“I’ve been writing this song~ for an angel I see... ♪,” he hummed out.

Ah shit. He wishes that his brain thought of those words before his lips began singing this song out loud. He was casually singing this song without noticing that he has been singing it. Is he regretting it? he thought. Not yet, but he knows he will.

“She is someone I know and made my heart skipped a beat... ♪.”

Leon swears that he’d hit himself in the face as soon as he finished playing this song. Honestly, that’d be the better option. The physical pain of a broken jaw would definitely be less painful than the pain of reliving past heartache, honestly.

“I’ve been singing this song for the only girl I ever see... ♪.”

His hands started to tremble, messing up his strumming on the guitar. He was beginning to regret this whole thing. Damn it. Damn it. Damn you. Damn it.

“Someone I’ve always thought to be the true love I see ♪—"

His phone suddenly rang, causing him to choke on his words and abruptly stop his guitar performance. He stopped right before the sad part. Damn, whoever called him, their timing was impeccable. He put his guitar aside and went to pick up his phone, answering the call without checking the number.

“Hello?” he said, a bit hazy.

“Leon?” a woman’s voice spoke, and with the one mention of his name, his back straightened right away.

“Hello? Yeah? Mom! Yeah? What’s up?” he asked, slightly panicking. His mother’s call caught him completely off guard, he didn’t expect that in the slightest.

The call beeped, and Leon pulled the phone from his ears. He looked at the screen—his mother wanted to video call him. He accepted her request for a video call and lifted the phone to his eye level, making sure that the camera could catch the entirety of his face.

His mother’s camera hasn’t loaded yet. “Mom?” he called, his face showing genuine concern.

“How do you... this...?” he could hear his mother mumbling from the dark screen. “Why is the camera not on? What do you click... umm... ah! There we go!”

He could finally see his mother’s face. She appeared relieved and concerned at the same time. “Leon! Son, how are you?” she innocently asked, and Leon could feel his chest tighten at the question. “Earlier, your father told me that you were sick. Have you been eating well?”

Leon took a short breath. “Yes, yes. I’m doing fine, mom. It’s just—it’s just a fever!” he said, coating his nervousness with laughter. Leon looked at his mother’s surroundings, and he noticed that she wasn’t in her usual hospital room. “By the way, mom. Where are you at?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Hmm?” she appeared confused, but then she snapped into realization. “Oh! This is the hospital’s park!” she answered, reversing the camera, showing him what was around her. “I’m currently taking a walk, I got bored just being in my room.”

Leon stared at the view his mother was showing him. “I see...”

Still with the camera pointing towards the view, his mother spoke weakly, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to take care of you, son.”

Leon held whatever emotion that he almost had from coming out. He forced a smile down his lips. “Mom, it’s okay,” he said, his breathing a tad bit heavy. “You go focus on yourself, alright? I’m just a little sick!” he told her, shaking his head.

His mother turned the camera around again. She didn’t appear convinced, but then again, this was a conversation that takes place via telephone—he can’t be sure about what she thought.

“If you say so, well...” she murmured, “then, do you have anything you’d like to talk to me about, Leon?”

Leon paused to think. He couldn’t quite come up with anything, honestly. Is there anything he wants to talk about? he wondered. So far, nothing comes to mind, and he’s just glad to be able to talk to her. He missed her, truly.

“I got nothing in mind,” Leon answered bluntly.

“I see...”

However, something suddenly pops up. “Oh wait. No, I do!” he said, catching his mother’s attention. “Mom, when is your operation going to take place?” he asked.

“It’s due in three days,” she answered.

Leon was surprised—it was quicker than he thought. “Oh, well... I hope this one succeeds,” he said.

She nodded. “I hope so too, son.”

For a moment there, his mother muted the phone and was talking to someone else. Leon sat in silence, waiting for her to finish communicating with whoever it was she was with so they could continue whatever they were talking about.

After a few minutes, she unmuted. “Leon, I’m told to go back to my room for some check-up. Let’s end the call here, yeah?” she said, not even looking at the screen as she was busy talking to whoever it was.

“Okay...”

His mother popped her face up the camera once more, looking at him. “Bye Leon... get well soon, okay?” she said, smiling at him.

Leon's grip tightened on his phone. "Yes, mom. You too."