Park Kanju was sitting in his office, going through some files. His concentration was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He picked it up, without looking who the caller was.
"Hello?" Kanju said, looking back to the papers on his desk.
"Hello? Am I talking to Mr. Park Kanju?" A lady said on the other side.
"Yes?"
"Good morning Mr. Park. I am speaking from St. Marcus Orphanage, Busan."
That single name was enough for Kanju to leave the papers in a second and get up from his seat with wide eyes.
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"C-Can I... C-Can I see him?" Haejin asked, trying to control her tears. She had already been crying all the way here, along with her husband, who gave her the news that they got a call from the orphanage, asking them to come and visit it as soon as possible.
"Yes you can. But before that I need you to know something." The lady said, looking at both the crying parents.
"The reason why we didn't contact you before was that, Jaemin's parents didn't want you to know about him. They were very happy with him and considered him their own child. So, never agreed for us to disclose their identity to you. They loved Jaemin to death." She said.
"So.. S-So how did they agree now?" Kanju asked, wiping his tears.
"They didn't Mr. Park. They didn't agree. But... unfortunately, they can no more claim their right over Jaemin." She said and the couple gave her a confused look, so she sighed and continued, "Jaemin had gone to school when there was a robbery at his home. Both of his parents were brutally killed by the criminals. The police did catch them, after the neighbors reported a commotion, but... but the kid..." she continued, " Jaemin was traumatized to see the dead bodies of his parents lying in the pool of blood, in their own house."
Haejin's gasped, covering her face, crying even more and Kanju could do nothing but hug her, trying hard to control his tears. They can't imagine what the poor soul has gone through.
"The police later found out that the couple had no relatives whatsoever, and they even found the adoption related documents of Jaemin. So they sent him here again." She finished and showed them the new empty adoption certificate of Jaemin, with the 10 year old's photo attatched to the right corner, with his name written as well.
"I have all the documents ready for you to legally adopt him now. But I want from you is to take special care of that kid. Give him time to adjust. It has been 2 weeks since he came back from America, but he still hasn't talked to anyone, not even said a word. He doesn't smile, doesn't play like normal kids of his age, he is just so lost. So, please take care of him." She said, her own eyes going glossy.
She then rung a small bell on the table, and a teenage boy came in, "Call Park Jaemin." She said and the boy just nodded and ran off to call the said boy.
After about 5 minutes, the door to her office opened again and the Park couple turned around to look a small, sad 10 year old boy, coming inside the office and then looking at the lady straight ahead, without sparing a glance at them.
Haejin couldn't control herself anymore and started sobbing clutching her husband's shirt tightly. She was meeting her son after 10 years. Although he looked exactly like Jimin, no difference at all, but his aura, his demeanor was totally different. Jimin always had a frown on his face with dark eyes, while Jaemin looked just so lost.
"Jaemin.." the lady said, smiling at the boy. "Meet your parents. They are here to take you home with them."
Jaemin frowned a bit and finally looked at the crying couple. They were looking at him with so much love. The moment he was brought back to the orphanage after 2 years of living happily with a family, he knew he might be adopted again. Many of the kids of their orphanage were adopted every day. So, he was prepared for this. But he didn't know why the couple was crying so much. When his previous parents adopted him, they looked so happy. He remembers he was 8 then, and so excited to finally have a family. But now, he just feels so numb, so lost. May be even these people feel some pain, pain of losing someone dear, like he did. May be that is why they are looking at him with so much longing and love. So without saying a word, Jaemin stepped forward, and wiped the tears off the cheeks of the lady, who is supposedly his new mother.
The moment Jaemin wiped her tears, Haejin choked on a sob and hugged him tightly.
"J-Jaemin ah..." she cried and kissed all over her son's face, before hugging him again.
Jaemin hugged her back, rubbing her back with his tiny hands, trying to soothe the crying lady. He didn't like her crying like this, wad she that sad? He didn't know. What he did know is that, this is his new family, his new parents and he has to accept it.
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"Do you wanna have some ice cream?" Kanju asked, while driving and giving his son a big smile. But what he got in return was just a small shake of the kid's head.
Kanju and Haejin made an eye contact and Haejin just squeezed her husband's hand.
The couple was really happy to get their long lost son back, but no matter how much they tried, Jaemin won't utter a single word, just like the lady said. They knew they need to give him time, so they decided not to push him and just smiled at him.
Once they reached home, they took Jaemin inside, who looked at the big mansion with big curious eyes.
"Dad!! Mom!! Where were you guys??!!" Jimin's loud voice got the attention of the three and they looked towards the stairs.
Jimin was running down the stairs like he always does, with a big doll in his hands.
"I was waiting for you!!" He said angrily with a frown, not paying attention to the boy standing behind his mother, who was looking at him with wide shocked eyes.
"We are sorry honey, but look who we brought home with us." Haejin said and crouching down to Jimin's level and then moving aside so that the two brothers were standing facing each other.
The moment Jimin saw Jaemin, he gasped, with his eyes and mouth wide open.
"Oh my God..." Jimin said, stepping even closer to Jaemin, who had the same shocked expressions. " Who are you?" He asked, touching Jaemin's face, to make sure, there wasn't a mirror in the middle of the hall.
" He is Jaemin. Your twin brother." Kanju said, ruffling Jimin's hair.
"Woaahh... Really??!!" Jimin said excitedly, pulling Jaemin's cheeks, who hissed a bit. "Oh! He's real..." Jimin mumbled, still not believing.
"Can I play with him??!!" Jimin asked excitedly, smiling his big cute mochi smile, looking at his parents with big puppy eyes.
"Of course you can. But before that, we have to let Jaemin rest-"
"You look just like me." Jaemin said, making both the parents look at each other with big surprised eyes.
Jimin shook his head with a small pout and bumped Jaemin's shoulder with his fist. "No, you look just like me."
Jaemin looked up at his parents. " we are twins? So... S-So.. You are my r-real parents?" Jaemin asked.
Harjin's bit her lip and nodded, before crouching down and hugging Jaemin. "Yes Jaemin ah..."
Before Jaemin could ask anything, Kanju spoke up, "We lost you 10 years ago because of an accident. But thankfully we have you back." He said. He didn't want to lie to his son, but he definitely cannot tell him the whole truth yet.
Jaemin was still in shock but was so happy to be back in his family. He finally hugged Haejin tightly and closed his eyes, tears leaving them, "E-Eomma..."
"Okay.. can you stop with this get together and play with me?" Jimin asked, sighing tired after seeing all the emotional stuff.
The maids and servants were also present there and equally surprised to see the new member of the Park family.
"Let Jaemin rest first Jimin ah..." Kanju said, a little sternly to his stubborn kid.
"Ugghh!!" Jimin grunted and stamped his foot, "Fine! But he is going to school with me tomorrow. Okay?!" Jimin said, pointing a finger at his dad.
Jaemin's grip on his mother tightened even more, and Haejin immediately observed how his body became stiff suddenly.
She pulled back from the hug and looked at her son carefully, "What's the matter sweety?" She asked, caressing Jaemin's cheeks and wiping his tears.
"I... I-I... I d-dont wanna go to s-school." He mumbled looking down at his feet.
Jimin chuckled at this, "He is definitely my brother. Even I hate school. But they are gonna send you bro-"
"Okay." Kanju said and scooted down at Jaemin's level, stroking his hair, giving him a gentle smile. "You don't have to do anything you don't wanna do yet, champ." He said. He knew why Jaemin didn't wanna go to school. The kid was traumatized and may be still feared going to school, thinking what happened to his previous parents might happen to them as well.
"What?!" Jimin asked in disbelief. "but you never let me skip school!!" Jimin said accusingly.
"That's because you have no valid reason of skipping school." Kanju said, rolling his eyes.
"I do!!" Jimin said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Playing video games is not a valid reason Jimin..." Kanju sighed.
"A-And... what is his valid reason?!" Jimin asked pointing his finger at Jaemin, who was looking with big curious eyes at how frankly the family interacted.
"He just came home today Jimin ah.." Haejin said, "He needs some time to adjust and then we'll send him-"
"This is so unfair!! Why do I have to go to school, when he'll stay home all day and play as much as he wants??!!" Jimin shouted, making Jaemin flinch, clutching Kanju's sleeve tightly.
"Stop shouting Park Jimin." Kanju said sternly but Jimin just stomped his feet angrily and ran off to his room, leaving a confused Jaemin behind.
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Feedback?
About the story, the past is gonna end in one or two more updates.
But that is not the end of the story.
Also, many of you are very close to the real story, the actual plot I mean. So good job.
Borrahae.
Saranghae.
If life is hard, say : Kwenchana! Kwenchana!
And take care!