Mina drove again and they entered the Gangneung area at 1 pm. Chaeyoung then set her mother's address to the Maps and Mina followed the instruction. They headed to Jeongdongjin station. Chaeyoung's uncle said that the house will be a kilometer away from the station.
Jeongdongjin station was really beautiful, located just beside the beach. But of course, there's no one near the beach now since it's 7 degrees cold. Mina then drove slowly to an alley. And the GPS made a sign to stop at this one particular home.
It's a big lovely home inside the forest, there is no other house aside from this house.
They stop and park the car just outside the gate.
Chaeyoung then once again took a deep breath again.
"You ready?" Mina asked.
Chaeyoung nods.
They both got off from the car. Chaeyoung takes a peek inside the house while holding the green door. But then the door is open by herself. It's unlocked.
She looks at Mina. Mina gives her nods.
They come inside the house, stand in front of the garden, head towards the door.
"Excuse me?" Some guy then appears from the garden, Chaeyoung and Mina didn't see him.
Chaeyoung looks at the guy.
The big guy then drops his gardening tools and his jaw drops as well.
"Son Chaeyoung!"
Chaeyoung doesn't know him, Chaeyoung doesn't even recognize him. But the guy is now hugging her tightly after throwing off his glove, so tight, Chaeyoung couldn't breathe.
"Oh my goodness, look at you! Son Chaeyoung!" Said the man while holding Chaeyoung's shoulder.
Then a minute after, it does feel like when someone you expected appears in the movie. The world and your surroundings moving so slowly, a woman appears from inside the house, another woman pushing her chair, with an oxygen tube on the back of the wheelchair. The older woman is wearing an oxygen hose and sits by the chair. The woman smiled towards Chaeyoung.
"My baby.............." She said it so softly, almost like a whisper.
It gave Chaeyoung a big big hole inside her heart. The last time she saw her mom was when she was 7 years old. Even though she didn't know anything back then, she remembered vividly how her mother packed her bag and left her. And when the night came, she cried so badly, there was no one comforting her. She was in her room alone. Chaeyoung still remembers that her mother is a damn fine woman, she married a Son heir. Of course, she must be really beautiful. All the images around her head have vanished, instead, she's looking at this woman who can barely breathe or even walk by herself. Her head is covered with a bennie, and she's wearing an oversize coat compared to her thin body.
But it doesn't make her any less guilty in Chaeyoung's eyes.
Seeing her bringing back a lot of memories.
Chaeyoung doesn't have to ask who that woman is. Though she looks different than what Chaeyoung imagines, her eyes, Chaeyoung would never forget those eyes. When Chaeyoung begged her mother not to go, using all her body to clung at her feet, she looked at her mother in the eyes, but her mother avoided her and even pushed her.
Chaeyoung clenched her fist tight while looking at the ground.
Without saying a word she exited the door. Mina followed her.
Her uncle calls for her as well. But she walks even faster to the car.
"Give me the key"
Mina follows her commands. Chaeyoung took the driver seat, Mina then joined her immediately.
Chaeyoung steps on the accelerator and makes a fast ride.
Mina was scared of this behavior and asked Chaeyoung to stop repeatedly. Chaeyoung wasn't on her right mind and she drove the car so fast.
"Chaeyoung, stop. Stop the car!"
Chaeyoung didn't want to hear her.
"SON CHAEYOUNG PULLOVER! IF YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, DON'T LET ME DIE WITH YOU, YA!"
Chaeyoung then pulls over. The car almost fell into a rice field just beside the.
She's out of breath, she rested her head to the steering wheel. She even hit her head too many times with the steering wheel out of rage.
She gets out of the car, and just pacing back and forth biting her clenched fist. Still out of breath.
"Chaeyoung-ah..............." Mina gets up from the car as well, Mina softy calls for her.
Chaeyoung looked in her direction and she just broke in tears. Mina immediately goes to her and hugs her. Hug her tight.
Chaeyoung cries on Mina's shoulder, she cries badly.
"I can't see her Mina. She's just..................." Chaeyoung can't continue her sentence but cries instead.
"You don't have to meet her if you're not ready, don't push yourself"
Chaeyoung shook her head. Mina could only calm her down by rubbing her back.
"But we're here already. All you want to hear is the answer, right? You can find the answer now, Chaeyoung-ah" Mina comforted her.
Chaeyoung nods. "I know"
"But, we could also head back to Seoul as well, if you wanted to. It's up to you"
Chaeyoung shook her head again.
"No, I don't want to waste my time. I already see her, I just........., I just don't wanna cry when I see her, she doesn't deserve my tears"
"Okay then, you can calm yourself down first. Let's go somewhere for a while first, calm your head down, then we can decide from there"
Mina then took the wheels again and drove her to the beach to calm her down. Even though it was so cold, it's always a good time to see the sea from up close.
Mina took her to the closest beach, Jeongdongjin. She let Chaeyoung wander alone to the seaside on her watch. Chaeyoung tightens her jacket wraps around her body while walking to the shoreline.
Her mind is a mess right now. She wanted closure, that's all she wanted. But she's also afraid to know the truth, she isn't ready yet. She was never ready, to be honest. So many what-ifs inside her mind right now. And her biggest fear is, what if her mother meant it when she abandoned her 2 children.
What if.
Chaeyoung then opens her cellphone and scrolls her blocked contacts. She unblocked it and called the number. She's full of hesitation right now, but she needs to do it, she can avoid this anymore.
"Samcheon, I am at Jeongdongjin, let's talk now"
And she just hung up the phone like that.
Mina only looked at her from afar. It was never easy looking at Chaeyoung when she's sad like this. And the only thing that could make her break down like this is always her family.
Mina and Chaeyoung wait at the coffee shop just beside the beach, they sit by the window, facing the beach. Chaeyoung didn't say a word ever since they got into the coffee shop, she could only look outside.
Mina looks at the front door too many times, so she could identify Chaeyoung's uncle once he's here.
Mina then waves her hand, signaling him to come close.
"I will leave you two, okay?" Mina is about to leave Chaeyoung, but she grabs Mina's hand.
"No, stay here. Please" Chaeyoung asks Mina to stay with her and sit beside her.
Chaeyoung's uncle approaches closer.
"Chaeyoung-ah?" Her uncle calls for her, Chaeyoung and Mina both stand up and bow to him.
Her uncle then sits in front of them.
It's an awkward silence between them.
Mina broke the conversation.
"You want to order first then? Mr..........?"
"Ah I am sorry, I am Jeon Kwon, Chaeyoung's uncle"
"Oh nice to meet you, Mr. Jeon, I am Mina, Chaeyoung's friend"
"Let's cut to the chase Samcheon" Chaeyoung starts to talk.
Mina and her uncle are now looking at her who's now staring deeply at her uncle.
"What does she want from me?" Chaeyoung shot the question.
"She........... just wanted to see you and Jisung"
"After all this time, huh?"
"Your mother.................She........."
"How many months has she got left?" Chaeyoung seems to understand that her mother is ill, looking at her wearing life support like that.
"Chaeyoung-ah!" Mina then scolds her for being so rude.
Her uncle lost for words. He wanted to say something, but no words came out.
"Your mother has been battling with pancreatic cancer for the past years. The doctor is already giving up on her" Her Uncle struggling to find words, fighting his tears.
"I beg you Chaeyoung, just..........just meet her once. Please, please. She needs to see you before it's too late" Her uncle asks her while holding both hands. Feels like Chaeyoung is his last hope.
Chaeyoung takes a deep breath.
She went this far to answer some questions. It's too late to go back to sleep. It will be wasted if she doesn't use this precious time properly. Besides, she needs to move on. Chaeyoung is already tired of having hatred toward her parents all her life. It's time for her to free herself from the pain.
Without saying a word Chaeyoung just goes from their table to outside, she's just standing there facing the beach again.
Mina then excuses herself to follow her.
"Chaeng-ah, you don't have to push yourself, seriously. You don't have to do it now, you can give yourself time"
"I don't have much time left, Minari"
Mina then joins Chaeyoung, leaning at the bar.
Mina takes a deep breath.
"We both know how bad it was to live in regret and guilt, right?"
Chaeyoung looks at Mina.
"We're not young anymore, let's face that. If I could make a list of things that I regretted, I think I could become a novelist after. I had so many. But if I have a chance to repair things in the past, honestly I would certainly do that"
"Minari........."
"You have your chance here Chaeyoung, just saying. A chance that you know, it could affect your whole life, piece by piece you could organize your life back, living the life you imagined"
Chaeyoung takes a deep breath once again.
She nods and buries her head while leaning against the bar.
"Will you drive me back? Will you stay and accompany me?"
"I am here for that, Chaeyoung"
Mina then signals to her uncle that she's okay.
They took the wheel again and drove to her mother's house once again.