♪ because i'm a woman

“Omma, appa! Open the door!” Aejin shouted as she, restlessly, continued beating her fists against the barrier keeping her and Minwoo locked out in the cold. She had been at it for a little under an hour now and her result has not altered.

Once she was thrown out and onto the ground roughly by her father, the same man who raised her since she had the capability to breathe, her mind had drawn a blank. He had never been so aggressive towards her. Sure, he hit her when she was a child but what parent didn’t when their child disobeyed? However, tonight he had taken it to a whole new level.

Aejin hadn’t a clue at what she should do. Her mind was still in the middle of processing everything that just happened. Had he really thrown her out like she was some trash? All of these thoughts were running free and wild in her mind but they were all killed off once he did the unthinkable and announced that he was going to sever all their blood ties.

She felt her entire world, and all she had ever known, crumbling down into dust at her feet.

At first, Aejin didn’t want to believe the poisonous words that had intruded her ears. She, earnestly, wanted her ears to have heard wrong. But when she realized they had not malfunctioned, she could only pray that his claim would only be a harmless threat which was birthed as a result of his current rage. Something he didn’t mean. Something he wouldn’t follow through with.

She thought he’d allow them back in once he had calmed down so that they could talk things out. However, that proved to not be the case as she stood there screaming her lungs out.

“Appa! Please open the door! You can’t do this!” she pleaded. She was starting to lose energy as her arms weakened. Soon her powerful pouncing diminished into nearly inaudible taps.

When she finally concluded that this was reality. That her wishes were nothing but wishes, she slowly sank to the floor. Standing on her knees now, she stared immobilized at the floor beneath her. “This can’t be happening,” she croaked.

“A-are you okay?” Minwoo stuttered as he walked up besides her.

“How can I be okay?” She mumbled completely defeated and worn out. “My loving family, they don’t want me anymore.” As her father’s last words assimilated further into her brain it snuck its way to her heart and Aejin started experiencing the emotional pain her body tried numbing out earlier.

Tears began b her eyes as she tried stopping them from flowing. But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. She started sobbing; her tears were endless as she held onto her chest. Next, she forced herself to her feet and pressed the back of her hand against in attempt to muffle out her bawling.

Then she regained energy and resumed her ruthless banging. “Omma! Appa! Do you g-guys not love me?” her voice staggered. Her words were slightly distorted also by the sound of her cries being mixed in.

“I thought you guys loved me,” she whispered as her cheek kissed the frame and more tears escaped. “How can you do this? Where are we supposed to go? I need you,” she closed her eyes and exhaled a ragged breath. Her palm pressed up against the door as well and when all things fell silent, Aejin pushed herself off.

She stumbled to the side as though she was a drunkard. “Hey, halmeoni. Do you want to stop crying like a baby?” Minwoo requested as he tugged onto her sleeve. Hearing what he said, Aejin grew angry. This was no time for jokes.

Harshly, she yanked away from his grasp and glared at him. “This is your fault!” she pointed an accusing finger at him. “It’s because of you that they’ve disowned me!” The child’s eyes rounded and started to glisten as he stared at a very enraged Aejin. The A