to say next.

"Yes?" Ji pyeong asks with his arms still around me.

"I'm always here with you. You know? You don't ever need to be alone." I say, looking at him intently. Ji pyeong has a momentary look of surprise before he understands where I'm getting at. The unspoken understanding and love radiates between our bodies.

"I know." He smiles with a smile that can light up the darkest night.

~

I tell Ji pyeong to wait in my room as I emerge into the living room to talk to my mother.

"Dal mi ah!" My mother looks up at me in shock as she sees me. Her face is crossed with lines of worry, regret and shame.

My conversation with Ji pyeong has softened my heart. Now, I can only think of the good things about her. The way she gently touched my cheek at the networking party and told me that she's rooting for me. I think of how she took such good care of me in my younger years. The way she would cook my favourite foods after I had finished my exams and would always give me the biggest, sweetest grapes. She would always place the fried chicken drumstick on my plate after In jae had snatched up the first one.

"Omma." I call her. My mother looks at me in subtle shock. She's been used to me calling her with a harsher, more formal tone. But now, all I want to remember is the woman who loved me in my childhood.

"Dal mi ah..." She comes closer to me, as if cautious on how to navigate the situation.

"Are you going to take care of Halmeoni?" I ask her, trying to restrict the tears from flowing down my face.

"Oh?" She appears shocked at the sudden question.

"Yes, I will. Don't worry. I will. I'll make up for all those years." My mother says.

"Did Chairman Won really hit you and throw you out of the house?" I ask.

"Oh?" My mother pauses. "Oh. Yes." She nods and lowers her head.

"You're not going to go back to him?" I ask, keeping my tone steady.

"No... I'm not...I won't." My mother shakes her head with guilt weighing heavily on her neck.

"Then will you..." I lighten up. "Could you make songpyeon on the holidays? I miss the taste of the songpyeons you made." I say kindly and immediately my mother looks up with a brighter expression. Her eyes shine with gratitude.

"Yes," She almost sighs with relief. "Yes, of course. I will." She says.

Without another word, I wrap my arms around her, deciding to throw away all the unforgiveness that I've held in my heart for many years. I can feel my mother cry softly as she hugs me back.

"I've missed you..." I say softly and my mother smiles at me. Her lower lip shakes as she tries to hold back the outburst of emotions.

"I've missed you too... Dal mi ah..." She calls my name with longing, as if she's missed calling it for the very long past several years.