Bubble Gum Kisses

In this Garden (1)

"Look at what you've done."

Byulyi flinched in her seat at the blatant contempt from the woman's voice, sharp daggers and cold icicles pricking her skin. Her hands sat neatly on her lap, fingers picking the skin around her nails, teary eyes glued to her scuffed Converse as she listened to the barrage of lectures she had been receiving for the past 10 minutes.

The older woman paced the room, her expensive bag swinging on her crossed arm as her low heels clicked against the cold tiled floors. Click click click.

"This is his first time getting sent to the principal's office that isn't remotely related to his achievements. And not even a year that you two have known each other!" she reprimanded, slowing her steps slightly so that she was in front of the younger woman. "This isn't just some delinquency I can overlook. Not when his entire future is at risk."

The older woman shook her head and released a sigh of disbelief, an expression of barely-restrained anger painted across her beautiful face. She looked away.

"I don't expect you to understand. You being born to what you have now," she whispered, a clear mockery in her venomous voice, "But some of us have to work hard to even get comfortable, do things we don't want to even get the chance to do whatever we dream of."

Her shoulders shook, her fingers open and closed to fist. Though her eyes remained fixed at the door to the Principal's office, it was obvious that she was seeing another scene altogether. The future perhaps, or maybe even a memory.

Byulyi knew that look well.

"I trained my boy to work hard and pushed him to be the best so he wouldn't have to starve. So he wouldn't have to live in a house that was barely a house. So he wouldn't have to sleep with disgusting men who have too much money and not enough kindness. So he wouldn't have to live like—"

She swallowed thickly and inhaled a stuttered breath. She turned to look at Byulyi again and when she did, her eyes were rimmed red, jaw clenched so hard the lines underneath her skin were visible.

"You are ruining his life," she hissed, her words cutting Byulyi's skin like paper, "It's just one time now but eventually, who says he won't be called here again? And again? And again? Until he's expelled. Unlike you who can pay for good grades, my Seokjin won't get another chance." She looked at her expensive designer shoes. Her anger melting away to something more...exhausted. "My husband won't give him another chance to study here."

The woman raised her hand to point an angry finger between her eyes and Byulyi couldn't stop herself from flinching at the action.

"So stay away from him. You understand me?" The sting of the bruise on her cheek was nothing compared to the scathing glare the woman threw at her.

"Eomma," Jin finally called, catching the attention of the two women outside the principal's office. His shoulders visibly deflated when his eyes reached Byulyi. Though unlike him, his presence did nothing to console the girl of the storm of emotions she felt.

Jin's mother hiked her hand bag on her shoulder with more force than necessary. "Are you done?" she asked, her voice clipped.

He nodded. But he wasn't looking at his mother. "They're calling for you," he told her, worry spelled out across his bandaged face and Byulyi had to look away from the guilt that pooled in her stomach.

He started walking closer to her but his mother stepped in between them.

"Get in the car," she ordered. Though Jin over towered her by at least 10 centimeters, it was clear who held the authority in the room.

"I just need to ta—"

"Now Jin."

Jin opened his mouth as his brows crossed to a frown.