ASTRONOMY | SEUNGJIN

2 - Love for the sea

First day wasn't so bad; after school, he got picked up by the family driver and was immediately sent home.

The house was silent- too silent. His parents should be home around this time. He went upstairs to get changed but heard cries from his parent's room. "Mother?'' Seungmin uttered in despair. He had never seen his mother sad, let alone cry.

He always saw his mother as a strong woman, so seeing her in this state didn't feel right. "Seungmin, my son! How was school, sweetheart?" Her breath reeked alcohol. One thing about his mother is that she never drinks. She was the type of person who cared so much about her health, so alcohol was a big no-no for her.

"Where is Father?" His mother's expression changed faster than the speed of light when Seungmin mentioned his father. "Your father? He's gone. He chose that stupid job over his own fucking family! He's gone now, Seungmin." Seungmin had no expression on his face even after hearing that.

When his father told him about the job opportunity, he immediately knew that his father would choose it, even if it meant that he would have to stay away from his family for a while. He would've simply brought Seungmin and his wife with him, but Seungmin's mother didn't want to leave, so he was left with no choice.

Being a pilot wasn't easy, especially when your wife didn't want you away, and Seungmin understood his father completely. They wouldn't be so wealthy right now if his father hadn't sailed in the Pacific. If only his mother would understand.

He was glad he lived in Busan because he could always go to the beach whenever he felt down.

The cold breeze of air, the sound of waves, and the orange sunset all made Seungmin feel calm. No amount of money could buy the amount of comfort this place gives him.

Laying down on the beach mat made him feel sleepy until he unconsciously fell asleep. No one would be by the beach at this time considering it would already be dark by six p.m.

He finally woke up due to the cold temperature. It was dark until he turned his back and saw the city lights. It was amazing, but he was even more taken aback when he looked up and saw the number of stars in the sky; they reminded him of when he was a kid and he and his father would go stargazing on a boat in the middle of the night. Maybe that's where he found his love for the sea.

He was walking home when he decided to stop by the convenience store to buy midnight snacks. Filling the basket with all his favorite snacks, he finally decided it was enough and proceeded to pay. "That will be 4,500 won, sir," the cashier stated.

He pulled out money from his wallet when he realized he was lacking 500 won, so he got rid of the pack of gummies he really wanted.

"I'll just be paying for these," Seungmin replied as he gave the money. "Here you go- Seungmin?'' Why was Hyunjin working as a cashier in a convenience store by the beach? ''Hwang...'' a long pause before he continued, "I didn't know you worked here," Seungmin responded. "C'mon, what's with the first name basis? Here's your change."

Hyunjin sneakily added the pack of gummies to Seungmin's plastic bag, but luckily he didn't notice.

All Hyunjin wanted was to be close to him, so maybe a pack of gummies would warm Seungmin's heart, even a bit. After Seungmin left, several more people came to the convenience store, but one couple really caught Hyunjin's eye.

Two bottles of soju were placed on the counter, but Hyunjin's attention was only drawn to the couple who placed it. "That would be 2479 won dad.'' His dad was there with a woman he didn't know. What's worse is that his dad hasn't even been home in days. They were holding hands but immediately separated when they saw Hyunjin there.

"I'm sorry? You must be mistaken." His father was clearly tense. "Honey, I don't feel like buying here anymore; I heard that the bar over there offers good drinks." Now he's pretending he doesn't have a son, how pathetic. It was even more pathetic that he had seen Hyunjin working there yet didn't even bother asking why.

The truth is that, though his dad was cheating, he still provided financially, but his mom has no control and spends most of it on alcohol instead of actual food. Getting a job would mean that he gets his own money and gets to stay away from home, it was a win-win. The only struggle is that the convenience store is a tad bit too far from his house; sadly, he has no choice but to walk.

He arrived home and was welcomed by the smell of food. It's been a while since his mom last cooked dinner; usually, he'd cook for himself. He went to the kitchen to eat but was greeted by his mom and dad sitting at the dinner table. "Hyunjin, have dinner with us." His mom looked happy and sober; maybe she finally patched things up with his dad.

Unlike other days, the dinner table wasn't silent. They were talking about regular things, pretending they don't fight daily.

Dinner was over, and Hyunjin was left with his dad while his mom washed the dishes. "Son, how was school?" His dad asked, acting as if they hadn't seen each other earlier. "Funny, I thought I was mistaken when I called you dad?"

Hyunjin wasn't going to act as if nothing happened; why would he ignore the fact that his dad suddenly came home after days when Hyunjin had just caught him with another woman earlier? "Look, I'm doing that for us, so that we can have extra money and go back to Seoul," his father explained. "You mean cheat?" Hyunjin was pissed.

Hyunjin walked straight to his room after the conversation they had. He cleared his mind and tried to think of other things like keeping up with Jeongin, his friend in Seoul, so he messaged him.

After that long day, the last thing he needed to do was sleep. Tucking himself into bed, hoping that tomorrow would be better than today.