Yong Rim's POV

"She's doing what?"

I leaned back against the counter and sighed for the third time as I rubbed my forehead. "Mom, it's her decision. Whatever she wants to do, let her. This is her choice, not ours, it never was,"

"Are you listening to yourself right now? Hm?"

"I don't understand why you're so against this,"

"I'm against false hope!" I pull the phone away from my ear and lower the volume down some. 

"Stop, this is why I didn't want to tell you anything. This is the reason why I don't understand how you could be upset over your daughter trying to help herself,"

"If she-" mom started to say. "If she would have just stayed down here with us, she would have been fine. What if it doesn't work out, then what? She's going to live with that for the rest of her life and be even more upset that her hope was crushed,"

"This is going to take time mom, things like this don't happen overnight. She knows that she won't get better today, tomorrow, or even next month. We're working on that and I was hesitant as you were but we have to look past that and encourage her,"

She makes a sound over the line and I can hear a door opening and closing before she speaks again. "This was a mistake," she whispered. "A mistake,"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said, Yong Rim! I did not want Eun Seok to leave, she was fine here and I knew something like this would happen once you both left. She was doing perfectly fine and adjusting to life and you just had to make her see things differently!"

"What the ?!"

I had never swore.

At least not to my parents, ever. I never had the need to, of course, the urge was there when my parents were being too overbearing but this was completely out of line and uncharacteristic of my mother.

"Are-Are you blaming me for her wanting to walk again? Who says that?!"

"You're giving her false hope!"

"It wasn't me! I didn't plant this seed in her head! She's met people, good people that want to help her and I'm not going to get in the way and stop her right now. This has nothing to do with me, Eun Seok is going ahead with this whether I want her to or not and I'm going to do what she says."

"You're her sister! I sent her with you in hopes that you take care of her not make her life even harder!"

"You're unbelievable!"

I can feel my blood rising the louder our voices get to try to overpower the other and I can feel my chest constricting in the worst possible way because I'm bothered. I'm bothered by the fact that she can so easily accuse me of doing something that I have yet to do. That she can so easily blame me for something that is supposed to be a good thing. That my mother thinks all I'm doing is making Eun Seok's life harder.

It hurts. It feels like a blow to the back of the head.

I tongue the inside of my cheek and take a few deep breaths before shaking my head.

"I have to go. I'm going to be late for work,"

There's a long stretch of silence. I can hear her breathing so I know she hasn't hung up but the silence is only worse. What happens between that time?

"Call me later,"

"Okay," I won't.

We don't say goodbye to each other before I cut the line dead. I slide my phone back into my pocket and just stare ahead at the wall in front of me. Thoughts are running through my head so fast that I have trouble concentrating on what is frustrating me the most. I keep hearing her voice in the back of my head and it only makes me even more irritated. Like a constant reminder, that won't go away.

I leave ten minutes later and leave a note for Eun Seok on the counter.

--

A presentation is set up for the teachers in the lounge for the upcoming field trip. It's mostly an informational on safety, procedures, basic first aid, accountability, and knowledge of the area. I try to listen and take notes when needed but it only drowns on and on for almost an hour. Most of this is basic common sense. We actually need to know this stuff? It's just a field trip, not like we're going to perform open heart surgery on someone.

The man giving the lecture is the assistant principal, I remember him from my interview but he's gained some weight since last time. His stomach hangs over the belt of his pants and his suit seems a little more tight than necessary. The room is warm too with the open windows that allow some of the breeze in but I can see the sweat making his hairline glisten and the moisture on his neck.  

He runs a hand through his hair and points to another bullet point on the presentation slide but at this point, I'm no longer paying attention. The pictures are all the same and his words go on and on like a tape recording you keep replaying. I twirl my pencil between my fingers and look around the classroom, all the other teachers are focused or scrolling through their phones and messing with their nails. 

I wonder if this is what my students feel like sometimes. Bored out of their mind and find everything pointless. I wonder if I remind them of the assistant principal. I'll have to ask that one day.

I feel someone tap on the back of my seat and I turn around slightly to see Hyunwoo smile at me lightly, he looks well rested and his skin is so bright. I really like his tan skin but I would never say that to him.

"Are you okay?" he cups one hand at the side of his mouth to make it seem like he's whispering and I chuckle with a roll of my eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. You?"

He shrugs. "Couldn't be better. Want to get drinks tonight?"

"I'm not much of a drinker,"

"Me neither, still want to go?"

I raise my eyebrow at him and he smiles that smug grin again, the one that he does when he knows I'll agree. When he knows that I'm going to think about it and respond to him after class.

"Why would y-"

"Excuse me," A voice interrupts us suddenly.

Hyunwoo's face falls and I turn around sharply as the assistant principal shoots a stern look and folds his arms. "Please pay attention. We value the safety and importance of educational field trips. I wouldn't want a situation to occur just because two of you weren't paying attention,"

I can feel my face slightly heating up but I try to not be embarrassed. Some people are looking at us and the assistant principal has this look in his eyes that makes me want to turn around and forget this happened. 

"Sorry, won't happen again," I bow my head slightly. 

He continues to stare at me before nodding and waving his hand. "Now I'll continue where we were at..."

I turn around to shoot Hyunwoo a glare but he only winks at me. I take back everything I said about him earlier.

The last lesson for the day ends at around three and I take some of the students to the pickup area as we wait for their parents. Three boys are sitting on the curb and sharing a video game between each other when I look down. 

"What are you doing?"

"Playing," Kwangmin says over his shoulder.

"I realize that," I roll my eyes. "But playing what?"

"New Super Mario Brothers 2," Andrew looks up and adjusts his glasses. "I don't think you would understand it, though," he says matter-of-factly. 

I scoff and walk forwards, leaning down as he goes back to the game. "I was born before this game even came out. I can probably play even better than all of you,"

Kwangmin pauses the game and all three of them turn around to look at me with such a serious expression that I frown and back up some. "Don't look at me like that,"

"Are you okay Ms. Han?"

"How can you say something like that confidently?"

"Yeah aren't you too old for this?"

"WHAT?!" I splutter. "I'm only 24! I'm nowhere near old, I'm actually very offended!"

The boys laugh loudly and