Trigger warning
Mention is homophobia and abuse.
As Jimin slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, her heart was racing so fast that she could almost hear it pounding in her ears. Her mind was still spinning from the kiss that she had shared with Minjeong.
But she didn't understand this feeling, as she had no friends and her mother was rarely home. Even when she was, she didn't show any affection.
Surely this is not a thing you'd want to feel for a friend. You wouldn't kiss your friends on the lips or think about them twenty-four twenty. It was complicated and jimin was finding these thoughts overwhelming.
Jimin sighed and got into the house, hoping that her mother wouldn't be home. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, her mother was sitting in the living room, a glass of alcohol clutched in her hand as usual. It looked like she was already in a bad mood, and her frown confirmed it.
"Where have you been?" her mother asked, not even looking up from her glass. Jimin flinched at the cold tone in her voice.
She looked down, biting her lip as she tried to come up with an answer "I was at a friend's house," she mumbled, trying to keep her voice steady. She knew it was a risky answer, but she didn't know what else to say.
Mom's eyes narrowed. "What friend?" she asked. "You're not allowed to have friends" her voice filled with disappointment.
Jimin felt a pang of fear in her chest. She knew her mother was strict, and she knew that she didn't approve of her having any friends at all "But Mother, she's just a friend," she repeated, trying to keep her voice steady.
But her mother wasn't buying it. She took a step closer to jimin, her eyes narrowing even further. "I know what those "friends" really mean," she said, her voice cold and icy. "You're gay, aren't you? You're just trying to cover it up by saying she's a friend."
Jimin's heart started pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Mom, no... I'm not gay," she protested, her voice pleading. "I promise."
"Don't lie to me!" her mother snapped. "I know what's going on. You think I can't see right through you? You think I don't know what you're really doing when you're "hanging out" with your "friend"?!"
Jimin felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she tried to keep her composure. "Mom, please... you're not listening to me. I promise there's nothing going on. She's just a friend. Nothing more."
Her mother scoffed, her face twisted in disgust. "I don't believe you," she hissed. "You're just trying to hide the truth from me. But I know what's really going on. I know what kind of person you are." she looked at her and continued "You know, your father would be so disappointed in you right now. If he was alive to see you now, do you think he'd be proud of what he sees? A lying, ungrateful daughter who can't even own up to who she truly is?"
Jimin felt a sharp pang in her chest at her mother's words. Her father had died when she was young, and he had always been her rock, her protector. And now to hear her mother use him against her like this... it was painful. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to speak, her voice choked with emotion. "Don't bring Dad into this," she whispered. "You have no right to talk about him."
Mom's eyes flashed with annoyance. "I have every right to talk about him," she snapped. "He was my husband, and he would be ashamed of you right now if he could see the person you've become."
Jimin's mind was spinning, struggling to process everything her mother was saying. She felt like she was drowning "Stop... just stop," she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Please..."
