Ephemeral

Chapter One

e·phem·er·al
/əˈfem(ə)rəl/
adjective
adjective: ephemeral
lasting for a very short time.
    "Their love was ephemeral"

Disclaimer:: This is my first time EVER writing a fanfic so I hope this turns out okay! Feedback is great.

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As soon as I stepped onto the driveway of my new home, my chest rose upwards as I inhaled the unfamiliar Seoul air. Seoul air was different, a contrast to what I was used to in Yeosu. Back in Yeosu, I was comforted daily with a friendly sea breeze that tickled through my hair, pulling me into it's embrace whenever I had stepped out onto the harbor.

Now, I was greeted with the harsh sting of the morning cold, pricking my skin like a thorn bush jabbing into the soft flesh of a child who had innocently wandered through it. But maybe that was just me overreacting about this new change. Maybe I was overreacting about the way my mom reacted when she caught my dad having an affair- literally. Caught him in the act in their own shared bed, she wasted no time in packing every single thing we owned and moving as far away from him as we possibly could. My dad was really a nice guy, just a little shattered, that's all. Joining a local gang and ending himself in the cooler a few times, becoming an extremely stressed alcoholic when discovering his ex-wife was going to sue him for 15,000 dollars for god knows what reason, I had to give it to him, he was a strong guy. Maybe not handling certain things in the  best way, but he got through it with a heavy heart. Mom walking out on his life just adds onto the pile of shit that he's put himself through. One day, he'll learn.

"Joohee! Get over here, I need your help!" My mother yelled impatiently, snapping me out of my reverie. Turning around to see what my mother was so frustrated about, I noticed the clear sheen of sweat that was glistening on her forehead. Her pink blouse was sticky with sweat, resulting it to become see-through. Her breath slowly turning into soft pants, my eyes traveled down to her hands, which were shakily holding out a heavy cardboard box that her eyes were pleading for me to take.

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"Right," I whispered softly, placing the last photo frame on the nightstand, "there." Satisfied with the organizing I had gone through to decorate my new room, I placed my hands on my hips and hummed. Maybe this house wasn't that bad afterall. My eyes flickered to the photo of me and my dad on a swing, him in his uniform and me in my pink bow with a matching spring dress. I felt the tears swell up, threatening to spill, but I refused to let them fall. My heart felt as though it were tied down by a thousand chains, each heartbeat making the chains tighten extremely impactfully.

"You'll do fine. You're just overwhelmed with all the new changes. Go take a walk or something, clear your mind," I thought to myself. I was right. I just felt trapped under all these changes that seemed to happen so abruptly.

Grabbing my phone and wallet off my nightstand and shoving them both into the back pocket of my dark denim jeans, I hustled down the stairs. I slid towards the kitchen on the tile floor, my white socks making it easy to glide through the house with little effort. I giggled as I maneuvered my way through the new furniture. My hand clutched the side of the wall as I turned the corner, arriving at my destination.

"Mom," I called, almost crashing into the counter as I continued to slide, "I'm going for a walk."

Piqued by my sudden statement, she raised an eyebrow, not looking up from the pan she was invested in. "Oh? And why is that?"

Gazing up at the ceiling to think of an answer, I tried to think of the most obvious answer I could give so she wouldn't pester me any further about my current adventurous attitude.