PREJUDICE // Minwonhui

Part 19: Legitimate

What goes around, comes around;
Along this line, Mrs. Jeon blamed herself for days which had an ill impact on her health. Guilt never does someone good and as for Mrs. Jeon, her betrayal towards her own children resulted in her deplorable situation.
She was not exactly a bad mother rather she just wanted a ward who would depend upon her choice. Wonwoo had enough freedom on his hands to not be controlled by his mere mother, and what Wooyeon did was still unfathomable to her.
Junhui silently watched the lady cry in remorse every night. He could never imagine how loneliness looked on other people.
There were days when Mrs Jeon would become suddenly unconscious. Her condition was poor enough that she needed to see a doctor, but didn't care enough to do so.
One night she almost fainted amidst descending the marble stairs; until a pair of hands caught her torso.

"Wonwoo", she managed to say.

She was laid comfortably in her bed seeing how high her temperature was. The family doctor was called for, and he advised the man to nourish her with love and care.
After a day of exceedingly high fever, Mrs. Jeon finally awakened.
But what she saw broke her heart in ways she could never feel.
She saw a very vulnerable sight of Junhui resting his head on the side of her bed, sleeping in a disorderly fashion as if he had encountered a  sleepless night.
Her hand with bulging veins lay weakly in Jun's grasp.
That was the moment she realised that Jun never actually had a hand to hold,
a mother to love,
nor a brother to care about.
How lonely he must have been all this time.
She silently pondered about it when her hand unintentionally caressed Junhui's soft hair, disrupting his peaceful yet stressful slumber.

He hastily shook sleep off his eyes while Mrs. Jeon closed her eyes not wishing to reveal her growing affection for her husband's illegitimate son.
He gradually moved out of the room to bring in more medicines for his, technically, step-mother.

XXX

After a week of despondency and deteriorating health, one fine morning, Minseo set foot in Berkley.
Minseo was worried about Mrs. Jeon as soon as she heard about her detrimental situations. She considered her as a second mother and deeply cared for her as her own.

There were instances when Minseo and Junhui would pass each other without speaking a word yet knowing what was going on in each other's mind. They were actually similar in certain aspects but due to the disparity between their families they never dared to initiate conversation with each other.
But today was different.
There was an unusual knock at Mrs. Jeon's door which was answered by Minseo. The doors revealed Junhui with a packed suitcase looking ready to head out.

"Good evening Mrs. Jeon.
I hope your health is gradually getting better."

Maybe his words were now affecting her in ways, maybe she was concealing her motherly instincts at his weak departure announcement,but instead,
She just nodded.

"I see no reason for me being here anymore.
I will be going back to China..forever."

She now turned to look him in the eye along with Minseo who let out a gasp.

"I know I have been such a nuisance to your house all this time", he chuckled,
"but it's about time I set out to find somewhere I belong to."

Tears brimmed in her waterline while her lips betrayed her feelings by staying shut.
Until it all came out just in one word.

"Stay"

Junhui turned around, eyes widened in surprise. Never in his life had he imagined for this day to come.

"Stay with me Junhui, This is where you belong.
This house is just as much yours as it is for me or Wonwoo.", Jun couldn't process this sudden change in her disposition but expressed no remorse against it.

"Minseo you said you always wanted to be my daughter in law.
Forgive me, I could not enrich you with that.
But I have a son now.
And I'd love to have you both in this house...

That is.. If you both wish to."

If only she said this statement to Wonwoo, maybe he would have stayed. If only she said this statement to Wooyeon, maybe she would not have abandoned her mother to elope with someone anonymous.
But she decided not to take a chance with the only mistake she now so desperately wanted to correct.

Jun and Minseo turned to each other for the first time in their lives.
Their eyes met and then never unmet.
Even though they were still not sure about being tied to each other for their whole lives, this offer had  something they both yearned for.

Acceptance from a loved one.

Clouds of silence enclosed the three, lost in thoughts, until Junhui spoke.
.
.
"I do."