“New Message from: Junhong”

From: Junhong

Noona, I miss you. I’m free tomorrow afternoon. Do you still want me to pick you up from school? : )

To: Junhong

Of course, it’s been too long. ^.^

I couldn’t help but smile as I walked up the stairs to my apartment. It’s been 3 months since Junhong left for more promotions and we had only talked through text messages. Finally tomorrow he was coming back into town, even if it was only for one afternoon. His practice schedule continued tomorrow and he would have to go back and stay at the dorms with his hyungs from B.A.P. I didn’t know what time it was. As usual I stayed late afterschool with my friends to run practice routines for our showcase next week. My mom has been really nagging at me to focus more on school and less on dance but I had no idea what was going to happen when I walked through the door.

“Hey Mom!” I said cheerfully as I closed the door behind me and started to hang up my jacket. My mother came out of the kitchen and I could almost see the steam coming out of her ears.

“I thought I told you to come home directly afterschool!” She yelled waving her spoon around her head like a wild woman. “I’m sick of you coming home late! You waste all of your time on this stupid dance thing when you should be studying. I’m confiscating your phone until you come to your senses. Hand it over.” With my head hanging I handed over my phone. “You better get straight home afterschool as well tomorrow!” She yelled before pointing at the door to my room. Obediently I grabbed my bag and walked into my room.I pulled out my homework and quickly got started but soon found myself distracted.

What was I going to tell Junhong, especially because I had no way of contacting him now? I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow after school to tell him I can’t hang out with him. I sighed and flipped the page in my textbook. Suddenly there was a knock at my door. “Come in.” I said sitting up straight on my bed.

My dad walked in looking very stressed and holding a small bowl of kimchi jiigae. He handed me the bowl and sat beside me on my bed. “I’m sorry about your mother, but it would probably be best if you came home directly after school tomorrow; for all of our sanity.” I nodded at him with a mouthful of stew. He patted me on the back before he left me alone to eat. Sitting on my bed eating my stew I felt defeated. All the stress from the last few weeks was finally bubbling over. I couldn’t really blame my mom because she overreacted. I could probably be doing better in school right now, but with this showcase coming up all I can think about is dancing.

Also the place where she and my dad works is having financial troubles so she just has stress coming from every direction. Whenever I asked about our money situation my mom would tell me that it was none of my business, but sometimes I could overhear things from my parent’s room as they talked about their troubles late into the night. By the time I finished my stew and my homework it was already 10pm. I didn’t have much else to do so I decided that I would go to bed early for the first time in a long time. As I climbed under the covers of my bed I realised that this was the first time in weeks where I went to bed without texting Junhong goodnight. I hoped he didn’t think I was upset with him or something.

Edited: 20130312