Hyejoo stares blankly at the passing scenery of trees that seem to becoming fewer and fewer as each mile passed. Soft acoustics seeped from the car’s radio that had been looped to play over and over till the end of time. Hyejoo’s mum, who had looped said song, was passed out in the front seat as her most recent boyfriend sat beside her driving.

Said boyfriend, aka Jungeun’s dad, had been rambling on for the last half hour to a silent car. The man obviously loved the sound of his own voice and Hyejoo was shocked that her mum could even sleep through his talks about the latest political meltdown.

Hyejoo’s first mistake of the trip was not packing her Switch in her backpack. Her second, was opting to instead glare at Jungeun’s dad in the rearview mirror.

“From what your mum tells me all you do is hide and mope around in your bedroom.” Jungeun’s dad’s eyes meet hers in the mirror. Hyejoo quickly averts her gaze back down to her phone in her lap, mindlessly scrolling through Twitter. “Maybe actually getting sunlight will be good for you. You and Jungeun could go to the beach and get some endorphins going!”

Hyejoo looks at Jungeun sitting beside her, earphones in and eyes closed. Probably blasting The 1975 in a desperate attempt avoid any conversation.

If there’s anything about Jungeun that Hyejoo is sure of it’s that the older girl is not a big fan of the Hyejoo and her mum tagging along for the summer getaway. It had only taken two months of their parent’s dating for them to decide that a ‘family holiday’ was to be taken and one week for Jungeun to bleach her hair as a rebelling statement. Jungeun had been mad, to say the least, and desperate to not accept Hyejoo as a possible step sibling.

Not that Hyejoo had any problem with that. She’d rather drown than let Jungeun’s dad become her stepdad.

“Speaking of endorphins…” Jungeun’s dad trails off, “I got you a gift. It’s in the bag under your feet.”

Hyejoo looked down at the duffle bag that she had comfortably rested her heavy Doc Marten’s atop. ping it, a bright yellow book was revealed. When Hyejoo turned it over in her hand she was greeted with the blaring title ‘Smile Everyday’.

Dear god.

Jungeun’s dad had caught sight of the brightly coloured book in the mirror as he began talking again at a confident pace, “I read online that if you smile more it can boost your mood and also help to make people like you.”

Hyejoo’s grip tighten around her phone.

“I know your whole aesthetic or whatever is to be broody and dark, but just do your mother and I a favour and try it out, okay?”

Hyejoo dumps the book back into the bag, Docs following after with a heavy thump.

“This was a good conversation,” Jungeun’s dad smiles smugly to himself, eyes settling back on the road. “I’m glad we had it.”

Hyejoo hadn’t said a word.

Somehow, Hyejoo managed to survive another torturous 20 minutes of a one sided conversation until the car pulled to a stop in the driveway of a wooden beach cabin. It didn’t look too bad, liveable at least, but the slight creaking of old nails every time a slight breeze went by had Hyejoo a little worried in case one of the typical summer storms rolled in.

Immediately, Hyejoo rolled out of the air conditioned car and into the humid environment, her black jeans already absorbing the sun’s rays. She was already detaching her trusty moped from the back of the car when a loud, but somewhat dreamy, voice was carried in by the wind.

“Mr Kim! Hi!”

Hyejoo steered the moped around the car to see Jungeun’s dad greeting a petite blonde with wide eyes. “Ah, Chaewon.” He has a large smile slapped across his face that makes Hyejoo’s nose crinkle. “You look… older?”

The blonde, Chaewon, blinks silently before arching a perfectly shaped brow in a cheeky manner. “Well, I would hope so?”

Before anymore awkward interactions could happen Jungeun latches herself onto Chaewon’s back, “Chaewon!” She exclaims happily, the two sharing a quick hug that has Hyejoo surprised that the older girl even has a soft bone in her body.

Hyejoo averts her eyes back to her moped as she moves it to lean against the nearby creaky fence, weary of the way it seems to tilt with the added weight. The very same dreamy voice from earlier makes her jump in shock at it’s close proximity.

“I didn’t know we had a Hot Topic around here.” Chaewon has her gaze fixed to Hyejoo’s, a small smile dancing across her lips as she takes in all the dark clothed glory that Hyejoo is.

“What?”

Chaewon’s smile falters, almost like she was worried she’d hurt Hyejoo’s feelings. “Oh, sorry. I was just making a joke, your outfit is very,” She pauses and waves her hand in the air, gesturing down to Hyejoo’s thick boots. “—Hot Topic-esque.”

Hyejoo has to stop herself to stuttering out a response, biting down on her bottom lip before deciding to answer.“It’s okay. I actually used to work at Hot Topic for a bit…”

A soft laugh slips from Chaewon’s pink tinted lips and Hyejoo has to use her long, dark hair to cover up the blush that was threatening to dust across her cheeks.

What the was that.

“Hyejoo!” Like an angel that was swooping down to save Hyejoo from another gay panic, Hyejoo’s mother’s voice rings out like a blessing. It only took her next words to ruin that blessing, though. “Jungeun’s going to the beach and I want you go along too okay?” She comes up behind Hyejoo and playfully shakes her shoulders. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you in swimmers- the last time was probably when you used to shower with me.”

Chaewon winces a tight-lipped smile before Hyejoo’s mum actually takes notice that another human exists and launches into a new conversation with the blonde that exempts Hyejoo from anymore humiliation.

When Jungeun’s dad asks Hyejoo to bring in some of their luggage, she takes the opportunity to escape Chaewon’s suffocating gaze and run inside the vacation home. She slams the door of her temporary room shut before flinging herself onto the bed. Hyejoo stuffs her face against the cheap pillow, letting out a muffled scream. She was already planning her next diary entry; Day 1 of Summer and I hate everyone. Please send Poseidon to strike me down with his trident. Xoxo, Hyejoo.




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