It was night when the plane touched down in Busan.
Garden had barely gotten much sleep thanks to a passenger's wailing baby.
He had lent his ear buds to the business guy sleeping soundly next to him unfortunately.
When he finally fell asleep, he was awoken shortly after. The pain must've touched down because people were standing. The man in the suit returned his ear buds with a smile.
"Thanks."
Garden could only politely smile.
There were many people waiting for family members at the terminal, as Garden walked around he stared at the happy families, feeling somewhat passive.
On his way towards baggage claim, he halted at the sight of a small family heading in his direction with some familiar luggage.
The woman and her daughter both had striking Amethyst hair and eyes, while the Father. Garden's eyes shot open.
My Father.
His hair was a ginger brown color and his eyes were a darker jade blue color.
"Garden!" His Father smiled at him, the corner of his eyes crinkled as he held up a hand.
Whenever he smiled at that, he was always at his happiest.
But at that moment Garden's mind went blank, as his gaze zoomed in on the gold rings on both their fingers.
Initially, Garden and his friend had got permission from both their parents to attend a boarding school overseas, in the past two years, of his absence, there was plenty of time for something like this to happen but Garden had never anticipated it.
Firstly, because he vividly recalled a conversation his Father once had about him remarrying. Without hesitation Garden's responded with a "No." It's been nearly seven years since his Mother vanished off the face of the other, and Garden had always wanted to believe that she was still alive somewhere out there.
But clearly, his Dad had different thoughts.
Garden punched the side of his head to check if he was dreaming.
This was the worst-case scenario here. There was no way his Dad would remarry another person without even inviting him for the wedding, without any introduction. Without even waiting for his wife to return, right?
As they approached, Garden continued to punch the side of his head. His drowsyness receding as he did.
But when he didn't wake up, all that was left was a slowly rising anger.
"It's so good to have you- His Father approached him with outstretched arms.
Garden pulled at the drawstrings of his hoodie as he side-stepped past him, tightening the hood around his face as he did.
"Son?" Earth turned around.
Garden stopped walking.
His voice sounded extremely bitter as he squeezed at his draw strings. "If you say anything else right now, I might end up losing it."
"Garden!"
"I'm going to stay at Stella's."
"But the hospital doesn't accept visitors at this hour!"
"Then I'll sleep in the lobby."
"Garden, you can't-
"What's it to you?!" Garden whipped around snapping, his gaze was dripping with contempt as he grinned. "Don't you think it would be a good thing if I also go missing?" He looked insane, and exhausted.
"What?!" His father seemed incredibly confused.
"Then maybe..." He spoke while trembling. He tightened his fist. "Just maybe you won't be obliged to pretend you give a rat's ass about your 1st family?"
Speechless, Earth opened his mouth only to close it and purse his lips.
"I don't care how much you'll hate me. I'm not letting my only child sleep on the streets!"
Garden was so angry, he opened his mouth but only a hissing sound came out.
Earth hissed back.
His new wife and step-daughter watched on with nervous looks when finally Earth's phone rang.
He answered immediately with a "What?"
His anger subsided into one of panic. "What?!"
He listened for a bit longer as his skin became pale.
"What is it dear?" His new wife asked him.
"Solstice, he's... Garden you need to go see Stella."
"I was going to anyway!" Garden walked away only to get yanked back by the collar.
"We're going. To.Ge.Th.Er." Earth hissed between gritted teeth.
Earth's secretary Mr. Do waited in the hallway his face pale.
"How's Solstice?"
Mr. Do shook his head.
At that moment Earth nearly collapses and had to use a chair as a crutch.
"No way..." Earth shook his head. "Where is he?"
"Well, his body's in-
Earth rushed towards an emergency before Mr. Do could say anything else.
"What about Stella?"
"He's still in his room, the nurses are breaking the news to him and-
Garden rushed off in that direction.
He already knew the room number, Stella had texted him before he boarded his plane. He arrived in time to see a nurse leaving the room.
"St-
Garden rushed to open the door when the nurse held out an arm to stop him.
"Please, just give him a moment. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you were this a normal occasion but..."
Garden nodded and resigned himself to sitting on a bench in the hallway his shoulders loosening.
He wasn't sure what was happening hut it seems something bad happened to Mr. Solstice.
"Mr. Solstice? Dead?" He muttered. He punched himself in the head. He was still willing to think this might be a bad dream.
The friendship between the Unevas and the Baciu's had existed long before he had been born.
Their parents attended the same school and colleges together, and even after they started their families they still kept in touch, losing him might as well have been losing an Uncle.
Garden couldn't help recalling the day he found Stella's body trapped underneath the pole, his heart nearly stopped, his mind went blank and as the realization that the person underneath possibly might never wake up again he felt as if he was nearly going to lose his goddamn mind.
Stella, was he losing his mind right now? On top of possibly never being able to walk again, his Dad was now...
He walked over to peek inside.
The lights were off but he could see a figure sitting motionlessly in bed.
"..." Garden slowly opened it.
"Stell?"
The head moved.
"You're here?" the familiar voice asked.
As Garden approached the lightswitch Stella held up a hand.
"Sorry, I can't... right now. I'm a mess."
Garden pulled up a stool next to his bed.
"I heard something ... is it okay if I asked what exactly happened?"
"I was supposed to be discharged tomorrow, on his way back from a business trip, his car fell off a freeway. The nurses said he was going on about something he saw in the road...According to witnesses, they didn't see anything though..."
Garden couldn't help feeling even more unsettled at the odd story.
Mr. Solstice wasn't an illogical person, if anything he was the embodiment of sanity itself.
That's why he found it weird.
He offered to buy Stella a drink, when on his way out he couldn't help hearing a commotion.
Someone was yelling.
"What do you mean he's missing?!" His Father's voice.
"I-I don't... It was in this room?"
"Please quiet down sir, you'll wake the patients!"
As Garden rounded the corner to the vending machine he took in the scene of his Father grabbing a doctor by the collar.
"Honey!" His wife pleaded.
Garden, only felt more bitter towards him for some reason.
"Are you trying to get yourself arrested?" He asked on his stop to the vending machine.
Everyone turned to stare.
"Where did you go?"
"Where else? I was with Stella."
"How is he?"
"Well... he's not fine." Garden bent down to retrieve a chocolate and banana milk drink.
"I'm staying here with him, that's fine right?"
"..." A shadow fell upon him.
When he looked up it was his Dad. He looked constipated.
"Where's his room?"
"You sure you don't need the bathroom first, cos-
"Boy!-
"I got it! I'll do it. dang..."
Garden led him to Stella's room, his wife and step-daughter trailing behind.
Before he entered Garden held out a hand to block him.
"Compose yourself, you look like a lunatic." Garden went in first.
Rather then getting angry, Earth paused to take a deep breath.
Then, he suddenly became conscious of the extra eyes.
"Ah, I'm sorry you two. It's probably best if you head home for now I-
"We're not going anywhere." His new wife response was firm.
"But... Violetta has school tomorrow."
"We're not leaving..." His wife repeated as she slowly approached him and gave him a hug.
"I don't think either of us would be able to get much sleep tonight regardless. How does a person pronounced dead suddenly leave the room without anyone noticing? It's not as if the dead have feet."
When the door finally opened, Earth entered followed by the others.
"Stella. Wait, why's it so dark in here?"
"Stella doesn't want the light on."
Earth flicked it on anyway.
Stella shielded his face.
He was a thin and pale boy with strawberry hair and a pair of doe shaped blueberry colored eyes that were puffy and swollen from crying.
"Listen here, we're a family, there's no need to hide your tears from us, Stella." Earth pawed the air for a seat which Garden was occupying, he shoved his son's face aside, shooing Garden out of it.
"Is it okay if I ask you some questions?"
Annoyance couldn't keep Garden from glaring.
"You're off duty, now Dad."
"And?" His Father made a shooing gesture.
"Sit outside."
"Why?"
"Garden." Earth's tone was one of warning.
Garden clucked his tongue and left, his step-Mother and step-sis followed.