✓ nostalgia | jungwon

chapter 43.

nostalgia, forty-three.
❛ alone in seoul ❜

When she was younger, Yebin remembered how the mere sight of the Jeju Airport excited her to no end. But it wasn't like that anymore.

     She shivered in the cold as they stood outside building, heaving their luggage onto a trolley. Looking up at her mother, she pleaded, "I don't want to go."

     "This is good for you, dear," was all the woman said. "You know I only want what's best for you."

Yebin gave Jeju one last glance as her mother walked to enter the airport. This wasn't how she wanted things to go. She hoped that the world would stop for a second, giving just enough time for a reason to appear and stop any of the events that would follow.

And sometimes, when you least expect it, miracles do happen.

     "Miyoung, what the fuck do you thing you're doing?"

     Yebin immediately spun around at the sound of her father's voice, which was loud and clear despite the howling midnight winds. He jogged up to them from the airport's entrance, a livid expression on his face.

     Her mother calmly turned to him. "Honey, how was your trip?"

     "Dad, what are you doing here?" Yebin asked, knowing he wasn't supposed to be back for another few days.

     "Yeori called me, crying. I booked the next flight home," He explained, before scoffing at his wife. "You think I would agree this?"

     The woman tried to reason with him. "Hajoon, the picture I sent you-"

     "I don't care about the damn picture. You're not taking away my daughter," her father spat. "Yebin, come on. We're leaving."

     Her mother shook her head. "I already booked her a ticket."

     Han Hajoon only picked up his daughter's luggage, sending a hard glare at his wife. "That shouldn't be an issue considering your new promotion. Go enjoy Seoul and spend the money you chose to leave your family for."

     The man walked off after that, and Yebin followed after one last glance at her mother, who stood completely stoic.

     "I didn't mean what I said back there." Her dad sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. "I know your mother prioritizes her career."

     For the first several minutes of the ride, it was silent, with Yebin's head leaning against the passenger seat window. The last few hours had been so exhausting, and the night wasn't even over yet.

     "But everything you said was right," Yebin answered, her eyes narrowing as she stared blankly out the window. "She always talked about getting relocated, but I didn't think she'd actually leave Yeori."

     Her father gave her a side-glance at that. "Yebin, your mom loves you too."

     Yebin looked down, fiddling with her fingers as she shook her head. "That's hard to believe."

     "I would never let her fly you to Seoul like that because I know how she acts when she's provoked. I think she reacted that way because she sees herself in you," her dad explained, only confusing Yebin more. "She met her first love when she was seventeen too, you know."

     "She ran away from home, ready to drop everything, only for the guy never to show up. He left her with nothing but the baby she had to carry alone."

     Yebin's lips parted slightly. She was well aware that Hajoon was only Yeori's biological father and not hers. She knew her mother had her as a teen, but they hadn't talked about anything more than that. Yebin never dwelled on the fact that Hajoon was just her stepfather, as she'd been calling him dad since before she could remember.

     "Is that why she hates me?" Yebin asked. "Because she had to raise me alone?"

     "Sweetheart, she doesn't hate you. There are just- certain things that rile her up. Take your halmeoni, for example," her dad said. "Even when we were newlyweds, she'd lose it whenever halmeoni brought up the topic of soulmates. I know your mother never considered me as hers. I guess she stopped believing in them when her first love left her like that."

     Yebin stayed quiet, feeling sorry. It must have been hard for her mom to see her daughter so wrapped up in the same kind of love that caused her so much pain. And now she was on a flight to Seoul, alone once more.

     "Now, it's a shame she had to go through all that but she has to realize you're not the same person. That doesn't give her the right to take her anger out on you, ever." Her dad sent her a sad smile. "Besides, I heard about what happened in Seoul, and this boy seems to like you a whole lot. When will I get to meet him, huh?"

     Yebin's eyes went wide. "You're not mad about that?"

     "Of course not, I was dating by the time I turned thirteen. Unless he tries anything with you. Then, you know." Her dad laughed, raising a threatening fist. "Anyway, it's almost two in the morning. Do you want me to drop you off at his place?"

     "Wait, what?"

     Her dad sent her an obvious glance. "I'm guessing you said your goodbyes and I think he'd be happy to know that you aren't actually leaving."

     "Oh, right," Yebin said with a light laugh, wiping the last of her tears. She was about to thank him for being the best father out there, until her mind wandered back to what he'd said earlier. "Wait, dad. How did you know about what happened in Seoul?"

     "What do you mean? I'm always in on the gossip," her dad replied, earning a raise of eyebrows from the girl. He gave in. "Alright, I heard your math teacher mention it while I was giving him a check-up at the clinic. He said he heard from his daughter."

     "Mr. Go? Why would he be talking about-" Yebin's face fell. It all made sense now. Whoever sent out that anonymous text had to be close enough to her to know her mom's number. They also needed a reason to be at Jungwon's school in the first place. Mr. Go was a teacher for both Haean and Sanheoli, so it would come to no surprise that his daughter would be there while they were.

     As for the motive against her- well, Yebin had been denying the fact that her friendship with that girl had always caused her more harm than good.

     "Dad, can we make one more stop?" Yebin asked. "Remember that house you used to drive me to for sleepovers? I just have to talk to my friend, Go Taeri."