ATHERIO PARK [RELEASED]

Flashbacks

The doctors and nurses in the delivery room were busy. Aleena who looked beautiful in her young age lay weakly on the bed. His eyes looked at the cot beside him. There was a little baby who had just been born healthy. Aleena had just suckled him before the baby fell asleep. However, Aleena's condition was very weak after giving birth. He had fainted. One of the nurses held the baby and gave it to Aleena.

"Look Miss Park, your son is very handsome."

Aleena smiled at the nurse's praise. Meanwhile, outside the room, the young Park was talking to a female doctor who handled the birth of her baby. Their expressions looked so serious.

"Lucky the bleeding didn't last long. We are really worried" said the doctor. Park can breathe a sigh of relief.

The man entered his wife's maternity room. All the nurses who were inside bowed then passed. Park sees a little baby in Aleena's arms. The woman was breastfeeding her baby.

"Are you comfortable in this room?" Ask Park. Aleena smiled, "This is the VIP room."

Silent.

There was no stopping Aleena looking at her little son. Park who saw him let out a long sigh. Aleena turned to Park for a moment, "I've chosen a name that suits my son."

Park sat down on the chair by the bed, "What's his name?"

The little baby fell asleep, "His name is Atherio, gold in the void."

"Vacuum? Why did you choose a name like that?"

Aleena looked straight ahead, "The dark world makes our hearts empty. My son was born from two powerful groups who lived in nothingness. But, I will not let him experience the same rights as us. He will be a happy son. Living in a safe house, not a blood-stained base."

"Then, stop being the mother of lightning. Take good care of Atherio like a mother." Hearing Park's response, Aleena turned to her husband, "I can't. I hold great power. If I stop at this point, everything will target us."

"I will overcome it, I also have a strong power. Enough of me being a gangster, you have to be a good mother to your son."

"There will be a war, I have to take care of my army."

"Aleena, war is not for women! You just gave birth! I will replace you on the battlefield!"

"Do you feel better than me?! Just because I'm a woman?"

"So, you prefer your group over your son?!"

"This war is my last war! I'll go back and stop being a gangster! I'll be a mother to my son!"

"Aren't you afraid of dying on the battlefield?! What if you die! Atherio needs you!"

Silent.

Without them noticing, the young Han Jin eavesdropped on their conversation outside the room. Both eyes are still black and can see well.

Park takes Atherio from Aleena. The woman shouted, "Where are you going! Don't take my son! He needs me!"

Atherio cried as his father took him out. Park meets Han Jin. For a moment there was eye contact between the two. Han Jin looked at Atherio who kept crying on Park's lap. The man passed by while trying to calm Atherio down.

Han Jin looked at the hysterical Aleena. He entered the room and tried to calm the heart of the lightning mother.

During Park's upbringing, Atherio was always fussy and crying. The little baby needs its mother. The rest of the house was blown away when Atherio had a seizure and there was a red rash all over his body. Park was panicked and half dead. When the doctor examined her, Atherio was allergic to milk. Of course, Park changed the milk that should be given by a mother. Doctors suggested that Atherio be given to his mother.

Park was frustrated. He couldn't possibly give Atherio to Aleena. There are riots in his wife's group. Moreover, soon there will be a big war between the lightning group and the enemy group. Park hit the wall.

When Park enters her son's room, she is shocked to see Aleena's whereabouts. The woman was breastfeeding her son.

"Fuck you, Park. That cruel monster of yours must have died long ago. In addition to killing people, you also want to kill your son by giving him that poisoned milk?!" Aleena spoke half-shouting.

Park closed the door quietly, "It wasn't the milk that was poisonous, but it was Atherio's body that couldn't consume it."

"Whatever you want to say, I'll kill you if you hurt my son!" Jerk Aleena. Little Atherio laughed for the first time. Park and Aleena saw their baby.

Aleena chuckled softly, "Ah, she laughed seeing us fighting."

"He saw our stupidity" Park said. Aleena grumbled, "Your stupidity, not ours."

Park knows how stubborn Aleena is. He only hoped that his son would not be as stubborn as Aleena.

"Have you decided?" Park asked with a serious expression. Aleena sighed then looked at Park, "I have to stick a knife in the neck of the leader of the group. Then I'm done."

"Aleena, what do you mean? You're still going to war?"

"This is my last mission."

"I don't want you to die, I. I love you, Alee."

Aleena looked at Park with a cheering expression, "I won't die, who do you think trained your special forces? I'm better than you, I'll come back and be a mother to my son."

After saying that, Aleena got up and kissed Atherio who had been asleep since when. The woman put the baby to bed. For a moment the lightning mother looked at her son.

Aleena passed leaving the two of them. Park looked up, "I have to how, we can't do this."

The war has happened. The lightning group fought the enemy group nimbly under Aleena's direction. The woman went down to the battlefield with the best troops. And unexpectedly, there has arrived the help of troops from Park's group. Two against one, of course the lightning group won the war with the help of Park's group. Aleena didn't see Park. The man did not go to war. Ji Hoo who helps the war explained that Park was guarding Atherio from enemy attacks that could have come suddenly.

Aleena goes to Park's house immediately. He did not see Park and his son. There were only a few servants cleaning up the blood on the floor.

"What's this about? Where's Park and my son?" Ask the panicked Aleena.

One of the servants replied in a soft voice out of fear, "There has been an intruder, Mr. Park finished them all off and told us to clear this trail. Master has gone with the young master."

It was like being struck by lightning hearing that answer. Aleena clasped the servant's arm, "Say where they went!"

"We. we don't know."

"Adrrghhhh!!" Aleena shouted while grabbing her own hair.

"How dare you take Atherio from me!"

If only Aleena had complied to guard Atherio, then Park with his group would have fought alongside the group of lightning to defeat the enemy.

Park admitted that Aleena's ability is indeed better than his own. It's just that Aleena is too confident and always follows her heart without thinking about the risks that could happen.

Aleena once promised to stop leading the group after the war. But, since Park took Atherio away, Aleena did not stop there. He remains a gangster and finds out the whereabouts of Park and his son. It turns out that Park lives in Korea, an old place Aleena left behind. Place of birth Aleena. The woman finds out who helped Park go to Korea. There were many names including his own treacherous confidants. Hakada is one of them. The Japanese man helped Park leave secretly from Italy. Hakada was one of Aleena's most trusted people.

Aleena also ordered her special forces to investigate Park's group. But, it wasn't easy to find information about Park's group that was very secretive. Throughout the day Aleena thought of the right way to meet Park and her son. However, the last time he met Park was when the enemy suddenly attacked.

Park asks Aleena to meet Atherio at the right time. Aleena did not understand the man's last request. He can meet Atherio at any time. However, Aleena chose to be patient, as Park was indeed an unexpected person. Aleena got a photo of the teenage Atherio from a paparazzi Han Jin commissioned. Aleena was very happy to see her son's face even if not directly.

***

The clear circle dripped from the corner of Aleena's already awakened eyes. There was a loyal Han Jin sitting on a chair without realizing anything. He didn't know the lightning mother had been sober. Aleena turned to Han Jin. The woman was getting less and less able to hold back her tears. Han Gun entered the nursery with two bowls of warm food in his hands. The man was surprised to see Aleena who was crying.

"Thundermother?" Han Gun kept the two bowls to the table. He's approaching Aleena. Han Jin was surprised to hear his sister's voice. His hand reached for Han Gun's arm, "What happened to the lightning mother?"

Han Gun looked relieved, "Thunderbird's mother is awake, Brother."

"Ah? I'm sorry I didn't realize it." Han Jin felt guilty. Aleena still could not control her feelings. Han Gun is confused as to what to do. All her life, she had never seen the number one woman of the lightning group cry like a woman in general.

"You two go back home, sleep comfortably. Let me be here alone." Aleena's words astonished the two men.

"I beg you, I'll be fine."

After giving it some thought, the two of them left Aleena still crying.

◆◇◆

Sundays, though,

Atherina ate her order of food that was still warm. He enjoyed his day off without caring about the bruises on his face from Aleena's attack. Cellphone's ringing. The girl saw her sister's name on the screen. He immediately raised a call from his sister, "Hello? good morning, Rio?"

There was a voice from across there, "Enjoy your day? Have you eaten yet?"

The baritone replied, "Let me eat, today I want to laze."

"Don't eat late, don't forget to wash your hands before eating, oh yes one more, don't eat foods that contain milk. Or your face will be like strawberries."

Atherio chuckled sexy, "You still think I'm a child?"

Atherina swallowed her food and immediately replied, "You're still a little man to me."

"Unconscious, my body is bigger than yours, Atherina."

"How dare you call my name. Call me brother!" Atherina drank the juice.

"I don't want to."

"Don't let America change you, young man."

"America doesn't change anyone. I'm gonna say something."

"What?"

"From now on, my schedule is full. I can't call you every time. I also know you must be busy there."

"I understand, no problem. Is there anything else you want to say?"

"Yes.."

Atherina waited for Atherio to finish his sentence.

"... I love you."

"Ah, you are!" Not yet Atherina cussed, Atherio has decided his call. The girl looked at her phone and shook her head slowly.

"This boy.." His phone was thrown into bed.

After breakfast, Atherina went to Aleena's headquarters. The girl saw the lightning mother in her office. He didn't say hello because outside of the dark world, they would look like they didn't know each other. While Atherina thought that the woman was still angry with her.

Looks like the lightning mom is busy, am I just going back to the apartment? I was lazy to go on a mission. Atherina was deep and was in a state of confusion. Someone wrapped his hand around Atherina's waist. The man took her to the elevator. The shocked Atherina turned her head, it was Han Gun.

"The lightning mother is in a meeting at her company. For a while, it was my brother who was about to start the meeting at the headquarters," Han Gun said as he pressed the button towards the ground floor. Atherina removed Han Gun's tanga from him, "So, there was a sudden meeting at the headquarters?" Han Gun nodded.

"Yesterday, lightning's mom got mad at me and told me I'm not a member anymore, what if she's still angry and doesn't want to see me here?"

"She didn't tell me much about last night, the lightning mother immediately behaved as usual. Even though I found him crying when he woke up," said Han Gun. Atherina frowned.

They've reached the ground floor. There's a lot of people there. Han Jin stood as Aleena's representative. The man began to speak. Atherina wasn't very listening, she thought it was very boring.

".. therefore, the mother of lightning recruits new reliable members.." Atherina looked up at Han Jin. Someone approached Han Jin. The man smiled faintly as Han Jin patted his back.

".. his name is Hwan Jang, he will undergo a beginner mission."

Everyone applauded except for Atherina who was staring suspiciously at the man who was none other than Lee Hwan. I don't know what the cops did there.

Lee Hwan's views point to Atherina. The girl turned her attention in another direction. Lee Hwan nodded slowly.

After finishing the speech, Han Jin introduced Hwan to Atherina and Han Gun. The man walked over holding Hwan's shoulder.

"This new member has good skills. So, the lightning mom brought him here. His name is Hwan Jang" said Han Jin.

Atherina and Han Gun glanced briefly at Hwan who was standing upright.

"You said it when you made that speech" Atherina said.

"Why does she look the same age as you, sister?" Ask Han Gun.

Han Jin refuted his sister's remark, "What's the matter? Age is not a problem.."

".. the man is Park Han Gun, my sister. And the woman he was with was Atherina Park. They're both three levels above you."

"It's good to see you, sunbae." Hwan looks excited.

"There is no special calling in the dark world. Whether it was older or higher in rank. Everything is required to call names, except important people who have nicknames," said Atherina firmly. Hwan nodded in understanding.

"You will be on the same mission after this" Han Jin said. Han Gun and Atherina looked at each other. Han Gun began to protest, "We are on a mission to promote our position."

"Your promotion will run fast if you work on missions while training beginners" Han Jin said. Han Gun looks at Hwan's body, "He doesn't look like a rookie."

Han Jin replied, "He is indeed trained. But anyway, here he is as a beginner."

Han Gun pressed down on Hwan's burly arms and chest. Atherina rolled her eyeballs while holding her forehead looking at her friend's silly behavior.

◆◇◆

As Atherina was about to enter Han Gun's car, the girl noticed Aleena's whereabouts at a fairly close distance. Atherina shuts the door on Han Gun's car.

At a Japanese restaurant, Aleena booked a VIP room for the two of them.

The woman repeatedly poured sake and drank it. Atherina watched Aleena.

"You're like a girl who suddenly falls from above and gets to my group." Atherina frowned at Aleena's words.

Is he drunk? Inner Atherina.

"I'm like seeing someone I've known for a long time in you. Haha.you have abilities like Park, your attitude reminds me of when I was young, and your name reminds me of my son," Aleena's tone turned sad.

The first time Atherina saw the strong woman in front of her it looked so fragile.

Aleena showed A book to Atherina. The girl opened it. There are several photos of Atherio neatly embedded in the book like a photo album. But it's not a photo album. A diary that contains many writings and features photos of Atherio from infancy to adolescence.

Atherina did not know Aleena could collect photos of her sister until that much. Atherina knew how closed Park was to protecting their leader. Photographing Atherio without permission was a big mistake.

"My son is very handsome, right? I wanna see it. I want to hug her like I used to."

Atherina clasped Aleena's hands together. Clear circles pooled in the girl's eyes, "I promise to bring you together. I pledge. Atherio misses you too."

"Yes.his name is Atherio. My handsome son is named Atherio."

Atherina smiled as she nodded quickly.

◆◇◆

"Wer aufhort, Fehler zu machen, lernt nichts mehr dazu“

(Theodor Fontane)

　

　

　

　

September 01, 2019

Ucu Irna Marhamah's