The Broken Lock

Two

Daejung had left to find some of his other friends before lunch was over.  I didn't mind, all I needed was my music, my books, and occasionally Daejung.  Alone doesn't mean lonely, and that was the perfect way to describe me.

Without thinking, I pulled out my earbuds and placed them in my ears.  It didn't take long for me to find one of my favorite songs and press play.

Not surprisingly, it was another Monsta X song.  Not only were they my favorite artist, but listening to their music was my favorite way to pass the time.  I often listen to other groups, but Monsta X's amazing vocals and rapping were incomparable to anyone else's.  And although every member was extremely talented, I couldn't help but be biased towards their amazing leader, vocalist, and dancer, Shownu.

Forget a soulmate, all I wanted for my birthday was a ticket to a Monsta X concert.

The song blasting in my ears shut out every other sound, including the slow, measured click of heels heading towards me.  As the music reached the chorus, a was overcome with the sudden sensation of a freezing liquid being dumped on my head.  Within seconds, I was entirely soaked with someone else's water.

Caught off guard, I jerked my head up to meet the cold eyes of none other than Minji.  Why couldn't she just leave me alone for once?

The girl in front of me gave a cruel smile, "Oh, my arm must have slipped, I'm just glad that the water didn't spill on anything important."  She dropped the plastic container into my lap and without a second glance, stalked away as soon as she had appeared.

After a few seconds of silence, I stood up, water dripping from my hair and uniform.  This really sucks, I thought as I gathered my things.  Within a few seconds, I grabbed my backpack and shoved all my belongings in it.  Slamming my locker shut, I opened my messages and sent a quick text to Daejung before calmly leaving the school.  As I passed the gate, I got a strange look from the security guard, but they luckily didn't say anything to me about my odd appearance.

It was early afternoon, and the streets of Seoul were as busy as ever on my way back home.  The mass of people around me provided comfort as I was only one of many.  It was a gentle reminder that I wasn't alone, there were billions of people in the world, all going through the same thing as me, and they still exist, whether I've met them or not.

My calming walk home didn't change anything, but I still felt better as I unlocked the front door of my house.  It was decently sized and more than enough room for my mother and I to share.

Because my dad had left the picture a long time ago, ever since I could remember, it's just been the two of us against the world.  Our relationship was more like equals, than that of a mother and daughter and it was impossible for me to love my mother more.

I locked the door behind me and slipped my shoes off as I headed to my room to set down my bag.  After a quick shower and setting my wet uniform out to dry, I changed into a set of comfortable sweatpants and a tank top.  A glance at the time told me that my mother was still at work and I decided to get a head start on my homework as I waited for her to come home.

---

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and looked around the dark room.  I must have fallen asleep while waiting for my mom.  After taking a moment to stretch my muscles, I stood up and wandered into my kitchen.  Seeing no one there, I checked the rest of the house and found that I was alone.

Well, that's odd.  Not only did I not have a single message from my mother, but it was after nine and she still wasn't home.

Despite not having any messages, I figured my mother was just busy working a late shift and began to suppress the feeling that something was wrong.

My unease grew with each second that went by and reached its peak after an hour.  Throwing myself onto the couch and ignoring the fact that my mother might be working, I grabbed my phone and dialed her number.  No answer.  I called her five more times and each time, it went straight to voice mail.

As I held the phone to my ear for the seventh time, the sound of my landline ringing startled me into dropping my phone.  Without a second of hesitation, I jumped from my position and immediately answered the phone.

"Mom!  I was worried, why didn't you ca-,"

An unfamiliar voice cut me off.

"Hello, is this the Choi residency?"

"Um, yes.  Who are you?"

"This is Seoul Hospital," my heart sank.  "We are calling to inform you about our patient Choi Gaeun.  She has been in intensive care following an emergency surgery from a vehicle accident."

"Mom...," I whispered as my throat began to tighten.  "When can I see her?" I managed to choke out.

"Due to the patient's condition, she is unable to accept visitors at the moment, but we encourage you to check in tomorrow to see if her condition has improved."

"Oka-," the dial tone filled my ears.

Within seconds, the tears I had been holding back began to fall and a sense of helplessness enveloped me.

"Mom...," I choked as I set the phone back down and slid down the wall onto the floor.

Bringing my knees to my chest, my tears turned into full blown sobs.  I couldn't breathe or think as I cried my heart out.

After what felt like hours, my sobs began to subside and I was silent except for the occasional sniffles.  I felt empty, like a piece of me had been ripped out.  I had always had my mother, and now I had no idea what to do.

I was soon overcome with a wave of exhaustion while I was staring into space and mustering up the strength, I forced myself to go an lie on my bed and curl into a ball without even bothering to use the covers.

In a matter of seconds, I had fallen into a dreamless sleep, my fresh tear tracks still visible on my face.