Washroom Romance

Washroom Romance

-Washroom Romance-

 

 

 

They look. People always do. It started way before Nayeon could remember. They look at her with a smile; regardless if it's genuine or not, always with a smile, like they know they're not supposed to give her anything less. She always hears them saying praises. How pretty! How smart! How talented! How nice and polite! They'd scoff it off whenever she'd be or do otherwise; act like they didn't see anything. "She'd be perfect one day," she'd hear them say; like Nayeon was still not good enough. "Just what you can expect from someone with such accomplished parents."

 

They look. People always do. But they never see her. 

--

 

As usual, Nayeon woke up in a big house that lacked nothing but parental presence. There was food in the dining room, warm and freshly served, and more than enough pocket money to feed 20 She ate breakfast alone. Nayeons, 4 times a day.  Today, there's also a limitless credit card on her side of the table. Like a ritual, she looked at the door at the end of the dining room; hoping, before she eventually gave up. 

 

It's a normal part of her days. Eating alone. The most she got to eat with her parents were for dinners, mostly only in someone else's houses or in restaurants, along with who strangers needed to please Nayeon. They were burdening. Nayeon cannot remember sitting and eating with her parents wherein they didn't talk about business or connections or school or the should's and the should not's of 'people like them.' It always felt like a lesson; or more like, a practical test. They're gauging how much Nayeon had learned. And, they'd always manage to find something they needed Nayeon to work on.

 

More people to know. More skills to flourish. An endless list of things to do to make her better. 

 

They're molding her, alright. They had always been.  Nayeon thought they would always be. 

 

Nayeon turned to the picture hanging on the wall just behind her, resentment creeping in her bones. 

 

Nayeon could try but she knew she would never be what they wanted. 

 

She could be just like her but still, still, she would never be her.

--

 

Students scattered like terrified mouses when Nayeon got off the car. Nayeon could see them from her peripheral vision, staring at her; most with envy, some with vile while few with intimidation.

 

They knew. Of course, they would. What did she expect?

 

There was a reason her parents sent her to this school. The parents of these students probably knew she'd transfer here even before she did. The children were the parents' most prized possession, weren't they? It's only right that they make the whole world know. That, and that they were willing to spend a lot of money on them.

 

Nayeon waited for her chauffeur to go out of the car and to give her blazer and her bag. "I'll get you right after your last class ends. Please be on time. Your father returns from France by 2 and you'll have to come with him and your mother to an event by 6. You need to be ready by 5. It's your first day of class here, today. so your parents 
says they wish you luck." 

 

'Don't make them embarrassed.'

 

He didn't say it but Nayeon heard. It really didn't need to be said. She nodded and took her leave.

 

As she walked the grand path down to the main building, she wondered if all these students watching saw it, too.

 

The little cage was in.

 

It rattles but people don't hear. It bore her down but other people won't feel. They just kept on looking. 

--

 

As usual, they flocked around her like hungry crows to a grain of rice. Nayeon dealt with them like a routine. She knew what exactly to do and to say to make them satisfied. She smiled when needed, laughed when appropriate and praised them back to inflate their egos; if only a little. She made up a list of small details about them in her mind. It always helps in case she'd have to talk to them again in the future. The class bell rang. They bid their goodbye. They went their own ways, looking more relieved than disappointed that they needed to separate now. Nayeon walked to her next class alone. No one dared nor wanted to walk along with her, at least, not yet. Networking is one, wanting to be friends is another. 

--

 

Different school. Same kind of people. Still the ever-changing Nayeon.

--

 

Strangers. The room was full of them. They greeted each other like they were friends, listened to each other like they really cared. Nayeon hated having to stand next to them.

 

Holding her hand promptly in front of her, Nayeon feigned interest to whatever the woman was saying. Her father told her beforehand that they're planning to extend their business to the fashion industry, and this woman was a very important shareholder of a well-established fashion company. Nayeon inserted a witty remark when the woman popped a joke, stretching her smile as wide as Nayeon could manage. She chanted the magic word in her mind as the woman went about how expensive the dress she's wearing. 

 

Impress. Impress. Impress.

--

 

It didn't take long to find them. Jihyo, a daughter of a CEO of an entertainment company, was already waiting for her once the bell for the lunch break rang. Behind her stood Dahyun, chewing a bubblegum. She's another daughter of a conglomerate like Nayeon, only much smaller. Chaeyoung, a daughter of a known national artist who unfortunately Nayeon still cannot remember the name of,  followed behind them, wearing a smug expression on her face. as they walked down the corridor to the cafeteria (if you could call something that grand looking a cafeteria.) Sana was already waiting for them there, had already decorated their table with fine dining utensils, which until now Nayeon didn't have any idea why Sana bothers to take with her to school. Nayeon didn't dare ask her. By how chic and girly she arranged their table, no one would think Sana was a daughter of a Yakuza big boss in Japan. All that grandeur and narcissism didn't shout violence at all but still, Nayeon found herself a little crept out every time Sana smiles. Sana dusted off the seat beside her as soon as she saw them coming, waving at Nayeon excitedly. She had labeled herself Nayeon's best friend the moment Jihyo brought Nayeon to sit with them and then insisted that they always have to be seated next to each other. Nayeon didn't have the heart to correct her. It didn't matter, anyway. All four of them were just space fillers for Nayeon. An influential bunch of people coming from different kinds of backgrounds and family. They could all call her their 'best friend' if they wanted. As long as Nayeon have something she could report to her parents about. 

--

 

As soon as they're seated, the cafeteria would be a notch quieter, secretly tuning-in on their conversation. They'd only ever talked about mundane things. From the latest trend on fashion to dating to to alcohol to drugs. The vices of the rich, which everyone was stupidly interested in. Nayeon stayed quiet most of the time, only giving a response if needed. She's the chic one, alright. They already put the label on her. Now, she must maintain the image.

 

It's easier this way, she thought. If that's what people already accepted her to be, then that's who she would be. She'd get used to it, anyway, eventually. 

--

 

10 pm. Turning under the sheets, Nayeon perked her ears up for any sounds. She waited for that familiar creaking of the door and those sneaky footsteps walking inside. She did that every night.

 

Her mother used to come by her room at night when no else was awake. She'd try to cry silently but Nayeon still heard. Nayeon would do everything not to make a move. She didn't want to scare her away. After her mother left, Nayeon could sleep with a smile. She'd always be happy whenever her mother came, even though she knew, she didn't come for her.

 

2 am. Nayeon still had her ears perked up, feeling more desperate with each passing seconds. She heard them arrive hours before. She knew they're tired but still, she hoped they'd remember her.

--

 

Days became weeks, weeks became months until months became a year of another repetition of the lasts. Each year was a tiring and a dragging process. The superficiality of her life slowly started blurring reality. A lot of times, Nayeon found herself not being able to differentiate which aspects about her were hers, and which ones were she only been kidding herself she was. She found herself wondering a lot of times in a day, just so she could help remind herself, in case, she had already forgotten who she was. 

 

One day, she faced the mirror and, for the first time, she didn't have the urge to question. She thought it was a good thing. Guess some things just needed getting used to.

--

 

 

 

 

 

Dinners are about the balance between knowing when to speak and knowing when not to.

 

One should maintain one's mystery but one should also reveal enough to keep people interested. 

 

After faking a laugh to join in the laughter brought by the old man's lame joke, Nayeon sported a fake smile and thanked God for the letting the dessert be served early.
Nayeon's cheeks were already hurting.

 

Just as the adults around the table started talking about business again, the girl sitting just beside her, Seungyeon, muttered something about a troublemaker coming. Nayeon perked an eyebrow and tried to follow the girl's gaze but it's impossible to see. Whoever that troublemaker was, she was supposed to be seated on the same side of the table as them.

 

By the end of the meal, the conversation went back Nayeon's way and she became too busy pretending she's enjoyed talking about herself that she didn't notice the quiet 'excuse me' and the quite sliding of a chair. Nor the smirk on the lips of the person leaving the room and the knowing eyes that sat upon her. 

 

On the time the dinner was over and the adults didn't have more to negotiate about, they ushered them around to give a tour of the mansion. Nothing was new there, just the usual expensive and grand designs. 

 

While the old man bragged to her parents about the murals on the ceiling, Nayeon caught sight of something from the outside.

 

A person was leaning on a motorcycle, holding a helmet with one hand and a lightened cigarette with the other. The lighting made it impossible to see the person's face but her feminine figure suggested she's a woman.

 

Fascinated by the smoke coming out of the girl's mouth, Nayeon stared. Nayeon was watching the figure about to put the bud of the cigarette on and let out a few puffs.

 

Then suddenly, the girl turned her head to the direction where Nayeon stood.

 

Nayeon stiffened, too surprised to move. 

 

The girl cocked her head as if she's trying to take a good look at Nayeon, before raising her hand, which held the cigarette, as if saying, "Hi, I noticed you." 

 

Too flustered from being caught staring, Nayeon moved away from the window as fast as she could. Leaning on the adjacent wall, she sighed, holding her hand to her chest.

 

'What a weirdo.'

--

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dancingpasta
I really hate UPDATE PLS comments. Please don't do that. It sounds very demanding to me.

Comments

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indiemokilala
#1
Chapter 1: DUDDEEE I WANTED A TASTE OF YULSIC AND I JUST PICKED A RANDOM TITLE WITHOUT READING ANYTHING. AND I WAS...SO SURPRISED THAT THIS IS 2YEON.

MAAAAAAAAN. AND THEN I REMEMBERED YOU GAVE ME SOME FIC RECOMMENDATIONS. DUUUDDE THIS WAS CREATED YEARS AGO AND I LOVE THE PART ABOUT MYSTERY AND KEEPING THEM INTERESTED ON YOU. DUUUUUUDEE I AM STILL TYPING ON ALL CAPS I AM SORRY
moongirljeong
#2
Damn this was really well written, are there any plans for more?
Unfaithfull #3
Chapter 1: it's really an interesting story.I hope you can continue this story.
X-ZERB_areia
#4
Im interested in this... waiting for more authornim
Heyboii #5
Please update soon author~nim
NobodyJustAStranger
#6
Chapter 1: Wow! Interesting~
Nayeonunnie here is so--so like emo kekeke~
Well, this story caught my senses~
Great Job Authornim!
NaJeong #7
Chapter 1: Nice, pls update soon.