Stay Stay Stay ||Choi Yeonjun||

17

Yeonjun had frozen in place, his face set in rigid lines and white knuckled grip on his cup. His eyes were glossy and troubled. I looked at the middle aged man who called out his name. He moved to stand near our table, peering at Yeonjun.

"Yeonjun, can't you recognize me? It's me, Dad! "

Having some personal experiences, I immediately recognized the signs. Yeonjun's eyes now had a disturbed, far away look. I placed my hand on his own, willing him to look at me.

"Wow, it has been quite long. Why don't you and your friend join us? "

At the mention of 'us', Yeonjun looked around. A lady with red hair and green eyes sat in the other seat looking visibly shaken, along with two teenagers. The boy who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen had their father's korean features with green eyes, while the younger girl had her mother's red hair.

The lady stood up and came over too. But I couldn't care because Yeonjun had started almost panting. I held onto his arm to ground him.

"Uh hi Yeonjun, we never got to meet but I'm —"

"Keep it! I don't want to know. He's a deadbeat dad and a cheater while you're a homewrecker. That's all I care to know. Now leave us alone. "

I signalled the waiter to get our checks after clearly reading the signs of panic and restlessness in him. He shot me a grateful look. But his father was yet to be done.

"Don't talk to her like that! How could you call her that, I've raised you better—"

Yeonjun chuckles, it's a cold sound with sharp edges. Yeonjun's anger, as I've seen before, is not violent eruption. It is an icy frost, cutting down to your bones. He doesn't shout, his face rarely contorts in fury. Instead, his eyes get a hard look and his cool voice spits out the venom designed to kill.

"Raised me?! You left us to fend for ourselves when I barely turned thirteen. My mom gave up her blood, sweat and tears to raise me, to help me with my education while you played family for the last fifteen years. No, I'm not done—

For me you are dead, you're no one. You accidentally see me once after fifteen years and instead of grovelling for betraying us, you DARE ask me to join you all as if we all are happy acquaintances?! "

"You need to understand, Junie—"

"Don't DARE call me that! " Yeonjun snapped at him. But his father continued. "Sometimes you can't help who you love! I never wanted to leave you behind with your mother, you could come with us. But you were—"

"What?! I was what?! A loyal son who wouldn't leave his mother behind? But then again I shouldn't expect you to know jack shit about loyalty. As if I would ever step foot in that cursed penthouse of yours!

Father, and just so you know I hate to call you that, I would rather DIE than be associated with a low life, scum eating adulterer like you. "

The bill was here, I had already paid it. I grabbed Yeonjun's hand so as to quickly leave. I couldn't bear the pain flashing on his face. This brilliant man had faced so much in life and still didn't get bitter, always treating everyone with respect and caring.

"Yeonjun, you don't get it. Your father tried to send your mother money for your tuition but she returned it everytime. She was the one who kept you away from your father! "

"For a goddamned reason! My mother told me everything and I was the one to deny it. He had already betrayed us, why would I take his pity money? Did he even care about me? Did he ever call? Was he there at my graduation? Did he ever care if I got sick or was going away to college or when I got a job? He only tried to cover up him being a deadbeat dad by paying his way. By the way, if you hadn't guessed it already, I'm here for a vacation and currently your picture-perfect, pretty family is ruining it. So leave us alone and if you ever see me anywhere, don't ever come up to me AGAIN! "

His hold on my hand was bruising but I let him drag me out of the cafe and onto the streets. Reaching a slightly empty street, he lets go of me. Tears are now streaming down his face and swipes his hand across his face. Soon enough the silent tears turn into heart wrenching sobs and I couldn't help but pull him in for a hug. I feel him burying his face on my shoulder and sniffling. I pat his back, ready to do anything to help him, to calm him down.

"It's okay, Yeonjun. Cry it out. You've held on for so long. It's okay, I've got you. "

"You — I, just— nobody gets it. I-I oh gosh, seeing them rattled me up. I'm so sorry Ahrin that you had to witness this. "

"I get it. I know what's it like. I'll probably be worse if I ever had to see my father again. "

Yeonjun looks shocked, his eyes look bloodshot, his nose and cheeks are red. He looks shaken and dishevelled. And yet... This man forgot his own pain, worrying about me.

"My Dad left us too. But I was hardly five or so. So I never really understood much. My Mom didn't let me understand just how much damaged she had become."

He holds my hand, squeezing it lightly.

"It's a blessing Ahrin... Not to invalidate your pain because you and your Mom have gone through hell too. But you didn't spend your childhood thinking he was your hero, only to return home from school one day and see him kissing someone who was not my Mom.

Dad had to go to Ireland for a project. He met her there. They had an affair, but Dad returned back to us. It wasn't the same anymore, he was always irritated and snapped at us. But his mood brightened after six months or so. That woman had been transferred to Korea to work in the same MNC as Dad. At first he told me to keep it a secret otherwise I'll hurt Mom. But deep within I knew I couldn't hide it from my Mom. I had told her everything.

That day, she packed our suitcase and took me away to stay with one of her friends until she managed to find a place. The divorce was messy. Even though I was young, I was mature enough and Dad's betrayal cut me deep. Mom never hid the fact he tried to give us money but he had conveniently forgotten about me when his second son was born, so I..... couldn't. "

As each word fell from his lips, all I wanted to do was hold him close, soothe away the pain, just hug him and I did. I held him close, my arms around his shoulders. He wasn't pushing me off, instead he put his head on my shoulder.

"What happened with you? "

"I don't want to burden you-"

"You won't. Just tell me. "

"As I said, I was really young like barely five or so. Dad got a job in States. I don't even remember him. When I was ten, I finally asked my Mom why Dad left us. She was cautious, but tried to answer honestly. One year into the job Dad had stopped calling Mom, not even picking up her phone or answering her mails. She was getting worried. But on Christmas he sent postcards. They were really pretty, I remember looking at them for so long. With that, there was a letter. Dad had found somebody else.

Sadly, I only remember Mom getting really sick. After that she would hold me and cry sometimes. But she had to be strong for me, life goes on, there was a job she had to get back to, put food on the table, raise her daughter. "

By the end of my story, we were both facing each other. Yeonjun was no longer hugging me, but my hand was still snug in his. It was warm, like the hot chocolate we just had.

"She did a damn good job at that. I'm so fucking glad it was you who was here today beside me. Thank you so much Ahrin, I'm so glad to meet you. "