"...I got in! I got in! Omma!! Oppa!! I got in!!" I raced through the  
house, desperate to find someone to tell. I bumped into my mother  
first, who hadn't been really listening.

"Aisht, careful! I'm cutting here." she laughed as I panted and shook with excitement. "Now, what's going on?"

Without a word, I held up my acceptance letter and grinned from ear to ear. She nearly dropped her knife, her jaw hanging open, eyes wide, lips curving into a large smile.

"Yah, why did you run out of the room so fast? You woke me up. What's going on?"

My mother and I both turned to face him, her expression still the same. I saw the dry curiosity in his tired eyes as he looked at me expectantly. I slowly broke out in another large grin and waved the letter in the air triumphantly. His once narrowed, sleepy eyes grew in realization. Immediately, he let out a laugh of joy, one that I had to join in on as he advanced on me with his arms spread. Upon contact, he brought me into a happy hug, twirling me around. I kicked my feet up and laughed even more. My mother clasped her hands together with bliss, laughing along with us.

"You did it, Ssantoki!" he cried, letting me down. He held his hand up and grinned crookedly. I met his palm with my own for a high five.

Two hands belonging to none other than my mother rested on my shoulders. "I knew you could, I had every bit of confidence in you." she smiled warmly and kissed my forhead.

Slow, distance applause echoes from the hall. The three of us turn to see who it is. Our faces drop and my stomach churns as I reflexively hide the letter behind my back.

"Congradulations."

"T... Thank you, Appa." I bowed forcing a straight face.

He scowled at me and I flinched when he snatched the paper from my hands, skimming it over. I twiddled my fingers behind my back and looked down, scared of what would come next. I could feel Oppa & Omma's gazes switching from me to Appa's. My knees began to feel weak.

He brought the paper down to his waist. "It's a shame. It probably won't hurt as much if you would've listened to me in the first place..." his voice trailed off. Lifting my chin slightly,my eyes went wide at his devious smirk and he pushed some hair behind my ears. I flinched when his hand rose, only earning a small chuckle as he ripped the letter in two before me. I gasped involuntarily.

"No!"

I covered my mouth quickly with both of my hands, almost scolding myself if my father did not look past me at someone else. Praying silently and I just threw my voice, to my dismay I turned to see Jiyong fuming with anger. He began to advance to Appa. I quickly stepped between them and pushed him back with of my strength.

"Don't... Ugh... Do this...!" I begged hrough my teeth between my breathless

efforts, trying to pin his hands at his sides as he tried to pull my hands off of him. A quiet growl errupted from his throat before he calmed down.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Now, Jiyong, that's no way to treat your elders. I may not be your father, but you do have to treat me as one."

Jiyong stopped struggling. Instead, his hands formed firsts at his sides and his teeth ground against each other. He was never good at surpressing his emotions, especially anger. I was angry as well, of course, but far too scared of the consequences to go against my father's will. We watched as he his heel and exited the kitchen. I sighed quietly, relieved.

The reaction wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I expected violence and maybe even possibly banishment. As I said, I was relieved, but also confused with how everything had happened.

"Come, Yeobo." He called, looking over his shoulder to wave her over. My mother glanced towards us with worried, apologetic eyes as the went to follow after him. My eyes widened with fear, realizing where all of the hurt would go.

"Omma..." I whined reaching out to grab her hand. Our fingertips skimmed and I swallowed a sob as tear began to cloud my vision. "...O- omma, I'm sorry!" I whispered as she helplessly walked by my father's side.

I felt two arms wrap around me from my side. Shaking with silent sobs, I quickly turned to meet their chest and cry against them. My whines were muffled against their chest. Upon inhaling their scent, I received immediate confirmation on just who it was holding me, although I already had the idea.

I s my hands under his, clutching at his back, balling the shirt up in my shaking fists. One of his hands gently ran through my hair while the other rubbed at my back, tracing small patterns with his fingers and comforting me. He began to hum a tune too familiar to me, a song he and I would always sing together, and kissed my head before he tucked it under his chin. We rocked back and forth, weight shifting slightly from one foot to the other while I cried and soaked his shirt with my tears.

After a few minutes I began to calm down. Gently pulling my head from under his and looking up, I met his comforting chocolate eyes as they squinted with his crooken smile. I returned it with one of my own grins. He always knew how to make me smile, how to make eveything better.

"We'll get you to Princeton, okay? I promise. I want you to go. I'll miss you, with all of my heart I'll miss you, but you worked so hard at this. If he cuts us off we'll find jobs and I'll work double shifts just to help build up your tuition." Jiyong's eyes were so soft yet so determined, a small smile still lingering on his lips.

"It's... It's okay, Oppa. Knowing I got in... Well, it's enough for me, I guess. He won't allow it, and I've let him down one too many times as it is. Who would take care of Omma? Besides, I get to stay with you and Tabi-oppa." I smiled hopefully, trying to think up anymore pro's to add to the list. It was so hard, it hurt.

I could tell he saw right through me, but only nodded and sighed. I smiled at his selflessness and brought my forhead to his chest, embracing him once more.

"Thanks, Ji."

"Anytime. I'm always here if you need a shoulder to cry on." ---

Jiyong went home after lunch. We had finished up what my mother was preparing beforehand and he said he had some homework to finish. I saw him out and went back to clean up and came to the ripped pieces of my acceptance letter. My lip quivered and I bit on it as I fought back more tears. I couldn't throw them away, so instead I put them in a small sandwich bag and hid them in my room where I had some of my tuition money I hadn't put into my acount just yet. It was in the pocket of my favorite sweater, one previously belonging to Jiyong, given to him by my other friend, Seunghyun who I liked to call Tabi.

I heard a loud crash and my father grunt, making me jump. Curiosity tugged at me, but my better judgement knew that I wouldn't be able to handle it if I saw anything. To be traumatized was the last thing that I needed at that moment. Checking the time I saw that it was dinner time. Not feeling too hungry, I jumped onto my bed and said a little prayer before falling asleep.

I woke up to more constant 'thud's. Rubbing my eyes, I flicked on the light and squinted into it, seeing clumps of dirty hit my window. I pressed my hands to the cold glass and saw Jiyong waving me down. I pulled the window open and grinned at him.

"What are you doing? You're insane!"

He smiled. "It's a surprise. Get dressed and come down!"

I threw on some skinnies, a tank, my Princeton sweatshirt, and Chucks before sneaking out. It was easy, since my parents hadn't come out of their rooms all day. I was kind of worried about them, but the fear of not liking what I would hear or see if were to Check up on them got the best of me.