Different | k.sj

☁제18장☁

제18장:

"Turn left." Jin nodded to my directions, "10 more minutes."

"Who are we meeting again? We haven't talked at all throughout this drive." Jin sighed.

"...Someone important to me.... In 5 miles, take another left."

"'Kay."

5 awkward miles later, Jin spoke up while he was taking that left, "You look nice today."

"Thanks." I plainly said, studying the map.

"Is it one of those internet dates?" 

"What?"

"Are you meeting someone you were dating online?" Jin asked, glancing over at me for a quick second.

"No, someone else. Nothing like that." I exhaled for a long time through my nose, hinting I wasn't up for a conversation.

"Ookay...." He mumbled and continued driving.

At some point, we arrived in the slums. We were close to the destination, closer than ever. 

"Nice place....." Jin sarcastically pointed out, driving slowly down the cramped roads.

He wasn't wrong, the place was trash. It's understandable that she would live here, especially if she was just released from prison and lives probably on her own.

"Turn down the right curb." Jin nodded and went the way I said.

It was a street of small houses. After finding the address, we parked on the side of the street. My heart rate sped up, and my breathing thickened. I was far from excited. I was so nervous.

"You okay?" Jin asked, resting his hand on my lower back.

I flinched at his hand, jumping away from him by only a foot.

"..Uh.." Jin blinked awkwardly.

".......Sorry, I don't know why I did that." I chuckled, scratching my nose. 

Why did I do that?

He and I walked up to the crappy house, knocking on the dirty door. Moments later we heard a dog barking, then someone's footsteps on the other side of the door.

A short woman with a bob-cut opened the door. It was her. My mother.

"What is it?" She asked, squinting her eyes to take a look at us, the sunlight directly in her face.

"Hello... My name is Seo Iyagi." I bowed completely.

She stared at me, her face drained of color, "I-Iyagi....?"

"Hi, my name is Jin........." Jin awkwardly bowed quickly.

"Hey, mom." I shyly smiled.

She didn't smile, she just stared at me with a lifeless look.

"Can we?.."

"..Y-Yeah, sure.. Come in.." She moved aside so we could squeeze through the doorway.

We sat down on her small brown sofa, Jin looked weirded out while I was failing to hold in my smile.

"How are you?" She asked, sitting down like a model.

"I'm good. Are you doing well?" 

"..Better than ever." She smiled at me, "Where's your dad?"

"He's at home.." I bit the inner corner of my lip, "I missed you."

"Ah, I missed you too." She smiled again, her eyes almost shaping into a half moon figure.

.

An hour and a half had passed. My mom and I were reunited. We had numerous conversations of old memories like, when we did fun family things before her illness hit her. She's better now. I'm very glad about that.

I noticed Jin would just stare at me with a strange look. As if he were studying my soul.

"What was it like?" I asked, our conversations lead to my wonders of her life in prison.

"Prison?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"Oh.............." She trailed off, staring at the carpet in front of us, "It.. Wasn't as bad as I thought."

"Ah, really? It's probably because you're so pretty." I chuckled.

She smiled, her gaze at the carpet strengthening as if she were recalling something. We sat awkwardly, until I saw her wince, her gaze breaking with the carpet.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes." She nodded quickly.

"S-So, is this your boyfriend?" She smiled at me.

"No, no. This is my best friend. He's been my friend for the last 2 months." I answered brightly.

"He's very handsome. I'm glad you make good looking friends."

"Yeah, I guess so." I shrugged, keeping that cheeky smile on my face.

"Well, I have work in half an hour. Iyagi-ah, come over WHENEVER you want! I would absolutely love to hear more about your grown-up life." She smiled at me.

"Really?"

"Of course. Anytime you want, just stop by... As long as it's not from 3-7pm. 7:30's good though." She chuckled.

"Okay, I will." I giggled and stood up.

We hugged, she seemed tense then opened up to it, patting my back gently.

Then, Jin and I left.

"Your mom was in prison?" Jin asked after 20 minutes of the car ride.

"What?.. Yeah." I answered, trying to remember the drive back by heart.

"What'd she do?" He asked.

"Uh, she was sick a long time ago and gave me a few bruises and all." I quietly answered, "Look how much better she's gotten."

I smiled at him.

He gave me a dry, blank look, staring at me for a moment before turning back to the road.

"Is everything all right?"

"Grand." He glanced back at me with a smile now on his face.

"Me too." I squealed, feeling happy and warm. 

"Yep." He said, focusing back on the road.

.

"You were wrong."

"What did she do?"

"Nothing. She's just how I imagined she'd be." I scowled at my dad.

"...That's too weird." He frowned.

"Oh, please. People change! She's better now. Now that she is, I'm hoping we could become as close as we once were." 

"Iyagi, she might be lying to you."

"How dare you say that? Go talk to her yourself! It's mom! She wouldn't hurt a fly." I scoffed and walked off, heading for my bedroom.

"Iyagi, she's the same as she was. She won't ever change."

"Oh be quiet!" I yelled.

"..Shit..."