Only If We Could || Y.JW FF

eleven - the big apple

[flashback]

"Kyungmi! Come down to eat!" Her mother yelled from downstairs. Kyungmi closed her textbook, rushing downstairs. She eyed her suitcase sitting at the bottom of the stairs. "Hurry, we have to leave. Your flight leaves in two hours and we still have an hour's drive ahead of us."

Kyungmi sulks. "Why do I have to go first? Why can't I just wait for you guys?"

Her mother sighed. "Because. I have to work today and your brother has his last day of summer classes and your Aunt needs somebody right now. She's having a tough time. So one of us is better than none of us, okay? Now eat before your food gets cold."

Kyungmi nodded before settling down into a chair. Her mother placed a bowl of seaweed soup and a bowl of rice in front of her. Kyungmi looked up at her mother who was smiling softly at her. "Happy birthday, Kyungmi-ah," she said while pressing a kiss to Kyungmi's temple.

Kyungmi smiled brightly back toward her mother. Quickly eating, Kyungmi finished her food before rushing over to grab her suitcase. "Okay, eomma. I'm ready when you are!"

Her mother came rushing out from the kitchen, putting her hair up into a messy bun. Kyungmi followed her mother to the car, stuffing her suitcase into the trunk. The ride was quiet. Kyungmi was truly against going all the way to New York by herself, but her mother fought her about it, untimely giving Kyungmi no choice but to do as her mother said.

Once they arrived at the airport, Kyungmi's mother kissed her head. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Her mother asked, cupping Kyungmi's cheeks in the palm of her hands.

"Okay, eomma."

"I love you," her mother proclaimed.

Kyungmi pulled her mother into a quick embrace. "I love you, too."

Pulling away, Kyungmi grabbed her suitcase and made her way toward the entrance of the airport. "Call me when you land!" Her mother yelled after her. Kyungmi nodded while waving goodbye.

~~~

Finally landing in New York, Kyungmi stretched her sore limbs, happy to finally be able to freely move her legs. Kyungmi searched around the airport, looking for her cousin. She waved frantically toward Kyungmi, attempting to get her attention. Kyungmi smiled brightly before rushing towards her.

Kyungmi tossed her arms around her older cousin, giggling. "Hi, Nance!"

Nancy squeezed Kyungmi. "Hi, Kat."

Due to Kyungmi traveling back and forth to the States, she had both an English name and a Korean name. So her family in the States referred to her solely by her English name, Katherine, or Kat for short.

"Oh my, I've missed you so much," Nancy announced. Kyungmi laughed at her. "Look how tall you've gotten since the last time I've seen you," she said, using her hand to measure exactly how tall Kyungmi was compared to herself. Kyungmi was now fourteen and it had been an entire year since she had been to the States to see her Aunt and cousins.

Kyungmi turned around to grab her suitcase. "It's been so long," Kyungmi gushed as she looked over the crowded airport.

Nancy nudged Kyungmi, "come on it hasn't been that long."

"It feels like forever," Kyungmi countered. Nancy nodded her head in agreement. They ducked and dodged their way through the airport, finally making it to Nancy's car. "I can't believe you actually have a car now," Kyungmi gushed.

Nancy had just turned seventeen and had saved up enough money to purchase her very first car. It wasn't a brand new car, it was a beat-up used car. Yet, the only thing that Nancy cared about was its ability to get her from point A to point B.

Nancy shrugged. "I'm basically an adult now," she said, jokingly. Kyungmi stifled a laugh. Nancy grabbed Kyungmi's suitcase from her, placing it in the trunk of the car. Kyungmi slipped into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt. "I'm just warning you now, the house is an absolute disaster," Nancy warned as she slid into the driver's seat.

Putting the key into the ignition and turning it, the car roared to life. Kyungmi gasped excitedly. She wasn't thrilled that she had to come here on her own when she was perfectly capable of waiting another day so she could have come with Jaejin and her mother, but to a certain extent, she was glad that she did. She was able to enjoy some alone time with family she hadn't seen in a little over a year.

The two enjoyed their joy-ride home. The windows were done, allowing the wind to invade the car, causing their hair to become a wild mess. In no time, they arrived back at Nancy's house. Nancy helped Kyungmi carry her suitcase up the stairs to the front porch before handing it back to Kyungmi so that she could open the door.

Kyungmi stood behind Nancy, patiently waiting for Nancy to open the front door. After fumbling around with the door a bit more, Nancy was finally able to open the door. Kyungmi tugged her suitcase up the small lip at the front door, traveling into the house which, was in fact, an absolute disaster.

Kyungmi looked around trying to spot her aunt. The sound of soft sobbing made Kyungmi's ear perk up. She left her suitcase by the front door before moving deeper into the house in an attempt to find her sobbing aunt.

Once Kyungmi reached the kitchen she spotted her aunt on the floor, her phone clinging to her chest as she wailed. Kyungmi rushed over to her, embracing her. "Are you okay, auntie?" She asked, a gentle tone in her voice.

Her aunt gently pushed her away, looking at her through her teary eyes. "Katherine, my dear. There's been a horrible accident."

Kyungmi was struggling to pick up on what her aunt was saying. Kyungmi's face scrunched in confusion. Although Kyungmi was fluent in English, her aunt had a heavy New York accent which sometimes made it very difficult for Kyungmi to understand anything her aunt says to her. "I don't understand. What happened?"

Her aunt grabbed her shoulders. Her grip was tight, forcing Kyungmi to focus on her and her only. "Kat, it's you're mom and Josh. They were in a horrible accident."

At that moment, Kyungmi felt as if the world had disappeared from underneath her. She was falling. That's all it felt like. "What?" Kyungmi asked, her voice shaky, tears brimming her eyes.

Everything froze when her question only made her aunt sob harder. No. This couldn't be. There was no way that something like this was happening. Stuff like this only happens in the movies, Kyungmi. Pull yourself together. Kyungmi attempted to convince herself.

Struggling to stand up on her own two feet, Kyungmi swayed out of the kitchen. She dialed her mother. Once. Nothing. Twice. Nothing. Both times she was sent straight to voicemail. She tried once more before moving on to calling Jaejin.

Again. Once, twice, third time, nothing. Kyungmi's breathing became shallow as her vision blurred. There's no way. The world around Kyungmi was swallowed in darkness as she felt her body go limp, fainting. Her head hitting the floor as she collapsed.