legacy » baekhyun ✓

special chapter: yerim

❝ You say that I should marry a successful man, but... Mom, what if I want to become a successful man? ❞

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Kim Yerim was sitting at the kitchen table and eating her breakfast when her mother arrived home - hungover and cursing the decisions that she made the previous night. 

Yerim enjoyed the silence of the empty household. It felt like the quiet was slowly eating her soul away, but it was still better than the noise, which usually came in the form of her mother's late-night sobbing, next to a wine bottle and a bunch of unpaid bills for her failing fashion stores. Things weren't always like that though. Yerim still remembered how happy they were before her father left them. She used to think that their family was perfect, but it was all a cruel lie.

'' Mom, can I talk to you about something? '' she asked and stabbed her fork through the french toast that she was eating for breakfast. Her face remained blank while she watched her mother stumble towards the fridge, open it and start rummaging through the healthy options on the shelves. She grabbed a head of broccoli and her nose scrunched up in disgust before she suddenly noticed the pudding cups that Yerim was hiding behind the celery and ginger health drinks. She liked to scold her daughter about how much calories and sugar they had, but in that moment she still happily grabbed one.

'' Not now, sweetheart, '' the woman mumbled, searching through the drawers until she found a spoon and started eating. '' I've got five hours to sleep this hangover away. My boyfriend's gonna get angry if he finds out that I've been drinking last night. So don't try to expose me, okay? He might be coming here for dinner tonight. ''

'' I left some painkillers and a sports drink on your bedside table. Plus the phone number of your favorite takeout restaurant, '' Yerim mumbled, watching her hungover mother stuff the pudding in her mouth. Lady Kim used to be a very beautiful woman, but everything changed after her husband asked for a divorce. He cheated on her with a much younger model and she never got over that heartbreak. The pain was scorched in her heart, along with a firm belief that he betrayed her because she wasn't enough and would never be. Not for him, not for anyone else. '' Where did you sleep last night? ''

'' Does it matter? You said it yourself that my boyfriend treats me like shit, so why can't I treat him like shit back? '' The woman turned around, looked at her daughter and narrowed her eyes. '' Alright, you've got five minutes to tell me what's wrong. I feel like I'll manage to talk for that long. After that, I might have to go throw up. I drank way too much tequila last night... Anyway, what is it? Are you having problems in school? Do you need me to get you a tutor in one of your subjects? Tell me if that's the case. Your grades have to stay perfect. You know that what you don't have in looks, you gotta substitute with your brain. ''

Yerim lowered her head and stared at what was left of her french toast. She didn't really expect her mother to listen to her and now that she had her attention, she didn't know what to say. '' I... My boyfriend cheated on me last night. ''

She knew that it wasn't her fault, but somehow, she still felt like she failed him, her mother, everyone. Why else would he need to go to another girl? It was because Yerim simply wasn't enough.

'' What? ''

'' No, it's okay. I'm not heartbroken or anything like that. I'm perfectly fine, '' Yerim mumbled and raised her hands in defense. That was a lie. She had no reason to care about what happened, but her heart still hurt. '' That guy was an asshole anyway. I know that you wanted me to date him, but he... There were multiple times when he hit me, so it's good that he's gone, right? ''

'' Yerim... You are probably not going to like or understand what I'm about to say next, but... You need to get back together with him. ''

'' What? Why? ''

'' Once he inherits his father's fortune, he will be one of the richest brats in Seoul. '' The woman put her hands on Yerim's shoulders and stared intensively in her eyes. Her hair was a mess and her skin was still covered with the previous night's makeup. '' I want you to be okay in life and the best way for you to do that is by marrying a successful man. ''

'' But, mom, what if I want to become a successful man? ''

'' You can chase your own dreams after you secure your position in Seoul's elite. '' Her mother shook her head in disbelief, as if Yerim's dreams were silly and unimportant. '' You're a woman and you can't make it alone in this world. Well, you could, but it would be a lot easier for you if you'd just stick to a man's side. That's why you have to withstand the pain and turn a blind eye on things like cheating. ''

Yerim nodded in understanding, but she managed to keep herself together only until she reached her university. That was when she stormed into the first female bathrooms that she came across and slammed the door after her. She sat on the toilet, buried her face in her hands and started sobbing.

Yerim was crying in the toilet cubicle until she suddenly saw an unknown girl who peered under the door and asked: '' Are you okay? ''

'' G-Get the fuck out! Do you like watching people pee or something? '' Yerim screamed and tried to kick her, then she opened the door with a loud slam and headed towards the sinks.

'' Well, sorry for asking, '' the girl seriously mumbled and slowly lifted herself on her feet again. Yerim immediately disliked the tone of her voice. It was bleak and void of any emotions. Almost as if the girl forgot her soul at home before she came to university. ''  I just wanted to know if maybe you wanted a tissue or something, but screw you, I guess. I ain't giving you one now. You can wipe your eyes with the toilet paper. Considering the way that our university looks, I bet that it's designer anyway, or some stupid shit like that. ''

Yerim ignored her and took her makeup pouch from her bag. She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and started rummaging through the expensive lipsticks and powders. She wasn't going to say another word, at least not at first, but she changed her mind at the last moment, glanced over her shoulder and graced the new girl with a false smile.

'' Do you feel bad for me? I love it when people feel bad for me. ''