The New Girl | 𝘈𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘡

Just Kidding

SUE

"You've reached Jackson Wang. I'm sorry that I'm unable to come to the phone, but please leave a message."

"Hey Dad! It's me." I can feel my voice shaking slightly as I speak into the phone. "College is great so far. The cousins have been watching out for me, and so has EJ unnie... I'm doing really well in my classes so far, but I'll let you know if that remains the case after midterms... I know you're pretty busy but I miss you... Okay, I'll end here for now... I love you, Dad."

"Sue, what's wrong?" Yunho walks over to me with concern written on his face.

I reach up to my cheek and feel the wetness of the tears that I hadn't realized were there. "I'm fine."

"When someone says 'I'm fine', they're usually saying 'save me'," he reasons. Yunho reaches out to wipe away a stray tear. "It's your dad again, isn't it?"

"I told you it's nothing," I snap.

"It's okay to be upset, Sue." Yunho is unfazed by my anger. "You don't have to pretend that you're okay all the time."

"That's easy for you to say." I push his hand away and glare up at him. "Your father is here. He came to your high school graduation and saw you off to college. I haven't seen or spoken to my dad in two years and yet I can't stop calling and hoping that he'll answer one day."

"Sue, I'm sor-"

"Just save it!" I stomp away from him before I start crying even harder.

ELLAJIN

"Save it!" I can hardly get a breath in from how hard I'm laughing. "I know you're lying!"

"I swear it's true!" Chris laughs. "Once you meet Felix, you'll see what I'm talking about."

"And what would that be?" A deep voice says from behind the bar. I snap my head around to see one of my students giving Chris a questioning look. "Are you starting some shit, mate?"

"Course not," Chris chuckles as he wipes a tear from his eyes.

"Are you trying to make me look bad in front of my teacher, hyung?" Felix looks almost embarrassed as he turns to me. "I don't know what he's told you, but he's a dirty liar."

"Hey, I'm the night in shining armor today. Don't ruin it for me, mate," Chris fires back. "What are you even doing behind the bar, child?"

"People hear my voice and they don't question my age." Felix shrugs his shoulders and smiles at me. "Would you like something else to drink, EJ?"

I glance at Chris and shrug. "Only if Chris has one with me."

Chris chuckles and looks at Felix. "You heard the lady, get us another round, bro."

"Is Felix actually your brother?" I ask after noticing the similar accents.

"No, he and I are just a couple of stray kids from Australia." He smiles just as his phone starts ringing. "Excuse me for just a second."

He pulls out his phone. "What's up, Woo?"

That name makes me tense up.

It couldn't be

"Calm down, bro, it's not the end of the world..." Chris tells the person on the other end. "Well, after what you did, I'm sure she's pissed. I would be too... No, you're fine. Just come to the bar and we'll figure it out... Okay, see you in a second."

"Everything okay with hyung?" Felix asks, and my skin begins to crawl.

"You know," Chris chuckles, "same over-dramatics with his girlfriend as always."