~Donghae~

Acting class was a struggle without Hyukjae. Since he was gone, I had no idea how I was going to work on the script during class. Mr. Young gave us class time to practice and edit. I felt awkward since Hyukjae and I were the only ones who haven’t even started, but I was the only one there to suffer the embarrassment.

The way Hyukjae looked this morning really shocked me. He looked ill, weak. I didn’t notice at first because it angle from where I saw it misled me, but when I turned him around he didn’t respond to anything. He reminded me of a lifeless puppet. Sitting on the ground, head hung low, no expression. I should probably visit him to see if he’s alright, since I’m his partner I had that responsibility after all.

“Hey Donghae, where’s Hyukjae?” Sungmin came and asked me as I doodled on a scratch piece of paper to kill time.

“He got taken to the hospital.” I said.

“What? Are you serious?” He exclaimed.

“Yeah, you didn’t hear?”

Siwon and Kibum, who were working nearby, joined the conversation. “I saw it.” Siwon mentioned. “The ambulance came and carried him out. He was as pale as a ghost. I heard some people say he might have died.”

“Siwon!” Yoona cried as she overheard. “Don’t say that!”

“Calm down. It’s just a rumor. He’s most likely still alive.” Siwon reassured her. “I hope.”

“Siwon, not funny!” Yoona pouted.

“That would be pretty bad for his dad’s company wouldn’t it? If he died, I mean.” Kibum said.

“It’s already pretty bad. I bet the media is going to be writing a lot of articles on this incident.” Sungmin gaze dropping expressing pity for Hyukjae.

“That’s what happens when you’re famous. A single wrong step you do, the media will find out and make it as twisted as they possibly can for attention. It’s messed up, but only the toughest will survive in this industry.” Yoona spoke softly, lifting one corner of and sighing.

“So true…” We all agree.

“Forget the media.” I blurted out. “I just hope he’s alright.”

When I opened the door to my house, I found several unfamiliar pairs of shoes inside, on the floor. Several voices came from the living room. It made me skeptical to walk in any further and risk being seen. I wasn’t very fond of guests coming over, especially when they’re guests my parents invited. Majority of the time, they all just annoyed me. But there were a few I liked. Before I could bolt out the door, my mom caught sight of me.

“Oh, Donghae!” My mom called out. She came all the way to the door entrance to greet me, something she would never do. “Welcome home, Sweetie.” I nearly tripped over my own foot. ‘Sweetie’ A revolting thing she’d never call me. “We have guests over. I would like you to meet them.” Her smile was obviously forced and her stare was too wide. She looked so unnatural. I could tell she was up to something.

“Where’s Jason?” I asked.

“At a friend’s house, now come.” She ushered me.

She pulled me into the living room and I set my backpack down as fast as I could before she manually made me sit down on the couch. I looked around to see if my father was also home, he wasn’t. I let out a breath to calm myself.

My mom first started with the introductions. “This is my eldest son, Donghae. Donghae, I would like you to meet Mrs. Kim. She’s one of my coworkers and these are her two gracious children, Nina and Kibum.”

“Hello, my name is Nina, nice to meet you.” Nina bowed.

“I’m Kibum, but I prefer to be called Key.” Key bowed.

Nina looked like a well behaved child who never fought once with an authoritative figure. She sat with a nice posture and her hands were elegantly folded on her lap. Key on the other hand looked uninterested in being here. His hair was dyed with some red streaks and his clothes had a punk-rock look to it.

“Nice to meet you, Nina, Key, I’m Donghae. I’m currently a student at SM Academy.”

My mom gave me an irritated look. She didn’t like the mention of my school and I didn’t care. She couldn’t do anything to me. Not when there are people to witness her behavior. I smiled at my advantage.

“No way! SM? I heard you have to audition for that school! That’s awesome!” Key suddenly sat up, exclaiming gleefully.

I’ve got him.

“Yeah, auditions are pretty nerve wrecking, but it’s a great school.” I said.

My mom cleared to interrupt. “Yes, my son goes to SM. But moving on – Nina is a senior and Kibum is a sophomore and they’re both high school students from Seoul Academy. I invited them to come here today to tell you about what it’s like to be a student there and the many benefits it can bring.”

“It’s Key.” Key corrected her.

“Kibum, that’s rude.” His mom scolded him. Mrs. Kim looked back at my mom and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, he likes to be called Key for some reason, but his name is Kibum. It’s okay to call him that, don’t mind him.”  

I looked at our guests, amused. Of course this was another one of my mom’s plans, but I wasn’t surprised. I could already tell it was not going to work. No matter how much she was going to try, she was never going to receive my cooperation. Did I ever mention that to become a student at Seoul Academy, you have to take multiple tests to see if you’re qualified to get in? Yeah, never going to happen.

 “Seoul Academy? How nice.” I muttered.

My mom nudged me to watch my tone. I looked over at her and raised an eyebrow at her stiff smile and nails digging to her hands on her lap. It was like a photographer taking too long to take a picture and she was trying so hard to keep the same pose for the cameraman.

“Seoul Academy is one of the best schools in this country and it’s very efficient with its unique education system. The teachers all have at least a master’s degree and they all care very much about each student’s individual progress. The Academy is small, so students get more attention. If you ever struggle in any subject, there are instructors all around campus that can help. We’re sponsored by many organizations and many of the students have actually received the opportunity to become interns for technology companies and business companies. The school really prepares you for a bright and stable future. Trust me.” Nina stated. It was like she was giving a persuasive speech. Her voice just flowed and I can tell she must be one of the top students there that didn’t find all the work bothersome. She’d probably be the perfect daughter for my parents. Her mom seemed proud – My mom, envious.

“Yeah, and it has a heavy work load too, homework every day and tests every week. It .” Key added.

“Kibum.” Mrs. Kim warned.

“It’s Key.” Key retorted.

 “Why do you want people to call you Key?” I asked, changing the subject. My mom wasn’t pleased with my question. Her eyes shot like daggers at me and I flashed a mutinous grin.

“The name Kibum is just so common.” Key explained. “I want Key to be my stage name when I get famous. I want to be a singer, but singing lessons cost too much.”

I saw my chance come.

“Oh, well you should definitely try out for SM Academy, all you have to do is audition and get in. You’ll get all the lessons and classes you need for free. The school is meant to focus on fine arts and talents, and if you work hard enough, you might even get scouted while you’re there. I know a few students who have already been discovered by talent agents, it’s pretty amazing. Plus, SM associates with some famous companies you might already know, like Sapphire Entertainment, sound familiar?”  

“Sapphire Entertainment!?!? That’s incredible! Omma, can I audition? Pleeeeease!” Key begged. His mom looked startled and unsure.

“But Kibum, are you sure you want to be a singer?”

“Yes, it’s all I ever wanted. The lessons will be free and you won’t have to spend any money at all. Pleeeeeease.”

“They have academic classes as well.” I added, in hopes to bring his chances even higher.

Mrs. Kim still looked dubious. Especially since my mother was there.

“Pleeeeeeease, Omma. Pleeeeease. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.”

She sighed, weak to Key’s aegyo. “Is SM still open for auditions?”

I felt the corners of my mouth rise. “It’s still the first quarter of school, I’m sure there’s still a chance for him to get an audition. If not, I can recommend him to the school and we can get him an audition from there.”

Mrs. Kim pressed her lips together, looking at her son. Key expanded his eyes, giving the effect of a puppy look. Nina just sat there, awkwardly looking at her younger brother.

“I think Kibum can pass the audition. He sings really well.” Nina encouraged. I shot her a big smile. “Well, I guess we can look into the school and see if there are any audition slips left.” Their mother said.

“Yaaaaaaaaay!” Key cheered. He was bouncing up and down on the couch cushion and gave his mother hugs and kisses. Nina laughed, cheering alongside with her brother. I watched the loving moment, feeling somewhat content with my persuasion.

They soon left and I waved goodbye to all of them. I gave Key a wink and some advice. He thanked me and even gave me a hug.

As I closed the door, what happened next was unexpected.

My mother, with almost all her strength, swung her arm and slapped me across the face. I staggered, caught off guard. It made a loud sound that resonated in my ears. Her face was red, and she was furious.

I stood there, stunned by the impact. My left cheek stung, bad. I was wide eyed. Never had she slapped me before, let alone put a finger on me. I felt anger boil up in my stomach, but it took a very rational mind to not swing back at her.

We stood there in silence. She said, “How dare you embarrass me like that.” Her tone was sharp and angry. She spoke through clenched jaws.

“Embarrassed?” I laughed bitterly. “You’re embarrassed about your son talking about his own school.”

She slapped me again, harder this time. “Don’t you dare talk back to me! I am your mother!! Why can’t you just understand that you’ll never succeed?! Not unless you change schools and rethink your whole future! You’ll never be an actor, they’ll never want you!! I did not give birth to you so that you can just be on TV!!”

Those words broke down my rationality and pushed forward my rage. There was no use in being reasonable when she had the guts to hit me twice. I was beyond angry now, I was pissed. What happened to the mom I used to know when I was a kid? My body was trembling in anger. I wanted to punch something, most preferably her face, but I couldn’t do it. I feared the consequences more. Regardless, she was still my mother and I wouldn’t put myself at the same low level as her. But I needed to let my anger out some way.

I slipped on my shoes and opened the door.

“Where are you going!? Come back here! I’m talking to you!!”

I didn’t look back. I slammed the door shut, receiving the satisfaction of violence. Jason and my dad were yet to find out about this. I could already imagine their faces. Although, it stung to think about it. All I had now was the dark, cold night by my side.

I actually started to get angry when I was typing this chapter xD The mom just makes me so mad.

What will Donghae do next?

Thank you~