Nineteen | SeulMin FF

-18-

"If my son will suffer further, I will have a talk with the director, so everyone involved will pay the consequences. No one, and do you hear me, no one will hurt my child." And with those said, she marches out of the nursery.

She heads back to the car, all the while she caresses her son's back. Jaemin is unusually quiet, but Seulgi knows the cause to that. It's because of the badmouthing, she's sure of that. Her son is witty, and even if he can't say a lot of things, he certainly understands them.

As Seulgi places him on the backseat, she strokes his obsidian hair and caresses his cheek. His skin tone is the same like his father's, though the chocolate eyes are hers. What a wonderful combination. Children are, after all a miracle.

"Listen, Jaeminnie," she begins, as she pushes a few black locks out of his round forehead. Her son looks up at her with those big brown eyes. "You and mommy will be just fine. Our bond is inseparable and I won't let anyone hurt you, under any circumstances."

Jaemin nods, as if he understands each and every word. At least he feels her intention. His Mommy is the best.

"Alright, now let's go to the supermarket!" She adds with a smile.

Jaemin is sitting in the cart's spot made for bags, as Seulgi walks around, trying to count the ingredients she might need for dinner. Her son is playing intensely with a figurine, not paying attention to his mother's inner turmoil. She has no idea what to cook for dinner. And the bills have to be paid. And her salary still hasn't come...

Her credit cards are almost empty and she can't afford to borrow money. Her vanity won't allow her to.

"Stay still for a second, Minnie, until Mommy goes to check that shelf." Seulgi says as she kisses the boy's head, making two steps away from him.

The little boy ceases the play and turns around, without moving much, only turning his head to watch his mother. Blame it on being a boy, or growing up with his mother only, but the child feels the need to protect his Mommy, under any circumstances.

He notices a woman staring at them, an older woman, with the brown eyes dangerously familiar. The woman just stands there, staring at Seulgi in shock, grasping the wheel of the cart tighter, and trying to force her knees to cease the shaking. She seems to be contemplating whether to summon up to courage and talk to Seulgi, or simply walk away.

"Done, let's go Minnie." Seulgi says with a thin smile as she returns to the cart.

She puts something in and offers her son a sweet smile. Then she walks away. Curiously, Jaemin pops his head through the right, to have one last glance towards the woman, who seems to be staring at them, with tears brimming in her eyes.

✢

There is no mirror in the room. Nothing which could ever serve as glass, to allow him to see his reflection, at the very least. He knows his body was burnt. He can still feel the itching, the scars. The memories of burning flesh, agonizing screams and death still haunts his nightmares, giving him a difficult time to rest.

He has no idea how much time has passed ever since then, but it feels too much. Almost like an eternity. Always being closed in that room, as if he were a convict, without being allowed to see the light or his face... It's terrible.

His hands and the rest of his body still wear the scars and the burning marks he's gotten years ago. The doctors who had been consulting him, they all said that his survival was a miracle indeed.

The man thinks otherwise. It was no miracle. But a curse. He's been cursed, because of not listening to her, and for leaving her in such a state. There had been no news of Seulgi, and neither of his son. Who knows, maybe she married that guy, and they're now living happily together. Well, in all honesty, Seulgi deserves her happily ever after. It's just, he figured he'd be the one to share it with.