𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘦 || 𝘚𝘒𝘡 𝘓𝘌𝘌 𝘒𝘕𝘖𝘞 𝘍𝘍.

18

(TW: transphobia.)

The girls had rushed out of the school building. They hadn't even entirely placed on their jackets while running through the humid air. Though, to some passerby's, it had seemed a little different. The girls had looked like they were running away from something rather than running to something.

Their throats had begun burning. Their faces were freezing & lungs had felt like someone had just committed arson on them. Yet, none of that mattered at the moment. All that was truly important was to make it in time to the small family gathering. Whether they'd come there in one wholly peace or not was the question.

...

Th restaurant wasn't all that far away, surprisingly. Maybe it was because they were running. Perhaps it was because their minds were occupied with controlled breathing than the actual distance. Whatever it had been, all of those questions were left to be solved for another day as the girls had finally reached their destination.

Before they had entered the establishment, Minji made sure to take a few good moments to rest up a bit. She made sure that Jiwoo hadn't got herself hurt or anything of the sort. Jiwoo, on the other hand, had focused more on their appearances. It was also quite important to look presentable & not like they had just out-ran a polar bear.

While both of their cheeks had been red, they decided to go on the excuse that it was winter. During such a period, it wasn't all that uncommon to have a slightly stuffy face or looks to seem like one had been blushing.

Both now finally calmed down they had stepped inside. Jiwoo had immediately noticed her parent's & Minji's mother sitting at a table next to the window. Minji had bit her lip, not excited about the whole ordeal.

As the girls were walking towards the table, Jiwoo's father had noticed the both of them walking in his direction. He had smiled. He was happy to see his daughter & her friend. Jiwoo's mum, though, had waved to them instead. She gestured towards them & almost seemed like she was inviting them to sit down together.

- Uhm, excuse me? - Minji's mother had exclaimed as she had stared down Jiwoo with a confused look. - Minji, who's this? I told you not to bring any friends over. Where's Yejun?

Minji looked at her mother awkwardly & faked a cough to alert Jiwoo's parents about this as she sat down:

- WElL, you sEe, Yejun is no longer here with us-

- IS HE DEAD?

- Kind of, - Jiwoo muttered as she took off her jacket.

- I have no idea how word for word I could explain this sOo, Mr and Ms Park, may you kindly clarify the situation?

Minji's mother had furrowed her eyebrows. She felt a little insulted that there were secrets kept away from her:
- Are there mysteries I wasn't shared with? What's going on here?

- Well, it seems like that's the case, - Mr Park had said. - we decided to call this meeting with you and our kids to discuss the marriage. But, please, Minji, let's talk about this after eating.

Now that Minji had thought about it, a restaurant was the absolutely worst place someone could call to have a meeting in. Other strangers around them could hear these leaked secrets. There was also the fact that one might get heated during conversation & it wouldn't be the best to have all eyes on you while screaming.

...

- All right then, - Mr Park said as he had pushed his plate away from him. - I think it's time we talk about the thing we called you here for.

- What did you want to discuss about the marriage? When it's going to be happening? The location? The clothes? The-

- Haeun, it's none of that. My wife and I have decided to break off this arrangement, and we called you here to get your approval of this.

Haeun's eyes had widened in length as those words had rung through her ears. The woman had experienced such shock in those few seconds, she just froze. Her body had suspended all movement as her muscles had become tense. Haeun couldn't even mutter a singular word. Everything she wanted to say had been swallowed deep down into her throat.

- Please don't look at us like it's the end of the world, Haeun.

- W-W-What do you mean 'break off this arrangement? It's been decided and agreed upon for such a long time, and now you want to stop it?

- Yes, yes we do, - Ms Park chirped in. - we decided this because, well, you see, our daughter here has come out as trans to us and-

- What do you mean 'trans'? So that's Yejun?

Minji rolled her eyes hearing those words:
- No, mum, that's Jiwoo. - she mumbled, correcting her.

- Haeun, please stop cutting us off as we speak. Now, out of respect for our daughter's gender identity and sexuality, we have decided that it'd be best if this arrangement should be called off.

- N-No! You can't just do that! Yejun just decided to be a girl because he didn't want this marriage! You're all just blind to see that!

- Haeun, are you even listening to yourself right now? - Ms Park sighed, running her fingers through her hair. - Even if Jiwoo was a boy, which she isn't, this marriage is still damaging to Jiwoo and Minji. Can't you see that?

Haeun shook her head, her mind refusing to process all of this information:

- But, you can't just take some chemicals into your body and now say your a whole other gender! You have no idea what you're doing, Yejun. You have no idea how important Yejun is to me, to us!

Jiwoo had rolled her eyes as she leaned her back into the soft cushion behind her. These were words she had heard multiple times over & over again, yet not once had they made her change her mind about her decisions.

- Mum! - Minji shouted, gathering attention from other people in the restaurant.

- Minji, stop talking back, be quiet, please, the adults are currently speaking.

---
Oh, you fucking bitch. - Minji thought as she sighed & rolled her eyes.
---

- MUM, - Minji had slammed her hands down onto the table, causing a meaner ruckus to the people around her. - do you even hear what you're saying?

- Minji, I have had enough of your behaviour! You're the one who needs to calm down here.

Ms Park sipped her drink in surprise, now intrigued by the drama.

- Me? Am I the one freaking out about Jiwoo's identity here?

- His name is Yejun, not Ji-

- All right then, Haeun, - Ms Park piped in. - since I see you're quiet- bigotted in your ways of understanding people, we'll discuss sometime later once you've processed everything. Just know that the legal work for this arrangement to be called off has already started.

- But- no! Aren't you upset about it as well?

- Well, when Jiwoo firstly came out to us, we didn't think we'd have to call off the marriage, but since it doesn't seem that Minji or Jiwoo are interested in dating each other, we decided it would be best to call it off for their health. Both of them will soon be young adults who can make their own decisions. Just because they weren't in their previous years doesn't mean we should've taken advantage of that. - Mr Park sighed. - We're sorry for both of you, Minji and Jiwoo. We're so sorry for putting both of you through this.

Haeun ran her fingers through her hair, unsure of what to say next, her mind still refusing to process & take in everything that has been said. Who's fault was it in this situation?

Surely there must be someone here to blame for everything. It's—