143 | Chanmin

S I X

Seungmin could not stop smiling after the day that he had just had. And even though classes weren't the highlight (they never are), Bangchan had earned Seungmin's enthusiasm.

And for once, Seungmin could'nt care any less.

'I'm home' he said, closing a wooden door behind him and taking his shoes off before leaving them right beside entrance.

A photo (preserved perfectly in a golden frame of Seungmin when he was a mere baby), sat upon a small table next to the entrance, a beautiful circular mirror complementing it graciously in addition. The tiles on the floor were a pearl white and guessing from the way they shined, Seungmin guessed his mother had cleaned once more today.

No one responded back while Seungmin began to walk down the hallway in silence, not a single word said from his mouth.

'Mum...dad?' he asked, peaking around the corner of a small walk in pantry.

'Are any of you home right now?'

But it was then that Seungmin walked to the back of the kitchen that he saw a lady, one hand on her hip and the other holding a green hose with water spitting right out of it. And it was obvious from this angle, that it was none other than his beautiful mother, Minji.

'Hey mum' he said, opening the back door and making the lady turn around in surprise.

'Oh my, Seungmin. You're home already? Why did I not hear you before?' she asked, water still splashing in the same spot as before.

'Maybe because you were outside and the front door is located in the house?' Seungmin said, making the lady laugh and turn the hose off in response.

'Well then, why don't you go ahead tell me how your day went? I'll get dinner ready' she said, ushering the boy inside and leaving the hose on the floor without care, small droplets of water still pouring from the hose's head that anyone could see without needing to be up close.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

'So I made a new friend today' Seungmin said in between bites of kimbap as his mother sat across from him, a bowl of Caesar salad right out in front of her.

'Is that so?' she replied, mixing the salad around before taking a bite into a piece of chicken and egg.

'Let's hear it then'

'Well, his name is Bangchan. Oh and get this! He isn't from Korea actually, he's from Australia, Sydney I think...oh and he's really cool and happy. He really brightens up the mood whenever he steps in the room, sorta like those people who are just being them without a care. I wish I had his confidence' he replied, eating another piece of kimbap.

Something in that comment made his mother grow silent and her eyes look down in a way Seungmin could not explain. Her face was a lot less enthusiastic, and he could tell just from the way she chewed, that Seungmin had already snapped a nerve.

She's always like this.

Seungmin knows that.

Sometimes some things are best said away from her because if she does not end up liking it, you won't have an easy way out next time.

Seungmin knew that.

He just could'nt put his finger on what he had done wrong, sadly.

'...Is he...nice to you?' she asked, finally looking at Seungmin.

'He doesn't swear or say mean things to you, right?'

'Well no, if he did, then I wouldn't of mentioned him-'