𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 ‣ jjk

六十七 ; new friendly faces

day 21
9.49 am
lee haru

new friendly faces

we continue thrashing about in the snow
until our bodies are shaking from head to toe
and when jeongguk stops running
in front of a house with a pretty front garden
he stares up at it, the snowball in his hands
falling to the ground

i jog up to him and take him by the hand
"do they know you're coming back?"

he doesn't reply right away
but the answer comes in a softer voice
"yeah, they know"

i give him a smile of reassurance
"then what are you waiting for?"

seeing my smile made him smile too
and he intertwines his fingers with mine
he looks hesitant
and his feet are fidgeting uncomfortably
on the ground

why is he nervous about meeting his own family?
did something happen?

"hey" i call out again
trying hard to not let my teeth clatter as i speak
"it's gonna be fine
i think theyre gonna be very happy to see you"

and with that said
i slowly lead him pass the unlocked gate
into the front yard
and up the stairs to his front door

there are tiny christmas lights decorated on the roof
and a small cute sign on the door that says
WELCOME
with colorful candy canes on the side

he sucks in a deep breath
i push him forward and take my spot behind him
he looks back over his shoulder at me
as if launching a cry for help
but i stroke him lightly on the shoulder
and mouth a "you can do it"

he knocks
the door doesn't open until
jeongguk thinks they're not home
by a little girl that couldn't have been older than 5

upon setting her eyes on the tall figure in front of her
she gasps loudly and her gloomy face
immediately lights up as if
finally receiving her first christmas present

"eomma!" she calls
jumping around happily
her purple skirt shuffling around
"kooki oppa came back!"

there's the shuffling of feet and shouts of
"what?"
coming from inside the house
as well as the sound of
a frying pan flying to the ground

"sarang!" jeongguk says
the little girl looks back at jeongguk
and rushes to his arms
enveloping her tiny hands around him tightly

"kooki oppa came home!"
she continues to say over and over again happily

without realising it, there's a smile on my face
i've heard from people that
jeongguk only had an older brother
no one said anything about a younger sister

from inside the house emerges another figure
the woman is tall and lean
her hair tucked into a messy bun
she's wearing a pretty white blouse
and overall
she looks absolutely stunning

her eyes widen at the sight
face filled with disbelief as she rushes forward
and takes jeongguk into a hug
while sarang tugs on his coat

"thank heavens, my son came home"
she sobs into his coat
and he strokes the small of her back soothingly

i can't see the expression on jeongguk's face
but i know that he's smiling
and fighting the urge to cry as well
"eomma!
it's not like i haven't come home in years"

"but it's been so long and
we missed you so much
you don't know how much eomma has to
worry about you every single day
we haven't even stopped praying for you
and the news say nobody's seen you
so i thought that you've completely disappeared
and changed your mind about coming home"
she says without catching a breath

sarang spots me standing outside
and looks up at me with wide innocent eyes
"annyeong" she waves shyly
"what is your name?"

i muster the friendliest smile i can
"i'm haru, what's yours?"

"sarang" she replies quickly
hands on her own cheeks
she walks up towards me and says a simple
"yeoppoyo"

jeongguk chuckles and pulls away
to wipe the tears from his mother's cheeks
with the sleeve of his coat
"eomma uljima
i'm here now, i'm completely fine"

she smiles, taking jeongguk's hand
and placing it on her cheek
"you're freezing" she gasps
"let's get you inside
i was just making hot chocolate for sarang
but your brother and father just went out to
work at the office"

"eomma, eomma" sarang calls
and the woman turns around
"eomma, kooki oppa brought a girlfriend!"
i feel the familiar heat rise up to my cheeks
and i bow, clearly flustered

"eommeoni, annyeong" i say
and the woman's smile grows even wider
"i'm lee haru, and no" i chuckle
"i'm just a friend"

jeongguk laughs
"we met in suwon
and we travelled to busan together"
he explains
and for a moment there our eyes meet

"oh?" sarang tilts her head to the side
and i can't resist smiling at her cute reaction
"but you're so pretty!
kooki oppa likes you!"

"sarang!" jeongguk retorts

"annyeong, haru-ssi" jeongguk's mother says
and she rushes to my side to take my hand in hers
i'm surprised at first
no one has ever been this friendly at a first encounter

"jeongguk-ah! bring her in, she's freezing too
and please, make yourself at home
you two must've travelled a long way"
she leads me inside by the arm
telling me that she's very happy to see new faces

i can see the proud smile on jeongguk's face
out of the corner of my eye

and i think that
his mother might be even nicer than mine ever will be