2 Minus 1 | joshua✓ ( School Series )

T W E N T Y E I G H T

N A O M I ' S  P O V

"Our deepest condolences for your Mom, Naomi." Joshua's mother said.

I just nodded and looked at the frame where Mom's photo was, I miss her so much now, I miss her even more now that she's gone. My tears flowed again so I went out first, I want to drink soju now, I can't bear to look inside if I look at Mom's photo, I'll just cry and miss her.

"Slow down at drinking, Naomi. Do you want to damage your liver if you'll still drink that much?" Joshua asks.

"Just let me, just this time, Shua." I answered.

I heard him sigh, I'd rather that they'll let me go first than stop me, only yesterday I was happy because I was supposed to show her something, but when you are happy, there is sadness in return.

"Why do you even have to disappear, Mom?" I asks.

I knew no one would answer, but I turned to Joshua who was already beside me.

"Naomi, your Mom's parents are here." He said.

To my surprise, she didn’t say a single word about my Mom’s parents, but I still stood up and they were ready greet them. When I got to the room where Mom was lying I saw the couple, the lady was crying and the lady was calming the lady. I approached the two of them, when I was behind them I was held behind them, they both turned to me and the lady hugged me. I cried again because of the lady's crying, I saw the lady and I can say that they look like Mom.

"Y-you're Naomi right?" She asks.

"Yes, I'm Naomi." I answered.

"I'm Olivia, your grandmother. And this is your grandfather, Benjamin." She introduce herself and her husband.

I just met them now, and I don’t know how I’m going to feel, I want to hope that I’m going to have a family. But it seems to discourage me, I want to but it seems wrong, so now I will observe first.

"Do you want to live with us? In Florida?" She asks.

I looked at them, so Mom was the only one living abroad and here in Korea my Father lived.

"Let me think about it first, Grandma." I answered.

She nodded, we were eating while the guests were going home, they had to go home because I knew they were tired. But I saw Joshua not coming home, he's walking towards us, even if Mom is dead now, I have to introduce him to my grandparents.

"Grandma, Grandpa, he's my boyfriend, his name is Joshua." I introduced him to them.

"Good evening, ma'am sir." He greet.

"Good evening too, you must be so closed to her mother, I saw you crying earlier in front of her picture." Grandma says.

Yes, he's closed to my mother.

"We talk a lot these past few months, until yesterday, I never thought that yesterday was our last conversation." He response.

"And I never thought it would be her last laugh." He added.

"She must be happy to be with you, and she will be even happier if you take care of Naomi." Grandpa says.

"I hope so." Joshua says.

He makes my mother very happy, every time Joshua comes home he really makes my mother happy, especially when he helps Mom with the housework. I am thankful there, until now, that Mom is gone. I know he will miss Joshua, because Joshua makes him happy if he is in my apartment, since Mom was hospitalized, Joshua has made him happy.

"So, why don't I go home yet? Your parents and friends have come home, you are the only one here." Grandma says.

"I want to be with Naomi, and here you are, I want to be with you." He response.

"But you still have school tomorrow." I said.

"We still have school tomorrow, yes, but I need to accompany you." He said.

"Go to your school tomorrow Naomi, we will take care of it first." Grandma says.

I looked at them, I didn't want to leave Mom, but I knew they also missed Mom, I knew they mourned Mom.

"Are you sure, Grandpa and Grandma?" I asks them.

"We will take care of the guests, remember to study first." Grandma says.

I sighed, I couldn't do anything, but it was about to break. Tomorrow is Saturday, so next week there will be no class, so Joshua will take me to our apartment. Here he will sleep in my apartment again, he really wants to be with me.

"Did you tell your parents that you would sleep here?" I ask him.

"Yes, when we left the house, I had packed up, and I told them I would sleep here." He answered.

I nodded, he would sleep in my room, and I was here in Mom's room. I looked at her photos from the time she was a teen ager, until she gave birth to me.  Until I grew up, I cried again in the pictures I saw, we were very similar, others say. I wiped away the tears and went out of Mom's room, still not losing my mind that she was gone. 

"I miss you so much now, Mom." I said.

I knew no one would respond to me, I went into my room and saw Joshua lying on the bed, I remembered what my Grandmother said earlier. They want me to go with them, but I still have to think, especially if I have something left here.

If I accepted his offer, I knew Joshua would be angry with me.

When I finished taking a bath I lay down next to Joshua, I had to think about whether I would accept their offer or not.

Few days ago.

I don’t want to cremate Mom anymore, I don’t think I can yet, so I’m still here in the funeral hall. I knew I was drunk, but I could still, I could still stand and walk. I left the funeral hall, I wanted to go home to my apartment because I was tired, I don't know why I was tired, I didn't do anything. I don't know if I got home, but I was surprised when I bumped into someone.

"S-sorry." I apologize.

"Naomi, you're drunk." He said.

"W-who are you? Why do you know me?" I asks him.

"You don't really remember me? It's me, Jimin." He answered.

"Oh so you're Jimin, nice to meet you~" I said.

I was shocked when he suddenly lifted me up, I told him to lower me because I could, but he did not listen to me.

"I can take care of myself." I said.

"No, you don't. And besides, you're drunk Naomi." He response.

I didn’t know what happened next, because I was already asleep in his arms.

J O S H U A ' S  P O V

When I got to Naomi's apartment I opened it, I knew the passcode so I could enter at any time. I went to his room and opened the door, when I saw another man next to him, I backed away. No matter what I think, I don’t know if anything happened to them or not, but I was hurt by what I saw. I knew Naomi wouldn't do that, but I knew that man liked her, I left her apartment but I made sure the door of her apartment was closed. I don't know where I'm going, but I thought I'd go to Seokmin's condo, that's where I'll sleep first.

Please, believe Naomi on what she will say tomorrow Joshua.