His Cinderella | Choi Soobin

Twenty-Seven ♚

|| HYEWON ||

It was the day of the ball.

I was here during my usual volunteering time, spending the moment with Mrs. Wu drinking green tea together.

Most of the preparations were already done, so the only thing left was the catering (which Yeji was taking care of) so that left me to finally relax. It felt as if I spent my fast few days working my ass off for this ball, so I'm thankful for the much-needed break I was longing for.

"Hyewon." I perk my head up to hear Mrs. Wu call out my name. She remained looking at the window, but it was obvious she wanted to say something to me. "Yes?"

"Have I ever told you who you remind me of?" She asks. My memory jogs back to the first time we met and Mrs. Wu told me that I reminded her of a girl she once knew. The recollection had completely disappeared from my thoughts until now. "No ma'am, you haven't."

She sighs, her wrinkly and aged hands gripping around the teacup. "Before Boqin died, I have someone who I liked very much. Her name was Ahn Nana. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes upon. But she got sent to a boarding school and I never saw her again after that. Heard she moved on, married a millionaire and lived a nuclear life everyone desires for."

"My grandma's name was Ahn Nana." I blurt out. I could already tell what was going on, and it was starting to make my headache. Mrs. Wu only smiles, as if she predicted that all along. "I'm not surprised. You're very alike to her, appearance and personality-wise."

"M-My dad says the same thing." I stutter. My mind was still fumbling around at the idea that my grandma once dated Mrs. Wu. A hard pill to swallow, and it might take some time to adjust to that fact.

"Tell me, Hyewon... Is she happy?"

I look at my feet. "My grandma died a couple of years ago. But I think she was happy when she passed."

Mrs. Wu doesn't say anything, probably sad at the fact that she was dead just like how I was shocked at their romantic affairs together. We sit in uncomfortable silence before Mrs. Wu speaks again.

"Hyewon, what's taking you so long to make a move on that boy?" Mrs. Wu blurts out, making me spit out my tea all over my lap. "W-What?!"

She laughs at me. "That tall boy, I can tell you fancy him. And chances are he likes you back." She winks, nudging my shoulder. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Wu, it's a lot more complicated than that. My sister has a crush on him as well. She would be outraged."

"Ah, forbidden love. Trust me, I've had my fair share of that." She leans in closer. "Listen, there's going to be a point in your life where you're going to be old, my age possibly, and you're going to regret that you didn't spend your life with him. Who cares if he isn't the one? You have to shoot your shot before it's too late. The last thing that you want is to die with many regrets."

I remain quiet. My head was telling me, no but my heart was telling me yes. I've never been in love before, and it's all so confusing. "T-This isn't about me, Mrs. Wu. Tell me how you met my grandma." I say, avoiding the topic of my love life smoothly.

"...We met at a chess competition. I fell head over heels for her at our first round together. I used to be a prodigy at the game, same as her. When she left, I couldn't find the willpower to play again. But I think it's been long enough for me to face my emotions. Hyewon, would you like to play some chess?"

My mouth gapes wide open as a smile lifts onto my face. "It would be my honour, ma'am."

~

She beat me. Badly.

My (very small) ego was destroyed despite us going against each other for three rounds. But she plays chess as if it's a walk in the park. If she really wanted it, she could become a grandmaster.

I had already arrived home and did a little bit of studying before deciding it was time for the ball. I take out my yellow dress that I had ironed the day before so no wrinkles would be present.

Gus sits on the window sill of mine, watching me slip the dress over my head and let it fall to my feet. After struggling but achieving to zip up the zipper, all I had to do was put on my shoes and leave.

I grab some simple heels of mine and comb a brush through my hair before making my way to the mirror. The dress reached my shoulders and revealed my collar bones while flowing down straight to my legs.

"What do you think, Gus?" I ask the bird who had sat in my mirror. It chirps once, meaning that it was good. Looking into the mirror, I never was that educated in fashion or how to look presentable. But I wouldn't say I look too shabby right now. Maybe, just maybe, I feel a little confident.

I make my way down the stairs with a smile on my face, but it all disappears when I see the faces of all of my family members downstairs, gawking at me. "Where do you think you're going?" My mother asks.

"To the ball...? I volunteer there, you know." I say, making myself all the way downstairs but stop when I realized what came out of my mouth. My family was completely oblivious that I volunteered at the nursing home.

"W-What? So does that mean that you volunteer with..." Hanjin's lip quivers. "...Soobin?"

"Well, yeah. B-But we're not clo-" I start to defend myself, but stop when I see the look on Hanjin's face. It was completely new to me, as it wasn't herself being on the verge of tears like always.

She was angry. Her eyes were furrowed and her lips were pursed in a thin line. Angry Hanjin is something that I'm completely new to. And I'm guessing it isn't going to be any good on my behalf.

Next thing I know Hanjin had popped a red wine bottle open from the kitchen counter and was pouring it onto my dress, ruining the yellow colour and staining it scarlet. She dumps the whole bottle onto me before smashing it onto the ground.

I was stunned, and everyone was silent. My face remains in utter shock as I watch the first piece of clothing that actually made me feel slightly pretty for once completely ruined. And as usual, no one berated Hanjin for her actions.

Hanjin storms off outside as Cynthia and Hailey follow her. Aaron slinks away with Piper as a mother looks at me up and down in shame. "How could you do that to your sister?"

"What? I didn't do anything..."

"Listen, I understand that you're jealous of your sister but that doesn't mean you have to go as low as steal her thunder! Hanjin was really looking forward to this ball and you had to ruin it for her by showing up like that. Please don't be selfish, just this once."

Mother wasn't lecturing me. She was begging. Begging for me to stop being selfish. Which for once, I am sort of irritated by. Everything that I do is the least from selfish and this is the stuff I get in return?

"Please, stay behind. Don't ruin Hanjin's moment. Please clean this up before we arrive home." Mother walks past me, heading out the door as my legs fall weak and let me collapse onto the floor.

And soon, the waterworks started to fall. All this pressure, all this comparison and everything that I do for Hanjin but nobody even stops to appreciate me. Who was the last person that ever stopped and just told me to thank you?

The only thing that I want is someone, just one person, that understands my struggles and can treat me like an actual human being. But mom doesn't care, Cynthia uses me as her punching bag and doesn't even get me started on Hanjin...

"Are you okay, sis?"