Not another cinderella story

4

After returning home, Ricky took a warm bath, changed into his black silk pajamas and was comfortably reading a book in his room when his mother knocked on the door, walking inside with slow steps and sat by his side after he let her in. The boy sensed her discomfort and hesitance long before she started talking, but he dismissed it and decided to start the conversation.

"So, mom, tell me. What do you think about Jiwoong?" Ricky boy asked, closing his book and giving his mother his full attention, his hopeful eyes shining as she took a deep breath before answering, seemingly hesitating for a moment.

"He seems nice. Very polite, very handsome, as you said, and he treats you very well from what we could see tonight," she trailed, fidgeting with her hands on her lap, clearly nervous.

"Yes, he is great. I knew you would love him," he smiled wide at his mother, but his smile faltered as soon as he saw her still serious look.

"However, honey, I think you should be careful with this relationship. Maybe you should reevaluate it," her voice was cautious and she considered her words carefully as she took his hand in hers, caressing it lovingly.

Ricky furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, not understanding where his mother was coming from. He had been so sure that she would approve of Jiwoong, and her sudden caution was alarming.

"Reevaluate it? What do you mean?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I mean that you need to be careful and think things through thoroughly, there are so many things you need to consider when being with someone. This is your first serious relationship, Rui, you're no longer a kid playing around.

"What do you mean by 'so many things to consider'?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

As his mother kept silent, only looking at him, Ricky's eyes went wide in understanding and he lost all words. Would they not accept Jiwoong? He felt a mix of emotions, from disappointment to anger, to sadness. He had hoped that his mother, who had always been supportive of him, would be as thrilled as him after meeting his boyfriend and they would spend hours gushing over the handsomeness of the boy.

"Do you want me to break up with him??" The boy managed to blurt out in a whisper, pulling his hand as he scooted farther away from his mother on the bed, a fearful look on his face.

"I just... I don't think this will work out in the long run, sweetie, you are too different," she tried to touch the boy's hand again, but he pulled it away once more.

"Different? We're not different! We both like art, we both like music, we both like movies, we both like to dance! We enjoy the same things, like walking around nature or watching stupid romantic comedies and laughing about it!" He stood up, defensively, looking down at her.

"Rui, honey, these things are a little superficial. I mean, he's not exactly from our world, is he?" His mother tried to reason, still calm.

"No, they're not superficial! Those things are important to me. And what do you mean by 'our world'?" He asked in return with a frown, not sure what she meant.

"I mean, he doesn't come from the same background as us. He doesn't have the same privileges, the same opportunities. And I worry that it might not be... practical for you to pursue a relationship with him," she continued with a somewhat sad expression, avoiding Ricky's eyes.

"But we fit together, we are compatible in everything, we are perfect together!" Ricky replied, shaking his head in denial, and started pacing back and forth in his room. He felt like he was suffocating, like his whole world was crashing down around him. "And I don't care about the practicalities of it all, I care about how I feel! I love him, mom!"

"Yes, I understand how you feel... But-"

"You don't understand!!!" He cut her off, turning to face her again and slightly raising his voice to his mother, for the first time ever. "You don't!"

"Honey, I-" she tried reasoning with her son.

"No! I won't break up with him. I refuse. Do whatever you want, but I won't let go of him. You can't force me to do that,"  he cut her off again, crossing his arms in a defensive manner, as tears were slowly falling down his cheeks. "Get out of my room."

"Rui..."

"GET OUT!! NOW!!" He yelled, pointing at the door to emphasize his words.

"Shen Quanrui! Stop freaking out and listen to me! You're acting like you're five, for god's sake," she said firmly, but not raising her voice, still sitting on the bed and meeting her son's eyes. "I'm not forcing you to do anything. I would never do that. I'm sharing my opinion and advising you, as your mother and someone a little older than you, with some more experience in life. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Jiwoong would never hurt me," he mumbled defensively, while wiping his tears.

"I'm not saying he will, honey. At least not intentionally. But life is complicated, being an adult is complicated and sharing a future is complicated. You have to think about your future too. You have a lot of opportunities and advantages that he doesn't have. And being with someone who's had life experiences similar to yours is the most helpful thing to go through everything. It's not just about how you feel right now, it's about the bigger picture," she said as she stood up, stepping closer to her son.

"We are similar... and we love each other. I don't want to give up on something that could be really special," he mumbled, feeling a bit conflicted. He didn't want to let go of his feelings for Jiwoong just because of their different backgrounds.

"Okay, if that is your choice, we respect that. I was just sharing my opinion on this matter, but the final say is yours, as this is your life we are talking about. You're a grown man now, and I trust that you'll make the right decisions for yourself. We will always be here for you and support you, no matter what. Jiwoong will always be welcome in this house and we will treat him well. I just want you to be happy, and if he makes you happy, then I'll support you. We love you, always remember that." 

With that, she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her as Ricky threw himself on his bed, hugging his pillow, crying again as a mix of emotions washed over him. He knew he had a lot to think about, but he also knew that his love for Jiwoong was real and he was willing to fight for it.