Being Afflicted (A BTS x OC x Infinite Fanfic)

Chapter 4

Hyun Ji awaited his arrival. She had missed him dearly. All she wanted to do was to pull him into a hug but she knew she couldn't. The moment she saw the door open, her heart stopped. Seeing his figure walk into the room, Hyun Ji's eyes grew watery. Her heart clenched. Her lips trembled. As he took his seat, he stared into her eyes. He was smiling but she knew him well enough to see the sadness in his eyes.

Placing her palm on the thin glass, he did the same. Their hands had met each other though there was a barrier. Her tears threatened to fall but she knew it wouldn't do her any good if she were to break down right there and then. Using her free hand, she picked up the phone which was attached to the wall. He followed suit.

Gathering all her strength, she spoke.

"How are you, Appa?"

Her voice came out as a soft whisper but even so, it was still audible to her father's ears.

"I'm fine, kiddo. What about you?" he asked with a shaky voice.

Liar. You're not fine. You're anything but fine. Hyun Ji thought.

"I'm fine too," she said even though she herself knew that that was a lie. Somehow, lying seemed to run in the family.

"How's school so far? Any news about that art course you mentioned about the other time?" her father asked, referring to her previous visit a month back. For some odd reason, Hyun Ji seemed to be radiating a darker aura compared to back then.

"Oh yeah, about that," she paused and managed to fake a small smile, "I'm currently taking that course. My teacher was impressed with my artworks. She even showcased one of them on the display board in the classroom."

"Wow, looks like my daughter's skills are getting recognized. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that you're the next Picasso." He let out a soft chuckle, his eyes twinkling for the very first time that day. Usually, when he cracked such jokes or teased her in such a manner, she'd laugh along with him but this time, she didn't. She simply scoffed into a small smile and went back to her gloomy self the next second. Her father frowned. He knew something was up.

"Kiddo, what's wrong? Why the sad face?" he asked. He was about to reach out for her hand when he realized he couldn't. Reality hit him hard as he withdrew his hand and heaved a low sigh. Hyun Ji was completely oblivious to what had happened as her mind was in her own field of thoughts while her head was hung low.

"Kiddo?" he called out to her once he had recovered from that mild heartbreaking moment, snapping her back into reality.

"Appa..." she let her voice trail off, hesitating for the slightest moment. Seeing her father gesturing for her to go on, she finally spoke.

"Is it wrong to push others away?" Getting those words off her chest took a lot of effort. Looking into her father's eyes, she saw flashes of many emotions - ones she barely had the chance to make out.

"Well, that depends on the situation. What's your reason for pushing others away?" he asked. Hyun Ji debated in her mind whether she should tell him or not but due to the fact that she wasn't able to gather the courage to spill the truth, she went with the decision to remain quiet. That action of hers was enough for her father to get the message. It took him a while to speak. He made sure to think through his answer and to be careful with the way he phrased his words. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, especially not to her.

"If that person tries to bring you down or demoralize you then you have every right to push him or her away because there is no point in entertaining their childish antics. On the other hand, you should never push away a person who truly cares for you because it's hard to find such people. Opening up to others takes time. It takes trust. It's a hard thing to do, putting your trust in others, but if they can trust you enough to make the first move, then why not you?" Hyun Ji paid attention to every single word he said. As much as she wanted to take his advice, she couldn't. As much as she wanted to put her trust in others, she refused to. As much as she wanted to bring down her walls, she didn't.