Voiceless Cries

Chapter 19 : Before Time Stops

7:34 a.m.

It was raining again. Jiyeon watched as cars and street signs blurred past under the heavy curtain of mist and fog. The engine of the bus rumbled on as it whirred past the streets.

Jiyeon had woken up that morning to the familiar scent of rain and a dull knowledge that Sunggyu had left the country. It’s in Scotland, he had said. But he never mentioned anything about the school or when he would be coming back.

Sunggyu had texted her last evening. He was going to leave later that day. It was too sudden. But she went to send him off, anyway.

To be honest, she had expected a few dozen to come, but Jiyeon was surprised to see only a few of his friends there. She had scanned the faces of the people that were present, and recognized them all almost immediately. These were the people Sunggyu spent most time with; the ones whom he trusted and truly meant a lot to him.

Sunggyu had turned his head in her direction as if aware of her stares. A smile graced his lips as recognition flicker in those wise orbs that Jiyeon knew she would miss. She smiled in return and he could not help but find that her smile was beautiful. He had made his way towards her leaving his companions confused.

When the announcement came, there was a different quality in the air. It as if all of them were cloaked in a similar bitter-sweet emotion. Torn between being happy for him and, grieving for his departure.

In the last few minutes before he checked in for his flight, a couple sauntered in with their most refined clothing. Jiyeon’s breath was stuck in her throat. There was just something in their features that reminded her of Myungsoo. Then, it sank in, they were his parents. Jiyeon was startled to see them there, thinking that they would be with Myungsoo in some other place unknown to her. Why were they here when they had just ‘shipped’ Myungsoo to a foreign country?

Softness in those orbs that were so publicly expressed, that Jiyeon found it so strange that they were related to Myungsoo. But they were so explicitly expressed that it could be nothing else but genuine. Their steps were conservative, as if they were reluctant to let this man in front of her go.

Sunggyu introduced them to her and they shook her hand with the politest smiles. Sunggyu, of course, had not failed to make the atmosphere less awkward for all of them. No one remembered that he was leaving. Soon.

But when he took a long breath and said ‘this is it’, all recounts of his departure knocked back into her.

Mrs. Kim smiled: what was meant to be supportive turned out shaky and wavering. She brushed Sunggyu’s shoulder with her hand and adjusted his attire. Both their expressions were determined.

“Look how much you’ve grown,” her words burst with pride as she held his gaze. Tears were already pooling in her eyes.

“Mom,” he said, choking back on his own tears, “don’t cry.”

Seeing his reddening eyes, she folded him into her arms and he crumpled. She whispered comforting words into his ears, as if he was just six again. She rubbed his back as he buried his head deeper into the nook of her shoulder.

Jiyeon watched the scene as it unfurled before her eyes. Never before had she seen Sunggyu like this, neither had she imagined this strength of love that was emanating from him towards the person whom he called his mother.

Sunggyu was saying something but it came out as a muffled moan. Then, he broke off the hung, giving a nervous laugh as he wiped his tears.

“Mom, this is embarrassing.”

Mrs. Kim laughed and patted his shoulder. Then, he turned towards the man next to her. Jiyeon could clearly see the stiff steps as he walked, as if he was fighting all the raging emotions but refusing to let it show. He pulled Sunggyu into a rough hug and patted his back.