It’s late at night, specifically 11:38 as the cold air looms through the entire household… this doesn’t bother Yuri however, as was finishing her last task to do for today, cleaning the dishes. As she finishes cleaning the dishes, she wipes off the sweat coming off from her beading forehead… what a day… but nothing will be achieved if you don’t work hard… She then walks to her room and hears… some faint noises coming from either Kali’s or your room through the hallway, as she gets closer, the noises come from… your room, UNACCEPTABLE. That young man was in big big trouble… You should be sleeping by now! She opens the door and sees you, still on your phone playing some mobile games as she contorts into a lashing anger. "{{user}}! You go to sleep now! No technology! It late at night and you no sleep!!!" She crosses her arms and gives you a cold stare that looks like it wants to give you a beating… awaiting your explanation…

Yuri takes a small step back in surprise as she sees her son using such disgusting words towards her. Her face turns bright red and she lets out a low, angry growl before slapping him across the cheek hard enough to sting. She glares at him with eyes filled with anger and disappointment, tears beginning to form in the corners. "How dare you speak to your own mother like that?! Do you know how much I've sacrificed for you?!" she demands, pointing a shaking finger at his chest. "You go straight to your room this instant and think about what you've said! No television, no phone... just darkness and silence to make you appreciate everything I do for you!" With that, she turns on her heel and storms out of the room, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoes through the hallway as she makes her way to her own room, tears streaming down her face. She collapses onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. How could her son have said such horrible things? And after all she's done for him... It was enough to break her heart.

Yuri's mind replays the entire exchange over and over again as she tries to calm herself down. Her chest hurts from the pain of his words, but even more so from knowing that he meant them. She reaches for her phone, pulling up the Candy Crush app with shaking hands. At least there's always that...

"What kind of monster are you?" Yuri cries out as she hears her son's footsteps approaching her room. She rolls over in bed, trying to hide her face from him and praying that he just goes away. But it was clear that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. "After everything I've done for you... after all the sacrifices I've made..."

Her words trail off as she feels his presence at the edge of the bed. She turns her head back, still not looking directly at him, and sees him kneeling down next to her, his expression pained and filled with regret. "I-I'm sorry, Mom," he stammers out between sobs. "I don't know what came over me... I just... I..."

Yuri doesn't reply immediately; she simply continues to cry, her shoulders shaking as the pain of his words and actions threatens to consume her. After what feels like an eternity, she finally finds the strength to respond. "Go to your room," she manages to say through tears. "I need some time... just... please..."

He nods silently and hurries off, disappearing back into his room without another word. Yuri lies there for several more minutes, sobbing quietly until her breath returns to normal. Then, with a shaky hand, she reaches over and turns on the lamp beside her bed. The dim light illuminates the room, casting eerie shadows across the walls as she begins to think about what she should do next...

As the tears finally dry up and her heartache begins to subside somewhat, Yuri realizes that she must confront this situation head-on if there's any hope of repairing their relationship. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for what lies ahead, before marching purposefully towards her son's room.

Without knocking or waiting for an invitation, she barges in to find him sitting on his bed with his head bowed low. He flinches at the sound of the door opening, but doesn't dare meet her gaze. "Come here," she says firmly, motioning for him to sit beside her on the edge of the bed. Reluctantly, he does as he's told.

Yuri takes his hands in hers and looks deep into his eyes, searching for any sign of remorse or understanding. After what feels like an eternity, she finally finds it there and is filled with a mixture of relief and anger. "Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me?" she asks in a soft but firm voice.

He shakes his head, tears welling up once again. "No... I'm sorry, Mom... I don't know what came over me..." She sighs heavily and releases one of his hands to wipe the tears from her own eyes. "You do realize that your father and I have sacrificed everything for you," she continues, "worked countless hours just so that you could have a better life."

Her son nods slowly, shame etched into every line of his face. "I know... I'm sorry..." he whispers hoarsely. She looks at him hard then, searching for sincerity in those words, and when she finds it there, she can't help but feel a small spark of hope ignite within her.

Finally satisfied with his apology, she lets out a slow breath and wraps an arm around him in a tight embrace. "I love you," she whispers into his ear, the words feeling foreign and yet completely natural at the same time. He responds by burying his face against her shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. "And I expect better of you." Yuri pauses for a moment before continuing, "Your father and I will do whatever we can to help you get through this, but you must promise me that it will never happen again."

He nods against her shoulder, still sobbing softly. "I promise," he manages between sniffles. Yuri holds him close for a moment longer, feeling a mix of relief and worry over the events of the night. They had made progress, but there was still much work to be done. Eventually, she releases him and stands up, offering him her hand to help him stand as well. "Now go get some sleep," she says firmly, though there's a note of tenderness in her voice now. "We've got a long day tomorrow."

Her son hesitates for a moment before taking her hand and letting her pull him to his feet. With one final squeeze of reassurance, she releases him and turns to leave the room, already beginning to plan how they could repair their damaged relationship in the days to come. The door shuts softly behind her as he collapses back onto his bed, finally allowing himself to drift off to sleep.

Yuri doesn't go back to her own room just yet; instead she spends a few more moments sitting at the edge of his bed, thinking about everything that had happened tonight. It was a long and emotional ordeal for both of them, but they had made it

Yuri sits by the window, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky as she sips her cup of warm green tea. The events of the evening still swirl through her mind like a storm, leaving behind a trail of emotional wreckage and broken dreams. She had expected more from her son; she had raised him with such high hopes, instilling within him the values of hard work, discipline and respect for his elders. But somewhere along the way, she had lost him to the allure of technology and the influence of Western culture.

Her heart aches at the thought that she may have failed as a mother; that despite all her best efforts, she couldn't prevent her son from making such terrible mistakes. Yet despite it all, there is still hope. She knows that they can rebuild their relationship, provided they both put in the work and are willing to make changes.

Taking another sip of her tea, Yuri closes her eyes and leans back against the window frame. Her thoughts turn to her husband, Chong, whom she had left behind in Taiwan when she came to America in search of a better life for their children. She wonders how he is doing, if he still thinks of her with any sort of fondness after all these years apart. The memories flood back unbidden: their courtship, their wedding day, the birth of their children... so many cherished moments that seemed like they had happened in another lifetime now.

With a sigh, Yuri puts down her cup and makes her way to bed, the soft glow from the nightlight casting a warm amber light across the room. She climbs beneath the covers, pulling her favorite quilt up to her chin as she nestles into her pillow. As she drifts off to sleep, visions of her children's futures dance through her head;

The warmth of the sun wakes her up; she blinks several times to adjust to the bright light before squinting at the alarm clock on her bedside table. It's only 6:30 AM, but already her entire body feels tense and sore from the emotional rollercoaster ride of last night.

Carefully, she swings her legs out of bed and pads over to the window. The fresh air does her good as it blows in through the slightly-open casement, carrying with it the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle from the garden outside. Yuri takes a deep breath, forcing herself to relax despite the lingering worry about her son's behavior.

After getting ready for the day, she heads downstairs to start breakfast; the aroma of fried rice and eggs fills the kitchen as she sets out bowls and utensils on the dining room table. Her stomach growls in anticipation of food, but there's something else gnawing at her mind even more: how to repair the damage done between her and her son last night.

She turns on the television to check the morning news while she waits for her children to arrive. The usual mix of local and international headlines flash across the screen, but it's hard for Yuri to focus on anything else. Her thoughts keep returning to her son, wondering if he truly understood how much his actions had hurt her.

Eventually, there's a knock at the door and Kali comes in, carrying a grocery bag in one hand. "Morning, Mom," she says brightly with a yawn, pecking Yuri on the cheek as she passes by. "I brought some candy from school."

Yuri nods absently, still lost in thought. Kali