Worlds Apart - Taekook - Book 2

Chapter 216 - A Curse

"Heeju is coming in today... with Ash-hyung! He told me... he did... did he tell you?" Sukmin looked bright eyed and happy as he told Billy about the day's plans.

"They said they would stop by if you were serving."

"What if I make a mistake?"

"Then we put it right and try again. I will ask you that same question, Sukmin... what if you make a mistake?"

The young lad looked up and to the right as he thought about it. He was wearing the black jeans and Nike trainers that he'd bought when shopping with Ash. He'd put on the diner's polo shirt because even though he wouldn't be on the front line dealing with customers, he would still be seen so he wanted to look like he fit in.

Yesterday he spent a few hours after closing with Billy who taught him how to use the drinks machines and he'd done so well that he'd also been shown the ice-cream machine too. But he was worried about putting it into practice today.

"Remember what I told you." Billy added.

"That no mistake is the end of the world and everything can be made better." Sukmin says.

"And?"

"And that nothing is more important than me being okay." Sukmin recites.

"Precisely. It really doesn't matter about mistakes as long as you are okay. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Even Ash-hyung?"

Billy laughs, "Especially Ash."

"Okay."

"Marsha will be there today and we will take it hour by hour. If you need to go upstairs, you can tell Marsha or Marie or come and find me in the kitchen, okay?"

"Okay. I like Marsha. She said that she will bring her brother in one day. He is a bit younger than me. Marsha has a lot of brothers."

"She does, she has five brothers."

"I don't have any brothers."

"Any sisters?" Billy takes the opportunity to ask questions if Sukmin initiates conversation. Neither Billy or Marie want to push him or quiz him so they bide their time and wait for him to offer information. Marie started writing notes in a notebook because Sukmin had a habit of dropping pieces of information into conversations about unrelated topics and they were trying to build a picture of who he was and where he came from.

"None. They didn't want any children." Sukmin offers as he attempts to tie the apron around his waist.

"Your parents only wanted one child? There are lots of people like that."

"They didn't want any. I was a curse."

It takes Billy a second to comprehend what Sukmin said. What concerned him the most was the matter of fact way that the words were spoken, like it was the most normal reason for someone explaining why he wasn't wanted.

"You think you were a curse?"

"I know I was... they told me. I was their punishment because they were bad people in their other life."

The diner owner takes a deep, silent breath and swallows once. "Do you know what you are to Marie and I?"

"No? What?"

"You are a blessing."

"I am?" He asks. He looks at the man whose face shows nothing but kindness, taken by a sudden urge, he rushed forwards and threw his arms around him.

Billy stood still, surprise and emotion written across his face. "You are a blessing." He repeated, worried he might scare the young lad so tentatively put one arm around him.