smoke and sins | park jimin /hiatus/

chapter 17 | stress

It's that time of month again.

Go to the toilet then.

No, not that. Money!

It was approximately 6:30am in the morning and oddly for today, I was waiting for the money. Sitting on my sofa, I sipped some of my coffee and smuggled in my blanket. It was oddly cold today.

Where is it? It's usually here by now-

I heard the flap of the letterbox open and the envelope filled with money fell through. Putting my empty cup down, I walked over to the envelope and picked it up. It was heavier than usual. It even had an address in it today, very unusual as it usually has no writing on it except my name.

Strange.

Carefully opening the top, I opened to find a larger sum of money and a letter enclosed. I walked over to my money box in my small safe (I live by myself I have to take precautions) and opened it up. Me being Lee Jae-Eun, I save money as much as I spend it, meaning my savings were sufficient to last me two more months with no input from my dad. Putting the new money in the safe, I opened the letter.

To Miss Lee Jae-Eun,

You will no longer receive funding from Mr Lee. You will need to pay for the rent , school and other extra-curriculars. You have received enough to pay for this month and to pay for other fees but you will need to self-provide.

Kind Regards,

Mr Lee, CEO of Ocean Technologies

My hands began to tremble and my eyes started to blur.

No. No. This can't-

I closed the safe with the letter still in my hands and went to my room. I started to get ready for the school and brushed my hair. Leaving the house by 7:00am, I plugged in my headphones and dashed to school.

Opening the classroom, I grabbed the mop and began cleaning the floor. Suddenly a tear drop fell from my eyes onto the floor. I touched my face and then my collar. It was damp. I was crying this whole time. I stopped mopping the floor and stood still for a while until I rested my head on the top of the stick and started to sob.

Why does this always happen to me? Why?

Putting away the mop, I started to wipe the blackboards. I grabbed a tissue from the teacher's desk and wiped my tears.

"Lee Jae-Eun?"

I turned to face the doorway to find the whole of BTS there - Rap Monster stared at me with eyes of intense worry.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I'm not. It's the dust in here. I forgot to wipe yesterday."

"You've been crying for a while. We saw you."

"I am fine."

I placed the blackboard rubber down and walked up to BTS.

"Vice president since you're here early you can put the chairs out and wipe the windows."

Rap Monster nodded and signaled for the others to follow him in. I walked into the corridor an deaded towards my art room when suddenly I felt a warm hand grab at my wrist. I turned around to find Jimin facing me.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

I smiled at Jimin and squeezed his hand.

"I promise I'm fine."