Broken

14

They did do their homework and even managed some studying before Mrs Hirai called them for dinner. Jihyo decided it was about time she broke the news to everyone, they should know and she was glad to be able to tell Mr and Mrs Hirai herself, they had her over more than she would like to admit, and had always been the sweetest. She would want to do that with the Chous, Myouis, Ims and Sons as well, but that is a worry for later.

"So, I have something to say." Jihyo starts with a sigh, sometime after they started eating.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Mrs Hirai asks, a little worried.

"Oh, it's nothing bad, I promise." Jihyo is quick to assure. "I applied to a exchange program with my singing professor, and I got accepted. I should be leaving in two or three months."

They all pause for a while, Hana, who was coming back with more juice, almost dropped the pitcher. Mina chokes on the food in her mouth, Nayeon had stopped with a wet tissue pressed against Momo's face, Momo stopped trying to get away from Nayeon. Tzuyu is frozen midway at taking a bite of her dinner, Chaeyoung was cutting some carrots and Mr and Mrs Hirai are looking at Jihyo with wide eyes.

"I have been taking singing lessons for years, now, and my tutors have always been very supportive. So, at the beginning of last year Seungwan unnie talked me into auditioning for this music program overseas, it's an arts school that has an escalator system with their affiliated university, and I got offered a scholarship there.

They are willing to support my schooling expenses and I'm offered a room at their dorms. The call came in yesterday, and I said I wanted to go. I know I never said anything about it, but I didn't want to have hope and get you all rooting for me to not get it in the end. So-"

"That's great, Jicchan!" Mrs Hirai cuts the girl's rambling and shoots up, walking around the table and snatching her on a bone-crushing hug.

That was enough for everyone to erupt in cheers, taking turns to congratulate Jihyo, Hana and Momo may or may not have ended dinner sobbing into their plates. Nayeon had some snot flowing down her nose as well, which had Tzuyu kick her shin and demand the girl went to the bathroom and clean herself up. Chae, the level headed and reasonable one, managed to calm Mina down, who slightly snapped when she heard Jihyo call her teacher 'unnie'.

They managed to finish dinner, somehow, and Tzuyu and Jihyo got rock-paper-scissored into doing the dishes. The other girls went up to Momo's room to put their things away, intending to not leave too late after the other two were done with the dishes. They ended up sitting on the living room and making Jihyo tell them everything about her exchange program, it got a bit late, and Mr Chou had called to ask if Tzuyu was going home that day, so Mr Hirai drove them all home.

For the next few days, Jihyo went to Mina's, Chaeyoung's, Tzuyu's and Nayeon's (in that order) to tell their families about being accepted in the program, going about the same questions, but she would tell them the same thing over and over without complaining. Then it came time for her to talk to her own parents, it should be easy, they would be satisfied to know they didn't have to have her in the house anymore. With that in mind, she took a smaller shift one afternoon, so she could get to the house in time to talk to them.

"Mother, could I speak with you and father for a moment?" Jihyo asked as soon as she got to the house.

"Is this important? We are planning to go out tonight." The woman answers, not really stopping what she was doing.

"It is, ma'am. I need to talk to you both." Jihyo starts to get a bitter taste in her mouth, it always happened when she was at that house.

"Fine, I'll call you after i speak to your father. He is not home yet."