Our Bitter-Sweet Summer

Chapter 1.

POV JAE

I held my mother's hand in an iron grip, silent tears streaming down my face as I stared at the paramedic performing CPR repeatedly on her. My chest tightened with every wailing sound the ambulance made as it shuffled us around in the back, speeding its way back to the hospital.

I shouldn't have left this morning, I would have stayed, I should have carried her to the hospital, I should have-

"Screech!" The ambulance halted to a stop, the doors flew open and they began pulling the gurney out, her body jostled lifelessly and my grip tightened even more as I shadowed them out the van hovering over. Her usual sun tanned skin looked ghastly pale even under the balmy sun, there was an overwhelming feeling of dread washing over me as we wheeled her through the doors of the ER.

"Ma!" I said as I shook her hand rigorously, "Ma wake up!" I begged as the feeling in the pit of my stomach grew uncomfortably.
"Son we're going to need you to wait out here until the surgery is-"

"Ma please!" I begged my voice sounded gravelly and echoed throughout the room, "please!" I choked out. Someone grabbed onto my arm and I shook them off unwilling to let go. It felt too final, it felt as though if I let go now then I'll never see her eyes open again, I'll never feel her warmth again. "Damn it Ma!" I cried and more hand weighed on me, I pushed forward turning only to punch the guy who was trying to pry our hands apart.

" Get off of me!" I yelled at more hands came down on me heavier this time, someone managed to pry our fingers apart in the commotion and I swung again connecting with someone else I didn't turn to look afraid that she would just vanish before me.

"Ma" I sobbed as I realized I could no longer move, "Ma" her eyes fluttered once before searching for mine, for a split second her golden brown eyes met my own. Everything stopped and a thousand words were conveyed between us in that moment, there was so much I still wanted to say everything of which she already knew and I could tell there were somethings she wanted to get off her chest too, that's just how close we are.
They pushed her gurney towards the double doors, her eyes fluttered close and then she was gone. I shut my eyes and willed the tears to go away but the knee jerked sobs violently shook my body as they escaped me as the hands began releasing me.

A young male nurse glared angrily at me a bruise forming on his right cheek bone I looked away unperturbed a middle aged doctor stayed back to scold me and warn me that I will be escorted out should I behave unseemly again, I nodded and said nothing. He nodded and patted my shoulder before turning and leaving through the same doors they had just taken my mother through.

I found a seat and laced my fingers together as if that could contain the growing feeling of doom in my heart, an hour and ten minutes in and the lid was slowly being ripped open. The quietness of the room was in stark contrast to the chaos i felt inside, everything continuing as though nothing happened,

as if my mother wasn't fighting for her life just a few feet away- as if my world wasn't coming to an end.

"Yeogi" -here- I looked up finding an elegant manicured hand the colour of autumn holding a cold compress and a bottle water. I followed up the arm of a yellow long sleeved turtle neck sweater finding a round face, her features and colouring matching that of some mixed variety of African and Latina. She stood out amongst the porcelain faces of the room, their eyes followed her, it wasn't unusual to see dark skinned people in Seoul but try as they may- they were still stunned.

"dangsin-ui nun-eul wihae" -for your eyes- I could tell it wasn't her first language, she spoke slowly cautiously and she thrust it towards me again her eyes averted from my stare... She must have felt uncomfortable with me staring but her eyes were golden brown like my mother's. I cleared my throat.

"Gamsahabnida" I thanked her and took the cold compress and water from her, she nodded and walked off back to the information desk. Just then the double doors opened and the middle aged doctor came out from before taking off his mask and surgical cap.

I shot to my feet meeting him at the entrance, he pulled me to the side. My heart started racing pounding against the ripping lid, the momentary distraction was now gone and the fear had creeped its way back up my throat again. I could see a timer behind my lids counting down the seconds for the words my soul already knew was coming. Three, two, one, zero.

POV ALEX

As I passed along the streets of Seoul I could help but think that it was so beautiful here. The individualities of the districts, the culture, the food. I've only been here three weeks and already I'd fallen for the mind numbingly huge city. Nari, my chaperone eyed the address on the GPS warily.

"You want to go there?" Nari asked questionably, I nodded. I could feel her scrutinizing my face as the restaurant was advertised on Google more of a bar than a dinning area.

" I read they have the best Bolgogi in this district" I further explained my lie, she nodded following the directions of the GPS. I couldn't tell if she believed me or not but she showed no signs of stopping or turning around.

I sighed as the image of the boy in the waiting room popped back up again repeating in my head, even now I'm questioning my actions at the time. As I walked away back to the nursing station from the sorrowful boy I heard his heart breaking from his brief strangled cry, I knew it well, I'd lived through it. I turned on my heel and ran forward, his knees buckled beneath him.

I was too small to catch him but I cushioned his fall, the doctor helped me sit him on the chair before continuing his report. His mother was basically now brain dead, he advised there was no guarantee that she would regain consciousness and that the chances were pretty low. He nodded but his eyes were lost, he wasn't really here either. I thanked the doctor and told him I'd relay it to his family when they arrived.

The tears flowed out of his like an open faucet no end in sight and he swayed even in his seat. I coaxed him to lay down on my lap and hummed a song that usually gave me comfort as passed my fingers through his dark chestnut hair. He wasn't there really but I know he needed someone anyone to be there for him. Everyone stared as aspected, I chuckled. Nari glanced over once

His milky skin almost shinned against my dark tone, he had very plump lips that were pale and a beauty mark at the corner of his right eye and three black earrings on each ear. He was gorgeous, a gorgeous boy in pain. I noticed the black t-shirt he wore with a restaurants logo on the front and the Grey chef's jacket he wore over it.

Nearly two hours later a woman came bustling in frantically asking questions so fast I couldn't keep up to translate. She saw him laying down on my lap and the short thick woman waddled over a very huge market bag in tow still speeding through sentences I couldn't quite understand.

When she got closer I got up gently placing the sleeping boy's head back on the seat before greeting her. I explained the situation to her and saw the raw pain flash across her face as she listened intently. She nodded taking it all in before thanking me and taking my place beneath him. I excused myself to give them space to mourn, I picked her telling him 'sleep, sleep for as long as you can.'

"And you're sure you want to go here" Nari said pulling me out my thoughts, she parked in front a rough looking bar with brute looking characters occupying the outside seats, I swallowed.

"Oh yeah, this is the place" I say opening the door, "can you just smell the aroma" there was the smell of grilled meat in the air mixed with that of alcohol and strong tobacco.

"Oh yes I can smell the hoodlums" she says sarcastically, " this doesn't look safe shouldn't we go back, this isn't an environment your father would be proud to see you at" she chastised.

"Silly girl, why would my father be at such a place?" I quiped as I jumped out and moved to the front of the car, she followed suite. The sign translated to 'Spirit of Guryong'

"Why are you at such a place!" She hissed.