The white mass of snow on the sidewalk devours Soobin's feet. The cars to his left are driving at walking speed because the flake whirl makes it challenging to see the road. He hears the crunching under his feet as he draws one footprint after the other into the snow.
It's cold, very cold. Because of his stuffy nose, there's nothing else to do but breathe in the icy air through his mouth. The cold burns his lungs; the wind stings his face. His cheeks, nose, and ears turned red already; only his hands are kept warm in the side pockets of his white winter jacket.
Soobin keeps his head down; otherwise, his eyes would start to water immediately. The sun makes the snow on the ground sparkle like a white carpet of numerous diamonds.
"I'm going for a walk," he said only ten minutes ago to his father, being relieved that Jungkook hasn't further questioned his plan.
He didn't even give him the chance to do so, as quickly as he rushed down the stairs grabbing his winter jacket off the wardrobe to disappear through the front door like a moving shadow. The living room door was open, and Jungkook watched his son skeptically from the sofa with a raised eyebrow. In the last second, he just managed to remind him of warm clothes.
"Put on your hat and gloves," he called after him quickly, but the slamming of the door echoed in the house even before he could finish the sentence.
Admittedly, Soobin regretted not having listened to his father as the cold wind tingled his skin. He even forgot the scarf, but he must not lose any time because he simply couldn't stand this uncertainty any longer. He must know what the look of his father meant.
Meanwhile, Soobin is convinced that his mother knows something about this one person, whom his father seemed to remember on her wedding day. Why he didn't tell Jungkook about the planned visit? Usually, this weekend would have been daddy's weekend, and it would be conspicuous if he just went to mom without any reason.
Well...actually he could have said that he wanted to visit her before the upcoming honeymoon. But...would he believe him? Well, he didn't want to take any risk.
[A few minutes later]
Soobin wheezes as he finally reaches his goal after a felt eternity. He watches his white breath before he presses down the icy latch of the lattice fence to enter the forecourt of his mother and father-in-law. For a short moment, the feeling of worry spreads through his body. He should have called first, or at least he could have written her a message to be sure she's there.
"Soobin?"
Luck hasn't left him yet, and he smiles with relief seeing his mother standing in the doorway in front of him. She watched him through the kitchen window and opened the door before he even had a chance to ring the bell.
"Honey, come in. You're freezing."
He accepts this invitation too gladly and enters the long corridor full of anticipation to leave the cold behind. The tepid warmth tickles his skin, and he dares to pull his hands out of his pockets to hang up his jacket. At least he can still feel his fingers, unlike his ears and nose.
Soobin takes a seat at the dining room table while his mother prepares a hot tea for him. His father-in-law doesn't seem to be there at all...or maybe he's sleeping...but that doesn't matter now...it might even be better. Who knows what his mother is going to tell him if she's willing to tell him anything at all.
Ji-eun carefully places the cup of tea on the table in front of Soobin and sits down opposite him.
"Today was Daddy's weekend, wasn't it?" she asks in surprise at her son's arrival. Of course, she's happy, but at the same time, she's worried that something's wrong.
