Haesoo just wanted to be foolish. She knew there was no way she could avoid school. Already her morning had been a terrible one because of her father and brothers. School was just going to make it worse, especially whens she had no clue what to expect after that intense first day.

That morning, when she walked down the stairs and arrived at the dining table, everyone was sitting and ignoring each other’s presence. Normally, Haesoo might’ve found that good and comfortable, and she would’ve probably treasured the silence greatly. However, she was waiting for her father to talk to Jeongguk, maybe force him to apologise.

But he didn’t.

He didn’t even glance at him.

He didn’t even glance at Haesoo.

He didn’t even ask her if she was okay.

It’s like the matter they had argued about the night before was for nothing.

Everything was forgotten.

If Haesoo hadn't accidentally listened in, she wouldn't have gotten even that slightest bit of justice.

Upset, Haesoo took her sandwich and bag and went out to the porch with her shoes, not interested in being in the presence of her brothers. She sat on the wooden swing and rested her back, enjoying her sandwich.

As the music in her earplugs started to calm her, working together with the wind, she closed her eyes and hummed along. Once she was done with her sandwich, she stared at her hand that laid limply on her lap. Maybe it was just the emotional turmoil she has been in, but even her hand looked tired. Her eyes travelled to her father’s car that was parked in front of the house. She stared at it, recalling her thoughts the first time she was here, how the ride had been a painfully silent one, with Haesoo mostly brooding over how she hadn't expected the reunion with her father to be so... cold.

She recalled how she told herself she was going to try no matter what; how she promised herself that there was no room for giving up. She knew then that it was going to be tough, but this level of difficulty was simply unexpected. It was just cruel.

She never thought of herself as one who made empty promises. But she had a reason, right? Wanting to give up, it seemed normal for someone who got bullied at school. She wanted so badly to tell her father to transfer her to another school but with the case closed like that, she knew that was almost impossible.

She felt like there was no more hope. She didn’t have a single idea how she should fix her problem. She didn’t know how she would face her schoolmates for the next one and a half years.

As if there was someone calling, she looked up the balcony where her only friend in the house was. She still didn’t know his name since her step-mother had never officially introduced the siblings to each other. She probably assumed they would do that on their own. She didn’t know enough to know that her children had no intention of doing so at all. What kind of family was this, really?

She looked back down at her shoes and then back up to the balcony, and it was like she saw so much hope. The male was standing right there staring at her with hopeful eyes as if telling her to go and do wh