Chapter One

The house still retained memories so strong it hurt Yihai. He sighed when they pulled into the mansion and his eyes ran over the little flower garden where his mum usually sat under a bare cherry tree and read one of her novels. It was even more beautiful during spring when the pink leaves of the tree fell gently about her and she sat there, so serene, looking like she was pulled out of a bright fairytale.

The movement of the car stopped and Yihai barged out, not wanting to spend any more second with his father, straight into the huge doors of the house which wasn't locked. He guessed somebody cared for it in their absence.

Expecting them back.

When Yihai left with his father for Hong Kong seven years ago, he hadn't expected to be back to Seoul. Hadn't expected to be back in this house that smelled like the rose oil his mum personally rubbed into all the wooden furniture, giving it that warm cozy smell and feel.

He knew that he had disliked the idea of moving to a new country, leaving familiar things behind, but what could he do?

And now he was finally starting to like that country he disliked the idea of, they were back. Moving around like Yihai had no feelings. Like he was supposed to be a chameleon and adapt whenever.

Yihai entered his old room. Nothing changed; the bed was still in the same spot, the dark blue sheets and blankets neatly made. The door of his walk-in closet decorated with lots of action figure stickers. There was the desk that was too high for him then but now it seemed small for Yihai.

Then most importantly, there was the oversized teddy bigger than Yihai which he had left behind because his dad said there was no space to fit the overstuffed panda teddy. It was perched on the white two sitter couch in the corner of the room, just like he left it.

He walked and sat beside it, gently taking its round stuffed hand in his, smiling sadly as nostalgia rushed in on him like a wave carried by an explosive wind.

Few minutes later, Yihai was crying on the soft shoulder of the stuffed panda.