By The Window | YeonBin

twenty five

Yeonjun was carrying heavy foot steps as he went home after another day at school, the weight of the past few days pressing heavily on his shoulders.

The routine of sneaking into his own house at dawn to grab school supplies had become a grim norm these couple of days.

Yeonjun who's walking home with Soobin, stared at the boy, a mixture of anxiety and hope in his eyes. It's like they're screaming

Please, don't make me go baaack:( Can't I just stay with you again?

"It's okay, Yeonjun," Soobin said softly, placing his hand on Yeonjun's. "Your mom is back now. She must be waiting for you."

Yeonjun just sighed and nodded, taking a deep breath as he headed toward his house. When he opened the door, the atmosphere felt different— as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.

Yeonjun stepped inside cautiously, his gaze scanning the familiar yet unsettling surroundings. His mother sat in the living room, her expression is one that Yeonjun couldn't really decipher.

"Jun," she called softly, her voice carrying a gravity he hadn't heard in a long time. "Sit down."

Yeonjun's heart raced as he took a seat across from her. "Mom, is everything—?"

"I need to tell you something," she cut him off, her tone firm but pained.

"Soobin reached out to me," she said quietly. "He told me what happened—what your father did to you and what's been going on."

Yeonjun's eyes widened slightly, and he shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't expected her to bring up Soobin, but it was clear that she was deeply affected by what she had learned.

"Soobin... Soobin talked to you?" His voice trembled as he tried not to look away from his mom.

"I'm sorry," she continued, her voice breaking. "I couldn't come back sooner. I was stuck at the retreat and couldn't leave. I should've come back sooner..."

Yeonjun's throat tightened. "I didn't want to trouble you. I was managing—"

"No, you weren't," she interrupted gently but firmly. "You were suffering. And I wasn't here for you. I'm so sorry, Jun."

Yeonjun felt a lump in his throat, but he remained silent, bracing himself for what was to come.

Does that mean... she knew about me? About Soobin too?

His mother took a deep breath before continuing, her voice steady despite the tremor of emotion beneath it.

"I want you to know that I kicked your father out." She started again after the long pause.

"The house... it's rightfully mine. It was given to me by my parents, and he had no legal claim to it. I couldn't stand by and let him continue to hurt you. I'm done letting him control this family."

Yeonjun blinked in surprise. "You... you kicked him out?" He looked at his mom in disbelief, not expecting that to be the outcome.

"Yes," she said, her eyes meeting his with a mix of sadness and resolve. "And there's more. I owe you an explanation."

She paused for a while, collecting her thoughts as if weighing whether to continue. Finally, she spoke, her voice softening.

"When I was young... I was in love with a girl. We had plans, dreams... but my parents found out and forced me into this marriage with your father. I thought— I thought I could forget my feelings— forget her." She stared at Yeonjun, but her eyes were seeing something far more than her son, as if she's staring right into her past.

"But I can't. I never truly could." She looked down as she grabbed her own hands, trying to push through all the memories that had painfully lingered.

"It wasn't just about what he did to you, Jun. It's also about what he represented— a life I never wanted. And I made the mistake of letting that life drag us both down."

Yeonjun sat, absorbing all of the information he just got, the actual weight of his mother's words.

His mother's confession was something that he didn't expect, it definitely reshaped his understanding of her distance and silence over the years. It wasn't just about her failure to protect him; it was also about her own suppressed pain.

"I should have stood up for myself long ago," she continued, her voice trembling. "And I should have fought harder for you."

Tears welled up in Yeonjun's eyes. "Mom... I didn't know. I thought..."

"I know," she said, reaching out to take his hand. "I didn't want you to bear the weight of my mistakes. But I want to change that now... If you let me, of course."

Yeonjun nodded, his emotions raw but softened by her sincerity. "What happens now?"

She paused for a bit, she gulped as she continued. "We start fresh," she said softly. "We heal. Together. I'll make sure you're safe, and I'll work on making things right with you— for you."

Yeonjun felt a mix of emotions. Relief, anxiety, hope? All of the above.

The road ahead would be difficult, but the fact that his mother was finally acknowledging her own role and the pain he'd endured was a start.

As he looked around the house that once felt like a prison, he realized it might now be a place where healing could begin.