IN THE NAME OF LOVE | TAEGUK

seven.

the tiny specks of city lights were enhancing the night view as a young lady sat by the balcony of her room, her body leaning on the chair and her hands having a firm yet a gentle grip around the baby who sat on her lap, facing her with his round doe eyes. "mum-mumma!" the one-year-old squealed, his little chubby hands cupping his mother's cheeks, making the young lady chuckle fondly.

"oh my, you're a fast learner, little honey." she whispered, pretending to be charmed by her son as she bopped her nose against his little one, earning a tiny giggle in return. "you're so sweet." she giggled, pecking his rosy cheek, earning a weak attempt of slap to her cheek in return.

"go-googie mumma?" the boy whispered again, nibbling at his mother's cheek as he tried to kiss her. 

chuckling fondly, "that's right, gukie's mumma." the young lady spoke gently as she looked at her baby proudly. "now say, dada." she added after feeding him a spoonful of apple puree and wiping his mouth with a soft handkerchief later.

"da-" the little baby seemed to struggle a bit, looking at his mother with round doe eyes as she smiled and mouthed da-da at him encouragingly. "da-da!" he squealed, clapping his hands and opening his mouth for the reward as he pointed his chubby finger at his mouth, telling his mother to feed him.

his mother chuckled, pinching his soft cheeks before feeding him another spoonful of the apple puree and laughed when he gulped it down almost immediately and was already pointing his little finger at his opened mouth again. "slow down, little one." she chuckled and continued feeding him. 

after a few more minutes of her teaching new words to him and rewarding him with the apple puree when he pronounced them correctly or at least tried to, inventing a new word each time and making her laugh heartily, followed by a kiss to his cheek and of course the apple puree, his eyes began to flutter close as her gentle voice and soft scent lulled him to sleep. she kissed his rosy cheek before picking him up and going into the room as she closed the glass door to the balcony since the gentle breeze became cold.

but as soon as the small of his back met the soft mattress of his crib and he noticed the lost the warmth of his mother's gentle caress to his hair, her comforting scent around him, and her soft voice singing lullaby, followed by her gentle and disappearing voice whispering a shaky 'sorry', his round eyes fluttered open and tears gathered at the corner of his eyes when he couldn't see her anymore. "mum-mumma?" he called but his calls were unanswered, unheard. 

his little hands grabbed the edges of the crib as he stood up on his wobbly legs, but his lips quivered, and fat tears rolled down his chubby cheeks when he couldn't find her anywhere. "mumma?" he began to cry as his eyes frankly wandered around the room, attempting to catch a glimpse of his mother but was instead greeted with cold eyes, the usual warmth absent in those hollow orbs, of his father staring back at him.

the baby raised both of his arms towards the man, expecting to be picked up and being pampered with lots of kisses as always, but the man instead stepped back. one step. two step. three step. jeongguk's lips wobbled and eyes glazed with tears again as he made grabby hands at the man who glared at him, his gaze was ruinous as he kept drifting away from his son into the darkness.

you killed my son

he heard his father whispering something he couldn't quite understand but the venom in his voice made him cry but the man's steps didn't halt as he continued to drift away, away and away. far away from him until he couldn't recognise the disappearing stranger in front of him.

"n-no- dada-"

it's all your fault!

"no leave googie-"