Chapter 10

Yuri and Jessica were sprawled on the couch, watching TV together. Jessica laid on Yuri's lap while Yuri sat up, the older girl's head softly. Yuri gotten a text and she opened the message.

'Dad is home.'

Yuri tensed up reading the message Yoona had sent her. Jessica noticed this and sat up, besides Yuri, "What's wrong?" Jessica asked. Yuri showed Jessica the text, "And..?" Jessica asked. Yuri forgot that Jessica didn't know about Yoona's dad, she mentally face palmed, because now she had to tell one of Yoona's secrets.

"Her father.. beats her." Yuri stated. Jessica widened her eyes, "Let's go get her and bring her here!" Jessica ordered, jumping up from the couch. Yuri let Jessica drag her out the house. "Jessica, do you even know where Yoona lives?" Yuri asked. Jessica stopped walking, "Oh yeah, I forgot. You lead." she said, pushing Yuri forward.

Luckily, it was still daylight out, kids had just gotten out of school. The two girls then began to walk to Yoona's house. "Yuri?" Jessica called out while they walked in silence. "Hmm?" "When... did Yoona start to get beat?" Jessica asked. Yuri sighed, "I think she was only.. about 8, 9, or 10. I'm not sure, she never really told me directly." Yuri stated, shoving her cold hands into her pockets.

Jessica nodded before a random thought went into her head, 'That's around the time dad left us.' Jessica shook her head to get her mind off her dad, Yoona could be getting beat, and Jessica was doing nothing but thinking about her father who might as well be dead to her.

"Here." Yuri said, pointing to a rather large house, the door was wide open. Yuri put her hand on Jessica's shoulder, "Stay out here, her father is quite violent, I don't want you to get hurt." Yuri said, looking into Jessica's eyes. Jessica looked back and saw sincereness in Yuri's eyes, she nodded, "Okay, but if you don't come out with Yoona in 10 minutes, I'm calling the cops." Yuri nodded, "Okay, I'll be quick." she said before running into the house.

Yuri could hear the yelling of Mr. Im from Yoona's bedroom. Yuri ran up the stairs and entered Yoona's bedroom, where Yoona was on the floor, cheek red, probably from a slap she had just recieved by the man standing up beside her. "Yah!" Yuri yelled, turning Mr. Im's attention to her, giving Yoona time to run away.

It became such a usual routine for them. Yuri would gather Mr. Im's attention, then Yoona would run away, and sooner or later, Yuri would run away too. They would leave the drunk Mr. Im, who would pass out and forget about what he had done. "Yuwee?" Mr. Im called out drunkingly, hiccuping slightly. Yuri motioned to Yoona with her eyebrows. Yoona nodded and quickly scrambling out the door.

Mr. Im noticed and he began to run towards Yoona. Yuri stopped him and shoved him hard by the chest, sending him to the ground. "Don't touch her." Yuri threatened. "Yuri, aren't we frwends?" Mr. Im slurred. Yuri ran out the house with Yoona, ignoring Mr. Im. She held Yoona's arm as they left the house.

Jessica quickly ran to Yoona, "Omo! Are you alright?" Jessica asked, cupping Yoona's red cheek. Yoona nodded slowly, "Yea, I'm good." Yuri, who felt an odd feeling in her chest, interrupted the girls 'moment', by clearing , "Let's go back before it gets dark."

"But, my dad.." Yoona started. Yuri stared at Yoona, "He'll pass out eventually." "Eventually?" Yoona asked. "Remember what happened last time when you said he'll pass out 'eventually'?" Yoona asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yuri cringed, remembering how Mr. Im had destroyed the house's interior, throwing chairs and tables all over the place, getting even more drunk than he already was. When he became sober, he beat Yoona so hard, thinking that she had thrown a party.

"I remember." Yuri stated coldly, staring at the ground. "You still want to leave him alone, consious?" Yoona asked. Jessica stared between the two. To her, it looked like Yuri was the protective older sibling of Yoona. "What do you want me to do?" Yuri asked. "Knock him out." Yoona stated like it was obvious.

Yuri sighed, "Yoong, it's not that easy to do." "You've done it before." Jessica widened her eyes upon hearing this, Yuri had knocked someone out before? Yuri noticed the surprised look on Jessica's face, "I was drunk, at a club, long story short, some guy tried to touch my ." Jessica nodded and gestured for the two to continue their little conversation.

Yuri turned back to Yoona, "Come on, Yoong, you can just stay at my house for the time being." Yoona lowered her head, "I feel like a burden." Yuri threw her arm over Yoona's shoulder, "You're not a burden, you're like my little sister." Yuri smiled and gave Yoona's hair a little noogie, messing it up. "Yah!" Yoona yelled, giggling softly as she punched Yuri's shoulder.

Jessica smiled and shook her head at the scene in front of her. Even after Yoona was just beaten by her father, Yuri could still manage to make the younger girl laugh like nothing ever happened. Their moment was interrupted by a male voice. "Hey.. you can't just.." the man began to slump towards the front door, stopping between words to hiccup. Yuri stood up protectively and walked in front of the two girls, "Mr. Im, go back into the house." she ordered.

Mr. Im chuckled, "Wae?" Yuri furrowed her eyebrows when she noticed Mr. Im began to cry, "Mr. Im?" she called out. Yoona creased her forehead, "Dad?" she called. Jessica, who noticed and recognized the old man, had her eyes wide. Mr. Im fell to his knees, and Yuri ran over to help him, "Mr. Im, get up." Yuri struggled with her words, trying to get the grown man onto his feet.

"I'm stupid.." he cried, sounding more sober than ever. "Come on, Mr. Im, you're not stupid. Get up." Yuri said to him, pulling him up. "Yes I am stupid. I left my family, now I'm beating the only family I have. I'm stupid. Stupid!" he yelled and scolded himself, hitting himself with his hand repeatedly. Yuri sighed as she finally got Mr. Im to his feet, "Let's go inside, Mr. Im, you're causing a scene." Yuri said to the man, seeing as people were stopping and staring.

Yuri gestured for Yoona and Jessica to enter. Jessica was still shocked at her realization, but Yoona shoved her shoulder slightly to get her out of her daze, "Let's go." Yoona said to Jessica, who nodded and began to follow Yoona inside the house, making sure to stay behind the younger girl so Mr. Im wouldn't see her.

Why was Yuri being this nice to Mr. Im? She wasn't. She wanted to beat the hell out of him for making Yoona suffer. Yoona was Yuri's little sister, not really, but they were close enough to be sisters, and Yuri felt like she needed to protect Yoona, especially from her father, who isn't even her real father. Mr. Im is only her step father, Yoona's real father had died in the army while Yoona's mother met another man behind his back, that man just so happened to be Mr. Im.

Mr. Im left his real family behind, to be with Yoona's mother. One day, they went out to eat, Mr. Im was being reckless with his driving, he crashed. With Yoona and Yoona's mother in the car. Yoona's mom didn't make it, but he and Yoona did. He blamed Yoona's mother for coming into his life, making him fall in love for a second time. Since he can't vent his anger out on Yoona's mother anymore, he vents out to Yoona, beating her physically.

Mr. Im slumped into the chair and cried, "I'm an idiot. Pabo." he sobbed. Yuri sat down beside Mr. Im and Yoona bit her lip, seeing her step father like this while Jessica stood by awkwardly, not wanting to get closer.

Mr. Im finally looked up, then he noticed the familiar girl who had the same face as his daughter that he had left.

"Jessica?"