ACT 3 — SCENE 2
THEY LISTEN.
SEOJUNG'S APPETITE had become non-existent. Not even the blueberry cheesecake Taehyung got for her could bring it back and if anything, it only makes her stomach feel more queasy as the seconds tick by.
But perhaps, it's also an effect from the presence of the woman now sitting in front of her. The tense lines of her face make her look a tad older than she probably is, and only now does Seojung notice the bags adorning her almond-shaped eyes. The white nurse uniform only highlights the paleness of the woman's skin, a hue that compliments the lifelessness of her appearance. Seojung's eyes dart to the name tag that reads Kwon Hyejeong.
"Where do you want me to—"
"The beginning. Start from the beginning."
It only hit her now that she's actually scared. Of what, she's not sure of, but it must have something to do with the fact that she's finally going to get the answers she's been looking for for years, all from a stranger, a person she doesn't know she can trust or not. But there's really no other choice available since the likelihood of this woman messing with her is slim, if not non-existent. She's foolish for not having thought about the information she's about to get being ones that aren't pleasing to the ears, that would do nothing to rid her from the pain of being in the dark. But either way, anything is better than nothing.
"I met Jiwon when she was twenty," the woman starts, "she had come to the hospital for a pregnancy test. Quite young for her age then, but of course I was in no position to ask or even judge. Girls younger than her had come for the same thing before, so I wasn't really perplexed."
Twenty. Her mother had her when she was just a year older than Seojung now. She could've been doing so many things then, like focusing on university or figuring out what she wanted to do once she got out of it, but instead she was burdened with a child she was supposed to carry for nine months. It must've been hell.
Seojung feels bad.
"It was just... I don't know how it had happened but I came to grow fond of her over time. You see, I was always the one who was assigned to tend to her whenever she came for her check-ups. Her first few, she was always in a sour mood. So bitter to the nurses and never not with a scowl."
Despite her description, a faint smile is now evident on Hyejeong's face that Seojung guesses is a result of the memories playing in her head. Memories of her mother. It puts her at ease knowing that this woman was someone who her mother relied on, who Seojung assumed had given her the moral support she needed back then. She doesn't know exactly how rough her mother's life had been, but it must've been a series of hurricanes for her to give Seojung up so willingly.
"But as the months passed, I noticed a change in her attitude. She wasn't dismissive anymore. She just became... tired. She started to look like she was fed up with everything and didn't have the energy to tell any of us to piss off. I never asked her about her story. Not once. It was my job to be professional and to leave it to the patient to decide whether or not she wants to confide. But this one time where she came for her check-up without her mother or a friend, my curiosity got the best of me."
Taehyung's hand finds hers under the table, and she's left with the thought of never thinking that the feeling of her fingers interlocked with his would give her so much comfort.
"She broke down right in front of me. I didn't know what to do, so all I had done was let her cry in arms and waited until she calmed down."
It's hard for Seojung to picture her mother falling apart at the hands of a stranger when she alone doesn't even know what she looks like. The lump in her throat continues to grow as Hyejeong continues with her story, highlighting how her mother had poured everything out after that one breaking point simply because keeping it all in was starting to take a bad toll on her. Though still there by her side, Choi Jiwon had known that every single family member had been disappointed in her, and the absence of the man who she had thought loved her enough to stick around left her with nothing but herself.
Jiwon was alone. She worked two part-time jobs alongside keeping up with her classes to support herself because letting her parents provide her everything made her feel like even more of a disappointment.
Rain started to fall at some point during Hyejeong's story. Seojung was too engrossed in her mother's disastrous tale to notice the droplets of water now trickling down the window beside her. The darkened sky only adds to the somber situation, doesn't help clear the clouds that loom over her head. The sinking feeling worsens as Hyejeong gets to the part where Jiwon encounters her parents—adoptive parents—one night at the hospital. They were in the city for Hyejeong didn't get into detail, but it was how the adoption was arranged in the first place.
"My dad—"
"—was an asshole who left your mother when she needed him the most."
It was enough of an answer to make Seojung shut up. That's all she needs to know.
"It's kind of amazing how we managed to keep in touch for eighteen years, but we don't anymore. Last I heard from her was over a year ago. She told me she was going to work at a ski resort in Gangwon."
Seojung feels Taehyung's thumb rubbing circles on her on her hand. She can't express how grateful she is to have him here, doesn't know if she'll be able to process all of this as well as she's doing now.
"I know there's still a lot you want to know and I'm willing to answer any of your questions, but I might just lose my job if I don't go back now." Taking a pen from her breast pocket, Hyejeong scribbles a set of numbers down on a napkin. "Here's my number. Feel free to call me if you have anything else to ask."
"Thank you. Really," Seojung says Hyejeong gets up in a sudden rush.
"Don't worry about it. I hope you and your boyfriend have a nice day." The nurse smiles and leaves.
Taehyung asks if she's okay a few moments later to which Seojung replies with a sigh, and it's enough for him to understand that she doesn't want to talk. He doesn't press on the subject and sips on his coffee instead, leaving her to fend for herself in silence. It's all too much that the young girl can't comprehend how she feels exactly.
A mixture of delight over finally having filled the gaps and sadness over realizing that her mother's life had been rougher than she expected clouds her mind and judgment. If Jimin were here, he'd tell her to not act so frail and weak, to not sympathize so easily because the woman her heart is breaking for is the same one who didn't want her enough to keep her. The haze inside her head stays even when the couple has left the small cafe and are now standing at the bus stop, the small roof shielding them from the afternoon drizzle.
"Hey, come here," Taehyung takes her hand and pulls her in for a hug. It's unlike him to be so affectionate when they're out. Perhaps it's something about them being in a different part of town where the chances of running into someone they know are slim, but Seojung is in no place to reject his offer. She snuggles into his chest and wraps her arms around his body. "Cheer up. We got something, didn't we?"
"Out of sheer luck," she murmurs.
"So? What matters now is that we actually have new information and one step closer to finding your mom."
"You heard what the lady said." Seojung pulls away and looks up at him but keeps her arms around his waist. "Last time she heard from my mother was four months ago, working at a ski resort all the way in Gangwon. It's no use if we pay a visit and she ends up not being there anymore."
"But it wouldn't hurt to try, right? Plus, it's been a while since I've gone skiing." With a smile, he tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear with his finger. Knows he's trying to make her feel better, make her stay hopeful. "We can go on Saturday and stay the night there, even if we find her or not."
Taehyung's persistent when it comes to his plans. There's no use in arguing with him. Either way, he's going to take her to the resort whether she wants to or not. Seojung spots the bus turning around the corner.
"You let her call you my boyfriend," is what she says instead of giving Taehyung an answer. "The nurse. She called you my boyfriend and you didn't deny it. Are we—"
"I wasn't paying attention," Taehyung interrupts.
"Tae—"
"I can't wait to get home. I feel like spending the rest of the day in bed."
Changing the subject might as well be Taehyung's forte. He's mastered the art of dodging questions just as much as he's perfected his techniques of persuasion. What seems to be an advantage for him only reminds her of how tightly she is wrapped around his little finger.
There'll be a lot she's going to think about for the rest of the day, can already feel the thoughts of her mother plaguing her mind even before she's sat down on the bus. Taehyung locks his fingers with hers and doesn't let go. Seojung doesn't know if this is his way of preventing her from asking him again or if he actually wants to hold her hand. But either way, it's enough to lessen the growing pain in her chest.
a|n
hello sweethearts im not dead i mean i am because school's a fucking bitch but i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter tbh idk this chapter is so all over the place just like i am because i don't know how to get my shit together im sorry to keep yall waiting :( i have to admit i've gone a bit rusty so i apologize for any mistakes hhhh tell me your thoughts !
[q] what do you guys think will happen at the ski resort?
(a spoiler: 😦😢😔❄️😩👅💦)
love,
mara