Solar's POV 

Sometimes I actually find it therapeutic to stroll around the city just by yourself, especially when you just had a very emotional day. 

It's Saturday and it's supposed to be a good day since it's weekend and there's no class but no—I had a terrible Saturday morning when my mother came home drunk and threw tantrums at me. Sadly, halmeoni wasn't there to witness the whole situation. I haven't seen my mother that drunk because I once knew she had no interest in alcoholic drinks and that she used to gag whenever she smells them but I guess she's a different person now. After all, we haven't seen each other's faces for quite a long time. 

6:32 AM. Saturday, November 28.

I woke up, startled and scared, when I heard a loud bang at my door. I checked my phone to know what's the time. My heart skipped a beat when I heard another one. But what surprised me was I heard my mother shouting on the other side of the door while banging it. I couldn't understand what she was saying since I just woke up and I didn't feel like myself yet. 

"Open the goddamn door!" 

I walked towards my bedroom door to open it but before I could open it, I heard another bang. I got startled and all my senses were awaken. 

"W-What do you want?" I stuttered, clutching up. 

But there was a deafening silence after that. 

"Omma? Are you there?" I hesitantly asked, still had no courage to open the door. I leaned my right ear on the door but I heard nothing but silence. It was my cue to open the door only to see no one. I passed by her bedroom to check if she was there but her room's still untouched so I checked the bathroom and still she wasn't there. So I decided to go to the kitchen. As I was walking to the kitchen, I heard sobs getting louder and louder. 

I saw her sitting at the kitchen floor, sobbing really hard while clutching her hand on her chest. Her eyes were red and puffy and I noticed that her hair was shorter than before. I also noticed that she became even thinner than the last time I saw her. She was way smaller now and I couldn't hide the fact that I pity the sight that was in front of me. 

What happened? 

"Omma?" I said, in a low soft voice. She looked up and stared at me in a way that sent shivers down my spine. 

"You—" she lowered her head, and took a deep breath. "I c-can't believe you. D-Didn't you know—I thought y-you believed in me!" She slurred her words. I stepped back when she tried regaining herself to stand up. She staggered so I helped her but I didn't receive a "thank you." Instead, I received a cold hard slap on my left cheek. I was a bit shocked but then I guess I saw it coming already. 

"Didn't you know he cheated on me? He cheated on us! Why are you so stupid?! Why did you give him a chance to do it again? Are you ing kidding yourself?!" She shouted right in front of my face, tears were streaming down her face. I held back the tears that were about to fall. I lowered my head because I didn't have the guts to look at her. 

I always knew this day would come where she would burst out her anger and everything that's been bothering her to me. I knew I never did her wrong. But a part of me told me that I somehow deserved this. She is broken and I am too—the only difference between our brokenness is that we are suffering the different kind of pain. 

I stood still on the same spot, letting out a heavy sigh. "Call me anything you want. Call me worthless, stupid, idiot, useless—tell me that you have wished I wasn't your child. Tell me all the hurtful words that are stored in your mind. Tell me! Because those words won't change anything! Even if you twisted my heart, it's all nothing. You've been blinded by the pain. And you've been so stupid to think that he'd do it again because in the first place, you wouldn't even let him in again in our lives! If I am stupid, then you should look at your reflection on the mirror—you'll see somebody else. Because you let the hate rule over you and change you!" 

This time, I let all the tears stream down my face. I could barely see her face. 

"Look at you, you're not the person I used to look up to. Sometimes I tell myself that I'm better off without you. You thought you're the only one who's suffering. You are the selfish one here. You only think about yourself! You never thought of the people around you who are willing to mend the pain you're feeling but you have planted this in your mind that you couldn't trust these people who care and love you the most because you think they're going to hurt you. You can't guarantee anything in this world! Life isn't just about being happy and all! It's also about pain. It's also about forgiving and moving on. It's about... love," I choked on the last word, letting myself fall on the floor. I was crying really hard to the point that I nearly passed out. 

Even though this day couldn't get any better, somehow I felt that the fog has lifted off my chest. 

"I-I am s-sorry," she sniffled. "I h-have to g-go." 

"There you go again. That's what you do best, right? Why are you so good at leaving people?" I mocked, sniffling. 

"People have been leaving me. So this time, I want to be the one to leave," her back was facing me but I could see a tear falling out of her eye. "I-I am s-sorry. For now, forget about me—though I think you've already forgotten about me. I want to leave not because I want to, but because I need to. I have to clear my mind from all of this. I need to recover. I know I'm not the same person you used to call as your mother. I've been in a wrong state of mind these past few months and I know I don't deserve that position—I don't deserve to be your mother. You're right. I'm so stupid. I'm so used to the pain that I let it change me. I never told you anything because I was so blinded. I was afraid that I might lose you too. And I did lose you," she paused and decided to face me with tears silently falling down her face. 

"I am not asking for your forgiveness nor want you to stay on my side. I caused you pain and you didn't deserve that. I never want anything in this world but happiness. But I guess it's not just about that. I love you, Yong Sun. I love you and I wouldn't trade you for anything in this world. And I must admit that I still love him. That's why I am entrusting you to him. I have forgiven him from the very day I walked away from him. I will get better... soon. Don't ask me where I'm going—don't look for me for it will only exhaust you. I will come back as a better person and that day will be the day that you could call me your mother again. Good bye for now. Focus on your studies and appreciate the people around you for some of them are going to walk away soon. Please take of yourself and halmeoni," she walked towards me and planted a kiss on my forehead. She cupped my face and stared at me like she hasn't seen me for a decade and then she gave me the tightest hug I ever received in my 18 years of existence.

This. This was the person I used to call my mother. She was softhearted. She was forgiving. She loved with all her heart. She never hated anyone—not even the ones who tried to hurt her. She cared too much about us. She was busy spreading positivity. She was only engrossed with the art of love. 

"Take care," I said, hugging her back and letting the tears to fall again. "I'm going to miss you." 

"I'm going to miss you too. But I need to go," she let go of my embrace, staggering on her way out of the kitchen. 

"I love you too," I whispered to no one. "And I have forgiven you a long time ago," I sighed, wiping the tear stains on my face with the collar of my shirt. 

I was on my way to my bedroom until I heard her calling me out from her bedroom. 

"Yong Sun?" 

I went inside her bedroom to see her stuffs all packed up neatly. It kind of looked like she was never coming back here again. 

Woah, when did she pack all of this? I thought she's only leaving for now and will be coming back soon? But why does this feel like she's never coming back again? 

"Hey, don't worry. I'm coming back. And I promise that." 

She must've seen the look on my face. 

She gave me a smile, the kind of smile drunk people give. But it was genuine though. 

"You're drunk. You can't drive yourself," I said, worrying for her well-being. I care about her wellness too. I never stopped caring. 

"Silly. Someone's going to fetch me here. Don't worry, I'm a bit sober now. And the car will arrive here in any minute," she closed her luggage and put a trench coat on with a scarf around her neck. 

I took a seat on her bed while I scanned the surroundings of her bedroom. It felt even more emptier without some of her stuffs. 

I heard a car engine being stopped outside. 

Right. Good bye for now. 

"That's my cue," she sighed, carrying her duffel bag on her right shoulder while holding the holder of her luggage. "But before leaving, I want to tell you something," she paused for a while. She gave me a smile again and went towards me. 

"Don't ever ignore the people who care about you. Because you are going to lose them with a blink of an eye if you choose not to value them. Don't ever take them for granted. Don't ever take people's feelings for granted. And one thing I have learned from this experience is that—you can never fake what you feel. What I'm trying to say is... if you truly love someone, you should do what it takes to keep them. And if ever that someone loves you back, they will, as well, do the same thing. Even they will be gone for some time, if it's meant to be, eventually, they will come back for you—only for you. But if not—you will know—and you have to let them go even if it means hurting yourself. There's no reason to hold on because in the first place, they're never yours." 

For the last time, we hugged each other. She kissed my forehead again and ruffled my hair. "Be a good girl. Please keep what I just said in your mind, okay?" 

All I could do is just nod. I helped her carry with her luggage. I walked her out of the house. I saw a red Honda Civic car parked on the front of our gate. 

"Miss Kim?" The man, who's on her thirties, called her out while rushi