Scarlet Strings.

Chapter 12:

The serene silence of Ha-neul's grand suite in Venice was broken by the shrill ring of his phone. Ha-Neul stirred groggily, blinking against the soft golden light filtering through the luxurious curtains. He glanced at his phone and saw his mother's name flashing on the screen. Frowning, he picked it up, switching to Korean instantly.

"여보세요? 어머니?" (Hello? Mother?)

"하늘아! 지금 당장 베네치아 공항으로 와!" (Ha-neul! Come to the Venetian airport right now!) his mother's familiar voice came through, a mix of urgency and excitement.

Ha-neul sat up straight, his heart skipping a beat. "뭐라고요? 어머니, 무슨 일이세요?" (What? Mother, what's going on?)

"네가 외롭다면서! 그래서 내가 여기로 왔다. 네가 이렇게 멀리서 혼자 고생하는 걸 더는 볼 수가 없어서." (You said you were lonely! So I came here. I couldn't bear knowing you were struggling all alone so far away.)

"어머니, 베네치아까지요?" (Mother, you came all the way to Venice?) His voice rose in shock, panic beginning to set in.

"그래, 하늘아. 빨리 와. 여기가 너무 복잡하고 정신이 없어." (Yes, Ha-neul. Hurry up. It's so crowded and confusing here.)

Ha-Neul ran a hand through his messy hair, his mind racing. This was his mother's *first* time in Venice, and she'd come alone? "알았어요, 곧 갈게요. 거기서 절대 움직이지 마세요." (Okay, I'm coming right away. Don't move from where you are.)

"알겠어. 빨리 와." (Okay. Come quickly.)

The line went dead. Ha-Neul stared at his phone for a moment, then leaped into action.

In his haste, Ha-neul grabbed the nearest shirt from a chair and struggled to pull it over his head while standing. His arm got caught in the sleeve, and he stumbled, falling onto the floor with a loud thud.

"아, 진짜!" (Ugh, seriously!) he muttered to himself, getting up quickly. He managed to throw on the shirt properly and grabbed his keys and wallet. Without bothering to fix his tousled hair, he bolted out of the room.

At the reception desk, the staff greeted him politely. "Good morning, Mr. Kang."

"Car keys," he said hurriedly, switching back to English. "I need the car keys. Now."

The receptionist, used to his occasional moments of urgency, nodded and handed him the keys.

"Thank you," he muttered before rushing out to the private parking lot.

Ha-neul parked his sleek black car near the arrivals terminal and rushed inside. The crowded airport was buzzing with activity, but it didn't take long for him to spot his mother. She was in the middle of a heated argument with a porter.

"이봐요! 이 가방을 저기까지 옮겨줘야 하는 거 아니에요?" (Hey! Aren't you supposed to carry this bag over there?) she was saying, gesturing to her luggage.

The porter looked utterly lost, clearly not understanding a word. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't understand."

"어머! 이 사람 무슨 말인지 못 알아듣네." (Oh my! This man doesn't understand a word I'm saying.) She turned to her luggage, muttering under her breath in frustration.

Ha-neul rushed over, his face burning with embarrassment. "어머니!" (Mother!)

His mother turned, her expression softening instantly at the sight of her son. "하늘아! 드디어 왔구나." (Ha-Neul! Finally, you're here.)