The Cure

5.

"Mom.. Please.. Stop.."

It had been a few days already.

Mom's not showing any good progress. Instead, she's getting.. worse.

Il Han stood infront of Mom, trying to stop her from hitting me.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" she yelled and pushed Il Han to the side and started hitting me again, hard.

"How dare you.. HOW DARE YOU MEET HIM?!" Mom yelled furiously. "It was an accident.. I never planned to meet him, Mom please, trust me" I begged.

~ flashback to two days ago, after school//

I walked to a nearby cafe to buy a coffee. I already had so many homeworks due in a few days and I knew that I would have to stay up tonight to finish it in time.

"Thank you, please come again" the cashier said and gave my balance. "Thank you" I said, took my coffee and turned around towards the door.

Before I could open it, the door swung open and a man walked inside. A man and his family. I froze. As I was completely dumbfounded there, the man was laughing with his wife.

He turned to my direction and stopped at his tracks immediately. "Il Min - ah.." he started. 'Dad'. I wanted to say that word badly but I couldn't. How can I say it when I'm just a stranger to his kids standing right behind him?

"Who is she, daddy?" his daughter spoke. To be exact, she's my little step sister. Dad couldn't say anything. "I'm just an old friend" I answered. "Oh.. Nice to meet you!" she said and giggled.

"You guys should go and sit first. I'll come later" Dad said to his silent wife behind him. She only nodded and walked away, leaving me alone with him.

"Il Min - ah.." 

"What a coincidence, right?" I fake chuckled to myself. Who am I joking?

"Is everything okay.. I mean, your new life now" he said.

I wanted to say that I was happy. I was grateful. I was living happily with Mom and Il Han.. Even without him. I wanted to. But then I'll be lying to myself. Mom's a mess, Il Han.. He seems as if he's lost in his own dream. What am I supposed to answer? We can't do this without you, Dad.

"It was fine.. I moved to a new school, made new friends.." I said, forcing a smile.

"Ah.. Good for you"  he said.

"You seem to be really happy.. Even without us" I said,my voice a little bitter.

"The past is now the past, Il Min - ah.. I'm sure you'll do great even without me" he said.

Just then, the thought came to me. 

"Can I.. have a hug?" I asked.

He seems to be a little surprised at first but then covers it with a warm smile.

"Sure, why not?" he said and pulled me in for a hug.

It was only for a few seconds and I wished it stayed longer. I wished that the time could stop. Believe it or not, I missed him. I missed our family. I missed.. The past, that will never come back.

Suddenly, the door swung open and someone pulled my hand from his arms. "M - Mom.." I stuttered.

"How dare you hug my daughter?!" Mom yelled, causing a scene at the cafe. "Hye In, calm down" Dad said, looking at my surprised reaction. "You! How.. How can you still meet him?! After all that we went through, you still love him?! You still think he's your Dad?!" Mom yelled to my face.

"Mom.." I said, tears streaming down my cheeks. "But he is my Dad. I won't be here without him." I said, still crying infront of everyone.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she yelled and slapped me in the face. At that moment, my patience was gone. "IS ALL OF THIS MY FAULT?!" I yelled to her.

Both of them stopped moving immediately, but Mom still won't let go of my hands. Everyone laid their eyes on us. "Did you guys divorce because of me?! Had I been troubling you guys?! Whether I liked it or not, you guys still got divorced and left me no choice! And then what?! I had to move to a new place and I have to adapt to new things in such a small amount of time! And what? Is that my fault?! IS IT?!" I yelled, still crying.

"You guys were selfish. Both of you." I cried, my voice now getting lower. "Il Min - ah" Dad started. "Shut up. You have no right to speak to her" Mom said, took my hand and left the cafe.

As both of us walked away from the scene, I glanced back to Dad. He was still standing there, his face full of.. guilt.

'I'm sorry.. Dad' I thought and let myself being pulled away from a source of happiness.

~ end of flashback//

"You hugged him and said that was a coincidence?! REALLY?!" she yelled furiously. I couldn't say anything more. At this point, everything was completely pointless for me.

Everything that I would say won't change her mind that I met him. That I hugged him. That I was happy. Nothing. This time, I didn't want to open my mouth, I want to just let myself be like this. My life.. Was an endless pain.

After awhile, she stopped beating me. "If I ever saw you with him again, you'll feel something worse than this" she said and left the house.

I was laying on the floor, weak. "Sis" Il Han came and sat infront of me, putting my helpless body on his lap. "I'm sorry" he said slowly, tears going down his cheeks too.

"No, I'm sorry.. I should've told you that I met Dad. He made you happy once too" I said, now crying slowly too.

Please, don't take away Il Han's happiness too. I just wanted him to be happy, the least. Seeing him happy would make me happy. So please, let all this stop. For him.

Saranghae, Il Han - ah.