21st November 2024

Jiyoon raises an eyebrow when she comes home to only Sohyun flipping through some Biology book or another. Sohyun’s idea of enjoyment.

“Hakyeon oppa is out with his girlfriend, he said that they were going to be studying for finals. One wonders if they study for finals in the library or the bedroom. Taekwoon oppa is out studying with friends. I think he studies in the library. Hyuna unnie is staying back in school to do a project. I think Hongbinnie is out again on one of his photography expeditions.”

“I trust you’ve eaten already?”

“If I haven’t, I think I would be screaming of hunger already.”

“Are they coming home tonight?”

“None of them mentioned anything about not coming home. Unnie, you can come to your own conclusions.”

Jiyoon laughs at Sohyun’s dig, “that means I don’t need to wait up for anyone because who knows what time Hakyeon will come back.”

“It feels really weird, because suddenly I’m the one with all the time on my hands and everyone else is busy with something.”

---

“Who’s going to visit Leo today?” Hwajae shouts as he enters and throws the keys on the dining table.

“Where’s Sujeong noona?” N demands, probably more threateningly than he should have.

“She had to attend to a recording, so she can’t go with you’ll today,” Hwajae explains, even tempered.

“Ilsoo’s coming too. The rest couldn’t get off.”

“I’m here, I’m here!” Ilsoo pants as she pulls her jacket into place.

-

“I guess I’ll come to pick you’ll up in an hour’s time?”

“You don’t have to rush,” N replies, eyes already set on Leo, “and I’ll take care of Ilsoo.”

Hwajae spends the next hour buying dinner for the kids and doing some grocery shopping.

He returns to find Ilsoo sobbing silently by Leo’s beside, telling him something about getting bullied in school, and Leo wrapping his good arm around her.

“Stay strong, Ilsoo, it’ll all be over soon, then you’ll get to change class,” Leo whispers.

“The best revenge is to get good grades and kick them in the !” N adds encouragingly.

“It’s not like you can quit anyway.”

Hwajae sees N’s heart literally break at the other’s mumbled words. The irony of the situation was obvious.

“You’re stronger than that.”

-

“Sujeong noona, I don’t feel alive,” Leo whispers as he lies in bed as she tucks him into bed, careful to mind his injuries. Sujeong is just glad that he’s actually talking.

“I miss football so much. So, so much,” he continues.

“I wasn’t expecting to feel this way when I quit. But I really couldn’t take the abuse anymore. And I know, that this story only ends up with me broken.”

Leo blows out a column of air, “and as much as I love football, I don’t want it to permanently break me. So I had no choice but to quit.”

“You’ll find something else, my dear. You will, so don’t you worry about it. You’ll find something else that’ll make you feel alive.”

“I very much want to believe you noona. But I don’t know if I do. Not when I took more physical abuse than I would ever imagine I would tolerate. Or psychological abuse that you don’t even want to hear, noona.”

“Do you want to see a counselor?”

“I started seeing the one in school recently,” he forces a laugh, “and I don’t know but she thought it was about my family background or something. I had to convince her that it was not and I love everyone.”

“I love you, you know that right?”

-

Sujeong potters around the stationery section in the bookshop, picking up coloured pens, glitter pens, markers and an assortment of cute stationery. Usually, she would not approve this kind of spending, but money was nowhere as tight as it used to be, seeing that she had gotten somewhere in her career. Not to mention, there were more important considerations than saving a few dollars on stationery.

She decides to buy a pleasant roomy pencil case too, to store all the writing materials that Hyesu adored so much.

“Here,” Sujeong deadpans, chucking the pencil case with all the stationery tucked away inside on the table in front of Hyesu.

Hyesu her head to a side, and zips the pencil case open curiously, “is this for me?”

“Is there anyone else here?”

“Thank you, Sujeong unnie!” she smiles brightly in response.