THE LINE - YVESEUL

FIFTEEN

Haseul felt a tinge of guilt, like she was sneaking up on Sooyoung, but as soon as she pulled up in front of Sooyoung's house, that feeling was dimmed by the amount of longing that she felt to see Sooyoung again. It hadn't gone away, not for the weeks they didn't speak, but somehow being so close to who she wanted, Haseul's chest constricted so painfully that she actually needed a minute to breath.

The house was different than she expected. It was large, white, made of old bricks and surrounded by a patch of grass and a white picket fence. It looked perfect, actually, and Haseul's brow furrowed. She thought that Sooyoung had said they were struggling, but this looked fine.

Haseul supposed struggling could mean different things. It was just...seeing this picture perfect house made Haseul question the things Sooyoung had told her. What if Sooyoung had just been trying to gain her sympathy?

No. She wasn't like how Jinsoul said. Haseul had faith in her.

Haseul sat in her car, hands gripping the steering wheel as she tried to muster up the courage to go inside. She was terrified now. She remembered working on something to say but she couldn't remember it for the life of her. She was sure as soon as she saw Sooyoung it wouldn't matter anyway. She'd just get lost staring into Sooyoung's eyes. That was unless Sooyoung refused to see her, sent her back into her car and far away. Maybe she had a girlfriend now. Who knew? Not Haseul.

She was about to get out, to walk up the steps and finally confront all her fears, when she looked in her mirror and saw a car pulling up behind her in the street. More specifically, Sooyoung's car.

"You always do this!" Said a girl similar in Sooyoung's height but with a younger face. She stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind her. "I'm not my dad! Stop getting on my case for every little fucking thing!"

"If you aren't your dad than stop acting exactly like him!" Sooyoung's voice met Haseul's ears and Haseul couldn't help but suck in a breath, startled into silence.

"I'm nothing like him," Said the girl.

"Then why am I the one always cleaning up after you? He makes a mess and then you set it on fire, huh?"

"Shut up!" Cried the other girl, sounding close to tears.

"Go inside Olivia. I can't deal with you right now," Sooyoung sounded defeated.

Olivia sniffled. "You act like I'm not even related to you anymore,"

Sooyoung's silence was heavy. "Oli-"

"Don't," Olivia sounded cold. "If I remind you so much of Dad, then just leave me alone. You don't want to be my sister? That's fine,"

Haseul could hear Sooyoung breath out a large sigh and let her eyes follow Olivia into the house, frowning when she noticed how tense the girl looked.

"...Haseul?"

Haseul jumped, seeing Sooyoung staring at her in confusion through the reflection of the car. She gasped, looking away and hiding her face in her hand.

"Haseul I know it's you,"

"I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Haseul told her honestly.

Sooyoung sighed. "Come on, get out. We need to talk,"

Haseul scrambled out of her car, hurriedly following Sooyoung as she casually walked up the steps of her home, a bag slung over her shoulders and her head down turned.

Haseul was on her heels, fidgeting with her hands as Sooyoung opened the door and let them in without saying anything. The last time she had been this close to Sooyoung was well...different. Haseul wondered if she still thought about that.