Shin Yi collected his thoughts, tucked them away in the very far recess of his mind away from his face before he turned to face his host mother. He didn't answer with words but merely stared at her waiting for her to speak the reason she called.
Shin Yi's mother spoke in a light tone, looking at the food spread out on the drying basket. "Can you help me get those inside," she pointed.
Without so much as a pimp of protest, Shin Yi got up to do as he was bid. Then he without being asked offered his help to the older woman in the kitchen.
While they were cooking his host sister came out of his room to join them. She refused to look at Shin Yi still smarting from his earlier crass treatment. She was hurt and disappointed inside because he had believed her brother changed but unfortunately he was still the same cold and introverted person who had no time for his sister and got angry at her at the slightest provocation.
Shin Yi didn't like seeing the disappointment in the little girl's brown eyes, he told himself that he shouldn't care after all he will be getting out of here soon as soon as he finds a way to get back. He has made up his mind should he return to his era that he was going to do everything in his power to prevent his death and get back at those who plotted his downfall.
Despite his resolve not to care about the little girl's feeling he kept sneaking gazes at her as she too joined in the preparation of the meal. The three of them made a cozy looking little family making meals together, except for the lack of excitement and chatter that would have made it a happy one.
They were all lost in their thoughts, even though they appeared present in the room with their action. Shin Yi wondered at the plenty meal being prepared but made no comment. He thought about the shabbiness of their home and how the woman beside him could afford to cook these plenty food all the time.
In silence they all continued to do their best and when the food was finished Shin Yi and Sa-rang took everything to their small living room and right on time there was a knock on the door of their humble home.
Shin Yi looked at the other occupants with question in his eyes and a little discomfort, he didn't realise that they will be having visitors.
"Can you get the door, Shin Yi," his host mother, says without looking at him, as she left the room to the kitchen for the rest of the food.
Shin Yi did as he was bid and made his way to the door, he opened it to the smiling faces of their neighbours .
The slightly older couple stopped smiling when they looked up to see Shin Yi standing before them. His presence made them a little uncomfortable as they didn't know how to interact with him in the light of the recent event.
"Hi, Shin Yi," the shorter one of the couple smiled up at the teenager with a bit of awkwardness.
From his host memories Shin Yi gathered the names of the two people standing before him. Mr and Mrs Cho have been friends with Shin Yi's family for a long time and Mrs Cho sales in the market along side Shin Yi's mother, her stall adjacent hers while Mr Cho has a carpentry work shop.
Shin Yi moved out of the way to let the couple in and that revealed the boy behind them. The same height as Shin Yi, lanky with a mop of curly brown hair on his head.
The two teenage boys stared at each other like they didn't know what to do with themselves before the slender boy moved to pull Shin Yi into a tight hug. He didn't say a word but held Shin Yi tightly around his neck, happy that his friend survived and didn't leave him alone.
He felt guilty for not being there when his best friend needed him but didn't say his thoughts out loud. He was relieved at the survival of his best friend that he didn't realise that his hug wasn't being returned.
Shin Yi stood stiffly in the arms of the other boy feeling a little nerved at a stranger touching him but he didn't pull away. The boy is one of the few people important to his host. They have been friends since they were little boys running around the neighbourhood in their pants, no shirt.
After what felt like an eternity of hug the slender boy pulled back. "I am happy you are alright, Shin," he clapped Shin Yi on the back, a smile playing softly on his lips while his eyes glittered with unshed tears.
"Me too," Shin Yi mumbled without the smile.
Without speaking further the two boys rejoined the rest of the family in the living room who looked up when they entered.
The adults in the room sent a light smile in the boys direction glad that the unfortunate incident didn't separate them while Sa-rang boldly called out to her brother's best friend to come seat beside her, her brown eyes wide with admiration as she stared at her crush.
Her behaviour made the adults smile, everyone could see how much the eight year old admires the older boy, but it was all innocent which made it all the more cute.
Sung-Min blushed slightly at being at the centre of the girl's attention but he didn't refuse her. Sa-rang is like a little sister to him and he will never refuse her anything.
They all sat down to eat. It started off in silence soon the adults began to converse about the market and the trend of goods and how the tax is affecting the price of things in the market.
While dinner went on The Chos kept stealing glances at Shin Yi who was eating silently at the end of the table opposite them. They were wondering what made the boy try to kill himself, there have been rumours going around the neighbourhood of the boy being crazy.
Most people are afraid of letting their kids associate with him and have warned them to stay clear of the boy's path lest they contract his illness, but the Chos have been friends with the boy's parents for such a long time to stop association with them but that didn't stop them from being curious.
"Why did you try to kill yourself boy?" Mr Cho asked without tart shocking everyone in the room.
Mrs Cho reached out to smack her husband on his shoulder. "What!" The man looked at her seeing nothing wrong with his question. They were both wondering the same thing, he just spoke their thoughts out loud.
"I am sorry about my husband's big mouth, Mi-hee," Mrs Cho apologised with an awkward smile even though she too was curious.
"Is alright," Shin Yi's mother waved off her words with a tight smile, she wasn't deaf to the rumours going around the neighbourhood about her son, and even though it hurts her so much there was nothing she could do about it. At least the Chos bothered to ask to her face and not whisper behind her back.
Sung-Min was also curious about the incident. He didn't want to believe that his best friend jumped, even though his mind doubts. He was aware of the shit Shin Yi was going through and had tried to be there for him when he can but he had felt his best friend slipping away from him as he withdrew each day into himself and it was the fault the boys that bullied him in school.
Sung-Min wanted to kill them all for pushing his best friend to the brink of his sanity but unfortunately he was no match for them.
Shin Yi could feel the eyes of the other boy on him but he continued to eat pretending unaware of the tension in the room, though the food new feels very heavy in his stomach.
The question Mr Cho asked was left hanging in the room and went unanswered for the rest of the night.
After dinner the Chos bid Shin Yi's family good night and left for their house while Shin Yi once again helped his mother to cleanup after which he retired for the night, but before he did that he went to his sister's room and apologised for his behaviour earlier on.