Locked Away

•24•

Hakyeon's POV

The scent of eggs fills my nose straight away. The hospital has never smelt this way before.

I open my eyes and my heart stops when I notice my surroundings.

The walls are filled with pictures of me and my friends and family. My old desk is in the corner of the room.

This is my room. My room in my parents apartment.

I sit up in the bed and look to see that it's the same bed. Everything is the same as it was, as though it had never been touched.

I am no longer in the hospital robe. I'm wearing a pair of jeans with a long sleeved shirt.

It's as though I fell asleep with my casual clothes still on.

"Breakfast!" I hear an all too familiar voice call out. My heart breaks a little when I hear it.

"Mother" I mutter and rush out of my room and down the all too familiar corridor to the kitchen.

Tears fill my eyes when I see my mother standing over a frying pan. My father reads the paper at the dining table.

This is exactly what I used to wake up to in the mornings.

"Good morning sleepy head" mother grins and places the scrambled eggs onto a plate.

"Mother" I say quietly and she looks at me and just smiles. This can't be real.

"Stop standing there like a fool. Grab your food and come eat" father calls out and I try to pull myself together.

I grab the plate off the bench and take my usual seat at the dining table.

"How have you been?" I ask my father. He lowers his paper and raises an eye brow at me.

"I see you everyday, Cha Hakyeon. Why are you speaking to me as though we haven't seen each other in a long time?"

"Give him a break SongAh. He is just asking a question. Let the boy live" mother chuckles.

I cannot believe what is happening before me. Everything is playing out as though a normal day would have two years ago.

"I've been well. Work is going well. How about you?" he responds and I smile to myself.

"Sorry it took me so long" I hear a female voice and my heart stops once more.

"Ah that's alright. This plate is yours. Take a seat" Mother says brightly and I slowly look up.

"Eun Hee" My voice wavers slightly as I say her name. The perfect illusion has been brought to reality.

My parents met Eun Hee but she never came over for meals or anything.

The tears come back to my eyes and this time I cannot stop them.

"What's the matter?" Eun Hee asks me, her face filled with concern as she takes a seat next to me.

My parents stop what they are doing and look over to me, their gazes filled with confusion and worry.

"Father" my voice breaks as I begin to cry. "I have been doing really well. I met someone. And he treats me well. You guys would have gotten on really well."

"What are you on about Hakyeon?" My father looks at me as though I am speaking another language.

"Hakyeon, what's going on?" mother walks over to me and places her hands on my shoulders, gripping them comfortingly. I raise my hands to cover hers.