𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗡 | park sunghoon. ✓

▎029

☂︎

Sarim slammed the door shut behind her with an almost violent force, the sound of it echoing through the empty hallway. Her pulse was racing, her breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps. What the heck was that? Her mind swirled with confusion, replaying the events.

Sunghoon. Standing there on her doorstep, eyes hard, reeking of alcohol, his voice tight as he told her to stay away from soekjin. then- Why the hell would he beat up Seokjin? The question nagged at her, echoing in her head, but the more she thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. He had no reason to act like that. Not with her. Not with anyone.

She shoved the thought aside, pushing her body away from the door as she made her way upstairs. The steps felt heavier than usual beneath her feet, each one a reminder of the strange mix of emotions swirling inside her. Her body felt light, but her mind? Her mind was a mess. Sunghoon's unexpected visit, the tension, the anger she couldn't quite understand—it was all too much.
Why would he even bother visiting? Didn't he say he pitied me?

Her hand shook as she reached the doorknob to her shabby and dilapidatet apartment hesitating before pushing it open. Something in her gut told her to expect the worst. She had learned to always expect the worst, but when the door creaked open, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw, or rather, what she didn't see.

The room was oddly quiet. It was too quiet. There was no smell of alcohol lingering in the air ,no sounds of the TV blaring or her fathers erratic muttering. The chaos she had grown used to was gone.

Where was he? Her heart skipped a beat. She stepped further into the room, her eyes darting around, scanning every corner, every crevice. The bed was unmade, which wasn't very unusual. The floor was cluttered with his things, but there was no sign of him. No sign of his presence.

"D-Dad?" Her voice cracked, but she didn't care. She called his name anyway, hoping for some sort of response. Anything.

She moved from the bed to the dresser, checking inside the closet, opening drawers. Nothing. Her heartbeat quickened. This wasn't like him. He always came back. Even when he was passed out drunk, he was still there, in his own twisted way. But now ?There was nothing. Where the hell is he?

Fear crept up her spine, creeping into the edges of her mind. This wasn't normal. Her father never left the house without a word. He'd always been there, whether in person or in some twisted, looming presence, and he certainly never disappeared without some sign of his presence, some trace of his destructive grip on her life.

Her breath caught, a sudden panic taking over. What if something happened to him? She grabbed her phone, dialing the police with shaking hands. The moment the line connected, Sarim's voice trembled as she tried to keep herself composed. "This is 112, what's the emergency?"

"I think my dad's missing," she said, her words rushed. "He—he never leaves like this. He always—"

A pause on the other end of the line. A shift in the officer's tone.
"What is your name?"
"It's L-lim sarim."

"M..Miss, we have news about your father," the officer hesitantly said. There was a momentary silence before the words hit her like a ton of bricks. "Your father was arrested earlier today for illegal drug dealing. He's in custody."

Sarim's heart stopped.

The room felt like it was closing in on her. She hadn't expected this—she hadn't expected anything like this. Arrested? For drug dealing? Her mind struggled to process the information. This was her father, the man who had been the source of so much anger, so much pain in her life. The man who had made her feel small, insignificant, constantly afraid. But even then, she had never once imagined him behind bars.

"Is he..." The words stuck in her throat, but she forced them out. "Is he okay? Is he... in danger?"

"He's in prison," the officer confirmed. "He was arrested for his involvement in illegal activity. He'll be held there for the time being."

For a few moments, Sarim could only stand there, the phone pressed against her ear, the silence between her and the officer stretching on for what felt like forever. Her father. In prison.

She let out a long breath, but it wasn't one of relief. It was a breath that carried years of pent-up frustration, confusion, and fear. She had never imagined this day would come. But now that it had, she felt no bitterness, no anger. Just... something else. A strange sort of peace.

"Thank you," she whispered, the words barely audible. "Thank you."

She hung up the phone and stood still, the reality of what the officer had said sinking in slowly, piece by piece. Her father—her abusive, neglectful, unpredictable father—was gone. The man who had ruled her life with an iron fist, the man who had made every day feel like a battle, was no longer a presence in her life.

And for the first time, Sarim felt something she never thought she would feel. She wasn't scared. She wasn't angry. She wasn't even sad. Instead, she felt a strange, almost overwhelming sense of... freedom.

Her body was still, but inside, she was moving. She felt like she could finally breathe. For so long, she had carried the weight of his anger, his cruelty, like a shadow that followed her everywhere. But now? The weight was gone.

She walked slowly across the room, her feet barely making a sound as she moved. She ran a hand through her hair, staring at the empty space her father had once occupied. The silence was no longer suffocating. It felt... almost comforting.

Sarim sat on the edge of the bed, her legs trembling beneath her, but the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth was genuine. A rare thing, something that hadn't been there in years. She wasn't sure what to do with herself, but she didn't need to figure it out right away. For the first time, she had the freedom to just... be. And that was enough.

For the first time in a long time, Sarim felt like she had the chance to live her life on her own terms. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn't afraid of the future.

AUTHORS NOTE :
HII SIGMAS 💯🔥👿

so firstly, i wanted to thank you all for 10k reads, i still can't believe it 😭😭💗 thank you so much for all the comments, votes & support!!

secondly, a little side note.. i've never actually called the police so if i messed something up or got anything wrong, mb!! i'm just going off what i've seen in movies, LMAOO

also as you can probably tell, im trying to wrap this up before the new year.. hope you liked this chapter though!!

stay safe, take care & enjoy your holidays