ROAD RAGE | Jaywon

Chapter 7: she's home

JUNGWON

I walked into the house and immediately paused when I saw my mom in the kitchen, wearing an apron and cooking. Haewon hadn't told me that Mom was already here, I thought she wouldn't be here until the weekend.

The familiar smell of her cooking filled the air, but I couldn't bring myself to care. She turned to me, a hopeful smile on her face. I hate to see her smile.

"Jungwon, would you like to eat something?" she asked, her voice gentle.

I just ignored her. The betrayal I felt was still too fresh, too raw. How could she act like everything was normal after what happened? I carried the weight of my father's death, and it seemed like she had already moved on.

I retreated to my room, closing the door behind me. I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The quiet was interrupted by the soft creak of the door opening. My mom peeked in, her eyes filled with concern.

"Jungwon, come eat with us" she said, her voice almost pleading.

I turned away, refusing to acknowledge her. I heard the door close softly, and the room was silent again.

I put on my earphones and played a song, hoping the music would drown out my thoughts. As the melody filled my ears, tears began to flow. I couldn't stop thinking about my dad, about how unfair life was.

I couldn't breathe properly, my chest getting tighter and tighter with each passing second. Being in the same room with my mom felt like torture. She should suffer too, for what she had done.

I'm at a café now , waiting for Sunoo. We had agreed to meet here to work on our upcoming presentation. I tried to focus on the project, but my mind kept drifting back yesterday.

Sunoo walked in, looking slightly annoyed. He spotted me and walked over, dropping his bag onto the chair.

"You should've picked me up. It's such a hassle to take the bus," he ranted, his frustration evident.

He slumped into the chair, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "And don't even get me started on school. It's like, no matter how hard I try, the teachers just keep piling on more work. It's exhausting, won. I barely have any time to breathe."

he took a sip of his chocolate drink and continued "And my parents, they're always on my case about my grades. It's like they don't understand how hard I'm trying. I get home late from school, and then I have to dive straight into homework. It's never ending."

I tried to focus on his words, but my own thoughts were swirling.

A knot tightened in my chest as he went on.

"And don't even get me started on my social life. It's like I have to balance school, and somehow make time for friends. I'm so tired of it all."

he leaned back, looking genuinely upset. "It's just all too much sometimes, you know?"

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I felt tears welled up in my eyes, and I felt a lump in my throat.

"Sunoo, you think your life is bad?" My voice cracked as I spoke, tears starting to spill down my cheeks.

"At least you have parents who care about your grades"

his eyes widened in surprise. "what are you talking about?"

My tears flowed.

"My dad is dead, and my mom has an affair. I'm all alone most of the time, and school is just a distraction from everything else. I don't have anyone waiting for me, worrying about my grades, or pushing me to do better. It's just me, trying to survive each day." All those words just blurted out of my mouth. I covered my eyes, trying to hide my tears. Strangely, I felt lighter after saying those, but it still hurts.