Chapter 7- Introductions

Hae Soo’s Pov

November 19, 2017

My fingers combed through rough hair as I struggled to put the strands into a high ponytail. I stood looking into my mirror at the reflection of a well put together teenage girl. My black knee length skirt had been ironed out nicely, and it outlined the girl’s figure quite stunningly. A simple coin necklace laid over a white long sleeve button up shirt as I made last touch ups on my makeup.

“Almost done in there?” My father shouted from the other room. He came in without knocking to assess what I was wearing. Straightening my back, I folded my arms behind me as I tried my best not to waver on the 3 inch high heels.

He clicked his tongue before making his way back to the bathroom. “Is that the best you can dress,” he disapprovingly asked with a breath of disappointment.

“The rest of the outfits you bought me were too small.”

Fists slamming onto a marble counter echoed throughout our empty house. “Dammit, tell me these things sooner. You need to impress Chairman Kim’s son tonight. If I don’t close this deal within this month, our agreement will be off. Understand?”

“Ya I know okay. Have I ever let you down?” I responded while slipping the strap of my purse over my shoulder.

“Daughter, you’ve been letting me down since the day you were born so make yourself useful like your mother was.”

My fingers tightened their grip on my purse as I bit the inside of my cheek to withstand the overwhelming anger coursing through me. He’s just angry right now. He didn’t mean that… Father cares; he cares for you. I fixed my sight on the silver necklace lying upon my chest in the reflection and wiped away the blood from the inside of my mouth. You’re not alone Hae Soo…

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Champagne on silver platters whisked around the room filled with elegant women and men. Light was captured in the crystals of chandeliers and reflected their brightness around the room keeping the room dim just enough. My eyes scanned the area for the face of my target when I saw a few familiar figures making their way over to me.

“Choi Hae Soo. What brings you here? Are you perhaps working a shift as a server tonight?” A young girl stood in front of my gaze with an amused expression laid upon her flawless powdered face.

“Nice to see you here Chaemin,” I responded with a respectful nod, but with hate clenching my jaws. “Sadly, I’m not here to serve you, but actually here to claim one of your boy toys as mine.”

Confusion creased in her brows as I pushed past her to my target. I knew that she would probably hate me even more now, but that just made this all more amusing to me. I promised myself that year that I would never hesitate ever again. My actions follow me. I don’t follow them.

My small frail gently made it’s way to rest on a young boy’s shoulder as I whispered softly into the his ear. “Did you miss me?”

The conversation with the people he was talking to was quickly put to an end, and they dispersed knowing their place.

Kai turned around to meet my gaze with a sly smirk. “Look who decided to show up to my party.”

“You call this a party?” I whined pursing my lips in disappointment.

“Please babe, this is just the party for the adults.” Kai glanced around to check if anyone was watching them. “Follow me,” Kai whispered in my ear causing me to slightly cringe as he pulled me by my wrist through a crowd of unaware adults.

My old self told me not to go. It urged me to let go of Kai’s uncomfortable grasp, and search for him. To stay for the boy that would be patiently waiting for me outside by the entrance, but instead I chose to impress my father. I would succeed in making Kai mine, and it would be a simple task.

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A satisfied look came across Kai’s face letting me know that we had reached our destination. In front of us laid, a wooden door which I figured lead to the attic. The floor beneath my feet radiated with a pulsing beat of a song. Lights flickered through the cracks of the old rusted door trying to escape.

Kai turned to me with a greedy smirk. “Time to show you off as my girl,” he said while slipping his arm around my waist. I tried my best to smile back at him without wincing uncomfortably when I felt his hand going south on me.

We strolled into a hot and sweaty room of teenagers dancing on eachother as strobe lights outlined their bodies. The pounding music manipulated them into a group of caged animals, and I pitied their lives immediately. It was easy to see that due to the fact that they had to act so perfect all the time, they would outlash to this extent in hope that they might feel like they were in control of their life. What an illusion… I thought to myself. They think that they are being rebels as they secretly dance with each other, but the adults knew about this party. The room I had just entered with Kai was just an illusion of freedom, and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at this. They’re all just children…

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I soon found myself dancing with the children. Rubbing sweaty bodies up against each other. My insides felt as if they were going to spill out with disgust. Kai kept making seductive moves toward me, and I played along for the time being. The room was spinning, and I felt like I had taken some drug by accident. The room was a blur with blinding lights, and sound blasting so loud you couldn’t hear your own thoughts.

Kai had started out dancing with me until some girl with her chest openly exposed caught his attention. Once he was out of sight, I made a break for an open area. Free of having to stay in that room any longer than I needed, I quickly weaved my way out of the crowd to an open window that was just big enough for me to squeeze through and cool off on the roof.

Immediately, I felt relieved. The fresh and open crisp air soothed my headache. I laid out on that roof for a while. Just looking up at the stars… and the sky. You would have thought that I would have been uncomfortable on the sand paper shingles that made up the roof, but I didn’t mind it. I kept my eyes on what laid in front me, and forgot about where I was. I wasn’t on a roof owned by slaves of greed…. I was somewhere else. My safe place.

Closing my eyes, I pictured myself in a neighborhood that consisted of small cozy houses, fresh wild grass, kids running along the streets, old people reading newspapers out on their porch, and trashless streets. Right now I was laying on soft green grass letting the strands brush the nape of my neck reminding of me what being a kid felt like again. I would softly breath in the cold air, and release a warm cloud of breath that I could see. That breath would fade into the stars that laid above me as the moon kept the streets lit, and I couldn’t help but think for a second of how blue the sky was. But that’s when I heard it. A voice. It corrected my previous thought, and I unawarely spoke aloud breaking my day dream. “The sky is colorful tonight.”

Suddenly aware of where I actually was, I heard Kai calling out my name, and I knew what he had on his mind. That if I went back in there, we would make our way to his room so that he could “show me around.”

Closing my eyes, I let his voice mix into the noise of the party. I needed to go to Kai. To make sure his was pleased so that my father would be pleased with me. But my legs didn’t dare move. So I stayed under the sky that wasn’t blue.

My hand had unawarely made it’s way to the necklace resting on my chest. It reminded me of him which always brought comfort to mind. Just what the hell was I about to do? Give up my ity for some screw up. I sighed into the cold air once again. My lips rested as my mind spoke for me reminding me of who I am. I’m not alone. I’m not a screw up. I’m not a doll. I’m not loved…

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