“You look like you saw a ghost.” Soojin was welcomed with the foursome ahjussis who like to torture and to death. Well, that was exaggerating but you get what she meant. The four of them were situated around the gutted can, engaging in a pleasant conversation.

Soojin greeted them with a small smile, looking uninterested to what they’re going to say. She felt horrible yet relieved. Horrible because she seemed to be a magnet for trouble, or like her father says. Relieved because at least the owner of the sports car she had caused havoc on returns in two weeks, giving her more time to work on it.

But how was she supposed to know that the man she had bumped heads with was the President Kris? How was she supposed to know that President Kris owns the car she had collided into? No one gave her a warning. Or maybe they did but she was just too blind to notice. Was it the reason why people were gathering to watch that poor woman and President Kris a while ago?

And just what kind of person is President Kris? He seems to be really conceited. Considering that he got angry because of the coffee stain on his shirt, doesn’t he seem to be… perhaps, vain? Soojin can’t explain what she thinks of him. But she can think of one word that describes him as a whole: conceited.

“Oh no,” Yoochun muttered, scrutinizing her face. Wiping his hands on his Dickies coveralls, he cupped her face in his hands. He pinched his eyebrows. “You’ve done something wrong, haven’t you? Did you… mark the car?”

She nodded. Lying was of no use, anyway. “It’s not that obvious,” she explained. “Besides, I’ve made a deal with the man involved. He said he was going to fix it for me and will be done in no time in exchange that I should work under him, of course. But I bet it’ll be easy. I can survive any jobs thrown at me.”

Youngwoon shakes his head, chuckling in hilarity. “You can never stay out of trouble, can’t you?” he says, patting her head. “That’s okay. But how are you going to explain it to your father? You do know the owner of that car is someone rich, right? He’s a very important customer to your father. Apparently, he’s one of those customers who pay your father big time.”

Soojin smiled grimly. “The owner won’t know.”

Jungsoo pushed Youngwoon away from her. Placing his hands on her shoulder, he pushed Soojin slightly and made her sit down with them. “You look tired,” he said, it was more like a statement than a question. “What have you gotten yourself into, Soojin?”

Soojin waved vaguely with a hand. “It’s not anything bad,” she clarified, pointing Jungsoo a look. “Trust me, ahjussi. I’m pretty sure I know what I got myself into. And I just look really tired today, I promise.” She looks around. “Where is appa, by the way?”

Jongwoon snorted, shaking his head in wonder. “He’s with your stepmother,” he answered, massaging his right hand. “I don’t even know what your father sees in her. She’s all talk and talk. She doesn’t even help your father in managing the shop. She spends all day in the parlor and she even treats you like her personal maid. If I were your father, I would throw her away.”

Soojin chuckled weakly, hugging her knees. “I guess my father is in love with her,” she murmurs. “If he doesn’t love her, he wouldn’t have stayed with her. At least appa has me. He can always depend on me in managing the car shop. And he has you guys, too.”

Yoochun grinned. “Soojin, you’re always the emotional one.”

Soojin scowled. “I’m not emotional!”

The four men laughed, patting her shoulder and teasing her. It has always been like this when Soojin’s around. She hated them teasing her a lot but she could never get mad. She can never get mad at these four men who mean a lot to her. They were her friends, her confidantes when Soojin was alone. They make her happy.

Usually, when her father isn’t around, they take care of her. Even if not one of them has a single clue about tampons and heels, or any objects that are eloquently related to girls’ paraphernalia, they were still capable enough to take care of her. They taught her a lot of things she needed to learn, things that helped her to survive the cruel world.

She pushed herself up, shooting them a lazy smile. “I’ll see you guys later,” she says, excusing herself from them. “I need to find my father before he makes crazy decisions without me.”

Although Soojin declares of Yunho being the perfect father, there were those times when he’s just perfectly imprudent. She was fifteen years old when her father remarried. The story of how they met was even more cliché, making Soojin recoil in disgust every time Hyojin retells the chronicle to her two daughters again and again.

Yunho has had the car shop since he was a kid. It was basically the inheritance he had received from his father before he passed away. Yunho’s love for cars was unwavering. For his entire life, he had worked on different cars every single day. Hyojin, on the other hand, was a loyal customer to his shop, too.

Guess people could just predict what happens next. Few years after Soojin’s mother died, Hyojin took over the role of being a potential mother figure and significant other. Soojin wasn’t ready for it. Even if she had wished for a mother figure, she still wanted it to be her real mother. The one who passed away. If she could have anything she want, she would want her mother back.

Hyojin never stopped pursuing Yunho, no matter how much Soojin hated her.

Well, she didn’t really hate her. She just harbors repulsive feelings for Hyojin. Maybe because Hyojin wakes her up early in the morning just to make her cook them breakfast. Or maybe when Hyojin acts differently when Yunho is around or when he’s not around. Hyojin is actually more benevolent to Soojin when Yunho is around, cooking her food and repeating the words take care.

Every time Yunho goes to work, Hyojin alters into a different person.

And then her two kids? They just spell trouble, except for Hyuna, who appears to be nicer than Soojin had expected.

“Appa,” Soojin called out. When she reached the house—which was just a few blocks from the car shop—she immediately had that feeling of disparity. She always gets that. When she sees her father with the new family, she suddenly felt like an outsider. She gets the feeling of being alone, witnessing her father’s newfound happiness with them.

Hyojin turned sideways, the smile melting into a sour look when she spotted Soojin by the door. “Oh, welcome home, Soojin,” she says with hostility. But of course, Yunho never seems to notice it.

“Soojin!” Yunho cheered, turning briefly. “Come quick! It’s good that you made it just in time for dinner. I’m cooking my Yunho Special.”

“Yunho Special?” she echoed rather sharply, skidding into a halt. What the heck was Yunho Special? “Whatever happened to Yunho Surprise?” The Yunho Surprise was Soojin’s favorite ever since she was a kid. Yunho Surprise had that cooked beef with different toppings, plus the uncooked egg, over plain rice. Apparently, she wasn’t informed about the new one.

Yunho cleared his throat uneasily. “Well… that is…” he trailed off. He never finished his sentence then.

Hyuna runs up to her, plastering that full-metallic grin on her face. “Unnie, Yunho Special is the best dish I have ever tasted!” she exclaimed, grabbing Soojin’s hands. “Have you tried it? Wait—never mind! You won’t regret it. Appa makes the best dishes ever. He even named it for us. Come, come!” She tugged on her hand, pulling her towards the kitchen.

No thanks, she wanted to say. Casting her father a long look, she wished he would turn around and read what’s on her mind. She hoped her father would know what she was feeling right now, betrayed and upset. She felt betrayed, like her father had given up on her and had transformed to a different person with a different family.

It was like she wasn’t part of the family anymore.

Even if she wanted to say and find out what Yunho Special was, she couldn’t. She’ll just cry and create trouble if she stayed any longer in this place. Hyuna seems really nice and Soojin didn’t want to offend her, telling her to let go of her hand. Hyojung, Hyuna’s older sister, darted Soojin a dirty look, like she was telling her to go away and leave them be.

How can her father not notice how she feels? How can he be so blind about her misery about Yunho’s new family? How can he be so dense to even detect her daughter’s feelings? Yunho wasn’t like that before.

“Make yourself useful and set the table,” Hyojin commanded in a bossy tone, shoving the plates on Soojin’s chest.

Hyuna chuckled awkwardly. “Unnie, I’ll do that—”

“Leave her be, Hyuna,” Hyojung interrupted, grabbing Hyuna’s hand and slightly pushing her to the side. “She’s been so languid all day. The least thing she can do is to set the freaking table and make herself a little useful in our family if she wants to eat.”

It’s myfamily, dimwit, Soojin thought, shooting Hyojung a dark look. It was never yours. He’s my father and he’s mine. He was never yours. And make herself useful? Since when was she ever so inept in this house? She always does everything. From cleaning the bathroom to cooking meals for them, she’s done everything.

Even if it was against her will, she can’t say no. There’s that evocative look on her father’s face when she attempts to decline Hyojin’s endless demands. It’s like he’s saying, “Just do it. She’s your mother now. You have to obey.” And Soojin can never say no.

“I’m not hungry,” Soojin blurted out dimly. That got Yunho’s attention. Turning around, he gave her a quizzical look. That look when he wants to know what was wrong. She threw Hyuna a sad smile, carefully handing her the plates. “I lost my appetite. I’ll just… head to bed first. Good night.”

She was mad. She felt betrayed. She felt… so lost. She’s beginning to think if she really belongs to this family, to her father. Because somehow everything seems to be at the wrong place.

That night, she burst into tears, comforting herself with lies.

At least it makes her feel a little bit better. Just a little bit.

♣ rackcity —

okay, so like this chapter is kinda boring.

admit it, you guys thought the same.

but i just wanted to show you guyswhat her life is like.

it's similar to Cinderella, riiiiight? Ohohoh xoxo