one.
He's Just Different01 - Contrast
At twenty two months, Jiyong's colleagues' kids are hubby and tall. They could verbalise simple words like, "mummy", "daddy" and some other words mostly centred around food. From what he heard, they would run to the door in the evening when they heard their fathers' cars.
Taehyun was small for his age and didn't eat well. He had made no move to get up from all fours and he hadn't said a word. Jiyong has made an appointment at the doctors and he dreads what they will find.
02 - Diagnosis
Several hospital trips later, Jiyong is sitting in the darkness of the living room with Taehyun. Expressions like "brain damage" and "therapy" began to run wild in his thoughts. He stared down at the sleeping child, who was whimpering in his sleep and clinging his little fists at Jiyong's nightwear.
"It's not gonna be easy, but we'll go through it together alright?"
...what will he do?
03 - Resentment
Looking at his wife, Jiyong resents her for being so heartless. For wanting to abandon a child just because he was born the way he was. Who has done nothing except for needing a home and a family.
Looking at Taehyun, Jiyong resents him for not being normal, for needing him so much and making him lose his wife.
Sometimes he even resents other kids, for showing him how Taehyun should be and will never be.
More than anyone though, he resents himself for not being able to find a solution for all of them.
Struggles are always lonely.
04 - Joy
Mino observes the quiet boy across the hospital waiting room in a curious manner, wondering why a boy his age is sitting in a pushchair. He makes his way forwards to the boy, "Hi, my name is Mino. I think your chair is pretty. My daddy really likes chairs!"
He says, but he receives no response. The other boy only looks at him with a dazed look worn on his face. A second later, drool begins to drip down from the corner of his mouth. Out of reflex, Mino grabbed the blanket that has been sitting on Taehyun's lap and wiped away the drool.
"Min... oh?"
"No! My name doesn't have the 'oh' sound. Come on, try again."
"Meenowh?"
"Close enough!"
Jiyong watches from far, and for the very first time since the diagnosis, he is smiling.
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