SeungHyun sat down on the couch, releasing his mother's arm. It had been since he last reached his arms out to his mother for support that it almost felt strange to put his hands on her arms. Yet there was something he had been longing for in the gesture. After patting her only son's shoulder, she left for the study room at the end of the first floor hallway. SeungHyun listened to the urgent knocking, a few words from his mother, the shifting in the study room, and finally rough footsteps coming back to the living room. His father stopped at his side, then slowly moved and stopped again across from him. SeungHyun remembered there was another chair facing of the one he was seated in, like a meeting room. His mother left for the kitchen.

"Seung...Hyun ah," his father called, rather awkwardly. There was no more stings or bitterness in his voice anymore. It was the kind fatherly voice SeungHyun heard only a few times growing up.

"It's been a while," SeungHyun greeted, slightly bowing. "Father," he quietly added.

The two men unconsciously sat up straight at the sudden addresses. Just as they cleared their throats, Mrs. Choi came back with a tray of coffee and some snacks. She chuckled as she set the table placed between the two couches. 

"SeungHyun ah, your cup is right in front of you. You can grab it if you reach your right arm out straight," she explained, taking a seat next to her husband. She always described things clearly, conveying her ideas to the other person without a space for misunderstanding. It was no surprise, as she majored in linguistics in college. Her talent was passed on to her daughter and not so much to her son. Her son took after his father; although her son never seemed too happy about it.

"What brings you here?" Mr. Choi began, taking a sip from his cup. 

"Honey, you can't just ask him straight off the bat like that. He just arrived," Mrs. Choi nagged, and her husband closed his mouth. Turning to SeungHyun, she asked, "How is SoRa sshi? I heard you guys moved to a new house. How is that?"

Taken back by the kindness, SeungHyun took a few seconds to set his mind straight. This was no time to question them about how they were suddenly so nice, or how they seemed to be accepting SoRa. That was all in the past. 

"SoRa is doing fine. She had to stop working, but she seems happier now. The house is pretty big so we often have JiYong sleepover. We just planted some flowers in the garden a few days ago," SeungHyun answered. Though his voice was close to monotone, his parents could hear the excitement in his tone. Sensing that they were seeing right through him, SeungHyun stopped talking and took a sip from his cup.

There was an awkward silence in the room, no one really knowing what to say, or how to say. But there was an air of empathy; SeungHyun for his parents who have not seen him for years and finally meeting him because he has turned blind, the parents for their son who had been  so cornered in his own house that he decided to run away all on his own. So much had to be expressed, yet nothing needed to be said. Every single person understood. Just like how SeungHyun and SoRa communicated. Maybe that was what a family was like. Still, there was something Mr. Choi had to get off his chest.

"You know." Mr. Choi quietly began after clearing his throat. His wife, already foreseeing the conversation that would follow, held her husband's hand. "I was too hard on you before. You were very smart so I had a lot of expectations. I realized too late that you originally wanted to be a doctor. And I ruined it. I wanted to apologize."

The choppy, straight to the point sentences used to pierce SeungHyun's young heart, his brain automatically translating his phrases to "I don't care," or "Don't bother me, I'm busy." When was it that SeungHyun stopped going up to his father to show off his accomplishments, expecting a compliment? By the time he entered high school, there was no conversation between the father and son. SeungHyun would refuse to speak with his sister and even his mother. Whenever Mrs. Choi showed her husband SeungHyun's awards and report cards, he showed no interest. 

Loss of words, SeungHyun managed to nod. "It's... okay. I think there was a misunderstanding on my part as well." Fidgeting his fingers, SeungHyun looked down as his father looked up at him in surprise. "I knew you were expecting a lot from me, and that you were bad at expressing your feelings. I ran away because I was a coward, not because of you."

"What's your dream now, SeungHyun?" Mrs. Choi suddenly asked. She was smiling, eyes full of tears. "Did you find a new dream?"

"There's not much that I can do, you know," SeungHyun chuckled, his slender finger tracing over his right eyebrow. "But, there is one thing I want to do." He straightened his back, preparing to say something. He looked right at his parents who he could not see anymore. 

The car was silent, but it was not awkward. It was hard to believe that there was a thick, tall wall between them only two hours ago. The wall crumbled in a second, like how a bubble pops with the slightest touch. SeungHyun chuckled, his head leaning against the window. Seeing that, his father scoffed.

"We're here," Mr. Choi announced. He quickly got off the car, and before SeungHyun could remove his seatbelt, Mr. Choi opened the door of the passenger side. "It's a nice house." 

"Of course, who do you think chose it," SeungHyun replied proudly. He slowly reached his legs out until they reached the ground, then with the clumsy support from his father, got off the car.

"Quit bragging," Mr. Choi said. As he closed the door behind his son, SeungHyun let go of his arm. "Go in."

SeungHyun obeyed, walking straight towards his house. He suddenly stopped before reaching the entrance, turned around, and waved. "Thanks for the ride."

"Whatever," his father replied, smiling. He watched as his son open his house door, and a young lady welcoming him, their eyes met. The lady quickly bowed, and he bowed back slightly. Then he saw SeungHyun urging her to go inside, and the two figures disappeared behind the door.

"I never realized she was so pretty," he said to himself as he entered his car and started the engine.

Hey~~

LONG TIME NO SEE TT^TT I am so sorry for not updating for about half a year.... Everything was hectic with school work and everything, but that's all over now (I promise) so I will update more often.

Thank you so much for waiting so patiently everytime, and I will not let you guys down again. I love you guys ///>___//

Please feel free to leave a comment, and I will reply~^^