Too Loud • Meanie •

4. Adjustments

 Anatomy Room: C12 Min Kyun

Hmm, 'C' classrooms are on the second floor right? Or were they in the left wing of the first floor? No. Definitely the third floor... This school is too damn big.

My dad's words from a few nights ago ring in my head like a mantra, 'it's just something we need to do', and the conversation from that night begins to conjure up in my memories.

●●●

"Wonwoo, can you come to the living room, I'd like to talk to you about something."

I can hear my father's solemn voice from somewhere downstairs as I'm in my room reading. It's a Monday night and I've just laid down in bed. I look down at my book again, remembering what page I'm on and with my hair still wet, from my recent shower, I place my novel on my bedside table and make my way down the staircase.

Keeping my eyes trained straight forward, I purposely avoid looking at the many framed photos hanging on the cream colored walls. The dusty pictures capture a smiling family of three that once was. The photographs represent a happiness that can never be filled again, forever leaving a burning scar nailed to the aging walls of a now quiet household.

Once my feet hit the soft carpet that covers the cozy living room I notice my father sitting on one of the sofas; I opt to sit in the matching chair adjacent from him. With silence taking over, I stare at my father, waiting for what needs to be said, but seconds pass and he's still avoiding my gaze.

The clock above the mantel makes its presence known with the constant ticking and I'm only becoming slightly annoyed. Just slightly.

He finally lets out a tired sigh, "The shop's not doing too well... you know that." I nod my head meaning 'yes'. "But, um, I was looking in the paper a couple weeks ago and saw an ad for a building up for sell in a popular market area."

Okay, so dad wants to move shops. Why is he making such a big deal about this?

"... In Busan. We're moving on Wednesday to Busan."

Oh.

My eyes grow wide in surprise while my eyebrows show forms of confusion. I can't just move almost three hours away! I've always lived in this house, here in Daejeon, so why the hell are we moving so far?! I've never even been outside of Daejeon! My mind is racing like crazy.

Dad notices my worried expression (which is rare of me nowadays) and frantically tries to explain.

"Wonwoo, I know this is on such a short notice and also a pretty big change for you, and even for me, but It's just something we need to do. Plus there's a nice school there and I've already looked at the house we'll be moving into. It's... not as big as this one, but there's a library right down the road and the trek to school is about fifteen minutes, that's half the time of what you take to get to your current school... This is something we'll just have to get used to, okay?"

His explanation of us 'needing' and 'have to's' doesn't really calm me down... in fact I think it made me worse. A new school, house, and city? Is he crazy?!

"Wonwoo?"

I need a least a few moments to capture this; to just find a grip in this sudden news.

The silence is suffocating as I stare numbly at the ground for a minute to take in all the information and to calm myself down a bit. In conclusion, it's not like I have a choice with the whole move. Plus my dad's the one who earns the money, to provide for us, so I really don't have a say in what we do. With my mind still racing I nod my head while standing, then decide that the conversation is over, and head straight up to my bedroom.