Dark Horse

CH 4: What I Am

Ah...

Seeing his mother smile drop, the sliver of hope he had a minute ago died down.

That's right, why did I even hope for something..

He felt ashamed, at himself, for even thinking that there was a possibility as all the memories that were previously a blur suddenly flashed in his head, crystal clear.

"Oh it's you. "
His father's dejected voice could be heard when the man walked in, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah it's me. "

"Why did you come? You can't even send us money on time and you dare show your face here Huh??! "
His mother's words were vicious as she frowned at him.

They probably would have said something else if it wasn't me but him...

Seokjin couldn't help but compare in his mind as he looked around the house.

It was well maintained, clean, it seemed that it had been freshly painted..

Unlike the past in his memory, it seemed they had changed the living room's interior from the past.

The wall behind the couch that once had the paint falling out was a bright white right now, filled with the several photo frames hung upon it.

For some reason the woman felt tense as she stood there, she always did when it came to Seokjin.

Although her own flesh and blood, she could never ever feel a bond with him. She didn't have love to spare the kid, but neither could she bear to keep him afar.

He was useful after all.

Just one.

Seokjin thought as he looked at the pictures.

Out of those thirty big and small pictures hung up on that wall, just one.

Just one picture included his face, the old family portrait taken when he was nine..

His attention was soon taken over by the many other vibrant memories framed and hung on the wall.

Memories he weren't a part of.

So he has two kids...

They look pretty.

He carefully looked at one of picture frames of two preteen girls standing, smiling, showing peace signs.

It wasn't surprising that his attention was drawn by the pictures that were related to his brother.

His wife seems familiar...

Ah, this is the Noona he dated since high school wasn't it?

I guess he had introduced us long back..

He tried to remember as he looked at the wedding photo that hung towards the center.

The woman dressed in white was smiling at the camera while the man had his hand on her shoulder, looking at her contently.

The daughters definitely look more like Noona.

He concluded as he once again looked at another family photo of his brother.

They seem to have met up often..

He now looked at the family photo, it looked like a picnic ground, where the photo was taken.

His parents seemed to smiling wholeheartedly as they looked at the camera. He checked the date since it seemed the kids weren't born yet at that time.

The picture was taken around eleven years ago.