AUTHOR POV

Yoora knocked on the door of her brothers apartment, opposite hand curled in her lovers hand. He kept his eyes downcast in shame as they waited for Chanyeol to answer the door. When he finally opened the door he gave them a disapproving look.

“What are you two doing here at five in the morning?” He growled at them as he rubbed his still sleepy eyes. He let them in and shut the door behind them. He guided them to the living room and had them sit down while he made some tea. Even though he was cranky and tired, he knew his manners with his family.

After having set down three hot cups of tea, he leaned back in his seat across from them and let out a yawn.  “So why are you here? Did you find mother?”

They both exchanged looks before looking at Chanyeol. “About that… The woman we were describing was a fraud. She was claiming to be mother in order to get money from us. So we had to start back from square one.” Yoora sighed and sipped her tea.

“The good news is we do have a new lead. Your fathers’ records show that he has been sending money to a private account. And these amounts are fairly large. Enough to start a small business.” Byungjoo took a sip of his tea to let the small bit of information sink in before continuing. Chanyeol had been fairly silent, staring at nothing as he took in the news.

“It seems that mother has opened up an Italian restaurant here in Seoul, by the name of Viva Polo. We looked into it more and it is true. She has a shrine dedicated to pictures of you in the restaurant. She was not there when we went, however.” Yoora looked at Chanyeol to gauge his reaction. His face was stoic as he thought.

His mother was here? In Seoul? He bit the inside of his cheek and slowly raised his head to meet his sisters’ eyes. “So… You want me to go and talk to her don’t you.” It was more of a statement, but Yoora nodded. Chanyeol let out a deep sigh.

“That is why we are here right now. My flight leaves in three hours and I have to be there soon. Byungjoo is coming with me, so he cannot do anything either. Byungjoo was able to get her phone number and the address of the restaurant.” Yoora dug in her purse and pulled out a slip of paper, handing it to Chanyeol. They had already stayed in Seoul longer than they were supposed to in order to fix their mistakes.

“We should get going. I am sorry for the misinformation. I hope all goes well.” Byungjoo looked toward Chanyeol with an apologetic smile, standing simultaneously. Yoora stood, followed by Chanyeol, and made her way towards the door. Chanyeol bid the two farewells and made his way back into his apartment. His mind was full of thoughts as he munched on some toast and sipped at his tea.

The next day Chanyeol found himself standing in front of an Italian restaurant, the paper given to him by his sister in his hand. He let out a small sigh as he confirmed that it was the right address. With slight hesitation he took small steps to the entrance of the restaurant. He was not sure how this would go and how he would feel seeing his mother for the first time in so many years.

Before he knew it, he was inside the building and was shuffling back and forth on his feet. He looked around and saw a sign that told him to find his own seat. He casually walked around, pretending to look for somewhere to sit when he was actually scanning the interior. He did not fail to notice the “shrine” of him on one wall of the restaurant. It made him conscious of his appearance. He pulled up his gray scarf and chose to sit in a booth in the corner. Not long after, a waiter came to take his order.

He ate his meal quickly, finding the food to be outrageously delicious. He cleaned his plate and let out a satisfied sigh as he leaned back in his seat. The entire time he had been there, he had taken notice of the other diners. They were all of different ages and ethnicities. He could see that even foreigners came in here. He overheard them talking about how great the food was, and how they loved the owner of the restaurant.

Although Chanyeol desperately wanted to know who his mother was, he was unsure if it was right for him to come look for her himself. What if his mother had left because she didn’t love him or want him? But then what would explain the “shrine” of his photos. He had definitely taken notice that all of them were of him. He did not see a single photo of his older sister or his father. She must love him. So then why did she leave him? His fists clenched and unclenched under the table as his waiter came back to ask him how everything was and if he needed anything more.

“May I speak with the owner, please?” The waiters’ eyes did not grow, nor did they express any surprise. He only smiled and told Chanyeol to wait just a few moments and he would see what he could do. Not but five minutes later he came back with another person in tow. Chanyeol stood immediately and gave a deep bow before raising his head, lowering his scarf, and grinning widely. “Hello… mother.”

The woman behind the waiter stepped forward with wide eyes as she took in the view of her son. She had never expected to see her son so soon, and not here in her own restaurant. She had been told to stay as far away as possible from the mansion and her family. She hid for the first few years and then demanded that she should get money to start a business in order to support herself. She was given the money and had found this great location just outside of Youngdeungpo. It was very far from the richest part of Seoul and away from her children.

She had always beaten herself up about losing to such a vile woman, yet she could do nothing about it. She had been powerless against her. As she took in the sight of her son for the first time in person in so many years, her heart swelled with joy. He had come looking for her. He had not forgotten about her. He was right here, and she could hold him. Tears began to spill from her eyes as she fought back the sobs clogging .

“Chanyeol… My gorgeous boy…” Her smile spread across her face and she opened her arms to invite her son in for a hug. Although it had been years, he instantly accepted her hug with a wide grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So here is the missing chapter. It isn't as good as the first version, but it will do. I am so sorry that I was unable to update a lot earlier, but my courses are demanding and taking two music ensembles is really exhausting. Today was my only kind of day off and I spent 5 hours rehearsing for a performance on Sunday. 

So I barely finished this rewrite ten minutes ago. I have yet to proofread it so forgive me for errors!

Anyway! Happy October everyone! I hope you are all doing well after such a long time that I have been away! Tell me how you guys are doing in the comments!

Chanyeol's birthday is coming up in November! I already got his present like in the beginning of the summer but I am not so sure when I should send it... And if I just send it to him, his manager, or just SM in general. I have never sent a gift before... 

Anyway! Please do tell me your thoughts in the comment section on this chapter! I hope you enjoyed this little reunion and I promise to update again soon. I have three more exams to study for and two essays to write. I have a game tomorrow and then a performance at a bar on Sunday! Wish me luck!

Until next time, my wonderful lovelies~ <3

XOXO