Chapter 3 (1/1)

Present Day; Junhong                 Junhong stopped in front of his parents’ room, listening intensely.  When he heard his father’s deep masculine voice float through the doorway he tilted his head. “Junhong, come here for a minute.”                Stepping into the room, Junhong faced the direction he had heard his father’s voice in and assumed his father was sitting at his desk.                “Yes, appa?” He said, shuffling his feet a little.                “I just wanted to remind you that you have a check up tomorrow.” Seunghyun said hesitantly.                Junhong frowned at the hesitation in his father’s voice and his frown deepened when he realized his father had probably glanced at his eyes.  He felt a pang in his chest, but he ignored it.  “I know I remember, appa.”                “Alright. Go help your mother make dinner.”  Junhong nodded and left the room when he heard keys tapping, his father having gone back to doing work.                Remembering the days he had to run his hands along the wall to find where the wall stopped and the railing of the stairs began, he made his way down the hall, stopping when his toes dangled over the threshold of the stairs.  A bittersweet smile stretched across his face when he thought of the countless times he had fallen down the stairs, which slowly progressed to the occasional stumble.                As he confidently made his way down the stairs, the smell of kimchi and fried rice met his nose and his bittersweet smile turned into a full blown grin.  His mother always knew when he was upset and always knew how to turn his mood around; by making his favorite foods.  Practically falling down the stairs the rest of the way, he rushed into the kitchen, clipping his arm on the counter in his hurry.                “Junhong! You know better than that.  Are you okay?”  Junhong felt his mother’s comforting touch on his arm and he smiled softly.                “I’m fine, Eomma.”                “I know you’re upset about our decision on Halloween.” Junhong’s ears flattened as he remembered his argument with his parents about the holiday.                He heard pots clinking as his mother bustled around the kitchen.  “I don’t see why I can’t go.  It’s the perfect time for me to go out and actually interact with people!”  He pouted.                “We’ve been over this Honggie,” Junhong screwed his face up at the nickname, “it’s too big of a risk. And you’re—“ She stopped suddenly and he heard her soft sigh as she was setting the table, the pla