One
Be the light
Sehun's fingers grazes over the wooden door frame of the front door. He looks around the empty house that he had called his home ever since he could remember. A home that contained happy and precious memories he had spent with his parents throughout his childhood. But of course with happiness, sadness crossed with bittersweet and sorrowful memories also loomed and for that Sehun was ready to say goodbye.
---
From the plane window, Sehun can see the city grow smaller and smaller as the plane ascends. After saying a silent goodbye to his home of fifteen years, he leans back onto his seat and peeks at his father beside him.
His father is already fast asleep and his head slumps over to the side towards the aisle. With tender hands, Sehun places his father's head back onto the headrest into an more comfortable position.The exhaustion of organising their move and dealings with other paper works finally taking him into slumber. From this angle Sehun can see the slight creases and wrinkles that has formed around his face over the past years.
Sehun admires his father a lot. He had seen his father in his weakest and vulnerable times. He had seen him cry on countless occasions, seen him beg for the doctors to save his wife, and has seen him plead for his love to stay with him. But despite these painful experiences, his father continues to be the devoted, loving father to Sehun like he was before his wife's death. This strong quality made Sehun even more grateful to have a father like him.
Sehun leans on his Dad, his head resting on his shoulder. He leaves the window blinds open and stares at the sky that is slowly and gradually transitioning from colours of hazy yellow, pink, and purple into the dark blue of night.
He falls asleep dreaming of his mother on the window sill.
---
After almost thirteen hours of flight, they arrive in Seoul at around noon. His father's older sister, Jin Ae, is there at the arrival to pick them up and drive them to their new home apartment somewhere in Myeongdong.
When they arrive at the apartment Sehun feels weird. Weird because wow this is going to be his home now. Not the two storey house with front and back yards back in the States where he often spent his time in. He looks around and he finds the apartment quite spacious. The furnitures are already arranged while there are shipped boxes lying by the walls of the open room of the living room and kitchen.
"Hey, so what do you think buddy?" His father asks as he hauls a luggage onto a table.
"It's nice, Dad." Although it's strange for him to call this his home now, he does think he will be able to someday as long as his father is by his side.
His aunt stays for a few hours helping them unpack. She chatters happily about all the stuff that has changed since his father had last visited Korea to the latest gossip about their family relatives. Sehun recognises only a few of the people his aunt mentions and it is then that he realises how little he knows about them . Having been born in the states and only visiting Korea only a few times Sehun barely got to meet or know about all his Dad's family members. His mother's side was a different story and so he never actually met any of them before.
Sehun watches his aunt and Dad interact. He notices how close the two siblings are, the deep brother and sister bond that never faded even after years apart. It is moments like these, Sehun wonders what would it be like to a have a sibling. To have another creation of his mom and dad in his life.
---
It's nearing 1am and despite the tiredness of jetlag and of unpacking, Sehun lies awake in his bedroom. His room is still filled with half opened boxes and luggages and the walls are bare of any decorations. Accepting that sleep won't come anytime soon he rolls out of bed. He sits himself outside on a bench outside on their small balcony. The night is quite cold and Sehun is thankful he brought a sweater along. Pulling his knees up to his chin, he begins to just stare out into the night view of Seoul.
Multiple thoughts runs through his head. He thinks of his old house and wonders who would be it's new occupants. He thinks of his Dad and how he has noticed the slight glimmer in his eyes since they have arrived in Korea, a look that he hasn't seen in while. But most of the time he thinks of his mother.
His eyes are drooping just when he hears the door sliding open. He immediately feels the warmth of his dad as he sits besides him and instantly he shifts closer to him, leaning onto his side.
Donghae smiles at his fifteen year old sons' action. He brings an arm around his shoulder to pull the boy closer then softly asks, "Couldn't sleep?"
He gets a nod of a head in response and Sehun further burrows onto his side. Donghae chuckles lightly and starts to rock them both gently from side to side while humming a song from his teenage years.
No one would believe that his fifteen year old would be a type to show such affection to his father. He knows that Sehun is quite a reserved kid with not much close friends and with more preference to stay in solitude or with his father. It sometimes worry Donghae. As much as he absolutely loves and is grateful for their close relationship he also wants his son to experience of having another close companion beside himself. Another person to create and share memories of their youth with. Hopefully his son will find one here.
They sit there for a while not speaking. Donghae knows his son well enough that for that moment his son prefers for no words to be exchanged but to just bask in the comfort of each others presence. Sehun is thankful and he closes his eyes listening to the tune he often hears his father hum.
Donghae starts to feel Sehun's head nodding off on his side. He takes a look at him and again he chuckles . Sehun's eyes are heavily drooping and yet the boy still attempts on staying awake. It reminds him of the times when Sehun was still around the age of eight and would usually try to stay up with his dad in his work office in their house. The boy of course never achieved on staying awake and ends up slump over, fast asleeep on the work table beside Donghae.
Years has passed since those days and despite the unexpected challenges and changes that came, time had flew quick. He just hopes that this time, though he knows it will pass just as quickly, the change they currently have right now is a good one.
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