Chapter One; Episode 3

It’s been days since Mi-sook has been gone, and Kyuhyun chatters to Tiffany while making Kimchi, “There's nothig for you to worry about. Noona,I'll take responsibility for you. Even the widow ghost knows it to be a fact.”

Tiffany then throws Kyuhyun a sharp look, “What?” Kyuhyun asks. “Even my mom ran away from that, Hairy Mr. Jang Drunk Man. So who'd blame your mom from running away from him?”

Tiffany raises her brow, and spoke “So? Are you saying my mom ran out on him?”

“Of Course!”

“Throwing me away?” Tiffany asks.

“Of Course!”

“Are you sure?”

“Do you want me to keep repeating what I've said?”

Tiffany pauses for a while, and slowly squeezes the Kimchi she is making causing it to be cutted. Kyuhyun stares at her for a while, His confirmation makes Tiffany’s expression harden… but surprisingly, she thinks with a smirk, Hurray. Victory -Tiffany.

While Tiffany was unable to be the one to leave her mother, now that her mother has left her, she finds her path clear. She moves briskly, stocking the fridge with food and packing her bag. She walks towards Mr. Jang's room, Bringing her bag with her, “See here, I did as much as I could. I made plenty of rice. I made enough Kimchi to last for you for months. I did the laundry and cleaned the place. I filled the fridge with enough alcohol for you to remain drunk for 3 months. Is that enough?”

But unfortunately, Mr. Jang remains asleep. “I don't owe you anything now. Oh~ Before I forget, If you think I owe you for that ring, find my mother and get it from her. I don't have it,”

Kyuhyun tries to act manly and insists that she stay, but she shoots him a sharp look. Without her mother, she’s sure that she can be happy on her own.

Tiffany ignores Kyuhyun’s pleas not to leave, but she only gets as far as the front gate before being stopped. Two men appear and inquire after her: Jessica’s uncle and Siwon. Siwon smiles warmly at her; she rolls her eyes in a surly gesture.

In the car, Siwon keeps staring back at the sullen Tiffany, Tiffany kept on staring outside, holding her bag so tight.

Siwon then speaks in worry, “You can sit back and relax. You look uncomfortable. And you can put your bag down next to you. If you're tired, it's okay for you to nod off.” While Tiffany just eyes him warily.

“I want to go to the bathroom.” Tiffany said.

~

While the men wait for her outside the building, Tiffany runs out the back way. And started to run as fast as she can. I won’t stop. Even if I have to spend days rooting around garbage cans, I’m not going to go live with my mother Song Kang-sook, or whatever worthless man she’s clinging to.-Tiffany.

Siwon then chases her down the road.

“Yah! You there stop! Stop right there!” Siwon shouts, as he started running in a quick speed. “Stop just for a minute!”

Tiffany shouts upon this, he was getting nearer and nearer as possible, He was about to grab her. He is nearly successful, but his hand only connects with the pencil in her hair, bringing the rest of her long locks tumbling down…

As Tiffany looks back at him amidst her flying hair, looking like a wounded animal. She continues running, but that brief image has Siwon mesmerized, and he stops running, as though forgetting to continue.

And then he brings himself back to his senses, resumes the chase, and catches up to her.

“Let Go!” She fights back, grabbing his hair and biting his hand, but he maneuvers her into a judo flip which lands her on the ground. Finally laying Tiffany on the ground, he sighed in his exhaustiveness. Siwon then spoke, “Your mother told me you wouldn't come readily. She said you might run, so I should be prepared. She was right.”
Tiffany then straightened up, still sitting on the ground.

“Do you have any place to go? You have money? You think you can do anything to survive.” Siwon then straightens up, “It's not easy to do. Even if you go, you're a minor so no one will accept you. And no matter how hard you work, you will just be passed by. You have no idea how hard will it be.” Siwon paused, “But it will change when you're 20. Just wait a little while. How about waiting until you're 20 to run away? Hmm?” Tiffany remains stubbornly silent as Siwon asks if she has money or a place to go. He knows she must be worried about how to survive on her own. She’s not going to find it easy to make it alone, particularly at her age. However, he adds that things will be different once she’s 20 — the Korean age of majority — so why doesn’t she endure a bit longer till then?

Tiffany maintains her sulky exterior, but oddly, his words have an effect on her. She thinks grudgingly: “It’s strange. It feels really strange. The way he talks, I’d want to believe him even if he said the moon were square. I'm sure I've been put under a spell.”

~

At Jessica’s house, Tiffany argues with her mother, deeply cynical that this time will be any different from the many, many times they’ve lived off one of Mi-sook’s boyfriends.

“I Should have jumped from the train back then!” Tiffany shouts.

Mi-sook then pushes Tiffany outside, for them to talk.

“Be Quiet!” Mi-sook warned.

“How long is it going to last this time?” Tiffany asked, she's been exhausted all day. “Huh! If we're kicked out here, we have to figure out where to go! How long is it going to last? HOW LONG?! HOW LONG?!”

“I told you he wasn't like that.” Mi-sook depends.

“He isn't? What makes him so different?” Tiffany fires back. “From one man to another? What's the difference? Omma! Jebal!! Let's not depend on any men to feed us, okay? You and I can find out a way to survive!” (Jebal = Please)

But Mi-sook is persistent, “Won't you lower your voice?”

“Shiro! I won't! I don't want to!” Tiffany shouted back even louder. (Shiro = No) “You do it by yourself!”

“Who do you think I'm doing this for?!” Mi-sook said.

Which angers Tiffany, “Ahhhh!”She shouts. “Lies! You're lying that it's for me! If you won't listen to me, I'll BITE MY TONGUE TO BLEED TO DEATH!”

“What!?” Mi-sook said, shocked to her daughter's words. “You wretched little girl?” Mi-sook said and hits her.

“Let Go!” Tiffany shouts.

“You come with me! You think you're smart?” Mi-sook said, and grabs her away from the house.

She then throws Tiffany's bag, and continues hitting her. “Fine! I'm doing whatever I can to survive but you, my daughter? What did you say? Bite your tongue? Who do you think I'm doing this for?!”

“Don't tell me it's on my account!” Tiffany said, as tears form on her eyes. “Do you live your life for me? You live for me? Aigo! So that's why you threw me away?!”

“What?! Throw you away? When did I throw you away? Since the moment I had you, even with out a father, I never considered of throwing you away! Suffering the humilation, I never thought about throwing you away!” Mi-sook says. That actually surprises Mi-sook, who had never thought of ditching her daughter. Tiffany exclaims that her mother left her behind with that disgusting man.

“You left me there ALONE with that hairy AHJUSSI! You kept me there as your hostage! Do you know how horrible was it for me there?”

Mi Sook frozed to what she heard, With horror, Kang-sook asks unsteadily if that man did anything to her. “Did that man? By any chance? Did he? Do something strange?”

“Do you know how scared I was that he would?!” Tiffany cries.

And that relieves Kang-sook’s fears. “Okay. No matter how debased that Hairy Ahjussi is, he wouldn't be as bad as that man in Dae Jeon. I know that much. Since I knew that, I could leave you there.”

“You're lying.” Tiffany cuts her. “It doesn't matter what happens to me. Whether I starve or eat or sleep or awake? You have no concern. So why did you bring me here?” Tiffany then raises her voice even more, “Why did you bring me here?! I'm Leaving! Have a great life on your own.”

Tiffany was then stopped by her mother's words, “Have you ever heard me say that this is the last time?I don't have to be fed by those scum of the earth and don't have to sleep in motels running for them. I can now send you in a normal school. There is no other place.”

Tiffany continues to cry, facing her mother from the back, “This is really it?”

“This is it.” Mi-sook said firmly.

Tiffany then faces her mother, “Manyageh?” (Manyageh = If) “You get kicked here or we have to run away, then let go of me. Omma.”

“Wh. Wh. What?! You think you can live without me?” Mi-sook says.

“Let me go!” Tell me you'll let me go then!” Tiffany said. “If you do. I'll come with you.”

Mi-sook has no choice but to agree, “Okay. I will. I'll do as you say. How horrible is the man this time?” Tiffany asks, still crying. Tiffany is scared to believe her mother, but asks tentatively if she really means it. If they end up getting kicked out of this house too, she wants her mother to promise she’ll let her go.

~

Tiffany is expecting another deadbeat, but she doesn’t betray any emotion upon meeting the gentle Dae-sung, who tries to speak kindly to her.

“Won't you share any words of wisdom?” Mi-sook asks, trying to break off the silence. “If you please”

“I'm with you-r mo-ther.” Dae-sung stuters. “That is?I had one daughter but now I had two?.” He doesn’t know how to approach her or what to say, and wonders what he should do for her first. “So let's just What shall I do first? Whatever? Whatever it is, I want to do a good job. If there is anything you want, I will promise.”

“I don't need any promises.” Tiffany shots back coldly. “I don't believe in them. Don't make any promises you can't keep and just let me attend school,”

Mi-sook pretends to be fine with Tiffany's words and smiles, “He felt bad how you had stop and start your education. He got everything ready for you to start attending school immediately.”

Tiffany stares at Dae-sung, and Dae-sung nodded smiling.

Just then, a voice calls out, “Jessica is home!” Jessica bursts into the room and notices the newcomer. Recognizing Tiffany from the train, she claps a hand over and squeals. Ignoring Tiffany’s glower of disdain, Jessica exclaims, “Unni, hi!”

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Should I just not continue this? There hasn't been any reactions. From the readers :'(