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For the first time in Baek Sahyeon's grand total of five years of existence in this world, he was, for lack of a better word, beyond stunned.
His mother, Baek Saheon, was raging. Something he had never seen in his life.
Sure, he had heard a thing or two about his mother's temper from passing stories from a distant past (where neither Sahyeon nor Solhwa were in the picture yet), but his mother had always been careful and gentle around them.
Baek Sahyeon occasionally heard stories of his mother picking a fight with his father and the two of them bickering, but it was always resolved quickly and happened away from them, probably not wanting to show such a sight to their kids.
So yes, it was not an exaggeration to say that this was truly the first time he had ever seen his mother look angry and shout at him of all people.
Like every child who is scared of upsetting their parent, Baek Sahyeon stared dumbstruck at his mother with wide, shaky pupils.
He knew he was at fault. Baek Sahyeon knew very well what he had done wrong.
But in all of his antics and mischief before, never once did his mother ever look this angry, nor raised his voice.
Baek Sahyeon must have messed up pretty badly. Even though a part of him cried that he wasn't at fault, seeing his angry mother, the urge to apologize clamored out of Baek Sahyeon's throat.
But before he could even say anything, his mother pointed at him.
"You."
Baek Sahyeon tried not to tremble and watched as his mother then pointed at himself.
"And me."
Only a meek calling came out of his shaky lips.
"E, Eomma…"
But even that did not ease his mother's cold gaze.
"We will not talk to each other."
Baek Sahyeon's expression quickly contorted.
No, what was that even supposed to mean?
"Do you hear me?"
'…Eomma, if you were going to say that, at least don't look like you're about to cry….'
Baek Sahyeon did not have a weak heart, nor did he have a weak character. Even if he was raised lovingly without any harshness, he was not one to cry so easily.
But seeing his mother's face scrunching as if holding back his own tears, it made Baek Sahyeon want to cry, too.
His mother had never even cried before, so why was he making such a face?
Baek Saheon grumpily turned away with his crossed arms, refusing to look at his son again.
"Go to your room! I don't want to see you again!"
His father, sensing the growing tension in the living room, quickly tried to intervene.
"Sah-yah, could you listen to your Eomma for now?"
Baek Sahyeon moved his gaze and saw his father kneeling in front of him while gently holding his shoulders as if trying to comfort him.
"Appa will talk with Eomma first, hm? Then Appa will go talk to you in your room."
Baek Sahyeon pursed his lips, not wanting to leave his angry mother. This has never happened before. He had never made his mother angry before. This foreign situation made him even more reluctant to leave.
But what can a small Sahyeon even do?
Baek Sahyeon lowered his head and nodded meekly.
"…Mmkay, Appa."
He could only trust that his father would be able to calm his mother down.
Glancing one last time at his mother, who seemed to be adamant on not showing his face, Baek Sahyeon trudged to his room with a whimper.
Confused? Worried? Well, allow us to rewind to a few scenes before this.
Baek Sahyeon, whether he wanted to or not, was one to garner attention so naturally as if he were the sun in people's lives.
Likewise, he had also been subjected to unsolicited questioning that he would like to ignore, too. But one should know how persistent a bunch of 5 and 6-year-olds could get.
So really, no one should blame Sahyeon for having to reluctantly answer some questions in hopes that it would finally get these kids off his back.
Unfortunately, one answer was equivalent to adding 10 more questions about his existence.
For the sake of not losing one's mind from curiosity, allow us to see some examples.
Exhibit 1:
"Sahyeonie has two dads but no mom! That's so weird!"
Baek Sahyeon tried not to twitch visibly at those words. It wasn't weird. They were the odd ones for caring about that detail too much.
One of his classmates shook his arm as if that would make a response magically come out.
Baek Sahyeon kept his mouth shut.
At his silence, it only seemed to trigger their curiosity even more, so they began barraging him with more questions.
"Hey, hey! Why do you have two dads? Why do you not have a mom?"
"Don't you get lonely because you don't have a mother?"
Baek Sahyeon was not one to get offended easily, but hearing the last question really made him pout.
"I have a mom."
Of course he does. How else would he have been born in this world if he didn't have any?
He received curious looks.
"No, you don't."
This only made Baek Sahyeon's pout deepen.
"I have it. Although my Eomma looks different from your moms. But he is my mom."
The classmate on his left stroked his chin and seemed to be thinking deeply.
"Eeehhhhhh…..? Your mom is a… a… 'he'? I've never heard of a mom like that before."
Baek Sahyeon puffed his cheeks out.
"My mom is not weird. Maybe you just think my mom is weird."
Maybe it was the way they think that was weird.
Besides, why were they so fixated on his mother, anyway? It wasn't like they ever met his mother and had only heard about him in passing. So why were they getting excessively curious now?
Additionally, the chances of meeting his mother were low (but never zero). His mother didn't like coming to school since it reminded him of his own school life, or something along those lines.
Baek Sahyeon didn't really see anything wrong with that. It was only one of his mother's many preferences that was never questioned.
The kids stared at him for a very long time before shrugging their shoulders. Baek Sahyeon could tell they wanted to throw more questions, but thankfully, the teacher had returned to the classroom, so he was spared from more questioning.
Of course, that didn't really last long.
…
Exhibit 2:
It all started when his father dropped him off at kindergarten first before taking his 3-year-old sister, Kim Seolhwa, to daycare.
Because they had gone later than usual, other students were already there and had seen them. Of course, some of those students were his classmates.
Perhaps it was a bit of an unfortunate thing, but because one of the kindergarten teachers was his parents' acquaintance, it was inevitable to share small talk at the entrance.
"Ah, Kim Soleum-ssi, it seems you've brought both kids today!"
Teacher Jang Heoun greeted his father warmly, to which his father, Kim Soleum, showed a gentle smile.
"Yes. Solhwa insisted on coming along to her brother's school."
A gentle ruffle on both of their heads.
"She's been very attached to her brother these days, haha."
"Oh, I see! Is Baek Saheon-ssi doing well?"
Baek Sahyeon swore his father's smile became even gentler than it already was.
"Yes, he's getting lots of rest."
For starters, his mother was not sickly. He was just really lazy and didn't like moving around or going out.
Still, hearing that made Teacher Jang Heoun nod happily.
Just when Baek Sahyeon thought their greeting was over, since it was also time for him to go to class, his father suddenly patted Kim Solhwa's back.
"Sol-ah, how about introducing yourself like we practiced last night?"
Baek Sahyeon watched as Kim Solhwa blinked her eyes slowly before meeting his gaze. It seemed she was asking through her gaze what to do with this situation, but honestly, what could go wrong?
So Baek Sahyeon just shrugged his shoulders.
Unfortunately, at this point, he still didn't know that this very introduction was the start of a new chaos.
Kim Solhwa diligently lowered her head slowly into a bow.
"Hewwo, teawsher. Mwy nwame ish Kwim Solhwa."
For a 3-year-old, this was a good introduction. Baek Sahyeon rubbed his face on Kim Solhwa's head once she straightened her back as a form of telling her that she did a good job.
He swore he heard the adults coo at them, but Baek Sahyeon was busy showering his sister with affection.
Of course, for Baek Sahyeon, it was just another morning full of love for his family.
Until it was lunch, and he got bombarded with questions again.
"Wow! Your sister looks just like your dad! But why do you not look alike?"
Well, that was because he takes after his mother, while Solhwa was their father's carbon copy. But Baek Sahyeon didn't really feel like answering, so he just continued eating.
"Did you hear it too? They don't even have the same surname!"
The reason for that was that his mother argued that he would not change his surname and should have at least one of their children take his surname, too.
To make his mother happy, his father agreed, and it was decided that Sahyeon would be the one to take his mother's surname. Thus, he and his sister were each holding one parent's surname.
But Baek Sahyeon was too lazy to explain such a complicated thing to these kids, who probably won't even understand his situation.
Honestly, his family situation truly was something that would make anyone raise an eyebrow from curiosity, and Baek Sahyeon, in his grand total of 5 years of existence, learned that the easiest way to live an easy life is to not question his mother's arguments.
Even his father does not dare to argue back, so really, that must be the only answer to life.
But again, that silence only fueled their curiosity even more.
And the lack of an answer only made their imagination run wild.
"Could it be…" The one in front of him boinked his tilted fist onto his palm, as if he finally connected some dots and found the answer to this mystery, "Sahyeonie is adopted?!"
Baek Sahyeon nearly choked on his food.
He downed his water in one go before screaming.
"I am not!"
"Whoa!"
They were shocked when Baek Sahyeon raised his voice. This was the first time Baek Sahyeon ever spoke loudly like this.
Baek Sahyeon pouted so deeply that it could even rival his mother's usual pouts.
"I look like my mom! And Sol-ie looks like Appa!"
Seriously, where did these kids even learn the word adopted? They were only 5 and 6 years old!
Baek Sahyeon felt a pat on his back.
"It's okay, Sahyeonie. Even if you're adopted, we still love you."
Baek Sahyeon whined indignantly, which earned him laughter from around him.
He continued to sulk for the rest of the day until his classmates hugged him one by one. It made him feel a little better, but he hoped that it would be the last time he would ever hear such a sentence again.
…
Well, by now, Baek Sahyeon got so used to those nonsensical questions that he learned to just respond vaguely, endure being teased for a few hours, before getting hugs left and right.
Baek Sahyeon wouldn't say no to free hugs, so he decided to indulge his peers just for a bit.
But.
What is this…?
"Sahyeonie, I like you. Can I be your girlfriend?"
What… What is this….???
Baek Sahyeon was so shocked that he ended up staring dumbfoundedly at the girl that he only vaguely heard came from next class.
No, first of all, why was he getting a confession all of a sudden? From a person he had never interacted with before, no less!
"Uhm…"
Baek Sahyeon felt complicated. He had heard the terms boyfriend and girlfriend from older people before, but he never thought he would hear them coming from a girl his age.
This…. This isn't normal, is it?
Baek Sahyeon squirmed. He wanted to call his mother quickly and ask him what to do about this situation, but it was absurd to leave this girl behind just so he could run back home into his mother's arms.
So he had to think quickly of what to respond, but before some lines could connect in his mind, the girl suddenly grabbed his hands.
"Sahyeonie oppa!"
Baek Sahyeon grimaced. He had only heard his sister call him that before, and it was unconsciously registered in his brain that he would only accept being called oppa by his sister.
Hearing this now from a girl he wasn't even close to made Baek Sahyeon feel awkward.
"…Uhm… I don't know you."
It's not being harsh if he was only saying the truth, right?
But the girl's eyes instantly watered at his response.
"But… But Miji-yah said that if I tell you my feelings, you would accept my confession…"
Wait… Who is that? Baek Sahyeon didn't know any Miji! He also did not have a classmate with a name like that!
Baek Sahyeon shifted uncomfortably.
"…But I really don't know you."
Baek Sahyeon flinched when the girl suddenly burst into tears.
"Waaaaaahhhhhh!!!!"
Baek Sahyeon was beyond shocked, for the second time today. He couldn't recall the last time he ever saw his sister cry. Their family wasn't the type to burst into tears so easily.
This… This was the first time Baek Sahyeon ever saw someone cry in front of him like this…!
What to do, what to do? Baek Sahyeon was genuinely panicking and didn't know what to do!
Because he couldn't think straight, he blurted out the first thing that came out of his mouth.
"Okay! I'll date you!"
…
"Really…?"
The girl sniffled, slowly calming down.
Baek Sahyeon felt like he just made a grave mistake, but…. Was there a way to turn back time?
Baek Sahyeon pouted, his head drooping low.
"But I'll only date you for three days. I don't want my mom to be sad."
Right. His mother once rambled mindlessly about how Baek Sahyeon and Kim Solhwa dating early would be his greatest nightmare, and he would seriously consider living under the Han River… Or whatever that means.
Although it was words spoken mindlessly and with no hints of seriousness, Baek Sahyeon still did not want his mother to be sad. So he thought he should definitely not date anyone.
Since he is literally only 5 years old.
To Baek Sahyeon, three days were equivalent to 10 years. Surely this would be enough for this girl as well.
But the girl pouted back, as if this was suddenly a competition on whose pout was more effective.
"Can't I date oppa forever?"
"No."
The answer came faster before his mind could fully register that question.
Baek Sahyeon has no intention of dating. He was going to live a long life under his parents' care. Call him a mama's boy or whatever, but Baek Sahyeon would never do anything that his mother never approves!
Baek Sahyeon looked sternly at the girl, which ironically made him look so much like his mother.
"If you won't agree on my condition, then forget it. I won't date you anymore."
He sounded like his mother, too, whenever his mother made conditions for his father that must be absolutely followed.
Of course, what Baek Sahyeon normally sees is his father folding and giving in to each and every one of his mother's demands.
So naturally, he was convinced that this would make the girl finally give up.
The girl trembled before quickly grabbing his hands and nodding hastily.
"O, Okay! Okay…! As long as I can be Sahyeonie oppa's girlfriend…! Even if it's just three days!"
…Was this really a better outcome? Baek Sahyeon could only sigh.
'I hope three days pass quickly.'
Since this was just a trick to get out of this unpleasant situation, Baek Sahyeon did not tell his parents about the whole thing. He believed he didn't need to since he wasn't taking the girl seriously and it was temporary, anyway.
In three days, everything would go back to normal. So there was no need to worry his parents unnecessarily.
That was until not even three days had passed, but only two, when a boy stormed into his class and grabbed his collar, forcing him up from his chair.
"You dared to date my Ara?!"
'….Who?'
…Was it bad that that was seriously the first thing he thought of upon hearing that name?
From the corner of his eye, he could see the same girl from two days ago rushing into his classroom.
"Hyesook, stop it! I already told you I don't like you! I only like Sahyeonie Oppa!"
Ah… So did Baek Sahyeon get himself entangled in a love triangle?
How troublesome. Really troublesome. He wasn't even sincerely dating that Ara girl or whatever. So why was he in this situation?
Baek Sahyeon could see his classmates anxiously thinking of ways to save him, and as much as he appreciated their concern, he didn't want them to step up and possibly worsen this situation.
"Excuse me, could you let go of me first?"
Baek Sahyeon made sure to keep his voice soft and calm. The boy in front of him had the advantage because he was taller, but other than that, Baek Sahyeon did not want to aggravate him further.
As already mentioned, his parents didn't know about the whole dating scam he had made. So if this fight escalates more than it should, the foreseeable future is that his parents will be called to school.
No good child wants that. And just like every other good child, Baek Sahyeon wanted to resolve this quietly.
But the boy, Hyesook, only got angrier.
"What do you even see in this missy, anyway?! He looks just like a girl! He looks weak and small! Compared to him, I'm obviously better!"
Baek Sahyeon was not one to take offense easily, so he didn't really care that he was called weak, small, and girl-like.
Never once was Baek Sahyeon embarrassed by his appearance. In fact, it was a source of pride.
He looked just like his mother, and he would never exchange that for the world.
So Baek Sahyeon just blinked at Hyesook, completely unfazed.
Hyesook was taken aback and momentarily loosened his grip. Baek Sahyeon took that opportunity to remove himself from Hyesook's clutches and then smoothed out his clothes.
It wouldn't be good if there was any evidence that he was grabbed by his collar. His mother would certainly make a fuss and not let this slide.
'Hm?'
When Baek Sahyeon raised his head, he saw Hyesook looking at him with slightly dazed eyes, mouth parted, and…
…Is that a blush on his face?
'…Is he so angry that he's turning red?'
Baek Sahyeon was mildly concerned and scared.
"Why are you doing that?"
Baek Sahyeon tilted his head slightly. Confused.
"Do what?"
Huh. Is this boy turning redder?
"You stole Ara from me! And you're acting all cute and innocent!"
Being called cute was something Baek Sahyeon had heard his whole life, but hearing it from this boy who was raging at him made him scrunch his nose.
"I'm cute?"
Is this guy angry or in awe of him? Seriously. What's his problem?
But his question seemed to have angered the boy as his eyes widened for a moment before he pushed Baek Sahyeon roughly that he nearly tumble back, slightly pushing his chair and table.
"You're just an orphan boy who doesn't even know his place! You don't even have a mom, and you're adopted! You're pretending to be all high and mighty, but I bet your dad only took you in because you're a pathetic brat! You have two dads because you're a defect! I bet the man you call your mom cheated on your dad and got someone else's mom pregnant and tricked your other dad into adopting you and that's why you only look like your missy mom—!"
Baek Sahyeon was not one to take offense easily.
But there are certain lines that one shouldn't cross.
Baek Sahyeon's mind had long gone quiet as his heart pulsed with rage.
Before anyone could even stop what was happening, Baek Sahyeon's fist landed on the boy's face.
Baek Sahyeon, who had never hit anyone in his life, was driven by nothing but pure instincts.
Of course, he was at a disadvantage, but he refused to let this boy go after everything he said about his family, most especially his mother.
His mother, who often acted like he didn't care, but was always eager to give him everything he needed, even without being asked.
His mother, who often pretended to be bossy, but was always up early to cook his favorite meals, and slept late to read him a bedtime story.
His mother, who was always described as mean, foul-mouthed, and rude, but had never once cussed or shown a bad attitude around him.
His mother—
His mother, whom he loves more than anything.
So the inevitable happened.
His parents were called to the principal's office, together with Hyesook's parents.
And that was the first time Baek Sahyeon ever saw his mother this furious.
"Which bastard dared to lay a hand on my son?! I don't even hit my own child! What made you think you could do that, huh?! Who do you think you are?! Are you the one who feeds my child?! Are you the one raising him lovingly?! If you can't discipline your own child, then don't drag someone else's only son along! Principal, I refuse to accept this! Our Sahyeon had never once caused trouble! How could you say my son hit that little bastard first?! Get them out! Get them out of this school, right this instant!
What?! I should drop the case and have my son apologize?! Shall I turn every single person in this room bald for daring to say that?! My son was beaten badly and you want him to bow and kneel to that son of a bitch?!
What the fuck do you mean my son hit your son first?! Fuck! Kim Soleum, yah! If I don't see these people behind bars today, I'll throw myself off the Han River! Do you hear me?! I want every single person in this room who disrespected my son to pay the price for hurting my child!!
Better yet, have those insolent scums who embarrassingly call themselves parents lick my son's shoes! What?! I'm unreasonable?! Look at my child and tell me again that I'm unreasonable! I'll make every single one of you miserable for doing this to our Sahyeon!
Calm down?! You want me to calm down in this situation?! My child is in the wrong?! What exactly did my child do wrong?! So what if he was dating that girl or whatever— Fuck!
You're the one who went around calling him adopted! I cheated on my husband?! Do you have any idea how this bastard begged me for several years to marry his sorry ass?! Then begged me again so we can bring our Sahyeon into this world?! It was all because of a rumor?! PRINCIPAL!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN LETTING THE KIDS HEAR IN THIS SCHOOL?!!!!!!
AND YOU! YOU LET YOUR CHILD HEAR GOSSIP ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOR'S CHEATING SCANDAL AND LET HIM LEARN ALL YOUR NASTY WORDS?!!!! KIM SOLEUM, RELEASE ME AT ONCE! I'M GOING TO—?!@$#%@&!*&?!!!"
Baek Sahyeon couldn't even remember how they got home after that.
While it seemed like his mother had expressed all his anger, in reality…
Click.
Baek Saheon's demeanor instantly turned cold.
"You."
The gaze that often held love for Sahyeon was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was a pair of cold eyes and an expressionless face.
It was nothing like what had been seen in the Baek-Kim household.
"And me."
No warmth, no affection.
No invitation for hugs after a long day at school, while gently stroking his hair and telling him that he did well.
Baek Saheon was angry for several reasons.
First, his first child dated behind his back and did not even care to say anything. He had to hear about it from someone else after everything had already exploded into a massive fight.
Second, his first visit to his child's school was an office call, of all things.
And lastly, his child was beaten more badly than the boy who hit Sahyeon.
With all those laid out, how could Baek Saheon not be angry?
"We will not talk to each other."
Ah, shit. Even though he had already practiced saying that in his head, he couldn't resist tearing up while actually saying it aloud.
Baek Saheon was angry. But thinking about how he won't talk to his child because he was angry was already making him cry.
But he refused to show a weak side. He was angry, after all. He was here trying to prove a point.
He can't let Sahyeon see the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
So he turned away and made sure that Sahyeon wouldn't see his face.
"Go to your room! I don't want to see you again!"
He just said whatever his mouth wanted to spout without fully registering in his brain. It didn't matter. He was angry, and he didn't want to see Sahyeon right now.
Right. Of course.
Of course he didn't want to see his child….
"Jagiya."
Once he felt Kim Soleum's hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him down, Baek Saheon's tears rained down on his face.
"How could my son lose a fight?!"
Right. This was the real reason why Baek Saheon was angry.
His son started a fist fight.
His son started a fist fight and was beaten miserably.
In Baek Saheon's dictionary, that was no different from losing a fight.
His Sahyeon, who was the spitting image of him, lost a fucking fight.
How was that acceptable?
Baek Saheon never lost a fight before! He never lost a single argument in his life! The only person who actually beat him to a fight was Kim Soleum!
But doesn't that make the situation even worse?
Baek Sahyeon was the son of two people who never lost! So how could this be?!
"Does he think his parents are a pair of losers?! How could he lose a fight against that ugly gremlin?!"
He heard Kim Soleum sigh loudly and mutter something along the lines of 'You can't just call someone else's child an ugly gremlin', before he guided him to turn towards him.
Baek Saheon scrunched his face, trying to show an angry face. But with all the tears streaming like waterfalls down his face, he was sure that he only looked ridiculous.
"Mind you, the girl he was secretly dating ended up choosing that toad in the end! Fuck!! My son lost a fight and a girl?! Does that even make sense?!!"
A laugh of disbelief left Kim Soleum's lips. Hearing this, Baek Saheon slapped his chest, but it didn't deal any actual damage.
"Is that seriously the only reason why you're still angry?"
"How could you say that as if it's not something worth getting upset about?!"
Baek Saheon was greatly offended that Kim Soleum had the gall to laugh at him and dismiss his anger.
What a shitty husband. Baek Saheon was seriously considering leaving Kim Soleum now.
"If he was going to start a fight, at least win that fight!! I'm seriously so angry—! Yah!! Stop laughing!!!"
Baek Saheon had finished drafting half of the divorce papers in his mind while glaring at Kim Soleum, who was still letting out small titters.
Baek Saheon grabbed his collar and pulled him down, their faces inches apart.
"I did not raise a loser, got that?"
The audacity of one Kim Soleum to kiss his angry lips lightly and dare to smile as if he had won the lottery.
"Of course."
But that response didn't make Baek Saheon feel any better.
He released his hold of Kim Soleum's collar and turned away with a huff.
"I'm not going to talk to that brat. I'm serious. Dare to lose a fight? He's your son from now on!"
Baek Saheon stomped grumpily into their bedroom, rambling on about how Solhwa was now his only child and that he would never care for a loser.
The next day, Baek Sahyeon looked sadly at his parents' bedroom door.
His mother had not come out for breakfast. In fact, breakfast was made by his father, with his mother nowhere in sight.
Baek Sahyeon had never gone to school without a hug and a kiss from his mother.
But now, it seemed that he had to go without even seeing him.
Baek Sahyeon was pouting deeply, his heart aching in sadness.
"Sah-yah, Eomma is not really mad at you. We just have to give him a bit of time, okay?"
Was his mother really not mad at him? Or was his father only saying this to comfort him?
Seeing his deep pout only deepening further, Solhwa hugged Sahyeon instead.
"Mwama no hug oppa, Solhwa will hwug oppa!"
Baek Sahyeon hugged Solhwa back, his cheek resting on top of her head.
But this was not enough to make his sadness go away. His sister's hug was warm, but it couldn't replace his mother's embrace.
Not wanting to dampen the atmosphere even more, Baek Sahyeon decided to be fine with this for now.
But the next day…
Still no sight of his mother.
Did he still need more time?
Baek Sahyeon's head drooped sadly.
The next day after that…
"…Appa, when will Eomma come out of the room?"
Kim Soleum couldn't answer his son's question and ended up coughing awkwardly.
Well… He had also been trying to convince Baek Saheon to show his face at least, but Baek Saheon would only huff, cross his arms, and turn away.
He becomes 10x more unresponsive right after that.
Kim Soleum could see that Sahyeon was barely keeping calm and wanted nothing more than to make up with his mother, and as much as Kim Soleum wanted to help fix the problem too, the only person who could actually do this was Baek Saheon.
"Sah-yah, how about going to your Aunt? If we ask her for help, Eomma might finally come out of the room."
Right. Baek Saheon always listened well to his sister. If they could somehow ask her to help them, maybe it was possible to…
Click.
"So that's it?"
Baek Sahyeon was taken aback when, upon opening the door to their house, his mother was standing at the entrance with an unreadable look on his face.
"Huh?"
Has his mother finally come out of the room? Was his mother willing to talk to him now?
Baek Sahyeon was shocked and confused when his mother…
Suddenly burst into tears.
"If I tell you not to talk to me, you really won't talk to me now? That's it?!"
"…Huh?"
What… What is this situation?
His mother… His mother was crying so hard and sobbing and was shaking uncontrollably and—
"Instead of trying to talk to me, you avoid me?! Baek Sahyeon, how could you do this to me?!"
"Huh…..???"
No, Seriously… What even is this?
Baek Sahyeon flinched when his mother suddenly slumped on the floor and cried.
"Waaaaaaaahhhh! My son doesn't love me anymore, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!"
Baek Sahyeon was shocked, flustered, and…. Seriously… Seriously….!
Baek Sahyeon burst into tears as he ran to his mother and tackle hugged him.
"Eomma, waaaaaaaa!! Sahyeonie is sorry, waaaaaaaa! I won't fight with anyone anymore, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Eomma, don't ignore me anymore…..!!!"
Baek Sahyeon had one weakness. It was a weakness he was never embarrassed of.
His mother.
"You silly brat! If someone picks a fight with you, you fight back! But make sure you win and don't get beaten up! Do you have any idea how much my heart hurt seeing you all bruised?! If it's a fight you can't win, then wait until I come! I'll win that fight for you! Do you understand?!"
Even though his mother was speaking harshly and shouting, one arm was wrapped around him while the other hand was gently stroking his face and wiping his tears.
Baek Sahyeon continued crying and sniffling. Even though his mother's face was also a mess from all those tears, Baek Saheon showed no signs of wanting to wipe his own tears and was focused on Sahyeon's face instead.
This was the mother he loved. This was the mother who raised him lovingly in this world.
This was the mother he would always listen to.
But now, Baek Sahyeon found out a fundamental rule that he would follow from now on.
What his mother says in a fit of anger has the opposite meaning.
So from now on, if his mother tries to push him away, he will just cling to him until he is forgiven.
"Mmkay, Eomma…"
Baek Sahyeon nuzzled further into his mother's embrace, promising to himself that he would never make his mother cry again.
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End.