Frozen Memories➔ps.ff

Chapter 39

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The next morning, Sarang woke up after a long sleep. She had stayed up late the previous night, lost in thought. But the long hours of sleep had given her some clarity. When she walked out into her kitchen, she was surprised to see her mother there, preparing food.

Her mom smiled brightly at her.

"Good morning, sweetie. I brought you some food—thought you might be hungry after your shift."

Sarang smiled, a little taken aback by her mother's sudden appearance. "Thanks, Mom. You didn't have to do this."

Her mother chuckled softly as she set the food down on the table.

"It's nothing. You work so hard; I wanted to make sure you ate well."

They ate together, the silence between them comfortable, but it wasn't long before Sarang's mind wandered back to her conversation with Mrs. Park.

"Mom," Sarang began, her voice quiet but serious.

"I met Ms. Park yesterday at the hospital. She mentioned that she had tea with you the other day. She seemed... really glad you spent time together. I didn't know you two had met."

Her mother's expression shifted. She looked down at her hands, as if gathering the right words. "Yes, we met a few days ago. She told me everything—about how hard things had been for them. I think she wanted me to understand."

Sarang's heart skipped a beat as she listened. Her mother continued, telling her everything. The hardships Sunghoon's family had endured, his struggles with his parents' divorce, his feeling of responsibility for the family's finances, and how he had sacrificed his dream of skating to train as an idol.

Sarang sat at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped tightly around her cup of tea, trying to process the weight of the conversation with her mom. Her mom, sitting across from her, watched her closely, her expression serious, yet filled with concern.

"Sarang," her mother started gently.

Sarang looked up at her mom, the tension in her chest rising.

Her mom took a deep breath. "When I was talking to Ms. Park the other day, she shared things with me that I think you need to hear. You've always wondered why things turned out the way they did, why Sunghoon seemed so distant, why his dreams crumbled."

Sarang listened intently, her heart racing as her mother spoke.

"His parents had divorce Sarang. After Mr. Park left—after their divorce—things got really difficult for Sunghoon and his mother. It wasn't just the emotional toll; it was the financial pressure. They were nearly broke. And Sunghoon, being the young man he was, didn't want to watch his family fall apart. He took everything on his shoulders."

Her mom paused, her eyes softening as she remembered Ms. Park's words.

"He gave up skating, something he loved so much, to help support them. He started idol training, even though he was still a figure skater at heart. But it wasn't easy for him. His heart was torn. He couldn't keep both dreams alive, and he didn't want you to know the truth. He didn't want you to see him as someone who had failed, especially since the national competition was just around the corner at that time."

Sarang's heart tightened. She could feel the pain in her chest, not just for Sunghoon, but for herself. She never knew any of this.

Her mother continued, her voice trembling slightly.

"He thought... if he told you, you'd be disappointed. He didn't want to be the one who took away your dream of skating, your chance to shine. He didn't want you to worry about him. He kept it all hidden from you. He never wanted you to see him struggling like that. So he tried to avoid you, knowing you can see through him."

Tears filled Sarang's eyes as she thought about how little she knew about what Sunghoon had been going through. The thought of him carrying all that burden alone, especially while she was dealing with her own battles... it broke her heart.

Her mom reached across the table, gently placing her hand on Sarang's.

"But it wasn't just him, Sarang. After everything with Mr. Park, Ms. Park... she was ashamed. She was too embarrassed to show her face, to ask for help. She couldn't bear to face the reality of what they'd become. So, she moved away quietly. Changed their whole life, their neighborhood... and kept to herself."

Sarang's mind swirled, her thoughts racing to try to make sense of everything.

"But why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she say anything before?"

Her mother sighed softly. "She didn't want to burden you, Sarang. She saw what you were going through with your skating, with your health. She didn't want to add to that. She thought... she thought it would be better for both of you if you didn't know the truth. She didn't want you to carry that weight too."

Sarang's breath caught in her throat as she processed her mother's words. All these years, she had thought Sunghoon had just disappeared, that he had moved on, that he didn't care. But now, hearing this, everything felt different.

It wasn't just him—both of them had been struggling. And in the silence, in their separate worlds, they had both been trying to protect each other.

Her mother gave her a knowing look, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"Sarang, she was so sorry for everything. She cried when she told me all of this. She apologized for not being there for Sunghoon when he needed someone. She felt guilty for making him carry the weight of it all. And she's been holding onto that guilt for so long."

Sarang felt a lump form in her throat, her eyes brimming with tears. The truth was more than she had ever imagined.

The friendship, the distance, the silence—it was all tied to so much more than she had understood.

Her mother looked at her with a soft, understanding gaze. "I know this is a lot to process, but it's the truth. And I think you need to know it."

Sarang didn't speak for a long time, just sat there, staring at the table, trying to absorb everything. The weight of what Ms. Park had been through, what Sunghoon had endured alone—it all felt like a storm inside her heart.

Finally, her voice cracked as she whispered, "I had no idea. I... I should have known. I should've been there for him. All these years, I thought he just forgot about me, but... it wasn't that."

Her mom squeezed her hand, her voice gentle but firm.

"You were going through your own struggles, Sarang. You couldn't have known everything. You weren't selfish, and you weren't blind. You were just trying to survive. But now you know the truth. And that's what matters."

Sarang nodded slowly, tears spilling down her face. The weight of it all was suffocating. But deep down, a shift began to happen.

When her mother finished, Sarang couldn't hold back anymore. She burst into tears, sobbing as the weight of everything—everything Sunghoon had endured, everything she had failed to see—crushed her heart.

She spent hours crying, the guilt gnawing at her, until she couldn't bear it any longer. And that was when she made the decision.

The next day, she would go to the hospital. She would talk to Sunghoon. And this time, she would listen—truly listen.

Her heart had finally broken open, and she knew it was time to make things right.

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