Recommended song: Fifty-fifty- Lovin' me.
As the car rolled into the underground parking lot the artificial light replaced the shimmering sunlight as Nari's shakey hands wiped down her school skirt, desperately trying to remove any creases.
Gwang-il chuckled as he pulled into his parking spot, he grabbed her hand, stopping her from disappearing into oblivion as he always did. "Calm down," He laughed, lightly squeezing her hand making sure not to hurt her fingers, "Everything will be okay."
Nari nodded but every breath began to hurt as her chest tightened, a devastating thought wrecking every inch of her soul. Every family she had ever been associated with had fallen apart, albeit it was only two families, she was two for two in her mind.
Gwang-il opened the passenger door, escorting Nari out of the car, the pair walking hand in hand to the elevator. Glittering eyes watched Gwang-il's long fingers go to press the golden button which would take them to the top floor of the apartment building.
"Wait." Nari cried, gently grabbing his hand. Gwang-il looked down at Nari with a pout and knotted brows, "What's wrong?"
"Gwang-il, I'm bad luck." She muttered, her hand hovering over his, her head dropping to look at her shuffling feet. "What?" He questioned, his head tilting to one side. "I'm bad luck, problems follow me everywhere," Nari could feel Gwang-il hiding a smile, holding in a laugh, "It's true!" She frowned at her feet, "and I don't want to bring anything bad into your home, to your family, to you."
What started as amusement for Gwang-il quickly turned to an aching sadness spreading through his veins. He lifted his hand, placing it on the back of Nari's head, and pushed the sulking girl into his chest. He held her there for a moment, just knowing she was in his arms began to mend his shattering heart.
His hands moved from her back to the sides of her head, which he held, forcing her to look up at him. "Nari, you are my lucky charm. I was lucky to meet you and I'm even luckier to keep you." Fierce eyes burnt into Nari's shivering pupils, Gwang-il's eyes never wavered away from hers.
"Just meet my parents, they will change your mind if I can't." He smiled. Nari was holding her breath, she blinked finally breaking the intense stare the pair had been holding when her knees started shaking. She nodded, the sound static sound of his hands rubbing over her ears filling her brain as she stared at the buttons of his shirt.
The elevator opened directly into the Kim family apartment, the dark oak and gold details flowed from the elevator into the apartment. Gwang-il noticed Nari hesitating to leave the elevator so he placed a comforting hand on her waist, gently guiding her into the foyer.
"I'm home." His loud voice echoed off the shiny tiles causing Nari to jump. Gwang-il chuckled a 'sorry' before slipping off his school blazer, and then Nari's blazer.
"I'm in the kitchen." A familiar female voice called, which Gwang-il followed, pulling Nari along behind him. Each room they passed through got bigger and grander until they entered the kitchen.
The room was filled with a sweet smell, carried around the room by the steam, a wild wind that blasted through the open windows and knocked the white steam around, creating whirling patterns in the sunlight.
Nari's eyes fell from the steam to a thin woman patting the sweat from her forehead. "Mom, I brought a guest for dinner." Gwang-il smiled, moving behind Nari and pushing her further into the enormous kitchen and closer to his mother.
"Haven't the boys eaten enough of my-" The words got caught in her long neck when she looked up and saw a doe-eyed Nari staring back at her, her son standing behind the girl with a goofy smile.
"Nari!" The woman gasped, her eyes popping from her sockets in shocking joy. Within seconds Mrs. Kim had sprinted around the large island, a smile mirroring that of Gwang-il's spreading across her face.
"Mrs. Kim." Nari smiled brightly and bowed deeply. "Please don't be so formal." The woman laughed, playfully running her dishcloth over Nari's shoulder. Mrs. Kim pulled Nari in for a tight hug which she quickly returned, wrapping her arms around the woman.
"I've been asking Gwang-il to bring you over for so long." Mrs. Kim grabbed Nari's cheeks and stared at the stunned girl fondly. "I'm so happy you are finally here." She smiled and turned her attention to Gwang-il. "Took you long enough." She scowled at her son, whipping him with the dishcloth. "Go change, I'll find Nari something to wear from my closet." She shooed Gwang-il from the kitchen as she gently tugged Nari to the stove.
Nari's head snapped back to catch Gwang-il winking at her with a mischievous smile before he disappeared. Nari gulped, turning to come face to face with countless steaming pots and pans.
"Would you mind lending a hand?" Mrs. Kim asked with a smile as she stirred one of the pots. "Of course not." Nari quickly lifted her hands waiting eagerly for instructions.
Within seconds Mrs. Kim had Nari chopping spring onions and all Nari could do was mentally thank Aunt Hana for teaching her some cooking skills.
"So, how has school been? Studying hard?" Mrs. Kim asked as measured out a tablespoon of chili sauce. "School's been good, keeping me busy." Nari smiled, the image of her torn-up report card being flung out the speeding car window being an unfamiliar feeling of rebellion pumping addicting adrenalin into her muscles.
"You know," Mrs. Kim started as she turned to lean on one of the counters, flinging her dishcloth over her shoulder and crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the pure white steam hanging from the ceiling, deep in thought.
There was an unexpected silence that made Nari look up from the cold and wet vegetables laying in front of her to see a small smile on the woman's face. "Gwang-il talks about you all the time, I can tell you are very special to him."
A coy smile spread across Nari's lips as she looked back at the spring onions, " He's become a better person since he met you, I just wanted to thank you." Nari's eyes shot back up in shock, the woman finally turning to smile at the blushing girl, "I don't know what you did, or how you did it but you brought my boy back to me, thank you."
Through the hallways of this home ran blood, tears, and screams, they echoed but Nari would never hear or see them. A dark shadow hung over this home, a cloud so daunting it brought a father fear and a mother a tear. But slowly cold, dead eyes and smirks had been replaced with wide smiles and kind hands.
Nari felt the painful sting of guilt, feeling that she was being overpraised for doing nothing. But she did everything, it was her smiles even on bad days, her kind words, and her soft nature that gave her the ability to crack the hard shell of most. It was the way she smiled at the clouds, stared at swaying flowers, and glowed even in the shadow of the largest tree.
-
An addictive laugh rang from Nari's throat as she listen to Gwang-il and his mother playfully fight about who was supposed to water the dead houseplants. She dialed her home number, the phone number she would write on her palm every day before school until she found the time to memorize it.
"Kang residence, Hana speaking." Her sweet voice flowed through the phone bringing an automatic smile to Nari's lips. "Aunt Hana, it's Nari." Nari could hear the noise of metal pots clanging in the background of the call. "Nari is everything alright? What's wrong?" Sudden panic surged through the woman, the worst scenarios running through her mind. "Nothing, nothing, I'm okay." Nari heard a shaky sigh escape Aunt Hana's throat.
"I just wanted to let you know that I"m having dinner with Gwang-il and his parents, is that okay?" Nari twirled the phone line around her fingers as she waited anxiously for a reply. "You're at Ye-won and Nam-il's home?" Aunt Hana asked, "Yeah, they're having me over for dinner."
"That's lovely, of course, you can eat there!" Nari could hear Aunt Hana smile through the phone. "Thank you," Nari said through her own smile, "I won't be back late."
There was silence after Nari said that, on the other end Hana fought back tears holding the phone with a shaky hand, "Nari, promise me you will come back." Nari furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?"
"Don't be scared of us, please, don't be scared to come back." Aunt Hana whispered her words causing Nari to shift uncomfortably. "Aunt Hana, I will always come home," Nari emphasized almost every word, wanting to reassure her aunt that she only had one home and there was no other home she wanted.
Aunt Hana smiled weakly, "I'll see you soon then, eat well."
Nari greeted her aunt and put the phone down, a warm smile on her face. She turned to see Gwang-il and his mother still hovering over their house plants, Ye-won now watering them as Gwang-il watched on.
"Isn't that too much?" Gwang-il asked his mom as Nari joined the pair, looking down at the yellow, drooping plants. "No, these like a lot of water." She said, pinching a fat leaf that had somehow managed to survive to show Gwang-il how thick the leaf was. "Ah." Gwang-il nodded, bending down to take a closer look at the plant. Nari watched them with glittering eyes, their playful banter was so entertaining, and their smiles extremely infectious, never failing to bring a laugh or smile from Nari as well.
Without noticing a mischievous grin shaded Gwang-il's face his hand listened to his intrusive thoughts and quickly dipped his fingers his mother was pouring onto the plants, jerking his wrist he sent thick droplets of water flying towards the two women.
Nari and Ye-won flinched as Gwang-il watched on joyously, his chest vibrating from his laughter. "You little-" Gwang-il's mother took a swiped at him but missed as Nari used her sleeve to dab the water off her face. Gwang-il's round eyes shifted to look at Nari and saw her eyeing the water stream.
"No." He warned with a cocked brow. Nari giggled, quickly collecting a scoop of water in her hand, which Ye-won gladly gave her. Gwang-il turned to run but Nari was faster than he expected and the moment he turned his back to her she poured the water down the inside of his shirt, the cool liquid quickly spreading along his toned back.
Gwang-il yelped at the sudden cold sensation, Ye-won watched on in amusement, bringing her hand up to her face when a warm laugh echoed through the room as she watched Nari and Gwang-il.
Nari quickly dashed away to Ye-won's side for protection when Gwang-il turned and shot a playful glare at her, "You're so dead later." He mouthed silently and Nari cheekily stuck her tongue out, her smiling cheeks puffing up her eyes.
-
Once dinner time rolled around the warm rays from the sun had vanished, leaving the gold lighting of the numerous lamps to flow through the home. Nari and Mrs. Kim carefully set out the china while Gwang-il carried the steaming bowls of food from the kitchen, setting them down in the center of the dinner table.
"Are you sure you don't want to change Nari? I don't want you to be uncomfortable during dinner." Mrs. Kim said as she started filling the individual bowls with rice. Nari almost burst out laughing considering the fact that she ate dinner the previous night in soaking-wet clothes. "No, no, I promise I'll be okay." She smiled.
Like clockwork, the second Mrs. Kim had finished dishing her husband's food the front door of the apartment opened. Nari's breath ran to hideaway somewhere she couldn't find it as the blood drained from her face.
This was the moment she had been dreading the most. She knew the history between Gwang-il and his father and although she knew things had gotten better between them in the last couple of years the meeting was still nerve-wracking.
~
Recommended song: Zoe Wees- Control
The streets of Pyeongyang were as busy as it gets at peak rush hour. People rushed home after long days at work but it was a couple of hours later when the front door creaked open, the noise sounding like gunshots in the silent apartment.
Every room was bathed in pitch-black darkness, strong bolts of lighting the only source of light ever so often, followed by the sinister rumbling of thunder. Nam-il stumbled into his home, his head pounding as strong liquor dulled his senses. He flung off his coat, although he was aiming for the floor the heavy piece of fabric wrapped around a lamp, pulling the ceramic to the ground.
The shattering sound disturbed the household, a pair of sharp eyes snapping open somewhere in a dark room. "Ye-won!" Nam-il's loud voice was hoarse and annoying. He swore under his breath as his wife walked into the living area. "Are you okay?" She asked softly, timidly hiding away in the door frame. "The fucking lamp." He brought his hand to rub his head which was under the attack of a terrible migraine.
Ye-won rushed to grab a dishcloth from the dark kitchen, kneeling down, she carefully wiped the shattered ceramic onto the cloth as her husband towered over her.
"Yah." Nam-il aggressively poked the side of her head. "Do you think I'm useless?" He spat. "Ye-won's face dropped into utter fear, "Please not tonight." She begged, folding down onto herself.
He would regret it in the morning but at that moment he was a different man. Lifting up his combat boot he landed a hard kick on his wife's shoulder blade, the force pushing her totally onto the ground.
"Gwang-il come here!" The man shouted into the apartment," Your dad is in such a fucking great mood." The man continued placing kicks against his wife's head until she was unconscious. In his mind he was doing her a favor, why would she want to see him disfigure their son's face?
Deep in the apartment, there was movement but no one heard it, darkness wrapping around a young mind. Depraved talks with friends, fights, and screams slowly caused corrupt thoughts to slither out behind dark, dead eyes.
Gwang-il's pale face appeared from the darkness, his plump lips a dark red. "There's my son." Nam-il laughed, finally able to turn his aggression to someone who could bear the brunt of it. Gwang-il's sharp eyes hovered over the dark outline of his mother quivering on the floor before they snapped back to see his father approaching him.
"Are you going to fight back today?" The man chuckled, hoping for a bit of a fight. "Huh?" Nam-il pushed Gwang-il back harshly.
It was at that moment a monster was born, any light left in the young boy's eyes washed away with heavy blinks. Gwang-il stepped forward, landing a quick punch on Nam-il's face, the cracking of cartilage radiating through his knuckles.
The rest of the punches came in quick succession, each forcing Nam-il further back, the man unable to react quickly enough before he stumbled, landing on the floor with a muted groan as blood filled his mouth.
Gwang-il grabbed the man's shirt pulling him so that he laid on his back, giving his son full access to his face once again. The noises from the hits were becoming wetter and wetter, with red shards of blood splattering in all directions.
Nam-il's eyes had begun to swell shut but before he lost consciousness a strike of lightning lit up the room, illuminating the disturbing smile on Gwang-il's face as he cocked back his fist and bashed in another bone on his father's face.
Gwang-il's face twisted into an even wider when the fear in his father's eyes released a rush of adrenaline through his body, his eyes bulged at the site of the bloody, mangled body in front of him, salivating when he heard his father's labored breaths.
"Fucking fight back." Gwang-il huffed, each word punctuated with another swing, but there was no answer, his father barely breathing, on the brink of death.
~
Nari's bright gummy smile caught Nam-il off guard, his eyes widening in shock as he slipped off his coat. "Nari." He smiled warmly as he walked over to the girl and gently took her hand to shake it. "Mr. Kim." Nari shook his hand as firmly as she could, her nerves weakening her muscles. "What a pleasant surprise." He chuckled, walking over to his wife to give her a kiss on the cheek. Ye-won leaned into his kiss with a big smile before looking at Gwang-il and Nari motioning for them to take their seats, "Dinner time!" She clapped, excited to have Nari try her food.
"How is school going Nari?" Mr. Kim asked once everyone was settled around the dining table. "Very well, thank you for asking." She answered politely yet somewhat awkwardly, still intimidated by the man. "Oh, school reminds me, report card." Mrs. Kim pointed her chopsticks at Gwang-il with a warning look in her eyes.
"Now?" He asked, shifting nervously, his eyes darting to Nari awkwardly. "Right now." She glared at the boy until he sighed in defeat. Gwang-il got up and disappeared into his room. Nari's eyes lingered on Mrs. Kim so seemed to be reserved within his own family, almost as if he was slightly scared of something or someone.
Gwang-il reappeared with the flimsy paper in his hand, he placed it in front of his mother. He intended to walk right past her and take his seat next to Nari but Ye-won was quick to grab his wrist as her shaky pupils hovered over the black numbers. "What...What's this?" Ye-won's voice quivered her grip on her son's wrist tightening.
"Mom, it's nothing don't overreact," Gwang-il mumbled in annoyance as he gently tried to pull away from his mother. "Honey, look at this." Ye-won slipped the paper in front of her husband who adjusted his glasses. Nam-il took a second to read the report before looking up at his son and then back at the paper.
Across the table Nari sat quickly, her cheeks stuffed with rice and her wide doe eyes glistening with worry. She was frozen, her chopsticks hovering over her bowl as the atmosphere around her became for even a single breath to escape her nose. Her mind began to race, did she cause his grade to drop? Were they going to scream at her? Should she just get up and leave?
Nari imagined getting yelled at by Mr. and Mrs. Kim and she felt like she was going to die of embarrassment, she would never be able to face Gwang-il ever again. She knew she was bad luck, she was bringing Gwang-il down with her, like a sinking ship crashing to the ocean floor.
Mrs. Kim jumped from her chair and Nari flinched, watching in awe as Mrs. Kim placed a kiss on Gwang-il's cheek before pulling him into a warm embrace. "We're so proud of you!" She sobbed into her son's shoulder. Nari's eyes drifted to Gwang-il's face, a small smile pulling at his lips as he stared back at Nair's confused daze.
Nari heard a sniffle, her eyes darting to Mr. Kim, watching the large man drop his face into his hand, his whole body jerking across the table from Nari. Nam-il leaned back in his chair, his deep laugh bouncing off the ceiling as streams of tears ran down his cheeks, splashing onto the marble tiles.
"Nari, thank you!" Ye-won finally released her son from her grasp and turned her attention to Nari. The dumbfounded girl yelped when Mrs. Kim pulled her into a tight hug but still dropped her chopsticks to quickly return the embrace, her wide eyes still on Gwang-il who had the biggest grin on his face.
Glittering eyes couldn't bare to pull away from each other as the world around them celebrated with boisterous laughter and happy tears. Time slowed, wide smiles and reflective orbs frozen around two souls that stood together in the chaos of it all.