│C h a p t e r   E i g h t e e n .

M i n s e o k

I was always told how my friends envy my family. How perfect the relationship between my parents are, and how perfect my sister is. But I don't think of it that way. I think the reason why they can say those things is because I have what they think they need. I don't think my family is perfect and all. We are just ordinary and normal. I think people just envy other people when they don't expect they can have what they desire too. Most of my friends' parents are too busy to have time with each other because of their own businesses and work. I don't understand why people envy me when I actually am wondering about why is it that Mom is always smiling. How my sister stays positive all the time, and can't my Dad felt like it's just getting too cheesy whenever he's with Mom?

People like to go and visit my mom's flower shop because not only does she provides them with beautiful flowers, they say that talking to my Mom always make everything lighter to all who visits her shop. It's like my Mom was a psychologist slash bartender who listens to people's problems and never gets tired of it.

Wondering about my family, I grew up that way. Especially when Mom was about to die. The last thing she asked for Mi Ho and me is to keep smiling. How can we do that when she's dying? I look at Mi Ho as she smiles at Mom's grave. "Hi Mom, how are you doing? I hope you're well!"

She's smiling again. It's been a week since Mom passed away and she immediately got over it quick. So easy. I felt a hand on mine as Mi Ho smiled at me. "Come Oppa, Dad must be on his way home." She gets on her bike and I stare. "What's wrong?"

"How can you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Smile just like Mom." She smiles at me and chuckled as she starts to leave ahead of me. I really don't understand. I promised Mom that I'll be strong for both Dad and Mi Ho so I tried. I managed to be strong. I managed to smile after a year after Mom died and to somehow have a will to protect Mi Ho's smile as we grow up. I think she's enjoying her life now but I learned how to distinguish her smile. I don't know if it's a good thing.

I remember when Dad was actually wondering about the same thing as I am. He said, "It was unbelievable. How Mi Ho managed to actually smile just like your Mother. She looks just like her and she managed to work on her magic just like how does it. Whenever I look at her it makes me want to smile too."

Just when we were finally doing okay, we lost our father. Mi Ho actually lost it for quite a while. She forced herself not to care about it at first but Baekhyun helped a lot. He made her realize how pained she was ever since Mom died. How much tears she kept inside her ever since that day. How she kept on putting a mask in front of us. I wonder that time, how did he managed to do what I am supposed to do?

I hated life ever since. Why do the people that I care for keep on leaving so fast? I promised that I will show Mom how I worked hard for my high school diploma but she passed away just a month before I graduated. Then came Dad, when I swore to myself that I will make him proud if I finish college. But he died even before I graduated too. Ever since, I was called the ice man because they say that I don't smile or rarely do so. Can you blame me when I can't find a reason to do so?

“Oppa?”

“Hm?” I glance at Mi Ho as she looks at me. Come to think of it, this is the first time we ate together ever since Dad passed away. We kept on missing each other.

“Baekhyun’s parents wanted to invite you for a dinner this weekend.” I freeze when I was about to take another bite.

“Why me too? I’m not acquainted with them.” She smiles and shrugged.

“I don’t know. But Mr. Byun said he wanted to meet you.”

I agreed with that dinner back then but I never know that it would change my life forever. When I first met Baekhyun’s father, I was actually nervous when I found out that he was the CEO of a huge company. I never expected such an important person to want to meet me.

“Nice to meet you, I am Baekhyun’s father.” I take his hand for a shake and bowed.

“I am deeply honored to have meet such an amazing person.” I hear a chuckle and felt a pat on my head. When I raise my head, he is smiling at me warmly.

“Indeed, you are the exact same person as how Mi Ho described you. You are awkward.” I flush in embarrassment and glared at Mi Ho. I don’t even know how she described me. “But I want you to be comfortable around me. You are Mi Ho’s brother aren’t you? I consider her like a daughter already so how about you be my son?”

Son..

I haven’t heard that in a while. I realize something in my cheek. Tears? But why? I look back to Mr. Byun ashamed so I looked away only when I felt warm fingers on my cheek. He smiled at me. “How lonely must it be for you all this time?”

That was the first time I remember that I broke into tears. Tears that I haven’t shed on the day our father died in an accident. Tears of how I felt everything was hard for Mi Ho and I because of the promise that I made that I’ll be strong for Mi Ho and me.

Ever since then, Mr. Byun provided scholarship for us both and also offered to pay for our apartment in exchange for us being a part of their family. He asked us to stay with them at their house but I think that would be taking too much from them already. We visited them during weekends when we have time. Everything was so perfect for me again. That I felt that I had a family to go home to again.

“What’s wrong Minseok?” I smile and shake my head. Mr. Byun patted my head. Baekhyun approached us and handed me a cup of juice to drink.

“Mi Ho told me that you like cola than water so.”

I smiled. “Thanks.” Baekhyun nodded and returned to where Mi Ho is. That’s when I felt it, that everything was so perfect but it won’t last long. I felt something on my head again and I see Mr. Byun chuckling.

“I can tell that you’re worrying again.”

“I can’t help it.”

He smiles warmly and tosses something to me. It’s a key. “That is the key to this house. In the future, you and Mi Ho can always visit this house. Also, I want this to be the last time that I wanted you to think about the future and stop worrying about it. The past and the future are worthless Minseok. You just have to worry about the present. The past can hurt you and the future might make you anxious. Just care about the present. It will make you feel comfortable and just enjoy life as it is okay?”

He said that to me back then so I started enjoying life as it is. But then he got sick and weak years after. And then something troubling happened to Mi Ho days after that. I felt like I don’t deserve enjoying my life when I forgot to take care of what is important to me. I let Mi Ho’s future slip right through my fingers.

»« »« »«

Months after Mr. Byun was hospitalized and the secret that Mi Ho asked me to keep, we cut ties with the Byuns which pained Mi Ho and I deeply. Mr. Byun’s words keep on echoing to my head but I don’t think I have time to worry about that now. Mi Ho is greatly depressed. I can’t even see her smile anymore. Now she just discovered that she’s pregnant after that guy touched her. I hate this. She doesn’t even remember anything.

“Mi Ho-“ I freeze seeing blood coming from afar as I enter her room. The tray slipped through my hands which made Sehun ran over to where I am. “MI HO!” I call for her name and grab her into my arms. She’s had her eyes open but her wrist is bleeding a lot. I covered his wrist with my hands as I shake. “No... Mi Ho not you too... Please...”

After that, we rushed to the hospital for her to be saved. The waiting game was a killer. I’ve been here twice already and not a single one came out alive. My hands shake as I pray to the God that I never once believed in ever since I lost my parents. But I don’t have a choice. Mi Ho was the only one that I have. If I lose her now I-

“Are you..okay?” I look up seeing a girl look at me. Who is this person?

“Yes.” I reply but she still hasn’t left.

“Um... you have blood all over. I’ll help you wash so-“

“I’m perfectly fine. Thank you.” I decline her offer.

“It’s your sister right? The one...that was rushed in earlier.”

“Yes. But it doesn’t concern you.” I look at the girl and she just smiled. Here’s another person who’s smiling. She bows and leaves. After a while I noticed that I fell asleep waiting outside the operating room as they patch together my sister’s wrist. It’s painful. But the moment that I wake up, I feel a blanket on me and my hand clean. Somebody told me that Mi Ho is okay that day. And ever since, I swore to myself that I will take care of her. Even if it’s the last thing that I’ll do.

»« »« »«

“Oppa?” I open my eyes at the voice of my sister. She smiles when I look at her. “I know you’re tired and all, but you’ll be late for work if you continue to sleep.” She chuckles and handed me my towel. “Go and take a bath. I prepared lunch already.”

How can she still smile at that state? I shrug the feeling off. I took a bath and headed to the dining table as Mi Ho asked me to do. Her stomach is beginning to show huh?

“You just have thirty minutes Oppa! Hurry up and go!”

“Oh, right.” I stand picking up my bag and headed out.

I went straight to the cafe and do my usual shift. I still have a year left before I graduate so I have to work harder than usual. There are deadlines and there’s also my part time job but I can manage somehow. I have to, or else the child that Mi Ho wanted to have won’t even make it.

“Great work!”

“Yes, you too.” I head out after finishing my shift. I stop on my tracks seeing a familiar figure. That’s the girl that talked to me at the hospital, she’s soaking. I see the rain fall heavy I even forgot my umbrella. Luckily the owner lent me one. I stare at the girl as she hugs her bag to her chest attempting to run to another shed. I am not the person who minds other people’s businesses so I am quite wondering what I am doing myself. “You’ll keep on getting wet if you continue.”

“Oh! Hello, we meet again.” Seriously, this girl and my sister are the only ones that can smile like this.

“Come with me for a while.” On my way home, Mi Ho greeted me with a huge shock on her face. “What?”

“Nothing, I was just surprised to see you with someone else.”

“Sorry for the trouble!”

She chuckles. “Oh no! Not at all. It’s just, my brother don’t bring other people with him that’s all! You can take a shower. The bathroom’s over there. I will lend you some clothes to wear.”

“Thank you!”

Well, they fit together. They are both easy going people. I head in walking to my room when I noticed Mi Ho look at me with a huge grin in on her face. “Well, you didn’t tell me that you have a girlfriend Oppa.”

“I don’t. She’s just a person I bumped into. I don’t even know who she is.”

“Still, it’s unusual for you to mind other people’s business.” I sigh changing my clothes. It’s helpless if I continue to argue with her. She heard the bathroom door open and runs back.

“Hey! It’s bad for you to run at your state Mi Ho!” I walk back to the kitchen and finished the food that she’s cooking. I smile seeing her excited to talk to someone other than Sehun. That’s great.

“Oh, you’re pregnant?” The girl asked. Mi Ho smiles. “Is it a boy? Or is it a girl?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll still be glad to have it.” The girl smiles and nodded. She looks at my direction and I looked away. Why is she being happy all of a sudden anyway?

“Oh! I haven’t asked for your name yet. I am Bae Joohyun. You?”

“Oppa, she’s asking for your name.”

“There’s no need to know. We won’t meet again anyway.”

“Oh..”

“Ugh, you’re such a grump! His Minseok, Kim Minseok.”

I glared at Mi Ho and placed the food on the table. She’s stupid for telling other people’s name just like that. “Let’s eat.” I sigh sitting on my seat. I noticed that I am being stared at. I look up and saw Joohyun smiling at me. “What’s with that idiotic face of yours?”

“Nothing, I just think that you’re a nice person after all.” I flushed and looked away. Why the hell is she saying that all of a sudden?!

“You’re blushing.” I look to my side and saw Sehun beside me.

“When did you come in?”

“I was here since you came. I was changing the sheets on Mi Ho’s bed.”

“Mm. Thank you for that.” Mi Ho smiled. He sits beside Joohyun and started eating.

“Never knew you had a girl. It surprised the hell out of me.”

“Wha- why does everybody keep on saying that?! She’s not even my friend!”

“I’m...not?” Joohyun asked teary eyed. What did I even say now?!

“Wha-“

“You’re making a girl cry Hyung.” I sigh feeling helpless and I hear a chuckle.

“This is nice, it’s been a while since I last ate dinner with other people.”

“Hm? How about your parents?” Mi Ho asked.

“I don’t have one. I was raised in an orphanage and since I wasn’t adopted and I am pass the legal age, I moved out.”

“How can you laugh about your state?” I ask.

She chuckles and takew a sip on the soup. “I’m used to it I guess. And I don’t think there would be a difference if I mope about it anymore since I cried over it when I was little already.”

»« »« »«

A lot has changed ever since I met Joohyun. I started to care for her other than my sister. Ever since then, I think I understand why there are people like my sister and Joohyun. It’s just like how my Mom used to put it when she said there’s no crying over spilled milk. That’s why she just kept on smiling because she knows that it’ll get better. After all, there’s always rainbow after the rain.

“Oh? Minseok!” Joohyun smiles as she walks to me. “Are you here to pick me up today?”

I look at her hand, as usual she has no umbrella. Of course she won’t. She always forgets to take good care of herself. Geez, I think she’s like my sister at first but she’s worse than my sister. “The rain was pouring heavy and the restaurant was on my way so I thought this would happen, you not having any umbrella.”

She chuckles and stepped in the umbrella with me. “You’re right. I forgot to watch the forecast again but I figured you’ll be coming.”

“Shut up.” She smiles. I sigh in defeat and hold her hand. The thing is, there will be people who can let the darkness in their life eat them up and there are people who will just laugh it out and just move on. But I think the point is, that’s just how life goes. Nobody knows how to do it so easily because there’s no trial run for life. So I think it’s okay to wonder about how can people still walk amidst of the hardships they go through because we’re all wondering how to live properly.

“Hm? What are you thinking about?” I shake my head and smiled. “Oh! You smiled!”

I chuckle and pat her head. “Yep. I think I learned from the best.”

UPDATE^^ anddd a Xiumin special hahaha he deserves one <3 hoped you liked it! 

- Cheonsabyul <3