NOTHING BUT YOU: FOREVER YOU | Na Jaemin

Part 1 | Home

Exhausted.

That's the first thing that comes to her mind after reading the words on her phone screen. She put the phone down on the table and lay down a bit on the only couch that place messily in the living room.

She sighed, rubbing her forehead as she massage it gently.

She looked at the stuff in front of her and just to think about it, it already makes her giddy.

"Shane, should we continue tomorrow? It's getting late." She shouted from the living room.

It wasn't long until a boy came to her presence in the living room with the Xbox stick he had in his hands. "Mom, where should I put my Xbox on?"

"Your room?"
"I need more outlet."

Shane raised his brow and sit down beside his Mom.

"I'll go get it at the store tomorrow, give me a break, honey." With that, Shane chuckled and lay down his head on his Mom's shoulder.

"I already miss Taipei."
"Me too."
"Thought you were excited about Seoul."

Shane propped his head with the palm of his hand, stares at his Mom, pouting his lips in order to tease her.

"I'll miss my friends."

Shane giggled and nudge his Mom's shoulder lightly.

Grace smiled and stroke her son's hair gently. She looked into his eyes and remain still.

Taipei was the city she called home. She felt safe there, and everything was beautiful. She became a lecturer a year later after she graduated and moved to Taipei all by herself. It was when she knew she was pregnant. She gave birth to Shane and raised him there for almost 15 years. That's why she called it home. Home where she could call it her safe place.

Not too long ago, Grace brought a sad news to her own only son that she needed to move back to Seoul. She got transferred and they need her immediately. Shane graduated from middle school a month ago, so it was the perfect time to start his freshman year in a new country which she believed Shane could adapt to it quickly. Shane wasn't agreed to it at first but he had no choice but to follow and move with his Mom to go back to her hometown.

"Uncle Josh will pick you up tomorrow. Update me about the school. I paid the fees already, the uniforms should be ready."

"I'm still not confident with my Korean."
"Hang in there, you'll get use to it."
"Thankfully we have native there. So, I could just speak English everyday."
"You're going to learn a language, right?"
"Yeah, but 3 years? It isn't enough!"
"Well, I'm going to speak Korean to you from now on."
"Don't lecture me, Mom."
"Shane!"

He sighed and tossed his head to his Mom's lap after.

"You're smart, I know you can adapt to it fast."
"I'm not smart."
"You are, honey."

Shane gave her a small smile and close his eyes for a second.

Grace couldn't lie, she was really grateful to have a son like Shane. She remembered it all clearly when he started his kindergarten year back then when they were still in Taipei. Shane was different among all of his friends. He was a pleasant boy and he was able to socialize well with his peers. Not to mention being around adults. He recognized the letters and words fast and he remembered it all in just one term. The teacher had to remind her that Shane was able to do this and that without their help. His fine motor skills, work behavior, language skills— nothing's wrong with that. He was just a 5 year old boy yet he looked like he was already in primary leaving all his friends behind.

One thing that Shane doesn't like: everything that relates to an art. He gave up, he tried his best but he just couldn't. He had no interest in that, including singing and dancing. He was so bad at them and he didn't want the world to know about it.

"Alright then, let's just continue unpacking our things tomorrow. I have no energy left."

Grace chuckled at how extra her son was to her right now. "You did nothing in the airplane."

"Still Mom, I've got sick of a flight."
"Okay then, now go to your room and rest. I'll go get more cushion for you."
"Do you want to sleep in my room?"

Shane got up and looked at his Mom worried. He remembered they only made it to one bed and it was his. Since they landed this evening, they rushed to the apartment and organized the bed only for Shane. It has a king size so it took almost hours to do it without the guideline.

It was an old bed he had since he was 8. Grace bought a new bed for him since he was getting bigger every day. They brought it to Seoul a week earlier so after they arrived at the not-so-big apartment, they could just assemble it directly. But alas, it still is need a long process and not to mention about how exhausted they are right now.

"It's okay, I'm just going to sleep here in our lovely couch."

Shane chuckled and throw the blanket closer to her Mom. "Use this, you're going to catch a cold."

"Yeah, I need to make sure to the landlord about the temperature here. Why it won't work, ugh."

"Let me help you to talk to him tomorrow."

Garce frowned and squinted her eyes to him, "You're being nice to your Mom, what do you want?"

Shane bursting out a laugh and leave the room fills with their laughter.

"I couldn't be nice to you?"
"No, because the only time you're being nice to me was the day you asked me about that Xbox you wanted the most."

Shane continued to laugh and propped his body against the kitchen counter behind him.

"Mom, relax. I don't want anything right now. I just wanted to help you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Mom. Thank you, for everything."

With that, Grace pouted and smiled to him. She could feel her heart is thumping fast because of the sweet words her son gave to her. A simple thank you could melt her heart away since she turned into Mom. It's simple but it has a massive meaning for her.

"Come here." She opened her arms widely and pull her son into a hug.

After chuckling in each other's arm, Shane decided to go back to his room. But before that, Shane got something to tell to his Mom. At that moment, he doesn't need to explain it further, she already knew what he was going to talk about.

"He wanted to meet us."

By the time he mentioned 'he', Grace knew who it was.

"He sent me a message too." Grace replied and it made Shane remain still.

"I told him I'll meet him in 2 days." He groggily answered and it made Grace wondered.

"Why?"
"I don't want to make you sad."
"I'm not sad, Shane. He's your Dad. He misses his son."

Grace smiled and reach his hands out. She brings it closer as she gets up from the couch, rubbing the knuckles gently and pat his shoulder after.

"He just wanted to make sure that we're okay. It's been 2 years since your last trip with him. Go, meet him tomorrow. He's gonna be so happy to see you all grown up!"

She threw a big smile to her son. He replied back with a wider smile as Grace could tell Shane has been yearning for his Dad all this time and he just doesn't want to reveal it in front her.

Deep down she knew, Na Jaemin will always be the one in Shane's life.

***