Butterfly Effect | Han Taesan

15.

Saneul's dorm room felt suffocating as her parents stood in front of her, their faces etched with disappointment, as usual.

After a long day of school and club activities, Saneul left university with the desire to crash in her bed. She did not even have time to meet up with any of her friends with the exception of her roommate and her course mate Jaehyun.

And yet, she could not even end the day peacefully. She thought that after the last incident with her parents, they would cut her some slack and stop trying to pry into her life. Oh how wrong was she.

"What are you guys doing here again?" Saneul asked, her voice a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

Her mother's sharp voice cut through the air like a knife. "We came to see you, Saneul. Clearly, you need guidance. Why can't you just be like your brother Haneul?"

Saneul sucked in her breath at the mention of her elder brother, Haneul. She loved her older brother, he always took care of her, they shared a close bond when they were young. But everything changed when he got into med school and her parent's expectations on Saneul amplified by tenfolds.

She was never like her brother. He was always the star. The family's first priority. Saneul never let that affect her views of her brother but her parents thought otherwise.

Saneul's heart sank. "Guidance? You mean more lectures about how I'm failing at everything and that I will never be like Haneul?"

Her father, usually more reserved, chimed in, his tone stern. "We've given you every opportunity, but you are constantly failing and disappointing us."

Saneul clenched her fists, trying to keep her composure. It's always the same conversation with them, never a simple "How was your day?" or "Have you eaten?". Everything revolved around her future career and she was getting sick of that.

"I'm doing my best. I don't know what more I have to tell you guys. You don't understand how hard I'm trying."

"Well clearly, your best isn't good enough," her mother snapped. "We expected so much more from you. You're wasting your potential."

Tears welled up in Saneul's eyes as her parents continued to berate her. Each world felt like a blow, leaving her feeling smaller and more insignificant.

"What potential are you even talking about? All my life you have never acknowledged any of my hard work. I worked so hard to please the two of you but you only ever paid attention to Haneul."

"We didn't raise you to be mediocre," her father said. "You're throwing away your future."

Saneul felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. "You are not listening to me. I'm not throwing away anything. I'm just trying to find my own path. Why can't the two of you leave me alone like how you have been doing for years before I went to university?"

Her mother's eyes narrowed. "Your own path? Look where that's gotten you. Nothing but disappointment and failure."

The words stung, and Saneul's resolve crumbled. She couldn't take it anymore. "I need you to leave. Leave me alone. You know that whatever you say will never change my mind. My future is mine to decide." she said, her voice shaking. "I can't do this right now."

Her parents exchanged the usual look of disappointment but turned to leave. "We're only trying to help," her mother said coldly. "You'll see that one day."

"Well try not to help. I didn't ask for your help all these years anyways." she snapped back.

As they left her dorm, Saneul felt as though her world had come crashing down around her. She needed to get away, to find some peace and comfort. She grabbed her phone and called the one person she knew had no classes today and someone she could rely on.