"Kyungsoo!" Mrs. Wu flings her arms around me and squeezes the life out of me. "I haven't seen you in like..." she blanks out for a second and I help her out with that one.

"Last year!"

"Ah yes, it's been a while! How are you?" She proceeds to drag me across the living room by my arm and on to the sofa where my mother is sitting, a bowl of unpeeled chestnuts in her laps as she continues peelings them one by one and placing the peeled ones in another bowl sitting on the table.

My mother looks up from her hands at me and then back at the half-peeled chestnut, letting out a sigh "what's that look for?" she asks.

"You know I have an important conference tomorrow..." I reply, seating myself on the chair across from her as Mrs. Wu grabs Kris' arm this time and drags him into the kitchen behind her.

"So?" The of course I do but does it look like I care expression on her face says so otherwise. "It can't be more important than your own mother you haven't seen in a year!"

"How's Minseok doing?" I pick up a chestnut from the bowl of unpeeled ones and toss it up, catching it as it lands perfectly in my cold hands.

"How's your father?" She raises her right eyebrow without glancing up even once from her peeling.

"Just like you left him..." I mumble under my breath, earning another sigh from her as well as an irritated look.

Mrs. Wu walks in a few moments later with some cups in a tray, Kris following her like a giant duckling with a cake in his hands. "Your mother and I got this especially from Japan. It's just wonderful! Isn't that right, Yi Fan?"

"Actually I'm allergic to alcohol." I eye the tiramisu cake while cringing a bit. Kris looks down and nods. It's like I expect Kris to know that there is alcohol involved in this kind of cake.

My mother looks at the cake and then back at me. A semi apologetic face makes she and I suppose she didn't have any bad intentions. And how was she to know my allergies if she's never been around most of my life?

--

Hours pass by painfully slowly as I'm bombarded by Mrs. Wu's endless questions. The same old how is school? how are your grades? how is your health? Nothing different from the last time I saw her last year at the same exact time and place. As I eye the cake with the writing “Happy Birthday” I bite back the urge to mention that my birthday was yesterday, January 12. Kris also looks like he has the same thing bothering him as he looks at me and then at my mother. He knew, all my friends knew and already wished me via texting and calls. But my mother has always thought it was the 13th for some reason and I never bothered correcting her.

“It’s already 8, I should get going.” I get up from the warm couch I’ve been occupying for the past few hours.

“What’s the rush? Stay the night, why don’t you? It’s been so long!” Mrs. Wu also gets up and follows me to the door. My mother only follows me with her eyes while remaining seated.

I look at her and then back at Mrs. Wu, “I would love to but I have an important conference to attend to tomorrow. I’m sorry! I’ll see you at school next week then?” I look at Kris who is standing obediently next to his mom.

“Yeah… see ya!” he says faintly while his face screams please don’t leave me here by myself!

Sorry… good luck! I mouth as I slip on my jacket and shoes and head out the door.

--

The bus ride has me falling asleep. Who knew sitting could be so tiring? But I think the most tiring part wasn’t sitting on one spot for several hours but the emotional exhaustion that came with meeting my mother at Kris’ house every year. It felt like every time we met, we were more distant than before, not that any one of us cared. I slip into my thoughts as I shut my eyes and rest my head against the cold window.

Next stop, Soo Man University terminal.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter