▎twenty-five

147 7 6
                                    

The first thing I felt once I woke up was the intense pain of my back area. I'm not used to sleeping in couches. I fixed my knotted hair and glanced at my mother.

"Isn't a bit early for you to be on your phone?" I said.

She waved her hands, "I'm just sending an email to the company. I can't ignore my responsibilities just because I fell on those stupid stairs"

I frowned. Doyoung moved from his sleep and I could tell he was awake.

"Good morning" He spoke with a tired tone.

"I'll ring you some breakfast." I pressed the button and after a few minutes, a food server came in with a bunch of healthy food all placed in a tray that he dragged around.

He placed the food on the foldable table. Mother's meal consisted of potato soup, green beans, celery and chicken.

I flashed the food server a smile, thanking him and then he left.

"What is this?" Mother scrunched her eyebrow.

"Its called food Mrs. Park" Doyoung said, shrugging mother's weird reaction.

"So how are you?" Doyoung asked me.

"Hello? earth to Eunsol?" He waved his hands in front of me and I acted like it was the first time I noticed his call.

I widened my eyes. "What? Did you say something?"

He sighed softly, shaking his head. "No, I didn't"

I rubbed my hands together and tried to avoid the awkward tension. I placed my phone inside my pocket.

"Mom, me and Doyoung will go get breakfast." I said. I grabbed my coat and my bag.

"Eunsol. Don't leave me here. I'm not really a fan of hospital food" She groaned.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Mom, its good for you."

She sighed in deafeat. "Fine. Tell Doyoung thank you for staying and helping around"

"I will!" I shouted back.

I opened the door and found Doyoung who's already outside. He shivered underneath his coat while he tried to keep himself warm.

Doyoung held a serious expression in his face and my face dropped.

"Eunsol...." A voice spoke coldly.

"I'll leave you to some time alone" Doyoung squeezed my shoulder softly and kissed my forehead. He glared at the man's back and scurried away.

"How are you still here?" I didn't mean it to sound harsh. But somehow, it kind of did.

"I heard your mom had an accident. I came to visit"

The moment our eyes locked. I felt a sensation. Hope? probably.

"Why now? After abandoning us?" I mumbled.

I'm not an idiot for realizing how he cheated many times or maybe I was because I couldn't notice it. But I know my father loves mother. certainly loved. I trust that he came for the very reason of making up for his mistakes. And it could take a lifetime to do that.

He softly pushed me away and desperately went inside the room.

I figured they needed some time alone anyways so I left.

~

Its been an hour or two since my parents talked inside the room. I anxiously waited in the lobby, biting my nails.

Doyoung left a while ago after we ate breakfast. He can be very stubborn and so he told me he will never leave.

I appreciate his reasons for staying but this is a family matter. And I don't really like the idea of dragging him with me in case this doesn't go well.

But I hope it does.

I swiped my fingerprint on my phone and decided to distract myself. I had a few messages from the boys. But my phone can't barely survive Jungwoo's spams.

Hari
Hope your dear mother is doing fine! Hoping for the fast recovery!

I smiled at Hari's message and I was ready to reply when the door swung open revealing my father.

"Can the three of us talk?" He whispered. His eyes are seemingly red and puffy from crying.

I nodded, following behind him.

My mother wiped her tears away and smiled tightly. My heart ached seeing them in pain.

Father sat in the couch while I sat between the both of them. Mother tucked her blanket and cleared her throat.

"Eunsol, I'm sorry but this will never work out" Mother said.

"He did it too many times to call it a mistake." Mother said. She looked at me with sympathetic eyes and I intertwined our fingers.

"You were aware of your doings, you were aware to the fact that it would tear us apart. But that wasn't enough reasons for you to stop." She addressed it to father and he lowered his gaze.

All I did was watch their exchange as tears brimmed my eyes. I wiped my tears but new ones were still forming.

"Next to destroying this family. I can't fully tell if you're the only one to blame" Mother sobbed.

I glanced at her. She was close to having another batch of salty tears, just like I was. Father stood tall and never cried. But I know he's hurting.

"Because I never had time for you....

while you were out in a bar somewhere in the streets. I was always in my office because all I think about is work. I always go to meetings, I stay up late at the company, I go to business trips and when I get home. I can't even spend some time for you" Mother whimpered.

"This would never have worked out. We're just two broken people. Rich but pathetic. One is a selfish career woman and the other is a drunkard cheater." Mother said in a playful way.

"Eunsol," Father spoke and our eyes locked.

"You're still 18 years old. The reason you should be crying is because you got rejected, not because your parents are divorced."

I gulped, remembering the thought. Been through that, done that.

"I never questioned your love for books but go explore the world and spend a lot of time with your friends. Don't stay locked in your room." He said. "Just a fatherly advise from your not so good father...

don't make the same mistakes we did."

Father pulled me in a tight embrace and kissed the back of my head. "I love you so much. Don't forget that. Apologizing won't do anything at this point but I'm sorry."

"We're sorry you had to get through this."

Thanks for reading🍁

NA YUTA 。feelingsWhere stories live. Discover now