They sat in silence for a few minutes. Dara spent those time sighing on her side of the bench. Jiyong, on the other end of the bench, sat sideways facing her, with his feet propped up, while munching from the ever present packet of nuts.

He nudged her on her side with his toes. They’ve been meeting for a few years now and they were both comfortable enough with each other to drop the niceties. He nudged her more forcefully a second time when he didn’t get any response. 

That earned him a glare but her sullen silence continued after. He slid closer to her and elbowed her. She wordlessly settled her head on his shoulder and once again sighed. He let her be.

“I’m a bad girl.” She finally said after some time. 

“You’re grumpy, ahjumma. But I don’t think you’re bad.” He was aiming to get a reaction from her other than her gloomy sighs by calling her ahjumma but she kept uncharacteristically silent.

After another lifetime of sighs she finally let out what was bothering her, “Halmeoni called eomma. After three years, she finally remembered us. She wants us three to spend the summer in Seoul. I hate her. I loved her once but then I found out she didn’t like eomma for appa. I overheard her. She called eomma a gold digging who only married her son for a life of comfort and money. I don’t want to ever see her again.” She squeezed her fists so tightly her knuckles showed white.

“Durami and Sanghyun are excited to go because they don’t know. I never told them. Even eomma didn’t know that I overheard. I don’t