Call My Name by the Stars

CHAPTER 3- Shoes on a Footpath

"Choi Daehyun you're handsome!!" Praises and compliments erupted from the audience, but that belonged to Geum Hyerim, bringing laughter to Jooah. Surprisingly as Thurzday entered their van one at a time, Daehyun and Jaeryeong who were the last two heard it loud and clear that they turned in their direction. He smiled upon making eye contact with Jooah to which she immediately turned away.

Whilst there was Hyerim who fangirled over Daehyun who noticed her existence. He smiled subtly and bowed in her direction, but halted when he noticed how familiar her appearance was.

On the ride back, Min ended up falling asleep after a long day. It was only a short 20 minute ride, yet he dreamt. It was 2003.

In that dream, he saw his 7 year old self holding two different hands as he happily hopped, flying a big leap when the hands lifted him off the grass meadow under the warm afternoon sunlight. One hand was big enough it covered his whole fist. They were rough, yet they struggled to provide better comfort. It was his father's. The old him still knew how to smile, still cared.

The other hand was gentle, warm, and soft, holding his hands lightly yet protectively in fear they might break, but in fear it'll let go. It was his mom's. She looked even more beautiful under the golden hour, her hair still coming down to her side, her smile still giving him more assurance than to herself. She let go of his hand first.

The terrifying sound of vital sign monitors beeped frantically, ringing and echoing at every random interval, as human voices mixed along with them, repeating after one another, spinning in an unbreakable loop, " We believe it occurs to be cardiac complications. It's one of the long term, life threatening effects of pregnancy. It usually occurs during delivery, but this is a rare case where the effects still last for several years. Along with her older age, we believe she is in a place of high death risk."

And then the beep picked up harshly, even faster as every second passed, ending in a long piercing call of the dead. Before there was time, a plain white veil covered the entire bed, a lump on the center, and a hand came down from the side. It was just... cold.

Silence. Utter silence. A funeral home, a portrait of her smiling. Such a cruel picture to be displayed.

The only thing that filled the silence... was the sharp clinking noises of soju bottles. His father looked straight at a face that resembled the face of the person he lost. Just empty, hopeless eyes that his mother never carried.

"Who... are you? Why do you have her face? Bring her back!" He mourned in a drunken state, shaking his fragile body, "Remember that this is all your fault."

The child's eyes were dark, having the purity of a 7 year old sucked out, "You're drunk, father."

He rambled, "None of this would have happened if you hadn't been born."

The man starts laughing like a maniac, "My child, you didn't know did you. Both me and your mom... we almost killed you," He chuckled even more as he hugged his own son who sat still.

A tear escaped his eye and rolled over his cheek. Even to a 7 year old, pain was a feeling he understood well.

~II~

Thurzday sat in the living room, supposedly watching tv together while Min's mind sinked somewhere in the abysmal sea, lacking energy to pay attention after the strangely realistic nightmare he had.

"Awh geez don't do Yeseul dirty like that!" Kitae whined from the floor, getting too invested in the drama playing out a highschool girl slipping on a rock and getting caught right on time by another student. The girl stared out at him innocently, her heart probably fluttering as the guy showed her no interest whatsoever for being the second female lead. The perfect cliche youth romance.