Lecturing Fragile Hearts

As she sat on the front row of the bus, Roxanne was only replaying moments of what happened back at her and Jinki's "date".  That someone she had only met because of a small accident was suddenly an unforgettable friend to her.  Not just another one of those just-when-you-need-them friends, but someone who would actually be there for her.  She could feel it, because feeling was her best way of living ever since.

"Roxanne, we're here."  The driver announced to her.  He unbuckled himself from the seat and went to bring Roxanne at the bus stop.

"Thank you, Mr. Young."  She smiled sincerely.

Mr. Young patted her on the shoulder lightly.  "No problem, Roxanne-ssi.  Be careful."

"You, too," she waved at him despite her bad aim.

The walk home was silent, the wind whispering silently as Roxanne walked against it.  The branches swayed again, and it was just like any other night she had to walk home.

She panicked.  Home.

Her mom.

Roxanne ran as fast as she could, trying to memorize the path from the bus stop to her house.  She succeeded, shielding herself from anything that might bump into her accidently.  She knew she was standing in front of their house when the door opened immediately.

She walked in, careful.

"It was about time you arrived home."  Her mother sat sternfully on the couch, "reading" the newspaper.  "I thought you had forgotten you had a mother, not just a nanny."

Roxanne made her grip around her bag tighter until she swore her knuckles turned white. "Y-Yes umma. Jun mal mianhe.."

"Where were you?" her mother questioned.

"I was... Well, I was on a date" she replied softly.

"On a date?! You know I do not like it when you leave this house! And who would ever want to date someone like you? You're so full of flaws" her mother sighed and shook her head. "I guess I'll just have to expand your studies until 9 pm now"

"But mother! I go to the groceries with nanny every Thursday!" Roxanne protested. "And I was supposed to go out with my date agai--"

"Well, it's about time you stop. You.. You leave this house to be around so many.. peasants in that filthy market!" her mother shrieked. "You are not leaving this house"

"Mother I'm already 18. Why--"

"I hope this does not happen again, Park Soojin" she hissed, closed the newspaper that she hadn't even cared to read, and walked up the stairs. "And make your own way up the stairs!"

"B-But mother.." Roxanne's eyes started to water.

"Goodnight" she called as she turned off every light on her way to her room.

Roxanne fell on her knees and started to cry softly. Her mother never understood her and the days that she wasn't doing any work, she would just spend it yelling at her.

Roxanne heard someone turn on the light from the kitchen and ran to her quickly.

"Roxanne, why are you on the floor this late at night? Where were you?" her nanny asked, helping her up.

Roxanne wiped away her tears and sniffed. "I-I was on a date"

"..With Jinki?" her nanny smiled.

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