Hello Neighbor ✔

Chapter 3

“Family is like music, some high notes, some low notes, but always a beautiful song.”

"Mom, Mom, Mommhmm" I was instantly shushed as my my mom so graciously stuffed a spoon full of rice in my mouth. I took the spoon from her hands as I swallowed the whole bite. 

The instant I do, she began nagging and rambling on and on.

"Shush, I'm not letting any words come out of your mouth until you're fed. Min Hyunjae, look how skinny you are. I bet you stayed up all night studying there. What do you eat in the States anyway? I bet you never had a home cooked meal ever and...." and she kept on talking and talking. It never seems to end.

I love my mother and all the love and care she has for me but she can be quite a handful sometimes.

First, there are the little naggings of don't do this, don't do that.

Sure she trusts me to be independent and on my own but that's never stopping a mother's intuition from giving their children a large lecture which are longer and more never-ending than any lectures you'd ever take in university.

Honestly I don't mind. I've haven't been this full in so long. I really have skipped out on a lot of meals in the States but it's not like the university life has been an easy dream.

I'm glad my mom made the meals that I missed the most.

Ramen noodles ain't doing me nothing no more. 

I've been so busy eating that I haven't realized my Mom finished her rambling and was busy trying to get my attention until she lightly smacked me on the head.

I finally looked up, with the bowl of kimchi on my left hand, my chopsticks in between the fingers of my right hand, as I swallowed the piece I was chewing.

"Yah, are you not listening to me." she scolded with a little disappointment heard in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah I heard you. I know. I know." I said nonchalantly while she just rolled her eye and smiled.

"I'm just so happy you're finally home. I miss my only child in the house." she said and I just let out a small chuckle as I smiled back.

"I mean who else am I going to complain about your father to" she whispered and we both started laughing.

Just then my cousin, Nayoung, who also apparently came to visit, upon my arrival came to the dining room.

"Yeah 언니 [Unnie/Eonni], you know how many times I needed your help with homew....... I mean missed you" she corrects her sentence as she smiled innocently. I just rolled my eyes.

"What are you doing here anyways? I wasn't suppose to come back until three days later." I said while still trying to finish up my bowl.

"I always invite her" my mom chimed in. "I always miss having a young person around the house" she said while rubbing my cousin sides up and down while she just smiled even more.

"It's okay Auntie. 언니 is getting too old anyways.... Ow" I smacked her on her head after she finishes.

"Yah, I'm twenty-three. I'm only four years older than you." I stated while she rubbed her head.

"Still old to me. I'm a different generation than you." she cheekily said while sticking her tongue out.  I just sighed and shook my head slowly.