40: The Truth

An elderly woman opened the door to the two men who were waiting in anticipation and confusion. The woman looked at Jisung in perplexity, but immediately it got replaced by an excited expression when she noticed the familiar looking young man.

"Oh, Seungmin dear! What a surprise!" Seungmin smiled as he welcomed the woman's warmth, sighing with a smile. They broke the hug and looked at Jisung who was standing there very much confused.

"Aunty, this is Jisung." The woman looked at Jisung with an emotion that Jisung doesn't know how to word it. His heart was beating fast in anticipation.

"Oh dear, finally I got to see you! Seungmin have always mentioned about you." Then suddenly the woman hit her head, "Silly me, I didn't invite you guys in. Come, come, let's get in." Jisung nodded, awkwardly, as he and Seungmin entered the house, closing the door behind.

"Sit here, let me make some tea." Seungmin shook his head.

"There is no need, Aunty."

"Shush, it's his first time here. It's not good to leave the guest without giving them something." She smiled, walking to the kitchen, leaving the men alone.

"Did sir marry again?" Seungmin looked at Jisung startled and suddenly started laughing, shaking his head.

"What? No! That's his sister, Mrs. Aokbab." Jisung let out a sound in acknowledgement. They both looked up when Mrs.Aokbab walked towards them.

"Brother said he wants to see you both." Seungmin and Jisung looked at eachother then at the woman, nodding their head making Aokbab smile as she left to kitchen.

Seungmin showed Jisung the way to their teacher's room and there they saw him, Mr.Songsit, lying on the bed like an unmoving doll. There was a urostomy pouch attached to the bed. Jisung looked at Seungmin in shock.

"He has paraplegia."

"Hey, kids." Both of them looked at their teacher who is now glancing at them with a smile. Must have woken up after hearing Seungmin's voice. "Is that Jisung?" Seungmin nodded, making the man look at Jisung, with wavering hands he signalled them to sit. "Come sit here, kids."

Both of them sat on chairs near the bed, wai-ing at the teacher.

"How are you, Seungmin?"

"Fine, Sir." Seungmin smiled. Mr.Songsit then glanced at Jisung who looked at him with sadness.

I don't deserve your sadness, kid. He thought, eyes watering, heart tightening at the thoughts that he has done in the past.

"You've changed a lot, Jisung. How are you? What are you doing now?"

"I'm doing well, Sir." Jisung smiled, blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall down. Seeing his teacher in this shape hit him hard." I'm a…" Jisung paused, contemplating his profession. "I'm a veterinarian."

"Ah, I remember you saying that you dreamt about becoming a vet." Mr.Songsit nodded,

"I'm happy for you." Everyone stayed quiet as the atmosphere drastically changed into something that gave chills to Jisung.

"Jisung…" Jisung glanced at the teacher, " I'm sorry for everything."

"Sir, what are you saying? Sorry for what?" Mr.Songsit sighed as he glanced at Seungmin, silently asking whether he should confess, for which Seungmin nodded a yes. Jisung looked at their interaction with anticipation.

"Jisung, there is something that I've done to you that as a teacher, I shouldn't have." Jisung frowned in confusion and Mr.Songsit took Jisung's confusion as his que to confess.

"Jisung, do you remember the reason for why you left the school?" Jisung's eyes unconsciously wandered to Seungmin, then at the teacher not saying anything.

"I…" The teacher tried to gulp down the big lump forming on his throat. No, he has to say it, and if not, he would be living forever in regret.

"I was the reason. I spread your sexuality around the school, not Seungmin." Jisung's eyes widened as he felt like the ground beneath him slipping away, his world crumbling like a broken paper plane.

"What…"

"I'm sorry." Mr.Songsit said as his lips started trembling, "I know sorry won't fix anything."

"Sir… why?" Jisung's voice wavered, he was trying hard not to believe what he just heard, but Mr.Songsit's next words felt like a cold water thrown at him.

"I did it for my daughter. Do you remember her? Your classmate, Lisa? You both were the toppers of the class, yet you were the person who always stood first." Mr.Songsit looked away, feeling ashamed to say the next words.

"Like every parent, I wanted my child to be on the top list, above you and one day I heard you confessing to Seungmin about your sexuality and… I took it as a weapon to get you out of the school." Seungmin held Jisung who was ready to fall off the chair, Jisung was becoming weak with all the confessions.

So all this time he was holding grudges on the wrong person? So all the days he spent alone, all the tears he shedded without anyone to comfort, all happened because he accused the wrong person and believed in the person who was wrong?

"But, my deeds slapped me back. I was driving at a high speed after arguing with Lisa, she was with me in the car, crying to slow down." Mr.Songsit closed his eyes, as tears started falling down,

"I only remember a bus hitting us and everything is still blurry to me." He opened his eyes, glancing at Jisung with a broken smile.

"I lost her, my precious baby." Jisung was shocked by the news. He looked at Seungmin searching for any sign of joke, but seeing the nod from the latter made him feel devastated.

"After my daughter's death, I tried to contact you to tell you everything, but I discovered that you changed your number. Then I contacted Seungmin only to find out that you both…" He paused as silence filled the room.

Jisung let out a shaky sigh, the words slowly settling in his mind. Now the silent atmosphere was suffocating him, he felt the urge to escape from the room and that's what he did.

"Jisung!" Seungmin stood up, ready to chase after Jisung, but was stopped by Mr.Songsit.

"Thank you… please tell him to not to hate my daughter, she didn't know anything." Mr.Songsit whispered the words with so many emotions, looking at him with gratefulness.

Funny how a teacher, who has to be a guide, found guidance from his student. Seungmin nodded and ran after Jisung.

The teacher just layed there, watching Seungmin walk away with wobbling lips, tears streaming down his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, feeling light as all the suffocation he was carrying finally went away.

Jisung stopped on his tracks when Mrs.Aokbab came into view, carrying a tray filled with snacks and tea cups. Seungmin stopped behind him as well.

"I made some tea. Come sit here." Jisung stood there, frozen. If it wasn't for Seungmin who dragged him to take a seat on the sofa; he would have stood there like an emotional idiot.

Mrs.Aokbab handed them the drink, who took it from her hands silently.

"He finally confessed huh." She suddenly exclaimed, her Thai accent evident in her voice like her brother's, glancing at Jisung who just silently stared at the floor without any emotions.

"Karma has finally revealed his place and slapped him back with everything." She glanced at Seungmin and continued.

"I would have looked after him, but I've a family waiting for my arrival. My brother hated my husband since he was from a poor family and I left him for my lover." She shook her head with a chuckle that sounded mocking.

"My husband was against the thought of me coming here to look for my brother, but he gave in. However, he would pick me up every evening therefore it's only my brother at night time." She then held Jisung's hands, who finally looked at the lady with his red eyes. She looked at him with sadness.

Oh how much he has gone through to the point he has to suppress even his tears. She thought.

"I will never ask you to forgive him, since it was you who suffered the most, but let me tell you one thing," Her trembling hold around Jisung's hands tightened, "he already got the punishment, by losing the precious thing he tried to hold as a possession."

She then looked at Seungmin and back at Jisung. Tapping his shoulders she exclaimed, "Friends like him are rare, my child. Hold him close." Jisung glanced at Seungmin who looked at him with tear filled eyes, but it was the tears of relief and happiness.

Because for the first time, after many years, Jisung was looking at him with the same soft yet loving expression he used to give him when they were teenagers.

His best friend was back.

After sharing small talk here and there, they left the house, both of them walking side by side.

"Thank you." They stopped on their tracks, as Jisung uttered the words, looking at Seungmin, tears slipping from his eyes, which Seungmin immediately wiped.

"Remember, no thank you between friends." Jisung chuckled, nodding, hearing the rule they had kept between them when they were best friends.

"So?" Seungmin asked, feeling a hope blooming in his heart.

"I need some time, Seungmin. All these years, I have being hating on you, so I just wanna clear my mind." Seungmin nodded, happy to hear his bestie calling him as Seungmin.

The answer wasn't something he wanted to hear, but at least he knew they would be back being friends, again.

"Take your time,Jisung, but don't leave me behind." Jisung chuckled, bumping his shoulder with the other.

"You will be paying for what you did moron."

"Hey!" They chuckled, walking towards Seungmin's car.

They stopped on their tracks mid-way when they saw Minho leaning against his car, speaking to someone over the phone, the mask and glasses making him look attractive in Jisung's eyes, even though it covered the actor's face.

Minho glanced up and saw Jisung with Seungmin. He immediately disconnected the call as he somehow felt that Jisung needed a hug, so he opened his arms and in a second his body was grabbed into a bone crushing hug.

Seungmin watched the scene with a smile. His heart was finally at peace.

I'm happy to see that you are in good hands, Hannie.