A lil intro
~
Ever since her parents'divorce, life has been horrible for 20 year old, Jeon Heejin. Her mother had left her with her workaholic father which made her live alone in an apartment and only gives her the basic necessities to carry on with her life.

Even when she was younger, she never saw her parents as the loving and caring roles that they're suppose to be. Heck, she never even see her parents most of the time.

Whenever she wakes up for school, she will be greeted by a plate of pastry or some cold cereal on the bland table. Her parents were never there in the morning as they had always left for work and return when it's already midnight.

If Heejin was lucky enough, she might receive a note or a phone call as a heads up from one of her parents. But that rarely happens.

Even though she was from a family that lacked the need of love and care, she grew up as an obedient and discipline child. She understood why her parents are always absent and never curse them for it. But sometimes, she does envy some kids whose families were always there for them.

Nonetheless, she was a very bubbly and social kid when she was in kindergarten, every one wanted to be her friend. She was known as the happy ball of laughter and joy along with Jiwoo by her teachers.

But that all change, once she was in middle school. She never receive any more notes or phone calls from her parents. Her parents never even made any sort of breakfast for her in the morning either. It's like her parents had simply vanished from her life.

The only day she saw her parents, was the day she found out of their divorce. The memory embedded into her mind and never forgetting a single detail. 

~
It was a Friday, the morning sky was bright and it's rays of light shone through Heejin's window, stirring the latter from dreamland.

She got ready and twist open her doorknob when she smelled something.

Something sweet.. she could even hear faint sounds of clattering of utensils  downstairs.

Heejin hesitantly walk down the stairs, she tried to make no sounds while going down the stairs but it's seems like luck was not on her side that day when the wooden floor boards made a loud squeaky creak. The clattering stop and shuffling was heard.

Heejin cursed under her breath and stopped at the last step of the stairs to glance at the kitchen. She saw a woman with grey curls, arranging some food on the table. Her back was facing towards her.

Heejin began taking small steps towards the mysterious woman. Her breathing hitched when the woman spun around and greet her with wide grin.

Heejin couldn't help but feel calm. Her body became less tense and her eyes warmed at the sight of the smilling woman.

But who was the woman? Heejin was eager to know. Before she could say her first word, the woman spoke.

"Good morning, Heejin ah, it's been quite awhile since we seen each other"

Heejin froze. Who was this person? How did she know her name?

"Don't just stand there, heekkie ah, come and give your mother a hug"

The woman spoke in a gentle voice while extending her arms open.

"M-Mother?"

Heejin couldn't believe it. Her mother, here? What's so special about that day for her mother to suddenly appear in the house after so long? She should feel angry not happy. She should not have felt happy and excited at the sight of her mother after her long absence.

But for 12 year old Heejin, that thought didnt cross her mind as she leapt from her spot into her mother's welcoming embrace. She wrapped her arms tightly around her mother as if it would be the last time she could.

"It's been so very long heejin ah, look how tall and beautiful you've became"

Her mother cooed as she cupped Heejin's face with both hands and squished her cheeks which made Heejin whined.

"Come now, you will be late for school. I've prepared some food"

Her mother gestured to the warm food on the table. Heejin pulled a chair and took a bite from her food. Her head snapped at her mother as she let out a hum of satisfaction.

"I've always wanted to tell you that you're a great cook! And though, you don't really make me breakfast anymore, I still cherished your efforts"

Heejin grinned as she stuffs her face with food. Her mother gave a warm smile as she caressed the Heejin's head.

"Will father come and visit me too? I missed him too, you know.'

The smile on her mother's face faded.

"He will visit soon, Heejin.... he have to"

Her mother's voice was barely audible.
Heejin stood up and place her plate in the sink.

"Mother! I'm going to school now."

Heejin said as she skips to the door. She slipped on her shoes and sling her school bag on her shoulder. She opened the door and before she could close it, her mother held onto her wrist.

Heejin tilt her head and looked at her mother questionably.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No no, there's nothing wrong. I just wanted to walk you to school that's all and also to have a little talk too, you know catch up with things."

Her mother said to her as she held her daughter's hand. Heejin smiled. Probably one of her biggest smiles.

Heejin and her mother walked side by side as her mother listened attentively to Heejin's never ending ramble. Her mother caressed Heejin's hair as she hums a tune.

"You have a nice voice, mother!"

Heejin said which made her mother chuckled.

"My friend loves to sing and she too have a great voice! You two should be a duet!"

Heejin declared proudly. Her mother snorted.

Their conversation ended once they had reached the front gates of the school.

"I have to go now, mother."

Heejin said sadly. Her mother knelt down so that she could be at Heejin's eye level.

"Okay, dear. Behave well, ok?"

"Okay I will. I can't wait to see Father again. I can't wait to see you again too!"

Her mother's smile falter but she didn't notice it as her mother gave Heejin a final hug before waving her off to school.

"Promise to be good, okay? And never stop having hope, okay Heejin?"

Her mother spoke softly which Heejin find it odd but she just shrugged it off.

Before her mother let her go, she placed a kiss on Heejin's forehead which made Heejin giggled at the contact.

"I'll be going now, mother. See you soon!"

Heejin grinned before running into the school compound.
~
Heejin went off to school with one of her happiest smile on her face. She greeted students who passed by with enthusiastic gestures. Her happiness could even challenged the happiest student in her school. Known as the literal Sun, it's none other than Kim Jiwoo.

The said girl greeted Heejin with the same amount of happiness and questioned her about her odd behaviour. Heejin told her everything.

"She had a great voice, just like you, Jiwoo!"

As expected, the latter response was the same as Heejin's. Right at that moment, the bell rang which made Heejin and Jiwoo scurried away to their respective classes.

As Heejin sat down at her usual spot. She couldn't wait to return home and meet her mother again. And maybe, she could meet her father!

Just the thought of that made her jumped in excitement which led some of the students to look at her. They turned away as the teacher arrived and instructed some of them to settle in their seats.

Heejin almost felt as if that day will be the best day of her life.

Almost..
~
The schooling hours went by pretty fast for Heejin can't wait to be back home in the embrace or her mother.

But before that, she had one final class before freedom, it was Mr. Yang's class.

Ugh. Maths

Heejin groaned as she lazily looked ahead at the teacher as he was explaining an equation.

Maths wasn't a great subject for her as the many numbers made her dizzy and Mr Yang's depressing tone doesn't help her either.

She kept looking at the big clock above the whiteboard, staring at the needle ticking slowly to finish it's nth lap. Each tick of the needle rang in Heejin's ear creating a lullaby for her. Heejin was about to drift off to sleep and as if on cue, the bell rang.

Heejin sluggishly put away her books and rubbed her eyes from sleepiness. Heejin stood up and quickly head out of the classroom.

Her steps were slow at first but then she began to pick up the pace, starting from a slow skip to a full on sprint.

She sprinted through the hallways and swiftly dodged the students passing by and different obstacles in her messy school hallway like that fallen trashcan that some kicked.

She didn't care about the questioning looks that she received from them. Like try having to wake up every morning to an empty house with having no idea where your parents be and have one of them appearing out of nowhere. That happiness could cure any illness.

On the way to the gates, she bid Jiwoo goodbye before rushing home excitedly.

 She opened the front door of her home and immediately yelled

"Mother! I'm home!"

She quickly remove her shoes and proceed to place her shoes on the rack. She froze as her eyes landed on the rack beside the door.

The rack that was once filled with her mother's many shoes was now vacant.

She glanced up to look at her surroundings. The colourful curtains that her mother sewed was gone. The beautiful hand made pottery was gone as well. The shelf that once kept all her mother's recipe books is now empty.

The utensils and cute stickers her mother loves to arranged in the kitchen had simply vanished. Almost everything that her mother had owned had completely vanished from the rooms, leaving the once occupied spots to collect dusts.

Heejin's world began to crumble as she realises that her greeting didn't get a response.

She placed down her bag and carefully went up the steps of the stairs. The portraits and paintings that her mother framed beautifully was gone, leaving a dusty rectangular shaped marking and a nail mark on the wall.

She noticed that the pictures that disappeared was the pictures that her mother loved dearly. Each step she took began to feel heavier as her mind was slowly accepting her fears.

But she didn't want to, her mother said that she always have to have hope.

Her eyes was fixed on one room, her parents' room as the door to the room was slightly ajar. She walked slowly towards the door and hesitantly pushed it open.

Her eyes wander around the room, picking up little details as it does.

The messy desk that once have her mother's makeup and accessories are now cleared and not a single lipstick smudge on the table in sight.

The wardrobes that held her mother's clothes were empty. The bags that she loves to collect are no where to be seen.

Heejin's eyes stopped at direction of the bed. More specifically on the person sitting on the bed. The man didn't spare a glance at her ever since she came into the room.

His eyes were fixed on the piece of paper that he held tightly in his grasp. His body trembled slightly.

Before Heejin was able to mutter her first word, the man turned to her and she saw one of the most devastated look on anyone's face.

The rim of the man's eyes were red and his face was pale as if he had seen a ghost. His mouth quiver as he tried to voice out the one thing that will answer Heejin's question.

"Your mother left us."

The statement was just a mere whisper. But it was like someone shouting from the top of their lungs in a megaphone in Heejin's ears.

'Your mother left us'
'Your mother left us'
'Your mother'
'Left us'

The statement kept repeating in Heejin's mind. Her eyes stung with tears and her lips began to quiver. Heejin looked away from the man's face to stare at something else other than his pained look.

Just then something caught her attention, it was a picture, a picture that was left untouched and was placed at an angle on the night stand that could be seen once you had woken up or had just entered.

That picture was a family picture. The picture that Heejin took with her parents when she was an infant. Their happiness were perfectly preserved in the picture and will always bring a smile to ones face.

But not to Heejin, not anymore. Her mother took everything that she owned or had connections with. Why didn't she take the picture? Why did she just left it there?

Heejin's mind buzzed with unanswerable questions before it comes to a halt as she comes to a conclusion.

Or she wanted to cut the connection that was a burden to her. So she could live freely without a reminder of her past that she left behind. Like having to forget your mistakes and move on.

Yea, Heejin's the mistake. Her father's the mistake. The family was a mistake. Heejin let out a sob as her tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks.

That night, even though in her father's trembling embrace, she couldn't feel the warmth and comfort anymore.

As if all happiness and hope was drained out of her, the bright kid that always wore a smile on her face had become a quiet girl whose trapped in her own fears.