A Wish Upon a Star | Yeonbin ✓

LIX

"C'mon mum, of course it's the same Yeonjun! What are the chances of meeting two different people with the same names?"

"Maybe their surnames are different, honey," Soobin's mum suggested with a small forced smile.

Soobin picked up a tiny ball from the box in front of him, it had some writing on it, "From Choi Yeonjun to Choi Soobin, my Choi brother," Soobin read.

Soobin's mum exhaled sharply, struggling to maintain her sweet relaxed tone when she spoke, "Is the Hyung at school a Choi too?"

"Yeah, it's got to be him, mum!"

"Honey..."

"Mum, why does your face look so tragic when I'm so happy here?"

Soobin's mum had a tight smile on her face, "Do you remember anything about the Yeonjun from your childhood?"

"I've been having dreams about him actually. I saw us play in the park together."

"Do you remember anything about him after we moved?"

"After we moved?" Soobin looked at his mum in confusion.

"No?" Soobin's mum gently asked.

"I thought we didn't get to meet anymore after we moved away..."

Soobin peered at his mum's face, she wasn't looking at him and had a lost expression on her face with a sad smile on her lips.

"Did I meet him after we moved away, mum?"

Soobin's mum opened her mouth to answer but didn't say anything, closing it back up tightly as her eyes rested on something inside the closet. Soobin followed his mother's gaze to see a small pile of papers in the back of the closet.

"Wait, what's that?" Soobin got up and reached in to grab the papers while his mother half heartedly tried to tell him that it was just random paper that must've found it's way into his cupboard.

Soobin ignored his mother's words and brought the papers out, skimming through them, they seemed to be letters. As Soobin read through the messily written handwriting, he realized those were letters from Yeonjun.

Soobin also realized that after some point, there were only letters addressed from him to the older but none written from Yeonjun.

Soobin turned to look at his mother to see that a single tear had fallen on her cheek while she was looking at him with soft eyes.

"Mum... why aren't there any replies to my letters?" Soobin felt a bad feeling stir up at the pit of his stomach.

"Honey, it's because..."

"Because?"

"See, I want you to take a deep breath before I tell you what happened," Soobin's mum straightened herself and wiped away the tear on her face.

"Mu-Mum, you're scaring me right now..." Soobin could feel his heart beat faster and his palms grow sweaty.

"Honey, your friend, the one in this picture," Soobin's mum gestured towards the picture and took a deep breath, "He passed away in a car crash after a few months after we moved away."

Soobin was shivering now as tears fell from his eyes, "W-W-What? That's not true, he's still alive, he's the- he's the Hyung who ca-came to-"

"Your Hyung at school must be a different Choi Yeonjun, Honey, shhh," Soobin's mum engulfed him in a hug and tried consoling him with small pats on his back.

"No, I know he isn't. I-I," Soobin suddenly felt his stomach flip and he pushed his mum away, running to the bathroom, feeling his dinner come up.

Soobin's mum followed, grabbing a towel on her way and reaching her son to see him flush the toilet as he weakly fell to the floor.

"Binnie?" Soobin's mum asked, putting his head on her lap and dabbing his pale sweaty face with the towel.

"Mum, I-I know it's the same Ch-Choi Yeonjun... it has to be-"

"Shhh baby, we can talk about it some other-"

"D-Do you think I could call him up right now? I need to talk to him..."

"Soobin, honey it's way past midnight of course your Hyung is asleep right now-"

"Please, I," Soobin struggled to take a deep breath, "I really need him right now."

Soobin's mother looked at her son helplessly. In a long time, this was the first time her son was being vulnerable with her and she didn't know what to do. She felt as though doing as he was asking would be a good decision however, what he was asking did seem ridiculous.

"Pl-Please, can I try ca-calling him?"

Just then, Taewook, Soobin's half-brother popped his head at the door, "What happened to him?"

Soobin's mum turned to look at him and asked in an exasperated tone, "Son, can you go to Soobin-hyung's room and get his phone from his desk?"

Taewook looked unwilling but glancing at his older brother he felt bad, and obeyed.

Taewook rushed back with the phone and handed it to his mother.

"What's the passcode, dear? I'll make the call," Soobin's mum said softly.