CHAPTER THIRTEEN: My Wind

"Mum! Dad!" Han Beom called when he entered. He rushed to the kitchen where his mother was cooking and his father reading the newspaper. "whoa there kiddo" his father said, "what's with this excitement? Did you finally got a girlfriend?"

"I- wait what?! No!! Even better! I got a part-time job!" he yelled. Silence filled the room making him worried he had done something wrong. His father stood from his place without his walking stick and walked to him. He put both his hands on his son's shoulders "son... You- uhm you don't have to"

"What do you mean, father? You both are jobless and we don't have any source to pay for our needs, like food and clothes for instance" Han said his eyes switch between his father and mother who was now cleaning the dishes, "mom?" he called. She sighed and shook her head before she turned to look at her son who was eager to hear something good from her at least.

"Han dear? Your father is right, you don't have to do that, we both can manage so please focus on your studies for now so you can enter the best university out there and keep supporting us as you had always wished" she ended, her eyes were filled with sadness unable to contain the anger she has toward the reason for their current state. If that wicked woman didn't show up that day she wouldn't have lost her job and her family wouldn't be suffering like this.

"But- But mother-" Han wanted to try and convince her at least but his father interrupted him "Han please try to understand our position, could you please?" Kim Beom requested slowly patting his son's shoulders, "No father! I have to! You lost your job because of an injury and mother lost hers because of a fucking bitch- !!"

"Han Beom!!" his mother yelled smacking her bare hand on the old table, "you're still a student, you don't need more distractions! Me and your father are trying our very best to pay for your tuitions, so you can be in a good studying atmosphere, taught by the best teachers, and taken care of as a genius student by them so you don't lose your scholarship! That's all it matters to us, so please stop by the place you'll be working in tomorrow and apologize to them. Because We. Don't. Approve."

"Lin?" Kim Beom called lowly, he walked to her to check her hand if she had injured it or something. Han watched the interaction between them his heart wrenching from anger, he nodded his head slowly and walked out of the kitchen to his room. He shut the door after him and started to cry in the room's corner.

The room was cold that night, Han Beom didn't know what to do, he wanted to help his parents because he knew they need it, plus it'd be a lovely change for him! To be surrounded by caring elders instead of those in school could be the best thing to happen to him, but his parents decided to take that opportunity away from him. He can't blame them though, after all, they have no idea what he's going through and he doesn't want to drag them into that.

But he needs this, he needs it so badly. If he doesn't get this job he'll be stuck with those baseless rumors until his school years end, but if he gets it, they'll disappear and he can finally live his life peacefully again as if all that mess never happen and be nothing but a nightmare he woke up from.

"..."

He stood from his place and walked to the window. It wasn't fancy or even big enough to escape through, but it was enough to get his head out and breath the cool breeze.

The wind blew the leaves away from the trees, coincidentally, one of them found its way to Han Beom's window, he caught it and walked back into his room. At that moment his father entered the room and saw his only son standing in the middle of the room looking at the leaf as if it's some kind of a treasure.

Before he uttered a word, Han spoke out first "isn't it unfair for this leaf to be taken away from its branch? The home where it had grew up in?" He turned to look at his father with unknown expression. He looked at his son, stunned by the questions he mumbled.

"If what the wind did was wrong, it wouldn't find its way to you Han" Han pondered then asked, "but why me?"

"Let's leave the time to answer this question. Now let's focus on tomorrow. Wheeh~ October is coming closer haha, I hope you have plans for this year's Halloween~" He said walking to sit on his bed, when he took a seat he pointed for him to sit behind him "... Do you really want to do this? I mean working?"

Han jolted and excitedly said "Yes! Yes father I want to so badly!"

"Then it's too bad your mother won't accept that unless you give her a proper reason" he mumbled before turning to face Han with a sincere smile, "we know we aren't the reason you want to start working Han, so when you feel you're ready to talk about it we'll be here for you"

He walked out leaving Han Beom in his daze 'they knew...' he thought. He turned his attention to the leaf again "do you think the right wind will come and blow me away from all this pain? Will I find peace if I let it all out?" he asked before he found himself thinking about a certain person, "hyung... He's the only one who's willing to listen to me without judging me or my actions. Is he my wind that'll help me fly away from all of this, leaf?"