As he stood in his driveway, he decided to make a heart in the snow. He used his steps to make the shape. As he looked at the heart, it was missing something. He added a little face, and then he smiled, content.
Living in an apartment complex had its perks; the communal driveways were shoveled this morning.
When he slid into the driver's seat, he thought back through the apartment. Whenever one embarks on a long journey, there are certain ways to preserve their dwelling. He'd brought out the trash, locked the windows, turned down the heat, cleared the fridge, stopped his mail... Were all the lights off? He went back in to check.
Over the last few months, he tried to bequeath most of his personal items (without raising suspicion). Now, he wore his favorite clothes.
He wore the bracelets Yeosang had made him through the years, the earrings his late aunt willed to him, and the scarf which was his mother's.
The scarf was meant for him to borrow, but it was too late now.
He set the gps to Kkotji Beach, a place he knew only in passing. Yet, it was his favorite beach. Three hours drive. He would miss sunset.
"Do you want to hear the legend behind these rocks?" His mother had asked, and of course he did.
The rocks were almost cliffs, jutting out of the ocean into smooth peaks which brushed the clouds. They looked even larger to a thirteen year old.
"A man and a woman, living on the edge of the sea, were deeply in love," she had begun, "but soon a war broke out." (He and Yeosang had gasped.) "The emperor made all men soldiers, so the devoted husband was forced to leave his wife in command of a big ship. But, he promised to return."
It was a very sunny day when Eomma told this story to her children. They had packed a picnic lunch and set out during a long holiday.
"What happened?" Yeosang asked, invested.
"The wife was equally devoted, and she stood, waiting for him, at the edge of the sea. Many months she stood vigilant, yet her husband did not return. Eventually, she died on the shore, and was immortalized in Grandmother Rock."
"What about the other one?" He asked, and she thought for a moment.
"I'm not sure. But I think, maybe, her husband did finally return from war, and he was immortalized in Grandfather Rock right beside her."
He liked that explanation. It was sadly romantic.
"But of course, this is just a legend," she clarified.
The dashboard clock read 18:00.
He turned on the defrost and heated seats before backing out of his parking spot, and venturing onto the road.
YOU ARE READING
Twenty-Four Hours || k.hj
FanfictionHongjoong knew the moment he awoke; he that knew today was the day. His twenty four hours. °°° The body which had been his for over twenty five years suddenly seemed peculiar to use. Memories suffused his mind, memories he thought had been long lost...
