TL cheev4  •  ED pomegranad
Reed at bigbutadorabIe . bl0gsp0t . c0m

"Don't make me run errands at Suho’s again."

My mom, who was sitting on the sofa holding the remote control, turned her head. She said that she’d gone to the salon, and now her hair that barely touched her shoulder before was curly.

"Why?"

Now that I'd finally told her, I was at a loss for a proper excuse. I couldn't just say that Suho just kissed me.

"Why? Did you two really fight?"

"Yeah, we fought. So don't make me run errands. I'm not seeing him for a while."

"Why did you fight?"

"Just cause."

"You two wouldn’t fight ‘just cause’. Yeol, is it a one-sided fight again?"

"It's not."

"It is. That's how you two fight every time. And Suho always apologized first."

Mom only saw Suho's side, who in front of her seemed obedient and was always tailing me. I was the only one who knew what he had done to me.

I wonder, how she would react if she heard that her ‘son' had forced a kiss on me \because of my ex-girlfriend? I guess Mom would just take it as a joke and laugh it off. Because even to me, it sounded like a joke. Yes, I hope it's a joke.

"Suho is a good boy."

I shivered. Mom had no idea how her darling ‘I wish he was my son’ Choi Suho had said that he loved me, and that he wanted me to be his boyfriend.

"Hurry up and make up. Don't make Suho suffer."

"Is Choi Suho actually your real son?"

"I wish he was, dear."

'I wish Suho was my kid.'

Mom had said that too many times. It wasn't just because she liked him, but because my parents were the kind of people who couldn't stand by and watch miserable children suffer.

"Suho looks very busy these days and doesn't seem to be eating well. It must be hard for him to be working in the entertainment industry at such a young age. You're the one who has nothing to worry about. What kind of friend are you? And you're already 20 years old, how can you fight like a little kid?"

Unlike the seven-year-old Choi Suho, the current Choi Suho has grown up to surpass me. But, in my mom's eyes, Choi Suho was still that timid kid who always kept his head down. Yeah, I remembered how his expressionless porcelain-doll-like face was often hidden because he walked with his head down. And how his thin and small figure often made me worried that I would break him if I held him too strongly.

Little Suho also cried easily. Even more so when he wasn't with me.

'My mom called yesterday.'

Choi Suho's subdued voice echoed in my ears. Oh, why must his voice always pop up in my head?

"...But I really can't handle him this time."

"You're being too expensive. I'm afraid you're really not your father's son."

"It's because mom doesn't know anything. I've just always been trying to be patient."

"But Yeol, I think Suho is having a hard time because of you."

Heh, he's really good at attracting people's attention.

I stood up, my Mother's eyes following me.

"Are you upset? Where are you going?"

"My room to work out."

"Your Dad and Hyungi said they brought crabs home. Come sit, they're probably almost here."

My mother tapped on the sofa cushion next to her, so I moved back a few steps and plopped my ass back down. Oh, how rare a boy as obedient as me is these days.

"Crab? Why all of a sudden?"

"Coach Cheon's gift."

"Coach Cheon?"

He was my brother's coach from his days as an amateur to those as a professional. A teacher who taught both my brother and Iso many things. But sadly, our situation was a bit complicated now.

"Yeah, I heard he talked about you too."

I learned a lot under Coach Cheon any time I had a match. It was a lot of fun. However, since the university entrance test was fast approaching, my mom made me break it up even though I was preparing for an important match.

"Yeol, did you really quit boxing?"

Mom, who was silent for a moment, suddenly asked. I flinched at the question.

"What are you talking about? I trained today."

"It's okay as long it's just a hobby." My Mother said, "Are you sure you don't have any regrets now?"

"If I said I still wanted to do it, will you start crying again?"

"Of course, I'll cry."

Before graduation, my mom cried when I said I couldn't give up boxing. Like a lot. And not just her. Hyung and Dad did too.

"I don't want to see my two boys disfigured."

Until a year and a half ago, my brother was a promising professional boxer. I was sure he would win in the middleweight match as the Rookie of the Year. No one had any doubt about that.

But my brother didn't come back with a  championship belt. Halfway through the round, his opponent didn't even get a hook in, but he suddenly fell down and didn’tget up.

It was a cerebral hemorrhage. It had been half a year since he was released from the surgery ward, but one of his legs had still not fully recovered and he was almost completely blind in one eye. His ophthalmologist said lenses or glasses were useless since it was caused by abnormalities in the brain.

When my brother was diagnosed with a fifth-degree disability, my Mother cried as if her whole world had crumbled.

"Why are you picking on people again all of a sudden, Mrs. Park? Do you want me to be a professional?"

"I'll cry a lot."

"But I'm really good at it."

"What's the point of being good at hitting people?"

When my brother was hospitalized, mom grew to hate martial arts. Of course, the one she hated the most was boxing. It was a miracle that I still got permission to do it as a hobby. And the only reason she even let me was becauseI did it in my brother's gym.

"I should have stopped him right away when your brother said he took an interest in boxing. You and Jin should have just continued doing Judo. Your brother wouldn't have had to suffer then..."

"Mom."

"Every time I see Jin having to go to the hospital for a check-up, I―"

"I won't do it," I said, cutting her off. "I'm not doing boxing anymore. Don't worry, I won't fall for it even if Coach Cheon comes by himself and asks me."

But, I did not know what should I do now.

Mom looked at me with wet eyes. The tip of her nose was red. Her new hair style was fluttering under her ears. She used to be much more stylish than this. But recently, she was too busy grieving and taking care of my sick brother. She’d just decide to start going to a hair salon again. She was also much thinner than she was before.

"Mrs. Park looks ugly when she cries."

"Yeol, I think you should get your eyes checked. Your Dad said I'm prettier when I cry."

"Alright, alright. Let's just pretend he's right."

Leaning on mother's shoulder, I thought of the distant days ahead of me.

What should I do about the future that I thought was so bright, but suddenly had turned pitch black?

"I think it's your brother," said my Mother, hearing a clacking noise at the front door.

"I'll go check," I said getting up from mom's side and  steppingtowards the front door and opening it without any second thought.

I froze.

Across the threshold, three people I knew very well stood. Among them, one looked particularly conspicuous because of his pretty face.

"Choi Suho?"

How come he showed up here with that face? But this guy was smiling despite seeing my unhappiness.





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