Just Like Now by Donghae

Chapter 67 – Son

Hyomi’s POV

The dining table was awfully quiet as soon as we sat down. I’m still confused of all that is happening but I can’t bring myself to ask. I took the bowl of rice when two hands reached out for it followed by them saying, “I’ll do it.”

I blinked. What’s with them? Awkwardly, I slightly smiled and shook my head.

“I’ll do it,” I said and pull it from them two. I even had to struggle since both didn’t want to let go. From the corner of my eyes, I think I just saw them glare at each other but I can’t be so sure. I put rice on my plate and looked at Sehun wondering if I should also put rice on his but I think it’ll be awkward since Daehyun is with us so I just handed him the bowl of rice. He smiled before taking it.

I looked at foods on the table thinking what to eat since aunt prepared a lot, at least for a breakfast. Before I could even decide, food landed on my plate. I looked up and saw that it was Daehyun who had placed it.

“T-Thanks,” I said. He just nodded before he got some rice and food for himself.

“Here, this is really good,” Sehun said as he put his spoon in front of me. I looked at him and at Daehyun. He was busy on eating so I think it will be okay. Wait. Why am I thinking if it’s okay or not for him? I opened my mouth and ate the food on the spoon Sehun held out for me. “How’s it?” I put up two thumbs up and smiled. He grinned.

We continued eating and it was weird how both of them put food on my plate once in a while. It was normal for Sehun but for Daehyun, it was out of the usual it confuses me. After eating, the maid put it away for us.

“Do you want to go somewhere today?” Sehun asked as we reached the living room.

“Uhm…” I thought. “I don’t know anything here, actually,” I said shrugging. He laughed.

“How about we walk around the village? Although it’s cold, I’ll just keep you warm,” he grinned and I felt my cheeks burn. Instinct told me to look to my side and I found Daehyun who looked away and walked away. I turned to Sehun. “So?” I smiled and nodded.

With that and permission from aunt, we grabbed our jackets and headed out.

Daehyun’s POV

I groaned as I peered out the window and saw them walking out the gate. Great. They left me behind. Whatever. Not like I want to spend a day with him. If it was only Hyomi and I, I might have considered it. I sighed and walked over to the bed and sat. I let my eyes wander the room for a while, noticing things I didn’t care when the room was showed to me.

It was like my room before and it made me feel as if I was at my old house. How my desk, cabinets and bed were placed in our old house was the same, making me feel as if the room was especially made for me but heck, that’s impossible. Or maybe not, but it doesn’t matter. The only difference was how everything looked expensive and modern.

I lie on my bed and put an arm over my eyes, relaxing for a while. I recalled all that had happened before today. I just don’t have any way out. Another reason why I’m here right now, I guess.

The day when I asked Hyomi to accompany me late at night was when I learned about him looking for me. It was my mom who told me and I was angered because of the thought that he even had the courage to send someone to look for us.

It was a day after when I knew it was Sehun who was asked to look for us. He called me to meet minutes after I left Hyomi’s house that morning. Realization struck me when he told me his dad was the one looking for me. His dad. For goodness sake. Before I could say anything since obviously he was clueless like a baby about his so-called dad, I stood up and left the café but he followed me and his next words made me stop from my tracks.

“He’s sick and his days are numbered,” those words replayed in my mind. I didn’t say anything after and continued walking away but he continued and his next words are about this trip. “Everything’s prepared for you and it’s your decision if you’ll come or not. I don’t even know why he was looking for you.” That was his last words before I completely left.

Since it was Christmas the next day, I tried to keep it lively celebrating it with my mom and fortunate enough, Youngjae and Himchan hyung came and joined us. My mind though kept on wandering back to Sehun and what he said. I couldn’t believe until now…that…I can’t even bring myself to say it.

It was ironic how I’m here. I hate him but why? He’s sick and so? When I was sick, was he there? When mom had to be brought to the hospital was he there? When we struggled to live, was he there? When my life was in danger, was he there? No, no, no, and no. He wasn’t. It was just my mom, the girl he left for another woman, who had to work overnight just to keep us alive, was the one who convinced me because she cared.

I covered my face with my hands and breathe out. My mind’s a mess right now. With everything so complicated right now, I really don’t know want to do. I sat up and step out of the bed, walking out the room.

I looked at the different doors first, trying to remember where his room is and upon spotting it, I hesitated but walked there anyway but I just stood in front of the door, doing nothing. I brought my hand to the door knob but it didn’t even touch it before I drop my hand again to my side. I kept doing that until a voice startled me. I looked around and it was Sehun’s mom.

“Daehyun, right?” She said with a soft smile, a motherly one. I nodded. “Can we talk? Just for a while?” She said and I reluctantly followed her to the living room.

Hyomi’s POV

We have been walking around for a while and were now holding a hot cup of coffee between our hands, sipping on it. It had been quiet for a while now. I have a question that had been bugging me but I don’t know how to ask it, thinking it’ll be some invasion of privacy. Ok. Where did I get that?

“Do you have something to say?” He asked surprising me. He knows me that well huh?

“Yeah,” I said. “Would it be fine?” He nodded. “Uh… Daehyun… Is he…” I didn’t even need to finish it for him to understand what I meant. It was silent for a while before he nodded.

“I guess, yeah,” he answered.

“How did you know it was Daehyun?” I asked, curiosity rising by every minute that pass by.

“I came to their house, remember?” He said and I made an ‘o’ with my mouth. I then remembered that he has a picture with his mom at their living room and things that would give away that he is Daehyun, the guy with the mask. “The name itself gave it away. I mean… I thought it was just some coincidence but yeah. Because I’ve never really seen his face, I doubted it,” he explained animatedly. I slowly nodded before dropping the topic. I decided to change the topic because I don’t think it’s already my business why Daehyun was there or the likes.

“So, have you talked to uncle? How is he?” I asked. Before he answered, we sat by a bench by a small park.

“He was happy Daehyun came,” he said and I saw how his face showed pain and I realized what he meant. He was happy Daehyun came but not the thought that he was the reason how Daehyun was able to be found.

“I’m sure he was proud,” I said, hoping to comfort him. He smiled a little and shrugged. He looked up the sky and sighed.

“Is my effort—“

“NO! Of course not! I’m sure your dad is soooooooooo proud of you! He just doesn’t show it but I’m sure he is,” I said without a pause that I had to catch my breath after. He chuckled and ruffled my hair.

“Araso,” he said and his smile melted me inside. I looked down so that he wouldn’t notice my cheeks that are now flushed, I’m sure. “We should get going. It’s getting cold,” he said as he stood up. He reached his right hand out and I took it, standing up. We both chuckled for an unknown reason before we walked, not letting go of each other’s hand.

Dinner came hours later. It was quiet like during breakfast. They were still, though, doing what they kept on doing during breakfast and lunch; putting food on my plate. Daehyun finished some minutes before us and he left right after. When we finished dinner, Sehun went back to his room to take a shower and change while I walked to my room to laze around. On my way up, I came across aunt and I bowed politely at her before I continued walking.

Walking towards my room, I was startled by a voice that came from one of the rooms. I turned to look where it came from and my eyes widened. It was in uncle’s room and I couldn’t mistake that voice, I could recognize it anywhere. It was Daehyun’s. What is he doing there and most importantly, why is he talking like that to uncle? A second later, whether my ears just played with me or not, I think I just heard the answer why, why he was here, why he was there and I couldn’t believe it. 

Daehyun’s POV

Dinner had just finished and I walked up the stairs to my room but stopped as my eyes landed on his room’s door. I bit my lip wondering if I should go in and check him up. I’ve been here for some hours now but I never even tried going in and checking on him. It was just hard even after all Sehun’s mom told me. After much contemplation, I finally knocked on the door and after hearing the permission that I could go in, I twisted the doorknob open. I took a deep breath before peeking in. The first thing I saw was a machine and tubes connected to him who sat on the bed while her wife fed him.

I grunt seeing him but hopefully, it didn’t show that much. He looked so weak, so fragile, so…sick. The image of him when I last saw him—it was when he left—appeared on my mind and it was so different from what I’m seeing now. He was a little chubby before but not fat. He had lesser freckles before. His eyes…it looked so lively years ago when I look into it but now it looked…sad, empty.

“Come on in. I’ll just bring this downstairs,” she said as she stood up. I wanted to tell her to stay but it would be more awkward so I just nodded and gave way for her. The door clicked close a little after and I stood by the closed door. I looked down. My eyes can’t seem to look at him after all those I noticed. I just can’t.

“Son, come and sit here.” I flinched. Son. When was the last time I heard someone calling me that with that kind of intonation, from father, when? Tears were on the verge of falling but I held it back. I can’t cry. I didn’t go here for that.  

My footsteps were heavy as I made way to the chair beside him. I didn’t sit but stood as I avoided his gaze. I could feel his eyes on me, as if he was trying to recall how I looked when he last saw me. Of course I’ve changed all those years. In fact, I changed so much, didn’t I? My friends could prove it.

“You’ve grown to become a really handsome man, Daehyun,” he said and a smile tugged on his lips. I bit my lower lip. I don’t know what to say.

“What do you want from us? Why did you have to look for us?” I asked that sounded harsh but I honestly tried not for it to come out in that way. His smile faded slowly but a second later, a small smile appeared again.

“Do you know how much I missed you, son?” Please. Stop it.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said. It was quiet again and I could feel tension growing. Suddenly, I felt something cold touch my hand and I looked down to see him holding my hand. I trembled under his touch, I’m just sure I did. I tried my best not to pull away, simply not react to it, but I ended up prying my hands off. I saw the disappointment on his face.

“I know you’re mad at me for leaving you and your mom and I know asking forgiveness would be too much of me to ask but I’m really sorry. I didn’t know what to do…after knowing I had another son… I just had to leave…for you, for your mom.” My hands clenched and I could feel anger rage on me. For me? For my mom? Is he serious?

“Is it…him?” I choked. He nodded. “Why didn’t you just tell us? Didn’t you even think that maybe we would understand? Did you?! You left us! How many years had passed?! Nine?! Ten?! Did you even wonder how we’ve been all those years?!” I just had to say it. If not, I don’t know when I could. Silence followed after.

“S-Son…”

“P-Please… Stop calling me that. You’ve lost that son years ago, after you left and this guy who stood in front of is different, so stop with that calling. I’ll be going,” I said before I spun around and leave.

I stopped momentarily in front of the door and closed my eyes, letting my body to relax first before I opened the door and was surprised to see someone standing there. Hyomi.

AN EARLY UPDATE! :)

I hope you like this chapter. A little secret revealed? :D

I hope I'm living up to your expectations. I'm trying my best.

I'll update as soon as I can. Thank you! :)

SARANGHAEYO-NG~ <3