Just College

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Daya was looking forward to the package all through the morning hours of Sunday. She got a nice breakfast of seaweed and rice for her birthday and Dayeon gave her a lovely present of a set of cups with her name inscribed into them. She said she had spent a good portion of her pocket money to get those customised cups in Seoul. Daya really appreciated the present. It was so creative. She didn't have plans for the day and just lazed around in some shorts and huge top, waiting for a call or anything. So when the bell rang, Daya was running out from the kitchen area and to the door. She opened it and found a dispatch driver on the porch.

"Hello", Daya greeted, subduing her excitement.

"Hello. Jeong Daya-sshi?"

She nodded very quickly and a brown envelope was given to her. The small parcel got her even more curious. What present could be this little?. She signed the form and thanked the man, going back in. Dayeon was already down, drinking some water.

"Who was it?", Damin asked from where she sat in the living room, massaging her old mother's aching feet.

"Just a package for me", Daya replied and Seolran quickly ditched her daughter's nice massages. "A birthday present?", she has always been a curious granny.

Daya hummed. Looking the package over, she didn't see a sender, only a reciever. She thought Seungmin was just being as cautious as usual. Dayeon dropped the cup and came over, so curious too. Daya tore the envelope open and a few pictures fell out. She caught a glimpse of a red nightwear and she didn't need to be told that this was no happy birthday present. Seolran wanted to take one of the pictures but Dayeon grabbed it before she could, her sister wasn't doing anything to help her gather the godforsaken pictures.

It wasn't Daya's fault. She had dissociated herself from her surroundings after glancing into the envelope and seeing pictures of her in the most ungodly way possible at Eunha's wedding.

"What's in the envelope?", Damin got up and Daya's eyes zoned in on her mother coming to her. She bent down, picking the rest of the pictures with Dayeon. Her younger sister was visibly shaking. "Unnie?", she whispered.

Daya inhaled sharply and let out an exhale just as sharp. "Thank you", she stood to her height and ran up the stairs, ignoring her mother's calls. Shutting the door, Daya locked it, quickly walking to her reading table, she overturned the contents of the envelope. There were lots of pictures that she didn't know the one to focus on. There were pictures of the necklace Seungmin got her, the bracelets, pictures of them walking into the Adidas store, in the Adidas store, of her being led into the restrooms on the last floor of the school's lecture halls building, of her in a red night wear leading a guy out of the room with their hands in each other's.

The girl fell on her knees. Most of the pictures only had her in them. Seungmin wasn't really seen but she knew he was the guy in the pictures. She had never been with any other person except him. The one taken in the Adidas store though was very clear. He was captured multiple times in multiple angles.

Daya searched for a candle and match box. She set to work, burning every picture. She couldn't afford to keep anyone. They would only implicate her. Tears brewed in her eyes, who the fuck had the audacity to send such?. She put a picture of the bracelet over the flame and watched it burn to the ground. At the same time of burning the pictures, she blindly searched for her phone. When found, she dialled Seungmin's number and he didn't pick. She continued, not caring if it would piss him off to see such amount of missed calls. This wasn't what they bargained. She didn't want to suspect him but what choice was she left with?. She gave her address, expecting a package from him and got threatened instead.

Daya's eyes hardened as she stared at the burning pictures in her hand. They burnt till her fingers and she just dusted them, ignoring the burn. The person who sent this to her should truly remain in the dark and not come out to her.