Through the Fire | j.jk

18

EIGHTEEN

       Tension floated around the room. The sound of the utensils hitting the plates was the only thing heard in the dining room. It was turning into an awkward dinner. You could throw a pin on the floor and it could be heard clearly.

"You look beautiful, Nari." Chae-ha told her.

"Thank you." she smiled.

Jimin didn't even stare at her, he just kept moving his food. Nari guessed that he was feeling uncomfortable by Ara's stare's.

Her mother cleared her throat, "You guys were so close, you even slept on the same bed."

She averted her eyes to her food. She was blushing again. There was no need for her to bring that up once more.

      They both kept bringing up stuff that they did. The only thing she remembered was that one boy kept messing with her when she was in pre-school.

Chae-ha took her phone out and showed all of them a picture.

"This was one of the times that we stayed at your house back in Incheon." she answered.

On the picture there was two toddlers holding onto each other tightly. The little boy held onto the little girl as if she was his only source of comfort. The little girl smiled in content as she snuggled to him.

"I remember!" her mother exclaimed as she continued to eat her ramen.

       Ara had been staring at Jimin the whole dinner. No one could tear her eyes away from him. Nari kicked her under the table trying to stop her from staring creepily at him.

    Jimin and Chae-ha were seated in front of them. That made things even more awkward.

      "So you guys are close friends in school?" Chae-ha asked Jimin.

       Nari was about to answer but he cut her to it, "Yeah."

       Are you kidding me, Park Jimin?

She out of all people knew that they weren't close at all. They bickered all the time. Another lie to add to the list.

"How did you meet dad?" Nari asked out of curiosity.

        She didn't want to see her dad in person. She still wanted to hear stories of how he was.

      Chae-ha almost choked on her ramen, "Uh–your father and I were friends in college."

Nari nodded.

Her mind replayed her days where she saw other children with her fathers. She always asked why she didn't have a father, where was he?

"Did he leave you too?" she mumbled.

Her eyes were filled with tears. He left them, without saying goodbye.

They all stared at her wide eyed. No one expected her to ask that question.

"Nari–" her mother asked but she had left the dinning table before she even finished.

She ran to the door and swung it open. Nari sat on the curb and put her hands on her face.

Her muffled crying turned into loud sobs.

She hated him, but she also missed him.

He's her father after all.