History Repeats
A Thousand Miles (Revamped)Heart thumping manically, Namjoo let go of the drapes. Pinning herself against it as her mind raced. Panic rushed through her veins when she heard the door unlock. Dashing across the living room she hurled herself up the stairs closing her door a little too loudly. Panting as she locked the door.
Jongin’s father was cheating on her mother?
Namjoo couldn’t wind the fact around her head. Crawling into bed she hid under the covers. Praying his father wouldn’t knock on her door and ask if she was asleep. She ended up drifting off queasily and woke up at the light of dawn staring up at the ceiling dazed. Laying in bed until late that her mother had to come get her.
Her nerves were a jittery mess as she climbed down the stairs. Hearing conversation flowing from the kitchen between children and their father. Her mother smacked her arm and gave her a stern eye to hurry her up, they were waiting.
Namjoo sauntered into the kitchen with heavy feet. Unable to make eye contact with her new dad. Would he say something to her this morning?
Sliding into her chair Namjoo picked up her spoon, but only managed to swirl her food around on her plate.
“Exams are coming up. Have you all been studying?” Jongin’s father began.
“Yes,” Jongin and Dami answered in unison; Dami’s tone with less energy than Jongin’s.
“You haven’t been playing around with your friends, Dami?”
“Dad!” Dami threw her tantrum then shot her and Jongin a glare. “Why are you picking on me, but not them?!”
“You two, too,” his father shifted his attention, “don’t slack and work hard. Once exams are over, I’ll take you all somewhere as a reward.”
With starry eyes, Dami excitedly asked, “Really?!”
Their father grinned. “It’d be nice to get some fresh air. We haven’t been able to do anything together since we became a family.”
Putting his arm around her mother’s back they glanced at each other affectionately. Namjoo felt punched in the guts.
Did her mother know?
Did she?!
How could Jongin’s father appear so happy like he wasn’t doing anything wrong?
Namjoo was angry. Her mother had been betrayed. She was sad. Her mother had hoped for a good life for them.
They had jumped onto a boat only for it to sink.
It was all she could think about on the way to school. Eyeing Jongin’s father from the passenger’s seat, because lately Dami had been stealing her usual seat in the back with Jongin.
The man was handsome. Not too old that his hair turned silvery white but that his laugh lines showed when he laughed too hard. Namjoo could obviously see why her mother would choose him. He worked hard. He was the breadwinner in the family. His children were old enough that they didn’t have to rely on him every hour of the day. Wherever he went he came home every night unlike her father. Her mother probably liked that. And Jongin’s father didn’t seem like a man who raised his voice.
But in the end appearance was just a quality seen by the eye.
“Have a good day,” he bid them farewell. Smiling at her, “You, too, Namjoo. Remember to ask Jongin if you have any problems.”
Giving a curt nod Namjoo stepped out of the car. Rolling her eyes Dami left them like she always did. Jongin waited for his father to drive off before turning with her to head inside.
“Are you ok?” he worried.
“Huh? Why?”
“You’ve been dazed the entire morning.” He said.
Namjoo hesitated. She opened , but didn’t say anything. How could she ask what his father was like? It made her sound foreign, like an outsider to the family.
“Nothing.” Namjoo lied.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Feigning a smile, Namjoo nodded.
⸛⸛⸛⸛⸛
Namjoo was dazed the entire day. During class transitions he snuck a glance back to find her staring out the window. She didn’t speak much. He noticed she hadn’t been busy taking notes during lessons.
At lunch she didn’t touch her food, but look around the cafeteria. Busily scouring the students surrounding them. Haughtily cracking jokes and noisily laughing. So quiet he was concerned.
Scooping up a share of his food onto her tray he tapped the side to get her attention. Grinning he said, “You’ve a lot of food. Are you going to eat?”
Namjoo took a bite then glanced off again. He wanted to know what was on her mind, but Jonghun was with them and he didn’t want to overreact, because what if Jonghun also thought something was going on?
Jongin peered into the distance to find Dami sitting at a corner table with her friends. Giggling about something, but she didn’t look his direction.
Actually, yesterday he hadn’t gone anywhere. Dami had snatched his arm in the midst of the crowd in the hallway. Lugging him with her to the back courtyard. To confront him.
“Are you out of your freaking mind?!” Dami yelled at him.
“What are you on about?” Jongin questioned.
“You like her.” Dami looked him dead on.
Flustered Jongin kind of laughed, kind of didn’t. Throwing his hands out flabbergasted, Jongin accused, “You’re out of your mind! Dami, she’s our –”
“That’s right,” Dami snarled, “say it.”
His lips drew into a line.
Dami punched him in the shoulder. “That’s right, Jongin! She’s the step-sister! That woman’s daughter that our father married!”
Biting down on his teeth he stared at her. Unable to refute the truth.
Shoving him again, she angrily pointed out, “You were flirting with her last night! You disgusting fool! Get it straight, Jongin, and stop looking at her with your big heart eyes before I let dad know what you’re doing.”
That had been that.
Yet he couldn’t stop but look at her again as they walked home late afternoon. in her thoughts Namjoo was still quiet as ever. What was weighing her mind so heavily?
Snatching the back of her backpack he pulled her to a stop. Namjoo yelped shocked. Jotting his head toward a vendor across the street he suggested, “Lets eat something.”
“There are too many cars. Forget it.”
“Then we’ll just cross the street,” he stated. “See, the lights are going to turn red soon.”
A fifty second countdown was starting in blinking numbers beneath the street lights. Jongin thought they could wait that long. He watched traffic whoosh by like a blast of wind. Their school uniforms billowed in reply. When the vehicles finally ceased, Jongin grabbed her hand to pull her along.
“We’ll have to cross the street again.” Namjoo mum
Comments