EUPHORIA ¦ PARK JIMIN

Chapter 24

Reluctant but somehow looking forward to the family meeting that she once wished to attend, with her heart racing in agitation, she stepped up to the front door. While she waited for the door to open after ringing the bell, she examined the exterior structure of the house. Her father had lived a comfortable life that she promised that he would give, she was happy that even if it wasn't her who had fulfilled the promise, she would thank Hae Jin forever for it.

As Hae Jin opened the door, he gave his sister a broad grin and welcomed her in with his arm around her.

'I'm glad you came,' He said and she could only respond him a smile.

Hae Jin dragged her to the living room where their father was. He had aged from the last time Ha Eun had seen him. He was too busy trying to read the tiny lettere written on the book through his glasses that hung low at his nose bridge.

'Appa...'

He perked his head, recognising the voice and immediately stood up as he laid eyes on his only daughter that he hadn't seen for such a long time. With teary eyes and a smile on his face, he embraced her tightly.

'You've grown,' Her father whispered to her and sniffled. 'Happy birthday, my princess,'

'Ah, Appa, uljima,' Ha Eun said as they retracted from the hug.

'How are you?' He asked and trying to take a good look of her.

'Gwaenchana. How about you?' Ha Eun replied.

'Appa is fine,' He had said then Hae Jin's motber walked down the spiral staircase.

Like always, she had that sceptical and stern look on her face. Ha Eun faced her regardless that she felt nervous. She bowed down at her and greeting her.

'Neo yeogi issni (you're here),' She said to Ha Eun and sighed. 'Nal darrawa (Follow me), the food is ready,'

Ha Eun glanced at Hae Jin who gave me a nod before she followed her stepmother to the dining area with Hae Jin walking with her. The long table was filled with foods that a mouth of four could even finish. It was just like Jimin's house, this could feed more than ten people, she thought.

During dinner, their father had interrogated Ha Eun where she worked and if she had a boyfriend. Hae Jin's mother didn't entirely participate but she had given Ha Eun a necklace as a present.

'Why are you not married yet?' Their father asked.

'Ah, Appa, aniyo. I don't think about that yet,' She laughed awkwardly.

But the time dinner had ended which went by smoothly, their father had to retire to bed early. Ha Eun was left with Hae Jin at the living room.

'Oppa..'

'Hm?'

'Gomapda (Thank you),' She smiled.

'Wae?'

'You gave Appa the comfortable life that I couldn't,' She replied.

'Mwo? What are you saying?' Hae Jin questioned, perplexed about Ha Eun's words.

'Geunyang...' she shrugged with a smile.

'Ya! I admit that I worked my ass off,' He began. '.. but this life, isn't just for appa, eomma and me. It's for you too,'

'Ara (I know). That's why I'm still thankful,' She replied.

While they spent hours talking and catching and up, Ha Eun had to reluctantly leave the house to get home. When she had arrived home, she fumbled with her keys inside her bags and spotted a familiar car parked by the side of the road in her house.

'Huijang-nim?' she mumbled.

She then sauntered towards his car and found Jimin dozing off on his seat. She let out a small chuckle and gently knocked on the window for a couple of times before Jimin even went back to his senses after waking up. Upon seeing her, he a frown was painted on his face as he immediately hopped out of his car.

'Huijang-nim, why are you here?' She asked.

'Molla (I don't know),' He answered sarcastically and crossed her arms at her. 'Someone ditched me for dinner just now and I had to wait here for her for two hours,'

While Ha Eun stood appalled, thinking how it connected with her, a gasp escaped her lips as realization hit her. Jimin furrowed his brows and gave a fake smile. It was quarter to twelve and he had been waiting for more than hours.

'Why didn't you call me?' She asked.

'You weren't answering your phone,' He replied.

Then, she had remembered that her battery had died.

'Joseonghabnida, huijang-nim,' She said and immediately bowed to him for three times.

While Jimin waited at the restaurant for Ha Eun's birthday dinner, he had only thought that she might have dressed up first and prepared herself but much to his dismay, she hadn't shown up. For Ha Eun's side, the dinner had completely slipped off her mind. She had agreed to meet him at seven o'clock but it was literally pushed out of her head when throughout the whole day, all she had thought about was the family dinner.

'What do you even have to say for yourself?' He muttered and Ha Eun just stood there feeling guilty.

'Hoksi (By any chance),' she began. 'Do you want to join me inside to eat?'

She raised a bag of packed foods that Hae Jin had told her to bring home. Jimin would have refused to but with his stomach grumbling in hunger, he had only nodded with an annoyed expression on his face.

Ha Eun quickly unlocked her house and made Jimin enter first. She instructed him to sit on the dining area as she prepared the foods on the table.

'It's not really like the foods that you have at your house but I ho--'

'Shut up and just let me eat after ditching me,' He interrupted her and snatched the chopsticks from her grasp.

While they ate quietly, Ha Eun glanced at Jimin still feeling guilty of what she had done.

'Where the hell were you anyway?' He asked in the midst of them eating.

'I was at a family dinner,' She replied.

'I thought you said your parents were in LA,' Jimin uttered and shoved another spoonful of rice inside his mouth.

Somehow, Ha Eun felt relieved that Jimin was able to eat the kinds of food she had brought with her. Or perhaps, he was onlt hungry.

'They were but they onky arrived yesterday and my brother came to see me this morning and invited me over,' She said.

'Then why did you agree to eat dinner with me?!' He asked in a high pitch tone, yet sounding irritated.

Now, she didn't really know how to answer his question. 'I was too overwhelmed on the family dinner that I forgot that you had invited me for dinner as well. Joseonghabnida, huijang-nim,'

He wanted to scold her even more for ditching him but when she had had said that she was overwhelmed for the family dinner, he felt like there was something hidden in it.

'Did you..' he began, gaining Ha Eun's attention. 'Did you enjoy it?'

'Yes, so much. I haven't seen them for so long,' She replied enthusiastically.

'Why aren't you living with them?' He asked, feeling curious about her life.

'It's complicated, huijang-nim,' she laughed awkwardly.

'Gwaenchana. I can listen,' He said and placed down his utensils as a sign that he was ready to listen to her.

Ha Eun grinned and spent the next few hours telling him.