Chapter Text
“And this is your new bedroom!”
The woman — Chae-won, as she remembered the other adults introducing her as — smiled down at Rumi as she swung open a bedroom door. Rumi poked her head in curiously, then clutched her blanket and baby bear closer to her chest. The room was fairly plain, with a bed, a dresser, and an empty toy box sitting open in the corner. The closet was sitting open, showcasing nothing more than empty hangers on a wooden bar.
“I know it doesn’t have much right now,” Chae-won admitted, watching Rumi closely as she brushed Rumi's loose hair back. “I thought it would be better to let you fill it with things you pick out at the store. I know this is just your foster home until you get adopted by your future parents, but it is still yours for now, and I want you to feel comfortable here until then. What do you think?”
Rumi shrugged, trying not to say something rude. Deep down, she hated it. She doubted she could ever like it.
She just wanted her old bedroom back.
She wanted her apartment back.
She wanted Eomma back.
She wouldn't get them.
~*~
Rumi walked beside Chae-won silently through the store. The woman’s husband, Seok, had refused to come. He had glanced once at Rumi, heard where they were going, and then simply said he wasn't joining.
Rumi didn't know what to think about him. Chae-won seemed nice. From the moment Rumi was handed over to her, the woman had practically smothered her in affection, doting over her every moment. She hung on Rumi's every move, every word, trying to throw snacks and comfort towards her constantly. Seok, in comparison, was the complete opposite. He had practically ignored her very existence, only looking at her as needed.
It didn't seem to just be Rumi, though. He ignored Chae-won a lot, too. The first day she was there, he returned from work, took his food, then sat in front of the TV while he ate alone. He didn't get up or talk to them, even as Chae-won toured Rumi around and ate with her at the table.
He didn't seem… mean. He just didn't seem like he wanted to talk to them at all. He almost seemed like he didn't want them there.
That was fine. Rumi didn't want to be there either.
Chae-won didn't seem to feel the same, however.
"Oh, Rumi, look!" Chae-won cooed as she held up a small toy puppy she pulled from the store shelf. She began bobbing it in the air in front of Rumi. "Isn't this little guy so cute?"
The little black dog was pretty cute. The black fur and big, brown eyes reminded Rumi of her friend Eun Ae. She wondered if Eun Ae missed her. She definitely missed Eun Ae.
Rumi realized Chae-won was waiting for an answer, so she nodded, pushing her memories of her friend aside. Chae-won lit up at Rumi's agreement, tossing the toy into the already overflowing cart. Rumi was realizing every time she agreed to liking something, Chae-won would throw it in the cart. Rumi had never had so many things.
She thought that they were just buying clothes and some school supplies after Chae-won explained Rumi was now going to start going to school with other kids. And the woman did buy those things. She had a whole pile of those specific items lost somewhere in the cart. She had also bought several colorful bed sets, posters of cartoon characters that Rumi didn't know, several books, and a whole lot of stuffed animals.
Rumi was staring at the cart being pushed by Chae-won, the contents of which already outnumbered the amount of things they had in the whole apartment with Eomma. Rumi thought she should be happy about that, but Rumi found she would prefer having just Eomma and Gom and her blanket if she had a choice.
She didn't.
"Ah! Here we go!" Chae-won reached toward another shelf. Apparently they had wandered into another book section while Rumi was distracted. "I was wondering where they were. Here you go Rumi!" A book was placed in Rumi's hands: a plain, leather cover with some words she couldn't read yet printed across it. "Did you ever have one of these in your last home?"
Rumi shook her head. She had a few books, but more like the small, colorful ones in the cart already.
"Well, maybe this was all meant to be then. You were sent my way so I could teach you all about this." Chae-won smiled warmly, but the words made Rumi feel sick. "You finally get your very own bible!"
Rumi didn't know what a bible was, but if it was the reason Eomma was gone, she didn't want it. She opened her mouth to say as much.
"She's gone because of you."
Rumi shivered at the memory, mouth closing without a sound.
The book went in the cart.
~*~
Rumi watched as Chae-won rushed around Rumi's new room, placing the several trips worth of purchases inside. Rumi sat on the bed, clutching Gom and her blanket silently as the woman organized the room with the new items. Rumi had tried to help, but the woman seemed a bit frantic, shooing Rumi to the bed to stay out of the way.
Rumi didn't mind, but Eomma always said she should help when she could around the house. She couldn't do things like laundry or vacuuming, but Eomma would always thank her and give her lots of kisses whenever she helped put things away. So, though Rumi didn't mind not helping, it did feel odd.
But, even if she did, Eomma wouldn't be there to kiss her head in thanks.
Plus, Chae-won seemed like she was in a rush. Rumi didn't understand why. Not until Chae-won was placing the last pair of pants in the drawers and glancing at her watch. A quick intake of breath, a sudden slamming of a drawer shut, and Chae-won was off, quickly telling Rumi to get settled while she cooked dinner, not wanting it to be late for Seok getting home.
Rumi glanced around the crowded and colorful room, feeling overwhelmed.
She fidgeted with Gom's felt claws, trying to comfort herself. The clinking of dishes somewhere in the house did nothing to stop the stress of being alone. She hated it, how the emptiness of another person in the room felt far too similar to that night. She hadn't really felt like talking to the two people in the house, but at least them being around made it so she didn't feel alone again.
She hated being alone.
She hated how everything around her reminded her she was alone. Was always going to be alone now that Eomma was gone. She hated the house, so detached, unlike the apartment where the other renters surrounded them with sounds of life at all times. She hated the man and woman, who weren't mean but were nothing like her Eomma. She hated the room that was too full and too colorful; too different from her real home.
Sliding gently off the bed, Rumi took the new giant, pink comforter from the top. She slipped underneath the large bed, the only spot away from all the things she hated. Pulling the cover over her to drown out the light of the room, Rumi held Gom and her baby blanket close. She adjusted her eyes, allowing herself to see the gentle glow of the blue and purple strings below her. Only after staring at them for a few moments did she close her eyes, listening to the faint and gentle melodies tucked within them, lying among the only three things in this new house that she had left of her home with Eomma.