Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Just Another Day ❯ Volume One, Chapter Two: Red Lily ( Chapter 2 )

Red Lily

Mai-Pai stood with wide eyes.

“It's… It's really you,” she said. The boy looked back and forth between them.

“Mom? Mom, what's going on?” he asked.

“Mom?” Soon asked. All three were so confused. The boy put up his hands.

“Hold on! Hold on!” he said. “What's going here?” Soon and Mai-Pai looked at each other.

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Mai-Pai, Soon, and the boy sat at a table. All waited for someone to speak. The boy looked at the two adults at the table.

“Mom, who is this?” the boy asked. Mai-Pai lowered her eyes.

“Do you remember my stories about the Exile?” she asked.

“Yes?” the boy asked. “What about them?” His mother paced herself.

“I met her in the desert,” Soon spoke up.

“Yes,” she said. The boy looked at the man.

“What is your name?” he asked.

“Soon,” the man said. “Gok Soon.”

“Ah,” the boy said.

“This is my son, Jin,” Mai-Pai said.

“Hi,” the boy said.

“Yeah…” Soon said. His memories started flooding back.

She was the one to reach out to him. He had been alone in his youth. Mai-Pai had been there to stay by his side. Ten years, huh?

“Why did you stop writing me?” Mai-Pai asked. Soon shrugged.

“No home,” he said. “Been wandering the country.”

“Phone calls?” she asked.

“No phone,” he said.

“Oh…”

Soon nodded. “Yeah.

Mai-Pai looked so confused. “Wait, what happened to Sachie?” The man sighed.

“She left me,” he said. Hew jaw dropped.

“You're kidding! What happened?” Mai-Pai asked. Soon shrugged and shook his head.

“Didn't work out,” he said. “She left and I started wandering.”

“Don't you have any relatives?” she asked. Soon shook his head.

“Oh…” she said. The adults sat silent. Soon's stomach started to growl. He nervously laughed.

“You hungry?” Jin asked.

“I don't have any money,” the man said.

“That's okay,” he said. “On the house.”

“You sure?” Soon asked.

“Yeah,” Jin said. “I'm the only one here. I'm supposed to close up this shop.”

“I don't want to get you in trouble,” Soon said.

“It's fine,” the boy said. Jin walked back to the kitchen. Soon and Mai-Pai were left alone. The adults struggled to say something. She looked away.

“Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?” she mumbled. Soon looked up.

“Huh?” he asked. Mai-Pai's face turned bright red. She cleared her throat.

“You can stay with me,” she said. The man gave her an odd look.

“What? Oh no, no, no,” he said. “I can't.”

“No!” Mai-Pai said. “I insist. You will eat something and then you are coming home with us. I won't have it any other way. Do you understand?” Her tone told him not to argue with her. Soon gulped as he remembered their first meeting.

“Yes,” he said in a sheepish voice. Mai-Pai put her hands on her hips.

“Good,” she said. Jin came back with a hot bowl of ramen.

“Here you are,” he said.

“Thank you,” Soon said, bowing his head. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating. Mai-Pai watched him closely. This all felt so familiar. But yet, Soon took an odd comfort in it.

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