that boy | hwang hyunjin | ✔

Chapter 56

Full of aversion, I break free from his embrace and get up from his bed. The clock on the wall points at 30 past 5 and I think it's a good time to go home. I don't even know if she's there or not; maybe she went to a bar to drink the shock away or something. But I want to be there, just in case.

Hyunjin follows me down the stairs and I walk into the kitchen, where his mom is cooking a deliciously smelling meal. Again, the urge to stay here for dinner is strong and it's hard to convince myself to go home. But then again, I have to.

"Ms. Hwang?" I call out, and the woman behind the stove turns around with a smile. "I want to thank you for everything today. It means a lot to me that you want to help my mother." I bow deeper than I've ever done before, just to show her my pure gratitude.

I never thought my mom could be helped. This woman is like my hero at this point.

"No problem, Chaelin," Ms. Hwang replies with a soft smile. "I think everyone deserves a second chance in life and it hurts me to see how two women suffer from the choices of one man. It's only natural for me to offer my help to you."

"Thank you so much," I mutter again. I definitely have to think of something to repay her for this.

And then I enter the hallway, where I slip on my shoes, coat, and a certain colorful scarf.

"You're really using it," Hyunjin points out, a wide smile present on his face as he finds what belongs to him. Until he decided to give it to me and I got attached to it, that is.

"Of course," I reply with a shrug. "If my boyfriend tells me it looks good on me, then I'm wearing it. Period." I try to sound as sassy as I can and Hyunjin chuckles at my attempt.

"Hey, I see you tomorrow," I say, opening the front door and stepping outside. "Your mom is the best, you know that?"

"I know," the boy replies with a knowing grin. "She really is, you'll mom have a great teacher."

We both laugh at that, and then I decide that it's time to go home.

"Hey, at least give me a goodbye kiss," Hyunjin pouts before I can walk off. My eyes widen at this request and I look at him in shock. The boy opposite of me shakes his head in disapproval. "That's what couples do, Chaellie."

"Okay, okay, close your eyes," I demand and happily Hyunjin complies. My cheeks are bright red as I take a few steps toward the boy. "I swear if you open them before I'm done-"

"Just kiss me already," the boy sighs and burning up internally, I cup his cheeks and press a soft kiss on his lips. Even though it only lasts a few seconds, my heart goes wild and I quickly pull away before whirling around and walking away frantically.

I hear Hyunjin's laughter behind me. "See you tomorrow, Chaelin!" he calls out after me and I hastily lift my hand and bury my face in his scarf, dying of embarrassment. I think back to that time on the rooftop, where I kissed him without hesitation. Where is confidence like that when you truly need it?

--

When I arrive home, I'm surprised as the scent of something sweet welcomes me. With a slight frown, I close the front door and kick off my shoes. I don't even bother to take off my coat as I follow the smell, which leads me into the kitchen.

And what I find there blows me away.

The table is set, for the first time since forever. With two plates, two pairs of chopsticks, a few bottles of soda and two glasses, perfectly arranged opposite of each other. When I look up, I see my mom working behind the stove, an apron wrapped around her waist and the clattering of pans explaining why she hasn't heard me yet.

I blink a few times, completely at a loss for words for a moment. Is she cooking? She properly set the table? She is humming a song? I want to scream, honestly. Scream, because I'm that overwhelmed by a sudden rush of multiple emotions at once. Surprise, gratitude, happiness, shock, and finally, tears. Tears that I skillfully hide by wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

"M-Mom?" I ask, and the humming stops.

Mom turns around, her eyes widening as she finds me standing there. Then her shock turns into a small smile. I can see that it's difficult for her, but she's smiling right in front of me.

"I know it isn't much, but I baked pancakes," she states, stepping aside to show the pans on the stove and the plate with a small heap of pancakes on top of it.

I remain silent, staring at the pancakes and the small flames that dance underneath the pans as if I'm hypnotized by them. In fact, I'm just too overwhelmed by my mom's sudden action. She cooked dinner, she made pancakes and she's smiling.

"No it's-" I blurt out, my voice failing me as I speak. "T-Thank you."

"Well, dinner is ready," my mom mutters, my silence making her feel uncomfortable. Yet, she hides it with another smile as she grabs her oven wants and puts them on before placing the steaming plate with pancakes on the table, right in the center.

I slip off my coat and place it over the backrest of the chair I sit on. She sits down opposite of me and we sit in silence for a while. But then she reaches out over the table and softly grabs my hands in hers.

"Things will go better from now on, I promise."

--

There will be one chapter left after this one