lim sarim is abused by her father, and when sunghoon, her coldhearted and bold classmate, witnesses it, he starts bullying her. but as he gets to know her pain, he realizes he has feelings for her that he can't ignore.
"𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞...
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Lim Sarim braced herself as she opened the door to her home, her heart racing. She had learned to expect the worst, and tonight felt no different. The moment she stepped inside, she could feel the heavy air that clung to the small apartment, thick with tension and anger.
Her father sat on the couch, a half-empty bottle of soju in hand, his eyes glazed over. The television blared in the background, but all she could focus on was the way he glared at her as if she were a stranger.
"Where the fuck have you been, Sarim?" he barked, his voice harsh and cold.
"I was at school," she replied softly, trying to keep her voice steady.
"School? Is that what you call it? You think you can waste my money and not pay the price?" His anger boiled over as he stood up, towering over her.
Before she could respond, his hand shot out, slapping her across the face. The sting was sharp, and Sarim stumbled back, shock rippling through her body. She fought back tears, refusing to let him see her cry. But the pain was more than just physical, it was the humiliation of being hit by the person who was supposed to protect her.
"Get out of my sight!" he shouted, his face twisted in rage. She turned away, her heart pounding, desperate to escape the storm of his fury.
Sarim hurried to her small bedroom, locking the door behind her. The walls felt like they were closing in, and she sank onto her bed, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her father's words echoed in her mind, a constant reminder of her worthlessness. It was a cycle she knew all too well: the anger, the violence, and then the silence.
After a while, she forced herself to leave the her room. She had a job to get to, a part-time job at a karaoke club that offered a temporary escape from her horrid life at home. The red lights outside flickered, promising laughter and music, a world away from her troubled home.
Inside the karaoke club, the atmosphere buzzed with energy. People sang their hearts out, their voices blending into a chorus of joy. Sarim moved between tables, serving drinks and smiling at the patrons, grateful for the brief distraction from her life.
For a few hours, she could pretend everything was fine. The laughter and music wrapped around her like a warm blanket, offering silence from the chaos that awaited her at home. But as the night wore on and her shift came to an end, reality began to creep back in.
With her meager tips in hand, she stepped back out into the cool night air. The thought of going home made her stomach twist. She knew her father would want his share of her earnings, and she braced herself for another confrontation.
The walk home felt endless, each step heavy with dread. She entered the apartment and immediately sensed the tension in the air. Her father was still on the couch, his eyes narrow and suspicious.
"Did you bring me any money?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.
Sarim nodded, pulling out her earnings from her pocket. "It's not much, but it's what I made tonight."
He snatched the money from her hand, counting it as if it were all that mattered. "6 dollars? You need to earn more. Do you understand? You're worthless if you can't bring in cash."
She nodded, the familiar sting of his words hitting her hard. "I'll try harder," she promised, but inside, she felt humiliated.
After he finished, she went to her room once again, feeling the weight of his anger still pressing down on her. She layed in bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing for a way out of this life. The karaoke club was her only escape, a place where she could forget her troubles for a little while. But tomorrow would be another day of fear and pain, and she knew she had to keep going, no matter how hard it would became.
