Sunlight blinding me with its brightness, I bring my hand up to shield my eyes as I slowly wake up to the new day. I look around to see Jimin tightly hugging my waist. Taehyung had woken up a little later last night and had gone back home after thanking me profusely for the soup and asking me to take care. I caress Jimin's messy bed hair and trace my finger along the dried trails of his tears, the sad remnants of the incidents of the day before, wishing I could take his fears and worries away. I get up from my bed carefully, make my way to the washroom to freshen up and take a bath. I make sure to apply enough concealer to hide the now prominent bluish purple mark near my jaw and leave the room. Jimin is already awake and waiting for me to come out, ready to blame himself if he notices any injury on me. I can see it in his eyes, the guilt and worry etched into his face, the frown on his plump lips, the wrinkles formed in the middle of his forehead.
He walks up to me, holds my hand and checks for any injury. He cups my right jaw and I can't help but flinch. He knows he's found the injury. I can see the tears brimming up in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, noona. I couldn't beat him up. That boy was not even over eight years old. I couldn't. I tried, I really did. But I just couldn't. I'm so sorry -"
"Hey it's alright. I'm fine. It's just one hit. I'm fine. It's okay. I'm happy you didn't beat him up for me to be safe." I reassured Jimin so that he would not dwell upon the fact that his mistake caused me to bear this. I get on my toes and kiss the wrinkles on his forehead before reaching out to boop his nose and go in for a nose rub with a smile on my face. I urge him to get ready for school when I'm assured that he will not think anymore of the consequences of his actions.
I go downstairs and check my phone for any new notifications while waiting for Jimin at the polished, smooth dining table. We eat our breakfast and go to school where we're greeted by Ara, Jungkook, Taehyung and Seo yeon waiting for us near the gates. Taehyung leaning with his hand on his sister's shoulder while Jungkook having his girlfriend, Ara held protectively by her waist. As soon as we approach them, I'm tackled in a hug by Ara and Seo yeon.
"Hey... let me breathe"
"But we missed you" Seo yeon whines.
"We literally met yesterday at school. Why would you hug me as if this were to be the last time we're meeting?" I reply chuckling quietly.
"Just excited" Ara says.
"For what?"
"Our hangout after school..." Seo yeon trailed off uncertainly.
"I'm really sorry guys. I have to go to the café for my shift since I couldn't go yesterday."
"Hey it's fine. We'll plan to go together some other day, noona." Taehyung said in understanding.
Ara and Seo yeon don't know about our family conditions and my dysfunctional relationship with father. And I would like to keep it that way. I don't want them to pity me or judge me. I'm not that weak to rant all my troubles to someone. I don't want them to worry about me too. We've been friends for three years now and are pretty close with each other and I would not like to risk that relation.
"Mhhmm....now let's go to our classes, shall we?"
"Yeah. Let's go or we're gonna be late"
And the rest of the classes continue with some common banter here and there. After school I pack my things up and make my way to the café where I work for a part time job. Reading the huge sign 'Day and Night', I enter the almost-empty café, greeting the manager with a warm, genuine smile and making a bee-line for the counter. Working at the café helps me feel peaceful after all that happens at home, if that house can even be called home. I take up my place at the counter and start taking the orders of some of the customers that just walked in. After some time when I glance at the café's interior, the place is now filled with students from the nearby university where I plan to apply, some old couples coming here frequently to spend their free time, some couples on a sweet date, some of them praising the interiors of the café and its aesthetic vibes because of the lighting and the paintings of beaches, mountains or just the natural beauties making the café homey.
After a long day of greeting customers to getting their orders and collecting money, I go back home only to find it completely empty other than the random maids working in the living room and kitchen to prepare the dinner. The unwelcoming silence has now become a part of my daily life since a long time. When mom was alive, I would always come back from school to be greeted by my mother and Jimin but after she passed away, father became cold towards Jimin and started training him to make sure he is capable of taking over his dirty business once he is gone. Father had never taken a liking to me but was always happy and cheerful for Jimin, but that was until mom passed away. He grew distant to even Jimin and barely talked with me. It was like mom took away the slightest streak of light from the house with her. The day she died, I lost one person but Jimin lost both mom and father.
Jimin had texted me earlier informing that he had shooting training today and would most likely return late at night. So after having dinner, I went to my room and settled at my bluish-hued desk and started working on the recent assignments we had received while listening to music. A maid came in my room to make me aware of Jimin and father's return. I went downstairs to greet Jimin. Father preferred to have his dinner in his own room so I sat down with Jimin while he ate his dinner and chatted about his day. After he finished his dinner, we said our greetings and went to sleep since the both of us were too exhausted to sit for even a few more moments. With the tiredness of the day catching up to me, I fell in a dreamless sleep as soon as I laid on the bed; a sleep so sound that I failed to notice the door to my room open with my brother worriedly peaking at me.
"I'm sorry, noona.....I really am. I didn't mean to get you hurt, but I can't. Not anymore"
"Only in the darkness can you see the stars" – Martin Luther King Jr.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
