Sunoo links his arm with Mr.Kim's, says with him something while walking towards the gate. Sunoo held out his hand and opens the gate. Mr.Kim nods and pats Sunoo, Sunoo looks at him and smiles and waves goodbye to him.
-Good night Sunoo.
-You too, good night.
It's getting dark, the streetlights are on, Sunoo rests his shoulder on the gate, quietly looks at his dad steeping further away. Seeing the warm and weak lights, Mr.Kim silently walks, his legs sometimes stops a bit, his head is turning a bit, he's about to looking back, but he didn't
Sunoo looks at him, his heart clenches, he covers his mouth when he saw his dad's shoulder shivers slightly. Mr.Kim steps slowly, but he doesn't stop. His shadow shines down on the road made him look so lonely. Sunoo holds the gate tightly, until Mr.Kim is already gone behind the bushes, he sits down, holds his chest that's aching.
_______________
-Mom, tell me, this whole thing, why?
Ni-Ki steps in front of his mom, asks angrily, this is the first time in his whole life that he raised with voice while talking to his parents.
Ni-Ki's mom looks at him, she doesn't react childishly like what she would normally do, she only sips the tea gently.
-I will tell you everything if you sits down, be calm and behave.
-Joe....my wife, he...how could I be calm?
The smell of alcohol is spreading all over from Ni-Ki, he's very wasted now, so drunk that all of his thoughts that he used to keep to himself, has exploded. His mom stands up, looks at her son sadly, she knew that this day will come, but, it's way more painful then she thought.
She remembers the first time she met Sunoo, a boy that has a joyful smile but sad eyes. Though she knew about Sunoo's condition and disease, but seeing her son changed after meeting Sunoo, all of her hesitating vanished. She thought that when Ni-Ki found out about this, he would be mad and mess everything up, but he doesn't, he just stay silent. But as a mother, she knows her son very well, and she knew that one day, he couldn't stay silent anymore and will let it all out.
Ni-Ki's mom sips the tea again. Slowly tells Ni-Ki all the thing that Mrs.Kim had told her. Every single sentence, every single word is like a thousands needles, pinching into Ni-Ki's heart, and made his legs trembles and can't stand straight.
After saying everything, Ni-Ki's mom sighs, she stands up, holds Ni-Ki's shoulder, gently.
-I know, this is not easy to accept, but son, don't hate that boy.
Ni-Ki stood there, he can't say anything. He had never been so "drunk", his minds is turning and turning around, Ni-Ki doesn't know if he's still conscious or not. It's like all his energy is sucked up in just a moment. Ni-Ki falls down on the ground, he holds his hand tight.
-You know everything...why..why did you still letting him steps into my life....why...did you made me so in love with him...that's....that's so unfair.
Ni-Ki remembers clearly the first time Sunoo has ever appeared in his life. The joyful smile made everything around him change. Ni-Ki is not looking at the piano the way he used to before when he hated it. Because every week he would have to play the piano for Sunoo, whenever he demands it. Ni-Ki also remembers the time when he carried Sunoo, he always complains that Sunoo is so heavy that he might be heavier than a pig. But now, Sunoo is too skinny, so skinny that it frightened Ni-Ki. We don't know when, but now sometimes Ni-Ki is afraid of looking at Sunoo, looking at that blue and pale face that's losing its spirit day by day.
-Sunoo....is he in great pain? He's.....so skinny mom.
Ni-Ki's throat tightens up. He bites his lips, Ni-Ki's mom holds her son's shoulders tightly.
-Go home, be with Sunoo and do everything you could darling.
Ni-Ki walks towards the door, then suddenly he stops, a while later he turns his head around, says quietly.
-I really miss his smile, mom.
______________
Sunoo sits in the dark living room with only the coffee table's light turned on. He sits on the couch, takes out a letter from his bag, it's from mom.
Sunoo opens the letter, a familiar scent spreads in the air. It's the scent of the ink his mom always use, it feels like she's sitting next to him right now. The sentences are well-written and neat, but some words are a bit shaking. And a few places seems like had gotten wet by dried up.
"Darling,
I wrote this letter to you because I don't have enough courage to go meet you in person, I hope you would understand and forgive me. Since you are born, you had a disadvantage, and I can't do anything for you, are you mad at me? Are you mad at me after living 17 years in nervousness? I'm sorry, really sorry. Can't even protect their own child, is the biggest failure being a mom. If time is a toy, I'll be willing to cry and beg for it, like a little child until I got it. The moment I heard the doctor said that you were born with a weak heart, I believed him.
But he's wrong, you have a strong heart, more than anyone else in this world. It's so strong that, sometimes I forgot, you have to experience and go through the pain that was caused by that heart.
If it's possible, in the next life, be my child again. Give me a chance to give you a healthy life, to love you, take care of you, so I could fully do my job as a mother, so I could give you 71 years instead of only 17 years.
Actually, until now, deep inside I still have hope. That all of these things, will disappear, so my birthday next year I could still enjoy the curry you always have made for me. Right now I can still taste the taste of the spicy curry on my tastebuds, it's so spicy that it made me cry honey.
I don't know why but my eyes suddenly got blurry now, maybe I should stop here then. Go to sleep early, don't stay up late and watch movies anymore.
I will and always be with you.
This new year we can't come home, me and your dad will wait for your call...I'll wait.
I love you, I love you a lot.
........and thank you.
Take care,
-Mom-"
Sunoo imagines when his mom is sitting, her hands keeps on writing, but sometimes stopped because of the emotions, her eyes sometimes squeeze together because it got tired and because....of the tears.
-I love you too.
Sunoo says while putting the letter gently back into its pocket. The old memories rush back. But in fact, Sunoo doesn't have any memories with his mom. Because most of the times he spent on other things. For the new things, the exciting rides and games, and for the new and odd food. So he accidentally forgot to spend his time with his mom, for the meals she made. The only thing that Sunoo remembered about his mom is the good night kisses, and at those moments, her eyes got watery, her hands holds Sunoo's tightly, and sometimes Sunoo caught her crying. The amount of tears that she had shed it's maybe even 10 times more than Sunoo's life. Does Sunoo really had lived the moments and seconds in his life to the fullest? What did he actually did? When he is gone, he only left his loved ones in tears.
Clack
Suddenly there's a sound of the gate opening. Sunoo got startled, he quickly hides the letter away and held out his hand to turn the light off.
The sounds of the keys bumping into each other, following after with the heavy stepping in the house.
-Honey? Ni-Ki?
Sunoo asks but the reply for his question is only the silence. Sunoo tries to look around and saw a shadow standing still there and looking at him. In a few minutes, no words were spoken, a while later, that shadow starts to slowly moves towards Sunoo but until a certain space, Ni-Ki stopped.
Sunoo frowns, held out his hand and about to turn the lights on.
-What happene...
Ni-Ki quickly holds Sunoo's hand.
-Don't turn the lights on.
Sunoo looks at Ni-Ki confusedly, when Ni-Ki got closer to him, Sunoo could hear Ni-Ki's heavily breathing and his cold body.
-What happened to you?
Sunoo touches Ni-Ki's face, asks worriedly. Ni-Ki's still staying silent and doesn't answer.
Suddenly Ni-Ki trembles, Sunoo got startled, then suddenly he felt a tear. Sunoo looks at Ni-Ki pulls him closer and hugs.
Ni-Ki stays put. He rests his head on Sunoo's shoulder, but he heard Sunoo's heart beating very loud and clear.
This heart beats so strong, but it's that easy to stop beating at any time, any moment.
This guy exists next to Ni-Ki like a matter of fact, like the Earth is always turning and going around the Sun.
Unconsciously, Ni-Ki hugs his wife tighter.
Sunoo could clearly felt Ni-Ki's body shaking. One side of Sunoo's shoulder is now completely wet. He holds out his hand and fixes Ni-Ki's hair. Sunoo got heartbroken while looking at Ni-Ki who's almost passing out on him.
The cold, bossy and sassy Ni-Ki soon disappears in a blink, turns back to a normal guy who knows how to felt sad and pain when he's about to lost the one that he love.
-I'll go with you, with whatever path you choose.
Ni-Ki suddenly says, his head is still resting on Sunoo. Sunoo's tears rush out, his arms hugs Ni-Ki tighter, like a thank you, and an apologize.
In a dark atmosphere, we can only hear the breathing of the two of them. The concept of time and space seems to disappear. Sunoo and Ni-Ki don't care when is it now, where are they at, they only know, that at this moment, they're being together. Feeling the beating of each other, it's the most precious moment of their lives. It's the moment that love, has the most control and power of.