fragments of forever | han yujin zb1

chapter 15 : epilogue - fragments of forever

after a very long day, a tired but content aejung pushed open the front door, greeted by the comforting sight of her mother sitting on the couch, engrossed in a television show. "hi mum!" she chirped, her fatigue momentarily forgotten as she kicked off her shoes.

her mother, areum, turned to her with a warm smile, the lines of exhaustion easing from her face. "hi honey, how was your day?" she inquired, patting the space beside her invitingly.

settling in beside her mum, aejung wrapped her arms around areum's waist, seeking the familiar comfort of her embrace. "it was... i'd say eventful," she replied, a hint of amusement coloring her voice as she glanced up at her mum.

"what happened, dear?" areum prompted, her curiosity piqued by aejung's cryptic answer.

aejung took a deep breath, recounting the highlights of her day to her attentive mother. "well, yujin is dating someone else now, but we're on good terms," she began, her tone tinged with acceptance. "i got an a for my music assignment," she continued, a glimmer of pride shining in her eyes. "my friend gunwook likes me and said he'll wait for me until i'm ready to start dating," she added, her voice softening with gratitude. "he also joined my friend group now."

areum listened intently, nodding along as aejung shared each detail of her day, her motherly warmth enveloping her daughter like a comforting embrace.

"well, let's talk about them one by one," areum chuckled, her voice warm and comforting. "are you okay with the yujin thing? you've liked him for many years, dear," she asked softly, her concern evident in her gentle tone.

aejung nodded thoughtfully, her expression calm and composed. "i've come to terms with it, mum," she replied honestly, a sense of acceptance coloring her words as she met her mother's gaze.

with a nod, areum encouraged aejung to continue, her curiosity piqued by her daughter's experiences. "with the music assignment, what was it? you never told me about it," she inquired, her interest evident in her gentle tone.

"it was just writing a song. i might pursue a career in it since mrs mun liked my song a lot," aejung explained, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she reminisced about the assignment.

"what was the song about?" areum asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she leaned in, her eyes alight with interest.

aejung hesitated for a moment, feeling a twinge of embarrassment at the cheesiness of her creation. "this is gonna sound really cheesy, but it was like a goodbye song for yujin," she admitted, a sheepish grin spreading across her face as she awaited her mother's reaction.

to her relief, areum burst into laughter, her melodious laughter filling the room and easing the tension. "you're so sentimental, honey! you got it from me," areum chuckled affectionately, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she shared a moment of connection with her daughter.

"did you put yujin's name in the song though?" areum inquired, her curiosity piqued as she leaned in, her eyes searching aejung's face for answers.

aejung shook her head, her laughter bubbling up at her mother's question. "it was just a regular song," she replied, her tone light and playful as she dismissed any notions of romantic attachment in her composition.

content with her daughter's response, areum moved on to the next topic, her interest shifting to a different aspect of aejung's life. "now, gunwook, is he a good guy?" she asked, her tone gentle yet probing as she sought to understand aejung's feelings towards her friend.

"yeah, he's nice. he's also a year above me too," aejung replied, a warm smile gracing her lips as she spoke of her friend.

a moment of silence passed between them, the air filled with a sense of contemplation as they both mulled over the topic at hand.

"would you date him in the future?" areum asked, her tone playful yet curious as she gazed at her daughter, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

aejung chuckled softly, her expression thoughtful as she considered her mother's question. "not sure for now. he is a good guy though," she replied, her words tinged with uncertainty yet openness to the possibilities that lay ahead.

"good choice. it's better to take time than do anything impulsively and regret it later on," areum remarked, her voice wise and reassuring as she offered her daughter guidance and support.

their conversation was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door, drawing their attention away from their discussion and towards the unexpected visitor.

aejung glanced at her mum, a warm smile tugging at her lips, as she approached the door and swung it open. Standing there, with familiar faces and friendly greetings, were boreum, beomseok, and gunwook.

"hello mrs. byun! we're just here to say hi to aejung," boreum chimed in cheerfully, her voice echoing with warmth and familiarity.

"come in! you guys can hang out here. i'll make something for you guys," areum replied with a smile, gesturing for them to enter as she made her way towards the kitchen.

the trio stepped inside, their presence filling the living room with a sense of comfort and camaraderie. gunwook followed closely behind, closing the front door behind him with a soft click.

"why are you guys here?" aejung chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she settled onto the couch, facing her friends.

"just wanted to hang out," boreum replied, her smile bright and genuine as she exchanged glances with her twin and gunwook.

aejung's mum reentered the living room, her hands busily at work as she prepared a meal for their unexpected guests. "are you guys okay with spaghetti?" she asked, her tone warm and inviting as she looked at them expectantly.

the group nodded in unison, their smiles widening at the prospect of sharing a meal together in the comfort of aejung's home.

aejung's mum approached gunwook, a curious glint in her eye as she extended her hand. "who are you, by the way? i don't think we've met," she inquired, her voice filled with warmth and genuine interest.

"hi mrs. byun! my name is gunwook. i've known your daughter since elementary school," gunwook replied, his smile radiant as they shook hands.

"well aren't you a handsome one. welcome to the house," areum greeted him warmly, her eyes twinkling with friendliness. she turned towards aejung, a playful glimmer in her gaze, and winked, eliciting a chuckle from her daughter.

the group of four settled in the living room, engaging in easy conversation and laughter as they watched television together. soon enough, the aroma of spaghetti wafted through the air, signaling that dinner was ready. areum emerged from the kitchen with plates filled with steaming pasta, and they all gathered around the table to enjoy the meal together, sharing stories and laughter.

as the sun began to set outside, casting a warm glow through the windows, aejung's friends bid farewell to the byun family with smiles on their faces. standing at the doorway, aejung watched them depart, a sense of contentment settling over her. despite the uncertainties of the future, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the happiness and warmth surrounding her in the present moment.