【A Composer's Heart || Seongjoong】

Dead Man Isle | CHAP 9

12 DAYS LEFT

Hongjoong stood in the familiar room, he could hear children giggling, the smell of Jjigae cooking, a woman in stunning pink Hanbok, white fabric around her waist and sleeves, her black hair put up, her humming a local Korean Folklore song. 

"Hongjoong! Bora!" 

Bora, Hongjoong hadn't heard that name in awhile, had he truly forgotten who that was? his own blood and culture?

The Hanok was by built by Hongjoong's own grandfather, child him perched on the top of rock, playing Hide-and-Seek with his sister, he loved his sister more than anything, and loved by making her smile. 

Bora was small girl, pigtails in her hair, ribbons wrapped around, and a cute purple dress, no wonder why Hongjoong blocked her out from his memories, it was to painful to remember, their soft and laughs filled the air, radiating children's innocence, one of the few times that Hongjoong was free of his what it seemed forever troubles and worries. 

After mother called for them again, they rushed inside running past the 'ghost' of Hongjoong, sensing she was getting inpatient, the smell of dinner filled their nose, causing their  mouths to go watery, senses enriched, reminded of their malnourishment, their hungry bodies. 

Both Bora and Hongjoong were skinny, just a bag of bones, you could every single rib in their ribcage, but somehow despite looking sickly and deathly, they kept their child-like demure, bright smiles and magical imaginations. 

That winter was hard for the family, in fact, it was the year of the great famine of korea, everyone starved, even the high royals, somehow the chinese took over the major waterway, causing the lushious farms to go dry, the very ones that feed the nation. 

The cries of children and people were prominent, in fact, there was a day where a local person didn't die of starvation or get sick, the begs and prays would be the midnight song, 

Hongjoong remembers the day, as his allusion flipped to a particular day, the day of suffering in Hongjoong's heart, There was bora, she looked a bit older now, she was wrapped up in blankets, she was laying on a mat, her eyes glossy, she was violently coughing. She got sick, her breathing slowing in that moment.

Hongjoong remember the cries and prays of his mother and father, perhaps that's the reason he stopped believing in god, because their tears were useless and their prays weren't answered, as his sister perished from the world, a tiny smile on her face, as she finally gained her angel wings and flew far far away from here. 

Looking back at it, this where everything right and everything wrong started, the crackling sound of a beer barrel could be heard, His father's first sip and eternal drink.

Mother lost her glow that day, her depression formed, she was dead as Bora, despite her live flesh and open heart, it took Bora's death to realize that this hellish place was not for them, because they still had a son. 

"Why are you showing me this memory" Hongjoong spoke, he knew he wasn't in reality, time skipped here, played tricks, whispered lies. 

"Because in your young heart, you always wondered what went wrong." 

A sweet woman's voice answered, behind, the familiar clacking of her heels on the ground, the scent of roses and blossoms, the voice smooth as rain. 

Hongjoong turned around, and froze, everything stopped. 

His mother, no, his real birth mother. 

The hanbok lost its spark, it was now a dead abanoned place, filled with dread and despair, it was cold, lost in time of history, as the wood was rotten, the floors broken, who knew what love grew here all those years ago.

"Mama-?" The word barely left Hongjoong's mouth as wave of terror and love filled his body. 

His mother looked so alive, she looked more alive then what she did when she was alive, she gently smiled at Hongjoong, placing her cold hand on his shoulder, she looked for Hongjoong for a pure moment, just simply taking her son in. 

"You grew up to be such a fine man, me and your dad are so proud of you, what a charmer you became."

Hongjoong melted in her solemn touch, she rested her hand on his cheek, her thumb rubbing against his high-cheekbone, tears flooded her eyes, but, they were tears of peace. 

"Im sorry, my time ended so short, you have so many questions, and i promise all of them will be answered soon." Her voice soft and sweet, so gentle, so calming. 

"W-why did you leave me? why am i here? did i die?-" 

Hongjoong's mother shook her head no, she closed her eyes, she only had such limited time, she could not answer. 

"So, let these last words from your mother say something, who do you love?"

Who do you love?