“Detention for the wall thing?” HaYeon asked as she bumped into the boys after school that day lugging buckets of water into a classroom nearby, their school coats hanging off their arms as they struggling to fling the sweat out of their eye as they moved along.

“Yes.” TaeHyung forced out faintly as he tried his best to transport both bucketsful of water, a clumsy Jimin following behind, spilling some water as he goes along.

“But … why do you need so much water?” HaYeon questioned as she attempted to help but was shooed away by the boys.

“The bastard wants a thorough wipe down. Pretty sure he is just messing around with us with all these cleaning and taking it to his advantage that psycho.” Jimin breathed out heavily as the two finally arrived in the classroom, a concerned HaYeon tagging behind.

 

HaYeon wore a look of sorry as she tried to help out here and there only to be stopped by the boys.

“Yah, if you are really sorry, just go home now. We will take care of things here so don’t worry and go home.” TaeHyung said, as he pushed the mop into the bucket and swiped it around the floor half-heartedly. “We are the masters of detention.”

HaYeon smiled at the boys’ attempts but stood by the door a little longer, watching the boys, feeling bad for really leaving.

“Why are you still here?” TaeHyung sighed, but softened again, “or do you not want to go home? You can come to our house if you want. Do you know the way there?”

Jimin was also quick to add, “The key is in the flower pot beside the door. Its rusty so just turn it a couple of time. It’s only JungKook-“

HaYeon shook her head again this time, grabbing on the strap of her backpack tighter and forced out a smile. As much as she wanted to run off to their house again where she was free from her father, knowing that if she were to return today she would get beaten up for running away, but the thought of leaving Mrs Jung and HwanHee in that house was tormenting. “I… have to go home. HwanHee is there alone.” She tried to sound okay but worry tinted her voice and the boys caught on immediately. Even so, no one said a word as they knew it was something she had to do.

“If you need us, just give me a call.” TaeHyung assured her again, unsure of what else he could say.

But without a word, HaYeon just turned and left, a smile plastered on her face as she disappeared behind the walls.

 

 

It was only a little past 6pm but the sun was already beginning to set and the wind turned colder than before. HaYeon shuffled down the street, dreading each step she took closer to home. As she stood before the gate, she contemplated as usual before fiddling with the lock and stepping in.

It was only 3 days since she came home but she felt like she had just gone months away from hell. Those three days were surprisingly good. Too good to be true. Too good that it made her feel queasy and bad.

The house was quiet with HwanHee’s soft cackling filling the room. Just by the looks of it, she knew her father was not home yet. Hurriedly, she ran into the kitchen and informed Mrs Jung that she was home before locking herself in her room with HwanHee.

It was back to the routine of fear and escape again.

Nothing has changed.

Nothing is going to change.

 

 

The amazing smell of kimchi stew waved through the air and tingled her tongue. It made her realize how much she missed the food Mrs Jung made and she couldn’t feel more blessed to taste it again. Cheerily, she invited Mrs Jung to eat together with them, to which Mrs Jung gladly accepted, serving herself some warm food. It was almost like how it was at the boys’ house, she thought to herself, silently reprimanding herself for trying to replicate what the boys had. But she couldn’t help herself. They seemed to have nothing, but in fact they had almost everything she ever wanted.

HaYeon hadn’t known how long it has been since she had settled down in the kitchen for dinner with HwanHee strapped to an infant’s chair beside her but the moment heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, she froze. It was way earlier than the time her father usually comes home but right then and there she knew that that sort of peacefulness was too good to last.

Mrs Jung quickly scampered to get rid of all the dinner plates and quickly shoved HaYeon in the direction of the stairs before her father caught up with them. The footsteps became louder and in a state of hurry, HaYeon clumsily unstrapped HwanHee and pulled her out of the chair carelessly, causing her tender skin to be scratched under the seat’s handles. It started to turn into red patches and blood threatened to squeeze through bits of the torn skin any moment.

 

Desperately, HaYeon apologized as she ran in the direction of her room, reckoning that she could just get there as soon as possible and treat it.

But what she feared most happened.

HwanHee started crying. She started wailing and screaming. And before they knew it, a sturdy hand grabbed HaYeon by the shoulder and turned her around. The delicious smell of home cook food that wafted through the air before was replaced with a nauseating smell of alcohol. HaYeon closed her eyes defensively as she tried to shield the crying HwanHee with her body.

“Aish that little thing is crying again. EVERY SINGLE TIME I COME HOME SHE IS CRYING! How I wish I could kill that thing.” Her father spoke with a cynical voice, his face crooked from the smirk he flashed at the frightened infant.

“Don’t you dare touch her,” HaYeon hissed daringly, inching her way closer to Mrs Jung, passing HwanHee to her and ordering her to go away. She knew what was coming, so she had to act fast, and protect whoever needed to be protected first. Unfortunately for her, the moment HwanHee left her arms, a punch met with the back of her head sending her arching over the table from the blow.

 

“Stupid girl, STUPID !” Her father roared as she tried to block his hits as much as she could, still unabl