volυмe ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇▉ °Hard sometimes by Ruel° 0:58 ━━❍─────── 3:35 ↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
'Family is supposed to be our safe haven. Very often, it's the place where we find the deepest heartache.'
---------------- It had been a month since Jake and I started school in Korea, and now I found myself sitting in class, anxiously waiting for Ms. Hong to distribute our exam papers. Yes, it was exam day, the last hurdle before our two-week holiday. Truth be told, I wasn't well-prepared. There were still so many things I hadn't quite grasped. I had reviewed as much as possible, hoping it would be enough.
Finally, the exams were over, and I couldn't deny that I struggled with the questions. They were incredibly challenging. Turning to Jake, I confessed, "Jake, I think I messed up. The paper was really tough." Tears welled up in my eyes as I anticipated the consequences.
Jake hugged me tightly and reassured me, "Don't worry, I'll protect you." I was truly grateful to have a brother like Jake - a friend, a role model, and a source of humor. He was always there to support me. Though i am not telling hin this, I couldn't promise to solve all his problems, but I knew that he would never have to face them alone as I am here.
A week passed filled with exams and emotional breakdowns. I had a sinking feeling that I hadn't performed well on the tests. Today, I sat in class, my hands clammy with anxiety, awaiting the moment Ms. Hong would hand out our result sheets.
As I received my results, I couldn't bear to look. Tears welled up in my eyes as I saw a string of C's and D's. I knew I was in trouble. Mom and Dad would be furious with me for not scoring higher. Yeji, sensing my distress, held my hand tightly, trying to comfort me.
When all the other students left for lunch, I decided to stay behind in the classroom. I told my friends to go ahead; I would catch up later. The truth was, I was far from alright. What I needed most was comforting words and a hug from Jake, but he was probably with his friends.
---
JAKE
Yeji, Jungwon, and Sunoo joined me in the cafeteria, but Lia was nowhere in sight.
"Yeji, where's Lia?" I asked, feeling worried.
Yeji explained the situation to me - Lia's poor grades and her emotional state. I knew I had to find her. I rushed to her classroom, and there she was, sitting alone at a desk, sobbing.
I approached her and hugged her tightly, surprising her. "Jake, I scored only C's and D's in the test," she said, her voice choked with tears.
"At least you tried your best, Lia. That's what matters. Don't cry. Everything will be fine."
After talking to Lia for a while and calming her down, we headed back to the cafeteria to have our meal.
---
After school, Jake and I walked home together. When we arrived, we were surprised to see our dad's car parked outside.
"Why are they home early?" Jake wondered aloud, a hint of concern in his voice.
As we entered, we found our mom and dad sitting on the couch, engrossed in their phones.
"Ah, you're both home. We finished early today," Mom said, looking at us.
"Did you both get your exam results today? How did you do? Are the grades good?" Dad inquired.
I could feel Lia's anxiety, and it wasn't long before Dad noticed something was amiss. He stood up, and Jake handed over our result sheets. When he saw Lia's grades, his expression darkened.
WARNING ⚠️
"Lia, what on earth is this? Did you even study for these exams? These grades are unacceptable!" Dad yelled at her, and in his anger, he slapped her hard enough to make her fall to the ground. I rushed to her side, checking if she was alright, holding her hand as tightly as he could.
"Jake, move away," Dad ordered furiously.
"Please, Dad, just this once, forgive her," Jake pleaded.
"I said, move away, or you'll face the consequences," Dad warned. Jake remained stubborn, refusing to leave Lia's side. In response, Dad delivered a punch to Jake's face, knocking him to the ground.
I quickly approached Dad and clung to his legs, begging him not to hurt Jake, explaining that I was the one who scored poorly, not him. Dad dragged Jake into their room, with me still holding on to Jake's hand. I refused to let go, but Dad kicked me away, causing me to lose my balance and fall. He then closed the door, leaving me outside.
I pounded on the door, pleading for him to open it, but all I could hear were Jake's painful groans and Dad's curses.
"Dad, please, don't hurt Jake. I promise I'll study harder and get better grades. Please, open the door!" I cried out, tears streaming down my face.
---
"Lia, don't cry. I'm okay," Jake reassured me.
"What do you mean, you're okay? Look at all these wounds on your back," I said as I gently applied medicine to his injuries.
"And Jake, why did you have to do that? I told you I could handle the punishment. Why did you get involved?" I asked, my voice filled with worry.
"Lia, I told you, I'm fine. And I promised you that I'd protect you, no matter what," Jake replied, causing me to cry even harder. He hugged me tightly, trying to provide some comfort.
---
I knew Jake loved me, and I loved him deeply as well. However, I didn't want him to get involved in such situations and get hurt. Even though he never said it, I knew how much it hurt him, and he was hiding it from me to spare my worry. Why couldn't our parents be proud of both of us for trying our best?
Jake and I both wished we could be children again, when scraped knees were easier to mend than the broken hearts caused by our own family. A father was supposed to be a protector, teacher, and encourager - someone who picked you up when you fell, dusted you off, and let you try again. A father was admired and deeply loved. He was meant to be a son's first hero and a daughter's first love. Yet, sadly, the feelings we once had for our dad were gradually fading away, and our parents had become someone we never expected them to be. We missed the days when we were happy with our parents, when we had those cherished moments together. But as time went by, our parents had transformed into something we couldn't recognize anymore.
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♡♡♡ THIS A SHOUTOUT TO PEOPLE WHO GREW UP WITH EMOTIONALLY UNSUPPORTIVE PARENTS AND HAVE TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW SUPPORTIVE THEIR FAMILIES ARE WHILE YOU'RE BASICALLY GUIDING YOURSELF THROUGH LIFE. YOU'RE STRONG AND BRAVE. LOVE FROM THE AUTHOR. ♡♡♡
