“Na…Namjoo?” her grandmother asked, touching her face for confirmation. Irritated, Namjoo turned her face away.

“What are you doing here?! I told you never to come here!” Namjoo scolded. She felt both haunted and horrified by staring into the woman’s brown eyes, felt as if the woman would be able to see her in return. Only that wasn’t the case. Heaving a puff of hair she toned down her voice of steel, “Go home. I’ll clean up.”

“No, no. How can I do that? It’s such a mess here. Go do your homework,” her grandmother refused.

“I said go!” Namjoo couldn’t help but raise her voice again, heaving yet another sigh. She didn’t want to fight with her old grandmother. It made her guilty and angry at the same time and she couldn’t understand the feelings that flowed together simultaneously. “Did they hurt you?”

“I’m ok. They didn’t do anything, but demand for some money.”

“And you gave it to them?!” Namjoo immediately started yelling again. “That was our money for this month!” letting out an aching groan, “This is why I told you not to come to the bakery!” Namjoo stomped her foot, “Do you want me to die! What are we going to eat now? Bread crumbs?!”

Despite her raised voice her grandmother remained utmost calm, apologies swirling inside the depths of her eyes. “I’m sorry, Namjoo. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“Do you think I’m scared of them?!” she screamed, panting even angrier. “Go! Just go stay at home!”

Turning away from the woman Namjoo bent down and started picking up all the bread she’d wrapped up neatly, and walked into the back to place them on an empty table. When she walked back out her grandmother was gone. A cloud of vexed emotions fogged her up. Stormed with regret she turned around to continue organizing the bakery so she could later bake the simple recipes left behind by her parents in preparation for tomorrow’s business.   

When she returned home in the evening her grandmother was just about finished preparing dinner. Having lived here a long time made her capable of locating whatever she needed to her convenience. Namjoo was relieved she didn’t always need to be around to be her aid.

Her parents had bought this home after getting married. It was a full two story mixed use building. The other side of the house had been converted into an office that belonged to an interior decorator. Grandmother told her that her parents had fallen in love with this home at first sight, preferring its location since it was a block away from the bakery. They’d planned to move once enough money had been made and saved, so the whole family would move to an apartment that belonged to only them. Ever since the crash they decided not to, as if staying here would keep memories of her parents alive.

“You’re home?” her grandmother called out when she locked the door after her. Noticing that her backpack wasn’t on the ground she turned to see it sitting on their old couch before making way to the kitchen. The table was set and Namjoo slid into her seat, waited for her grandmother to join her. When the woman did, Namjoo picked up her spoon and dug it into the rice.

“Did you clean everything up?” she asked. Namjoo didn’t reply again. “Namjoo, I’m sorry about earlier. Lets not worry too much about what happened. I still have some money saved up, so you don’t need to worry about going to the bakery after school. Your Vice Principal called me.”

Biting on her tongue Namjoo glanced up through her half-lidded eyes then turned away to her focus on her plate of food.

“Have you been doing your homework? Is everything ok at school? Are there any boys you like?”

All Namjoo did was continue to eat while letting her grandmother’s words go in one ear and out the other. It didn’t matter to her, nothing mattered anymore.

“If you study hard you’ll probably find a better job than working in the bakery in the future. Here in our country, high school is one of the most important years of our lives. Through studying you’ll be able to find out what you like and discover your passion. And through that you’ll be able to achieve things you never thought you would. You might not think so, but getting an education will give you wings. And you’ll find friends who’ll be loyal to you the rest of your life.”

Bull.

After taking a shower Namjoo went up to her room. There was still time to take a look at her homework. All she did was lay her schoolwork on her desk before leaving the lamp on and climbed into bed to sit. Pulling the blanket over her legs, drew her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.

Life was meaningless. She hated life for sticking her in this kind of situation that made her feel like there was no escape. She couldn’t help but feel pinned down by her grandmother’s helplessness. And she was angry for the way things were. That she was just a kid; powerless and voiceless in all aspects. No matter how she screamed no one helped.

The first few times the loansharks attacked them all she had done was cry and cower behind her grandmother. Some dozen times after that when they slowed on payment the loansharks struck down her grandmother, leaving her helpless. Rage struck her more than panic with the fact that her grandmother may have died. Instinct told her they would have done something to her too if she hadn’t lunged at her grandmother’s attacker screaming from the top of her lungs, surprising them with how she pushed him till she pinned him down, tearing his face apart with her hands.

Every time they came after that Namjoo no longer felt fear. She would fight them – anyone – head on; because that was the only way she could live.

~~~

Kai turned from the table where his homework was laid out when his father stumbled in. The man was drunk again. He was a salary worker at a trading company. They should be living somewhere better than this hellhole, but all that money went towards long drinking sessions with his work buddies after work hours until the wee hours of the night. Half the night had passed by and he still couldn’t understand his math homework. The Aunt from next door had stayed so long, claiming she needed to straighten things up around here that he hadn’t been able to do anything.

He rolled his eyes upon seeing his pathetic father. “You’re still up? Why aren’t you in bed?”

Heaving a deep sigh he roughly closed his book and stood from the table, deciding to turn in for the night. With his smelly father in the house he wouldn’t be able to have a second of peace if he started his crazy snoring in his room. If their walls were more soundproof Kai might be able to live a little.

After a step forward he turned around with a burrowed frown, “Did you really have to give a copy of our house key to that Aunt from next door?! Every time I come in she’s always here prowling around! That’s trespassing!”

Walking over he plopped down onto the ground by the table, his eyes dazed. There was a dreary mustache growing over his lips in need of a dire shave. “She’s harmless.”

“Harmless?!” Kai repeated, shocked by how lightly his father took this matter. “You don’t even know if she’s been coming in here to touch our clothes, our things! Are you an idiot?! One look at her and I can see what she’s after!”

His father waved him off, “She’s just worried about us men. It’s a woman’s nature to look after others, especially her neighbors.”

Kai snorted, baffled. “Are you blind?!” Then he said what he never wanted to, “Are you sleeping with her?”  

Glancing at him his father made a noise from deep within his throat, telling his son he wouldn’t accept his attitude. “It’s because I’m worried about you being home alone. You don’t even know how to touch the stove without burning yourself.”

“You’re worried about me?” Kai repeated, even more baffled. Then he snorted in disbelief, “Go write a story the world will believe. If you don’t tell her to stop coming around I’m going to change the locks myself.” Swiveling around he slammed the door to his small bedroom.

~~~

Stopping in front of the school gates Kai tilted his head back to stare at the brick building looming in front of him. It looked like the fortress of shadows. He didn’t know why he was even here. Maybe to get away from home and his creepy neighbor who harassed him or because he had nothing to do at all.

Lugging his backpack with him he entered the stairs and headed toward his classroom. As he sat down he glanced at the empty seat to his left and propped his leg atop it. His classmates began filing in one after another. Then suddenly his eyes met with the rich kid, Sehun’s. He stared back indignantly before making way to his desk at the front. There was something about him Kai didn’t like. He just couldn’t name it.

When he turned back to watch the rest of the students come in he finally spotted Namjoo entering. Without glancing at him she trotted toward her seat and stopped upon seeing his leg on it.

“Move it,” she demanded in a flat tone.

Running his tongue against the inside of his cheek he stared straight ahead to ignore her. Knowing that he was agitating her made him feel better. Suddenly his foot abruptly landed on the ground when Namjoo pulled her seat back. Then kicking his leg aside sat down and pulled her seat in. Kai glared at her from the side before the teacher walked in and annoyingly tapped his ruler against the table up front.

“Settle down kids,” he called out. “It’s time to start now. Now take out your math homework, so we can go over it.”

Kai rolled his eyes and listened to the rest of the students pull out their homework obediently as chattering hushed down. Flipping open his folder he stared down at his math homework where only one question had been answered. From the corner of his eye he noticed Namjoo hadn’t moved, but continued to sit there. It wasn’t surprising to see. That little gob never did her homework. Kai wondered how she still even stayed in school.

“Namjoo, in the back,” the Math teacher called out, “come up and solve the first problem for us.”

Everyone in the classroom turned to stare at her, but she didn’t so as much react – her eyes remaining glued on the window.

“Namjoo,” the teacher called out again.

With narrowed eyes Namjoo finally turn, apparently annoyed and wasn’t afraid to hide it. “What?”

“I said…”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even look at the homework. What are you going to do? Send me out of the classroom?” Namjoo inquired with mock attitude.

The teacher appeared taken aback by her, but Sehun’s hand suddenly shot up. “I’ll do it.” Kai watched the rich kid walk up to the board with sheet in hand and intelligently solve the equation within less than a minute. Glancing down to realize he’d gotten the wrong answer, shut his folder and jammed his hands into his pockets.

~~~

Lunch had been announced and a only a few of the students who brought food to eat or wanted to eat alone stayed behind in class. Sehun was one of them. He never left class because Namjoo didn’t.

Getting up he walked out of class and down to the cafeteria to purchase a carton of milk. When he returned to the classroom she was still in her seat.

“Here,” he placed it on her desk and watched her stare at it before looking up at him.

“I don’t want it.” her voice held defiance. It slightly annoyed him with how she acted so high.

“You didn’t do your homework again?” Sehun asked. “At this rate you’re going to get held back.”

“Why don’t you just go sit in your seat?” Namjoo was bringing their conversation to an end.

Changing his tactic he offered, “If you don’t have time for it, I could make copies of mine for you.”

Abruptly pushing her chair back as she stood Namjoo stared at him with even angrier eyes. “Look here, rich windbag, no one needs your pity. I would rather go to the gates of hell than ask for your help. Why don’t you just focus on your mommy and daddy problems?”

Shooting him another long glare Namjoo stomped out of the room, her words stinging him even more than her rejection of the milk he’d gotten for her. His insides twisted up in dismay. A second later his eyes moved toward the door again, but it wasn’t Namjoo coming back in. It was Kai.

Their eyes met and he slightly paused in his steps before finally walking toward his seat, but he didn’t sit down. They observed each other momentarily before Sehun snatched the milk and turned to walk away. Sitting down, upset by Namjoo’s throw-off, he ripped the carton open and gulped the milk down.

It was five minutes later when some girls ran into the room excitedly. “Awesome!”

“Some woman just came and started attacking Namjoo!” Hearing this forced Sehun to turn around in his seat.

“Kai, I think it’s your mom. I heard her say your name!”

Sehun’s eyes swerved over to the bully.

~~~

Damn Sehun, who was he to think he had every right to nose his way into her freaking business? He was just some rich lame rich kid who everyone in the school wanted to be spoiled by.

Unable to stand the dreary classroom anymore she’d gone outside for some fresh air. Stopping by the front doorsteps she plopped down like usual and stared off toward the school gates. Some woman in dainty flower fashion had just walked in and pulled two school girls aside. They seemed to talk for a bit before the girls led the funny dressed woman her way.

Probably some sorry kid’s pathetic mother coming to bribe the school, Namjoo assumed. She switched her attention toward the large oak tree standing randomly in the yard before they finally neared her.

“This is her?” the woman asked.

“Yes, Kim Namjoo who’s in the third year.” One of the girls nodded. Namjoo glanced up at them confused before a minute later she was being dragged toward the empty field by the arm.

Roughly letting go of her the woman whose hair was clipped back began scolding, “Apologize right now and tell me who your parents are.”

“What?” Namjoo asked, surprised by what was being demanded of her. “And who are you? If you’re a parent of one of the students I think you should go to the office.”

“Look at this girl talk,” the woman muttered then raised her voice, “you…you’re the one who hurt Kai, aren’t you? He came back home with his face all bloody. You’re a girl, how dare you!?”

Namjoo snorted appalled by the woman, “Excuse me, Aunt, but are you his mother?”

“Aunt?!” she repeated offended.

“Aren’t you older than me?” Namjoo questioned. “If you have a problem with why your dear son was injured, you should be talking to him, Ma’am.”

“Why should I when you were the attacker? How is it that your parents raised you?! This prudent wench…” Namjoo let out a shout when the woman pulled her ear. “I ought to teach you a lesson for hurting my Kai.”

“Let go of me, let go!” Namjoo muttered fighting against the woman and angrily shoved her back. Pain rang in her ears and her lobe felt hot from the strong pull. Who the hell was this woman?!

The woman stared back at her with an expression as insulted as ever. “Look at this young girl! How dare you act so violently!?” Namjoo’s eyes widened when the woman lunged at her, grabbing the collar of her shirt. Immediately grasping her hands they pushed and pulled before Namjoo ended up pushing the woman to the ground on accident.

“You!” the woman hissed. Getting to her feet the woman swung her hand out. The echo of the slap resounded throughout the empty field before she grabbed Namjoo’s jacket, “Take me to your parents right now!”

They turned upon hearing footsteps. A bitter gasp escaped through Namjoo’s lips when she spotted Kai, Sehun, and some other classmates.

~~~

Eyes hard on the ground with her heart beating wildly against her chest, all Namjoo could focus on was the heat growing inside her, threatening to erupt. They were back in the Vice Principal’s office, standing this time – her, Kai, and that vicious woman whose identity she was yet to find out.

“What is wrong with your school?!” the woman continued to shout. “How can you tolerate such violence?! Look at his face! What if those marks don’t face and turn into scars?! Is the school going to compensate for it?!”

“I know, I know what you’re worried about,” Principal Uhm tried to calm her down. “We’re doing our best at the moment, Ma’am. We’re working on calling the parents in to have a talk with them.”

“Then do it faster!” the woman screamed. “Ferocious kids like these will never learn unless you expel them!” she her finger toward Namjoo. “What the school needs to do is get rid of students like these!”

“I understand what you’re talking about Ma’am, but this is not something to expel a student over,” Principal Uhm once again tried. “But if you’re not his mother, I think this incident went overboard.”

“Me?!”

“Yes, as per record there is no mother listed for Kai.”

“As a legal guardian of his, I still have a say in this matter,” the woman held her head up high. “Call her parents in! I want to talk with them right now!”     

Vice Principal Uhm sighed, unable to defeat the woman. Namjoo watched the tall, but round man turn her way. His eyes seemed to apologize to her, but it wasn’t helping with the anger eroding her patience. The slap to her face still burned as well as the pull on her ear. All she could think about right now was how she’d been helplessly attacked by some damn woman she’d never seen in her life before.

She was pissed off. Forget being disappointed in the adults who didn’t give a .

“I’m sorry, Namjoo, but I’m going to have to…” he began.

Namjoo immediately cut him off with her voice deep and angry, “Call my parents from the dead then.” Swiveling around she opened the door and slammed it as hard as she could after her.

school, was all she could think while walking down the hall. Sehun was standing in the hallway waiting for her.

“Namjoo…” he began, but she her arm out to shove him back and glared at him.

“Leave me the hell alone, bastard,” she hissed through gritted teeth and made her way toward the stairs, leaving the building. And she didn’t plan on coming back.