0 1. F i n a l y e a r

I rose to my feet, angrily thrusting my hands into the pocket of my sweatshirt. I glanced at the wall clock only to find myself sinking deeper in the ocean of petulance.

"Oh, freak! I'm late." I squeaked as I jumped three feet in the air. Not today, please...

"Dasom, where are you? Aren't you going to university?" The voice drifted faintly from the kitchen.

I hung my sweatshirt on the peg with one hand and simultaneously pulled my jeans up, slipping into the tennis shoes before leaving my room.

In the kitchen, ten-year-old Jongi was slumping on the bar stool as he was eating his cereal at the kitchen table, lost in his own world of anime-playing on the mini laptop. Mom was cooking something on the stove. She had a thin, mild face and light flyaway hair pushed back untidily. I ran towards her, taking her in my embrace.

"Oh, my sweet smelling Mom," I said under my breath, after sinking my face in the nape of our neck. She tinkled pink after hearing the laudable comment.

Obviously, there were countless reasons for making her feel elevated every now and then. Waking up early in the morning even before the sun is up and doing the household chores, the course is quite demanding. It requires energy, willpower and also unconditional love. I loved the way she had completely dedicated herself to the family. So I never missed any chance of appreciating her true talent.

Increasingly, many men are becoming passive in the home. They've decided that the easiest thing to do is nothing. The simplest thing-with the smallest risk-is to stay on the fence with both feet firmly planted in mid-air and let the wife do it. And, my father at times actively represent's such specter of population.

I had Daddy issues too, on the complaining side about my father. He had been a supportive Dad but never really brought out his distinguishing feature in broad daylight.

"Whereas, you smell like a rotten egg." She added, pushing me aside to reach out to keep the smoky leftover pieces of the meatballs at the table.

"Mom! Don't say that." I retaliated in a higher pitch.

"No Mom. She smells like a fart, to be exact," he walked past me with an empty bowl in his hand, covering his nose with the other hand, perfectly matching to the cliché role of an annoying brother we see on the TV. He liked to put me down and eagerly waited for the right time, just like how a lion hunts his prey by planting a fiendish plan his mind.

"Jongi! Hold your tongue or else I will shove father's iron spade in your mouth and you will die seeing me eat all your favorite chocolate cookies." I warned him, attaining more confidence as I felt the tension embedding in him.

"Mom! Look what she just said." He pretended as if my words hit him hard in front of my mother, hanging onto her arm like a poor baby.

"Dasom, eat your breakfast before it gets cold." She commanded from the other corner of the kitchen. He gave me a middle finger salute behind her back, sticking out his tongue in addition to his paradoxical actions.

I scoffed at the younger's physical gesture, internally mocking at the urbanity these kids are adapting to.

I settled myself on the chair, grabbing my cheese sandwich as I pulled my cell phone out of my jean's pocket. My eyes literally came out of their sockets as I saw 20 missed calls accompanied by 15 messages on my SNS from Nari and Jimin.

"Oh, no no no..." I mumbled, relics of derangement was clearly visible on my face, dragging myself out of the chair with the intention of heading out without turning back.

"Take care Mom, I'm going now. It's already too late." I landed a peck on her cheek before leaving the house.

"But, Dasom, you can't just go off without eating. You need your protein--"

"Jimin had already bought some sandwiches, I will have it before the class starts," I said briskly.

"Noona! Turn around." Jongi's bright voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Now what?" I responded with a scowl on my visage, mentally retrieving the best to a worst rating line up of cursing words that I knew.

"Beside smelling bad, your appearance looks the worst." He stated, furrowing his eyebrows and nodding his coconut resembling a head in approval.

"Okay." I snapped, grabbing a furry pink color cushion from the sofa and throwing it at his face.

"Better luck next time." He said as he ducked out, getting on my nerves like crazy.

I missed my target, what the beginning of the day. What will this day be like? I wondered.

As I rushed out of the house I realized that taking a bus will not worth it, plus the taxi thing would be heavy in my pocket. These thoughts pressurized me, throwing me in a more troublesome state. Just then my eyes averted on our late-nineties vintage minivan, covered with the brownish layer of dust particles. The fact that the van has been engaging space, and has never been used; dawned a painful look on my face. But nevertheless, I went back inside, tiptoeing as I grabbed the keys from the key stand, returning back quickly.

Huff.

"Will this piece of trash even work?" A twitch formed on my face as I observed the ugly paint patches on the front part of the car. I wiped a quick hand over the front windshield, trying to make it look more acceptable as I was about to step in the other censorious world popularly denoted as...university.

I carefully inserted the key, taking extra care in avoiding any mishap. The pain in my stomach spread all over my face. I looked so ugly at this very moment that made me believe Jongi's remarks which he gushed out a while ago. I indeed looked very ugly.

In the mean time, I got another text from Nari.

*Hy! Where are you?

I rolled my eyes.

*Do we have to pick you up?

I scoffed.

*We are in the parking lot.

I banged my head on the steering wheel after seeing a new message popped up on the screen, informing it's from Jimin. I accidentally rammed on the accelerator.

And suddenly the engine turned on, causing a rattling noise. I sighed in relief. "Yes! Get ready guys, I'm coming." I cheered in happiness, leaving the balls of opaque smoke, polluting the morning's fresh air.

****

I stood in the parking lot after parking my jalopy in the not-taken area, but where were they? I couldn't find them.

Someone tightly squeezed my shoulder from behind which made me scared to death.

I yelled and turned around only to find two silly dorks who look no less than kindergarten kids, smiling sheepishly at me.

I instantly pulled Nari in a hug. We were spinning round and round, laughing out loud and giggling. Everyone around us stared at us in a disgustful manner, especially the newbies because the senior ones know too well about the pennon of our friendship.

The three musketeers, with one exception of a boy, enjoying the company of young blood.

"Now it's my turn." Jimin lifted me up in the air, spinning me round and round. I felt so happy having them around me. They are my strength and my weakness too.

"Jimin, put me down I'm feeling nauseous as I didn't eat anything in the breakfast," I said, constantly patting on his shoulders.

"Hy! Did you see the noticeboard?" The blue-haired boy, who was talking to his friend caught our attention. "We have a new mathematics professor this year."

"What!" Jimin exclaimed.

"No way!" We said in unison and winced at the same time.

"Guys," Nari said in excitement.
"I think this will be a remarkable year. The reason may be that." Her voice trailed off as she pointed at a black posh car that was making it's way to the parking lot swiftly.

I turned around rakishly and the dry, dusty air coming from the screeching of a car wheel against the concrete surface enters my nostrils. "YAH! KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING!"

After a good minute of silence, I muttered, "Bloody hell, let's see who the idiot owns it? I'm gonna cut him into pieces." I coughed out. Oddly, giving out a sigh of undefinable relief.

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Word count-1438

Captain's note - So hows the first chapter, Gucci's?