Song recommendation: CHA NI - Starlight
Hyunjin POV
I entered the apartment room after entering the security code. I went inside after leaving my shoes at the door. I placed my bag on the couch and looked around to see if everything was still in order.
"Jeonginaa~ " I called.
Jeongin enters the living room from his room while playing phone games.
"Oh hyung (referring to an older brother when a younger brother calls him), you're here? " He says without making eye contact with me because he's too preoccupied with his game, then he sits down on the couch.
Hwang Jeongin is 16 years old and in the ninth grade. He's my only younger sibling.
I took my bag into my room and changed into something comfortable.
"Did you eat yet?" I asked, half-shouting so he could hear.
"Not yet, you?" he responded.
" Not yet, either; have you purchased any food?"
"No "
"Why? You should have bought something so we could eat right when I got home," I grumbled.
"I'm sorry, hyung, I didn't know what to buy or what you wanted to eat, and then I forgot about it when I did my homework," he apologized. I sighed in relief and exited my room.
"All right, I'll go buy something at a convenience store; what do you want to eat?" I asked, checking how much money was still in my wallet.
"Hmm, just any lunchbox and a xxx Soda. We still have ramyeon, so I think that's it for me," he replied, oblivious to my presence.
I didn't mind and just got dressed to go out. As I was about to leave, I heard him say something in a faint but still audible voice.
"I miss Eomma's (Mother's) cooking."
Suddenly, I felt a pang of sadness. I exit the building and walk to the closest convenience store. I kept thinking about what Jeongin said as I walked slowly because I feel the same... Everyday. I'm missing her.
Our parents separated two years ago. Eomma has been working abroad and has never visited us here in Korea since she began working there, but she has consistently given us money for our daily needs. That's fine, but... We need and miss her. After my sixteenth birthday, Appa was nowhere to be found. That's why Jeongin and I have been living on our own for the past two years.
I went to the closest convenience store. I started by taking what Jeongin wanted to eat because I couldn't decide what to eat. I fought for about 5 minutes before deciding on a lunchbox, a hot dog, and XXX soda.
******
"Jeongina, your food is ready!" I exclaimed.
He slowly emerges from his room, still holding his phone. He sits across from me, and I just look at him to see if he notices that I'm annoyed by what he's doing. He looks at me, then returns to his game, and after a few seconds, he puts his phone down.
"Sorry, and thanks for the food," he apologized before beginning to eat.
We ate in silence for a few minutes until Jeongin decided to break the silence.
"How was your first day at your new school?" he questioned, his gaze fixed on me as he chewed his food.
"It was fine and I didn't make any friends... yet," I responded.
"That's fine, hyung, as long as you don't make the same mistake you did at our school," he said, and I stopped chewing while staring at my food. Then I resume eating so Jeongin doesn't notice how much it bothers me.
****
I sat on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and rested my right arm on my brow. I keep recalling what happened at my previous school. I'm not sure if I should feel guilty and regretful or not.
I transferred in the middle of the first semester because I had been suspended at my previous school. Why? So, in front of my classmates, I just beat up a teacher.
I'm not sure why, but our teacher has been talking about how messed up our family is ever since he discovered that we are a broken family. He always uses "broken family" as an example, then mentions me with "isn't that right, Mr. Hwang Hyunjin?"
That's why, one day, he humiliated me again, which is fine, but then he said hurtful things about my parents, and that's when I snapped. I threw my chair at him, ran towards him, and pinned him down.
I punched him while yelling at him, "What right does he have to say things about me and my family?" and cursed him profusely. Then I was summoned to the guidance counselor, and because I refused to apologize, they decided to suspend me.
Perhaps I should have apologized at the time, or... Perhaps transferring to another school is a good idea. I honestly don't know what to think any longer. I sighed as I opened my eyes and stood up to do my homework. I opened my books and notes, then realized I didn't have any notes from recent classes.
So I decided to call one of my new classmates, but then I realized I hadn't made any new friends. I lowered my head to my table and pondered what I should do. Then it dawns on me. The only person I know who can help me is...
****
Yeona's POV
"Kim Yeona! " he shouted.
"What?! " I yelled back.
He peeks through the door.
"Come on, it's time to eat, do your homework after," he said as he shut the door.
I finished my notes, turned off my study lamp, and went to bed. I noticed that my family is getting ready to eat. I took a seat next to my older brother. We express our gratitude for the food and begin to eat.
"Yah Minho Oppa, could you please stop shouting at me every time you call? You can just knock on the door and say it calmly to me," I said while eating.
"Yeah, I did that before, but you couldn't hear me because you were wearing your earphones all the time; then, when you saw me in your room, you were shocked and accused me of not knocking or yelling your name instead; and now you're going to complain about that too? Wahh.. you're so indecisive." He defends.
I sighed in annoyance because he was correct. I continue eating, and then the usual conversation begins, in which our parents inquire about how we are doing or what we are doing.
My older brother, Kim Minho. He is 21 years old and a second-year college student studying zoology. He took that course because he loves animals, especially cats, and he has three cats as pets: Soonie, Doongie, and Dori.
We finished our meal, and I washed the dishes. I returned to my room to finish my homework. After 30 minutes, the doorbell rang, and I wondered who the visitor/s were, but I didn't mind because I was focused on my homework. Then, unexpectedly, a knock on my door distracts me, and my father appears.
"You have a visitor, Yeona," he said.
"What? Me? I didn't get any messages or make any plans with anyone," I wondered.
"He said he's your classmate; come down, he's at the gate," he says before shutting the door. I'm curious who that is.
I went outside to see the boy who was standing in front of our gate.
"What are you doing here, Hyunjin?" I exclaimed as I closed the gate behind me.
"I'm sorry for showing up without notice, but I don't know anyone here, including you, and I only know your address because you told me that earlier," he explained, looking embarrassed.
"So, what can I do to help you?" I questioned, genuinely smiling.
"Our homework requires the previous lesson that you had before I transferred," he explained. "You're the only person I can ask for this; could you please lend me some notes?"
"Oh, that's right; let's go inside."
"Is that okay? I might bother your family."
"If it's not okay, you'll probably be dead and killed by then, so come on," I said, motioning him inside. I was about to open the gate when it suddenly opened with such force that I fell down. Hyunjin tries to catch me, but I think I'm too heavy for him, so we fall. I'm on top of him, and we exchanged glances for a few seconds. Then my father appears out of nowhere.
"Hey Yeona, why don't you-" he cut himself off when he saw us in this situation.
"A-appa. "
*****
REFERENCE PHOTO FOR JEONGIN AND MINHO
Hwang Jeongin
Kim Minho