Chapter 21:  Goodbye

“W-what are you ... talking about?” YeonAe whispered, too shocked to even say the words properly. Each word felt heavy on her lips, as she tried to register what HoSeok just said. She kept convincing herself that it wasn’t true, that it wasn’t TaeHyung’s name that he’d mentioned.

She looked at him right in the eye, to detect any signs of fib, but as he held her gaze, it dawned on her that he wasn’t by the least telling a lie. There was nothing from the look in his pained eyes that he was trying to deceive her, and though they were merely strangers who knew nothing of each other, YeonAe knew then that he was telling the truth.

A blank, emotionless expression swept over her face as the realization of the moment gradually seeped in. She just knelt there, paralyzed as she tried to take the whole situation in.

Her mom was taken, and by TaeHyung, whom she’d began to trust. She’d let her walls come down because of him, and it pained her so much to know that he was just playing with her. Her mother trusted him too, and adored him. It felt so surreal to even believe that this was happening.

“What does TaeHyung have to do with all of this?” She asked again, watching HoSeok as he tried to stand up. For his part, he was glad that he didn’t die. Those people who beat him could’ve easily killed him, only they didn’t. “Why would he take my mother away? He’s been so nice to us and we him. TaeHyung I know would never do something like this.” She continued.

“And that’s where you’re wrong.” HoSeok responded, felt relieved for a brief moment that his legs were okay and that he could still walk. His steps were wobbly, but he still managed to make it to the door. YeonAe followed him, steadying him with holding his arm.

“You know nothing of him, YeonAe. You only know what he chose to tell or show you, but you have no single clue about his past, or who he really is. He hid it very well from everyone around him.” He explained, noticing how confused she looked at the moment.

“I really don’t understand.” She said, and HoSeok only nodded his head as they made their way towards his car, which he was glad was still there. He walked towards the driver seat while YeonAe stood rooted where she was, looking completely lost.

HoSeok sighed upon seeing her not wanting to make a move. “Look, I don’t have time to explain. We really have to go get your mother now. I’ll try to answer your questions as much as I can but for now, we have to go.”

“Do you know where to find her?” YeonAe asked, and quickly moved to the car upon hearing that they had to go get her mother back. He was right, her questions can wait, but there were other things they needed to do first.

“I know where they are.” He answered as they both were in the car, and, wincing from the pain, he the engine and began to pull away. YeonAe looked at him worriedly and couldn’t help but to ask, “You’re in pain. Can you still drive? Wouldn’t it be dangerous?”

“We don’t have a choice.” He said as they drove away. “Let’s just hope that we’ll get there in one piece.”

Well, that definitely didn’t sound convincing, but apart from worrying about her safety; her thoughts were clouded with images of Ms. Zhang and TaeHyung, as well as all the questions she had in mind. Everything was so confusing, and it was still hard for her to believe that TaeHyung was a part of this too.

She really hoped that they were just playing tricks on her, but something about the way HoSeok told her that it was definitely TaeHyung made her believe him. And his bruises didn’t seem fake either.

“Should we call the cops?” YeonAe asked, breaking the silence. He’d said that he’d try to answer her questions so she was going to do just that, bearing in mind not to distract him while he was driving, in a painful condition too.

“No need, I’ve told his aunt what happened and she was already on it.” He answered.

“His aunt? Why not his parents?”

“His mom’s dead and his father is not within reach right now. He’s lived with his son ever since he was young.”

“Wait, his mother’s dead?!” YeonAe asked in bafflement, quickly turning from her seat to face HoSeok. HoSeok looked at her briefly before scolding her with widened eyes, “Yah, put on your seatbelt! And yes, his mother has passed away and he’s lived with his mother’s sister since ... seven, I guess.”

“He said that he’s living with his mother.” YeonAe mumbled to herself, and quietly put on her seatbelt before she got a second reprimand from HoSeok. “And he did mention that his father was working overseas, and that they meet up five times a year.”

“Well, the out of the country part is true, but he hasn’t seen his father for years, actually. His dad has completely abandoned him with his aunt, and he’s started his new family for some years now.”

“And uh ... what does this have to do with my mother? And how do you know all of this?” She continued asking, feeling that her level of curiosity and confusion just got higher and higher.

HoSeok sighed and they stopped at a red light, giving him more chance to quickly fill her in. “Your mother, or in this case should I say, YiXing’s mother, is TaeHyung’s stepmom.” He said carefully while facing her, making sure that she heard every single word. “And YiXing was his half-brother, unfortunately.”

YeonAe’s reaction was one he’d expected, but his heart went out to her all the same to see how shocked she was. Clearly, she didn’t expect any of this and he might seem to be as a liar in her eyes. But he would convince her again and again that he wasn’t lying. He had better things to do that lie to her.

“Oh my goodness.” She sobbed, and a bead of tears traced its way down YeonAe’s neck. The light turned green again and HoSeok continued driving, feeling bad at the same time that YeonAe had to find out all this things this way. He wished that he could spare her the heartbreak, but it was too late now.

“And I know this because I was his friend once. Well, not to him anyway. We were neighbors and I always tried to be close to him but he kept pushing me away. I knew what he was planning, eventually, and I tried to keep an eye on him. But there was just so much I can do, and his aunt was at a wit’s ends too.” He shortly glanced at her, to see that she’d stopped sobbing but was still clearly very sad. “I’m really sorry. You shouldn’t have found out about it like this.” He felt bad for her, and how much of a shock this must’ve been.

YeonAe quietly shook her head and stared out the window with tears still welling up in her eyes. Deep down in her heart, she felt sad, and at the same time, a little bit angry for not being told about this. A part of her couldn’t believe that Ms. Zhang had never told her this, when she’d been living with them for so many years, yet she was being kept in the dark about it.

“I couldn’t believe she kept this from me.” YeonAe said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “A matter this important, yet she hid it from me. I thought we’d never keep anything from each other. She knows everything about my past, and yet she wouldn’t share hers. Even YiXing hid it from me too.”

HoSeok shook his head without looking at her and said, “I don’t think YiXing knew anything about this. He was very young himself to even understand what was happening. I suppose he was in the dark just as you are. He only knew what had been told to him.”

“And how come my mother never said anything when she met TaeHyung for the first time? Why did it seem like she didn’t recognize him?” She asked, feeling incredulous of the connection of the whole thing.

HoSeok laughed somberly. “It’s because she really didn’t know that he’s her stepson. She’s never met him, but TaeHyung knows her.”

“And what do you think he wants to do with my mother? He’s been su