Is this what you call love?

7-Y

I've been calling Jinni for I don't know how long now and she's not answering her phone. She hasn't been home since last night. I called her friend that she was staying with and she said she hasn't seen her since at school.

"Relax Yeji. I'm sure she's okay. She can take care of herself" Chaeryeong tries to calm me down.

"Yea, this isn't the first time of her coming home late" Lia adds.

"It doesn't make it okay. She should at least text me to tell me where she's at" I sigh.

My phone finally rings and I see Jinni calling.

"Where the hell have you been? I'm coming to pick you up now!" I fail to stay calm.

"I'm okay. I'm on way home now. I met a few people that's nice enough to drive me home" she says.

"This road?" I hear a man's voice.

"You got into a car with a man you just met? Seriously Jinni!?"

"They're nice people. Calm down. Why are you getting so worked up for? I'll be home in a few so please be nice to these people that's kind enough to give me a ride because they didn't want a young lady such as myself going home alone at night" she says and I can sense her attitude.

"They could be those bad people, Jinni" I sigh.

"Not everyone is after us. You can't protect me from everything but now is not the time to discuss this. I'll see you later" she hangs up on me.

"Jinni. Hello? Jinni?"

"She just hung up on me" I say in disbelief while looking at my phone.

"She makes a good point, Yeji. Not everyone is out to get you" Lia tells me.

Aside from my parents dying. Nothing really bad has happened to me and Jinni. I'm just protective to make sure nothing bad will happen but I guess I may be going over the top a bit.

I can't help it though. After working at my job, I can see that so many people have no problem with lying to the people they so called love or some have no shame and use people for their benefit. So many women have entered that place, yelling at their boyfriends or husbands and us when we have done nothing wrong.

This world is too evil and I don't want Jinni to meet those evil people and get hurt in the end.

"She's my baby sister. I will be worried about her" I say.

"But if you keep worrying like this then you might suffocate her. She's growing up and she's gonna want to experience life on her own. You can't always hold her back because you want to protect her. She might resent you in the end and she might break your relationship. Is that what you want?"

"It's not easy, Lia. What if I lose her like how I lost our parents? It was so unexpected. One day they were with us then the next they're gone."

"You can't let that stop you from being happy and living your life the way you want to. If we let accidents or unexpected deaths stop us from enjoying our life then everyone would be at home in a bubble. Sometimes unexpected things can be good. You never know" she's trying her best to supportive.

"I'll try to not to worry so much and give her more freedom" I say since everything she said was true.

"You should still scold her for going into a man's car" Chaeryeong joins the conversation.

"I will. I'm just glad that she sounds safe."

After 20 minutes, I hear someone trying to get into the apartment so I'm assuming it's Jinni. I don't bother waiting for her so I just open the door myself.