POHANG

Ji Hyo can barely walk as Jong Kook helps her to get into the car. Both of them keep silent all the way home. Each loses in their own thoughts. Jong Kook still can’t believe Jin Young would keep such a secret. She knows how much Jong Kook regrets and hates that night, and yet she never told the truth. He feels betrayed and angry.

On the other hand, Ji Hyo doesn’t feel anything anymore. Her tears have dried and she just stares into the quiet road. All she feels is emptiness.

“We’re home.” Jong Kook announces quietly.

Ji Hyo nods her head and takes a deep breath before opens the door.

“Ji Hyo-yah…” Jong Kook calls but Ji Hyo can’t make herself look at him.

Hye Seon has Ha Neul and I Seul on both of her hands, ready to greet them, and yet their greetings are stuck in their throats. Ji Hyo does look tired. She looks sick and pale.

“I’ll be in my room.” Ji Hyo mutters slowly.

No one stops her as Ji Hyo makes her way towards her room.

“What happened to her?” Hye Seon asks, looking directly at Jong Kook.

Before Jong Kook can reply, he feels his shin being kicked. He looks down and finds I Seul stares at him with rage. “You made Eomma cry!” He accuses, before running to chase after Ji Hyo.

Ha Neul is just standing there, wondering what exactly has happened.

“Jin Young and Ji Hyo had a talk.” Jong Kook sighs.

Hye Seon gasps. “Is that the reason why she’s back here?”

“Is Jin Young Imo here, Appa?” Ha Neul chimes in.

Jong Kook doesn’t answer anything anymore, just ruffles Ha Neul’s hair.

“Should we go back to the guesthouse? You look like you could use a drink.” Hye Seon ushers Jong Kook and Ha Neul to the guesthouse.

“Eomma, I don’t drink.”

“Liar.” Ha Neul retorts. “You’ve been drinking as long as you’re here.”

Jong Kook chuckles before talking in a hushed tone. “You shouldn’t tell Halmeoni that.”

Ji Hyo slips off of her jeans and wears the shorts that have been lying on the ground. The jeans now are replaced with shorts. She has this rule that she’s not supposed to lay on the bed when she hasn’t showered yet, but what the hell. All she wants right now is just curled up into a ball.

She falls on her bed, blankly looks at the ceiling. Her eyes tear up once again.

“Eomma, Eomma.” I Seul comes running. “Why are you crying? Uljima.”

Ji Hyo doesn’t know what to tell him. She herself is not really sure why she is crying. Is she crying for her lost time in Ha Neul’s life? Or for Jong Kook’s lost time in I Seul’s life? Or her lost time with the one person whom she promised to live happily together forever?

I Seul frowns when he doesn’t get any answer. He climbs onto the bed and snuggles close to Ji Hyo.

“I Seul-ah…”

I Seul places his little fingers on her lips as if asking her not to give any explanation. He wants her to take a moment for herself. He just wants to accompany her. It’s always a wonder to Ji Hyo how I Seul can sense her feelings.

She cuddles her son closer. Her silent tears soaking his tiny t-shirt. “I’m so sorry, I Seul-ah. Eomma is sorry.”

I Seul doesn’t understand a thing. He just places a sloppy kiss on her nose. “Gwaenchanayo. Saranghaeyo, Eomma.” The only thing that he knows is to make his Eomma smile again.

Ji Hyo lets out a chuckled cry. “Na do jeongmal saranghae.”

They both hear a knock on the door and finds Ha Neul opening the door. “Can I come in?” She asks in a quiet voice. But before Ji Hyo can say anything, Ha Neul quickly continues, “Maybe I’ll come later.”

“Gongjunim, come in.” Ji Hyo says, gesturing her to occupy another side. “Is your Appa and Halmeoni still here?”

“We went back to the guesthouse but I went back here.” Ha Neul answers while making herself comfortable beside Ji Hyo, while I Seul adjusts his head on Ji Hyo’s chest so that he can see both Ji Hyo and Ha Neul. “So Min Eonnie told me the password.” She tells her mother.

“Did she?” Again, Ji Hyo lets out a chuckled cry.

Looking at the redness on her mother’s eyes, Ha Neul asks, feeling concerned. “Are you sick?”

Ji Hyo smiles a little then shakes her head in a no.

“But you’re not feeling well?” Ha Neul asks again.

Ji Hyo just pulls both of her children closer, if that’s even possible, and hugs them tightly. “I’m so sorry, Ha Neul-ah. I’m so sorry.”

Ha Neul looks up and nods her head as if she’s accepting her apology. She somewhat understands what her mother means.

Ji Hyo still feels like she doesn’t deserve all of this and her eyes start tearing up again.

“Uljimayo.” Ha Neul says, wiping her tears away with her small hand.

Ji Hyo takes Ha Neul’s hand into hers. “Saranghae, Ha Neul-ah.”

Without answering back, Ha Neul gives her a very bright smile.

Both of her children are now snuggling close as she lets some silent tears flow. She can’t seem to stop these tears from flowing down. But one thing that she knows, whatever life may lead her to, she’s glad that she finds her way back into her baby girl’s life.

Her thoughts run back to Jong Kook. She needs to talk to him. And that time without the waterworks in her way.

“I mean how could she do this to me?” Jong Kook roars in front of his mother, pacing around in the living room. He has told her everything that he knows about the manipulative woman. “She knew