"Does it supposed to be a compliment or an insult?
It was the first thought that arose in his mind.
"Or controlling? Is it supposed to sound romantic? Or was he trying to say live your life in your way as if he had known or seen for how she was?"
The fact her sister always dressed up despite the condition, he was amazed at how she was a bare face..when she met them? Or is it what they call fate or destiny?
Now Newmoon didn't want to hear it at all. He squeezed his eyes in pain.
"..And that's all I need! I don't care much about others anyway!"
Newmoon let out another deep sigh. Somehow her persuasive words worked on him. Still, this time Newmoon wanted to correct his mistakes by any means. He didn't want to avoid any loopholes.
He bragged, "..Still.You should've told me at least!"
Nobody knows better than newmoon that he would be the last person Jina would ever utter a word to. However, in a weak moment, he spilled out his inner thoughts. Maybe the deep conversation they had that night made him feel a slight closeness between them.
"…"
With a quick pause, Jina burst into laughter.
He knew he was being laughed at. What he said was a childish thing after all. He had no right to order her around and it's not like he was good at giving other life advice too. The other day when he gave some earful of advice to somebody, he almost made that person lose their life. If the person is in the long debate of whether or not they should kill themselves, if in case they come in a contact with newmoon, after hearing his so-called advice they would kill themselves right away.
It was a nightmare he dared not to recall.
With a 'Splash' sound, he once more curled in the lake of humiliation, "W-Why are you teasing me? This ain't funny!"
"No-No! It's not like that. I.."
For some unknown reason, she halts in the middle of her words.
The phrase 'It's like that!' was jumping in his head on the other side.
"..I'm just happy to learn that you've grown!"
Newmoon flinched, "…"
If the blame should be put on the time or circumstances, they never had crossed each other path before and now they were eventually put on such a plane enough to understand through a mere call. Jina had her own life and was 24/7 attached to her mom and newmoon had his own school life.
'Noona, stop! You're making me die of cringe!' Was he about to speak but fortunately made a complete U-turn in the end?
"Of course, I'll grow. I can't stay a child forever right?"
"I know I know!"
Oddly enough the environment around them had hysterically changed into a much calm and more lively one. Not even in a dream did he had expected their conversation would end like this. It was almost as though none of it had ever occurred and it was a simple regular call between a sister and brother.
Thinking about this, Newmoon's eyelids suddenly drooped as he wonder to himself, " Noona! Only if I had been there..back then..then maybe I would've been able to stop you from this hell and..,
His eyes moved with some familiar feeling as his heart filled with guilt.
"..Maybe you would've found a better husband and family to spend your whole life with!"
"Anyway newmoon, What's done is done! We can't change it!"
She cleared her throat and retreated her tone back to normal,
"However, She is still my mother-in-law so I would follow my responsibilities towards family."
As soon as he heard, his jaw dropped on the floor, "?"
His eyes enlarged with disbelief. The phrase completely meant that 'No matter how she behaves I'll still respect her as a mother-in-law and remain loyal to the family!"
Newmoon quickly protested, "Why in the world would you still agree to wag your tail around them? Have your mind forget how much they- had- it doesn't even make sense man, l-like how come-?"
He stumbled on every word as though he couldn't find the perfect words to describe it.
"-You do know how much we love our mum right?"
Newmoon's brows twitched in irritation, "??..Now why the sudden change in the topic? Why are you dragging our mum in here? What she has to do with this? "
Inhaling a long breath Jina responded distorting the fact, "We have you and john as a brother. And in the far future, you both have to marry and bring a beautiful daughter-in-law into our family. Eventually, they have to take a lead to continue our family roots as well as take care of our parents too!"
Newmoon listened attentively with a puzzled face.
"Now think thoroughly what would you do. how would you feel as a son and a husband seeing your wife or john's wife treating our parents in a worse way?"
Newmoon flinched, "?"
"Won't your heart get wrinkled? Crippled? Ripped apart when they have to go through during their old and weak dying age?"
"…"
Newmoon was left speechless. His body was long become numb from sitting in the same spot and so were his thoughts too! He had never thought in that way, in the third perspective! For him, Jina's words were like a wake-up call. It indeed made sense.
However once again he didn't want to digest it so easily just because she made sense. Cause something was bothering him for a while so he argued with a sullen face, "Of course, we'll feel hurt. What's there left to ask-"
"Put yourself in her shoes!"
"?"
"She's also a mother. I won't say kind, or pitiful cause when it comes to their behavior I want to eat them raw but let's not go that far. Highly irritating ..still old and weak kinda remind me of our mum, so no matter what I can't bring myself to hate her."
"But don't worry, just because I say I can't hate her doesn't mean I would be staying like a tradition, drama's national daughter-in-law who would go all nodding and saying yes."
Yes! That proved how she was. A few years' distance made newmoon forget every little drama and accident she had caused before leaving south Korea! And now all of it bubbled up in his head. Honestly, there wasn't any need to be worrying about her. He knew when it comes to 'tit for tat' there wasn't anyone better than Jina.
Only then he could brush off the remaining burden from his shoulders. Now he was finally relieved both in and out.
He lowered his gaze.
It seemed all of his problems got absorbed and swept away by the hot water turning it into a cold.
Curving his lips he smiled, pupil full of admiration, "Noona, you've changed a lot!"
"I'll take that as a compliment!"
From the other side, a soft smile broke out.
"Noona?"
A wave of seriousness sounded in his call.
"I know you can handle it. But do know it doesn't hurt to be extra careful alright? The world is eviler than people say! If they crossed the line then I want you to cross the limit too! And please share everything with me from now on. Don't hide and don't…"
For some unknown reason, his voice gradually turned so low to the point that it vanished before he could get a chance to finish.
"Only if you keep it secret from mum."
Just as she finished speaking, his mouth twitched in uneasiness. Now he knew what it was that made him feel uneasy and bothered him all this time. It was this as she mentioned.
Hurriedly he asked in a disapproved tone, "Come to think of it, why do you want to hide it from her? I wanted to confront this ever since you made a deal. Until yesterday you're the one to "
"Sudden change of feeling.., I guess?"
He could hear the slight hesitation within her voice. Does he hate to think maybe she was holding some grudge against her? Although the chances are 0.000009% still in that unpredictable situation and overthinking thoughts drove him crazy and put him on the edge of becoming a delusion. No! He shook his head crazily as if wanting to throw all of the negativity away.
"Or, Maybe something hit me? Haha...No hard feelings towards anybody but you know..it's just I came to experience something when I came here, We have become fully adult. Now we have to take care of our problems and take full responsibility for our actions. They have already done enough for us and still going through a lot.., Knowing that I can't add more fuel to the fire ya, know?"
When newmoon said she had changed then she truly was. It was way up to a new level. Just yesterday she would ask and share anything with mum even asking her opinion on trivial matters such as buying outfits or sharing about the proposal, every little conversation that occurred between her and the boys on the Acebook app…to hide such big truth.
Life truly was full of surprises. One could never tell what is going to happen. And today's incident made the newmoon realized to its deepest level.
After a long process of wielding tears and smiling in the end, he finally got off from the bathtub. The moment he rose a series of sharp electricity slid down from his waist to the tip of his toe. He had spent way longer than he had imagined. The water too had long turned iced-cold. He leaned into the wall to support his weak legs.
He had a few normal talks with Jina before she hung off. Her relatives might start to spread new rumors about how she was clinging to her phone all day and night. Newmoon had begun to understand her position a little.
Wearing a bathrobe he comes out of the bathroom and walked a few miles away only to see Aiden sleeping on the sofa in the sitting room.
He just stared at him with a long silence before he slowly put down his phone and walked away towards the other wall.
His voice rang with voices,
"Btw, Noona what about Aiden Hyung? You two seem kinda close enough than normal aunt and..? Isn't he the grandson of Mrs. Song..the one you know?"
"Oh.Aiden?"
She asked as she drowned in excitement.
"I forget to mention it, but other than my husband he is the second person who is hella nice to me. He always makes me laugh..haha!"
Hearing this, certain feelings took over his heart. But the problem was what?
"I see!"
With a 'Tap' he turned off the lights. Before walking away, he halted and turned around to take a glance at him.
"But noona. Be careful 'an apple will never fall far from the tree'!"
"Rest assured. In his case 'an apple had undoubtedly fallen far from the tree!' haha. Besides, his relationship with grandma isn't better at all"
"Now that's surprising? I wonder why?"
Newmoon eventually headed towards his room.
"Idk either. I find it irrelevant to poke my nose into other households. So I passed that matter."
~THUD~
Around 2 am of the morning did he was able to get into bed at the end. Despite the late timing, he couldn't get to sleep. He blankly stared at the top of the ceiling.
"Things aside, Aiden told me your exams are coming up. How is your preparation going on?"
"It's the day after tomorrow! And about preparation yeah it is good!"
It was when the thoughts 'I should ace the exam and make Jina noona proud' suddenly possessed him did shoot up and instantly sat on the study table. Then he began to work his ass off.
…
The morning soft light cast its spell on the coriander where grandma was walking ahead slightly massaging her wrinkled temples. Her movements were sloppy and heavy as if she was feeling severe drowsiness. Passing through Newmoon's room she gave a call to him once unaware of his presence. She quickly moved forward in a way that she had never wanted to open her mouth to call him. Her actions clearly showed the 'I called you but you didn't respond type.
Who knew whether she was praying silently to not woke up her so that she can use that 'excuse' to bully and raise questions about her daughter-in-law in the future once she returns?
All alone, she went to the kitchen and decided to make some hangover soup for herself.
While taking out the intregridents from the fridge, Her eyes got struck on something that was hung on the wall of the bridge.
It was a piece of handwritten paper.
"Good morning, Grandma and Mrs.song, I had to cover some topics so I'm heading to a library first. I hope you would like my hangover soup. I left behind the stove. Eat well and get well soon."
As expected, like a shadow Mrs. Song also happened to come at the right time.
She touched her head as though she felt a severe headache too and she deliberately stated, "What are you doing..holding a piece of paper early in the morning?"
Mrs. Song had already finished peeking at the piece of paper by the time she spilled 'morning!"
"Ah- So, that's why I don't see him today!"
The corner of her lips turned into a wicked smile, "How sweet! He seems so concerned about our health."
Walking behind her towards the stove she continued in a sugarcoating tone, "To speak honestly, I Kind of like him more than his sister!"
Turning a deaf ear to her, grandma put down the paper and pull out some ingredients of her own.
Seeing it with a slanted gaze, Mrs. song added, "He is always 2 steps forward than her in every aspect."
"I would like him too if he didn't share the same blood relation with her!"
Both her voice, as well as expression, seemed uninterested.
"You do know how much I resent her, don't you?"
Mrs. Song chuckled, "Yeah! Yeah!"
Meanwhile, a few miles away, a dark shadow seemed to be moving in the opposite direction. It was non-other than Aiden's. He heard it all as usual. It was absolutely common in his life. Back then in the UK, every time he got some spare time from his college life he used to come back home to spend such rare times with his precious family. But 24/7 all they do was backbite others, spreading rumors mostly Jina's now the fact she had become the hot topic. So, he better end up roaming to other locations and places than stay home.
This was also the main reason why the relationship between grandson and grandma got drifted gradually. The one who was obsessed with social life while the others wanted a cozy and lively life.
…
Next Morning:
"AI….DEN…AI…DEN..??"
Aiden who was in a middle of a deep sleep heard somebody soothingly calling his name. But unable to detect the location though. He hummed in silence and twisted his body and popped to the other side of the bed. And the next second, a huge 'BANG' shot him up suddenly.
Aiden, "?"
It wasn't in his dream that he heard but in reality, it was from me. Song. And he instantly took back his comment 'soothingly' out from his head.
His half-opened eyes quickly got entangled against her grandma's furious eyes.
He shuddered secretly and straighten his backward to pay respect. No! To pretend and made an illusion of 'Yes! See? I'm fully awake. I've never been so awake in my whole life. Thanks to you. So, now will you kindly get out of my room?"
"My my.."
She muttered something before she yelled at him, "Have you gone deaf? Do you have any idea how long I was calling you? The sun had long risen and even set too! To speak that, don't you dare come up with excuses too! I saw you were pretty awake earlier."
Unfortunately, Mrs.song saw him.
"And what's up with that get-up? Are you sure you are my grandson and the future heir of our family?"
She went on crazy cramming like a machine gun pointing out flaws, unsatisfied get-up, wriggling her fingers like an electrocuted all because of one reason. For waking up late.
Hopeless little fellow, Aiden could only listen to it pulling a poker face.
Seeing his uninterested and lazy face, Mrs. Song shouted even more. Her veins popped out in her throat.
"BlAH.BLAH.Blah!"
As if Aiden had reached the dead-end section of that day's lecture, he stood up and bowed to her, "I get it, grandma. I get it. It won't happen again. I'm sorry. For heaven's sake and my grandfather's sake, now please let me go!"
Hearing it, Mrs. Song somehow stayed back. Though she knew he wasn't being sincere at all she knew her lecture would work for a few weeks at least.
Turning around, Mrs. song warned him, "Don't ever think you could get away just because I'm getting old!"
Nodding along with her answers, he slowly pushed him away, "Ok grandma ok!"
"Don't push me!"
After closing the door, he directly stands in front of the mirror.
And what awaited him all this time was another figure. A person whose grazed hair was floating straightly in an upwards position as if he was about to get a thunderbolt from heaven.
"…"
…
The next morning, to avoid an earful of Mrs. song's lecture, he woke up earlier than usual. Surprisingly it was refreshing to wake up early was the first thought it came to his mind. And why wouldn't be? Starting the day with unnecessary arguments is way calmer and more refreshful than waking up from 1 hour long lectures.
Stretching his body and brushing his hair off, he walked to the bathroom. Just when he was about to reach out for the knob to open it, in the same moment somebody from inside happened to open the door suddenly.
The first word was, "W-W-Wahh~~ Gho-ost!!!"