PRECIOUS - PARK SEONGHWA

35

The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden glow over the bustling city. Seonghwa made his way to Wooyoung's room, his mind racing with thoughts of the mysterious woman he had seen the other day. The image of her sitting at the restaurant with Y/n, was etched in his mind. There was something strangely familiar about her, but he couldn’t quite place it.

He quickened his pace, eager to reach Wooyoung’s room. Wooyoung was his closest friend and the team's brain. If anyone could uncover the identity of the woman, it was him. Seonghwa’s heart pounded with anticipation and a hint of anxiety as he knocked on Wooyoung’s door.

The door creaked open, and Wooyoung greeted him with a friendly smile.

“Seonghwa, come in! I’ve been expecting you.”

Seonghwa stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room filled with files and photographs.

“Did you find anything?” he asked, his voice trembling with a mix of hope and fear.

Wooyoung nodded and motioned for Seonghwa to sit.

“Yes, I did. But you might want to brace yourself for this.”

Seonghwa’s heart skipped a beat as he sat down, his eyes fixed on Wooyoung.

“What do you mean? Who is she?”

Wooyoung took a deep breath and handed Seonghwa a photograph. It was a picture of the woman from the restaurant, but this time, she was younger, holding a small boy’s hand—Seonghwa’s hand.

It was the same picture that disappeared from that small abounded house.

“Her name is Lee Siyeon. Seonghwa, she’s your mother.”

Seonghwa’s world tilted on its axis. He stared at the photograph, his mind reeling.

“My mother?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

“But that’s impossible. She disappeared when I was just a kid. We searched for her for years and found nothing.”

Wooyoung placed a reassuring hand on Seonghwa’s shoulder.

“I know this is a lot to take in. I found out that she had to change her identity for reasons that are still unclear, but it seems she’s been living here all this time, close by.”

Tears welled up in Seonghwa’s eyes as memories of his mother flooded back. He remembered her kind smile, her warm hugs, and the way she used to tuck him in at night.

“Why didn’t she come back for me? Why did she disappear?”

Wooyoung shook his head.

“I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m working on it. What matters now is that you’ve found her. You can get the answers directly from her.”

Seonghwa nodded, wiping away his tears.

“I need to see her. I need to talk to her.”

Wooyoung handed him an address.

“She lives just a few blocks away. I can go with you if you want.”

Seonghwa shook his head.

“No, I need to do this alone. Thank you, Wooyoung. For everything.”

With the address clutched in his hand, Seonghwa left Wooyoung’s room and made his way to his mother’s home. Each step felt heavy with emotion, but his resolve grew stronger with every passing second. He had spent years searching for her, and now she was within reach.

What still confused him was, what has Y/n to do with his mother? How did she know her?

When he arrived at the small, cozy house, he hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited. After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and there she stood—Siyeon, his mother.

Her eyes widened in shock as she recognized him. “Seonghwa?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Mom,” Seonghwa replied, tears streaming down his face.

They stood there for a moment, both overwhelmed by the flood of emotions. Then, without another word, they embraced, holding each other tightly as years of longing and pain melted away.

__________________________

Seonghwa paced back and forth in his office, his emotions a tangled mess of anger, confusion, and betrayal. He had just returned from his mother’s house, the shock of their reunion still fresh in his mind. But now, a new question gnawed at him: How come did Y/n know his mother?

He heard the front door open and close, and Y/n’s soft footsteps approached. She entered the room, her eyes wide with concern.

“Seonghwa, what’s wrong? Wooyoung called me. He said you found something important.”

Seonghwa stopped pacing and faced her, his expression stormy.

“You know exactly what’s wrong, Y/n. I saw you with her at the restaurant. Why didn’t you tell me that the woman you were with was my mother?”

Y/n’s face paled. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Answer me!” Seonghwa demanded, his voice rising.

“I… I didn’t know how to tell you,” Y/n finally said, her voice trembling.

Y/n reached out to touch his arm, but he pulled away.

“Seonghwa, please, try to understand. Your mother… she asked me not to tell you. She said she needed more time to figure things out. I was caught between the two of you.”

Seonghwa’s anger faltered slightly as he absorbed her words.

“She asked you to lie to me?”

Seonghwa asked harshly as he started stepping towards her, making her back away from him.

"No, I..."

"Is this one of your silly games that you're trying to pull on me?". Seonghwa grabbed Y/n by her neck and squeezed a little.

He never dared to let himself harm her but he was trying his best not to kill her on the spot. He added more pressure on her throat just to scare her a bit as he watched her tears running down her face while trembling.

He was surprised to see her react weakly to him but he remained furious and gritted his teeth.

"You're going to regret this. Now leave before I lose it and end your life"

Seonghwa watched her leave the room, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. He had finally found his mother, but the path to healing the wounds of the past was fraught with challenges he hadn’t anticipated. As he stood there alone, he realized that the journey ahead would require not just answers, but also forgiveness and understanding.