Sugar Rush

41

20 years ago

It had been a year since Seokjin settled in with Mr Kim. He was trained by various teachers about how to be a polite, sophisticated child. There were way too many classes for him. One for cooking, one for table manners, one for how to talk to the people, one for how to present himself. All these classes were arranged by Mr Kim, but Seokjin asked for one particular class to be added to his schedule. A combat lesson. He got his Sundays off, where he could do anything he wanted. Mostly he spent it in the hospital with his mother. But sometimes, he stayed home and did nothing in particular. On one of those days, when he was lying on the side of the pond, watching the fish peacefully swimming in the water, he felt a presence behind him. When he turned back, he found a 6-7 years old boy standing there.

"Hello." Seokjin greeted him.

The boy smiled brightly showing his missing teeth. "Hello!" The boy bowed to Seokjin.

Seokjin was intrigued. He sat up properly, "What is your name?"

"Mew." The boy shouted with joy.

Seokjin furrowed his brow, "I don't think that is your name."

"Oh, you met him already."

Seokjin turned back to see Mr Kim standing at the door of the backyard. "His name is Suppasit, but you can call him Mew. He is the son I told you about. He will be staying with you for a while. Take good care of him."

Seokjin bowed to Mr Kim, "Sure, abeoji."

As soon as Mr Kim went in, Mew sat beside Seokjin, "What was P'Jin doing?"

Seokjin shrugged, "Just watching the fish."

"Fishies?" Mew looked inside the pound and giggled, "I love fishies. I have a fishie too! Her name is Ms Rue. Phaw gave it to me on my birthday!"

Seokjin smiled sweetly, "Then, we will buy more fishies for this pond. Now that you are living here. Want to go fish shopping?"

"Yes!" Mew shouted with a fist in the air, "Will p'Jin come with me?"

"Of course."

After that day, Mew joined Seokjin in every class. Starting from table manners to the English lessons at the end of the day. By the end of the day, Mew would be so tired that he would sleep while Seokjin and he watched a movie at the end of the day to freshen up a bit. Seokjin would smile at him and carry him to his room to tuck him up in the bed.

After about a year, one night, when Seokjin was about to sleep, Mew came to his room, "P'Jin..." He whined a little, "Can I sleep with p'Jin?"

Seokjin patted the side of the bed, "What happened, baby?"

Mew sniffled a little, "Maa and phaw are fighting again. I can't sleep."

Seokjin opened his arms and Mew, like it was second nature to him, lay beside Seokjin. Seokjin circled his arms around Mew and started patting his head, "It is okay. They will be okay by tomorrow morning." Seokjin smiled at Mew as he fell asleep quickly in Seokjin's arms.

The next day, Seokjin woke up because of the screams that came from the living room. He ran down to the living room and gasped as Mrs Kim was carrying Mew and she had three bags with her. Mew was crying and thrashing around in her hold. "I don't want to go! I want to live here with p'Jin. Pwease, maa! No want to go."

Seokjin looked at Mr Kim and then at Mew. He immediately looked at the floor when Mrs Kim glared at him. She looked at Mr Kim, "Is this your final decision? Are you going to choose that low life instead of me and Mew?"

Mr Kim rolled his eyes, "We have gone through this before, I won't repeat myself."

Mrs Kim huffed and turned around. Just like that, Mew was gone from the house. But he left a lasting impression in Seokjin's heart. Mr Kim went to Seokjin and ruffled his hair, "Don't blame yourself. She would have left me no matter what. We weren't a conventional couple to begin with."