External forces that steal our lives

"I'm sorry, Huan. June didn't mean to. It's just that he's angry with me," Sushi apologized on June's behalf. 

"Don't worry about it. It's not like you did anything wrong," Huan reassured her. 

"I just can't seem to understand him. He wasn't like this before. He was never this aggressive. Sure, he had a temper, but I've never seen it like this," Sushi expressed her concern. 

"Sushi, what's your plan from here?" Huan inquired. 

"I don't know, Huan. I don't even want to think about it. My head is hurting," Sushi replied, closing her eyes and adjusting her seat. 

As they drove on in silence, Sushi wrestled with the decision of whether or not to tell June about the baby. 

Her worries about their future weighed heavily on her mind. 

Huan glanced at her, feeling sadness as he watched her struggle. 

"You shouldn't have to go through all this alone. Do you love him that much? Have you ever felt anything for me over all these years, even just a little?" Huan pondered silently. 

His thoughts echoed in his mind, though he knew he could never voice them aloud.

***

"Mom, I'm home," as soon as Sushi stepped into the house. Her mother's attention was fixed on the TV. 

"You're back. What happened yesterday? Did you stay out because you missed June?" her mother asked. 

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. 

"Could you check who's at the door?" Sushi asked, turning towards the sound. 

Sushi retraced her steps and opened the door. 

She was shocked to see June outside and quickly shut the door in his face. 

"Did he follow me?" Sushi wondered, gripping the door handle tightly. June rang the doorbell again, persistently. 

"Why are you standing there and not opening the door?" Chloe's voice echoed from the staircase as she approached. 

"It's just some random person. I think he's a bit unstable, he won't stop ringing the bell," Sushi explained, clutching the door tightly. 

"What? Let me see," Chloe insisted, reaching for the doorknob. 

But Sushi resisted, firmly holding onto the knob to prevent her from opening the door. 

"What's going on? You're the one acting strange," Chloe remarked, attempting to pry the door open. 

Eventually, Sushi relented, allowing Chloe to open the door, revealing June standing on the doorstep. 

"It's June," Chloe stated, looking at Sushi with a serious expression. Sushi hurried upstairs, leaving Chloe to confront June alone without answering any further questions.

"June, come on in. What's going on? Why is Sushi acting like this?" Chloe welcomed him into the house.

"June, you're here too. Take a seat, I'll brew some tea for you," Sushi's mother offered before heading to the kitchen.

June nodded and settled onto the sofa beside Chloe.

"Now, tell me what's going on," Chloe prompted, her expression showing concern.

"I don't know. She's just upset. You can ask her," June said hiding the details.

"I have a feeling something happened," Chloe stated, giving June a scrutinizing look that conveyed her concern for her sister.

"It's nothing. She was with Huan, and I was..." June started to explain but stopped short when he noticed Sushi's mother-in-law returning.

"Here you go, June. Have some snacks while you chat," she said, placing the snacks before him.

"Mom, we really need to talk. Please, don't disturb us. We'll come downstairs later," Chloe intervened, leading June upstairs.

As they reached Sushi's room, they found the door locked from the inside.

They knocked, but there was no response from within.

"Sushi, open the door!" Chloe's voice echoed through the room, but there was no response.

"Sushi, if you don't open this door right now, you know what I'll do next. Open it when I'm asking nicely," Chloe warned, her tone commanding.

Silently, Sushi unlocked the door and retreated to the balcony, wearing an angry expression that June couldn't ignore.

"June, come inside," Chloe beckoned him into the room.

Though hesitant at first, June eventually complied, joining Chloe and Sushi on the balcony.

"Now, spill it. What's going on with both of you?" Chloe demanded, folding her arms as if she were interrogating them.

Then, her gaze shifted to Sushi. "And you? Have you even considered what might happen if Mom catches on to the tension between you two? Behave yourself when we go downstairs later," she instructed firmly.

"Enough beating around the bush. What's the matter?" she pressed, glaring at both of them.

Yet, despite her demands, both Sushi and June remained stubbornly silent, refusing to answer her questions.

"Are you just going to stand there and say nothing?" Chloe's frustration boiled over, her voice rising in volume.

"He hit Huan," Sushi confessed, her voice trembling with emotion.

"You did what?" Chloe's gaze snapped towards June, her eyes widening in shock.

"He deserved it," June responded casually, showing little remorse.

"Deserved what? Are you not grasping the gravity of this?" Sushi turned to him, her frustration evident.

"There's nothing for me to grasp. You have to see, he's fueling negativity. He's trying to get close to you," June attempted to explain his actions.

"We've always been close. There's nothing new for him to try," Sushi retorted, her tone growing harsh.

"There's more to his intentions than you realize. He's not as innocent as you think," June sighed, his expression troubled.

"And what about your intentions? What about wanting to sleep with Nivi? And when you were with me, were you not assuming..." June hastily cut her off, placing a hand over her mouth to silence her before she could mention Chloe.

Observing the heated exchange, Chloe stood between them, contemplating how to mend the rift.

"Why are you stopping her from speaking? Let her talk," Chloe commanded, her gaze piercing as she directed her attention towards June.

He reluctantly withdrew his hands, aware of Chloe's authoritative demeanor since childhood. He always knew that he couldn't win against her in any argument.

"There's nothing more to say," Sushi replied to Chloe, deliberately withholding further details. She worried that if she revealed everything, it might only exacerbate the tension between June and Chloe.

"Enough with this nonsense. Why are you two behaving like children?" Chloe's voice rose in frustration, unable to tolerate their bickering any longer.

The room fell into an uneasy silence as both June and Sushi quieted down, chastened by Chloe's outburst.

"Are you not married? Why are you both squabbling over outsiders? When will you grow up?" Chloe began to chastise them, but her scolding was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

Sighing, Chloe made her way to the door and opened it, revealing her mother standing on the other side.

"Coffee's ready. Come downstairs. Your father's waiting for all of you," her mother announced.

"Mom, I already said we'd come later. Why do you have to interrupt us?" Chloe's annoyance was evident.

"Come downstairs. Don't make me repeat myself," her mother insisted before leaving.

Amidst the tension and discord between June and Sushi, they all proceeded downstairs and settled in the living room.

As June took a seat on the couch across from his father-in-law, his expectation was for Sushi to sit beside him. However, Sushi chose to occupy a separate couch opposite him.

Feeling a sense of awkwardness, June greeted his father-in-law with a warm smile.

"June, how are things? Have you returned to take Sushi back? It's good that you're here," Sushi's father greeted him warmly.

"Yes, Father. We'll be heading home tonight," June responded, taking a sip of his coffee.

"But I want to stay a few more days with Chloe," Sushi interjected, wearing a pleading expression as she addressed her father.

Internally, June hoped fervently that her father wouldn't agree to her request.

"It's alright, Sushi. Chloe's back for good now. She's not going anywhere. You'll be seeing a lot of her from now on," June interjected, his expression hopeful that her father would support him over her.

A moment of silence hung in the air as her father continued to sip his coffee, causing June's heart to pound in his chest, as if it might burst at any moment.

Taking a deliberate sip of his coffee, Sushi's father redirected his gaze towards Sushi and spoke slowly, "Sushi, June is right. You should leave with June today."

"Dad, I have a brilliant idea," Chloe said loudly with confidence and cunning look in her eyes, capturing everyone's attention.

All eyes turned to Chloe, curious about her idea.

Chloe continued, "Their marriage happened so quickly, and after that, they were caught up in that new project work. They never really had the chance to spend quality time together. We almost forgot that we never sent them on their honeymoon.

Let's send them for their honeymoon. Don't you want grandkids, Dad?"