Summer Detour [Book 2] | Pentagon ✔

Chapter 22

Chapter 22
Heal Me
HYUNJOO

My mom and I sat by the balcony of my room. My siblings were out at the moment; Jinho in his workshop, and Hyunjee met up with the father of her baby.

I talked with mom into seeing a psychologist and she was really taken aback at first. "I just... heard it helped people. What if it could help me too?"

She pulled me in a tight hug. "Oh, Hyunjoo."

When she pulled away, her eyes were shining with tears. "I'm sorry, mom. I know it's crazyㅡI guess I'm crazy..."

She shook her head. "No, you're not. Seeking help isn't crazy. Seeking help when you need it the most even when it's hard to accept is one of the bravest thing in the world, Hyunjoo."

She took a deep breath and looked at the nightsky. I love this room. I love this balcony. This is the place I felt the closest with the people I love. I wondered if Hongseok just stayed a little bit more in my life, maybe he would have been here too.

"I should have paid attention to it. I remember when you were in sixth grade, you fainted in the cafeteria of your school because you got too overwhelmed."

I chuckled awkwardly. "Not really the best memory, mom."

"Yeah, but I should have known back then. And how your teachers told me you're such a bright kid but you never spoke what you think. You always excelled in writing, surprising them."

I smiled to myself as she went on.

"And how you never brought friends here. Hyunjoo, of course, you can try seeing someone." She said, caressing my hair. "And thank you for telling me."

"But moneyㅡ"

"Money is not an issue. The most important here is how you feel inside. I can work extra hours a day if it means good for you and your siblings."

Now, I was the one tearing up. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head and hugged me again. "It's not your fault, sweetie."

#

HONGSEOK

Seonho got better and better until he could actually hang out with me. I drove the van to the marketplace and we kind of cluelessly bought ingredients that mom wrote on a scratch paper. After that, we hang by the vendors of street foods. I didn't want him to eat so much street foods yet since he's only starting to recover but I couldn't deny the look on his face when he first took a bite of tteokbokki.

"So, hyung, any plans for summer?" he asked me as we lingered around the third street food stand.

I shook my head. "I'm just waiting for my second year in college to begin."

He nodded, mouth too full to talk.
I grinned to myself and looked around, spotting familiar peopleㅡSeunghee, Shinwon, Yanan, Kele... and Hyunjoo. The five of them walked in the middle of the street. Seunghee and Shinwon holding hands, Kele and Hyunjoo talking to each other with quite a shy smile on both of their faces while Yanan listened to their conversation quietly. They stopped by a vendor and bought themselves some foodㅡbut for a moment, I couldn't take my eyes off Hyunjoo.

She got a new haircut. Her hair is now shorter. The length fell above her shoulders and yet she still looked beautiful. She smiled at something Kele said and then the three of them, including Yanan left Shinwon and Seunghee alone.

"Hyung, isn't that Shinwon hyung?" Seonho asked beside me.

I snapped out of it. I blinked and looked at him. "Uh? Oh. Yeah..."