Chapter 31: Seoul Memories

[SungYeol POV]

We arrived at the hotel. DongWoo, SungJong, and MyungSoo went to the pool almost immediately. WooHyun was sleeping on the bed. Ms. Lee and BoYoung stayed in a separate hotel room, and said "it's a girl's only time!!"

I watched the skyview of Seoul from the window. The streetlights lit up the city.

It made me realize how much I missed it. The busy streets, the upbeat atmosphere... Of course, where we live now was quiet and peaceful, but Seoul had a special place in my heart. It is my childhood home after all. It's where I lived all of my life! And even though I didn't say it... Seoul was where the memories of my dad was. Our old home was here, where the three of us lived.

I went out to the terrace to get some fresh air. I was surprised when I opened the door and heard sniffing.

"BoYoung?" I whispered.

She turned around and wiped her tears, "S-S-SungYeol..."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I... I'm alright."

She faced back and returned to watching the passing cars below. I stood beside her. We stood for a bit before she broke the silence.

"Hey, SungYeol...?"

"Mm?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything. I'm all ears for you."

"Well... I just wanted to thank you today. For allowing me to follow along. I had a lot a fun.. I don't have a family, so spending time with all of you made me realize how much I missed having a family as well."

"No family? What do you mean?"

"I guess I hid it well... I live in the house next to you alone. My parents are... out of the picture. They're in another country, actually. But I'm still in Korea to finish my studies... I'll be honest with you. It's really lonely. But I can't believe I'm so lucky to be living next to such lively guys. You guys make me feel better."

I chuckled, "Sometimes they're a little too lively that we get complaints from the elderly people in the neighborhood."

She laughed, "But I like that about you guys. You guys can be loud as a family. I don't have a family. I... I don't even think my parents know what my favorite food is, or what my favorite song on the radio is. I just... I just feel lonely..."

She started crying again. I pulled her into a hug.

"BoYoung... You're not alone. You have all of us here," I patted her head to comfort her.

She looked at me with her teary eyes, "Yes... I do. I have you, SungYeol."

My heart raced as she said my name.

"Thanks for being an amazing friend," she smiled, continuing to hug me, "Sorry for ruining such a nice night in Seoul. I shouldn't be crying like this."

"N-No! You're not ruining anything. I'm glad you got it off your chest instead of keeping it in. It hurts if you keep things in without talking about it."

"Then, what about you, SungYeol? You have something you're keeping in, too, don't you?"

"H-Huh? Y-Yeah... Actually, my father passed away here in Seoul. That's why we moved away. But I miss him a lot... I don't like to talk about it... because it ruins the mood."

"Don't be ridiculous," she laughed, "You just told me I'm not ruining the mood, and now you're saying you're ruining it? There's nothing wrong with getting things out. It makes you feel better."

"You're right..."

She let go of me. Then, she wiped a tear from my cheek. My eyes widened and I blinked.

"I'm going to head in now," she said, "Goodnight, SungYeol."