The domestic flight from Incheon International Airport to Gwangju Airport is about an hour long. Xion's mother took him as soon as the doctors cleared him for air travel, eager to keep her promise and show him what she'd told him she would.
Xion, on the other hand, was worrying in circles over her secrecy. Was she going to show him a new house in Gwangju? Was she moving them there for good? Gwangju was so far away from Seoul, so far away from everyone else. He'd only be able to see them a few times a year at the most.
His brooding was interrupted by the landing of the plane at Gwangju Airport. There'd been an order ahead of time to get him a wheelchair to help him off the plane, seeing as his left leg was still in a restrictive cast, and the flight attendants came up quickly to ease his disembarking. Once they left the disembarking bay, Xion's mother took over pushing his wheelchair, her hands free since all their luggage had been checked in.
"Mom, when are you going to tell me what it is?"
"Soon, Dongju. Almost there."
Almost there? Did she buy us a house next to the airport..
They departed the boarding area of the airport quickly, entering the general area, where the crowd seemed to thicken. As the crowd thinned out towards the doors, a window amongst the sea of people opened up, and she stopped pushing the wheelchair.
A boy stood by the wall at the far end of the corridor, eyes scanning the crowd as if he were searching for someone, finally landing on Dongju.
His smile was like the brightest rainbow on the rainiest day.
─
In the years after Dongmyeong had died, Dongju thought a lot about his future. He'd had to grow up so fast, so much faster than he should have. He'd seen so much pain and sorrow, so much pure, pure cruelty in his life that there were days where he lost hope of ever escaping this endless winter.
I will stay, and protect Mom. I will buy a house one day, when I have money, and I will run away and I will take Mom with my and he will never hurt us again. Not like he hurt Dongmyeong.
Never again.
Knowing he'd saved his mom and himself from Jihwan was like the sun had appeared on the coldest day of winter; bringing light to his life once more, illuminating his future.
But seeing him...
The winter without end had ended. After years and years, his time in living hell was over. And so it was spring.
"Dongju, do you remember now?"
It had been five, almost six years.
But how could he forget?
Dongmyeong.
─ end. ─