thank you all for 1k reads!! <3
enjoy the chapter and i hope you like the new simplistic cover for the book! there's a chance i might change it back, but idk, lmk thoughts !
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She stares at them
as if a galaxy had been made,
she listens to them
as if their existence was more than rare,
she consumes their voice
as if it's the last sound she'll ever hear.
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"So, you're planning on just leaving me here? By myself? While you fly to a whole other country to visit Dad?"
It was a new morning and Hyejin already finds herself to be awoken with a fit of confusion and frustration. The amount of unanswered questions made her mentally exhausted to even find the answers for them, but it was enough to make her feel a sudden rush of anger in her system. She knew that her mother wouldn't answer them, or perhaps the woman didn't have the answer yet. Whatever it was, she just needed to let out the lava inside of her.
Judging from the dead look on her mother's face𑁋the woman sitting at the dining table sipping on a plain cup of coffee𑁋and her tense posture, she knew there would be some sort of exchange of arguments that'll happen regardless.
"How can you avoid talking to me for weeks, then suddenly telling me that you're going on some sort of vacation?" Hyejin tried her best to not raise her voice, and though it wasn't exactly working, she hoped her mother wouldn't be the one to return with an aggressive attitude of her own, thus making Hyejin snap and lose her self-control. "That's just so stupid!"
That's how it would be when she finally reached her limit: losing her self-control and being unaware of everything around her. She hated the times when she would be angry as losing her self-control wouldn't exactly be a good thing for her and perhaps the other people around her. She was scared of the power she might have with her words—that's why she's always cautious with what she's saying, or sometimes she just doesn't speak at all and just lets it all come to her.
She was scared of hurting someone from her words.
Just like at her other schools.
The very first time she had moved schools was due to the bullying, yet her anger was also responsible such so. It happened during such a young age𑁋it made just be deemed as a simple temper tantrum, but making a couple of 10-year-old boys cry wasn't exactly a good thing at the time to her, her parents, and the school. And making one of them head home with a broken nose really didn't help her already tarnished reputation at all.
That was a very fun year. Hyejin thinks, mentally rolling her eyes.
"Don't raise your tone on me, Ahn Hyejin," her mother warns, tone of voice monotone. "It's not a vacation, simply a brief trip to tend to some business. I have to talk with your father about a few things, since he won't be back for another month or so."
Great, that makes it sound even more suspicious when you don't even tell me. Hyejin urges in her mind, feeling her fists clench tightly together next to her, making her nails dig into her skin.
"Is it about me?" she tests, the fake impoliteness in her voice totally poisoning her. "That's what you said to me𑁋this is because of me, right? What are you trying to get me to do? What the hell𑁋th-this doesn't have to be a big deal if you'll just tell me!"
Her mother just continued to remain silent, mouth completely shut while still sipping back on some of the coffee. Hyejin could only groan in response, shaking her head and crossing her arms together with a helpless expression on her face. She clenches her jaw together, trying to contain herself.
"God, you are just hopeless," she spits out angrily in the direction of her mother, feet stomping in the direction back to her bedroom, a spontaneous decision popping up in her head. "I'm going out, don't bother looking for me."
She knew that her mother wouldn't bother to find her anyways.
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Wheein finds herself sprawled atop the couch in the small living room in her home, limbs stretched out on the furniture with the television turned on in the distance that she wasn't exactly listening to. It sounded like the news, yet she doesn't bother to figure out what was making the world go downhill.
It was around evening time, the world outside darkening by each passing minute. The whole entire day had been completely uneventful𑁋mostly catching up with her schoolwork, drawing, and even boring to the point where she had the sudden motivation to clean her room up. It was all still peaceful to do though𑁋no one around to distract her from anything as the quiet peacefulness was all she longed for.
Her sketchbook was sitting on her stomach, in a standing position as she continues to allow her pencil to glide over the smooth piece of paper. The magic of the pencil and the power of pressure as the mixture of dark and light lines filled the the paper, shaped in the texture to mimic some long, flowing hair. Perfecting this part of the drawing took a lot of hard work, and Wheein was determined to finish it no matter what tried to stop her. She knew that the drawing would mean a lot to her𑁋she just didn't know how much it would mean to her.
At the corner of her eye, she could see her grandmother in the wheelchair, eyes fixated towards the television and body completely frozen. She momentarily glances towards the bright screen of the television, a low sigh emitting from her mouth before focusing back on the drawing. Yet, it suddenly felt as if all of her motivation had left her, making her place the sketchbook back on the table.
She stands up, making her way over towards her grandmother and placing her hairs on the older woman's shoulder, leaning in close to whisper lightly, "Halmeoni, are you hungry now? I could go make us some food if you'd like."
It takes a few moments for her grandmother to respond with a simple nod of the head, making a small smile cross Wheein's face as she leaves the woman's grasp to head into the kitchen. She separates her bangs away from her face, opening up the fridge and allowing her eyes to scan over the various contents inside.
A frown quickly replaces her face. The fridge was almost completely empty, with the exception of a couple of tomatoes and vegetables, a carton of milk, and a single egg inside of its box. Wheein just sighs, as she shuts the fridge closed again, letting the warm air surround her once more.
Heading back to the living room, Wheein sits back down on the couch again. Her expression was full of despair, hands digging inside the pocket of the sweater that she was wearing in the hopes of magically pulling something out that could be useful.
However an idea pops inside her head, transitioning her hands from the pocket of her sweater to the pocket of her sweatpants. When feeling that they were both empty, she stands up again to walk towards her bedroom to find her wallet. She was hopeful to find some spare cash that may be lingering around the house to buy a meal for herself and her grandmother, or just for her grandmother. As long as her grandmother ate, it was okay for her.
But she only fished out a couple of bills𑁋the only likely item she could possibly buy was some cup ramen, knowing that wouldn't be enough at all.
Wheein releases a defeated sigh, molding herself back into the protective arms of the couch. She curls her legs up and leans her head down on the pillow, now seeing the world in portrait mode. For a moment, she loses herself in thought, as the swirling of emotions slowly come back to her𑁋how she had little money and almost no food, how much of a burden she felt toward herself and her grandmother, no actual-working job to be involved in since all of them would decline, among other things.
Suddenly, the phone rings, startling Wheein out of her head as she lazily reaches over to the device on the small coffee table. Her vision adjusts slightly, reading the name aloud in her head: Hyoyeon-ssi. A faint smile makes its way on her face, feeling suddenly victorious as if Hyoyeon had unknowingly saved her from doing something dangerous.
Wheein accepts the call naturally, putting the phone to her ear and mumbling a weak, "Hello?"
"Wheein-ah! I'm so glad you answered. I'm just calling to check up on both of you, is everything fine over there?"
Wheein lets some silence pass between her and Hyoyeon, listening to the mumbles in the background coming from the woman's line. She was so tempted to say that everything was okay, even though it clearly wasn't. She knew that Hyoyeon didn't at all like it when she would lie; the woman had a good radar of catching her over the years, so there wasn't really any point in trying anymore.
"Not really..." the girl ends up muttering. "Um... there's not much food over here. I-I was planning to go out with the cash I have to try and find something, but there's not enough𑁋"
"I can head over there right now for dinner," Hyoyeon's voice makes her shut up. "There's quite a lot of leftovers here. I don't want you to waste your money, okay? Plus, we haven't had dinner together in a while, so it's the least I can do to help you."
The thought of food makes Wheein's mouth water slightly, stunned at the offer as if it was the last thing she expected to hear. She tries to bring the phone closer to her ear if that was even possible, answering with a nod.
"Y-Yeah, okay, thank you, unnie."
"Don't mention it. I'll be there soon."
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Wheein finalises fixing up the dining table since Hyoyeon was on her way, wiping the shiny surface of the circular table to make it spotless. She rarely had guests over at her house nowadays𑁋though Hyoyeon was an exception, but it still made her anxious𑁋so someone could say that she still felt completely unprepared with even the closest people coming over to her home. She always had this running feeling down her spine that they would be silently judging her.
Hyoyeon had been taking care of her and her grandmother for years ever since her mother passed away, and she could never be anymore grateful for her. The woman felt like her second mother, and if it was possible to reward her back everything she had done for them, it would take a million years of 'thank yous'.
As she finishes cleaning, throwing away the towel back into the laundry bin, a couple of distinct knocks on the door makes her become alert. Hyoyeon always had this specific sort of pattern of knocks so that Wheein would know it was her. The girl releases a breath, making her way to the front door and slowly opening it.
"Good evening, Hyoyeon-ssi," she politely greets, bowing down. Once the door was fully opened, Wheein's eyes grew wide to the two bags of food that the woman had secured in her arms. "That's... that's a lot of food."
Hyoyeon just chuckles, greeting Wheein with a slight bow before entering herself into the home.
"Yeah, I know it is, because I had another offer in mind." she admits, dropping the bags on top of the dining table and beginning to unravel it, taking out what seemed like containers of food𑁋Wheein could pinpoint some of them: kimchi, tteokbokki, and even some gimbap.
Wheein lifts a brow. "Another... offer?"
"Well, not exactly an offer, more of a request." Hyoyeon lights up in the girl's direction, a sweet smile on her face. The woman takes a couple of moments to take out the containers and boxes of food on the table before walking past the girl into the living room and towards Wheein's grandmother. She reaches over to grab the old woman's hand into hers, placing a kiss on it. Seeing that made Wheein's heart sink𑁋she adored seeing the strong relationship Hyoyeon would have with her grandmother.
"What kind... what kind of request is it?" she asks.
The smile still doesn't leave Hyoyeon's face. "How about you invite your friend over here? Hyejin, right? There's too much food here to be able to finish between all three of us."
Hyejin. The name makes Wheein's chest tighten and breath suddenly hitch. It never failed to do that to her every time she would think about the girl, which she found herself doing so more on... a daily basis.
"You... you want me to invite Hyejin over here?" Wheein knew that she considered Hyejin one of her friends, if not a very close friend, yet the anxiety of inviting her in her home didn't ease at all. What if Hyejin would judge her for nearly living alone? No sort of parental support in sight besides Hyoyeon? Her mind ran with countless questions.
"It's completely your choice, honey, I'm not forcing you," Hyoyeon says from the kitchen, washing her hands at the sink. "I just know that Hyejin is special to you, right?"
For sure the girl was special to Wheein in the most confusing way possible. This girl𑁋Ahn Hyein𑁋her first friend in a very long time, was no doubt to be very special.
Wheein swallows a lump in her throat, rustling through the deep pocket of her sweater to find her phone. "Y-Yeah, I can invite her. I can, um, text her right now."
Hyoyeon wipes her hands on a towel, heading back into the living to gently secure Wheein's grandmother's wheelchair, pushing the old woman towards the dining room to prepare to eat. "Sounds good."
Wheein just stares down at her reflection on her phone screen, illuminating it on and switching to her text messages was Hyejin. She wasn't exactly the type of person to initiate conversation, or to text in general, so she felt terrified of typing something wrong and not realising it, even with Hyejin.
But the thought doesn't stop her.
angel 🤍
hyejin?
Read at 8:02 p.m.
It surprises Wheein how fast the girl would read the message, sending a text in response not even a moment later.
hyejin 💛
angel? i didn't expect you to
text me. is everything okay?
The nickname makes Wheein's heart jump, and the message manages to soothe her. Even though Hyejin wasn't next to her, just thinking about her voice never failed to help Wheein calm herself down.
angel 🤍
i'm doing okay.
are you okay?
Read at 8:03 p.m.
hyejin 💛
i've had worse days, i'm doing okay.
is there something that you need,
angel?
Wheein studies the message carefully, not knowing how to respond. It made her heart quicken with worry as she read it at least five times to herself. Was Hyejin okay? Did something happen to her?
angel 🤍
you don't seem okay.
Read at 8:06 p.m.
hyejin 💛
i promise i'm okay, alright?
i'm sorry, today wasn't
exactly the best.
angel 🤍
do you want to talk about
it?
Read at 8:08 p.m.
Wheein knew how much Hyejin would vent out her feelings to her, and that she would listen, just like those moments they shared under the cherry blossom tree at school. She adored listening to Hyejin no matter what as if the girl was some sort of rareness to be found.
hyejin 💛
i'd love to, but i would
prefer to be next to you
to do so.
A low gasp leaves Wheein, looking up to see that Hyoyeon didn't seem to notice𑁋the woman only continuing to assist her grandmother with setting up food on a plate. She looks back down at her phone, releasing a deep breath, a blush stinging at her cheeks as she reread the message with an unknowing smile on her face.
This is it, she mentally tells herself. This is when I tell her to come here for dinner. Come on, Wheein, you can do it... you can do it...
And so she does.
angel 🤍
there's dinner here, at my
home. maybe you can come
here?
Read at 8:11 p.m.
hyejin 💛
dinner? just the
two of us?
angel 🤍
hyoyeon-ssi is here and
my grandmother, if that's okay.
if you don't want to, i understand.
Read at 8:12 p.m.
This time, Hyejin doesn't seem to respond right away, leaving the message on read. Wheein washes herself with sudden guilt, surrounding herself with a continuous voice telling her that this wasn't the best time to ask if Hyejin was actually going through something. She hated blaming herself for every type of situation𑁋no matter if it was that much important or not.
However, Hyejin does respond.
hyejin 💛
of course that's okay
with me. i'm near the area.
i'll see you in a couple of
minutes?
Wheein lifts a surprised brow. Hyejin was already in the area? Did Hyejin somehow know she was going to text her about this? Or was she already close before? However she just stops questioning it as the excitement inside of her grew.
angel 🤍
see you soon, hyejin
Read at 8:17 p.m.
hyejin 💛
see you soon, angel
As Wheein turns her phone off and puts it down, the smile still doesn't leave her face.
"I'm guessing the smile on your face means she said yes?" Hyoyeon's voice snaps her out of dazed self, making the girl face her with slightly flushed cheeks.
Wheein nods slowly, putting a hand to her chest to feel how fast her heart was beating from both Hyejin and also initiating a conversation. "Y-Yeah, she did. She said yes."
Hyoyeon beams. "That's great."
She's more than just special. Wheein takes note to herself.
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confirmed hyoyeon (in this story) is a wheesa shipper LMAO
wanted save the dinner chapter for next chapter since i didn't want this to be too long
hope you liked it anyways !
see you all soon <3