Blue Summer

Mini Chapter 2: Joon-Woo talks about his family

My father found out about my mother's monstrous, inhuman actions when he caught her exploiting me through the camera he had installed in the new house to avoid any more disasters. That was the final straw for him. He divorced her and got her arrested for child abuse. When I saw her being taken away by the Busan police, I was overwhelmed with joy. My father went on to marry a wonderful woman. She was the most amazing person that I had met. We moved in with her in Incheon when I was eleven. We purchased a large, spacious house. It had a beautiful garden where on weekends we would have lunch. When my father would be away, my new mother would take me out for water rides in her boat. We would have a lovely time together.

Yet, in the back of my mind, the tormenting four years that I had shared with my previous mother haunted me. I had kept the fear of it, and the pain of it buried within me. That explained why I went from being naughty to so down-to-earth and polite. I feared being used like that again as a punishment for my naughty behaviour. I was never as playful as other children ever after that.

My new mother helped me recover a lot. She made me the person I am today. She will always be the only mother I ever had—a mother by heart. My new family was perfect.

When I moved to the new school, I felt nervous, and again, she, my mother, helped me navigate the new place. I will forever be grateful to her for being the best person in my life.

In this newfound life of mine, my past kept coming back at me again and again. I never told my mother I could not forget what had happened to me. I could only go and hug her when I felt scared.

When I first met Youra, I felt attracted to her. But my past kept dragging me back from her. It wasn't easy for me to tell her that I liked her. The only woman I had grown to trust was my mother. Trusting a complete stranger was hard for me. Yet I could not deny me the fact I loved her.

Misao introduced me to Youra. I had met Misao through my mother. My mother taught her German, and occasionally, Misao would visit us; she became friends with me when she introduced me to Youra. I felt hesitant to talk to her. Later, I felt embarrassed.

But my trust in Misao and her trust in Youra built my trust in her. Eventually, I had to, at some point, express my feelings. I asked Misao to help me, and I am forever grateful to her for what she did.

I told Youra about my mental trauma after we were married. She did not say anything except that I was the strongest person she had met. And then she kissed me. She was and still is lovely.