Chapter Text
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
Yeosang was a nervous wreck as he sat huddled on the couch with Wooyoung, waiting for his father’s press conference to start. Wooyoung’s mom and Miyoung were both in the living room as well, everyone’s eyes glued to the TV. Miyoung was monitoring the internet’s reaction to Yeosang’s post but advised Yeosang against going online for the time being. This was no problem for him as he was far too terrified of what he had just done to contend with the reality of the consequences. Miyoung had also sent the post to a few of the news outlets that were now present at the press conference. A couple of them had responded to her which gave them confirmation that at least some of the reporters covering the conference were aware of the post. The video had already gained a lot of attention online so there was a very real possibility that other reporters in the room had already gotten wind of it as well. Yeosang was relieved that the plan seemed to be going well, however the fact that his video where he bared his most vulnerable side to the world was quickly gaining traction stirred up a complex mix of emotions.
It was hard to accept that his most closely guarded secret, the one his survival instincts always told him would bring catastrophe if ever discovered, was now circulating on the internet and completely out of his control. No matter how necessary it was in bringing his father down, Yeosang wished he didn’t have to share his most painful experience with millions of strangers. It was hard enough for him to open up about his struggles with his most trusted friends. Nonetheless, what’s done is done. There was no taking back what he did. All he could do was hope that his friends were telling the truth when they told him that they would be there no matter what.
Wooyoung held as tight as he dared to his shaking friend. The past couple hours were spent trying to keep his best friend from completely spiraling. As soon as the video was recorded, Yeosang shut himself in Wooyoung’s room where Wooyoung had to coax him down from a full-blown panic attack. It wasn’t until Wooyoung saw the direct aftermath of Yeosang finally blowing the whistle on his father that he realized just how much mental and emotional damage his best friend had suffered right under his nose.
It wasn’t a pretty sight. It took almost an hour before Yeosang could even speak coherently and another 20 minutes before he could give a response longer than a few words. Wooyoung was there to hold him through it all. It absolutely shattered his heart to watch his best friend fall apart so completely and not be able to do anything about it. He hoped he was able to bring the other even the smallest bit of comfort as he rode out the panic attack and subsequent breakdown, but it was hard to tell. Yeosang had thanked him and reassured him that he had helped a lot, but Wooyoung still couldn’t help but feel like he was useless.
He had managed to calm Yeosang down significantly before the press conference started, but now that they were in front of the TV waiting to hear what sort of BS his father was going to spew, his best friend was back on edge. Worry dripped from his eyes as they stayed glued to the TV, unable to look away even as Woyoung murmured comforting words in his ear. The room fell silent as camera flashes filled the screen and his father stepped out on stage.
Yeosang’s blood ran cold at the sight. The last time he had looked at the man’s face, he was convinced it would be the last thing he ever saw. Even though he was just on the TV screen and Yeosang was perfectly safe, his body couldn’t help but react in fear. He pulled his knees up and hugged them tightly to his chest as he tensed up. Wooyoung drew him in closer and wrapped his other arm around him, fully encasing him in a hug as he kept his head turned toward the screen.
The camera flashes died down as his father settled at the podium, his PR manager and lawyer in the background. Nothing on his face gave any indication that he knew about the video. He had a carefully crafted expression of concern etched on his features. If Wooyoung didn’t know any better, he would have been fully convinced that this man was worried out of his mind for his son. It made him sick to his stomach.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice” his father began somberly, “by now I’m sure you have all seen the photo of my dear son online, bruised and injured. I discovered this photo myself early yesterday morning after spending the previous night frantically looking for my son. He’s been putting tremendous pressure on himself ever since I named him the new heir to my company, trying to live up to my legacy and make me proud. I had no idea how much he had been stressing himself out over this until a couple days ago when he had a breakdown and suddenly ran out of the house. I decided to give him some space to calm down for a couple of hours despite how badly I wanted to go after him. A decision that I deeply regret as I have been unable to locate him ever since. After seeing the picture of him on the bus so badly injured, I fear he may have snapped and gotten involved with the wrong crowd…”
His father paused and feigned holding back tears. “I have been working with the police to try and find my beloved son, but nothing has been found yet. I called this press conference not as the CEO of Kang Corporation, but as a desperate father worried out of my mind. I’m here to plead that if anyone knows anything about the whereabouts of my son, if anyone has any information on what happened to him, please come forward and inform the police. I’m extremely worried about his safety and mental stability at the moment. And Yeosang, if you’re watching this,” he looked directly into the camera causing a shiver to run down Yeosang’s spine, “don’t worry son. I will find you and I will bring you home.”
Yeosang’s breath sped up. To anyone else watching, it looked like a worried father reassuring his lost and scared son, but to Yeosang saw through the act for what it truly was, a threat.
Wooyoung on the other hand was burning with fury. How dare this man beat his best friend to a pulp and then go on national TV and act like a worried father. He was quickly pulled out of his furious thoughts as he felt Yeosang begin to shake even harder in his arms. Turing his attention back to his terrified friend, he whispered assurances in his ear as he rubbed a comforting hand over his tense arm.
Now that the speech was finished, the press was free to ask questions and the moment of truth arrived. The room held its breath as they waited to hear what questions would be asked.
Reporters shouted over each other, everyone trying to get their question out first. The PR manager stepped forward to choose the members of press to ask their questions.
“What was the cause of Yeosang-nim’s breakdown?” the first reporter asked after being pointed at by the PR manager.
“My son came home from school with the results of his latest exam. He didn’t score as high as he was hoping and he was convinced that I wouldn’t be proud of him and that he failed me. He’s always looked up to me so much growing up, never wanting to disappoint me. Ever since I named him the heir, he’s been extra sensitive about making me proud. Of course, I did everything I could to convince him that I’m proud of him no matter what, but he’s been obsessed with wanting to be just like me and living up to my legacy. He couldn’t bear the thought that he might have let me down.”
Everyone’s hearts sank a little at the first question. In order for their plan to work at least one of the reporters needed to address the video, otherwise the public would be swayed by his father’s narrative he was currently weaving.
“Have the police found anything regarding Yeosang-nim’s whereabouts?”
“The only think they’ve been able to determine is which bus line he took but they’re still trying to narrow down which bus specifically he was on. They have very little information to go on which is why I came out to ask for the public’s help in locating him.”
Yeosang was growing more antsy as the questions continued without any mention of his video. Did he expose his deepest hurts to the world for nothing? Was his father just going to bulldoze all his efforts and control the situation like he always does?
Finally, when the fifth reporter was called on did things begin looking up.
“Have you seen the video that Yeosang-nim posted to his socials about an hour ago?”
His father froze and for a split second, Yeosang thought he caught a brief flash of panic in his eyes before he schooled his features and slipped back into the concerned father act. “He posted on his social media? Did he give any indication as to where he might be?”
He tried his best to sound like a hopeful father, desperate for any information on his son, but Yeosang could see the unease and panic beginning to build up behind the mask.
Finally.
Let him be the one to squirm for once.
The reporter ignored his question and pressed forward, clearly eager to be the one to break the news of a potentially massive scandal. There was a reason Miyoung decided to go the press route before the police. While both the press and police could be bought and sold, the press in Korea were ever starving for scandals involving public figures. The only way to keep the press on your side is by paying them off before they can break a story, however if they can get to the story before you’re even aware of it, all bets are off.
“Your son claims that you’re the one responsible for his injuries and that he fled the house to escape you. What is your response to that?”
For the first time, his father let his mask slip just enough to look visibly shaken. Quickly composing himself, he shot back at the reporter. “That is preposterous! I have never would never lay a finger on my son! I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
The PR manager quickly stepped in and called on a different reporter, hoping to change the topic before anyone could latch on to this line of questioning. Unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong reporter.
“Your son also claims that Yeojun-nim checked himself into a rehab facility earlier today for his struggles with drug addiction. Is this true? Is his addiction the reason he is no long the heir?”
An even more noticeable flash of panic shone in his father’s eyes as he realized he was losing control of the situation. “I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about. Yeojun is at home studying and attending college online to pursue his own dreams. It was his decision to give up the title of heir. Yeosang’s mental state is very unstable right now, I don’t know why he’s claiming these things.”
Another reporter shouted out before the PR manager could even call on anyone else.
“Your son claims that you beat him because he called an ambulance to your house when Yeojun-nim overdosed. Do you have any comments on this?”
“Wha- I- that is completely absurd! I love my sons more than anything! I would never lay a hand on them, let alone for calling an ambulance! There have been no ambulances called to my house recently!”
His father was growing more and more flustered. A small satisfaction settled in Yeosang’s stomach as he watched the man that he always saw as unshakable begin to unravel, even if only a little.
“Sir! A picture of an ambulance leaving your house was anonymously shared with our agency a couple weeks ago, we couldn’t get enough information to run a story on it but the photo has been verified, how do you explain that?”
His father whipped his head to stare at the reporter and by the look in his eyes, Yeosang could tell that this wasn’t the organization that he paid off to keep quiet. No, he had no idea that this news agency had also been sent the picture.
Before he could respond, his PR manager stepped forward and cut the press off. “We will not be taking anymore questions” he said.
The press exploded with questions as they all tried to shout over each other. The PR manager and lawyer quickly ushered his father off the stage as the reporters continued their barrage of questions.
Wooyoung’s mom turned off the TV and the room sat in stunned silence for a few moments.
A smile of accomplishment broke out over Miyoung’s face. “That went much better than I expected.”
Yeosang let out a breath as the tension slowly leaked from his body. “What happens now?” he asked, turning to Miyoung.
“For now, I’m going to continue to monitor the internet. I have no doubt that a landslide of articles are going to begin pouring out over the next few hours. We will get the police involved, but the timing of that is going to depend on the media’s reaction to the press conference. I want to make sure there is sufficient pressure on the police department to do a proper investigation and not bow to your father’s influence. I’m not going to ban you from the internet anymore, I just want to caution you to take it in small doses as you feel able. Don’t interact with your socials, though. I don’t want you posting anything else or commenting on anything.”
Yeosang nodded. “That won’t be a problem. I don’t feel like posting anything for the rest of my life.”
Miyoung gave a sympathetic smile. “You’ve been very brave today, Yeosang. I’m proud of everything you’ve done and I promise I will do everything I can to help you get out of this mess. I’m going to go back to my office and keep an eye on things. I’ll be in contact.”
Miyoung bid them goodbye and left. Wooyoung’s mom retreated to her room to call Wooyoung’s dad who was out on a business trip to fill him in on everything that was going on leaving Wooyoung and Yeosang alone in the living room.
Wooyoung took in his friend’s unreadable expression and drew him in closer. “How are you doing?”
“I don’t know…I’m feeling so many things right now it’s hard to name it…it was actually kind of satisfying watching him get flustered like that. All my life he always seemed so…immovable. He was always in control of the situation. People bowed to his will. Nothing happened without his approval. It was almost like he was some sort of god. This was the first time I’ve ever seen him lose control of a situation. It gives me…hope.”
Wooyoung smiled as Yeosang’s eyes shined. He realized it’s been a long time since he’s seen his best friend’s eyes this bright. But, just as quickly as it happened, his eyes dimmed again and Wooyoung’s smile faded with it.
“But at the same time…” Yeosang continued, “I can’t help but feel like I just ruined everything…I can’t shake this deep terror that I just made everything so much worse. I know I just saw proof that my father isn’t infallible, but that doesn’t completely erase the dictator image I’ve built up over the years…it’s just so hard to shake his looming presence over me…I feel like he’s always watching, waiting to punish me at every slip-up.”
Yeosang buried his face in his knees. Wooyoung turned his body to the side so he could fully wrap his best friend in a hug and rest his head on top of Yeosang’s.
“I wish I could take all this pain and fear away from you. But, I understand it’s going to take time for you to heal. If you’re used to living a certain way for your whole life, it’s not like you can just flip a switch and suddenly feel safe even if you logically know you are. Your mind and body have been in survival mode for so long, it’s going to take a while for them to catch up.”
“Am I safe, though? I may be for now, but what if the police side with my father and I’m forced to go back home? My father really might kill me for this…”
Wooyoung’s hold tightened on his friend.
“Then I’ll kidnap you and take you somewhere safe until we can figure out how to get you out of this.”
“Woo, I’m being serious” Yeosang said, almost whining. He loved his best friend’s lighthearted and joking nature but now was not the time for it.
“So am I.”
Yeosang looked up from his knees and met Wooyoung’s eyes. There wasn’t a single trace of joking in them.
“Oh” Yeosang softly murmured.
Would Wooyoung really go that far just to protect him? Yeosang searched his best friend’s eyes but found nothing but sincerity and firm determination. A storm of emotions was still swirling inside of him, but gratitude, love, and appreciation joined the mix and swelled up in his eyes.
“Wooyoung, I…”
“I know, Yeosang. I know” Wooyoung said softly before pulling him into another hug.
The door to the conference room slammed open with a loud bang. Kang Seungho stormed inside and slammed a fist onto the table. “Somebody find that video! Now!” he screamed, his face beat red with rage.
He was worried his youngest might do something stupid the minute he found out the boy had gone out in public with his face beaten, but he never imagined he would do something this colossally stupid. It would have taken a lot of work to smooth over the mistake of letting himself end up on the internet looking like that, but he could have handled it. That’s what this press conference was for.
But this? What idiotic things did his son say to make the reporters question him like that? He needed to find out exactly what the boy had put out on the internet NOW.
His PR manager hastily whipped out his phone and frantically began searching. It didn’t take long to find the video the reporters were talking about, it was the most recent post on all of Yeosang’s socials and it was currently blowing up all over the internet. Handing the phone over to Seungho, he began mentally preparing himself for the firestorm that was about to come.
Seungho’s face twisted up in fury at the sight of his son plastering his battered face on the internet for the world to see. How could he do something so stupid? He taught the boy better than this! Didn’t he understand the consequences of inviting such a serious scandal? He was going to ruin everything!
Without further hesitation, he jabbed the screen with his finger to play the video.
“Hello, I’m Kang Yeosang, son of Kang Seungho, CEO of Kang corporation” Yeosang began. He was sitting in front of a plain white wall making it impossible to determine his location. For the first time in his life, he cursed himself for training his sons to be smart and crafty.
“I know by now a lot of you have seen the photo taken of me on the bus with a bruised up face and I’m sure you’ve been worried. I wanted to address the situation directly and explain what happened myself before too many theories and false narratives can start to spread.”
Yeosang paused and took a deep breath as if bracing himself for the next part. Fear was swimming in his eyes. Anyone could tell that the boy was terrified to speak about what he was going to say next. What scared Seungho however, was the quiet determination hiding subtly behind the fear.
“My father…is not the man you think he is.”
Seungho’s eyes widened.
No.
Did his son just blow up his whole life while he was preparing for this stupid press conference?
“The truth is…my father is the one who did this to me.”
“NO!!!” Seungho screamed.
“My family is not the perfect, happy family that everyone thinks we are. In fact, we’re about as messed up as it comes. There’s so many things the public doesn’t know about us, I could probably talk for hours and still barely scratch the surface. That’s not why I’m here though. I’m here to blow the whistle on my father because I’m tired of living in fear. I thought I could handle it. The fear of the truth getting out used to override the fear of living under my father…but after what happened a couple nights ago…I realized I can’t do this anymore.”
A couple tears escaped his eyes and he hastily wiped them away, taking a couple breaths to steady himself.
The furious flush that started in Seungho’s face quickly began taking over his body. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was glowing red with how angry he was. What his son should be afraid of is what he was going to do to him the moment he found the boy.
“The first thing you need to know is the real reason I was made my father’s heir instead of my older brother. Yeojun-hyung didn’t step down from the position to pursue his own dreams, the title was stripped from him because my father found out about his addiction. The weight of our father’s expectations and strict training pushed him into bad habits to cope with the pressure. Earlier today, he checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic to seek treatment. I ask that you please respect his privacy as he strives to get better.
The reason you need to know this is because it’s directly connected to the reason my father did this to me. A couple weeks ago, I…I found my brother unresponsive in his bedroom…he wasn’t breathing and I-I could barely feel h-his heart.”
Yeosang looked down and took a few deep breaths as he quickly wiped some tears.
“I called an ambulance and spent the night at the hospital. Thankfully, the hospital was able to save him from his overdose and he went home the next day. I had an exam that day though and after everything I went through the night before, I didn’t do very good…When the results of the exam came out, for the first time in my life, I didn’t get the top rank…My father was furious.”
Yeosang whispered the last sentence and gave a small shudder.
“I was trying to defend myself and explain why my grades fell, but in doing so I let slip that I was the one who called the ambulance and my father…he lost it…the one thing he always drilled into me and my brother since we could talk was the importance of upholding his reputation. The worst thing we could possibly do is risk tarnishing his perfect image and I had invited a potential scandal right to our doorstep by calling an ambulance to the house…I’ve never seen him so angry in my life…he smashed a wine bottle on my face and beat me to the point I began to fear for my life…”
Yeosang buried his face in his hands, shoulder shaking as he fought to regain composure. After a couple moments, he raised his head up and looked into the camera with red, watery eyes.
“I can’t keep quiet anymore. I need the world to know what kind of man he is. I wanted to report him to the police, but I was too scared. He is one of the most powerful people in Korea. I’m scared that he has the power to force the police to sweep this under the rug unless…”
Yeosang fixed the camera with a pleading gaze. “Unless there’s enough public pressure for the police to take this seriously. I’m here to ask for your help. My father needs to be held publicly accountable for the things he’s done…I can’t be safe from him while he still holds a perfect reputation. The reason he’s so powerful is because of how highly the world views him so please…”
Yeosang bowed deeply to the camera.
“I’m humbly asking for your help. I need my father to be investigated and I need the police to take my case seriously. If I have to go back to my father I…I don’t know what will happen to me…”
With one last sniff, the video ended. The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Every muscle was tensed and every eye was on Seungho, waiting in fear of his reaction.
An inhuman roar ripped from Seungho’s throat as he grabbed the nearest chair and threw it at the wall leaving a sizable dent. The whole room flinched back, hardly daring to move, fearful that the man’s wrath would turn to them next.
Whipping around to face his lawyer, the man gulped as sweat beaded on his forehead. “Throw the book at him!” he screamed, pointing to the phone still laying open on the video on the table. “I want every charge of defamation thrown at him as you possibly can!”
“Sir, I-I’m not sure-”
“What do I pay you for?! DO IT!”
“Yes, Sir.”
The man scurried out of the room to start building a case.
Seungho’s furious gaze landed on his PR manager next.
“You! Gather the team together and figure out how to salvage my image from this mess! If I go down, you all go down!”
“Yes, Sir.”
He ran out of the room, grateful for the excuse to get out of Suengho’s wrathful presence.
“Everybody else, get out now!” he roared.
The rest of the room was all too happy to be dismissed. The sounds of furious screams and loud crashes followed them down the hall.
The rest of the day after the press conference was torturous. Time slowed to a crawl as there was nothing for Yeosang to do anymore but wait. They needed some public outcry before making any more moves. Miyoung had gone back to her office to do some more digging on Yeosang’s father and monitor the situation online. She suspected that it wouldn’t take long for the scandal to break, but no matter how fast the world worked, these things still took some time.
Yeosang spent the rest of the day in Wooyoung’s room alternating between panic and feeling so overwhelmed that his mind simply went numb. Wooyoung stayed by his side the whole time, calming him down from his panic and gently coaxing him out of his numb state. Yeosang would forever be grateful for everything his best friend did for him the past few days. His life had become a raging storm overnight, tossing him to and fro amidst the waves. But Wooyoung was his anchor, keeping him tethered to the earth and stopping him from drifting away or being dashed against jagged rocks.
Time however, was a fickle thing. As much as the first day dragged on, things sped up exponentially after that. News outlets left and right were picking up the scandal and soon it was plastered all over the internet. Yeosang’s video was being spread everywhere as the public began turning on Kang Corporation. Stocks began falling dramatically and even several former employees came out of the woodwork to anonymously air out their grievances from their time working for their father. Yeosang’s bravery of blowing the whistle on his own father had emboldened them to begin sharing their own stories. It was nothing that could help their legal case unless they decided to reveal their true identities and provide evidence to back up their claims, but it did fuel the public outcry against his father which still ultimately helped his cause.
Yeosang couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was no wonder his father had instilled so much fear in them to keep their family’s secrets from ever seeing the light of day. He had to have known just how explosive the scandal would be. The public was tearing him to shreds, calling for his business to fail, for him to be locked up, threatening him in all sorts of ways. A large part of Yeosang was convinced that his father was going to spin the story somehow to make everyone believe that Yeosang was lying and discredit every accusation he made against his father. Seungho did try. He had his PR team craft an official statement that he posted to all of his company’s socials denying all of the accusations and trying to make Yeosang out to be a mentally unstable teen having a nervous breakdown. All that seemed to do was fuel the public’s outrage. Korea’s media was always hungry for scandal and Yeosang had just handed them a feast.
Miyoung’s advice to only speak about things that could be proven paid off. The media quickly confirmed that Yeojun had in fact checked in to a rehab facility and the photo of the ambulance leaving their house that his father had fought so hard to bury was now circulating just as much as Yeosang’s video. The fact that he was right about those two things gave credibility to everything else he said leading the public to believe Yeosang’s word over his father’s.
It only took two days after the press conference for Miyoung to decide it was time to act. After extensive research and some serious digging, she found out that his father’s connection with the police did not run as deep as initially thought. Seungho didn’t have any personal connections with anyone, he had simply paid off a few high ranking officials to keep quiet and bury some accusations over the years. With how much media attention Yeosang’s story was getting and how much physical evidence they had compiled, Miyoung felt confident that the police would take his case seriously.
Going to the police station was just as nerve wracking as recording the video. As much as things were going in his favor, he couldn’t help but worry his father was somehow going to find a way to turn the tide in his favor. The whole ordeal was exhausting. They spent hours at the station. Before they could even begin the process of pressing charges, they had a mess to clean up. His father had filed a missing person report on Yeosang so the moment he stepped into the station they had to fight to make sure his father wouldn’t be contacted to come pick him up. It was a close call, but as soon as they revealed that they were there to press charges against the very person who filed the report, they decided to hear them out before contacting anyone. Miyoung had laid out all the evidence that she had collected over the past few days. It wasn’t enough to outright convict his father, but it was enough to launch an immediate investigation.
Later that day, a squad of police cars descended on Kang Corporation Headquarters attracting immediate media attention. By the time the police officers managed to wrestle Seungho into handcuffs and drag him all the way to the front entrance from his office on the 34th floor, a crowd of reporters had gathered outside having caught wind of police presence at the company. Within hours the internet was flooded with pictures and videos of a furious Seungho being shoved into a police car, screaming and threatening to sue everyone present. It was quite vindicating for Yeosang to watch when he came across the videos, hardly believing that his father who had always seemed larger than life was reduced to this squirming, unhinged mess of a man getting shoved into the back of a police car like he weighed nothing. How had that man held so much power over his life?
Soon enough, a still enraged Seungho was dragged into the police station for questioning. Naturally, he had denied everything and spun his own story of how Yeosang had left the house and must have gotten attacked in the streets somewhere. Thankfully, the evidence that Yeosang presented was strong enough to grant a search warrant. A team of investigators was sent out to his residence as he was being questioned which Yeosang’s mother was more than happy to comply with, pointing them to every nook and cranny she could think of that might be hiding something incriminating.
Once the police searched his mansion, it was all over for Yeosang’s father. Unfortunately for Seungho, the security system put in place to protect his home and assets was the very thing that would take it away. His father had cameras everywhere, put in place to make sure none of the service workers employed in his home stole or damaged anything. Not only did they corroborate Yeosang’s story and disprove his father’s claims of when he had left the house and that he was uninjured when he left, but the camera in the kitchen had caught everything. There was a clear video of Seungho ruthlessly beating his son. The man didn’t have a leg to stand on. The defamation case he had begun filing a few days ago was thrown out in light of such concrete evidence. The case against him was so strong it didn’t even need to go to trial. Before Yeosang knew it, his father was locked up and facing a full investigation into his business. The investigators found several pieces of evidence pointing to illegal business practices when they were searching his mansion. Yeosang’s charges against him might be resolved, but Seungho’s legal battles were just beginning.
It had been a couple weeks since Yeosang filed the police report. Wooyoung had returned to school but Yeosang hadn’t. Even though his father had safely been in police custody, Yeosang was still staying with Wooyoung. His mother had contacted Wooyoung’s mother and asked if they could continue watching after Yeosang while she sorted out the mess at home. Wooyoung’s mom happily agreed and insisted on watching him for as long as needed. Yeosang was endlessly grateful to Wooyoung’s family. Frankly, he was a little surprised that his mom had even reached out at all. He was so used to her passively drinking the days away he sometimes wondered if she even remembered she had kids. A small part of him was hurt that she didn’t want him home to check on him or take care of him herself, especially since she knew her husband had beaten him. However, it didn’t surprise him. She never seemed to be very maternal.
Wooyoung returned home from school to find Yeosang sitting on his bed and staring blankly at the wall. It wasn’t exactly uncommon to find him like this when coming home from school, but for some reason today felt different.
“Hey,” he greeted softly as he placed a few packets of paper on the bed (he had been taking Yeosang’s schoolwork home to him so he wouldn’t fall behind) and sat next to Yeosang, “how are you doing?”
A bit of awareness seeped back into his eyes, yet his expression remained blank. Wooyoung studied his face as he patiently waited for an answer, with how much of a mess his best friend’s head was in these days he learned he needed to give him some time to sort through his thoughts before speaking. His eyes traced the fading bruises still adorning his face. They had lightened considerably, however they were now at the sickly yellow and green stage. Yeosang hated how he looked but Wooyoung kept reminding him that the color just meant he was healing and they would soon begin to disappear. Thankfully, most of the cuts from the glass were already gone, only the deepest ones on his cheek and temple remained but were well on their way to healing.
“I got a phone call today” Yeosang’s quiet voice broke him out of his train of thought, “my father was officially sentenced today…five years in jail.”
“Yeosang, that’s great!” Wooyoung exclaimed as he sat up on his knees and wrapped him in an excited hug.
He pulled away after a few moments when Yeosang didn’t respond to the hug. Confused, he held his friend’s shoulders and took in his still blank expression. “Wait, you should be happy. Why aren’t you happy?”
Yeosang sighed and a brief flicker of unreadable emotion flashed through his eyes before going blank again.
“I don’t know…I should be happy about it…I mean I’m safe from him now, right? But I don’t feel happy, I’m just…numb.”
Wooyoung deflated in sympathy and settled back on the bed, throwing and arm around his friend and drawing Yeosang into his side.
“You’ve been through a lot the past few weeks, it’s a lot to process. Now that it’s over, you can take all the time you need to heal from everything” Wooyoung said as he gently carded his fingers through Yeosang’s hair.
“Is it over, though?” Yeosang quietly asked, “I mean…I know my father is locked up, but what happens now? Where will I go? Without my father’s income there’s no way we can stay in the mansion, not to mention his business is probably ruined now so it’s not like we can count on that…I just wanted to be safe but now my whole life has been upended…what am I supposed to do now?”
Yeosang began quietly crying. Wooyoung pulled him in to his side even tighter. “I wish I had all the answers for you. I can’t even imagine how scary it all must feel for you. But I promise, you don’t have to figure it all out yourself. If you need a place to stay, you’re welcome here as long as you like. I’m pretty sure my mom is ready to adopt you at this point. I swear she loves you more than she loves me.”
Yeosang chuckled a little at Wooyoung’s attempt at lightening the mood.
“I know everything seems so uncertain and unstable right now” Wooyoung said, turning serious again, “but I’m not going anywhere, and neither are our friends. Let us be your stability while the rest of your life shifts into place.”
Yeosang sniffed then turned so the two could hug properly. “Thank you, Wooyoung.”
“I’m always here for you.”
Just as Yeosang was beginning to find his bearings, the next blow came a few days later. His mother had reached out to him, much to his surprise, and requested to see him. Wooyoung’s mom offered to take him home to see what his mom wanted.
A few hours later, Yeosang’s heart pounded and hands shook as he waited for his mother in her favorite sitting room. Once she arrived, Yeosang was stunned. The woman looked ragged. She may have been a drunk, but she was always one to keep up her appearance with make-up, carefully styled hair, and designer clothes. The person that stood before him was bare faced, had dull, lifeless hair, and wore simple clothes intended more for comfort than style. With everything Yeosang had been through, he never stopped to think about how his mom might be handling everything.
While only sparing a couple furtive glances in Yeosang’s direction, never quite meeting his eye, she crossed the room and took a seat in an armchair across from Yeosang. Once seated, she finally took in her son’s appearance, pausing at the healing bruises littering his face and neck. Her expression crumpled a bit as regret and something else he couldn’t quite name flashed in her eyes.
“Hello, Mother” he spoke softly, unable to take the silence anymore.
“Yeosang I…thank you and…I’m sorry” she responded, voice a bit rough.
Despite her haggard appearance, this was the most sober he had seen her in a long time. Her words were sincere. Yeosang was stunned into silence. This was not at all what he was expecting.
“After all these years, who knew you would be the one to free us of the tyrant…I’m so sorry for what you had to go through to make that happen…I know I haven’t been a very involved mother, but that doesn’t mean I ever wanted you to get hurt.”
“Well…we were hurt anyway…both of us…” Yeosang said quietly, unable to look her in the eye.
She flinched and deflated. “I suppose I haven’t done a very good job protecting my sons…I’m probably far too late, but for what it’s worth…I am sorry.”
Yeosang nodded, not knowing how to respond to that. Realizing her son wasn’t going to say anything, she awkwardly cleared her throat. “So…how have you been doing over at Wooyoung’s?”
“Mother…” Yeosang said, still looking at his lap, “why did you call me here?”
She sighed and deflated. Yeosang wasn’t going to let her beat around the bush.
“I’ve been speaking with a social worker and…I’m going to give up custody of you.”
The words knocked the air out of him like a punch to the gut. Snapping his wide, heartbroken eyes up to meet his mother’s he breathed out a desperate and disbelieving “what?”
“Look, it’s no secret I haven’t exactly been mother of the year. With everything that’s happened, I’m in no place to take care of you” she spoke with desperation and Yeosang could hardly tell if she was trying to convince him or herself with her words. “I’ve been in contact with a lawyer. I’m going to divorce your father. I managed to hire a good lawyer by selling the things your father has given me over the years but we both know he’s going to have a better one. I don’t know how much I’ll get, especially since all of our family’s assets are in his name. My parents are paying for an apartment and offered me a job in their company until I can start over…marrying your father was the biggest mistake of my life and I need a fresh start. I need to build my own life. That man has stolen too much of my life and left me such a mess…there’s no way I can be responsible for another person.”
Tears brimmed his eyes as he continued to stare at his mother, devastation swimming in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry Yeosang. But I just can’t…the social worker agreed to let you stay with Wooyoung’s family until they can find a suitable placement. I’m sorry it has to be this way but I need to reclaim my life.”
She stood up and approached Yeosang for a hug but bailed when she noticed her son wasn’t moving, still staring at her with those big, disbelieving, and betrayed eyes.
“I’ll go talk to Wooyoung’s mother and explain everything. The social worker has some papers for her to sign. I…I love you Yeosang…I’m so sorry.”
With one last glance and a bow, she scurried from the room, a couple tears escaping her eyes before she disappeared.
Yeosang sat in stunned silence until Wooyoung’s mom came to collect him.
“Sweetheart?” she said gently as she slowly lowered herself next to him and placed a comforting hand on his back. “Are you okay, Honey?”
Yeosang continued to stare unblinkingly at nothing as he gave a half-hearted shrug.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.
He quickly shook his head, knowing that as soon as he opened his mouth he was going to start sobbing and not be able to stop.
“Okay, let’s get you home” she said as she carefully helped him stand up and lead him to her car waiting outside.
Home
What did that even mean anymore?