The universe and my subconscious may be conspiring against me. I’m in the den playing Fonetik with my mom. So far in tonight’s game I’ve gotten tiles to play OWTSYD, FRIDUM, and SEEKRITS. That last one nets got me a bonus for using all seven letters.

Aha, finally spending time with mom.

Mom frowns down at the board and I think she’s going to challenge my word, but she doesn’t. She tallies the score and for the first time ever, I’m actually winning. I’m ahead of her by seven points.

I look down at the score and then back at her.

“Are you sure you did that right?” I ask while smirking. I don’t wanna beat mom on top of everything else.

I tally the score to find that she’s right.

Her eyes are on my face, but I keep staring at the scorecard. She’s been like this all night, being watchful, as if I’m a puzzle that have to working on. Or maybe I'm a paranoid.

Or maybe it’s the guilt I feel for being so selfish, for wanting to be with Chaeyoung even now. Every moment I spend with her I learn something new. I'd became someone new. I feel like my soul had awaken, just by mentioning "Chaeyoung".

She takes the scorecard from my hands and lifts my chin so that I got to meet her eyes. “What’s going on, honey?”

I’m about to lie to her when there’s a sudden high scream from outside. Another scream follows and then indistinct yelling and a loud slam. We both spin our head immediately toward the window.

I start to rise my body up, but my mom presses down on my shoulder, shakes her head, signing that I dont need to interfere with people's business. I let her hold me in place, but another scream of “STOP” has both of us running to the window. I'm starting to feel uneasy. 

Is it Chaeyoung? Does something bad happening? Oh no! I can't let her be. 

Through the window, I can see the three of them—Chaeyoung, her mom, and her dad are on the porch. Their bodies form a triangle of misery, fear, and anger. Chaeyoung’s in fighter stance, fists clenched, feet planted wide and firm.

Even from here I can see veins bulging to the surface of her arms, her face. Her mom takes a step toward Chaeyoung, but she says something to her mom that makes her mom looks retreat.

Chaeyoung and her dad face off. Her dad is holding a bottle of drink on his right hand. He doesn’t take his eyes off Chaeyoung as he lifts and finishes it with deep gulps.

He's holding the empty glass out for Chaeyoung’s mom to take. She starts to move, but, again, Chaeyoung says something to stop her. Her dad turns to look at her mom then, his hand still rigidly holding the glass. For a moment I think that maybe she won’t go to him.

But her mom defiance doesn’t last. She takes a step toward him. He grabs at her, all anger and menace. But Chaeyoung’s suddenly right there in between them, protecting her mom. She swats her dad’s arm away and pushes her mom off to the side. I heard she shouts, "Are you crazy dad?!"

"Stay away Chaeyoung!" her dad says and even angrier now, her dad lunges again. Chaeyoung shoves her backward. She got bangs onto the wall, but doesn’t fall.

Chaeyoung begins dancing lightly on her feet, shaking out her arms and wrists like a boxer preparing for a bout. She’s trying to draw her dad’s attention away from her mom. It's working. Her dad lunges at her fist first. Chaeyoung dodges right and then left.

She hops backward down the porch steps just as her dad swings again. Her dad misses, and momentum sends her tripping down the steps. She lands in a sprawl on the concrete driveway and doesn’t move.

Chaeyoung grows still. Her mom clasp both hands over , very shocked. I can't stand watching this scene. That old man is crazy. I wanna move and do something, but my mom wraps an arm around my shoulder. I press my forehead to the glass and grip the windowsill. All of our eyes are on her dad. The moment stretches out. Every second he doesn’t move is a terrible relief.

Her mom is the first to break. She hurries down the steps, crouches down next to him, runs her hand down his back. Cheyoung gestures for her to get away, but she ignores her.

She leans in closer just as her dad flips over onto her back. Her dad snatches her mom wrist in his big, cruel hands. Face triumphant, he hoists her hand up in air like it’s a trophy that he’s won. He pulls himself to standing and drags her up with him. Her mom is fighting with s