The dinnertime crowd was already dispersing by the time Jong In got back to the chicken shop but work was still hectic with dishes piled high and Kyungsoo shuffling between tables with a rag in his hand. The bell on the door tinkled as he entered and the owner snapped his head up to glance at him before frowning once he realized who had finally returned after disappearing without a word.

“How could you leave me here alone?” Kyungsoo didn’t need to raise his voice for Jong In to know that the man was upset. “The dinner crowd was insane and I even ran out of serving plates at one point because there was nobody washing them!”
“I’m sorry.” Jong In concealed the sadness from his features immediately. “I’ll go wash the plates now.”

He heard Kyungsoo sighing behind him as he entered the kitchen and tied the apron around his waist. He knew the shorter man had a valid reason to be so angry with him. The messy state of the kitchen was like the aftermath of a war and was more than enough proof of Jong In’s irresponsibility. Maybe umma was right after all, Jong In scoffed as he put on the rubber gloves before reaching his hands into the sink. Maybe I still had lots of growing up to do. He chewed on his lower lip to prevent a sob from escaping as his hands worked deftly to scrub away the grease from the plates. He scrubbed furiously, channeling all of his energy and frustrations into his arm and ignoring the soap suds that had began to overflow from the sink due to his force. It wasn’t until Kyungsoo yanked him away from the sink did he realize that his apron and clothes were thoroughly soaked and that his vision had been blurry all along from the tears streaming quietly down his face. He doesn’t know if the stinging were from the tears or because the soap suds had entered his eyes.

“You should’ve told me if you weren’t feeling well enough to work.” Kyungsoo’s grip was firm on his arm and the slight pain was what anchored Jong In to reality.
“Yeah,” Jong In nodded his head. “I don’t think I’m feeling well. My heart hurts a lot…” he clenched the fabric over his chest as he beelined for the trash can and promptly threw up into it. The liquid escaping his throat was burning him on its way out and his eyes still stung, but nothing could compare to the feeling of having his heart ripped in two. The last thing he knows was surrendering and being engulfed by darkness.

Jong In doesn’t know what time is it or how much time had passed. His head spun and his body was aching all over, but his eyes did recognize the chicken shop owner immediately. Kyungsoo was all curled up on the mattress beside his and there was a basin of water and a towel hanging over it separating their mattresses. Kyungsoo’s brows were furrowed although his breathing was even, signaling that he was in a deep slumber. Jong In stares at the white ceiling as his mind raced. Life was like a riddle he couldn’t comprehend or solve. He simply wasn’t equipped with that skill, or even if he was, the skill had long been forgotten. Unlike him, Kyungsoo had a business to run and a dream to chase, and yet Jong In was being a roadblock in his life. He bit back a groan as he pulled his aching limbs out of the mattress and climbed out of the back room which served as their bedroom in the shop. He poured himself a glass of water before settling down on one of the many plastic stools and drawing out his phone. He wish he hadn’t taken that sip when he searched the news portal, or at least, he wished he could’ve choked to death. In bold letters were the latest updates of his mother’s court case, and there was a breakdown of the different sentences she could be serving. Scrolling down a little more and Jong In’s sight landed on the comments section where netizens were demanding that a woman like her be given lifetime imprisonment and even the death row. Jong In doesn’t know if he’s capable of living a life without his mother.
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