Undelivered Truth [ SACHAENG ]

Family meeting

Dwight School

Chaeyoung was in KG-A class, walking from student to student. He assigned them to draw the one thing they love and cherish the most. More than half of his students drew their mothers, fathers and siblings or pets. He didn't think much of it, not until he came across Yanan's drawing. Chaeyoung squatted next to the little boy and watched him focus on his drawing.

"Yanan?" Chaeyoung called, staring at the younger's small face. "What are you drawing?"

Yanan looked down to his paper, reviewing his work that consisted of two buildings and a woman and a child. "This is my mother and this is me. This here, is our house," he said as he lastly pointed to the smaller building in his drawing.

"How about your father?"

"He is here," he said, pointing at the second and much bigger building.

"Inside the building?"

Yanan nodded. "He is always busy working and he's never home."

Chaeyoung hummed and patted the kid's head in hopes to comfort him. "It's a good drawing."

The two smiled at each other. Chaeyoung hates how he favors this kid out of everyone in the class. He feels a special connection with the kid— one he can't explain. He sat down for a while and kept staring at Yanan who was still coloring his own drawing.

'He looks and acts like somebody I know,' Chaeyoung thought as he stared at the kid's overall body language.
~~

The day ended faster than the usual. Students were leaving the campus in a rush, excited to be going back home after a long week of school. Chaeyoung was waving to his students who already warmed up to him. He said goodbye to them not till his eyes caught sight of a familiar figure, sitting alone on one of the benches next to the main gate.

"Yanan? What are you doing here alone?" Chaeyoung almost panicked but Yanan just smiled at him widely.

"Hello, Mr. Jason. I am waiting for my grandfather's driver."

"Oh, you don't go by bus?" Chaeyoung asked, sitting next to the kid.

"No, my parents won't be home tonight so I'll be staying over at my grandparents' house. You know that they have horses and all kinds of other animals?" Yanan was exaggerating as he described the farm to Chaeyoung who was enjoying every second of their conversation.

"So you like animals?"

Yanan nodded excitedly, "But my mother is scared that they might hurt me. Animals are not that bad, right?"

Chaeyoung chuckled and patted Yanan's head. "Some of them are dangerous. Some aren't, but you should always listen to your mother's words."

"I always do. When my mom is mad, she becomes so scary," Yanan giggled before a guy in a black suit walked to him.

"Yanan!" The guy called out, picking the kid's backpack up, not without glaring at Chaeyoung. "Sorry for being late, sir!" The grown man bowed to Yanan, but the latter just smiled at him. This kid is too innocent to realize the dangers of being left unattended.

"It's okay," Chaeyoung spoke. "I am Yanan's teacher. Next time, make sure you're here on time! Something bad could've happened to him," Chaeyoung warned as he pinched Yanan's cheek before leaving the two, walking to his car.
~~

On the other hand, Sana was checking her phone every minute, waiting for a text from her mother about Yanan's well-being. She was sitting next to Jooheon who was leading an important gathering. While Jooheon was discussing the country's economy with one of the politicians there, she dozed off, wishing to be anywhere else but here. Being surrounded by fake people with their plastic smiles and laughs forced her to excuse herself and walk to the hall's balcony where she can be alone. Jooheon eyed her, but still kept on talking with the politician as if he wasn't paying attention to his wife.