Leo was really shocked when he heard that.

“Oh my! Are... Are you serious?”

“yeah. But I heard he is starting a new business." Said the teacher.

Leo just stayed silent after hearing that. He was taken aback. He couldn’t believe that his father was a mafia boss.

“is that why he always abuses and punishes me when I do something wrong?” thought Leo

                                                                                ---------

A year had passed...

Leo already spoke Korean . He was already used to the activity that his father scheduled for him. It was hard for him, but he could bear it. He became a strong boy who never complained and cried. He never cried again. He was really obedient to his father. Little did he loved his father, though sometimes he also hated him. But, his resentment toward N hadn’t been disappeared yet.

He believed what did his father say. So, he thought that N sold him.

--------

“Hakyeon-ah... What gift do you want?” asked Gijeong.

“gift?” asked N

“yeah. Gift. It’s our first anniversary since you met us. We want to celebrate it.” Said Gijeong and Anna nodded.

“uhmm... I just want to have dinner out.”

“what? dinner?” asked Anna

“yeah. There’s a place where they prepare a special menu. I want to eat with you.” Said N

“alright then. Why don’t we go, now? It’s almost 07:00. Let’s go.” Said Gijeong

“but will you be okay? You still have a cold.” Said N

“I’m okay. It’s just a cold anyway... Let’s go...”

“okay.” N smiled widely. They used Korean’s language in the daily conversations since N already learned Korean very well.

                                                                                                ------

“Uhm... It’s delicious. How did you know this place?” asked Anna

“my friend told me.”

“which friend? Wonshik?” asked Gijeong

“yeah.”

“ahh, I see. Then why don’t you promote our restaurant? We also run a restaurant, right?” asked Gijeong, joking.

“hahaha.... but, why haven’t my food come out yet?” asked N

“they are still cooking your meal, maybe? Wait a bit more.” Said Anna

“okay, then.”

Then, N’s food came.

“whoaa..” The food that N ordered was fried rice with a lot of shrimp in it.

When he just took a spoonful, he didn’t like it. It was spicy. He drank a lot of water.

“what’s wrong, Hakyeon-ah?” asked Anna

“it’s spicy. I don’t like it.” Said N.

“you forgot to tell them not to make it spicy?”

“yeah. I forgot. What should I do? I don’t like spicy food.” Said N

“then do you want to exchange your meal with me?” offered Gijeong

“but, it’s really spicy. Extremely spicy. Would you be okay?.”

“hahha, of course. I like spicy foods. And also, I still have a cold anyway. I think it would be better if I ate spicy food.” Said Gijeong

“okay then. Thank you, dad.” Said N

“no problem, my dear son.”

When Gijeong ate it, he also felt the spiciness. He drank a lot of water.

“honey, are you okay? If it is too spicy, then you can just order one again.”

“I’m fine. It’s been ordered, so it should be eaten. There still are so many people who can’t eat like us.” Said Gijeong wisely

“I’m sorry, dad.” Said N

“no. You don’t need to be sorry.” Said Gijeong

“okay then, let’s continue our dinner.” Said Anna

Gijeong had already drunk  a glass of pineapple juice and 2 glasses of water. His face was red. He sweated a lot.

“dad, are you okay?” asked N

“I’m always okay, haha.” Said Gijeong

                                                                                ----------

At night, Gijeong couldn’t fall asleep. Then, he said to Anna that his stomach was hurting.

“you okay? Should we go to the hospital?” asked Anna

“no. Just give me the painkiller.” Said Gijeong. He couldn’t tolerate his pain anymore. He had been holding the pain after since the dinner.

“alright.”

Then, Anna ran to the kitchen and she opened the medical box that contained painkiller. Not long after that, she came back with the painkiller and a glass of water.

“here.” Then he drank the medicine.

“thanks.” Said Gijeong

“are you really okay? What’s wrong with your stomach?”

“I’m fine. I don’t know. I think it’s because of the spicy shrimp fried rice back then.”

“I told you not to eat that if that’s really spicy. Look what you got.” said Anna. She was a bit annoyed.

“hahaha, I’m sorry.” Said Gijeong. He smiled slightly. His face looked pale and he sweated a lot.

“honey, you look so pale.”

“I’m okay. Let’s go back to sleep.” Said Gijeong

“okay. Tell me if your stomach gets worse, or if you need anything.” Said  Anna  and Gijeong nodded.

In the middle of the night, Gijeong was in so much pain that he couldn’t even breathe properly. His stomach had gotten worse and his head was hurt as well. He wanted to tell Anna, but he didn’t want her to worry. So, Gijeong tried to stand up and then he went out of the room. He went to the kitchen to get the painkiller. He needed the painkiller again. The pain was unbearable. That’s why.

But, before he found the medical box, his vision was blurred and he started to lose his consciousness. He fainted there.

                                                                                                ---------

Tomorrow morning...

“Hakyeon... Hakyeon-ah...” Screamed Anna

N woke up from his deep sleep. He went out of the room immediately to see what happened.

“oh, mom.. What’s happening? Oh Dad!”

“your dad is fainted. Call the ambulance.” Said Anna

“alright.” Then N did as he told.

After that, he approached Anna and Gijeong.

“mom, what’s wrong with dad? What happened to him?”

“I... I don’t know. I found him fainting.” Said Anna. She shed her tears.

“mom, don’t worry. He’ll be fine.” Said N.

Then the ambulance came and Gijeong was brought to the hospital.

                                                                                                --------

In the hospital

“what will happen to him, doctor? Is he okay?” asked Anna to the doctor.

“he had a food poisoning. What did he have for dinner last night?”

“he had spicy shrimp fried rice.” Said Anna

“is he allergic to shellfish?”

“no.”

“was the shrimp still fresh when he ate it?”

“I.. I don’t know. I didn’t taste it. Oh, Hakyeon-ah.. You ate it a bit, right? Did the shrimp smell bad?”

“I don’t know. All I could taste was spiciness. However, if it smelled bad, then wouldn’t dad know it?” asked N

“dad still had a cold, remember?”

“ahh, right.” Said N

“doctor, then how is his condition? Will he be moved to the sickroom?”

“no. His condition is pretty serious. So he will be treated in the ICU.”

“what? Alright, I understand. Thank you.” Said Anna

                                                                                -----------

In the ICU

“Hakyeon-ah, will you go to school today?” asked Anna

“no. I want to stay by dad’s side.” Said N

“but didn’t you say that you have a test this morning?”

“I did, but I can’t just leave my dad like this.” Said N

“go to school, N. Your dad will be sad if you get a low grade.”

“uhmm.. Alright then. And don’t worry, mom. I’ll maintain my good grade.” Said N

“then you should go home to be prepared.”

“alright. Goodbye mom.. Please take care of dad.”

“I will.”

Then N left.

                                                                                --------------

N felt uneasy throughout the class. And he was really grateful when the bell rang. He stopped a taxi and he went straight to the hospital.

When he reached the hospital, he went to the ICU. He saw Anna who was sitting in front of the ICU. She was crying. N couldn’t help but worried. He hoped that nothing bad happened.

“mom, why are you here? Is daddy okay?” asked N

“Hakyeon! It’s all because of you. It’s because of you!” screamed Anna. She pushed N and she slapped his face.

“mom, what’s wrong?” asked N

“it’s proven that your father had a food poisoning. And it’s all because of you! The food that you ordered last night wasn’t fresh. The shrimps has gone bad.”

“pardon me?”

“he died because of you. Now you aren’t my son anymore. Get out of the house.”

“mom, if the shrimp had gone bad, then wouldn’t dad feel anything wrong?”

“it was extremely spicy and he had a cold. He might not taste it! Anyways, you killed him! You killed my husband!” yelled Anna. She was really angry at that time. She didn’t even care if she was still in the hospital.

“mom...” said N as he cried

“don’t call me mom!” screamed Anna

---------

“oh father, you come...” said Leo when his father came back home after 3 months-trip on overseas.

“oh I miss you Taekwoon...” said Junkwang as he hugged him.

“did something happen at home when I’m gone?”

“no.”

“oh, that’s good. He keeps his promise then.”

“huh?” asked Leo

“no.. Let’s just eat. I’m hungry.” Said Junkwang

“alright.” Said Leo, smiling.

Leo already got along well with his father. He didn’t love N anymore and he decided to forget him.

                                                                                  ----------

That was how it started. After a year N grew up as a happy Cha Hakyeon, he changed.  He wasn’t bright anymore. Well, he was still bright on the outside, but not in the inside. It was because Anna, She hated him. She always blamed N. She blamed him for everything. She abused him. She wanted to kick him out of her house, but she was afraid with what people think. So, she decided to let N live in her house.

After Gijeong dead, Anna was depressed and she always abused N. She didn't have enough evidence to sue the restaurant that sold bad food. So, she blamed N for everything.

However, N just stayed still when Anna did that. He still loved Anna. He also thought that he was the reason why Gijeong died.  So, he blamed himself as well.

“Hakyeon-ah, you look sick. Are you okay?” asked Wonshik at school

“oh, I’m okay.” Said N as he smiled.

“you always say that you’re okay though your condition says the opposite.. Ugh... How annoying..” said Wonshik

N just smiled when he heard that. Yeah, he wasn’t okay. His stomach, his back, and his legs were hurt. Anna always kicked or hit him in those parts, yeah so that nobody would notice it. She did that everyday. N was used to it. He still didn’t even defend himself. He had been like this for the time being.

However, when Anna’s restaurant  and hotel went bankrupt, she became worse. There was only a house that was left and she had no money. She wouldn’t have any choice but to sell her only-one house. So, she was really depressed. She even tried to kill herself.

Fortunately, when she was about to stab his own stomach in the kitchen, N saw it. He was really shocked and he ran to her. He took the knife and he threw it far away.

“mom! What are you doing?” yelled N

“how dare you yell at me, huh! It’s all because of you. It’s all because of you! Arghhhhh!!” yelled Anna

Anna pulled N’s hair harshly. She then banged his head against the wall multiple times. N just cried and begged for forgiveness. He didn’t have a heart to fight back thought Anna already went too far.

“stop. Please stop.” Said N weakly. His head was hurting so much, and it started bleeding.

Then, Anna stopped banging N’s head against the wall. She then pushed him till he fell. After that, she kicked him, beat him, and she threw plates to him.

N was afraid. But he just couldn’t do anything.

“God.. I want to leave this house. I can’t take it anymore. Really. This is so hard.. I want to grow old so that I can get a job and leave this house.. And also, please reunite me with Leo... I miss him so bad”

That’s how N prayed. He didn’t even pray God to punish Anna for what she did. After all, he was just 11 years old-boy at that time. He was nice and pure indeed.

Please comment ^_^ Thank you :)