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"I'm home."
Jiyeon announced to no one in particular as she took her shoes off. Her presence in the house was first noticed by her uncle, who sat on the couch, reading through some files and sipping tea.
"Welcome home, Jiyeon-ah." Chanwoo greeted, raising his hand that held the teacup in the air as he looked at her through the round glasses that sat low on his nose bridge, a small smile hovering over his lips.
"How was your day?" He asked, lowering the cup onto the saucer, quickly directing his attention to the girl who walked in rather enervated than usual.
"Tiring. Very much." Jiyeon let out a deep exhale, and he hummed, "Take rest." With a soft nod, she headed to her allocated room, which was situated upstairs alongside her cousin's room.
As Jiyeon passed by, the dim-bluish-hued room with the door slightly agape gave her a view of her cousin, Kim Sunwoo, who was busily tapping his controller as he yelled into the headsets, engrossed in the video game.
Jiyeon bit the inside of her cheek, instinctively comparing his lifestyle to hers—despite being the same age, he had dropped out of university as the major did not stick well with his passion. He had it easy. His parents' financial status let him stay at ease and live a life where there was no pressure from his family to provide for their household, unlike her.
I wish my parents were alive.
The same thought crossed her mind for the umpteenth time. The absence of parental figures in her life ever since she was seven years old scarred her heart permanently, creating a void that even her grandmother could not fill. She was undoubtedly grateful to her grandmother, who took matters into her hands after their death, but the persistent envy she felt every time she saw parents and their children interact with love and affection remained like poison in her veins.
Her phone ringing in her pocket popped her bubble, and she fished it out, pressing it to her ear as she headed inside her small room—a storage room that her uncle had cleaned up and transformed into a room for her.
"Hello there, my favourite person." Jiyeon smiled heartily as she spoke through the device. She placed her bag on the floor before lying supine and staring at the beige ceiling.
"Hi, dear. How was your day?" Her grandmother's fragile voice trailed through the speaker, and though she was not visible in person, Jiyeon knew there was a smile on the elder's face.
"I had a long day, Nanny. Lectures were mentally exhausting, and don't get me started with the assignments and essays to complete- I literally have 2 essays due tomorrow and have barely gotten any work done!" Jiyeon ranted habitually to the only person to whom she let her guard down and spoke from the bottom of her heart.
"Ah, is my little girl tired from all the studying?" Her grandmother asked, and Jiyeon hummed in response, grinning merrily at those words that felt like a pat on her back.
"Did you get fully adjusted at Chanwoo's home?" She asked as Jiyeon rolled to lay on her stomach, "City life is so busy all the time and, most importantly, very expensive. But I think I am well-adjusted now. I'm managing uni pretty well." She replied.
"Good to hear. Do you and Sunwoo talk at all?" She asked out of curiosity, and Jiyeon sighed, "He barely gets out of his room. I only see his face on Sunday when we all have dinner together." She answered with a shrug.
"Oh, I see." Grandma nodded, shuffling around in her house, "How is it with Chan and Eunji? Do you all get together well?" Jiyeon instantly lied straight through her teeth, "Yes, of course we do. We hang out almost every weekend. Uncle and Auntie are kind- Uncle even asks me about my day. It's all good in here."
"Jiyeon! Come down and do the dishes!" Eunji yelled from the staircase, and Jiyeon panicked, praying her grandmother did not overhear those words through the call. She hastily stood up and shut the door close before pinning the phone to her ear once again.
"What was that, dear? Is that Eunji?" The elderly woman asked, unable to comprehend the faint voice, and Jiyeon quickly covered up, "No, no. She is busy with work. Anyway, Nanny, I have a lot of university work to do, so I'll get going, yeah?" She hurriedly uttered when she heard footsteps pattering upstairs.
"Okay dear, take care and don't forget this old lady is always ready to send you money if needed. Never hesitate. Love you." Jiyeon chuckled, "Don't forget your meds and take good care of your health. Love you too, Nanny."
And the very second the call came to an end, the door to her room shot open, revealing her aunt, who was still dressed in her professional, work attire and seemingly furious.
"I had been yelling- Jesus, I could have lost my voice." Eunji complained, touching her throat as she glared at the girl who awkwardly stood by her bed.
"On it. I did not hear you, Auntie." Jiyeon explained, and Eunji rolled her eyes, "That's the least you can do to show your gratitude, don't you think so?" She taunted her intentionally.
Jiyeon did not respond; she grew immune to her aunt's ridicule, deciding to stay ignorant and deaf to the baseless remarks that did not faze her. Yes, she was grateful they gave her a roof, but her kindness was only directed to her uncle, who showed true affection towards her, unlike his wife, who was pretentious in front of their grandmother, simply to appear more likeable.
"Get changed quickly and do the dishes. I won't repeat myself." Eunji spun around and banged the door to a close loudly.
"Jeez. She's crazy." Jiyeon mumbled to herself with a shake of her head, and she grabbed her pyjamas from the closet, craving to change into more comfortable clothes.
Approaching the sliding glass door that separated her space from the balcony, she grabbed onto the hem of the beige curtains on either end, tugging them to a close.
The lights went out abruptly, and Jiyeon groaned, turning around on her heel to reach her phone that was on her bed, but instead, she crashed head-first into someone who manifested right in front of her in her very room.
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