Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Pushing the door open- her eyes wandered around the room searching for the one person she wanted to meet right now. When her eyes caught sight of him, she ran to him and immediately hugged him, crying as soon as she felt his touch.
"Jihae? Are you alright?" He asked, concerned as he tilted his head to look at the girl's face. She shook her head- her cheek pressed against his chest, her hands interlocked at the back of his waist, warmth radiating off his chest.
"Jihae" He called out her name, softly. Sniffling, she broke the hug. "Sorry.. that was so sudden" She said, avoiding his gaze as she looked down at the floor. "What happened Jihae?" He asked, bending down to take a look at her face.
"I fought.. with my mom" She said. "Look up" He said and the girl shook her head. "Look at me Jihae" He said as he placed his hand on her chin, lifting her head up giving him a clear view of her. Her eyes were filled with tears and a red mark evident on her cheek.
He brought his thumb to her cheek, brushing his finger on the mark as softly as he could in order to not hurt her. The girl winced at his touch- feeling the stinging sensation and he instantly retracted his hand back. He held her hand and dragged the girl along with him, outside the store to a more calm and open place.
Jihae silently stood beside Jaemin, looking down, debating with herself whether she could speak out her problems to him or not because ranting her problems to someone made her feel better- it was always Renjun so she didn't know if Jaemin was fine with hearing her out or not. "I'm a good listener Jihae, I'll hear you out" Jaemin said as though he could read her thoughts, looking at the girl beside him.
Nodding she began speaking and Jaemin just quietly listened to the girl. "Mrs. Lee called my mom and said she wanted the wedding next month. I told my mom everything he did yet she didn't change her mind. I told her that I hate getting married to someone I don't like when I'm just 18 but she doesn't care. I want to call the wedding off and cut ties with their business but she would never let me do anything against her will."
"My mom couldn't see through why Mrs. Lee wanted the wedding at the earliest. Her sales are falling down cause of the news about Jeno and now she needs a support- our company. My mom is too blinded by the money to figure out her real intentions." She let out a dry laugh.
"My mom cares about the business more than me, she was not always like that though. My mom and dad were forced to marry each other cause of a contract between the two families but the business faced huge loss after my dad trusted his friend despite my mom saying he wasn't the right person to handover the company to."
"He then became a drug addict and even abused my mom. She tried to change him but it was a vain attempt. When I was 10, they divorced and my mom took care of me, all alone by herself. I still remember, after they divorced, we two spent a whole year on the streets- one meal a day was also hard to afford, no shelter, no proper clothing, literally nothing. We suffered alone, my dad never once bothered about us after that day"
"Later my mom confronted her old school friend who helped her to start a business and that's how Seo Enterprises started. I'm very glad we're in this position today- my ten year old would've never thought we would live like this in the future." She smiled.
"Despite experiencing all of this herself, she still forces me to get wedded to Jeno just for the business. I don't want to live a life like hers Jaem, I can't willingly sacrifice my future for a stupid business. I don't get why she doesn't understand me? She was in my position once too right?? I just want to run away from all my problems Jaem..I can't face them" Jihae said, looking at him with a sad frown on her face.
"You're a strong one Jihae. Don't run away from your problems- face them. It's ironic coming from me cause I was also running away from my problems but you helped me face it and fight for it. If you can do all of that for a friend, you can definitely stand for your own self Jihae" He said looking at the girl who listened to his words.
"I'm calling the wedding off Jaem, I can't do this. I don't care what consequences I'll have to face but it's definitely better than sharing my future with Jeno" Jihae said, making up her mind.
"Convince your mother Jihae, tell her how you feel. Don't fight with her, she's the only family you have Jihae, you wouldn't want to loose her. I'm sure she'll understand you cause she was once in your place too" Jaemin said, turning to face the girl. "Thank you Jaem, I feel better now" Jihae said, flashing him a smile.
He went inside the store, grabbing something before coming out. "Here, this should help" He said, pointing at the mark on her face as hander her the ointment. "Thanks" She smiled, taking it from him.
"Now get back home, it's late" She shook her head. "I'm not going home... I'm scared to confront my mom. She's scary at times" Jihae said- her lips naturally in a small pout, making him smile. "Just go, she's probably worried about you right now" He ruffled her hair, sending her a quick smile.
"No I'm not—" "I'll drop you home then" He said and she huffed out air before nodding. "Bye Jaem" She waved her hand at the boy before walking away from him.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Character development👀
This was a huge chapter compared to the others WOW
