Say It Back || SoonHoon (#wattys2019)

seventy-two

우지
"Hon?"

I hear a couple knocks on my door, awakening me from my half slumber.

"Is there something wrong?" Mom's muffled voice comes through. "You've been sleeping all day."

I stretch a little bit, sprawling my entire body over my bed and getting myself into a newer and more comfortable position.

I let out a tired breath before replying, "I'm fine, mom."

Her reply comes a few seconds after.
"Aren't you going to eat?"

"Maybe later," I say.

A long pause of silence.
"Okay hon, just tell me when you're ready..."

I let out a sigh as I hear her footsteps shuffle away from my door.

Tell her when I'm ready.
To eat? Of course, not.
That's not what she really means.

Maybe later.
I'll tell her.
Everything.

호시
"Soonyoung? Where have you been?"
My mother says in surprise as she opens the front door for me.
I almost forgot she came back home.
A month away was too long.

"Didn't I tell you to come home early? We have-

Soonyoung? What happened?"
Her expression turns into worry.

I try to hide my eyes that have bore a few tears on the way here, but mom, of course, saw it.

"Soonyoung," she says before looking behind her in caution.

She looks back at me hurriedly. "whatever it is. Keep it in for now, okay? I'm sorry, but please do it for mama."

Her fingers reach towards my face to wipe my eyes clean.

I begin to get confused.
I remember now.
We do have guests today.
And I forgot about it because of...
well, you know.

But, mom never really mentioned who they are.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting,"
mom says as she opens the door wider for me to come in.

I freeze.
As my eyes fall upon the faces of our awaited guests,
the fear, hurt, memories;
they're all flooding back to me.

A young woman, a little kid, and an all-too-familiar man sat on the living room couch.

A man who I thought I'd never have to see again.

"Dad?"