𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝. | 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢 𝐒𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥

9.

Chaerin and her father didn't get along well always.

There were times when these two only communicated in form of yelling, throwing insults and objects at each other.

In 1976, when Chaerin started developing a crush on this boy in her school, Boo Seungkwan.
He was popular, beautiful, tall and overall a total sweetheart. Chaerin was introduced to him in her art class, where the two had to work on a project together.

Due to her overprotective father, they worked on it mostly at Seungkwan's place. In a span of a few weeks, they grew closer and eventually became more than just classmates.

Chaerin was 14 at that time, exploring all those new feelings and strange thoughts about him. She's never been in love before, always disliked boys.

But Seungkwan was different.
He was not a jerk, he was sweet.

One day, they were sitting on the benches in front of the school. Both had their lunches sitting next to them, being of no interest.

"I like that dress, you look beautiful today." He smiled at her, while caressing the back of her hand.

Their hands were interlocked and resting on his thigh, eyes not moving an inch from each other.

"Can I kiss you?" Seungkwan asked shyly.

Chaerin's heart stopped.
Yes, she liked him but kissing would take everything away step further and she wasn't sure if she was even ready for this.

Her eyes were wide open.

Seungkwan's eyebrows were suddenly drawn together: "What's wrong?"

"I don't think I want to kiss you." She spoke with sadness in her voice.

The look of disappointment mixed with sadness on Seungkwan's face made everything even worse. The grip on her hand loosened as he slid his fingers in the pockets of his grey hoodie.

"I thought you liked me?" He simply asked.

"Seungkwan, i do like you it's just-" Chaerin started but was stopped midway.

The sadness in his body was replaced by rage as he got up to look down at Chaerin: "No, don't say anything. I thought you were cute and not like everyone else is saying.

She felt a pinch in her heart: "Like everyone else is saying?" she asked.

Seungkwan nodded.

"Well, what is everyone else saying?" She got up aswell, arms crossed in front of her as she looked up to Seungkwan.

"Apparently the truth, that you're a spoiled cunt with no empathy or respect for anyone else." He spat and turned around to stomp off.

Chaerin's arms fell down as she sat back on the bleachers.

A spoiled cunt?

Quickly after this incident, Chaerin began walking home with tears covering her face.

At home, Chaerin wasn't welcomed with open arms. Her father was busy in his office and her mom was out shopping with her lady friends.

But she had to talk about this.
She didn't understand anything.

In front of the big wooden door, Chaerin brought her hand up and knocked softly.

"Who's there?" Beom-seok asked sternly.

"It's me, Chaerin." She answered before being allowed to enter.

Her father didn't look at her, being to busy with his work on the desk. Chaerin was standing there, hands folded thinking on how to start the conversation.

"What's the matter, my darling?"

"There is this boy in my school that I really like." She started, within second the pair of eyes in front of her were not focused on her.

"And?" Beomseok asked.

"He wanted to kiss me today."

A loud bang was echoing through the room, caused by Beom-seok's fist landing on his desk. His eyebrows were drawn together as he got up to look at his daughter.

"And you kissed this guy, i can not believe this." He started raging while walking around the table.

"No, i didn-"

"Stop! I don't want to hear any of your nonsense! You're too young to any of this nasty shit, what is your plan? To get knocked up by any guy walking around in your school?" Beom-seok was angry, without letting his daughter finish, he continued lecturing her.

"But dad-"

"No, Chaerin! I had so much faith in you, you're my only child and i can't believe your stupidity. I can't believe you're out there kissing and dating!"

Tears were streaming down Chaerin's face by now, why couldn't he just listen to her?

"What's next, Chaerin? Sex? Cruising down the street to get fucked by anyone?" He yelled.

Her mouth was now hanging low.
She was shocked how her dad thought about her, the way he talked to her right now.

"I did not kiss him, because it didn't feel right and i wasn't ready. But it's good to know how you think of me, dad." She yelled back before running out of the office and into her room.

This incident was the first heated argument that Chaerin could think of, the first time she was truly hurt by him.