9 Weeks Later, Tuesday October 27th, 2015

 

Waking up this morning wasn’t as hard as it used to be for Soo Min, there used to be days when she couldn’t bring herself to get out of bed, for the fear of being reminded she was completely alone. There was no one to greet her if she left her room, there was no one there to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner with, there was no one there to scold and anymore about her bad habits and daily self sabotage. No one. Her grandmother had died two days after her birthday back in September and it was the most tragic and traumatizing thing to ever happen in her life. If she wasn’t the same before, she’s not the same now after losing someone she deeply cared for and loved. How could someone leave this world so suddenly and leave you all alone?

 

She’s aware that her beloved late elder didn’t do it on purpose, she understands that, but it still hurt, it hurt a lot. News traveled quickly and everyone was notified of the elder’s death within a day. Her parents and sister immediately came to her side to mourn the loss together, it was difficult for them all to accept it, but they did in short time, everyone but Soo Min at least.

 

Soo Min didn’t know how to cope with her grandmother’s death and spiraled down into depression and broke the promise she made to Jeonghan that night called for him, the first night she drank. She relied on alcohol to take away the ache in her heart, to numb it. It wasn’t something she ever thought she’d do, she never pictured herself to quickly become an alcoholic within a few weeks. Due to her getting drunk all the time, no one in Seoul had heard from her for the longest time until her mother came to check on her. That’s when they found out. It was the worst weeks of her life to be very honest. She wouldn’t wish that kind of hell on anyone, not even her worst enemy. Fortunately, she had the help and support from her family and friends to get through it all.

 

Jeonghan had been very busy working at the time, but he managed to visit her here and there. It wasn’t easy for her family to give her tough love, but Jeonghan did and that helped their bond grow. He wanted her to get better before getting worse. He wanted her to avoid ending up like his father who had fallen victim to alcohol for many years before. He still loved her and just wanted the best for her. She still loved him too, and that helped her fight her way to a full recovery. She swore to never touch alcohol ever again after everything was settled. It was a long and eventful six weeks, but she made it. But even after all of that, she chose to stay in Busan, she chose to stay in her late grandmother’s house. She just couldn’t part ways yet and everyone understood that and decided to trust her and give her space to heal. Leaving her alone was nerve-wracking, but she kept in touch and kept her promise of not falling down that horrible path again. She didn’t think she could survive it a second time.

 

After about two weeks of almost complete solitude, she woke up Sunday morning and felt like it was time to move on and leave that place. It holds too many memories, good and bad, but she can’t hold onto it forever, she doesn’t want to live forever alone. She finally decided to go back to Seoul where the rest of her small family and now extended family through friends were all waiting for her. They were all there to welcome her back and love her, flaws and all. She wouldn’t say she was that nervous about going back, sometimes she still thinks about how she hurt everyone with her disappearance, despite the words of forgiveness and words of encouragement, there was just that part of her that felt like she didn’t deserve any of their love and support after being such a horrible friend like that. She was her own enemy and probably would be for the rest of her life unless she got some help, professional help.

 

The thought of attending therapy and telling all of your most inner feelings didn’t really sit well with her. She feels like that therapist will just tell her what she needs to do rather than understand and find solutions that were more comfortable for her. This was her passing judgment before even trying it out. So, she made a promise to herself, she promised herself that in time, she will get the help she needs if she still needs it. She wants to believe in simply returning to her family and friends that her troubles and issues will just fade away on their own. She hopes she could heal on her own time instead of paying someone money to do it. She respects therapist and what they do, she just doesn’t feel like she needs it, but she wouldn’t stand there and say she’s fine and doesn’t have a problem. All she wants is for everyone to give her a chance to do it on her own first. That’s all.

 

She’s discussed everything to those who needed to hear it, mainly her family, Jeonghan, Jisoo and Won Woo. Her girl friends too, can’t forget them again. It was definitely going to be hard to get back into socializing with everyone like she used to when she returns to Seoul this week, things have changed but she knew adapting won’t be that hard. One day, she’ll be happy again. She knows that. It just takes one step at a time. The first step starts today, she’s expecting Jeonghan, Jisoo and Won Woo who were taking time out of their day to come help her bring all of her belongings this time to Seoul. Jeonghan got the day off while Jisoo and Won Woo skipped classes, but they assured her that they’d make up for it. She won’t be coming back after this, so one day of skipping is fine in her book, it’s for a good reason, right? The three were the first to offer help before her father and Ren, who were late by SEVENTEEN minutes between calls. It worked out since her father still had work to worry about and Ren would be busy helping prepare for a Halloween party this weekend.

 

Shortly after eating a small breakfast, she heard someone at the door and already knew who it could be. She wasn’t exactly excited about leaving today, but she wasn’t going to delay it either. If anything, she felt very indifferent right now about the whole situation. She saw it as gathering her belongings to move from point A to point B. Nothing felt special… until she opened the door and saw her friends standing there, dressed in costumes. Isn’t Halloween five days from now? She was confused at first until she realized who they were dressed up as.

 

“Prepare for trouble!” Jeonghan blurted out in his best English.

 

“Make it double!” Jisoo was next.

 

To protect the world from devastation

To unite all peoples within our nation

To denounce the evils of truth and love

To extend our reach to the stars above

Jeonghan!
Joshua!

Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light

Surrender now or prepare to fight

Won Woo, that’s right.

 

Soo Min stared at the three standing on the porch, Jeonghan and Jisoo were dressed in team rocket costumes from Pokémon, they even had the appropriate hair colors too. Jeonghan with long Red hair and Jisoo with long but still short Blue hair, she could tell they weren’t wearing wigs either, it was their own hair. Of course Jeonghan was representing a male version of Jessi and was basically dressed as James but with Jessi’s long black arm gloves. Won Woo was dressed in a Meowth mascot costume, no change was really necessary for his appearance, everything was concealed by the costume, she almost had to chuckle to herself, what a lazy choice of a costume, right? “Are we done?! It’s hot in this thing!” Won Woo complained almost immediately and took the head piece off. “I only had one line, this is too much!”

 

“No one told you to wear it the moment we got into town.” Jeonghan snickered and rolled his eyes at the complaint. He returned his attention to Soo Min, who managed a soft smile when he stepped forward with a Pikachu headband to place on her head. “Team Rocket has come to steal you away back to Pallet Town!”

 

“Thanks.” She let out a soft giggle, now it felt special. “Who’s idea was this?”

 

“Mine!” Jisoo raised his hand at the speed of light. “Jeonghan and I practiced all week!”

 

“English is hard.” Jeonghan pouted and she thought it was adorable.

 

“Well, thank you for this. It makes this move a little more fun.”

 

“Well, I for one am not staying in this stupid costume!” Won Woo said and pushed his way through Team Rocket to get inside. He planned to change before doing anything else and she laughed.

 

“He sure has the attitude for Meowth.” She joked when he left the room. “Come inside.” She gestured and stepped aside to let the other two in. “Did you eat breakfast before leaving?”

 

“We did, but that was hours ago.” Jeonghan hugged his stomach in defeat.

 

“He sure has the attitude for Jessi.” She teased and earned a laugh from Jisoo. “I made extra food this morning, you can go ahead and help yourself.” She pointed off to the kitchen. Jeonghan was already rushing over, leaving Jisoo and Soo Min alone in the living room, how convenient. She had a feeling he wanted to talk privately for a moment and she didn’t mind. She was sure all three of them wanted to talk.

 

“How are you feeling today?” He asked after taking a seat on the couch with her.

 

“Better now that you guys are here.” She said with another soft smile. “If I can be honest, I’m not particularly excited about anything… but it’s not like before when I was scared to go back. I just still feel numb sometimes.”

 

“That’s okay.” He assured her and gave her a gentle pat to her shoulder. “We’re happy to have you back, but take your time adjusting, alright?”

 

“I will. I just… don’t want to take too long.” Waiting around never did any good, she knows that now. Misunderstandings and time lost. She doesn’t want to live like that anymore. But she didn’t want to rush things either. One step at a time. One step. “Go ahead and go eat so you have enough energy to help move stuff.”

 

“Alright, thanks.” Jisoo gave her a warm smile before making his way to the kitchen. That's when Won Woo emerged from the bathroom down the hall, dressed in all black with the Meowth costume in his arms. He came over to take a seat next to her on the couch, it was clear he wanted to talk to her for a minute or two like she predicted.

 

“I'm fine.” She answered before he could ask.

 

“I'll trust you for today.” He said with a weak smile. He noticed she had lost weight again and worried, but knowing she'll be returning to Seoul with them this time helped. He could nag her in person now about eating and taking care of herself, since she'd ignore his texts about eating sometimes and would change the topic.

 

“There's food in the kitchen, that's your proof, go eat some.” She shooed him away with a weak smile of her own. “I'm going to tidy up the living room and pack anything else that needs it while you three refuel.”

 

“Okay, sounds good. Thanks.” He gave a thumbs up and headed to the kitchen to join his friends. “Yah! Save some for me at least!” She could hear him complain and the other two laugh. It brought a smile to her lips and she got up to start her task for the next several minutes.

 

She needed to keep herself busy before she starts reminiscing the bad memories, but it was no use when she came upon her late grandmother’s liquor cabinet. It was empty, it’s been empty since that whole drama several weeks ago. Her mother got rid of it all while she was being treated at the hospital for detox. Those bad memories started to surface and she took a moment to sit on the floor in front of the cabinet. A small trip down memory lane was unavoidable and she sighed.

 

Flashback, Friday October 2nd, 2015

 

When Jeonghan opened the bedroom door, he saw Soo Min was awake and sitting on her bed with her legs crossed and she was trying to open a bottle but was struggling with it. She looked and sounded so frustrated and he even saw tears welling in her eyes. “Stupid bottle, why won’t you open?” She muttered bitterly and he realized it was a small green bottle of soju. There was one she already drank sitting on the nightstand next to her bed and two others unopened near it. She was already getting drunk right now and he gave her a pitiful look when she noticed him at the door. She stared at him with angry eyes for a moment before looking away and continued to fight with the bottle cap. “Jeonghan?” Jisoo asked quietly behind him before looking in to see Soo Min. He was about to say something but Jeonghan stopped him.

 

“I’ll talk to her. Don’t bother us, okay? Enjoy dinner without me.” He said before stepping into the room and shut the door, he didn’t give Jisoo a chance to say anything but at least he looked understanding before his face disappeared behind the door. He came to Busan when her mother called for help. Jisoo and Won Woo came along as well and they had just arrived a short while ago. It was dinner time, but Jeonghan felt like he was needed now, food could wait.

 

Jeonghan walked over and sat on the edge of her bed sideways so he could face her, his right leg folded while his left hung off the bed. She looked at him again, frustrated and he simply held his hand out. “Want me to open it for you?” He asked calmly. She didn’t say anything and handed over the bottle. He opened it with ease and gave it back to her and she managed a quiet thank you before taking a drink from it and her face scrunched up from how strong it was to her. She still didn’t like the taste but it wasn’t enough to stop her. “Mind sharing with me?” He asked a moment later and she looked at him with a conflicted look this time. She thought about it before handing back the bottle he opened for her. He gave a soft smile and took a long sip from it and she quickly scolded him and claimed it was hers, not his and for him to get his own!

 

“What are you doing here anyways?” She asked in that rude tone her mother told them about earlier when they arrived, she expressed how Soo Min wasn’t the same person when drinking. She’s been unreasonable and rude and harsh on herself. “Did you come here to try and convince me to go back to Seoul again? Because I’m not going. I’m never going back now.” She avoided his eyes and took another drink of her soju.

 

“That’s fine.” Jeonghan simply said and held his hand out because he wanted another drink. She reluctantly shared with him a second time and he gave her the cutest smile.

 

“So, then why are you here?” She looked away before she could get flustered by him.

 

“You don’t want me here?”

 

“No, it’s not like that.” Her expression softened. “I just…” the tears started to well in her eyes again and he handed her the bottle back. “I don’t know what the hell happened to me? I don’t know why I became like this… why did all of this have to happen so suddenly?”

 

“Life is cruel.” Jeonghan said with a sad chuckle. “Life is like that.”

 

“Did I do something wrong? Is this karma for leaving you so suddenly too?” Hearing her say that bothered him a little. It broke his heart.

 

“No.” He didn’t want her thinking that way. “It’s not because of that.”

 

“Then why?”

 

“Well…” he trailed off and thought of what to say. “You know, everyone eventually dies, old age is one of the many causes. Elders get so fragile and sick… it’s just the circle of life. It happens and no one can really prepare for things like this. So, it hurts a lot.”

 

“I hate that you’re right.” She said while her tears started to fall and she drank more of the soju before handing it over so he could drink the rest. Then she grabbed the third bottle to open. “I just don’t get why it has to happen just when I was becoming happy again? It’s messed up.” She was able to open the third bottle by herself this time and drank some more like expected.

 

Jeonghan thought about it and was planning on stopping her from drinking the fourth bottle after this, three seemed like enough for now. He just didn’t know how he was going to do it without her getting too upset and things go wrong? “It , I know.” He sighed and watched her. “But you’ll be happy again soon enough.”

 

“How? How can I ever be happy after this?”

 

“That’s entirely up to you, Soo Min.” He said with a sincere look. “I really hope you can be happy again soon.” She calmed down for a moment and even looked mesmerized by his gaze. “You have to stop drinking first or you’ll never be happy.” He said while taking the third bottle from her and took a drink from it and kept it this time. She brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face into her folded arms. She didn't want it to be like this, and she knows it's her own fault for not saying anything or reaching out. She chose to handle it alone and she made that choice to start drinking to take the pain away. She has no one to blame but herself. But she thought about it a lot, how different things would have been had they still been together, if he was there for her when she needed it? Of course it would have been different. But how different?

 

Would she be back in Seoul right now? Would she be over the grieving and empty feelings? Would she have been… happy again, being surrounded by those who care for her and love her? Would she have moved on by now? So many questions but no answers. I could be happy, I just choose not to, is that it?

 

Jeonghan sat there and watched her with a broken heart again. He finished off the third bottle and got up to put it on the nightstand before he took a new seat right next to her and sat the same way like he did earlier but it was his left leg folded and his right hanging off the side of the bed. It was a twin size, so there wasn’t a whole lot of room for the both of them right now. It sort of brought back memories from Jisoo’s place, how he stayed with her a few times, he even thought about that night he cried in front of her and she comforted him. It was hard to think about it, the words spoken between them… promises that weren’t kept. But he understands what happened and won’t hold it against her. We both messed up. He thought, dejected. But we both can fix it? He believes it.

 

“Just for tonight, can you stay with me? Can you hold me and my hair and tell me that famous lie, that everything will be okay?” She asked and broke the long silence between them, her voice was soft and shaky, she was ready to cry.

 

“... sure.” He didn’t want to say no to her, because he wanted that too. “And it’s not a lie, it’s the truth.”

 

“Fine, whatever.” She cried when he pulled her close to his chest. He held her tight and her hair like she asked and it started to calm her down almost instantly.

 

“Everything will be okay.” He said calmly and instead of feeling bitter about the typical ‘everything will be okay’ cliché, she actually felt like things could really be okay, if Jeonghan is around.

 

“I really hope so.”

 

“Help yourself so we can help you, alright?” He said while she pulled away from him to sit up. She wiped any remaining tears and nodded in reply.

 

That night, Soo Min learned a lot about Jeonghan and his relationship with his parents. It wasn’t exactly the best, but they were working on it now and she admired that. She knew things could get rough and how difficult it can be to do something about it, so she was glad Jeonghan came into her life and gave her the push to make things right with her own family, because he had almost gone through something similar in a way.

 

Jeonghan’s father had become an alcoholic during the time he was in middle school. Things didn’t get bad until he was in high school. His parents fought a lot and he always got caught in the middle of it. Bad habits started to arise between the two parents and they started to struggle from them. His father wasted money on alcohol while his mother wasted money on shoes and even started to gamble to keep up her expensive wants. They had nearly gone homeless before he graduated and Jeonghan had enough. He started to work and was able to get through on his own before finally graduating.

 

The next plan was college, like everyone else. Living with his parents started to stress him out too much so he unfortunately made the selfish decision to leave them before he goes insane. That’s when he started to roommate with his friends Jun and the Meanie couple. He worked very hard and saved up a lot of money from working so he could attend college with everyone else. But first, he made sure to check in on his parents.

 

They were still the same and it was pitiful, but luckily he was able to have a serious talk with them. He said he would help them only if they helped themselves first, just like he had said to Soo Min. “I can’t help you if you don’t help yourselves.” His parents were very impressed of how mature their son became after leaving their nest. That really inspired them to make things right again and so they began to help themselves so Jeonghan could help them too.

 

His mother was the first to correct her gambling addiction. It was difficult but she managed to get through it. While it was best to just stop all together, Jeonghan told his mother that she could still have the things she wants if she could be responsible at the same time. That meant paying bills and paying for all the food and necessities before buying something she wanted. It started to work out pretty quick and they were happy with her progress.

 

As for his father, he quit alcohol cold turkey and ended up having some serious withdrawal symptoms. It was terrible and even scary, Jeonghan thought he was about to lose his father. Luckily, they were able to get him proper help thanks to the money Jeonghan saved up from his work and his father entered a program that was very effective. He slipped off the wagon a few times and while Jeonghan and his mother could have gotten angry, they understood after so many years of drinking it only came natural to him to start up again. He didn’t need to go back into a program the second time though, he was able to get over it on his own with the help of his supportive wife and Jeonghan’s frequent visits to keep him in check. It was seriously a rough two years of his life but he got through it.

 

“You’re so strong…” Soo Min said softly after Jeonghan finished his story telling. “I would have never guessed you went through any of that.”

 

“I suppose it isn’t that easy to know what a person has been through until they tell you.”

 

“Thank you for opening up to me. I’m… happy you’re here.” She said while tapping near his collarbone each time she heard his heartbeat in his chest.

 

“I’m happy you didn’t push me away when I came to your room.” He had expected her to kick him out and ask for Jisoo or Won Woo, but he supposed he shouldn’t assume things next time. For now, they lied in that position for a short while until Soo Min complained about getting a headache, possibly from crying earlier and from not drinking the usual amount she usually would. “Try to be strong.” He held her tight so she couldn’t get up and grab that forth bottle of soju.

 

“But-”

 

“I’m here. We’ll get through it together. Just relax and don’t think about it…”

 

She wanted to protest and break free from his hold, but feeling him hold her so tight like that was enough to stop her. She could tell how much he cared right now, especially after sharing that story about his father, she was sure that Jeonghan didn’t want her to go down that same path with many years of drinking. I can stop. Right? She thought to herself. It won’t be that hard… right? She remained in Jeonghan’s hold until she eventually fell asleep too.

 

 

Back to the present

 

It was a bittersweet memory at least now that she thinks back on it. Starting out with the bitter soju and ending with the sweet embrace of someone who truly cares for her. And that certain someone eventually joined her in the living room when he finished eating before the other two. It was male version Jessi. “Is Pikachu doing okay in here?” He asked, it was clear he was trying to hide most of his worry and concern, he didn’t want to make her feel like she needed to be checked on too often, he didn’t want her thinking no one trusts her to be alone.

 

“Pikachu is fine.” She replied with a small smile and faced the empty liquor cabinet once again. A sigh escaped her lips and she pushed herself up off the floor to stand and face him. “I’m just curious… if you’re really okay with me going back to Seoul?”

 

“If I’m okay about it?” He looked at her dumbfounded. “All I ever wanted was for you to come back to Seoul… why would I ever be against it?”

 

“You… wanted to start over, right?” She said softly and dropped her gaze to the floor. “We said we’d take it slow, but I just… want to make sure we’re on the same page?”

 

“Perhaps I’m a few pages ahead of you, sorry.” He chuckled. “I’ll bookmark my spot and wait for you to catch up… no worries.” He added with a warm and sincere smile when she lifted her head and locked eyes with him. He could see a smile slowly form on her lips, and it wasn’t forced like before.

 

“I don’t feel confident about going back, but I will try… for you and for the others.”

 

“And that’s all we’d ever want, honestly.” He assured her with a gentle caress to her cheek. She leaned into his touch and placed her small hand on the back of his. “Whatever happens, I’m on your side.” He gave a light peck to her forehead. Her mood seemed to lighten up after that, almost like he gave her the energy and hope to do this now. They stood there for a moment, enjoying the encounter until Soo Min was the first to speak and broke the short silence.

 

“Is Team Rocket ready to blast off?” They shared a small laugh together before Jisoo came out to the living room as if on cue. Won Woo took the longest to join them, his original assigned pokémon being Slowpoke after all. He sure has the energy for Slowpoke. When the team was assembled and changed into more appropriate clothing for moving stuff, Soo Min explained what needed to be done. There wasn’t a lot mentioned since she can’t possible take everything, even though she wanted to. She felt like that would make it difficult for her if she kept things that would remind her daily about the hardest time of her life. Letting go was a more healthier option.

 

With Team Rocket’s help, everything was ready to go in a matter of a few hours. Now it was time to say goodbye to the house. She stood in her empty bedroom and took a moment to think back on the good times and the bad times.

 

Flashback, Thursday October 8th, 2015

 

Jeonghan spent a lot of time at the hospital with Soo Min and her mother after Soo Min was admitted a few days before, on the 5th for detox. It was kind of like a bonding experience for them. When Soo Min would sleep, they'd go down to the cafeteria and talk. Her mother would tell Jeonghan cute stories about Soo Min when she was little, even stories including her sister. Jeonghan really enjoyed them and learned a lot about her during this time. He even learned things about her parents. She expressed how guilty she was about leaving her daughter back in Busan but claimed she wanted to stay with her grandmother so she allowed it. She never thought it would have been some silly test on how much she cared about her. Test or not, she did fail to keep in contact most of the time and there really wasn't an excuse for that. “I thought she liked Halmoni better than me.” She admitted.

 

“I can see how it'd seem like that.” Jeonghan frowned. “It was just a misunderstanding, that's all.”

 

“Yes. I'll be sure to contact her more from now on… I hope if she returned to Seoul that she would live with me again, but I understand if she doesn't want to.”

 

“There might be a chance she would, so don't give up on it.”

 

“Thank you, Jeonghan. I'm glad you're here. Things are definitely easier with you around.” Hearing those words made him happy on the inside. He liked the idea that he's able to help just by being present. He stressed a lot about how to help, but he supposed he didn't need to. “I hate to ask you this… so suddenly as well but…”

 

“What is it?” Jeonghan asked after taking a sip of his tea.

 

“I was just wondering… if you'd ever get back together with my daughter?” She could see he was caught off guard by that question. “I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have asked…”

 

“It's fine.” He assured her with a sorry chuckle. “I’m not sure about that at the moment because of how things are, but if you really wanted to know… I did think about it several times since arriving. I do still love her.” He admitted with a shy smile.

 

“I understand.” Her mother smiled warmly. “Then I hope once she's better… things can work out between you two. Because I've never seen her so happy before when you were together and it was clear she was happy when you arrived too. Even now when we visit her, she looks so happy.”

 

“I can see it too.” He nodded. “But… a part of me still thinks I don't deserve her after all of this. I wasn't open about my feelings at the time and caused a misunderstanding and hurt her.”

 

“Is that what happened?” She frowned. She hadn't heard the actual story on why they broke up to be honest. Just that Soo Min broke it off. She thought maybe her daughter got too nervous and couldn't handle being in an relationship or something like it.

 

“Yes.” He nodded and lowered his head and apologized.

 

“Well… I'm sure you talked about it before, right?” He nodded. “She forgave you?” He nodded again. “I forgive you too.” He looked up with a hurt look in his eyes. He was sad again. “Jeonghan, we all make mistakes. And we're always forgiven somehow and in some way. I know my daughter has been through a lot just in the span of a few months, but I know she's someone who is capable of giving second chances. You should take it when it's offered if you still care about her like you say you do. If you don't then she will get her hopes up and get hurt again. If you want to be with her and she wants to be with you, just be together.”

 

“It's difficult because I blame myself and can't seem to forgive myself either.” He felt horrible now that she went on this long talk only for him to shoot it down with his negativity.

 

“Then try to work on that.” She gave another warm smile. “I'm sure she'll be patient with you.”

 

“I really hope so.” That made him feel a bit better now.

 

“She will!” The older woman pouted. “For now, we will help her the best we can so she can recover quickly.”

 

“Right.” Jeonghan agreed and returned to finishing the salad he was almost done eating. In the short few second he wasn't looking, Soo Min's mother managed to spill the soup she was eating onto her shirt and lap. “Are you okay?” He asked while holding back a small laugh.

 

“I'm fine.” She pouted and tried to dab off as much as she could with her napkin. “At least it wasn't boiling hot…”

 

“You got lucky.”

 

“I'll have to go home and change. I should also get a hold of my husband to see what we're going to do with Halmoni’s house. Do you mind?” She asked and Jeonghan shook his head.

 

“Go ahead and go home for the day. I'll stay until visiting hours are over.”

 

“Thank you, Jeonghan.” She gave him a warm smile.

 

“You're welcome.” He returned that smile.

 

When they were done eating, they parted ways after leaving the cafeteria. The mother gave him a hug before leaving and honestly he felt like his bond with her mother was growing each time. He knew it was probably because of the current situation, he was taking care of her daughter when she wasn't around and it goes without saying any mother would highly appreciate that. But after what they talked about earlier, it just seemed a little more special. That's how he felt. She could have been his future mother-in-law after all… maybe she still could be?

 

Once she left out the main entrance, he headed back up to Soo Min's hospital room. When he entered the room, she was already awake and he greeted her.

 

“Did my mom go home early?” She asked with a small frown. It wasn't like she didn't like it but she felt like her mom pushed herself a bit too much lately.

 

“She did.” He nodded. “She spilled her soup on herself and went home to go change. But she also said she needed to contact your dad about Halmoni’s house.”

 

“What about the house?” Her frown remained on her lips for a new reason.

 

“I don't know.” He shrugged.

 

“I guess there's a chance I can't stay there forever.” She sighed and looked up to the ceiling.

 

“Yeah, maybe not.” He was being honest. “But you can always find a new place to stay at, right?”

 

“Maybe.” She looked at him with a conflicted expression.

 

“I don't know if your mom would want to stay in Busan much longer. She probably misses your dad.”

 

“I'm sure she does.” She lowered her head. “I'm sure you miss all of your friends too. I'm sorry…” She felt bad that they didn’t get to properly celebrate his birthday that passed on the 4th since she started to feel bad from withdrawal symptoms. They didn’t get to celebrate her own birthday back in September since everyone was so busy with work and school. Birthdays were always a fun time for her and she was disappointed that she missed four birthdays, including Seungcheol’s and Minhyun’s. The next birthday on the horizon is going to be Ren’s. She has to get her together so she doesn’t ruin someone else’s birthday again.

 

“It's fine.” Jeonghan snapped her out of her thoughts just then. “It’s kind of nice to get away for awhile, you know?” He told her he took the week off so he could help take care of her along with her mother. She felt guilty about it but at the same time she didn’t want to send him home, she wanted him there because just like her mother said, it’s easier with Jeonghan around.

 

“I suppose… When do you plan to go back?” She dreaded the answer. She didn’t want him to go, not yet at least.

 

“I’m not sure.” He shrugged again.

 

“I see.” She looked worried now and he smiled.

 

“I won't leave until I know you're really okay.” He added. “However long it takes, I'll stay.”

 

“What about work and money?”

 

“I'll be fine.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.” He supposed that was something worth worrying about, so he didn't mind. “Don't worry about it and just focus on getting better, okay?”

 

“Okay?” She simply nodded and averted her eyes to the foot of her hospital bed. She told herself to work hard after this, she didn’t want to become a burden to him. The sooner she gets better the sooner he can go back to his life in Seoul. As selfish as she wanted to be, she couldn’t bring herself to ask him to stay longer.

 

“Hey.” He said after a long silence. He had been thinking about everything that went down since last August. From the break up to meeting with her weeks after and talking things out. At some point they spoke about their relationship… how they both still had feelings for each other. Things haven’t changed. When he saw her look over at him and nod to his greeting he smiled at her. It took a few seconds for her to smile back. “I… still love you, Chae Soo Min.” He said calmly and watched her expression morphe into shock, probably from saying it so suddenly. “I still love you…” he repeated. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll stay by your side, okay? So, get well soon.”

 

“Okay.” He could tell she was blushing right now and found it adorable, her heart monitor even picked up in pace as well and he laughed before telling her to calm down, he didn’t want the nurse to think something went wrong. “You just said it so suddenly!” She pouted.

 

“I’m sorry.” He chuckled. “But I had to say it… it’s been on my mind ever since I came into town. I wanted you to know that.”

 

“I understand.” She sighed with a hint of a giggle. “I still… love you too, Yoon Jeonghan.” Her heart rate was still a bit high but nothing too crazy, that was until she saw him get up from his seat and make his way closer for a short and loving sweet kiss.

 

“What happene-OH!” The young nurse was saying until she saw the scene of Jeonghan kissing her patient and quickly hid behind her clipboard. Soo Min was the first to part from the kiss, extremely embarrassed while Jeonghan gave a sheepish laugh at the situation.

 

“I’m sorry.” He apologized to the nurse. “I wasn’t trying to kill her, honest!” He joked.

 

“My god! Young love, I swear…” the nurse chuckled and stepped over to check Soo Min’s vitals since she was there, why not? “Try to avoid her heart rate spiking like that again, please!”

 

“I can try.” Jeonghan said in a teasing tone, all Soo Min did was avoid looking at him and hid behind her blanket. It started to feel like when they first met, when Jeonghan was so bold. For the remainder of her stay in the hospital, Pikachu used block against Squirtle and was successful. Squirtle was defeated.

 

When Saturday rolled around a few days later, it was time for Soo Min to be discharged from the hospital now that she completed all her treatments for detox. Her vitals were more stable and her health had made a full recovery. It was almost an hour later when Jeonghan returned to the hospital with Soo Min's change of clothes, because he made a small detour along the way and bought something to give her to celebrate her recovery.

 

“I thought you weren't coming back!” She pouted when he entered the room. It was obvious she was teasing. She only saw it was him entering before she focused on getting out of bed and stood up to face him.

 

“Sorry, there was a line at the flower shop.” He admitted and held out the little bouquet of flowers when she looked up at him. “Congrats on making it through recovery, I'm proud of you.” He said with a sweet smile.

 

Soo Min stared for a few seconds before accepting the flowers and gave him a tearful smile. “I couldn't have done it without you by my side.”

 

“Give some credit to yourself and your mother too!” He chuckled.

 

“Fine!” She also laughed.

 

He handed her change of clothes over and waited out in the hallway until she was done getting dressed. They headed down to the front checkout and then we're on their way out moments later.

 

Soo Min held onto her flowers dearly while they walked away from the hospital side by side. Since Jeonghan visited every day with her mother, he remembered the way to get to and from the hospital.

 

“Are you hungry?” He asked once they got to the first crosswalk.

 

“Yes.” She nodded.

 

“Let's eat something before we head back then.” He suggested and she agreed. They went to the restaurant they went to the last time he visited Busan and ate the same meal. It felt like deja vu, but they knew things were different this time.

 

Their meal was short and they didn't talk much since they weren’t in a hurry, there was no need since Jeonghan hadn’t decided on when he was returning back to Seoul just yet. But he had a feeling it’d would be soon and was thinking of how to approach the topic to her later. Jeonghan paid since Soo Min didn't have her wallet on her. Even if she did, she didn't have any money right now since her parents cut off her weekly allowance because she was abusing it for alcohol weeks ago. It didn't really matter to her until she realized Jeonghan was spending money on her again, but she didn't say anything today and figured he wanted to treat her. She'd be sure to return the favor when she has money again.

 

When they were done eating, they took a walk in the park on the way back to Halmoni’s. There was a bench and they took a few moments to rest from walking and enjoyed the weather. It was cold, but not too cold and sunny. They could see kids playing in the distance and couples walking by holding hands. That forced them to think about their situation judging by the small dejected sighs they let out.

 

Jeonghan really thought about the talk he had with her mother a few days ago at the hospital. He knew she had good points, if he waited too long, Soo Min could get her hopes up and get hurt. He was so bold to kiss her that day, too after confessing he still loved her, this definitely meant something but... Maybe it's time I stop denying myself to be happy. The moment he heard she could leave the hospital made his heart warm and fuzzy because of the pure joy in her smile. She did such a good job this past week with her recovery and like he said, he was proud. Then she thanked him for being by her side and that really made him want to be with her even more.

 

“Soo Min.” Jeonghan was the first to speak.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Sometime soon… let's go on a date.” He looked over to see she was caught off guard. “Let's go on four… before we decide on anything major.”

 

“O-Okay.” She agreed softly and blushed behind the flowers he gave her. What a cutie.

 

“Though, the tables have turned now… you'll have to catch me.” He chuckled when she pouted.

 

“I'll do my best.” But she was determined. She agreed that it should be her turn. They will take it slow.

 

“Good.” He grinned and patted her on the head. She allowed it with a cute giggle until his hand moved down to caress her cheek. She looked over at him curiously and he only smiled before leaning forward to place a kiss to her forehead. “I never knew how much your heart beats when I kiss you… that was amazing.”

 

“Stop talking about that!” She covered her ears and pouted like a child. “That was so embarrassing, getting caught by the nurse… gosh.”

 

“I don’t regret anything!” He laughed and she simply just nudged her shoulder with his, it was kinda funny and definitely cute. She didn’t regret anything either, to be honest. Maybe everything really does happen for a reason?

 

Shortly after, they decided to leave since it was getting cold due to the seasons changing and because the sun was setting. The walk home was quick since the park was only a couple of blocks away from the house. When they arrived they noticed her mother's car was gone. Perhaps she left to get some groceries or something? But that's wasn't the case when they entered the house and saw a note on the coffee table. It was from her mother.

 

Sorry I couldn't be here when you two got back from the hospital, my husband is sick with a terrible cold and needs me so I had to go. Please understand, I will be back once he's better. Jeonghan, please take care of Soo Min until I return, thank you! ♡

 

- Mom

 

“I guess you take after your father.” Jeonghan said in a teasing tone after reading the note aloud.

 

“I think so.” She pouted. “I'm sure he'll be okay.”

 

“He will.” Jeonghan assured her and gestured for her to sit down on the couch with him. “For now, I suppose it's just you and me.”

 

“Apparently.” She chuckled and sat far from him, clearly nervous about being alone with him after everything that happened before. He noticed and snickered before scooting closer to her. It didn’t take long before he had her trapped with nowhere else to scoot over to, but he still kept a small distance, he didn’t want to overwhelm her just when she got out of the hospital. Teasing her was just fun. “Well, uhm…” she spoke a moment later. “Want to watch a movie?”

 

“Sure.” He smiled.

 

“Okay, I’ll make the popcorn and drinks.” She got up from her seat and was about to leave to the kitchen when he stopped her. She looked down to see his concerned expression. “Non alcoholic drinks, of course!”

 

“Good.” He was relieved.

 

“Mom got rid of all the alcohol in this house, you don’t need to worry, okay?” She gave his hand a small squeeze.

 

“Okay, got it.” He nodded and let her hand go.

 

Their little movie night went well and they had a good time by just handing out with each other until it got late and it was time for bed. Jeonghan visited Soo Min in her room before he’d go to the guest room to sleep, he wanted to make sure she was alright since it was her first night back in her late grandmother’s house. He worried if she’d be reminded of the bad memories in her room when she would drink. “I’m okay. Thanks.” She said sweetly when he asked.

 

“Good.” He was glad. “Then sleep well, good night.” He said after giving a few to her hair. He stood up from his seat on the side edge of her bed and was going to leave, but she managed to grab onto his hand before he could take a step. “What is it?”

 

“Don’t go.” She frowned. “Can you stay with me?” It was really hard to say no to her.

 

“Sure.” Even though he shouldn’t, he wanted to. It wasn’t entirely a bad thing, it was more like she shouldn't rely on him too much. He worried if she did, she’d have a hard time when they’re separated. But he thought tonight was okay, if it would help her, he’d do it. She was obviously pleased that he agreed and lifted the covers so he could join her. And once they were comfortable, they said their goodnight’s again and managed to fall asleep.

 

Back to the present

 

Even though those memories were pretty recent, being only a few weeks ago, it still felt like a lot of time passed for her since shortly after staying with her for a few more nights, he had to return to Seoul. Her mother also couldn’t make it back because her husband’s cold lasted longer than usual, Soo Min told her mother to stay with her father and take good care of him, she could take care of herself for now. She promised to stay in touch and decided having some alone time might help, just a bit, even if it might be a bit scary. It would help to have some time to make peace with the new situation, the situation of her grandmother being gone and leaving her house just and returning to Seoul, returning to the others like what the late elder wanted. She started to realize why her grandmother gave her such a hard time about returning to Seoul, it was probably so her granddaughter wouldn’t have to be so lonely when she’s gone. Soo Min felt like a fool for a long time.

 

The first week was a little difficult, she had a horrible time sleeping, her mind was always too chaotic and if she did manage to sleep, she’d have nightmares. But she never said a word about it to anyone and simply lied and told them she was doing just fine. She believed she would be fine in time, and she was. By the second week she started to get used to it, living alone didn’t seem so bad since her parents reinstated her allowance to buy food and things she needed. She spent a lot of time thinking that week and doing nothing… by the start of the third week, she decided on returning to Seoul now that she got her fill of being completely alone, with the acception of a few texts to let the others know she was alive and doing okay.

 

Almost three months later after fleeing to Busan and here she stands, ready to go back to Seoul. Everything just takes time. She thought with a faint smile on her lips. Just like before, Jeonghan came to her side and asked if she was alright. She answered the same like before and managed a soft smile towards him. “It’s time to travel back to pallet town.”

 

He smiled back and extended his hand for her to hold. “Let’s go home, Pikachu.”

---

Chapter eleven~

 

Finally, Pikachu is returning back to Pallet Town~

Really missed all the pokémon references aha! Lately my friend has been coming over to watch Pokémon on Netflix… we started from the very beginning, there’s so much to watch but at least I can learn the pokémons all over again LOL

This chapter is a bit short but I don’t wanna force myself to write more to reach 10k words, it seemed nice to end it with Jeonghan saying “Let’s go home, Pikachu.”

Just between you and me… I wrote three very long chapters about it all and got stuck, but after all that I only used a few scenes from here and there lol it was too dramatic and so I needed to tone it down a bit >< Hope you don’t mind! Having it this way makes it easier for me to move on!

How will Pikachu’s return to pallet town go? Stay tuned!

P.S Happy Belated Birthday to Jeonghan!