Act I - A Coward

1351 Words
The sound of water droplets hitting the water bucket, a motor-like noise that the heater creates, and the clattering noises that the broken television makes. These sounds brought Noh Jin Suk to get his consciousness back. He was being blinded by the bright lights as he tried to open his eyes, he slowly flicked several times to adjust his vision. He was facing a dirty ceiling and saw a little long leg spider that was just chilling in his cobweb. He woke up in a small untidy room, the mess was all over the room that the smell sticks around the place. The clanking of metal wares from the kitchen immediately caught his attention. He tilted his head to the side and saw a man who was covered with dirty ragged clothes. He tried to get up even though his body was sore and still experiencing dizziness. He got up from the greasy beds and put his feet on the cold moist floor. “Who are you?”, he said with a faint sound as he breathe slowly. The unknown man turned his back for a moment and continued doing his business again, “You’re awake”, he replied. “Who are you and where am I?”, his eyes were flickering from exhaustion and his breathing was abnormal. “Do not worry, I am not a strange man”, the man said as he pours boiling water from the worn-out old cup. He put down the kettle and took the cup with as he approached Noh Jin Suk, “Here, drink this herbal tea. It will make you feel a lot better”, the man hands the tea to Noh Jin Suk but the doubt is making him hesitates. “I didn’t put anything weird in there”, the old man assured but Noh Jin Suk was overly cautious. “No, thank you”, he declined his offer and tried to stand up. His body was still weak, he ended up falling to his knees. The old man wanted to assist him but Noh Jin Suk swayed away from his hands and refused to get help, “Come on, don’t be stubborn, young man. I just want to help”, he said to him. “Go away, I don’t need your help”, Noh Jin Suk looked at him for a moment with an intent look. The strange man stood back and let him help himself. Noh Jin Suk used all of his recovered energy that he was able to reach the door but that energy depleted quickly, he fell down again on his knees as his right hand still grabbed the doorknob. He was slowly losing consciousness. “You can’t leave yet, your fever hasn’t gone down”, the man said to him. He didn’t even realize that he has a fever, he was really weak for his mind to cooperate. His eyes are going to close any second yet he used the little ounce of strength he have left to open the door. The rain was pouring in the night and the sound of the swishing winds deafened his hearing. Noh Jin Suk fell from the dirty cold floor as cold wind enters the room. Noh Jin Suk lost his consciousness once again. ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ Lee Yoo Chan was stacking the shelves and ordering them perfectly, he organized the items as the manager told him. He couldn’t take any of his painfully sharp scoldings again. Noticeable dark circles on his eyes and dry skin show all over his face. He was worn out and tired, but the will to take care of someone was greater than he forgot about the word self-care. He sacrifices his physical and mental health capacity to be a hero to someone he truly loves. He would do anything just to show that he is a great big brother. The sound of people entering the store made him stand up, “Welcome”, he greeted the customer and bowed his head. The customer was wearing a cap, a worn-out sweater, and long motherly skirt, he immediately knows that she is a housewife. The customer went to the side of the store to select some items they want to buy. Lee Yoo Chan took the basket with him and went back to the counter. As he waited for them to finish, he had the time to call for his little brother. His brother immediately picks up the call, “Hello? Hyung? are you done with work?”, his brother asked with an adorable tone. (Note: ‘Hyung’ is a word used by Korean males to address another male older than them who they are close to. ‘Hyung’ literally means “older brother”) He couldn’t help but smile after hearing his little brother’s voice, “Not yet, I’ll be done after an hour”, he replied with a big smile on his face. “Kay, Ki-Chan will wait for you”, his brother said. “Did you eat dinner?”, he asked as he looks at the customers from the side of a store still choosing some items. “Not yet, I am waiting for you so we can eat together”, he couldn’t help but smile widely again after hearing his little brother’s reply. “Go and eat first, you don’t have to wait for me, I can eat here” “No! No! No! It’s been a week since we last ate together”, his brother yells with an upset voice which he finds cute. “Okay, okay let’s eat together after I go back”, he said. “Oke, I will wait for you. Hurry and come back home”, his little brother said. Lee Yoo Chan smiled once again, hearing his little brother’s voice was enough for him. The customer is now approaching the counter, “Okay, bye now. Don’t get out of the room and don’t open the door for strangers okay? Always check the door if it's locked”, he always reminds him every time he calls. The reason is his little brother is all alone inside their small apartment room. “Ki-Chan knows”, he said. He giggled from the adorable voice, “Okay I am hanging up the call, take care”, he said. “Okay”, his little brother replied and Lee Yoo Chan hanged up the call. Lee Yoo Chan took the items that the customers have put on the counter to check them out. It was a hefty amount of canned beers and a pack of dry squid, “That will be 18 dollars miss”, Lee Yoo Chan said to the customer smiling. The customer hands out 20 dollars to him, he took the cash from her and took a glimpse on her darkened wrist, it was bruised. He ignore what he saw and just continued to smile. “Here’s the changed”, he hands it over and managed to have a close-up look on her face. She had a plaster stick to the side of her forehead, her right cheek has a cut wound and the side of her mouth was bruised. Lee Yoo Chan immediately realizes that the woman was being abused. The woman took the change and Lee Yoo Chan keeps his forced smile until the woman left the store. He suddenly feels the sadness sinks deep into his chest after the woman left, he thought that he was staring at his own image. He remembers the past he was trying hard to forget. The agony, the pain, and his heart have already made a big cut inside him. The wounds that are difficult to heal keep aching his poor heart. He believed to himself that he is a weak coward. He can’t escape from the memories of their sadistic parents. The pain and suffering from his past will forever haunt him. ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ [End of Act I - A Coward] [Next - Home Late]
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