The Devil's Pact | BBANGSAZ

E I G H T E E N

Hanni leaned her head against the bus window. This was the third and final bus before she reached her parents' apartment. She had gone to Jaemin's house again and signed the deal for the restaurant. She would be starting her work tomorrow. An Jaemin was a good man. Hanni wished more people were like him. She looked out onto the street and saw a few homeless men sitting in between cracks and corners of buildings. She saw groups of middle or high school kids playing around while walking down the street. She saw the old basketball court she had walked by a million times. It was empty, most likely due to the cold. She sighed as the bus turned a familiar corner and made its way down to her street. When she finally reached the area where her apartment was located, she exited the bus and stared at the ugly brick building. It seemed like forever since she had been there.

When Hanni unlocked the door to the apartment, she instantly smelled her mother's cooking. That familiar smell made her feel warm inside, despite the freezing cold outside. The sudden dip in temperature was symbolic of the sadness in her life. She went inside and peeked around. She figured her parents had probably settled in for an early nap. Hanni quietly tiptoed to the couch. She noticed new blankets folded up and placed at the bottom of the couch. She figured her mother had probably been sleeping out here. She did that from time to time when she wasn't getting along with Daniel. That would usually force Hanni to sleep on the hard floor. But they must have gotten over their problems if her mom was back in bed with her dad.

It felt so good to actually be back among normal people. People who didn't jet-set to exotic locations, or have cooks and housekeepers, or drive the latest cars imported from overseas. Yes, the land of the normal people was where she fit in. She sat down and was about to lean her head back when the overhead light blinded her.

"What are you doing here?" her father's voice asked. She turned around and was about to smile until she saw the mean expression on his face. What now?

"Hi, Dad, I've missed—"

"I asked you, what are you doing here?" Daniel repeated, folding his arms across his chest.

Hanni didn't know what to make of her father's unwelcome greeting. She studied the hard lines in his face and the tiny patches of gray that had settled on the right side of his head. Her father looked much older than he was. He had a constant wrinkle in his forehead from worry or disgust. He was always one of those two things: worried or disgusted. And right now, he looked disgusted. She looked behind him and noticed her mother joining his side.

"Um, I've come to move back in," Hanni said, looking from her mother to her father.

"No, the hell you haven't! You're not welcome in my place," Daniel said.

Hanni stood in the middle of the floor, completely confused. Was her father joking? He never joked, but he had to be. Not welcome?

"You think people didn't tell me what you were doing with Kim Minji? How you erased our debts? Oh, I know. I know everything," he spat, narrowing his eyes at her.

Shit. She knew people talked, but she had hoped staying out of town would have stopped any rumors from spreading. But...as always, they did. "Dad, I—" Hanni started again.

"You hear me? You're not welcome here. I don't want you in my place!"

"Daniel, don't talk to her like that!" her mom shot at him, tying her robe around her.

"Why not? I never in a million years thought you would stoop so low to clear our debts. I raised you better than that." Daniel said.

Hanni started to feel her blood boil, tears brimming at the surface of her eyes. Damn it, you better not cry, she chastised herself. Stand up!