2019.
It was a Sunday night. Sunday meant many things.
Sunday was the happy quiver of young children chirping in the parks; Sunday was the sunrise not many saw; Sunday was the sunset most saw.
For her, Sunday was started with darkness instead of sunrise; she never remembered sleeping on Saturday nights since she was 16, though it was different back then; she used to listen to her elder brother's stories and play over-watch with him all night.
Now, she used to spend her time deep down in the books on Saturday to cover for the loss she made on weekdays, after tucking Fanha in bed, of course. She started the day with the newspaper selling at 5.00 in the morning and afterwards worked in a restaurant famous for its lavish breakfast.
After a plethora of unique jobs, she retired to her apartment.
She jogged up the flight of stairs; her apartment was on the second floor, and she preferred the stairs because the old, scrawny elevator used to take double the time to drag itself up.
"I am home", she announced, shutting the door behind her.
She was met with a sight of a sleeping Jung kook and a wide awake Fanha, trying to wake up Jung Kook by crawling over his chest and using her fists to knock his chest; it was almost midnight.
At the sound of her, Fanha raised her head and looked up. Her brown orbs started glinting at the site of Shenjae, she made grabby hands and erupted into giggles.
Shenjae placed her index finger on her lips and smiled at Fanha.
She picked her up lightly and jung kook furrowed his brows at the lack of weight and warmth on his chest.
"oma!" Fanha giggled and raised her hands as if she was showered by a truck of happiness.
Jung kook immediately shot up and looked around shouting, "Haha, what happened?"
He rushed towards kitchen from where her voice came only to be relieved at the sight of Shenjae bopping her nose with the little girl.
"You are late today", he croaked.
"Was buying bananas for Fanha, coffee?" she asked.
"You could have asked me noona, I made extra this week, I don't want you to overwork yourself for something as small as buying bare necessities" he picked Fanha up from the counter. His voice was sad.
She did not reply as usual.
"My baby, why did you wake up in the middle of the night?" he cooed softly and sat on the kitchen counter behind Shenjae.
After a good fifteen minutes of Jung kook making goofy faces and to make Fanha happy and talking to her in what he called secret-baby-language, both of them were situated on the carpet in Shenjae's room; Fanha was plating with her soft toys splayed here and there, both of them were looking at her.
"Umm noona, you seem bothered" Jung kook softly, hesitantly spoke.
"Hmm?" Shenjae kept looking at the now cold coffee in her hands.
"Didn't I tell you to stay out of my business?" she got a grip on her wandering feelings.
"I- I am sorry, noona" he whispered softly. "I should go now, I will pick Fanha in the morning." He got up.
A dagger pierced through Shenjae's heart.
"Don't" she said, he stopped and sat back down.
"I was thinking if I move out of this apartment, the landlady has increased the rent." She suggested.
Jung kook was surprised; she was much more tired than usual.
"Sure, noona" he hesitated "but why do you umm seem so-?"
"you won't let me live, will you? Why do you care so much for me? I don't want to show you, don't want to show myself to anyone, but why do you keep interrupting me, my life, my heart?" she finally burst, on the verge of tears.
"You can come to my apartment, it is smaller than yours but uh we can take better care of Fanha?" he pushed a little.
Smooth kook smooth.
She sniffed.
Fanha now crawled towards her and looked at her father showing him an angry face.
"omamamama" she squeaked, Jung kook picked her up and laid on the carpet.
"Haha baby, eomma will just not tell me what's wrong and then she does not cry like you do" he glanced at Shenjae, Fanha was now sprawled on his chest.
"don't ever become like her, you should just cry when something is wrong and you can come running to appa and appa will scoop you and everything will be alright" he rocked her high up in his arms, still laying down.
"Yah" Shenjae shrieked.
Plan worked.
"Do you backbite me like that?" she punched his shoulder. Fanha, not understanding anything, crawled out of his arms towards her.
"My baby, don't listen to him. He is just a kid like you" she picked her up and she giggled.
Jung kook just laid there while staring at Shenjae who was making Fanha drink her milk, the little girl soon slept in the arms of Shenjae.
"Seokjin came today at the cleaners shop" she whispered after tucking Fanha in bed.
"When did you start working at the cleaners'?" Jung kook jump shouted.
"shh! Shh! Haha is sleeping." Shenjae panicked, "since last month"
Jung kook was hurt by her answer.
"And, what did he say?" he sighed.
"He said, though I made it to the top in the test, his father paid the examiner to bring him up. He said, poor people have no place in this world, their children deserve to die, they should not dream big." She let it out.
Silence accompanied them; many people had tried to tell them their place in the world at several occasions but they had always ignored them, always hoped for better days to come, for happiness to surround them.
Jung kook slightly moved towards her and hesitantly held her tear-stained hands.
"He can go die with his money" he whispered, half-heartedly.
She grabbed his hands tightly and brought them to her eyes.
"It was my dream, I had worked so hard to get here, so hard, I did not engage in any activities, I even worked double shifts to make up money for the entrance in the test and it's all gone, like it was never there. I can never have a better future, never. I will lose you, lose Fanha, lose every little presence left in my life. I am tired of losing my loved ones. I am, I..." her hiccups engulfed the sentences.
Jung kook patted her back.
"Shenjae" he cupped her face and removed the tears.
"Everyone will be here, nobody will leave you again. We are poor but we are happy, we love ourselves, we enjoy life too. These clouds are just for a few days and then the Sun will tear them open and beautiful rainbow of happiness will surround us, please don't let anyone's words harm you, it's your life to live. Promise me you will never stop dreaming and chasing it"
She nodded, trying to stop her crying, like a baby.
YOU ARE READING
KITE
FanficHe was cut short by a slam of lips against his. She kissed him harshly, with tears on her cheeks. Jung kook was shocked at first but silently gave in, letting his own tears come out. When they finally broke the kiss, he tried to move away. "please...
