Fatal Attraction | Purinz

Chapter 1

It was early afternoon when my parents called me downstairs to the living room to talk about something. I was home over the weekend, enjoying my comfy bed since the one I had in my dorm weren't as much comfortable as mine at home. Being a junior in college looked great from the outside. It looked like my life was together at twenty-one years old, but it wasn't. I was such a big mess, and that was reflected in my grades. I knew what kind of talk I would be having in a few seconds.

Slowly, I descended the long stairs while holding onto the railing. I looked down and saw my father and mother sitting on our white couch with crossed legs. That's not a good sign.

I took the last step and took a seat far away from them. "So? I'm all ears," I said, and quietly laughed.

My father, Daniel, is an old-fashioned person. When it comes to education, it's the most important thing for him. Well, it's more like the most important thing for me to have. He wants me to become a doctor because he is a cardiologist.

My mother, Jihyo, is a bit softer than my father; however, for her, college is a priority as well. You can imagine what kind of expectations they have. My mother is a lawyer, and my father is a doctor.

And I'm failing them horribly; I'm aware of that, but I'm not the kind of girl who loves to spend hours reading dozens of books about chemicals or law.

My father took off his glasses and placed them on the white Marvel table. "Me and Jihyo think you don't try hard enough with your studies. We gave you enough time to adjust and be better in school, but your grades are catastrophical, Yunjin." Father complained.

"Honey, I know you're going through hard times, but that's life. You can't throw away your whole future because of a few bad moments." Mother added.

I tore my sight away from them and focused on the wooden floor.

They never took my mental health seriously. For them, it's just another excuse for me to not study harder.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked and raised my head.

"Is that we will take this into our own hands from now on, and you will do as we say." My father declared.

I wanted to laugh, but that would make him even angrier. I'm not sixteen anymore. They cannot control me just because I'm living under their roof.

"What's your plan with me?" I asked, looking straight into my father's eyes.

"Tutoring, Yunjin." My father calmly said, "From now on, you will remain home until we see you studying. Two times a week, you will attend a private lesson with the tutor we hired for you. You aren't allowed to have any objections because we both gave you your own chance to fix what you've messed up."

I was left speechless. I pushed away tears that wanted to escape my eyes. I couldn't let them see how weak I really was. How lonely and sad I was. I have only one friend I can speak to. My parents are like strangers to me.

What kind of life do I fucking have?

Even now that I'm home for the weekend, we don't see each other at all. If we didn't have this talk going on, I would probably only see them, when passing the living room as they watch TV, but that's happening occasionally.

They can't get through me, and I can't get through them. The mirror is between us. We can see us well, but only our reflections.

"Alright, is that all?" I asked, standing up.

They both looked disappointed in me, but I'm used to seeing that.

Mother nodded, and Father didn't say anything in reply. I walked up the stairs back into my room, where the cinnamon scent was lingering in the air from the candle I lit before I went downstairs. I inhaled the calming, sugary scent and sat on my king-sized bed.