Better Left Forgotten

By the time they reached home, the night air was thick with the sweet scent of blooming jasmine. Luna stepped out of the car quickly, as if she wants to get rid of him so badly as soon as possible, while Hyunsu followed her closely with a small packet of medicine in his hand.

"Luna," he called her loud enough for her to hear.

"Take these before you sleep," he said, his voice softer than it had been when he blurted those absurd words earlier.

Luna eyed the packet warily. She definitely didn't want to take it, not after what he had said.

"Why would I take someone's favor, especially when we don't have that kind of relationship?" Her gaze was icy, her eyes cutting through him like a razor.

"I... I am so..." Hyunsu started to apologize but faltered. Why was it so hard to say a simple "sorry"? He hesitated, the words caught in his throat at the most crucial moment.

Luna was about to turn and walk away, but still, his voice remained trapped in silence. Just then, another voice broke through the tension between them.

"Luna?"

Luna's head snapped up at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

Kim Soojin walking towards them, her sharp gaze immediately assessing the situation. The worry lines on her face deepened as she moved closer, her eyes flicking between Luna and Hyunsu, her concern growing with each passing second.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Soojin's voice carried a subtle tremor, the weight of unspoken worry beneath her words.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? You should have called us if you were feeling sick."

Before Luna could protest, Soojin pulled her into a brief but warm hug, holding her for just a moment before pulling away.

Hyunsu took a step back, lowering his gaze to give them space. But Soojin's sharp eyes quickly noticed his presence.

Her gaze swept over him, assessing him with practiced precision.

"And... who is...?"

Luna stiffened, caught between them. She glanced at Hyunsu before answering.

"Mom... he's Nina's brother, Hyunsu. He helped me at the hospital."

"I see, you're our Nina's brother" Soojin remarked, her eyes lingering on Hyunsu with a hint of approval.

"Such a handsome face..."

She softened her tone, her gaze shifting back to Luna as if ensuring she was all right.

"Thank you for helping my daughter."

Hyunsu bowed slightly, his posture polite and respectful.

"It was nothing, ma'am. I'm just doing my job."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes—the same guarded distance Luna had seen earlier.

Before the atmosphere could grow heavier, Hyunsu quickly glanced at Luna, giving her a small nod.

"I'll get going now. Take this medicine before you sleep."

Without waiting for her reply, he handed it to her and turned on his heel, disappearing into the night.

Luna stood frozen, the packet still clutched in her hand as she watched him.

Her mother glanced at her, brows raised. "Nina's brother, huh?"

"It's not what you're thinking," Luna muttered, slipping the packet into her pocket.

But the resistance in her chest said otherwise.

As she followed her mother inside, her fingers brushed the packet again—

After some time, Luna found herself sat at the dining table, her fingers curled around the warm ceramic bowl. The gentle aroma of seaweed soup filled the air—her mother's special recipe, one she always made whenever Luna was sick.

The quiet clinking of spoons against bowls echoed in the room, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.

Ms. Kim Soojin sat across from her, her soft, tired eyes watching Luna closely. Despite the years that had passed, there was still a lingering guilt in those eyes—something Luna could never quite grasp, something that always made her feel uneasy.

"You... are you eating properly these days?" her mother finally broke the silence, her voice gentle yet carrying a hint of worry.

Luna paused mid-spoonful. The warmth of the soup sat heavy on her tongue. She knew this question was coming.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Fine?" Soojin's brows knitted. "Then why did you faint like that? Nina called me... She was worried sick. Do you think I wouldn't be?"

Luna's grip on the spoon tightened. The familiar ache of guilt settled in her chest. She hated worrying her mother—hated how fragile she always seemed, as if she were constantly carrying the weight of something unseen.

"Why does he have to tell Nina about me? He has no sense," Luna muttered, frustration creeping into her voice on Hyunsu.

"I just haven't been sleeping well... It's nothing serious, have been working on new art, that's it."

Soojin's eyes flickered, her gaze sharp and knowing. Nothing could escape a mother's eyes—not even the lies hidden behind a brave smile.

"You've been having nightmares again... haven't you?"

As if those ever stopped haunting me.

Luna's breath caught. The way her mother's voice trembled made her heart clench. For a moment, she thought of lying—brushing it off like she always did—but the words stuck in her throat.

Instead of meeting her mother's gaze, Luna focused on the bowl in front of her.

"Sometimes..." she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Soojin's grip on her own bowl tightened, she remained silent for a long while, studying Luna as if weighing her words, unsure whether to speak or remain quiet—something she had always done.

But this time, Luna didn't want her to stay silent.

Taking a deep breath, she set her spoon down and hesitated before speaking again, her voice soft but steady.

"Mom..." she began, her eyes cast down, unwilling to meet her mother's watchful stare.

"I know you've told me before, but..." Luna swallowed, her throat tight with the weight of the question. "You said... we couldn't meet Grandfather... Is that still the case?"

The air between them seemed to freeze.

Soojin's spoon clattered softly against her bowl. Her face stiffened, but she quickly masked it with a thin smile.

"Luna... let's not talk about that now. You're still recovering."

"No." Luna's voice came out firmer than she expected. She lifted her gaze, meeting her mother's startled eyes. "I want to know... Why? Why can't we meet him? Why haven't I seen him in ten years?"

Soojin's fingers trembled as they rested on the edge of the table. For a fleeting moment, something vulnerable flickered in her eyes—a fear she fought to keep hidden.

Luna studied her mother intently. On the surface, Ms. Kim Soojin always appeared composed—gentle, yet firm, a woman who chose to endure in silence rather than confront the weight of her emotions.

But Luna knew that beneath that calm cloak was a woman who had spent the last ten years locked in her own silence, guarding secrets she couldn't bring herself to share—not even with her own daughter.

Luna had always admired her mother's strength... but now, she wasn't sure if that strength was just another layer, another mask she wore to protect herself.

"If you're trying to protect me from something... at least tell me why. I can't keep pretending like I don't feel that you're hiding something from me."

Soojin's eyes glistened for a brief moment before she quickly turned her face away. Her hands clenched tightly on her lap, hidden beneath the table, her shoulders stiff with unspoken tension.

"We always do what is best for you Luna... We love you darling.."

Her mother's voice barely rose above a whisper—more to herself than to Luna, as if she were trying to convince herself of the words.

"Best for me?" Luna's heart tightened, the words sharp and bitter as they left her mouth. "How can you know what's best for me if you never let me make my own decisions?"

"You and dad met with Aunt and Uncle the other day after I left, didn't you?" Luna's voice was sharp, frustration laced beneath every word. "I don't understand why you sent me away instead of introducing them to me, especially when he is our biological brother."

She clenched her fists, her chest tightening. "Everything I know about our family comes from outside rumors... from whispers, not from you."

Her voice wavered, but the anger didn't fade.

"Sometimes, I wonder... was I even born into this household? You keep me in the dark about everything, Mom."

She exhaled sharply, her emotions spilling over before she could stop them. "Why won't you just tell me the truth?"

Soojin's breath faltered, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something—anything—but the words failed her, and she fell silent.

Luna's chest tightened, her breath coming in shallow gasps as emotions she had long buried began to rise to the surface. She wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion, the nightmares, or a combination of everything—but tonight, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I don't need you to protect me anymore, Mom..." Luna's voice cracked, raw with years of unspoken pain. "I need you to tell me the truth."

The room hung heavy with silence, the air thick with unspoken words.

Soojin's shoulders drooped, the weight of Luna's words seeming to crush her. For a fleeting moment, she looked as if she might crumble—like the facade she had carefully maintained could finally fall—but in the next instant, she gathered herself, her fingers tightening around her spoon with a quiet resolve.

"Your grandfather doesn't want to see anyone…" Soojin's voice was quiet but firm. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Especially you."

Luna's breath caught.

"Especially me?" she echoed, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Luna... some things are better left forgotten.", her mom tried to avoid the topic again.

Luna's heart squeezed painfully at the familiar words.

Better left forgotten.

The same phrase her mother had always used whenever Luna dared to ask about the past—the night everything had shattered.

But this time, those words weren't enough to silence her.

"I'm not a child anymore... Stop treating me like one."

Soojin's breath caught, her hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly that her knuckles went white. For a fleeting moment — just a second — Luna thought she saw something crack beneath the layers her mother had so carefully constructed.

But then, just as quickly, Soojin rebuilt those walls, stronger than before.

"You should rest." Her voice was cold now, distant — all the warmth from before completely vanished. "I'll clean up here."

Luna's heart sank, a heavy weight settling in her chest.

She did it again.

The conversation was over before it could even begin.

Luna clenched her fists beneath the table, the tension radiating from her body. She fought to keep the frustration in check, but the anger she'd been holding back for years threatened to spill over.

She walked away and slammed the door behind her, enough for her mother to understand she was upset. But even as the sound echoed through the house, the suffocating weight of unspoken words still lingered between them.

Too many ghosts, too many secrets, all trapped beneath this roof.

Later that night, as Luna lay awake staring at the ceiling, her mind replayed her mother's words over and over again.

"Some things are better left forgotten."

But how could I forget something I never even knew?

"Especially you..."

"What could I have possibly done to Grandpa that he wouldn't want to see me for over a decade?" Luna's mind trembled, a mix of hurt and confusion.

And if her mother was protecting her from something...

What if the truth was the very thing that had been haunting her dreams all along?

"Is he in Miracle, like the cameraman said? I wanted to ask Hyunsu to check Grandpa's records, but that stupid, arrogant man didn't even give me a chance."

"Just thinking about him makes me even more furious. I shouldn't waste my emotions on someone like him."