Thy Art | Park Seonghwa

1.0

Hwang Yunhee has always learned things the hard way. She learned how you should always treasure what you have before it was gone, in the most excruciating way. And now she learns how time doesn't wait for you, you're the one who'll have to be able to match it's pace. This took her more than four days of merely two hours of sleep to realize. Especially when being punctual happens to not be much of her thing.

The clock strikes 6PM when she arrived home. And as she closed the apartment door behind her, she could feel all her exhaustion seeping in. It's been 5 days since her routine started where she has to depart from home at 8 every morning after giving her daughter a kiss, to work at the grocery store, and then coming back home at 6 or 7 in the evening, only to leave again at 11 to work a graveyard shift at the 7/11 at the neighboring block. To say she was worn out, would be an understatement. But what could she do when she has a little girl to support all on her own?

Both Jiwon and her were lucky enough to be offered refuge from their aunt but whatever their expenses may be, they wouldn't want to burden her with that. Jiwon herself had taken it upon herself to work at the nearest coffee shop after class just so she wouldn't have to ask her sister for help with money to spend. And today, whilst she was out with Jongho after her shift, she could finally enjoy the satisfaction of using her own money.

Yunhee hanged her coat by the living room before making her way towards her room where she saw her aunt, Hwang Minju, cradling her one and only baby. Minju placed her index finger infront of her lips, signaling for her niece to stay quiet as the little girl in her arms had finally fall asleep after crying. The lass took silent steps forward, walking closer to where the her aunt stood and slowly take her daughter into her arms. She mouthed a thank you before she was left alone inside the room.

Eunbyul was sleeping peacefully with her mouth slightly parted. The small white residue by her lips gave it away that she had just finished drinking her milk. Yunhee's lips slightly pulled up into a smile as she was rocking her baby gently. All her exhaustion melted away just by looking at her little one. After a few moment, she placed the 10 month old girl inside her crib before she proceed to stretch her arms and made her way to the bathroom to wash off all the gunk from outside.

By the time she was out of the shower, Jiwon had walked in through the door, looking happier than she did before she left this morning. She held onto a white plastic bag for which was handed to her sister, who greeted her with towel still placed around her neck.

"You look happy," Yunhee commented with a smirk as she accepted what was brought home for her, "and thanks."

"I look like this everytime I come home," the younger retorted as she watched her sister pulling out the small box with gimbap on the inside.

"Seems a little different from me when you just came home from hanging out with Choi Jongho," the older could see the red slowly creeping up on the latter's visage. Making her stifle a small chuckle as she succeeded in teasing her sister.

They say time moves faster when you're busy, but for the lass who had to leave for work at 11PM, her 3 hours of rest only felt like 30. She ate, washed the dishes, fed her daughter and then suddenly the clock had screamed at her to quickly get ready or else she'll be late.

"If she cries, I've prepared the bottle of milk inside the fridge. You just have to grab one and give it to her. If it starts smelling funky, I'm sorry but the diapers in the top shelf, you can reach it don't worry-," she rambled as she stormed through the room, trying to shove all her necessities into her bag, but was kindly cut off by Jiwon as she had heard the same thing for the last four days.

"It's been 4 nights and I've done this even before we came here so stop being such an old lady and go get that bread."

~

The convenient store is usually quiet at night. It only made sense that way as people are supposed to be asleep while she works her shift but she was told how occasionally on weekends or Fridays, bunch of young girls and boys would come in to buy themselves some midnight snack and there would be groups of people who would go and reward themselves with some beer from the fridge.

She could count the amount of people who came in to get their hands on one or two things, with her fingers. The manager had told her if ever the store has no visitor, then she should be allowed to sit. But she would have to keep an eye if someone were to look like they're about to come in. And that was exactly what she did. She sat through the silence. In a way she convinced herself how though uncomfortable, this is just a rest away from home while earning money at the same time.

Her eyes were fixed on the glass door, constantly looking if there was anyone incoming. There was one at 1, and then 40 minutes later, a couple came in to get themselves 3 packets of kimchi ramen. No one came in at 2. But when the short hand needle of her watch showed her that it was 3:20, someone wearing a white hoodie seemed to be headed for the door. She couldn't see who it was at first, but as the person walked closer, she nearly ran back inside the employee room to hide but at the same time, her feet was glued to the ground with her eyes wide.

Fuck this was not how I pictured us reuniting. She thought to herself as he came in. He didn't recognize her at first as she quickly bowed to him, welcoming him with the smallest voice she could uttered. She watched him grab on to three cups of ramen. Still the same one that he used to consume back in highschool.

It was when he placed the cups on the counter and was about to pay that his pair of orbs landed on her face. She could see his own pair of eyes dilating upon the sight of her.

Hwang Yunhee took pride in being able to read Park Seonghwa 6 years ago. She could know what he felt just by a mere contact of hues. But at that moment, when they were both stood frozen, separated by a silver table with three cups of spicy ramen placed neatly on it, the lass saw confusion, pain and gloom, she didn't know what he felt as he saw her stood before him. But little does she know, Park Seonghwa felt it all.

"Yun..hee?"