The Ashes of Stars

Chapter 3: Hyuna

When my dad left us, he didn't take anything but his wallet, his phone, and a few beer bottles. That was all he had on him when my mom left her nail marks on his face. Now I was beginning to wonder if things would have been different if he had taken the world's most annoying parasite along with him.

 Hyunjun is 12 years old, 5th grade in korean elementary, and is possibly the reason behind my shortened lifespan due to chronic stress. Take one look at him, and you can tell he was born to do the job. With a mischievous grin and a mouthful of swear words, he was the soul-sucking devil of my life. His one desperate goal was to annoy me an early grave. It was impossible to stay in the same room with him and start a full-blown fight.

 When I returned home after a horrifically drastic movie full of chainsaws and screaming teenagers, I found him sitting in front of the TV, scattering potato chips everywhere. The TV featured Spongebob in his pineapple house at the bottom of the ocean, screaming at the top of his high-pitched voice. Hyunjun was watching it with a blank look on his face, like a hypnotized cobra.

I waved a hand in front of his face. "I'm home." I said.

He didn't even blink. "I've noticed."

"Well aren't you going to say hi?"

"No." he said. "Hi is what you say to someone you've never met before, or to someone you wanted to see. Seeing as you're neither, I don't owe you a hi."

"It's very nice to see you too." I flopped down onto the couch and threw my legs forward. I stretched out a foot and poked Hyunjun in the back with my toe.

"Grow up, Hyunjun." I said. "You're too old for Spongebob."

"Nonsense." he replied with the wearied air of a retired general who was tired of the pestering nephews. "Nobody's too old for cartoons. Everyone knows that."

"I don't watch cartoons where towns are named after women's underwear."

"A bikini is not underwear." he shot back tartly. "If you wore a bikini to the beach, would you say you're wearing underwear?"

"We've never even been to the beach." I said, rolling my eyes. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you. I'm way too old and sophisticated to talk to babies."

Hyunjun patted my knee. "I'm glad you finally realized you've gone senile."

Before I could pounce, the front door banged open, emitting a harried looking woman with raven black hair. She kicked off her heels in a desultory manner, muttering darkly about printers and blazers. For a woman who was halfway through her forties, my mom was a very beautiful woman. There was no denying it. She had straight dark hair that reached the small of her back, big brown eyes, her complexion pale and her nose high and straight. She had a stubborn but sharp jaw, immaculate hairstyle, and a smile that could light up entire rooms. She worked for one of the biggest companies in the country, one that paid shockingly well. She earned more than enough to support both me and Hyunjun, and she prided herself with the fact that she had never been financially dependent on her ex-husband. My mom was my hero. 

 My mom had never grieved my dad's absence like most wives would, but I had seen enough of the fights to know she had her reasons. 

 My mom arched an eyebrow when she caught sight of the TV. "Spongebob?" she said in a skeptical voice. 

"Join the party, mom." said Hyunjun. "Care for some chips?"

"I can't resist carbs." she said unhappily, reaching for the bag. "I know it's going to kill me someday, but they're worth it." 

 I scooted over to the side to make room as she sprawled backwards on the couch. 

"Hey mom." I said. "I just risked getting murdered by Yerin coming home early."