Gratefulness~ pt.3

TOP looks outside the window when he wakes up. His eyes widen.
"Forest", he gasps. "So much forest."
I laugh at his funny expression. I can't hold myself back:
"Fantastic baby..."
Everybody laughs, no matter how old the joke is.

We take our luggage and get off the train. I walk ahead with Sara. We separate and I say goodbye to my friend and tell her to come to visit me in Korea. Boys follow me into a block of flats and we take the lift to the highest floor. I live with mom and my brothers in a fine rooftop apartment. It's spacious and light and the big windows are good because in the summer we don't need any other lights, sunlight is enough.
I open the door. Boys are standing behind me and reaching curiously over my shoulders to see what a Finnish home looks like. Anton is the first one to see us as he comes to the kitchen carrying a plate. He stops and looks confused at the grouped bunch of people.
"Uhh", he knits his eyebrows. "Who are those people?"
"Ssh! You can't talk to our guests like that", I criticize him and roll my suitcase inside. I take my shoes off and boys follow my example. They keep hiding behind me.
"I saw you in a magazine by the way", Anton skips the greeting part and rushes to the livingroom. He brings me a magazine which has a story about the concert in the page three. In the biggest picture you can see me and Sara dancing on the edge of the stage. TOP peeks behind my shoulder and points at the magazine with a finger.
"Eoo! That's you", he exclaims and smiles. Seungri and Daesung take a step closer.
"Yep", I laugh. Now Anton can see the boys better. He looks at them long, from toes to eyes and back. Then his expression changes into confusion.
"Are those the singers?" he whispers to me. I nod with a smirk on my face.
"Where's mom?" I put the magazine down. Boys stay quiet and listen carefully, even though they have no idea what we are talking about.
"At the hospital, with Robert", Anton answers and walks to the fridge. He pulls out a cake.
"Mom baked this. Do you think they'd like to taste it?"

I don't dare to take a piece but boys taste the cake and it seems like they like it. They are sitting quietly still. We are chatting with Anton about the gig and I tell him how I "get" to the backstage and that they "demanded to get to see a bit of Finnish lifestyle". Anton wonders how I can be so calm around them and he asks everything about the members.
Mom and Robert make noises at the doorway. I stand up immediately and go greet them.
"Oh, you came back already!" mom shouts gladly and puts the papers she got from her doctor on the table. Robert greets me quickly and walks casually to the livingroom since it's the only way to his room.
"Oho", I can hear him saying (kind of the same as "omo" in Korean) and we follow him to the room.
"Here's TOP, Seungri and Daesung", Anton introduces the members proudly and points at them in turns. They stand up and bow in 90 degrees.
"Annyeong haseyo!" they greet.
"What is this...?" Robert looks at me. He doesn't get the situation. Mom instead laughs beside him.
"These must be the Korean guests", she states and I nod.
I tell them everything I already told Anton and mom rushes to the kitchen to make us something especially delicious now that there's guests in the house. Luckily, Robert can speak English well too, so I don't have to translate everything by myself. We watch Finnish TV shows, eat mom's food and she shows photobooks to the boys.

"I think I should tell you something", I begin. "I'm moving to Korea. Permanently."

Mom gets shocked. My brothers laugh sarcastically, not believing my words. I tell them about YG and how he accindentally heard me singing and offered me work in the music industry. TOP, Seungri and Daesung understand what I'm talking about, as I mention YG, and they start smiling widely and nodding their heads as I speak. I tell my mom how strict the schedule is and that I have to leave tomorrow already.

Mom leans against the kitchen table and Anton looks at me disappointed, almost like saying "But you promised." Robert just stares at me like usual. He reminds me a bit of Ji Yong...

"She's gonna be a big star", Daesung tries to help me. He smiles beautifully at my mom.
"Yeah. Taeyang said that she has a really unique voice", Seungri joins the conversation. TOP's only mission is to stay still like a statue and look good.
When mom has thought about it for a while, she says silently:
"Well, if that's what you want..."
I feel bad.
"Is it definitely safe in there? There's that North Korea thing going on..."
"I'm moving to South Korea", I clarify. "There's safe for sure."
I try to convince her by smiling. Mom just sighs loudly.
"Well, I'm not going to stop you."
"Thanks..."

Joakim calls me and I go to the teracce to talk. I can hear my mom stating that she might call Karoliina. Luckily, mom has a good friend that supports her.

"Hello", I answer and Joakim greets back.
"Did you have fun?" he asks cheerfully when he hears my voice after a long time.
"Yeah, we had much fun and, actually... I have no idea how I should tell you this."
"What?" Joakim sounds worried.
"I know that we have had fun and you are really good and important friend to me but... We may not be seeing each other for a long time..."
"What are you talking about..?" he laughs sarcastically. "Could we see somewhere? I could ride to your house?"
"No, umm... We have guests so..."
"Aah... But what you meant by we can't see each other for a long time?"
"Well umm..." It's quiet for a while. "I'm moving."
"Oh, where? Has something happened?"
"No, no. I'm going to go work in Asia", I tell him roughly.
"Huh? Asia? What the hell?"
"Yeah. I might stay there for a while... Maybe for the rest of my life."
"B-but... Explain to me!" Joakim demands.
"I'm leaving tomorrow already. I just wanted to say goodbye."
"Really, Minea! What has happened? Why can't you tell me?" Joakim's voice changes into desperation.
"I may not be able to contact you."
"Have you been kindapped? Tell me some code or give me a sign so that I can come and save you!"
I laugh a little.
"No, I'm leaving because I want to. Maybe we will see someday. But now I have to go. They are waiting for me", I say.
"Seriously, I don't understand a thing. How can you --."
I hung up coldly. I'm bad at explaining things and it's better that he doesn't know everything. If he heard about me and YG Entertaiment, he would of course find the articles and pictures of me and G-Dragon. He would think that I betrayed him. And all this is still new to me too. How could I explain it to others if I myself don't even know what is going to happen. I have no idea where I have gotten myself into.

I go back inside and see the members sitting alone around the kitchen table. They seem akward and they don't talk at all, although they try to look comfortable by looking around the room. My brothers have disappeared and soon someone knocks on the door. Mom opens it and our neighbour Karoliina walks in. She notices me immediately.
"Is this girl really spreading her wings already?" she smiles in a friendly manner.
"Yes", I say quietly and Karoliina pats my shoulder.
"I wish I had a nice girl like you who would bring bread to table (Finnish proverb; earning money for family). But no, I have only one lazy 20-year-old lad who spends his mommy's money."
"Well, actually, I'm not really yet --" I try to tell her that I'm not going to earn money for a good while yet but she continues her talking and I can't have a say between.

I give up and walk to the members.
"Do you want to go to sleep? I ask but they seem surprisingly alert.
"Already?" Daesung wonders. I take a look at the clock and it's about nine in the evening.
"Well, do you want to do something then? Should we go out?" I point at the front door. They nod. I notify my mom and dress warmly.

We walk along the city streets and I show them places. They try to read every sign and they are curiously asking me questions. I tell them about incidents and stories and also a little more about Finnish culture, nature and weather. When we have walked around enough and it's getting darker, we get back my home. Mom has spred mattresses on the floor and there's night snack waiting for us on the table. I know that she fell in love with my Korean friends, even though she doesn't want to let me go. She has always been on my side and she has given up a lot, so that I could live my life the way I want to. I have never made any terribly bad decicions though. For example, I went to high school, although I could have chosen something else. It wouldn't have mattered to my mom. The most important thing is that I was happy, she always says. She was chief physician but not anymore. She retaired early and stayed at home. It's a good thing because now she can see Robert and Anton and other important people more. Well, as long as she has time.

Notes

I haven't been very creative or active lately.. I dunno what's wrong but I'm super tired (super typos possible too). I'd like to post another chapter too today but I don't know if I have enough strength...

Teaser for chapter 8