About You: Love & Sacrifice

The Man in the Midnight

The train platform was no longer as crowded as it was. Entering the last route at eleven p.m., it was not difficult to find empty seats. Only a few faithful passengers sat there, some asleep, busy with their cell phones, communicating, or just circling the view on the simple subway car.

Younha sat down on one of the seats a little back. He groaned slightly as his tired back leaned against the chair stand occasionally wiping his goosebumps. Spring in Korea has arrived, the air there is still as cold as winter even though it is not so biting.

Today Younha is only dressed in a simple office, long black casual pants with a white shirt top slightly abstractly patterned complete with light lace on the neck. Its appearance is very suitable with long hair that is allowed to decompose.

When you want to close your eyes for a moment accidentally monolidnya capture the latest drama poster with the genre of romantic comedy, the lips of the cherry slowly turned a thin smile. In the backrest, the poster appears aesthetic. The two main characters look very sweet even if they just sit together in a long garden chair. Indeed, the chemistry is extraordinary, can captivate anyone who sees the sweetness.

Drrtt......Drrtt.....

As soon as she felt a vibration on her phone, Younha opened the briefcase in her lap and looked for the object that made the sound. The smile that was reviewed a few minutes ago slowly faded away when it found the name of the contact calling out. Without a care, he simply ignored his phone. But the call was non-stop, Younha lazily stuck the phone with a little power to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Oh it's been lifted." A heavy voice from across sounded somewhat surprised as his call was answered. "Hm, how is it? You haven't come home yet?"

"Can you just get to the point?" Younha was a little excited. Honestly, he was lazy to hear the man's voice. "I'm still traveling. What's up?"

"Can you pick up the kids?"

Younha reflex looked up with a frowning forehead. He glanced at his cell phone and saw that it was now eleven o'clock in the evening and the statement "Can you pick up the kids." was something that needed an explanation.

"You haven't picked them up?" ask Younha as hell. "Don't you say you have time? that's why I took overtime today."

"Yes, that was. But all of a sudden I have to go, there's a little business."

"It's so late, don't you think about the kids?" Further. "You should have said that from now on, then I'm not taking overtime."

"Sorry, I'm too focused on my job." The voice of the man was sorry. "What's wrong, Mirae likes kids. He won't mind. All right that's it, I gotta go now."

Younha broke the connection without a care. He clucked, his emotions rising after a long day of work. Younha breathed a rough breath, rubbed her crumpled and tired face while poking her lower lip anxiously, she did not feel well with Mirae.

The innocent cell phone he slammed into the bag and became a victim of his misery. For God's sake, the woman wanted to scream so that the whole world would know that she was very tired.

...*****...

"I'm sorry Mirae."

Younha cuddled her seventeen-month-old baby who was sleeping in the middle of Mirae's bed as she was about to take her home to herself. Seojun's sleep was not disturbed on his mother's shoulder, but Yeonjun was forced to wake up because Younha could not hold her two sons at once. Yeonjun the first child, a four-year-old boy was often sacrificed for things like this.

"What's wrong, they're not fussy anyway." Mirae's words buttoned a tiny coat into Yeonjun's body that was still rubbing his eyes. The boy had also fallen asleep. "It doesn't even matter if they stay in my apartment. Jinan's not coming home tonight, there's a picket guard on the force. You can also stay over Younha, I'll take care of them while you rest."

Younha smiled faintly and shook her head. "No need Mirae, I don't want to trouble you, you must also be tired all day looking after them. And also I will leave them to Eunseo's Daycare from tomorrow." continued Younha to pat Seojun's back who began to wake up. "There's a lot you can do besides look after them. I don't want your time to be hampered."

"Hey, why do you think keeping them troublesome? I'm happy to be with Seojun and Yeonjun. They're good kids." - deny Mirae rubbed off Yeonjun's strands of hair. "Just leave them to me, don't worry. I'm glad I could play with them. And also most Daycare closes at nine in the evening, what if you suddenly overtime like this?"

"Mama, sister is sleepy." Yeonjun moved the fingers of Younha who was the boy holding from earlier.

"I'll take the car keys first."

Younha immediately held Mirae's hand that would move until she turned around again. He did not want to continue to trouble his best friend's wife. Although Mirae said no objection, but Younha's heart felt heavy. His life was already full of hardship and he did not want others to be too difficult because of it.

"No need Mirae, we'll just walk. My apartment's close to here." Younha. "It's late and you must be exhausted after a long day of looking after them."

"Younha, it's night then I'll take you. What should I tell Jinan if she finds out you're coming home like this." Mirae crouched down in front of Yeonjun who was seen several times yawning, the boy leaned against the mother's feet. "Look, pity Yeonjun had to walk around in this sleepy state. Don't hesitate Younha, so let me drive you guys, hm?"

"I must be a real hassle, huh?" Lirih Younha held back. Those tired eyes were so clear, hinting at a deep sadness.

Mirae got up, both slender hands outstretched to hug Younha a glance. "You always try your best to hide your feelings. But not in front of me Younha." A beautiful smile etched beautifully from Mirae's lips, a little brought calmness to Younha. "I'm a girl too. I know how you feel. So, if you need a talkative, tell me. I will always hear you, and do not hesitate. I also want to be close to you just like Jinan."

Younha's eyes feel full, the tears want to rush out. Mirae is a very kind and gentle person, Younha is grateful that her best friend can be with an angelic hearted woman like Mirae. But Younha is sometimes jealous of his best friend's wife, if she also receives the same love, perhaps Younha will not be as fragile as this.

His hope was only a piece of do'a that he always offered to God.

Younha glanced at her first son with a twinkle of sayu, then changed to Mirae while saying thanks. His best friend's wife smiled and hurried to get the keys from her room and drive them home.

...*****...

"So I can't sleep anymore."

Younha looked at her first child's face then smiled knotfully, rubbing her head and cheeks alternately. How could the face with my eyes say that it cannot sleep?

"You want to sleep with Mama?" persuaded Younha who was squatting buttoning her crescent-patterned pajamas on Yeonjun. His first son is still a child, but Younha feels that Yeonjun's heart has grown. The boy knew when his mother was sad, happy, tired, even sick. Although Younha always acted well in front of her son, Yeonjun always knew what Younha was feeling.

Yeonjun. "No, my brother is big. Mom's bed won't fit."

Younha's wry laughter came out automatically upon hearing her son's random speech. The cheeks of the kingpin he pinched small to channel the feeling of anxiety. "Why not fit? Brother's body is still small."

"No!" Yeonjun cried out in a frown. "Sister is big. Brother can carry adek."

"The morning is long. If you don't sleep tomorrow sleepy while playing. Mama read me a fairy tale?"

Yeonjun pouted. "So, I'm tired of the story about the three bears."

Younha picked out a row of books that were on Yeonjun's closet shelf. Some fairy tale books are neatly arranged there. The book that Yeonjun gave him last year. Yeonjun loves fairy tale books, although only four years old, but the leak has told his baby sister several times about the story that Younha read. Although the sentence was random, Younha was very proud of his first son.

"How about a cleverly sly tale?"

"Is that exciting?"

"Why try to read it?" Younha pulled the blanket over Yeonjun's shoulder and when he was about to lay down, accidentally the sound of bone cracks was a bit loud to make the ignorant boy worry.

"Mama's not papa?" Yeonjun half got up to confirm the state of his mother. "Just take a break, don't read a story for Yeonjun."

Younha smiled. "So, I'm curious about the clever kancil story, aren't you?"

Yeonjun shook his head strongly. "No. Mama just take a break, Yeonjun's afraid mama's sick."

"Mama won't be sick just from reading a fairy tale to your prince." Younha broke down the little body and pulled the blanket back. Pat the little guy's back. "One day in the middle of summer, a deer looks very thirsty. Since there is no water nearby the deer went to visit the next village."

Younha begins the narrative while focusing her blurred eyes on the effects of a day staring at a computer screen. The computer screen radiation still stuck in Younha's eyes. He blinked a few times while glancing at his son, the soft voice sending the baby back to sleep. Younha rubbed Yeonjun's bangs and gave a small kiss to the son's temple.

The book of stories was put back in its place. Younha stepped up not forgetting to turn off the main lights of the room leaving a comfortable atmosphere because of the dim sleep lights then closed the door of the room slowly.

When she was just about to lay down her own body, Seojun cried from his crib. Younha let out a long breath. His heart was broken and seemed to want to explode. She just stared at Seojun who was crying so hard that the fourteen-month-old baby's face turned red as it was not immediately soothed.

Younha wants to be selfish and neglect her son once in a while, her life is exhausting.

"Cup, cup, Seojun want milk?" after slapping himself he held Seojun out of the room. Younha took a seat in the middle room sofa while patting her nursing baby. His eyes feel heavy. He worked all day and has not rested at all.

Younha looked at her son's face with a bitter smile. "It's okay son if you want to cry. The world is big, they won't hear you."

Until he fell asleep with Seojun in his emotions.

...*****...

"Seojoon? Where's Seojun?" the tired body immediately panicked when he found himself in his own bedroom mattress while confused because the baby was not in his arms.

His legs immediately descended on the cold floor towards the crib near the bed he was sleeping in. His heart was immediately relieved as soon as he saw that Seojun had fallen asleep in the box. She lifted her baby blanket to make it warmer.

Younha turned her gaze to the door of the room that opened slightly. He began to step when he heard the sound of clinking glasses from the kitchen and the living room with lights that had been lit. His attenuation immediately caught a man busy stirring drinks in his kitchen.

"Oh, you awake?" The low voice of the man who only wore black trousers as well as the plain black t-shirt somewhat surprised Younha. He glanced at the wall clock that showed at two in the morning. Why did the man come so early?

"Do you want to make tea?"

Younha. "Oh, there's no need. Since when are you here?"

"Not long ago, about half an hour ago" the solemn voice sounded warm and what it was. It's still the same as before.

The man put the coffee on the table and then sat down on one of the chairs in the dining room. Totally not staring at Younha, the two twin pupils just continued to focus on her phone.

"You should be careful. What if Seojun falls out of your lap while you're asleep?"

"I'm sorry, I'm too tired."

"You always say that."

Instantly Younha looked at the man before her sharply. Is saying he's tired the wrong thing? so that others who do not know their daily lives easily say that. Younha rotated her eyeballs, wanting to go to sleep again and ignored the man.

"Why did you come here so early?" tanya Younha stopped her steps for a moment.

"I brought some fruit for Yeonjun as well as Seojun's milk." The man pointed at the plastic package in the middle room sofa with his chin.

"Don't you just say there's some business?"

"I finished it and stopped by." Reply to the man while sipping his coffee. "Sleep if you're tired. I'll be home at dawn."

"You don't want to see your son first?"

"Maybe next time. I don't have time yet, my flight is six in the morning and they haven't woken up by then."

One eyebrow Younha swooped down, not wanting to listen to the reason of the man. He began to step in to check the plastic package in the living room sofa and then took it to the kitchen to put it in place. Fungi, Seojun milk, some kitchen spices and do not forget the blood-boosting vitamins. Younha looked at the vitamin tablet for a moment and looked at the man in turn. The man never asked about his health, but he always knew what Younha needed.

It was also this simple thing that made her unable to hate the husband who had left her.

...*****...