Mr. Kim is kind!
01. Trauma
혜연
"Mom... If I go out to pick up Dad, will you put on an eye mask?
"...Okay, let's go. But don't go near the road, okay?"
혜연
"Yeah! Of course!"
혜연
"Oh...it's raining..."
"Hold on tight to your mom's hand so you don't fall."
Jjang, jjang, jjang,
I can see my dad walking towards me from afar.
There aren't even any streetlights here. It's all pitch black. It's scary.
혜연
"dad!"
"Oh, is that my daughter? Dad will be there soon."
Why did it happen at this hour when it seemed like there wouldn't be any traffic? Why did it have to be that hour? I don't know. It just gives me a headache.
Squeak-,,
thud,!!
혜연
"...Uh...Um...Dad..."
I just burst into tears. Because of the dark red liquid I saw on the floor. Or because I was scared.
I tugged at the hem of my mother's dress. But before I could, she ran towards my father.
A man got out of the driver's seat and made a phone call. A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived and loaded my father into the car.
Beep beep-,
Later, I got a call from home. Mom said she had to stay for a few days, so I should go to bed first. And since she had told me to, she told me to stay next door for a bit.
That was the last time I saw my parents.
엄마
"Come in"
It's warm. The whole house.
아빠
"From now on, don't worry about what others think and just relax. From today on, this is your home, Hye-yeon."
엄마
"Oh, right, Taehyung-"
Knock, knock, knock,
As the sound of slippers drawing nearer, a boy emerged into the living room. He looked a bit like my new father. I think his name was Taehyung...
엄마
"I should say hello, I'm the one who will be your little brother from today."
김태형
"Oh...hello?"
혜연
"...Yeah."
엄마
"I think it's because she hasn't adjusted yet. Taehyung, you have to take good care of Hyeyeon because you're her older brother. Okay?"
김태형
"Yes, I will."
That's when I started living as siblings with a man named Kim Taehyung.
It was good at first. I had someone who listened to me. As time went on, things got better, and I made a lot of friends.
혜연
"Mom, when is Dad coming?"
"A little later."
혜연
"So late?"
"Dad's busy these days. Hye-yeon, you have to understand, right?"
혜연
"Pfft...I miss Dad..."
The drizzling rain is depressing. Gloomy. Lonely.
혜연
"Let's go see Dad, Mom!"
"...Okay, let's go."
I don't want to go. I shouldn't go.
혜연
"dad!"
Before I knew it, I was waving my hand at my dad.
Squeak-,, thump,!
My dad, who had been holding the plastic umbrella, disappeared from my sight again. Over and over again.
혜연
haha...
But it's just a nightmare. A nightmare that's painful because you keep facing something you can't see.
I really want to wake up from this recurring dream.
혜연
"...Please...a little...uh...uh..."