De Novo

Chapter 12

The whole ride back to the house is silent, a deafening silence to be specific. Luna wasn't opening up about how her day was or what interesting things happened in the class like she habitually does.

Yongsun, too, has been hesitant to speak with her daughter. She stayed shushed and let the sound of the engine engulf their senses. At first, she only believed that luna had guessed that moonbyul was her mother, but right now-- seeing what the girl was acting-- now yongsun speculates the girl already knows the truth.

They arrived back home with nothing but silence.. with luna heading upstairs straight to her room, while yongsun sighed intensely and followed the latter path. Yongsun knows it's time for things to get real.

"Luna?"

First attempt to get the girl's attention is just like yongsun talking to no one but air. Luna kept walking inside her room without glancing at her mother, completely ignoring her existence. Nonetheless, yongsun doesn't get bothered by the attitude.

"Luna, can we--"

"Is there something you want to tell me, mom?"

Luna didn't even let her finish as she turn around and stare at yongsun deep in her eyes. Luna's eyes show nothing.. not the ordinary pretty and lively eyes she always has.

Yongsun became nervous all of a sudden, biting the inside of her cheeks as luna's gaze cut through her face. The fact that her kid seemed upset for the first time was a shock to her, and she didn't even know the reason for this outburst.

Yongsun completely stepped inside the room and closed the door, moving slowly so as not to scare luna. She made her way to her bed and sat down, tapping her side afterwards, asking luna to take her seat beside her. The calm approach was enough for the girl to relax, doing what yongsun asked and slumping herself beside her mother silently.

"Tell me what's bothering you." Yongsun directly asked because she knew luna doesn't want any further drama. She has her few concerns too, but she wants her daughter to let out those things that fear her first.

It didn't take seconds before luna sighed and lowered her head.

"Is.." Luna bit her lip, fingers fiddling and eyes couldn't look straight, "Is moonbyul my other mother?" She murmured with a voice so quiet and soft yet it doesn't go unnoticed to yongsun.

The question that has troubled her for weeks is now about to be answered by the only person she knows who could explain everything. God understands how badly she wanted to ask her mother about byul but opted to keep her lips shut, convinced that there is a right timing for everything.

Maybe it has though, and now is that time.

Yongsun smiles weakly.

"I wanted to say no.. but it's obvious she is, right?"

Luna exhaled sharply but she couldn't tell if she was relieved by it or not. On the other side, yongsun doesn't know what to feel either. Her dream before was for luna and moonbyul to meet, but she didn't expect things to turn out to be like this, she didn't want it this way.

"You told me she's been nowhere to be found? Did you lie to me, mom?"

Those words slipped out of luna's mouth harshly as if she was enraged about the idea of her mother lying to her.  Yongsun now fully comprehends why Luna seemed so upset with her earlier.

"I never lied to you, luna. Kept secret, yes."

"Moonbyul just got back and we just met unexpectedly, perhaps months ago. I don't have the heart to tell you she's back, so I decided to hide it from you. But things got complicated.."