Family Reunion

"Welcome," my aunt said instantly as soon as I entered the bar, the wind bell jingle hanging over the door followed it.

She hasn't changed a bit, a woman who would smile at you through your eyes. You may be losing everything in life, but she always had the power to make you feel special as soon as you'd enter this place.

I raised my face, which I was hiding behind a cap to look directly in the eyes.

"Uh, it's you," stammered.

"Come," she said, stepping out from the counter.

"How much did you get paid to spill the beans for me?" I asked, stepping away from her vicinity.

Everyone around the small reception area glued their eyes to us.

"Keep your voice down," aunt suggested.

"Why don't you want your girls to know how much you could sell them for?" I asked.

"Da Hee-jin," she shouted at me, trembling while making sure they didn't perceive her as evil, image is everything in this business.

"I paid for you, I brought you up but you left me and now you're here under my roof blaming me," she shouted.

"Brought me, say that again, and I'll slit your fucking throat,"

"You used me, every day through every possible way when things went wrong, when we got caught you threw me under the bus saying they'd lenient on me because I'm young,"

"Look, can you see that scar, look closely, they didn't go lenient on me," I shouted, pushing my sweater down from my neck.

"You eat away each penny we've earned," I screamed.

"Scamming them was your idea, look at this girl, I never let any man touch you," she scoffed, even though her voice trembled.

The whole bar went quiet as everyone seemed interested in what we had to say.

"I know it was my idea, I did it because you said.....

you would get me out of this hell after this I'd get to go to college, have my house, my family,"

"You ate me up alive, you destroyed everything and you want more money out of me now,"

"Am I wrong?" I asked.

"Don't ever say you brought me up,"

"Come back, we'd talk later in the morning it's time for business," she said.

"No, I would rather jump in the Han River, like my father, than get back in this hell," I said, looking directly at her face.

"You are not thinking straight," she said.

"No matter how greedy you're I thought you still care about at least we are blood, you're not even a human," I smirked.

"If next, uttered a word about me again for the money and your every business would be like this," I threatened looking directly at her.

"Come to that Tteobokki place, bring Hyun-woo too I need to talk," I left a text at Woo-jin SNS after leaving her bar.

***

"Where were you? We've been waiting for half an hour?" Woo-jin asked, approaching me as soon as I stepped out of the cab.

"I had some matters to take care of," I replied.

"What?" He asked.

"Not your business," I mumbled, sitting on the chair against Hyun-woo.

"I have class, if you called us for negotiation, I must leave," Hyun-woo said, getting up and putting his hands inside his brown leather jacket.

"No! I just need to tell you I won't leave, do whatever you want," I replied, looking directly into his eyes.

"Didn't I tell you,"

"I'm not done," I meddled, raising my brows.

"Woo-jin, I don't like it when people touch me you're right because I grew up in a host bar,"

"I am beautiful I know, just because I'm beautiful doesn't mean I should sleep with losers to get their money,"

"Why? because, I'm smart I can get their money why should I sleep if it's that's easy, next time you treat me like a prostitute I'm gonna pull your tongue out of your mouth, and tie your neck to it."

"Yaah," Woo-jin said.

"I'm still talking," I said.

"What that has to do with you, why I'm in that school it's not your family who's sponsoring me,"

"Keep your concerns under your head,"

"I'm not like you I'm better than all of you pampered children,"

"At last I won't leave now go do tell people, my aunt ran host bar,"

"Why I'm even listening to you?" Hyun-woo meddled.

"Leave do tell I would become the talk of the town, I will drag both of you down with me,"

"People would love that story, how scary the media can be, bring I live we live I go down I'll take you both down with me," I said.

"Do you think this is a joke," Hyun-woo asked?

"No, I'm on the verge of losing everything I would go as far as one go, if you promise to leave me alone I won't get in your way either," I stand up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Woo-jin asked.

"I'm done, I should leave," I said, leaving.