It was a bright and breezy day on an early Wednesday morning, Shin Hee was laid on her futon, it was stiff and weird to sleep on, however, still warm. The windows in front of her were half way opened because of the windy weather. Shin Hee felt the cool air come up to her foot and feeling the chill up to her spine, causing goose bumps.

“S-So cold…” Shin Hee mumbled and got up from her futon,
the calendar was in front of her, in the large sharpie pen circled, it said
‘First day of school’ In such a early morning, her heart raced
uncomfortably, she was rubbing her chest and breathed in her nose
and out of .

“Ugh… I need to brush my teeth…”
Shin Hee said waving the air as she smelled her nasty morning breath,
She pushed the futons away from her and jumped up,

“AH!!!! Good morning~” Shin Hee yelled, running out to the window,

Shin Hee was finally back from America,
After two long years, she’s finally back at her hometown at Seoul,
Everything changed after all these years, a lot of her old neighbors moved
and everything renovated, Seoul felt bigger than before.
Shin Hee rested her head on her arms that were crossed against the window.
Even though it felt like an entirely new place, it still was the home she grew up in.

“Shin Hee! Come down!”
She heard her mom yell.

Her mom barely talked to her after the divorce between her parents.
Usually if she talked to her, it was a complaint.
Like she ran out of vodka or she did the chores wrong.
Especially after coming back to Seoul with no contact with her,
it felt awkward still to be with her.

Shin Hee got up and walked out of her bedroom, running down the stairs loudly.

“Do you have to make so much noise!? Is it that necessary!?”
Her mother lectured as she was sitting on the carpet, next to the coffee table.

“S-Sorry mom.”

Her mom breathed out her cigarette and tapped it on her ashtray.

“No no…. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have yelled. I just wanted to wake you up,
so you won’t be late to school on the first day.”

“Just having a rough morning…”

“Do you want some coffee then?”

“I would like some, thank you.” She nodded.

Shin Hee walked towards the kitchen and grabbed the coffee beans out of the cupboards with a mug too.

“Smoking so early?” Shin Hee asked as she was preparing the coffee in the coffee maker.

“ Ugh… It’s Yoochun again…”

“Boyfriend problems?”

“Yeah, rough fight last night.”

“ Ah… You know, there are other guys.”

Her mom laughed as she nodded,
“Yeah… But I’m not young and pretty like you Shin Hee…
I’m getting any younger, I need to find a man to settle with.
Shame how your father left me like that.
Tsk, don’t blame him for leaving trash.”

Shin Hee loudly closed the coffee maker lid and startled her mom,
“You know, dad never thought of looking at another
woman after divorcing you.” Shin Hee spoke.

Her mother turned around with an expression you wouldn’t understand.
Shin Hee’s mother wasn’t always like this, she used to be you everyday
mom that would cook, clean, and actually cared for her daughter. However, after
constant fights and differences between her and her husband, she then
became a whole new different person.

“Don’t try Shin Hee, your father hates my guts.”
Shin Hee’s mother spoke, as she finished her third smoke.

“That’s what you think…” Shin Hee whispered to herself,
“Mom, I’m going to go and get ready for school,
when the timer rings, coffee is ready.”

“Okay, do you need a ride to or from school?”

“That’s not necessary, school isn’t far away, I still remember the route.”

Shin Hee left the kitchen, and went upstairs
to get ready for her new beginning of her old school, Woolim High School.

________________________________________________________

Shin Hee finished putting on her uniform skirt and looked at her bedroom mirror to see her reflection.

“Wah, the last time I wore the school’s uniform, I was a whole different size.”
Shin Hee smiled as she was looking at herself.

The clock ticked loudly, she looked at the time and gasped,
“I’m going to be late!” Shin Hee yelled,

She grabbed her cell phone out of her charger and her school bag placed on her desk, then running out of her bedroom door panicky.

Her mom was at the front door, waiting for Shin Hee to come down, with the cup of coffee in her hand. Once Shin Hee made it down, the awkward silence entered the house again.

“Going to school now?” Her mother asked,

“Yeah, will I see you after school?”

“I might be gone for two days for work.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Yeah, I left money in your desk drawer before you moved in,
use that if you need it. If you need more, use the credit card.”

“It’s not necessary, Dad gave me a credit card.”

Her mother chuckled, you could smell her cigarette
breath from across the room,

“What’s wrong with my money?”

“No-Nothing, you just did so much, let me move back and bought me a new cell phone… I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Bother? You’re sounding like I’m some stranger to you, You’re my daughter. Isn’t this what a mother should do?”
Her mother asked but sounded weak.

“… I’m going to school, I’ll see you on Saturday I guess.”

“Okay, go, have fun now that you’re a pretty thin face…
But let me tell you something Shin Ha,
just because you have a whole new appearance,
won’t make your life any easier…”

Shin Hee just nodded her head, pretending she understood
and silently put on her shoes.

“You don’t need to be worried mom, I won’t get hurt again.”

Shin Hee finally finished getting her shoes on and was ready to hit out the door.

“I’m going, have a good day mom.”

“Kay… Just remember my words.”

Shin Hee nodded once again and opened the front door, finally able
to leave her home.

Shin Hee never liked coming home, her mom
never acted warm, however nor did she act rude. Somehow,
she never felt like a mother to her anymore, but she deeply still
loved her mom more than anything.

Shin Hee placed her hand on the bar gates and opened the gate door,
“Alright Shin Hee, it’s your first day of school as not Park Shin Hee,
but Lee Shin Min! Let’s have a good day and a whole new beginning!” She smiled and ran out of her front house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good chapter?
It's just about her and her household problems,
this is when she comes back to Seoul with her new look and everything.
Chapter 2? :0