episode_0017

It was late February.

There were only three days left until the high school entrance ceremony.

It was a Sunday morning and it would have been quiet at this time, but everyone in my family, including me, was busy.

The reason is simple.

This is because my parents’ appointment to the U.S. Embassy, which was scheduled for sometime in March, has been moved up much earlier than expected, so they have to leave the country on a plane two hours from now.

“Honey, didn’t I miss anything? Did you take your passport, ID card, etc.?”

“I took everything. Grace and you? Check to see if there’s anything you didn’t pack.”

“I have my passport, ID card, wallet, and cell phone… . Uh, where is my phone?”

“Here, Mom. He put it on the sofa in the living room and just left.”

“Ah, thank you~ After all, there is only our universe~”

My mom, who said she was going to America in a little while and was probably already using English, answered the phone and said “thank you” instead of saying “thank you.”

My mom took her cell phone, put it in a pouch around her chest, and gently pulled the cord and said to me.

“But Woojoo, are you really okay? Do you want to go to America with Mom and Dad right now?”

“Eunhye, is that sound again? That story is already over.”

It was difficult to answer, so I was thinking about what to say, but my dad interrupted me.

Mom pursed her lips.

“Even though it’s over, you can ask questions, right? And you never know. The universe’s mind must have changed and wanted to follow us. Isn’t that right, universe?”

“Son, please understand. Your mom is a bit persistent. He doesn’t listen well even when people talk to him, he only says what he wants to say, and his range is so wide… . Ah, ah!”

“… … Are you going to keep saying strange things in front of our universe?”

“Ah, ah… ! Surrender, surrender! Eunhye, if you pull on it, the flesh will sag… !”

Even though you two are older, you still look the same.

Although I felt that the fight between two people of the same age, who were about to enter their 40s, was a bit childish.

It makes me sad to think that I won’t be able to see anything like this for at least a year after my mom and dad leave for the United States.

I am also old, and staying in Korea was a choice of my own, so I am not saying that I am sad or that I hate living away from my mom and dad. What should I say? Well, should I say it’s disappointing… … ?

Well, actually, if it wasn’t disappointing, it would be even weirder. We weren’t an isolated family, and we were very close to each other, so we played together as a family at least once a month.

‘… … That too will be over for the time being.’

“Our universe, come here.”

The moment I was immersed in new emotions, I heard my mother’s voice calling me.

Mom, who had already let go of Dad’s collar, was lightly spreading her arms out in front of her.

“… … Why?”

“Why? It’s because mom wants to hug our universe once.”

Mom is waving her fingers as if telling me to come and hug her.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t had direct skinship with my parents since I became a middle school student, but I couldn’t approach them quickly and hesitated a bit.

Then, my dad, who was standing next to me, laughed.

“Woojoo, the mother said she wanted to hug her son. Go and give me a big hug.”

“Uh, um… .”

“Why don’t you want to do it? Is it embarrassing to hug you now that you’re a little older?”

“No, it’s not something to be ashamed of… .”

It’s a new experience because I’m trying to do something I’ve never done before.

“If you’re not embarrassed, I’ll hug you. You still don’t know, right? Will this be the last hug between mother and son?”

“Wait a minute, why is it the last hug?”

“No one knows what will happen next, right? You could get on a plane and get hijacked, or you could get attacked by a terrorist attack when you arrive at the U.S. embassy. Otherwise, you’re driving and there’s a sudden car accident… … . Billion!”

“Hey, Joo Won! Mouth, mouth! Really, I told you to watch that mouth?!”

“… … .”

I don’t know anything else, but I know this one thing. The reason I sometimes make mistakes is 100% due to my father’s influence.

“There’s nothing you can’t say in front of your own son, not just someone else! Joo Joo-won, you really made me… today. !”

“Mom.”

Before the two of them could argue again, I took a step closer, stretched out my arms, and gently hugged my mom.

“Always take care of yourself, and contact us immediately if anything happens. Because I will go there.”

“… … What can a 17-year-old kid do by coming all the way to America?”

Although she spoke a little bluntly, her mood seemed to have calmed down and she gently hugged me.

Our mother and son held each other for about 5 seconds, then fell slightly.

“Still, thank you for your words. Our universe, is it really all grown up now?”

“It’s thanks to my mom and dad raising me well, well.”

“… … Oh my, how. How does our universe speak beautifully? It’s surprising because you’re so different from your dad, boy.”

My mother looked up at me as if to say, ‘I raised a son well~?’

Although it was a compliment, it was too much of an affirmation, so I just smiled at him, and my dad, who had been silent next to me, cleared his throat and came over to me.

“Son, let’s give dad a hug too.”

“Ah, yes.”

I was held in the arms of my dad, who was about half a head taller than me and was almost 190 cm tall.

Unlike my mother’s soft embrace, my father’s entire body was hard and muscular, and it was a bit difficult to hug him, but I held him quietly as best as I could without making a show of it.

“Son, can you get along well without mom and dad?”

“Yes, don’t worry. Even if the two of you are not around, I will lead a regular life.”

“Okay, Dad, I’ll just trust my son and go.”

Just as my father who hugged me said, it was now time for the two of you to leave.

In order to board a plane, you have to go through quite complicated procedures at the airport, and something unexpected may happen, so it is better to arrive in advance.

“Would you like me to take you to the airport?”

“Oh, do you want to? Woojoo, shall we go to the airport with mom and dad?”

“No, just stay home. Even if you take a taxi to get there, the problem is when you get there. If you get there by mistake, you have to sit there for over an hour waiting for the bus.”

“Why do you take the bus? Just take a taxi and send it away.”

“Do you take a taxi knowing how far it is? It costs 20,000 won one way, and with that money, Woo-joo will just buy chicken for himself. Don’t talk nonsense, just go.”

“Ah, Joo Joo-won is really annoying… . Wooju, I’m going to mom. Stay healthy and I’ll call you once a week to say hello, so make sure you answer, okay?”

“Um, yes… .”

Mom, who was cutely annoyed at Dad, opened the front door and went out first.

I was standing a little away and quietly watching my mother’s back.

“… … By the way, son?”

My father took a quick look at my mother who had left and quickly came towards me.

“Now, take it.”

“Uh, what is this?”

“Dad’s credit card.”

“Credit card… ?”

Why are you giving this to me?

When I asked just by looking at him, Dad frowned at the corner of his eye.

“Mom will pay for living expenses every month, but actually, food expenses alone will cost quite a lot. Then you won’t have much left over, but since you’re a high school student now, you’ll have a lot of money to spend here and there.”

“Oh, that’s right… .”

“So, if you want to buy something, use Dad’s card. If you need pocket money, let me know separately. Because dad will send it to mom secretly.”

“… … !”

Ah, that’s what this card meant… … !

Only then did I realize my father’s feelings and accepted the card with slightly trembling hands.

“Thank you, Dad. No, father… … !”

──Honey, what are you doing there if you can’t come out?

“Your mom is calling. Then, Dad, I’ll leave. Don’t tell Mom that Dad gave you the card. You know?”

“Yes, I will never tell you!”

“Yes, study hard. Even without mom and dad… .”

──Joo Si-won, what are you doing without coming out~?!

“Ah, okay. I’m going, I’m going!”

My father, who gave me the card, opens the front door and goes outside.

Next, beep beep-. thud.

The front door that had been opened was closed.

“… … .”

I lowered my gaze.

There is a card in my hand.

A blunt card with a pitch black surface and gold leaf embroidery that my father gave to me without my mother knowing.

‘This is what I only heard about… … .’

Is it Mom’s card or Dad’s card?

My mom isn’t generous with spending money, so I’ve only received pocket money and never received a credit card. When I received it in person like this, I felt reassured and enriched just by holding it.

This is why kids play their parents’ cards.

I went straight up to the second floor, put my dad’s card in my wallet, and placed it on the desk as if I were holding a ceremonial urn.

And while I was just thinking about what to do with this card, a thought occurred to me and I stopped.

‘You shouldn’t use it too harshly… ?’

Didn’t Dad give me the card because he trusted me?

“… … .”

When I thought about it again, it really was true.

My dad probably didn’t give me the card so I could use it however I wanted, so I told him to try to solve the problem within my living expenses as much as possible and only use the card if I couldn’t figure it out. It must have been handed to me as some kind of last bastion.

So, it is right to exercise restraint in order not to disappoint my father who trusted me.

‘… … Yes, that’s right.’

Let’s not get excited and waste money.

After coming to that conclusion, I sat down on the chair in front of the desk.

Just a little while ago, the whole house was so noisy that you could hear mom and dad talking up to the second floor, but after the two of them left, the house became completely quiet.

“Umm… .”

What should I do now?

I finished all the homework that teacher Kim Yuna gave me yesterday, and of course there is no school homework. This is the peak period right before becoming a freshman in high school.

“Should we play a game… .”

That thought came to my mind for a moment, but then I realized, what kind of game is this? I felt like doing this. It’s not that it’s not, but games these days aren’t very fun. It’s better to go out and talk with friends.

Otherwise, just play with Aki.

‘… … Now that I’m thinking about it, should I make a phone call?’

Even though he sleeps a lot, he would have woken up quickly by this time.

The moment I thought,

──Tiririn, tiririn!

I heard a ringtone coming from the cell phone next to my wallet.

For a moment, I realized that tigers would come if I told them to, so I quickly checked to see if the call was from Aki.

[Sender – Nam Jae-hyeon]

“… … Ah.”

It wasn’t Aki, it was Jaehyun.

Without realizing it, I pursed my lips and answered the phone.

“Hello.”

[Juju, what are you doing?]

“Just stay at home, why?”

[okay? Then let’s go to Kono, come out]

“Ah, what kind of time is Kono… .”

Just as I was about to accept, “Let’s go,” I heard Jaehyun’s words.

[This time, we decided to get together in Kono with the 1st and 2nd grade students, and the girls are also coming. So just come out]

“… … Well, how many people are coming?”

[Seven including me, eight including you.]

Wow, there are more than I thought.

No, the class size is around 20 people, but if less than half of them didn’t show up, wouldn’t that be a small number?

Anyway, I answered, glancing at the time.

“Has the appointment time been set?”

[11:30, are you coming?]

After hearing that, I looked at the clock and saw that the current time was 11 o’clock.

I don’t know where the location is, but if I were to go, I would have to start preparing right away to make it on time.

“What, there are only 30 minutes left.”

[It’s close to your house anyway, so it won’t take 10 minutes to get there, so you’ll be out, right?]

“Wait, think about it first… .”

[Oh, what are you thinking? Since you said you were just at home, it looks like you didn’t have any other plans]

“Why aren’t there any appointments? It’s a promise that suddenly appears even if it doesn’t exist.”

[What do you say, it’s okay, just come out. I’m going to tell the other kids that you’re coming, so I’m hanging up.]

“No, I didn’t say I was going yet… … .”

Tiriring-.

The phone was disconnected.

I looked at the screen in bewilderment at Jaehyun’s one-sided notification, and at that moment, the top bar started blinking and a message arrived.

I checked to see what it was, and it was a message from Jaehyun. It succinctly states [Location is here], and a map containing the meeting location for the second class of first year students is also attached.

‘They say he’ll be reckless if he just looks at me… .’

I didn’t say a word that I was going, but why did they send me a map as if I had been waiting?

My rebellious nature kicked in, so I was about to send him away by saying, “No, I’m not going, you guys can just play.”

I paused as I remembered Jaehyun’s words, ‘This time, the first and second year students were planning to gather at Kono, but the girls are also coming.’

“… … .”

No, whatever.

When I think about it again, I think it’s not a bad idea to skip out on the fact that two classes of preparatory first-year students are meeting together.

I’m not doing this because I want to see what kind of girls come to Kono.

just.

You’re curious.

What kind of friends will be in the same class as me, the 1st and 2nd year classes?

“… … Where is it?”

I quickly got up from my seat.