GATEWAY 🝔 LEE JENO

🝔 1.30

Rubbing her forehead she sat down on the sofa. Eyes shut she took deep inhales. Her relaxing moments took an abrupt stop after hearing a creak on the staircase which instantly made her spin her head around to find Jeno frozen in place.

Brushing off all the stressful thoughts she had experienced during her work earlier in the day she placed on a soft expression gesturing for the boy to come over. "Why are you standing there? Come sit" she patted on the seat beside her. 

Jeno slowly walked over and sat down as told before initiating a conversation. "How was work Mrs. Im?" he spoke quietly. "It was ok. I had a lot of customers today. Also the cake that you and Ga-eun tried that day has become really popular" smiling softly, he nodded. "It was really good" he complimented once again.

Suddenly there was a change in the atmosphere as none spoke and the air became tranquil. Palms sweating he moved around uncomfortably unable to spew a single word that had been bugging him.

"What's on your mind Jeno?" she spoke out sensing his stress. "N-nothing" tutting her head she glanced over with a disappointed expression. "You can ask me anything Jeno" she calmly spoke reassuring him. He wasn't sure if he should but a part of him really wanted to tell her. However before he could even speak she beat him to it. "You finally realised huh?"

"W-what?!"

Sighing she shook her head. "Just say it" she softly spoke out, making him relax his tensed up muscles. The warm look in her eyes made him relieve his distress and not be as nervous as before. "Is your name I-Im Jia?" he stuttered out.

There was an awkward silence that lapsed around them. She did not say a word or avail her eye contact from the boy and just stared deep into his eyes before opening her lips slightly to speak the next words.

"How is Hei-ran?"she breathed out making Jeno gulp hard finding it still unbelievable. Even though he had a hunch he didn't expect it to be true. It was too difficult to believe.

Too unreal

🝔

"Since when did you know?" he asked, still gripping on the glass of water she passed over to him so that he pipe down his thumping heart. "Awhile ago" she glanced down to her fingers. 

"When you told me your name I felt strange. Like I was living my life back in Seoul. Your name immediately reminded me of Hei-ran." lifting her head up she smiled softly. "I was there when Minji was born and when Min-hyung was born." turning her head to him. "Even when you were born" she chuckled lightly remembering the first time she met him at the hospital. The only memory being her carrying him in her bare hands when he was just a newborn.

"I was the one who actually named you. So when you told me your name is Jeno, I . . . I kind of felt a heartache." she held her chest gripping the material covering it. "Remembering how I left without a word, not even saying a bye to her." she sniffed as a few tears trailed down her cheek.  "But I never knew that you were the same Jeno as the one I saw as a baby" gently Jia lifted her palm up placing it on the boy's cheek giving a motherly smile.

"You have the same eye smile as your mother. How can I not recognise you?" she cried out hating herself for not noticing sooner. Immediately Jeno made a thin line with his lips. "I'm so happy to meet you again Jeno. You've grown up so well child" she patted his back before wiping her tears. "You want to know what happened right?"

Biting his bottom lip, Jeno nodded slowly which she instantly took in as a yes. "I will tell you. I will tell you everything that happened"