NARRATOR

Eunji groggily sat up, her brows arched over her droopy eyes.

“What are you doing here, Kim Jongin?” She almost seethed at the man bouncing up and down on her mattress. Kai grinned from ear to ear and landed beside her. “It was declared no classes today!!!”

“But… why?” She yawned and stretched her arms.

Kai shrugged. “The faculty is going for some retreat. It’s gonna be a blast!! Myungsoo’s downstairs playing video games with Lay Hyung. Get up, Lay Hyung wants to eat out.”

Eunji frowned. “Why do you guys invade my house so much?”

“Because we love you.” Kai winked and ran to the door. “We’ll be downstairs!” He hollered before closing the door shut. Eunji groaned and fell back on her bed.

Moments later, she walked down the stairs dressed in a comfortable sweater and denim shorts. She yawned again, not really satisfied with her disturbed slumber.

Damn you, Jongin, she thought.

Her brows furrowed when she neared the lounge room’s door. It was quiet. It’s supposed to be noisy if the boys are there, right? It's supposed to be the highest level of noisy. That won't even be an exaggeration.

She gently pushed the door open and immediately pressed her lips together as she went inside. Figures. So this is why.

“Good Morning, Yeye.” She smiled and went to kiss her grandfather’s cheek. He gave her a curt nod and motioned her to sit down. Lay, Kai and Myungsoo were sitting on the couch, game consoles were carelessly left on the floor.

Seems like fun time has to be halted, boys?

“I was just talking to the boys here. You can go now, boys. I need to talk to Jia Li here.”

Eunji squirmed on her seat as the three boys walked out the room. Lay kept on giving her glances she purposely ignored.

“We’ll just be outside.” Lay mouthed when he finally caught her eyes. She nodded and faced Yeye with an uneasy smile. Here it goes, she thought.

“How’s school?” He started.

“It’s fine, Yeye. My grades are so much better now.”

Yeye nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good to hear.”

“Uhm… Yeye? Can I ask you something?” Eunji almost whispered, her voice squeaky as she was unsure herself with that she was saying. Yeye’s eyes softened as he looked at his granddaughter.

All he wanted was her to grow up, because the world she was living at, it was not what she thought it was. She had to learn how to be independent, how to be someone who can withstand the currents of time. 

“Do you want me to be strong?”

Yeye’s lip twitched slightly. She got it, she got his message.

“It’s not that I’m… I.. I just think that maybe…”

“Why do you think so?” Yeye cut her off, his voice firm.

She looked down her lap and began trembling. “I… You can tell me what I need to do, Yeye.”

The elder man stood up from his seat and pressed his lips into a thin line. “I asked you, Yi Jia Li. Why do you think that I want you to be strong?”

“Because I’m weak.” She simply replied, not meeting his eyes. Yeye closed his eyes briefly. It wasn’t right, she should believe in herself more. But she’s being frail, vulnerable. He needs her to be strong. He needs her to be her.

Eunji jolted up from her seat when Yeye’s palm slammed against the table.

“You don’t ever get anything do you?! I did not raise you to be like this!”

The door burst open. Kris and Lay had their eyes wide as their jaw clenched. Myungsoo and Kai were standing behind. Yeye’s outburst shook the whole room.

Kris stepped forward. “Ye—“

“Stay out of this, Yi Fan!”

Eunji stood up, her hands trembling violently. “Y-yeye, I don’t understand..”

“You have everything! Your wants, your needs, I give you everything in a blink of an eye. But still, look at you! Look at how you make yourself a disgrace to our family! Look at how you grew up!”

Confusion spread all over her. She didn’t understand anything. She didn’t know what she did, what made Yeye burst out like this. For sure, she was afraid. Yet, she didn’t know what exactly to do.

“You disappoint me! Why can’t you be the heiress you are? The Yi you are?!”

It wasn’t because she didn’t respect him. He raised her up, loved her. He was her family. But if he looked at her like this, so low, it made her feel something inside her. Something she didn’t want to feel. Her brows furrowed.

“Grow up!” Yeye growled.

Kai looked at Myungsoo uneasily. They were both aware of how Eunji could be the weakest being on earth.

“I…” She whispered, her voice wavering.

Kris was about to run to her side when Myungsoo held his shoulder.

“Don’t.”

Kris threw him a look. Myungsoo firmly shook his head. “Hyung, trust me.”

Eunji looked up and finally met Yeye’s piercing glare.

“Yes, Yeye. You raised me up with everything. I couldn’t ask for anything more. The name, the wants, the luxury— everything! If you want me to do something, I will do it. But never, never look at me like that, please. I don’t want to be someone else, Yeye. I want to be me. If you want me stronger because I’m still a child to you, I’ll prove to you that I can be. I will be strong Yeye, I will grow up.” She clenched her jaw for a moment and exhaled.

“But I will be me. I will be someone. I just need you to trust me, I hope you can.”

With that, she stiffly to her heel and stomped away.

“Mei..” Lay whispered as she stopped by them.

She looked at her cousins through glassy eyes, then met Kai’s eyes.

“Jiji~” He stepped towards her, placing a hand on her back.

She looked away and met Myungsoo’s eyes. “Let’s go.” With that she pulled him out with her, leaving everybody. Leaving her fears behind.

Leaving the weakness that burdened her for a long time.

“Eunji, stop.”

Eunji kept on walking. Myungsoo exhaled and firmly set his feet at the ground. She turned around, irritated. She let go of his hands and faced him.

He didn't even bother to think why he was the one she decided to be with. He knew why, he knew he made his mark. But still he didn't know how she felt.

No one knew for sure. Even her.

Her tears were falling yet her eyes were hard.

“Dammit Myung! Did you see what I did?!” She hissed. He smiled, she just didn’t get it. He stepped closer and bopped her forehead. “Pabo.”

“I know! I answered Yeye! I just talked back! Damn this!” She stomped her foot, muttering incoherent words. He shook her head. “You’re wrong.”

She whipped her head to his direction and scowled. “Wrong? You were there! You saw his face!”

He rolled his eyes and stepped closer. He bent his knees and leveled his face with hers. “Jiji.” He tapped her cheeks once, twice, thrice.

“You’re wrong.”

“What?” She snapped, her brows arched.

“He got what he needed from you.”

She frowned. “You must be—“

“Trust me. He succeeded. You did it.” He whispered and tapped her head as he stood back up. She bit her lip and looked down.

“T-That’s what he wanted?”

Her lips slowly tugged into a smile.

“He wanted you to stand up for yourself.” He finished, his lips now pulled back to a smile too.

“I knew you could, Ji. And as always, I was right.”

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Sorry for the poster... I think there's some kind of problem with the photobucket account of the poster shop.

:) hehehe sorry i can't update as fast as i usually do last month. I need to do so many things. I can't... even.. gah

But I will always do my best. hehe

thank you for your encouragement on my college life. lol