"You don't need to come back every week."
"I know. I want to," Howl gulps the last of his rice and pushes his bowl away.
His father sighs. "Fine. Then I don't want you to come back so often." He leans across the table. "You need to focus. Seoul is not like Cheonan; it's much more competitive. You'll have to work very hard."
"Dad, I know. This is just until you get better."
Howl's father leans back, coughing and wiping his mouth.
"Drink this." Howl's mother comes over immediately, setting a cup of medicinal tea on the table. His father nods to her and takes a sip. His expression becomes serious when he turns back to his son.
"I've said this many times. This is not going away. It's something I will always have to manage. No use for you to pause your life. That doesn't help me. It only makes me more stressed."
Howl exhales quietly, running his fingers across the worn blue tablecloth. He knows his father is right, but it doesn't lessen his guilt.
"I want you to do well. Do what you love, maybe find someone to share it with. At this age, you have your whole life in front of you."
Howl's father rubs his bald head. "And this crew - they're good, right? They can get you connections and opportunities. But you're not going to get any if you spend all your time here."
After several beats, Howl nods in deference. A silent understanding settles between them.
His father had been in remission for years, but it came back. He was in treatments again, which at times seemed to take more out of him than the cancer itself. For the past weeks, Howl commuted back and forth between Seoul and Cheonan. He fulfilled his class and rehearsal commitments but skipped out on anything else, putting his new life on hold.
This is my burden. I don't ever want it to be yours. If that happens, that would be my greatest regret, his father told him and his sisters growing up.
Howl helps his father to the living room where they both settle on the couch, tuning out of reality and into the variety show they both loved.
YOU ARE READING
Bada x Howl: Standing Next to You
أدب الهواةA series of vignettes to glimpse into the Bada & Howl's relationship, alternating between their POVs. Will start with a slow-burn courtship, milestones in their relationship & eventually catch up to present-day events. Will also include some explici...
