"You sure will be alright alone or do you want me to call Ms. Jang over?" Ji Hye's mother said as she rushed to get dressed before her re-union dinner with her batchmates, worrying about her daughter being alone as usual.

She wore black formals and high heels that stumped over their carpetting every now and then as she ran around to pick up her other earring from her room.

 

Going to back-to-school reunions was always a bad idea. Particularly because Ji Hye lived alone with her Mom in a quiet uncomparable life. Her mom earned enough for the family of 2, and the two were close-knit, having a relationship nobody could tear apart.

 

Ji Hye would usually come Home from School and tell her Mom everything that happened at School, an activity not all 16 year olds would do.

Since Ji Hye had been born in an environment with just one family member, her mom was more like a sister to her. And her mom, more laid back than any other.

 

More so, a back-to-school reunion for her Mom to go meet her 90's batch mates was a bad idea that wasn't foreshadowed to Ji Hye.

The morning her Mother left for the reunion party, where all classmates of her mom back in the 90's were going to come as well, Ji Hye just sat on the couch, not bothered by much of what the reunion would bring Home.

 

Her mother was rushing as Ji Hye just silently sat on the couch, reading a few articles from the Magazine.

 

"Ji Hye, I've cooked some food and it's on the counter," her mother repeated for the 100th time while rushing around the house to find her handbag this time, while Ji Hye just sat with her knees next to her chest, calm and relaxed. This was the usual at home.

 

"I know, Mom," Ji Hye said without changing much of her expression, her mom always worried way too much about Ji hye being left alone, thinking she might feel isolated for anyway not having anyone else except her Mother around. But Ji Hye was older than that.

 

"Just have fun okay?" she told her Mom as she got up to hug her bye as she left.

 

Her mother was supposed to be home by the evening so it wasn't much of a problem. Anyway, she thought she could call Kenta over even though her mom didn't like the idea. Kenta, her boyfriend, who Ji Hye already informed about her being alone yesterday itself.

 

"I don't want any boys in our House, it's a no boyzone," her mom had previously said.

 

This was solely because her mother didn't like to leave her daughter alone with her boyfriend while they were so young and naive. She knew they'd want to experiment new things that she didn't believe Ji Hye was ready for. She did trust her daughter, but oh she didn't trust that boy.

 

Even though Ji Hye agreed on not calling him over, she still hadn't told him about him not being invited.

 

So he was probably on his way to her place while her mother left. Ji Hye was wondering how she could possible kick him out during the half an hour in the middle after her mother left and before he was to arrive.

But at the moment she couldn't think of much and ended up welcoming him anyway. 

 

Ji Hye's house was actually pretty aesthetic, since two mature, organised girls kept it sophisticated. Part of the reason why it was also the no boyzone.

However, Kenta is occasionally the one exception Ji Hye likes to make to this rule, because he often comes over when her mother is out. This wasn't the first time, and this wouldn't be the last.

 

After about 30 minutes, the bell to Ji Hye's rang and Ji Hye lazily walked towards the door to open it.

Their relationship had long passed the stage of being excited and trying to be at their best behaviour in front of each other. They were more comfortable and casual with each other after dating for an year and a half.

 

"My mother told me to not invite you," Ji Hye said as she opened the front door to let the Japanese boy in. The scent of mascunality and testosterone, one which is often lacking in the four walls of their house, creeped in. 

 

Kenta, as usual, had a different aura around him. He was one of those happy always-smiling guys, one of the things Ji Hye loved about him. Kenta wore a simple hoodie and walked in the house without saying much. 

He had met Ji Hye's mother in the past and she was okay with them dating, but not them being intimate of course.

 

"So you lied?" Kenta asked as he panted and walked in, as lead by Ji Hye, who sat on the couch alongside him. He slipped his grey jacket's hoodie off his head, to reveal his slight wet hair due to the drizzle outside.

His shoulders were also slightly wet. At this moment, the only sound audible other than their voices were the crashing of tiny droplets of rain on the glass sliding of Ji Hye's living room.

 

Kenta wasn't legally old enough to drive in Seoul and his family couldn't get him a motorbike of his own. (Considering that South Korea allows 16 years olds to ride bikes)

So he probably walked to Ji Hye's place this morning, like he usually does. Or rather, ran due to the beginning of rain. Ji Hye was so used to his panting every now and then that she even questioned sometimes how he hasn't built a stamina as yet. 

 

"No, I didn't tell her that you were already on your way," Ji Hye chuckled with a slight smirk. One distinctive feature about Ji Hye that Kenta really liked was her clever nature.

 

She was funny and confident and didn't act like a little child. While Kenta was more of happy-go-lucky kid. Also, the cultural differences between them made them closer overall. 

 

After talking for a while and sharing lunch together, Kenta and Ji Hye spent some time cuddling and watching television simultanaously for a while, an act they'd usually do while spending their free time alone.

In school however, they didn't get to freely get intimate amongst each others' company, hence, meeting outside for cuddling was kind of a need between the two. 

 

The feeling of having a man around you, more so somebody with warm hugs and love for you when you lacked any male in the family at all was the core sense of attraction Ji Hye felt towards Kenta.

 

He was the first to ever confess his love for her, and she happily accepted his offering. They never fought much and Kenta never disappointed her either. He was intelligent, helped Ji Hye with her homework often, had good taste in music, and could even sing.

 

Ji Hye didn't have a lot of knowledge about what to expect of boyfriends, but whatever Kenta was to her, he was a good one.

 

By the evening, Ji Hye waved Kenta goodbye, who kept on asking her if she'd want him to stay for while till her mother came home. A true gentleman, I'd say.

 

Ji Hye knew that she would eventually tell her mother that Kenta came over, but she'd not want her mother to yell at her in front of Kenta, so she'd rather not have him around when she returns.

So after a warm hug from the tall guy, Ji Hye closed the door behind her and awaited for her mother return, while watching television and laying her legs on the table in front of the couch.

 

*

 

Suprisingly, it was already 12am and Ji Hye had fallen asleep on her couch while the TV was still on. Ji Hye sat their while wearing a yellow long tshirt and was waiting for her mother ever since Kenta left, however her mother had still not returned and Ji Hye ended up dozing off on the couch.

The rain had increased and was now heavily crashing down on Ji Hye's glass sliding. Also, there were frequent thunder sounds, but Ji Hye had somehow slept through it all.

 

However, a few minutes after midnight, the main door knob circled round and opened to reveal her wet mother, wobbling around the front door with an unfamiliar man.

 

Ji Hye's eyes slowly opened as she saw her mother tip-toe her way in with her heels in her hand. The scent of alcohol and whiskey purred in the house and tingled in Ji Hye's olfactory senses.

 

Her mother was acting weirder than usual, and the man behind her was somebody Ji Hye had never seen before. She saw her mother 'shush' the man behind who chuckled, so as to not wake the half asleep Ji Hye up. Her mother even had her hair down and wet, looking extremely unsophisticated for someone like her who usually has her hair pinned up.

 

"Mom?" Ji Hye said as she opened her eyes, in the dreamy like phase in the dark when she didn't know if she was dreaming or if her mother had actually arrived.

 

"Oh she's awake!" her mother shrugged for all the efforts of tip-toeing and not allowing her to wake up and smiled widely right after. There was something extremely strange about the way her mother was behaving, as if she may have succumbed to inebriation.

 

"Mom, are you drunk?" Ji Hye frankly asked since her mother practically behaved like a kid. Even though the man with her was comparatively sober. The living room was still dark with the only source of light being that from the telivision that was still on.

 

"Who is this?" Ji Hye continued with her questions as she looked at the two in confusion. She couldn't recognise the face in the dark but then again she wasn't sure if she would even in midday sunlight. 

 

Her mother had brought home a man she was holding hands with while being drunk, Did she pick him up from a club or something? Or just somebody at the reunion?

At this stage, Ji Hye didn't know which one would be worse. 

 

"This is Jeon Sunggi, my ex boyfriend," her mother introduced, wobbling and having the man take care of her balance so she doesn't fall.

 

"I thought this was a no boyzone?" Ji Hye rudely said, even though she knew the man was listening.

The rule was extremely strict and although Ji Hye had broken it before herself, her mother was the creator of the rule in the first place. She warned Ji Hye to not bring Kenta home today and ended up bringing a stranger home herself.

And this was new, since her mother had never brought home a man before.

 

She would usually drink home and get drunk solely in front of her daughter, but being drunk and held by a man? 

Her mother was independent, and would never allow a man to define her importance - hence this sight sure was surprising.

 

"Ji Hye, behave!" her mother said, being all childish again while the man just smiled despite the comment. Her mother was trying to yell but of course, under the possible conditions didn't sound any close to a strict mother. At this stage, Ji Hye was sure her mother was drunk.

 

"Whatever, I'm going to bed," Ji Hye said, all annoyed.

She was way too tired to argue with her drunk mother and expected the man would leave in a while. Ji Hye had a bunch of questions in her mind, as to why her mother arrived this late, who this man even was, and why in the world was she this horribly drunk. Perfect example to set for a 16 year old, right?

 

But Ji Hye was more irritated to how unresponsive and not helpful her mother would be to any of her questions in this condition, and hence stormed upstairs into her room without any further word with her mother. 

Being a naive 16 year old, she didn't know what else her mother and the man could possibly do. But the pair had a different plan in mind and walked over the bedroom hand-in-hand.

 

*

 

Hello! This was the first chapter. I'll be sure to make it longer and more descriptive from now on. I hope you guys liked it. Be sure to leave comments so we can interact!

Love you all subscribers!