II

Lee Seunghyun

I ran my gaze towards the blurry building stood tall outside the windows, as my minds floated. Memories come and go, faded and resurected without I'm capable to do anything. I'm such a useless brat! I was thinking why I have to go home again. It's not even my home. It's just a house where people live in. People that I wish I never knew. Why he wants me back? Has he forgot that he's the one who abandoned me first?

    "Dad's dying," he explained briefly as if he could hear the questions that had been swirling inside my mind. I snapped my head immediately and he glanced towards me with a smirk like he just told me some kind of annoying joke. "I thought, maybe, you wanted to meet him before he kicks the bucket."

    "What happened to him?"

    He shrugged. "Heart attack. You know he has been fighting with his heart for years."

    I scoffed quietly. "I thought he doesn't have one."

    Dong Wok snickered. "Hey, he's still your father. Have some respect will you?"

    I closed my eyes and hugged myself, shutting down the lame conversation about my father. He was a kind of father that I hoped I could erase from my past. There's so much wrongdoing that has been done for my entire life and the most unbearable sin was; he killed my mother. He's the reason why she had to raise me alone. He's the reason why I grew up without a father and later, I lost my mother too. Saying an excuse that he couldn't marry her as he already had a wife, I spent my childhood stamped with an illegitimate child nickname whenever I go.

    Mom passed away when I was nine and I'd been brought to the house since I don't have anyone that can be my guardian and everything started to crumble. His wife was furious. Every day I could hear her sobs as they fought over my past, and every day I was cursed for everything including breathing.

    I was a nightmare to their once perfect family. A tsunami that had ruined their kingdom and I shouldn't have been kept living for destroying everything! I should've die along with my mother.

    Everyone in the house hated me. Even the cat, he always hissing and scratcing me whenever I came near. Except him. I stole a glance to the man beside me. He was fair-skinned, black hair with cherry red lips that I condsidered as a very charming man. He's their only son and my only friend in the house. He's the only reason living there was bearable. But I knew deep in his heart, he hates me. I mean, I'd wreak his family apart. Who can forgive that? Sometimes, I could see it in his eyes, whenever he looked at his parent, shouting and blaming each other; there's pain, sorrow...anger.

    "Who's the girl?" A sudden voice startled me and I opened my eyes just to see Dong Wok flashing  a knowing smile as he threw a glance to the side to eye my reaction. And when I said nothing, he continued to tease. "Come on, tell me about her? Is she your girfriend? Wife?"

    He displayed his shocked face and faked a gasp. So drama king, I thought. I stayed silence as he mumbled to himself about my lack of response and now, I continued to think about her. I almost forgot about Chaerin. How is she? Is she safe? And who is that guy?

I woke up when the engine died. A mansion appeared in front of my eyes and suddenly fear creeping inside me. I inhaled deeply and shrugged off the nervousness.

    "Welcome home," I heard Dong Wok exclaimed loudly and my legs went weak. My stomach started to flip as we entered the house,, which looked exactly the same as I left 5 years ago. I remembered that I used to play football with him on the yard and even when the rain pouring, we continued to play. The mild yellow colour of the wall with huge metal and woods door frame separating the inside from the rest of the world looked majestic even now. But everything seemed dead. Quiet. Too quiet. Like entering the ghost house in horror movie, I felt my throat started to feel thick and my heart was trembling.

    The second I stepped inside, I was greeted with a sharp glance full of hatred. Mother was still unhappy to see me and as if her looks can kill, I felt myself die a thousand time in seconds.

    Dong Wok dragged me upstairs where father was laying. His frail body and his haggard face were alien to me. I never seen him like that. He used to look so strong, stoic expression and he strut around with confidence and intense face. And I remembered that I used to be afraid of him. But now, the lion has grown old.

    "Dad, look who's coming to visit?" Dong Wok said chirpily and I saw him moved slightly as he opened his eyes.
    Father just stared at me as if I'm the air in  the room, invisible and unamusing. Like I'm not his son who was just came back after 5 long years.

    "How...a-are you...Father?" I greeted and he was silent again, ignoring me as usual. He shut his eyes again and my question left