mom
This woman is also... a mother?
"What are you doing, why don't you come and sit here?"
"Yes, Mother."
Sarah approached the woman with a slight smile.
"Where did your brother go?"
"I'm taking private lessons."
"I see. Did anything happen at school today?"
"I made a lot of new friends."
"It seems like you're adjusting well considering you had to transfer schools so suddenly."
" sure. "
"I heard something happened at school today."
"...there was a kid who ignored me."
"I guess I won?"
Sssss
"Of course. I made it so that you can never raise your head again."
The woman drank the tea with a pleased expression.
"What kind of family is our family? We are not the ones who should be ignored, but the ones who should ignore them."
"You are right."
"You must be tired. Go in and rest. I'll tell you to prepare whatever you like for dinner."
" thank you. "
Sarah smiled faintly and headed to her room.
.
.
.
.
Clank
"Whew..."
Sarah's lips lowered. Her once-smiling eyes grew cold. She began unpacking and organizing her unkempt moving boxes. Then she discovered:
"This is..."
A photo, a photo. It was a photo taken with Kim Yeo-ju and the seven others. There was a photo I'd never properly seen. I didn't want to see it.
Sarah stared intently at the photo. Everyone was smiling brightly. Those she'd hated to death, now... perhaps she missed them just a little.
Standing alone in the corner, I felt lonely. I felt as if I were alone in a different space. Was this the expression I'd been looking at them with for so long?
I guess I won't have anything to see anymore anyway...
Sarah put the photo in a drawer. Deep inside.
.
.
.
.
"Sera, what's your schedule like today?"
My brother, who had been looking depressed all day, finally spoke to me.
"I had an appointment today that got canceled. Why?"
"Today... is that day."
" ..... "
That day? What day is that? Jimin asked, bewildered by Sera's expression of ignorance.
"You know you can't forget, right? What day is today..."
He grabbed my shoulder with shaking eyes. His expression looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment, leaving me feeling embarrassed.
"Our poor mother... We should at least remember her..."
Sera is frustrated by Jimin's utterly incomprehensible words. What on earth is that woman...
"Let's go after school today."
Tiring -
{Option}
1. What are you talking about, my mom is home now.
2. Okay.
At the moment when I was wondering what to choose,
Number 2
Number 2 was chosen against my will. A voice came from somewhere... It was Sarah's voice.
also...
It really had Sarah's soul in it.
Sera, who was a little confused, started to think a lot.
.
.
.
.
After school, I followed Jimin somewhere. And where I arrived was...
The place we were going to last time... was this?
This was none other than a columbarium. I couldn't say anything. I'd said I wanted to go see my mother, but the place I arrived at was a columbarium.
"Mom, we're here."
Stop
" ah... "
Sarah's pupils fluttered. The name "Kang Ye-seul" was written in stone, and there was a pure white bottle containing ashes, a flower... a photograph, and a small box.
In the photo, a pretty woman reminiscent of a sunflower was sitting with a gentle smile.
Just looking at the photo made my heart ache and warm. Emotions I'd never felt before surged through me.
"It's been a long time, isn't it? I'm sorry."
" ...Why on earth.. "
Tears flowed from Sarah's eyes. They flowed endlessly, unstoppable. She couldn't figure out what was so sad about it. She kept feeling an inexplicable emotion. It seemed to be making her sad. Who on earth was that woman...
"Sarah... what if you cry again? I promised to only show you my smiling face..."
"My poor mom... I miss you so much, mom..."
Again, again...! My mouth moved on its own. The tears wouldn't stop. I had to keep calling the woman in the photo "mother" and weeping sadly.
"Mom, we're doing well. I think Sarah must have been a crybaby since she was little, but she's crying like this today too."
"If you cry like this just by looking at your mom... you should stop crying... haha"
I could feel Jimin holding back tears. I could see his lips trembling as he smiled.
"How are you, Mom? You should be doing well..."
Jimin said a few words and then told Sera to say whatever she wanted to say.
I wondered what right I had to speak in this situation of complicated emotions and ignorance, but Sera's scream really forced me to open my mouth.
"Mom, I miss you. I miss you so much... but I'll hold on. And don't worry about Dad, we'll protect you."
I raised the corners of my lips, which were difficult to raise.
Ring ring ring - !
" hello? "
"Come home right now."
" ..... "
" answer "
" yes "
Thump -
"That's the woman."
"Yeah... let's go now."
" ...okay. "
Sarah turned her back, taking in the woman in the photo.
.
.
.
.
Clank -
"I'm back..."
mate - !
Jimin's head turned weakly.
"You're making me mad again;;"
" ..... "
"I'm your mother, not that shameless woman!!"
"What is that...!!"
"That's right. Our mother is here now."
Sarah stopped Jimin. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
"Whew... Park Jimin. If you don't want to be compared to your sister, you'd better behave yourself."
" ..... "
" answer;; "
" yes... "
"Go in and rest."
" okay. "
Sarah sighed as the woman entered the room.
"Don't make that woman angry for no reason. You know we're the ones getting tired, so why are you doing this?"
"Why are you like that? You're the one who's the most sensitive about talking about your mother... but why do you act like you're going to forget her?"
"Haa... That's not true."
Since I didn't know anything right now, it was hard to open my mouth. What on earth was my relationship with that woman?
"You can't forget the due date."
"I haven't forgotten."
" ...okay. "
Jimin brushed his hair back and went into his room. I was left with another puzzle to piece together.
____
Today, my exams are finally over!! I'll work hard on my writing from now on. Even though I failed the exam...
I would like to express my gratitude to those who have waited!!
If there is no hand-in, the next episode...🤔