Promise | pjm

2: Pink Cotton Candy

"It's decided Jimin ah, We wont take a no as an answer" He said and stood up after checking the time. "Now let's go, we have a meeting to attend"

~~~

"I TOLD YOU TO MAKE THE SOUP WARM! NOT HOT!" Haemi's father shouted and threw the hot soup on his daughter's shirt. Haemi shouted in pain meanwhile Hyebin was about to help her sister but stopped when she heard her father warned her

"If you go help your sister, I'll pour those boiled water on her" He pointes at a kettle that is on the stove. It is obvious that the water in there is hot because of the rising smoke

"Does it hurt?" Her father took the ladle and pressed it on Haemi's stomach. She just cried in pain

"I ASKED DOES IT HURT?!" he shouted and threw the ladle on the burnt mark. She shouted again and whimpered for mercy but instead, his father grabbed her hair harshly

"I asked, does it hurt?" He yanked her hair

"No father, It doesn't hurt" She answered weakly and with that, her father released her hair and went upstairs angrily

Both of the siblings were quiet until the old man's shadow was nowhere to be seen. Haemi fell on the floor with a loud thud and clutching her burning stomach when she heard a door slammed close

"Unnie" Hyebin cried and ran to her sister

"Hyebin ah.. Could you get some ice for me?" She asked and lifted her shirt after she saw the little girl nodded and went to get the ice. She doesn't want her sister to see the scars on her stomach

But unfortunately, she didnt realise that her sister already came to her with a towel of ice and she knew that she was too late to hide them when she heard the ice fell on the floor

Haemi looks towards the sound of thud and gasped when she saw her sister looks at her with a shock face. She covered her stomach and smiled sweetly to her

"Unnie.. your tummy.."

"Its nothing Hyebin ah.. now give me the ice"

Hyebin walks towards her after picking up the ice that she dropped and crouched beside her.

"Unnie did you get that because of me?" She trailed off and Haemi was silent. She couldn't answer because of the pain in her stomach

"Did you get those scars because of me?" Hyebin start sobbing

"No Hyebin ah it is not because of you soplease don't cry. We will get out of here soon. I promise" She hugged her and stood up

"How unnie?"

"Lets go to my workplace first" She said and dragged Hyebin outside after going upstairs to knock on her father's door, saying that she will go to work

*

"Haemi unnie, how do we get out of that house?" Hyebin asked cutely while skipping on the road with her sister beside her

"Just wait and see. But you must listen to every single word that I say. Do them without complaining okay?" She said and Hyebin nodded but stopped skipping when they walk past a park

"Unnie can you buy me that pink cotton candy? Hm?" She points to a cotton candy stall in the park and Haemi just nodded. Knowing that she couldn't resist the little girl's aegyo. Especially when she puffed out her chubby cheeks whenever she is upset

"I'll go get it. You wait here and do not, I repeat, DO NOT go anywhere. Understand?" She warns as soon as they arrived at a bench and Hyebin saluted her. Signalling that she understands whatever she was saying

Hyebin kicked her legs that was hanging on the bench and looks up when she heard a voice

"Hey little girl. Where is your mom?" The man asked and she looks at him sadly

"I dont know where she is.." She mumbled and sobbed when she thought of the happy moments when she was with her mom before their dad start getting abusive

"Oh really? That's sad. Let's go find her" The man crouched down to her level and she looks at his face

"Ahjusshi what's your name?" She asked and the man laughed

"Ahjusshi sounds old. I'm still young. You can call me oppa. Jiminie oppa" He pinched her chubby cheeks and smiled sweetly. His eyes turned into crescent shape and he holds out his hand for her to grab it

"Lets go find your mommy" He said and Hyebin grabbed his pinky. Both of them left the bench where Haemi warned her not to leave it and went to where they dont even know

"Jiminie Oppa" Hyebin tugged his pinky and he looks at her sweetly

"Hm?"

"Why did you came to this park?" She asked and Jimin sighed. He looks forward and continued walking slowly

*Sigh* "I dont know little girl.. I had a lot in mind and maybe come to this park can help me to ease them" He said

"Oh? Can I know one?"

"Er.. okay. My mom and dad told me to marry a girl I dont know. And my girlfriend is upset because of that. My parents doesn't like my girlfriend because they said she uses my money" He crouched down to her level

"Whoa are you rich?" Hyebin asked and Jimin laughed

"Quite one" He pats her head and a realisation hits him "Hey little girl, you haven't tell me your name"

"Oh? Sorry. My name is Cha-"

"HYEBIN AH"

Both of them looks towards the source of the voice and saw Haemi running towards Hyebin while holding a pink cotton candy. She was near to crying

"I thought I lost you!" She lifted her tiny frame and Jimin stood up. Hyebin giggled cutely when Haemi spins her

"Whoa I felt my heart was going to burst if I cant find you in another minute. I told you not to leave the bench!" Haemi scolds after she put the little girl on a bench

"Sorry.." Hyebin mumbled

"Hey dont be so harsh on the little girl" Jimin said and Haemi looks at him with wide eyes

"Ehem.. Who are you?" She raised an eyebrow

"Jiminie Oppa!" Hyebin answered instead and Jimin smiled to the little girl

"That's me. You couldn't just scold your daughter like that. It was my fault. I thought she was lost so I decided to help her to find you?" Jimin said and Hyebin snorted

"Pft"

"Excuse me?! What do you mean by daugh-"

"Mommy.. I want the cotton candy~" Hyebin cuts her off and Haemi looks at her with wide eyes. Hyebin winked and Haemi just furrowed her eyebrows

"Cant you hear the little girl? She wants the cotton candy" Jimin snatched the pink thing and unwrapped the plastic then give it to Hyebin. Haemi was silent. She was trying so hard to process what is happening right now

"What kind of mother are you? You dont even look one" He looks her from head to toes and Hyebin was trying so hard not to laugh

"So if you dont mind, I will go now" He said arrogantly to Haemi and crouched down to the little girl beside her "Bye bye little girl. See you again if I get to" He smiled and pats her head before leaving the two of them alone

"What on earth just happened? Why was I the mom?" Haemi asked

"I decided to toy with him. He looks too easy to be deceived" Hyebin shrugs before taking another bite on her cotton candy