To Find Something True

※ forty-six

Jiah faced Jinyoung. She said, "We need to get you treated."

"How about my father?"

"Don't mind him!" she yelled.

"You'll get in jail if something happens to appa!" Jinyoung yelled back. That got Jiah mum. She only stared at him with her chest deeply rising up and down.

Finally, she stood up, shaking her head and fished out her phone from the jeans' pocket. She dialed the emergency service number and within a second, her call was answered. The operator greeted her, asking her what her emergency was. Explaining someone was injured, telling the address and situation, she even added, "There will be their neighbor waiting for you."

**********

Seokjin insisted that he would pay the hospital bills for them when they found out the bills were higher than they had expected. To lessen his burden, Jiah suggested splitting the bills with her. He was adamant at first, but when she told him that having him pay for everything would make her feel bad, he finally gave in.

The seven-year-old Yina fell asleep on Jiah's lap. Her head rested on her chest, and the petite body was secure in Jiah's arms. On her left, the ten-year-old Chan also fell asleep; his head rested on the side of her arm.

On her right, there sat fifteen-year-old Jinyoung. A big, square bandaid on one of his cheeks and forehead. His eyes, arm, and the corner of his lips remained bruised even after treatment.

Knowing that a soft voice would echo in the hospital, she spoke carefully, "I haven't been able to reach you guys." She turned her head to Jinyoung. "Why is that?"

Jinyoung inhaled a deep sigh. He let his sigh echo in the silence for a while. "Appa sold my phone. He smashed Shinhye noona's phone when she threatened to report him to the police," he explained.

"But there's a payphone nearby."

"Appa took all of our money... He didn't even bother to leave a coin. Once we were desperate, so we knocked on the neighbor's house. But no one opened their doors."

That detail hurt Jiah. She released a sigh. Then, she asked, "Have you guys been eating well?" Jinyoung peered at her with hesitancy. "Please be honest," she said.

"No," he whispered. "I managed to steal from the supermarket, though."

Jiah looked at him, stiffened. "Does your sister know?"

"She does. Noona was mad at first. But I told her I steal food for our younger siblings," he said, looking at Yina in Jiah's arm and allowed a pause. "They are so young and always hungry. If stealing isn't a crime, I would have continued doing it for them. And noona doesn't have to come home tired every day."

"Why did she resign from working at the café?"

Jinyoung looked at her. "I think noona told you about her issue with the café."

Jiah nodded and said, "She did. Something happened?"

"The boss's wife assaulted her. I was there when that happened," he said. "She accused Shinhye noona of things she didn't do and pulled her hair. Even tried to scratch her face."

"That lady is sick," Jiah spat.

"Obviously. I heard that her husband hasn't given her enough attention, and she was jealous her husband has been treating the women staff nicely."

Snorting, she said, "The way you said that, goodness! You sounded like you're forty."

Jinyoung let out a breathy laugh.