𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐄

#.. NINETY-FOUR

"Are you sure you wanna do this? We can still turn around" Jooyeon's mother asked with a smile as they stood in front of the airport.

It was Jooyeon's time to depart from home and start a completely new life in a new country. He nodded, turning around to face his parents.

Despite all the stress they've put him through, he was so incredibly grateful to have them.

Well, they forced him into the model industry, they wanted to force him into a marriage.

But they still gave Jooyeon everything he wanted and needed in life - guidance and safety.

Jooyeon sighed and nodded, returning his smile. "I'll be back in five years. I wont disappoint you ever again."

"You never disappointed us, son" his father then said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "There were times where you did surprise us, but you were never a disappointment."

Jooyeon's eyes widened as he kept exchanging glances from his mother to his father. "What?" He gasped. "But.. But the marriage..."

His mother nodded, sighing. "It was a dumb and impulsive decision... Jiyun's parents offered it before but we declined because we thought you'd bring a girl home one day.."

So it wasn't his parents' idea? It kind of relieved Jooyeon, but he was still pissed that they let it happen. Though it was a long time ago. He wondered what has happened to Jiyun.

"Jiyun also told us about her whereabouts. We know she ran away.." Mr Lee explained. "I'm sorry I shouted at you like that there.. It needed to be genuine so Jiyun's parents would believe it..."

Wow... Jooyeon would've never thought he'd hear his parents apologize. It felt like his inner child finally was able to sit down after running around for too long.

He suddenly felt so at peace. Smiling lightly, he hugged his mother. "It's alright, I understand..."

His father then went to get Jooyeon's luggage out of the trunk, while him and his mother still stayed at the same place.

Her hand on his cheek, she started to tear up. "My beautiful Jooyeon" she exclaimed, her voice breathy and unstable.

This brought tears to Jooyeon's eyes, as well, his hand reaching up to touch his mother's. She just kept looking at her son, analysing his face, so it would stay in her memory for the longest time.

Then his father returned with Jooyeon's two suitcases. It was time for goodbye.

Hugging his mother goodbye, the woman started crying in her son's arms, sobbing in his chest. She definitely wasn't ready to let her son go.

When it was time to say goodbye to his father, he was hesitant. It just occurred to him that his father has never hugged him, most of the times just pointing out flaws.

To feel his own father hug him tightly and lovingly was something Jooyeon never thought would make him bawl, like the small child he still was in his head.

Suddenly he was the twelve year old Jooyeon who was crying in his room after being body-shamed by photographers, hoping his parents would hear and comfort him.

Suddenly he was the thirteen year old Jooyeon who woke up one day in full panic, as he couldn't hear anything at all, hoping his parents could somehow help.

They did pay for multiple surgeries, allowing him to hear at least a little bit, before buying the hearing aids.

Suddenly he was the fourteen year old Jooyeon who woke up in the hospital after experiencing an intense seizure, being told that his parents couldn't come visit him because they were at a press conference.

Jooyeon was then diagnosed with photosensitive epilepsy. And his life has never been the same after that. He wasn't allowed to walk on runway's anymore, which was better for him actually.

It was exhausting to cry that much. Yet as he parted from his father, he noticed that he was crying, too.

After saying goodbye, Jooyeon took a deep breath and turned around, walking inside the airport to start his new life.