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Chapt 2

Irene came home with the all too familiar quietness surrounding her house.

She never bother to say “I’m home” anymore, as she know that she won’t get any reply back.

She put down her things and let her body fall to the couch in the living room.

Sitting there alone, the only sound filling the room was her breathing.

And her thoughts.

She often envied other people whose family was loving and cared genuinely for them. Whenever they talked about it, she felt a pang of hurt at her chest. It’s just one of those small wishes that she wanted her parents to actually greeted her everytime she came home.

But that never happened to her.

Looking at Irene’s house, the atmosphere was gloomy, and it was depressing too as the place doesn’t have any pictures of them.

Not a single one.

She know her parents always worked until they have to come home late because they have to make money to provide them.

But sometimes Irene just wished that they would at least make the littlest of their time to have a family time, to catch up with each other, just once a month was great for her.

Although, she knows that it was too good to be true.

The only time they are really together was only if there was a wedding they have to come.

One time, when she hit the age 12, she couldn’t hide her excitement, bouncing up her legs that were hanging as she sat on top of the kitchen counter. The birthday cake she bought on the way home on the table and candles that hadn’t been lit on top of it. She waited for them.

Waited for them to come home.

Waited for them to hug her.

Waited for them to at least say happy birthday to her, like her friends parent would done to her friends.

“I’m sorry Irene, but I think we couldn’t make it home by the night.”

That was the only thing they said to her on her supposedly happy day, crushing a child’s wish with just one sentence.

“That’s okay dad, I understand”

She didn’t understand. Really. She forced herself to sound as cheerful as she could, at least until she finished the phone call with her parents.

The phone call ended.

They never said happy birthday to her.

Irene tried to think positive as she remained smiling.

That night, she spend her birthday alone.

She sang happy birthday to herself and blow the candle by herself.

She cut the cake by herself and ate by herself.

One bite.

Her smile faltered.

Two bite.

And then the dam broke as tears poured down from her eyes.

The only thing that she looked at was two pieces of cake on the plates that was left untouched.

It etched onto her memory as if to remind her, that they didn’t care for her. That they chose work over their own daughter. That she didn’t deserve to have the littlest of their time.

As if they forgot her birthday.

As if she wasn’t good enough.

As if they didn’t need her.

Irene cried herself into sleep that night with the new found hollowness clouding her mind.

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Days ( or weeks? ) passed, everything’s normal and uneventful, except for the fact that Irene still hasn’t see her yet.

She didn’t know why but that face keep on popping out of her mind out of nowhere, and it’s freaking frustrating for her to deal with.

She is sitting on the cafeteria table with the group when she saw her.

Now that she’s feeling well, she could examine the girl more clearly.

Her face really do feel familiar, especially her eyes, it’s just that she couldn’t find the answer why and it’s making her frustrated.

Apart from that, she admitted that the girl was really pretty, maybe one of the most beautiful one that Irene had seen until this day.

Her thoughts were cut off when she realized a figure walking to them.

It was Kim Yerim. And she was looking only at Joy with a straight face, not making any eye contact with the rest of the table.

“Here” she shoved the object she was holding to Joy. Joy was grinning while the rest just watch their interaction quietly.

“Good girl” Joy pats Yeri’s head but the younger girl just rolled her eyes and push Joy’s hands away from her head as she glared at Joy.

“My job is done, I don’t owe you anything again”

By this, Joy raised her eyebrow.

“No, not yet at least. Technically you still have 1 month left to deal with these stuff. We’ve talked about this haven’t we?”, Joy was smirking, while Yeri’s Expression was the contrast.

“Didn’t you say that you were okay with the deal I offered??”

“Not really, I said that I will think about it, but I never say that I agree to it”, She said and then leans in to Yeri. “Congrats, you just played yourself.” Her grin never faltered.

By the exchanges Yeri just experienced, her face become more obvious that she was