8

Standing outside the towering white door brought back many memories, none of them pleasant. The bushes were still neatly trimmed into their sickening rectangle shapes, and the smell of freshly clipped grass permeated the air. Sighing, I shifted by duffle bag a little higher on my shoulder and knocked on the door, the hollow pounding making me grimace.

“Coming,” a breathy voice called, the click of shoes echoing through the door.

As the door slowly opened, a hand with manicured nails latched onto the frame.

“Oh, you’re back,” Ashley said, lip curling in disgust. She didn’t change at all. The same meticulously curled blonde hair, excessive makeup, and scornful leer. “I thought Mom was kidding when she told me that Mrs. Park kicked you out, I should’ve expected it sooner or later.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Ashley,” I deadpanned, brushing past her and into the spacious living room, full of trumpery that has been gathering dust for the past ten years. “I see that nothing has changed.”

“Just so you know, Alex lives with us now so good luck finding somewhere to sleep,” Ashley scoffed and walked away, her heels clicking against the polished wood floors.

Alex put up with her for that long? But then again, he’s just as insufferable so I shouldn’t feel bad for him.

Spotting a familiar basement door that I was once constantly shoved through, I lugged my belongings down the stairs and flipped the light switch, the flickering light illuminating the countless dust particles that floated in the air. I held up a sleeve to cover my mouth and began to open the cabinets, hoping that there was a vacuum or something that would the dust out of the room.

Are they serious? Why do they even have this?

Rolling my eyes, I pulled the bellows pump out of the cabinet and shook the debris off of it. Discovering a rusty metal ladder in the depths of the shelves, I stacked it against the far corner of the wall, right under the tiny window. Flinging it open and letting the weak sunlight dapple the ground, I took a deep breath of clean air and began to gather the dust into the pump and expelling it outside.

This is going to be a very long day.

***

By the time the basement was sufficiently habitable, the sun had already set and my phone was blowing up with missed calls and texts. Sixteen from Hannah, a couple from the boys, and 42 from Jungkook. Because his texts were sent in all capital letters, I decided to call him first. He picked up on the first ring.

“Where were you?”

“Housekeeping.”

“Why didn't you answer my calls?”

“Because I would've been sent to the hospital for lung congestion if I took a breath?”

“Not an excuse.”

“Shut it Jungkook. What do you want?”

“I want you.”

“Seriously.”

Jungkook was about to reply when Ashley’s pitchy voice screamed my name from upstairs.

“Duty calls. I’ll see you never.”

Without waiting for his reply, I hung up and shoved the phone into my pocket before climbing up the stairs, two or three at a time. If Ashley calls, it's never a good thing.

“Ash, how come you never told me that the witch was back?” A familiar voice whined, making my intestines squirm and want to wrap around his neck. Calming my stomach, I took a deep breath to steel myself.

“I didn't want to worry you babe, after you nearly got arrested last time,” Ashley said sweetly. I shuddered as a sudden disturbing image of her running a hand down his chest flashed through my mind.

“That was such a long time ago,” he said. “I can easily take her, all you have to do is ask.”

“Really? You'd do that for me?” She crooned, obviously knowing that she had him wrapped around her finger.

“Anything for you babe,” he said pompously.

“You're my hero, Alex,” Ashley giggled. “I just hope she won't be too mean to me, after all that I've done for her.”

I gagged at how oblivious Alex was. Even an ostrich could tell how fake Ashley was being.

How can someone be that stupid? I'm starting to feel bad for him.

“Where is she anyway?” Ashley sneered. “Does it take her an hour to find where the living room is? Babe, do you see what I have to put up with?”

“I know sweet pea, I'll be sure to teach her a lesson when she comes,” Alex replied gently.

“You know, I should be handed an award for dealing with your chumminess,” I stated as I stepped out into their view, immediately grimacing when I saw Alex with an arm wrapped around Ashley's waist.

"Ugh, the witch is back," Alex leered, narrowing his eyes and pulling Ashley a little closer to 'protect' her from me.

"It's nice to see you too, Alex," I scoffed. "Did you have fun beating up little kids while I was gone?"

"Babe, just ignore her," Ashley cooed, touching his cheek with her hand. Her long nails drew dangerously close to his eye. "She's not worth it."

I laughed and plopped down onto the expensive leather couch with a relaxed sigh. "So what's my list of chores for today Mistress Ashley?" I asked sarcastically, propping my dusty Converse onto the pristine glass coffee table. My phone began to vibrate in my pocket, but I ignored it, thinking that it was probably Jungkook again.

"Go make dinner," she snarled, pointing a finger towards the kitchen. "Mom and Dad are going to be home soon and they'll be much less lenient than me when they see you."

"What am I? Cinderella?" I snorted, but nevertheless, got up and went to the kitchen. Alex would probably get upset and charge at me like a bull if I angered Ashley any further.

How is he so easily manipulated?

Rummaging through the fridge and pantry, I pulled out all the useable ingredients and dumped them onto the island counter. A sad box of kimchi, rice, pork, tofu, and gochujang.

Kimchi jjigae it is then.

Even the bubbling of the soup couldn’t drown out the sickening sounds of Ashley and Alex each other’s faces. I was almost happy when the doorbell rang and the familiar monotonous voices of Mr. and Mrs. Lee floated through the house.

“That smells good,” Mr.s Lee said. “Who’s cooking?”

“Ugh, Michelle,” Ashley scoffed. “Why’d you make her come back anyway?”

“Mrs. Park was getting impatient and you know we can’t lose her influence. She already doesn’t like what that fool is doing to her daughter so by taking her away from that house, she’ll favor us even more,” Mr. Lee interrupted, sounding pleased with his explanation.

“But still,” Ashley whined. “Alex and I are going to a BTS concert next week and she’s probably going to steal my makeup or something if we leave her alone.”

I snorted, but immediately looked up from the stew as soon as I heard Ashley say BTS.

Man, if she’s already that chummy with her boyfriend, I bet she literally worships the ground that they walk on. Oh wait, Hannah does that too.

“Now, now, dear, we can just lock her in the basement like we used too,” Mrs. Lee said, the amusement in her voice contradicting her intention.

Scoffing, I grabbed the salt from the shelf and angrily threw some inside the bubbling red soup. Stirring it one last time, I carefully spooned some out and gave it a taste before turning off the stove. Suddenly, a genius idea struck me. Ladling a portion out into a bowl, I set it aside on the counter and turned the stove back on. With the salt and gochujang in hand, I resisted the urge to laugh as I poured copious amounts of each into the pot, making sure that the color of the soup was still reasonably red.

See if they ask me to cook again. I’m a genius.

Setting the table and making sure that everything was in order, I peeked into the living room, grimacing when I saw the unchanged wrinkly faces of Mr. and Mrs. Lee. Mrs. Lee was still dressed in the same faux fur coats and sequined dresses that she was way too old to be wearing. Even up till now, I was still unsure whether her hair was real or a wig. Mr. Lee stood proudly in his immaculate pressed suit, shined dress shoes, and dyed black hair, looking at Ashley with an expression of endearment.

“Dinner is ready,” I called, sinking into a bow to conceal the smug smile on my face.

“Good, it was taking far too long anyway,” Mr.s Lee said, standing up from the couch with a flourish. “As expected from a low-classed commoner like you.” I bit my lip and cursed her in my thoughts.

Considering how much you value intelligence, I should be considered a royal next to Ashley. It’s always the biological child bias.

I slipped back into the kitchen and tucking my portion of the soup under my shirt, hoping that they wouldn’t notice as I slipped into the basement and set the soup into a safe spot next to my belongings. Slinking back to the kitchen, I held in my giggles as I watched them doling out portions from behind the wall.

I should record this.

Carefully bringing out my phone, I pressed the record button just in time to witness Mrs. Lee’s first sip. As soon as the spoon touched her lips, she cried in outrage and lept up in surprise, knocking into Mr. Lee’s bowl, which splashed everywhere. Mrs. Lee’s white fur coat was now stained a bright red, along with the tablecloth and Mr. Lee’s suit.

“What happened?” the rest of the family cried, crowding around Mrs. Lee, with such exaggerated concern that I had to shove my fist into my mouth to contain my laughter.

“Oh, that brat!” Mrs. Lee shrieked, clutching her chest.

I doubled over and almost dropped my phone when her hair slipped back from her hairline.

“She practically emptied the salt and gochujang into the jjigae!” Mrs. Lee shouted, sputtering in anger. Ashley grimaced when a few specks of spittle flew onto her. “This is inedible!”

“What?” Mr. Lee roared, turning around, face transforming into various shades red when he spotted me peeking from behind the wall.

“You ungrateful dog!” Mr. Lee raged, storming towards me, soup dripping off him and staining the white tiles red.

Well, that’s my cue to go.

Shutting off my phone, I sprinted into the basement and locked the door soundly behind me, smiling in satisfaction when the pounding of enraged fists shook the door frame. Strolling leisurely to my bowl of soup that was still steaming and safely tucked away, I took a seat onto the wooden floor, enjoying my dinner in slow relaxed sips.

Now I just have to find a way to escape tomorrow.

***

The sky was a pale orange when I crept out of the basement, muscles aching from having to sleep on the wooden floor. I almost cheered at my luck when I spotted a set of house keys lying on the coffee table. Snagging them off the table, I ran out the door, locking it behind me and chucking them into my backpack. Taking a deep breath, I smiled again, remembering the events that transpired last night, and set off towards Big Hit.

“Why do you keep disappearing on us?” was the first thing I heard as soon the boys walked into the studio.

“I was just busy yesterday,” I shrugged, grinning and Jungkook’s furious expression. Jungkook crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t push the matter, leaving to go stretch with Jimin. Unfortunately, that left Taehyung alone and bored.

“Michelle,” he yelled, flouncing over to me in his oversized gray cardigan, the sleeves hanging well past his fingers. “Let’s do something after practice today!”

“Like what?” I asked, casting him an amused glance as reviewed the moves that Sung Deuk had taught me earlier.

“I don’t know. Something fun,” Taehyung grinned, flapping his arms like a duck. “Do you watch anime?”

As soon as he said the word, I squealed and began to jump up and down in excitement. “Yes, what do you watch?” I squealed, latching onto his shoulders.

“Shingeki no Kyojin, One Piece, Fairy Tail,” Taehyung began to rant, jumping up and down with me. “Oh, and everyone likes anime too!”

“Anime marathon!” I shouted, making Taehyung laugh and lift my arms up into a cheering pose.

“Call!” the boys chorused.

“Let’s watch Haikyuu! then,” I laughed. “I didn't get to watch the second season yet so we can all watch together.”

“Alright kids, let’s start!” Sung Deuk shouted, clapping his hands. A chorus of protests echoed around the studio.

***

Hair dripping wet and limbs cramped together, I was stuck between Taehyung and Jimin, a bowl of popcorn in my lap and a blanket thrown over my head. The entire dorm was bathed in darkness except for the bright blue glow of Taehyung’s laptop. Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok watched with amused expressions on their faces as Jimin, Taehyung, Seokjin, and Jungkook practically stuck their noses into the computer.

A sudden vibration in my pocket snapped me out of my daze and I reached into my pocket, spilling some popcorn on my lap along the way.

“I’ll be right back,” I whispered to Jimin, who waved at me distractedly with his hand, eyes never leaving the screen. Shrugging the blanket off and dumping the popcorn on Taehyung, who let out a surprised squawk, I crawled over Jungkook’s legs and shuffled into the kitchen. Hannah’s name flashed on the caller ID and a grin erupted on my face.

“Hey Hannah, what’s up?”

“What do you mean ‘what’s up?’ Did the Lees do anything yet? I tried to convince Mom to let you stay but she heard about the concert and she wouldn’t listen to me because she was so mad!”

“It’s fine Hannah. Which reminds me, I’ll send you the video and tell me what you think.”

Placing the call on hold, I scrolled through the camera roll and sent the video to her, giggling the entire time. Putting the phone up to my ear again, I waited for her reaction. A few moments passed before I heard sounds coming from the phone.

“Did you really do that? God, I feel bad for Mrs. Lee’s fur coat!”

“I’m a genius, don’t you agree?”

“Only someone as smart and stupid as you would do something like that. I know they’ve never hit you before, but you should still be careful. You’re technically an adult now which means they might not play so nice anymore.”

“I think I’ll be fine. Besides, I doubt they can hit hard enough to bruise. Alex is the only one I should be worrying about, but it’s not too serious.”

“Just be careful. If I feel like there’s anything wrong, I’m getting you out of there.”

“Yes Mother.”

“Shut up, I’m only two years older than you.”

“Which makes you a granny.”

“Bye.”

The line clicked and I hung up, smiling at Hannah’s overprotectiveness.

It should be fine.

Just as I was about to rejoin the boys, I caught Yoongi’s eye and he nodded his head towards the hallway, indicating that he wanted to talk. Confused, I nodded and headed over to the hallway. Yoongi joined me seconds later under the excuse that he had to go to the bathroom.

“I overheard Hannah saying that you have to go live with your foster parents from now on,” Yoongi said, getting straight to the point.

“Yeah,” I whispered, not getting what he was trying to say.

“Have they tried anything yet?” Yoongi said, his eyes scanning my face.

“No, they haven’t. Why are you and Hannah so worried though?” I asked. It’s like they did anything too serious before and I doubt that they’re going to start now. “They haven’t tried anything and so far, the only thing they’ve done is order me around like a servant. I can deal with that.” I resisted the urge to laugh, but something told me that now wasn’t the best time to show Yoongi the video.

“Just be very careful okay?” Yoongi said softly. “You shouldn’t trust them.”

He sighed and we walked back to the living room to rejoin the others. Sitting down next to Jungkook, I reached into the bowl on Taehyung’s lap and popped some popcorn into my mouth. When I turned to look at Jungkook, he was staring at me intently, a hidden emotion in his eyes.

“Do you and hyung have something going on?” he asked trying to sound casual, but his voice sounded strained.

“No, why do you ask?” I replied, staring back at him.

“I’m just getting a feeling,” he replied. “You guys always disappear somewhere together.”

“Relax Jungkook, We’re just friends,” I laughed ruffling his hair. “We spent an entire day together at Lotte World and your hyungs didn’t say anything about that.”

“That’s different,” Jungkook mumbled, ducking his head, letting the strands of hair cover his eyes.

“If you say so,” I hummed, patting his shoulder in a patronizing manner.

“Hey I’m not a kid you know,” he grumbled, lightly swatting my hand away. “You still didn’t call me oppa yet.”

“You’re not that much older than me, so it’s unreasonable,” I countered, a smiling pulling at my lips.

“Older is older and in our culture, if the guy is older, the girl is supposed to call him oppa,” he finished proudly, puffing his chest out.

“I’m American?”

“Still Korean.”

I huffed and slumped my shoulders still refusing to call him oppa. My dignity would fly away as soon as those two syllables left my lips. “By the way, what’s your Korean name?” he asked, shooting me a curious glance.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I think it’s always been Michelle.”

“I need a cute nickname for you then,” he pouted. “You call me Kookie and Jungkookie so I need one for you too.”

“Have fun coming up with one,” I said, poking his cheek. “My friends have tried and nothing acceptable came up.”

“Shelly?”

“Don’t like it.”

“Elle?”

“Too much like a regular name.”

“Mich?”

“Nope.”

“Mitchell?”

“Are you calling me a man?”

“I’ll think of one sooner or later,” Jungkook pouted turning his back towards me sulkily.

“If you say so,” I said, leaning back to focus on the anime, even if it was ending soon. Something warm encased my hand and I looked down to find Jungkook playing with my fingers. Shrugging, I relaxed and let him fiddle with my fingers, finding it strangely relaxing.

“Yah, you two,” a voice interrupted. “Stop flirting, we can all hear you.”

Jungkook blushed a violent shade of red.