CHAPTER 35: End

“Good morning, Auntie..” Jonghyun greeted Mrs. Kwak after he opened the gate of Kwak residence.

“Good morning, Jonghyun-gun..” Mrs. Kwak greeted back and signed him to get in.

“I’m sorry that today I’m a bit late..” Jonghyun bowed as he handed the milks to Mrs. Kwak.

Mrs. Kwak took the milks and smiled. “That’s fine..”

Looking that Mrs. Kwak saved the milks near the entrance and wore her sandals, Jonghyun asked, “Will you go out, Auntie?”

Mrs. Kwak nodded. “I want to go to the market to buy abalone. Wanna making soup for Hanna. She’s kind of sick.”

That information surprised Jonghyun. “Hanna is sick?”

“Yeah, kind of.. She’s been laying on her bed the whole time..” answered Mrs. Kwak and it made Jonghyun feeling sad.

“Well, I need to hurry to the market, Jonghyun ah.. You can visit her if you want, just wake her up.” Mrs. Kwak said it and went out from her house, leaving Jonghyun standing froze.

He wanted to see her badly, checking her condition, but something held him. He doubted if it was the right thing to do regarding what happened to them lately. Then he chose to go out of the house and continued delivering milks.

-00-

Jonghyun has just finished his breakfast with his dad. He washed the dishes fast and went back to the dining room with a cold fresh egg from the refrigerator in his hand. He sat on his earlier spot, in front of his dad, and started to roll the egg on top of his bruised left cheek.

His dad then wrote something on his notes and handed it to Jonghyun. -What happened to your cheek?-

“Ah, it’s... it’s a long story, Dad.." Jonghyun grinned. He was somewhat embarrassed with the purple-blue spot in his left cheek he got from fighting with Minhyun. He didn’t know how to explain the situation to his dad. That he was just having a fight with his best best-friend.

But looking at his dad kept staring at him waiting for the explanation, Jonghyun spoke up. "Dad, am I a bad guy?"

His dad replied with writing on the next page of the notes. He prefer that kind of way communication than a sign language. -Why'd you say that?-

"I think I hurt someone..” Jonghyun sighed. Then he shook his head, “No, two people.. I hurt two important people in my life, Dad.."

-Then just apologize. Seek their forgiveness-

Jonghyun heaved a deep sigh. "I don't know how, Dad. It's kind of complicated.."

His dad smiled. -Nothing complicated in this life, Jonghyun ah. WE ARE complicated.-

Jonghyun smiled softly as he read the words his dad telling him. “You’re right.”

-Get rid of yourself from the trappings of emotions that bind you. Anger, prejudice, and disappointment, let go of it all, Jonghyun ah. Cleanse your heart and mind..

If you can do that, then there is no problem that cannot be solved.-

Jonghyun smiled broadly as he finished reading the sentences his dad telling him. “Thank you, dad.. You always become my strength..”

His dad smiled back with full of affection.

-00-

The sun was rising high, but Hanna was still laying on her bed, covering her body up to her head with a blanket. She was still thinking about Jonghyun. "What should I do, now? Seriously, Hwang Minhyun is such a fool. How could he tell Jonghyun about it?"

She cried again. She already cried for a whole night long, yet she didn’t stop crying. "It will be really embarrassing if I meet him."

"Aaaah what to do now? Why does this tears keep coming out?" She blamed herself in frustration.

But then someone opened the door of her room. "Hanna ya, wake up.. Just eat your breakfast, it’s almost lunch time now.." Aaron said softly.

"Later.." Hanna answered shortly from inside the blanket

Aaron then tried to open the blanket, but Hanna stopped him. She held the blanket tightly to cover her whole body.

With that, Aaron yelled, "Ya, wake up!!! Until when will you laying on the bed like this, uh??"

Hanna stubbornly stayed still. She told her brother softly. "Just go away."

Aaron took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Hanna ya, mom has made abalone soup special for you.. Do you really not want to eat it?"

"I don't want to eat.." Hanna answered shortly.

And Aaron was just losing his patience. "You really?! Do you want to starve yourself, huh? What on earth happened to you?? Don't be too drama, Hanna!"

"Just go. Don't care about me..."

Aaron was reaching his . "Fine! Do whatever you want! I don't want to care if you get rotten in this room!" With that, he went out from Hanna’s room, slamming the door behind him.

"Woah, seriously that kid.. I don't know what to do to her.." He heaved a deep sigh.

Then, he saw someone coming to the house yard. And soon, the greetings was heard. "Anyeonghaseyo.."

Aaron greeted back. "Oh, Jonghyun ah.. "

In the other place, there was someone who was jumping when listening to the name Aaron mentioned. Jonghyun?? Is he coming here?? Hanna directly opened the blanket and became panic.

"Hyung, Is Hanna at home?" Jonghyun asked Aaron.

But Aaron answered hesitantly. "No, her corpse is."

What the hell Kwak Aaron! Why'd you answer like that? Hanna cursed his brother in her mind as she stood behind the door and kept listening to their conversation.

"Eh?" Jonghyun was surprised with Aaron’s joking answer.

But Aaron explained fast. "She doesn't want to come out from her room. She doesn't want to eat. She doesn't want to do anything than laying on her bed."

Gosh. Why'd you have to spill it out?? Hanna was panic behind the door.

Moreover when Aaron asked Jonghyun, "What happened to her, actually??"

With that, Jonghyun bent his head down, feeling ashamed to Aaron for what he did to his younger sister. But softly he answered, "I'm sorry, hyung.."

Listened to Jonghyun saying sorry, Hanna's heart dropped.

Aaron was also surprised. "Why should you say sorry?"

Jonghyun looked up for a moment and then bent his head down again. "It could be because of me.."

"Eyy, no.." Aaron naturally refuted.

Hanna suddenly felt limb. She disliked how Jonghyun blame himself over what happened.

Jonghyun didn’t know how to explain it to Aaron, so he just handed him a box of ginger drinks to Aaron.  "Hyung, please give these ginger drinks to Hanna.. I hope it will help her to get better.. I wish I could see her smiling face soon.."

Aaron who was still thinking of Jonghyun’s previous words, could only answer with a nod. "Ah.. y-yeah.."

"Then I'll excuse.." Jonghyun smiled and bowed lightly to Aaron before leaving.

Aaron who was left alone, standing with a box of ginger drinks in his hands, questioned what Jonghyun has said. "Is it really because of Jonghyun?"

Aaron shook the thought away and walked to Hanna’s room again.

He tried to open the door and felt that there was something blocking it. He forced to open it and found that it was his sister. "Ya, Kwak Hanna! What are you doing?"

Hanna was sitting on the floor, tears was flowing from her eyes. And it confused Aaron, "Gosh, why are you crying??"

But with that question, Hanna even cried louder and louder. Aaron knelt in front of his sister and tried to comfort her. But he actually also confused how to comfort his little sister. So he just sat there, accompanying Hanna crying, accompanying her to let out her emotion.

-00-

Once she was calmer, Aaron forced her to have a talk in the dining room.

Hanna was sitting across Aaron. She has just drank water to calm herself, meanwhile Aaron was observing her. Slowly he commented, "You should see yourself in the mirror. I know you are ugly, but you look uglier now. No, you look horrible."

Hanna eyed her brother. “Is that your way to comfort me?”

Aaron chuckled softly before asking, "Is it really because of Jonghyun?"

Hanna directly avoided her brother’s gaze. "Do you think I will tell you that?"

"Huh, I'm not that curious either.." Aaron replied. But then, he started the conversation again, "But, why? Do you like him?"

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