Min wakes up in an actual bed. He is back in his room. It felt familiar, yet foreign. The sheets smell musty after several months of the room not being occupied. It is hauntingly quiet. Min realizes that it's late morning and not only had he forgotten to set a morning alarm, but his parents hadn't come to wake him up when he didn't arrive for breakfast. It was a kind of quiet morning with lack of responsibility that he hadn't had since he was a child.
When he gets out of bed, Min runs himself through his usual routine pre-train. He changes into his clothes for the morning. It feels great being able to dress in a new outfit rather than the one outfit he'd recycled during his stay on the train. He combs his hair, pushing it back so it doesn't fall out of his eyes. He brushes his teeth and his mouth feels clean for the first time in ages. The minty taste is almost comforting.
It's after Min picks up his phone from his bedside table that his mini-synth catches his eye. He had discarded it that night before bed, feeling too exhausted to put it in its proper place, so it sits on the edge of his dresser. Min picks it up, holding it firmly in one hand. He smiles and uses the pen to click on the keys, listening to the quiet tune.
His hands slow, hesitating before playing another note. He sighs and sets the synth down again. Min tears himself away and moves down the stairs.
"There you are, Min," his mother says. She's preparing lunch already. She goes over and gives him another hug and kisses his cheek. "Did you sleep well?"
Min nods and kisses her cheek back. "It was a great night's sleep. Thank you for letting me sleep in."
"You need your rest after coming all the way from New York," she says. "Lunch is almost ready. Go get your father, will you? He's in his study."
"Of course," Min says.
He walks down the hallway to his father's study. He knocks on the door and pokes his head inside. "Hi Dad," he says. "Mom says that lunch is almost ready."
His father looks up from his laptop and smiles. "Of course. I'm finishing up a report." He points to the other chair at the desk with his pen. "Join me for a moment?"
Min obediently takes a seat. He clasps his hands in his lap. A long silent moment is spent between them. His father types away at his laptop and Min's gaze wanders around the room. He looks at the books on the shelves, some written in Korean and some written in English. His father had to take to learning English more than his mother, since his father worked with a lot of American businesses. Min never learned any Korean while he was growing up. It just never stuck with him.
"How was New York?" his father finally asks. "I know that you were taken there against your will, but, I hope that it was at least a good learning experience."
"Oh." Min hesitates. "Yeah it was...It was really nice actually, Dad."
His father glances at him out of the corner of his eye. "So Ryan really didn't let you call us for months, hmm?"
Min rubs the back of his neck. "It wasn't exactly his fault," Min says carefully. "He...There...It was an issue with our phones. I couldn't get a call out to you-"
"Min-Gi. It's alright," his father says. "Your mother and I understand that Ryan put you in a very difficult position. It wasn't fair that he forced you there and I know he probably did everything he could to keep you from reaching out to us. He knew that we would have taken the next flight out to New York to get you."
"Dad, it's really not as bad as it sounds," Min says. "it was a good thing I went, I think."
His father doesn't seem to really hear what he's saying. "I thought that he was a bad influence on you. Even when you were a child. He always seemed to have this..." He gestures vaguely. "You were really applying yourself before he whisked you away to New York." He sighs and shakes his head. "Ryan didn't even seem to understand the kinds of things he was taking away from you. You'll be lucky if you can get your job at Dumpty's back. Not to mention that you've lost this entire school year as an opportunity to move to college and get started on your higher education."
"I can always go next year," Min replies. He plays with the lower button on his jacket. "Dad, Ryan asked me if I could join the band, and-"
"Absolutely not," his father laughs. "After the stunt he pulled?"
"Dad-"
"You have so much you have to catch up on. And I'm sure you've had plenty of your fill of Ryan. Several months with him? You two spent a lot of time together but you never stayed over at his house for longer than a night. You always had to come home and get your quiet." He shakes his head. "It's better that you didn't stay there long either. I didn't want him getting any ideas." That makes him pause and he looks at Min. "He didn't try to tempt you at all, did he?"
Min blinks a few times. "Dad, no. He. Ryan took good care of me."
"Good care of you?" His father scoffs. "That boy is not someone that you want taking care of you. He can't even look after himself. I'm sure that's why he came to drag you off with him."
Something boils over inside of Min. "Dad, just listen to me."
His father pauses and looks at him fully. "...yes?"
Like a fire that has just been smothered, the words that had danced on Min's tongue suddenly dissipate. "...I'm sorry that I worried you and Mom," he manages to say.
His father smiles. He squeezes Min's shoulder. "We know that it wasn't your fault, Min. We aren't upset with you." He lets go and gets to his feet. "You said that lunch was almost ready, right? We don't want to leave her waiting." He chuckles and moves to wards the door.
Min struggles for his words, but they don't return to him. He can only follow obediently after his father, sticking his hands into his pockets.
The table is set for them when they arrive. Min's mother is just serving up the food onto plates and bringing them to the table.
"Looks delicious, Mom," Min says as he sits at the table. His mother smiles and pats his head before she takes her own seat.
"He slept very late today," she says to her husband. "Got his good rest. He'll be up for any challenge now." She laughs warmly.
"Good. We need you well-rested," Min's father says, giving Min a smile.
Min looks down shyly at his food and moves it around with his fork. He's hungry, but he can't bring himself to actually eat.
It is quiet at the table for several long minutes before his mother wipes her mouth with her napkin. "Min-Gi...Your father and I have been worried. Of course. When you were with Ryan-nothing...happened, did it?"
Min glances up from his plate. "Nothing like...what?"
His parents share a silent look. His mother clears her throat. "You know that we would support you through anything."
"And we would never blame you for something that wasn't your fault," his father continues. "He may have-gotten you drunk or gotten you confused, or forced-"
"Stop, stop!" Min cries, waving his hands. "Ryan never did anything to me. He was great he-we had a nice time in New York. Nothing like-that ever happened."
Min sees his parents visibly relax at the assurance. A sick feeling pokes in Min's stomach and he looks back at the plate.
"We know that you'll need time to readjust being back home," Min's father says. "But I think it would be a good idea to reapply to university soon."
"Reapply?" Min asks numbly.
"You disappeared for months. You were accepted, but then you didn't show up. You'll have to apply again," his father explains. "It's important that you get your education, Min. If this trip was as nice as you say, then I'm happy for you. But your education can't be put off any longer."
Min chews on his lip for a minute. He sets down the fork. "I don't know if I want to go into finance."
Min's mother laughs. "See? I told you he'd rather to go to law school. Not everyone can have a knack for business."
"I don't know if I want to be a lawyer either," Min sighs.
"A mathematician?" his father offers. "Oh! A surgeon!"
This was getting out of hand already. Min looks at his parents and crumbles his napkin in his hand. "I want to do music."
His parents' eyes go wide. It's the longest pause they've had in a conversation in along time. It makes Min's palms go sweaty and he can't help but let his gaze drop.
"Min-Gi," his mother finally says. "The-The viola is a wonderful instrument, but-"
"No, not..." Min's cheeks glow with shame. "Ryan, he-"
"You will not join that boy's band," his father says firmly. "Min-Gi. He kidnapped you for several months. You cannot then just go with him, with no job security, no education! He practically dropped out of high school just so he could escape in that van."
Min rubs his thumb over the fork. "He never got close to flunking any of his classes. He just really loves music."
"It's not a good idea," his father insists. "I will not allow it. You have a plan. You're going to reapply, go to college, get your degree, and then move onto a stable career and starting a family."
"But-But that won't-!" Min's lip trembles. It won't make him happy. He doesn't know how to say that without sounding like a child on the verge of a tantrum.
His mother reaches across the table and puts her hand over his. "Min-Gi. You really think you're going to live on the road? Eat all this fast food and performing in front of people who will judge you based on something you never even properly learned?"
"I-I..." The very thought makes Min's mouth grow dry. If he thinks about getting on stage for too long, he feels the blood draining from his face.
"You're pale at the thought," Min's father points out. "It wouldn't be good for you."
"You deserve to go to university," his mother says gently. "It's a very respectable thing, Min-Gi. Not everyone needs to go out on the road chasing some useless artistic dream. You need stability."
His father sighs and shakes his head. "Ryan really has been a bad influence on you."
"No...No, he's...I've learned a lot from him," Min weakly protests.
"We can talk about this another time," his father says. "Right now, you need to eat. And then you need to reapply to college. We can talk about this music nonsense after you've settled more. Okay?"
Min wants to say more, but his words fail him. He can't seem to form any sentences in his mouth. He just nods. The food looks even less appetizing than it did earlier and his stomach recoils as he brings a forkful to his mouth. But he keeps eating, knowing that his parents will want him to keep his energy up and eat properly. His parents seem satisfied with his silence and the relief on their faces make Min feel even more guilty. They're right. He has a plan. He can't just up and abandon that plan because of-because of what? An absolutely wild experience on a train? He learned things, sure, but that doesn't mean that everything can just suddenly change. He needs to put more thought into this. He can't just decide. He can stay in place and think on it for a bit.