Mother's Touch 🍃 Meanie [⏹]

1

"Have you been waiting long?" Mingyu asked a man sitting alone on a bench in Yeosohwa Park. He then took a seat beside him.

"Not at all." The man, his conversation partner, flashed a sweet smile. His name was Jeon Wonwoo, the same age as Mingyu, who had recently celebrated his twenty-third birthday in April. "How was your supervising today?" he continued.

Mingyu sighed. Suddenly, the topic made him feel uninspired. "Same as usual. More revisions. This is the third time. And the worst part is, Mr. Jung keeps highlighting entire pages with his pink highlighter." The complaint made Wonwoo chuckle softly.

"At least it's not red. Your raw final paper won't look too bad."

Mingyu rolled his eyes. They both knew that the pink highlighter didn't differ in meaning from a red pen or marker. Wonwoo just wanted to lighten Mingyu's mood a bit.

Mingyu furrowed his brow when he realized something. "Wait a minute. How did you know I would have supervising today?"

Wonwoo chuckled softly again, looking sweet to Mingyu. Mingyu liked everything sweet he could find on Earth, and Jeon Wonwoo was certainly no exception. "You're in the final paper period. Shouldn't that be the most hectic time among your normal days? And a man like you wouldn't postpone his duties."

Mingyu thought, fair point. It made sense that Wonwoo could easily figure it out. Okay. He wouldn't dwell on it anymore. And he wanted to forget all the complaints about the final assignment when he was near Wonwoo.

Mingyu was pleasantly surprised by a gentle touch on his head and small strokes. "You've really worked hard. I'm so proud of you," Wonwoo said, disregarding Mingyu's expression. He then lowered his palm to Mingyu's face, specifically his left cheek. "You're amazing. You'll be a great and successful person in the future."

Feeling the warmth and comfort, Mingyu smiled again, just like when he first met Jeon Wonwoo earlier at three in the afternoon. He forgot the annoyance and surprise he expressed earlier. "You say that as if you're my mother." Then he created his fourth expression, looking melancholic. He wanted to miss his mother, but he had never felt a mother's touch. However, it couldn't be denied. He missed the affection he had never experienced. He wanted to feel it, but Seungcheol never remarried after his spouse died shortly after giving birth to Mingyu. Seungcheol became a single parent who truly raised Mingyu alone without a new life partner by his side, as he didn't even want to think about it.

Instead of saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of your mother," Wonwoo said, "You can think of me as your mother. Make yourself comfortable with that."

For the third time, Mingyu smiled. "Thank you, Jeon Wonwoo," he whispered. "My dad said my mom was a great person. I believe that. And I believe it even more when I look at you."

They always met at Yeosohwa Park at three in the afternoon, on the same bench, as if it were their property. Mingyu would make an effort to rearrange his evening class schedule just for his regular meetings with Wonwoo. He would tell Wonwoo everything—hardships, joys, complaints, happiness, anything. And Wonwoo would always listen. He was a good listener who could provide thoughtful responses, input, and good advice after Mingyu finished talking. He was truly mature and nurturing. Therefore, it's no wonder Mingyu felt that Jeon Wonwoo seemed more like a mother than a friend to him.