34. mercy

                                    

                                          
He had admired her from a young age. Heeseung found Eun byul's playing style enticing despite the stoic, lonely sound coming from her violin. He was eager to see every performance and see what kind of musical bliss she would create with Yeseo. Heeseung was envious of his cousin. He wanted to play with Eun byul because, at the end of the day, he knew he could play better with her.
**
When the sky was pitch black and dark, Heeseung and Eun byul had a different energy. They were in sync and it was clear to see that Eun byul was filled with a free spirit. 
As they were back in the apartment, Eun byul received an email from the National Seoul Music Competition, but it wasn't about her score. She opened the email on her phone and the smile on her face turned into a frown. She stared at her laptop screen with a grim face as the message sent was almost repulsive.
Dear Ms. Cha Eun byul,
The Seoul National Music Competition sincerely apologizes for the unexpected occurrence today after the first round. We have banned Mrs. Kim Kyoungmi from entering the hall so there will be no more occurrences with her. If you seek medical attention, we will gladly cover all medical expenses. 
Once again, we sincerely apologize and wish you well during round 2. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will get to you right away.
Sincerely,
The Seoul National Music Competition Official
"What's the matter?" Heeseung asked, sitting by her on the couch.
"They banned Mrs. Kim from the theatre," she responded. Her voice had a sort of emptiness to it.
"She did assault you in public. It only seems right," he exclaimed, checking Eun byul's cheek once more, "The swelling is going down though. That's a good sign."
"Heeseung, she's your aunt."
"But she hurt you," he retorted.
"Why do you keep taking my side?" she asked gently, "Are you not furious at what I did to her or Yeseo? It feels surreal."
Heeseung let out a sigh, "My family has cut sides with my mom's family for a while now. Yeseo's death was unfortunate, but her mom has always been harsh on her own daughter. Yeseo would come complaining to me all the time that her own mom would never side with her. And my aunt is not a good person. She has this facade of a nice lady, but that woman is the devil. She's hurt my mom more times than I can count and they're sisters! At every family reunion, there was fighting and screaming, and my mom always crying. My aunt would always find a way to hit my mom and that scared me. My mom would come back with a swollen cheek or a bloody lip. The fights were always about whose child was the better pianist or the success that her family has over ours. The piano has caused so many problems for me, but I always found myself drawn to it and just had this temptation to play and I would never give it up. It's the one thing I love the most. But I don't want to face my aunt's violence again or anyone getting hurt because of her. She is the last person I would ever care for."
Eun byul hugged Heeseung, comforting him. This was the first time he had told her something from his past and the pain in his voice made Eun byul's heart sink.
"I'm sorry, Heeseung," she whispered softly, gently rubbing his hand as he leaned into the crook of her neck, "I would have never known."
"I'm just... scared of her. I don't want to see her again. I can't stand having the people I love most hurt, you know," he muttered, still in Eun byul's embrace."
"Would you ever be able to forgive her?" 
"I don't want to," he sighed solemnly, "I hate her." 
The two just sat there in the dark living room, comforting each other. Eun byul kissed the top of Heeseung's head and caressed the top of his hand.