I leaned against the kitchen counter, the cool marble seeping through my shirt.
The house was quiet, the only sound being the rhythmic hum of the refrigerator. When the line finally connected, the familiar crackle of a long-distance call felt like a warm blanket.
"Sashko?" my mom's voice came through, thick with the soft vowels of home. "Is everything okay? You usually call right before you go to bed. I just came back from lunch."
"Everything is fine, Mama," I said, switching to Ukrainian. It felt like stretching muscles that had been cramped for too long. "I'm just going to sleep a bit earlier today. The gym was... intense."
"I heard the news from your father!" she chirped. I could hear the clinking of keys as she settled in. "He was so proud. He said your group won! H-W... what was the name? H-W-Nut?"
"It's H-Wnot, Mom!" I chuckled, rubbing my tired eyes. "It's translated as... well, it's a play on... An adaptation of the old band's name."
"Okay, okay, sonechko (little sun)!" she laughed. "Names are complicated. But so, tell me, why the early call? Is my son finally exhausted from being a superstar?"
I took a breath, staring at the golden trophy on the sideboard.
"Actually... I asked a girl out today."
The silence on the other end lasted exactly two seconds.
"Really? A Korean girl? And what did she say? Did she have eyes? Because if she saw you, she must have said yes."
I held the pause for dramatic effect, a small smile tugging at my lips.
"She agreed. We're dating now."
"Oh, San! Your father will be so proud to hear that. A romantic hero in Seoul!" Her voice turned conspiratorial and teasing. "But remember, sonechko... don't forget about protection. You're a young man in a big city."
My face went from pale to beet-red in under a second.
"MUM! Stop! Please!"
"SAN-AH!" Ha-neul's voice boomed from the first floor, shattering the emotional moment. "ARE YOU HUNGRY? WE'RE ORDERING SUSHI!"
I winced at the volume.
My mom laughed on the other end.
"Go, go eat with your sister. It was so good to hear you, son. Call me more often when you're free. I miss you so much."
"I miss you too, Mama. Goodbye."
As she hung up, the silence of the kitchen felt heavier. My eyes grew suddenly teary, the distance between Seoul and Ukraine feeling like an unbridgeable canyon for a fleeting moment. I wiped my eyes quickly, sniffing back the sentiment. I couldn't stay in that headspace for long. Not in this house.
"I WANT SUSHI BAKE!" I yelled back, leaning over the banister.
"Sushi bake?" Ha-neul's voice drifted up, dripping with mock-disgust. "No wonder you're a perv. Who even eats that?"
I blinked.
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me, Perv-San! Ordering 'baked' fish like some weirdo!"
"That's it."
I didn't take the stairs.
I grabbed the plush pillow from the hallway decorative chair, tucked it under my arm, and checked the distance. To anyone else, it was a dangerous drop. To a guy who spent his life vaulting over high bars, it was a Friday night.
I vaulted over the railing, plummeted through the air, and performed a perfect gymnastic tuck-and-roll onto the living room rug, springing up to my feet with the pillow raised like a shield.
"Chas rozplaty!" I roared. "(Час розплати—Time for retribution!)"
Ha-neul's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"What does that mean?! What are you doing?! How did you even survive that jump?!"
She didn't wait for an answer.
She shrieked and scrambled behind the kitchen counter as I lunged forward.
"It means your time is up, Little Sister!" I shouted, half-laughing as I swung the pillow.
We began a high-speed chase around the island, dodging barstools and sliding across the hardwood floors. She was throwing dish towels at me while I tried to corner her with my ukrainian agility.
The weight of the school, the "Comma" hair, the stress of dating a trainee, and the ache of missing home all vanished in the chaos.
It was the perfect, messy ending to a day that had been nothing short of a whirlwind.
"SAY SORRY TO THE SUSHI BAKE!"
"NEVER!"