Beneath the yellow scarf

Sakura (Cherry Blosssom)

A slender tall boy, wearing a black turtleneck and black pants with a scarf running along its neck down to his torso chest, stands firmly at front of a memorial niche. He gives a bow and places a bouquet full of white chrysanthemum from his hand.

“Appa (Dad)… did you remember 10 years ago?... You’ve said you’ll be back from the hospital, all healthy and strong.” Said the boy as he lets out an awkward yet with a touch of sadness chuckle to what he just remembered and said.

“I hope your well, Appa.... I miss you very, very much…” Said the boy as his eyes starts to tear up. Wiping his teary eyes before it falls off. He shrugs off and takes a heavy breath before showing a smile, a smile that seems to be broken and unfulfilled, as if unfazed to what is in front he has to face. 

A breeze of wind blew atop of his messy hair. Zephyr winds passing through his elegant brownish-black lashes. A ticklish sensation causing him to rub his pretty black eyes softly as this happens. 

A gust of wind came suddenly, enough to blow away the petals of the Cherry blossom tree nearby. He then looks at the tree swiftly and embraced the sensation with more winds coming forth to him, as if giving him a caressing hug before closing his eyes. Fluttering his yellow scarf delicately away from him, before he retracts this back, gently hugging it and releases it hanging again. 

As winds passes through the boy more, he begins to rub his both pale slender hands together to ease the cold weather.  A petal gently falls atop of his hair, then sliding down to his hands as he bowed for the last time. For the final time, he no longer can bear it in and broke down. Holding the Cherry petal on his palm as he cried it all out.

*****

“Ki-seung! Come Quick to the dining table!” A broad voice called him in with a loud tone echoing through the hall of the house, loud enough to reach the neighbor’s yard where the boy spends most of his time every day. 

The man sat on the floor and lets a groan out, then placing a bowl of soup on the table. The man then pulls out a pair of chopsticks from the bag that contained the soup, placing them at the side of each of their soup along with the spoon he brought from the kitchen a little while ago. He then calls him again, but now in a lower tone as he could hear him rushing inside. 

The boy appeared at the doorframe pausing for a moment as he catches on his breath then taking his floppies off the front porch. As he walked towards the table where he was called in, he can smell the great aroma of his favorite soup ‘Yukgaejang’, making him hurriedly walk towards inside.

“Appa! You’re back early from the camp!” The boy said excitedly looking at his father then to the soup his father brought. The boy looks super happy as he sat on the floor to join him in.

“Of course! I can’t wait to see my sweet boy at home, and so I brought him his favorite soup!” The father said merrily with a little sense of fret on his eyes that seems to be uncertain, but just lets it with a sigh. 

“Yehey!” The boy beamed with joy. “I have a lot to tell you today Appa! Seul-rin and I played at the playground today and---.” The boy continued to talk about his day while enjoying the hot bowl of soup together with his father who is listening to him enthusiastically, right on their Home. 

**

That night, Ki-seung sat down at the front porch of their house, gazing on the stars while awing at them, especially to the Moon. He dreamt as a child to be an astronaut, though he does not want to fly there alone but only with his father together, as he mentioned to his father. 

His father who just got out of the kitchen from doing the dishes, saw Ki-seung lying down humming a folksong his father taught him as a child while patronizing the sky. Eyes gleaming with all innocence, full of dreams, a mind of plays, a gentle kid of pure joy and Love. The father walks towards Ki-seung to sit down beside him, joining on his stargazing moment. The boy smiled gleefully on his father as he sat down and looked at him, returning the smile with a touch of content, the father could not ask for more with this sweet angelic boy.