Silence ○ Lee Haechan

○ 12

"Mari can you come help prepare dinner!"

The sound of her step mums voice called out from down the stairs making the girls eyes roll slightly.

"Yeah!" She called back, extending her hand to look at her nails that have now been coated in a sleek layer of black. The LED lights from above her shining a purple light upon her room and casting a deep shade onto her walls.

Bringing her hands closer to her face she began to blow on her nails, shaking them a little to help them dry faster as she began to make her way down stairs.

The sound of the TV from the living room could be heard and when she looked to her left she saw her brother sneaking into the games room.

"No you don't," Mari said, grabbing hold of the boys collar and pulling him away from the door.

A whine falling from his lips as he continued to get dragged by the collar into the kitchen.

"You heard dad, no PlayStation for a week," she tutted out, finally letting go of her brother and washing her hands.

"Common Ma," Minsu whispered out, nudging the girl in the side and giving her wiggling eyebrows.
"Let it slide just once and I won't tell dad next time you sneak out."

Mari's mouth drops, hands finding purchase on her hip as she looks at her brother in disbelief.
"Why you little- are you black mailing me?"

Minsu's lips turn upwards into a smirk and he crossed his arms, "maybe."

"You sneaky little bi- fine, I won't tell dad but if you get caught then that's not my fault."

"Promise," Minsu said with a cocked eye brow and his pinky finger extended.

Mari rolled her eyes before interlocking her pinky with his, their thumbs touching before Minsu let go and whisper exclaimed a thank you to the girl and rushing off in the direction of the games room.

"That kid," she said tutting once more before turning to prepare the food.

She had already chopped everything she needed and put more rice into the cooker when her step mum walked in.

"Hey Mari."

"Hey," was all she responded with as she didn't move her head away from the frying pan she was in front of.

Her step mum, Chohee, moved so she was now leaning against the bench top, hands crossed over her chest as she watched the girl before her.

"How's school?" She asked, watching as the girl moved her attention to the eggs beside her.

"It's fine."

"That's good, that's good," Chohee pursed her lips and nodded her head, not really interested in her school life at all.

There was a silence that washed over the two and Mari could feel the awkward tension between them. Her head tilting slightly to see that the women was staring at her.

"Can I help you or?" Mari began before being cut off by the women.

"Who was the guy that was over the other day?" She asked abruptly and Mari's hand stopped moving from frying the vegetables.

"Just a class mate," she said monotonously and continuing her work to make sure her demeanour doesn't change.

"Do you have like a crush on him?" She said with a wiggle of her shoulders and Mari stopped her cooking to look at her step mum.

"What are you doing?" She asked incredulously and Chohee put her hands up in defence.

"I was just asking. But like, is there really something happening between you two-"

"I'd rather not talk about this Chohee," Mari said sternly, her emotions from her built up wall coming in full force as she placed the spatula down and walked passed the elder girl.
"I'm going to have a shower, can you finish cooking please."

Mari made her way up stairs, wanting to escape the conversation as she knew once her step mum wanted to know something she'd continue to push until she'd get answers.

The warm water that cascaded down her back helped ease her mind as she stepped into the shower.

Her hand coming up to push at her neck muscles as she moved her head in need of some release of the pressure.

The steam piling at her feet making it hard to see but she didn't care, absentmindedly cleaning her body as her mind plagued her with thoughts about the other day.

A frown pulled on her lips as she exited the shower and got dressed, making her way down the hallway until she heard voices from down stairs.

"She doesn't have to be so insolent!" Her step mum yelled at her father.
"She's never nice to me, her responses are always so dry and rude."

"You have to cut her some slack. You did mention something she is not comfortable talking about."

"How am I meant to know what she doesn't like talking about? She doesn't talk to me at all! She's so spoilt- she thinks she's the queen of the world, all she does is talk to me like scum."

"She is not spoilt-"

"What is it then? What is so triggering about asking her about that boy? I was just asking her a question," her step mum continued, her father responded but he was too quiet for her to make out what he said.

"So what if she knew him from Jeju, what's wrong in asking? I'm trying to be a good step mother and be interested in her life. You know, see her interest and things but she doesn't give a shit about me trying" She could hear her step mum say rather rudely.

"Cho, hunny- I know you're trying to be a good step mum, and I love you for that but this isn't something you can just talk to her about. You can't push her for answers on this it could bring up unwanted memories," her father spoke back calmly trying to keep the conversation civil.

"What possibly could have happened between the two of them that could affect her so much. It's been two years! Whatever it is she doesn't have to act like a bitch because of it."

"Cho! Stop it!"

"Can you not just tell me?" She asked in her fake sweet tone, completely changing her demeanour completely and Mari rolled her eyes. She could hear her father sigh before speaking.

"Fine, I'll tell you- but you can't talk to her about this. Something happened not between the two of them, but with someone else that greatly effected them both. The boy and Mari had-"

Mari couldn't handle it, she quickly pushed herself off of the the stairs where she was seated and made her way to her room- shutting her door and locking it.

Pushing in her AirPods and blasting one of her many songs as she drains out the sound of her dad telling her step mum her life story without her consent.

Her back hitting her wall beside her window and sliding down as she can practically imagine what her father was telling her.

She could virtually see her step mums face pull down into a frown and say sickening pity words like "oh the poor thing," and apologise to her father for yelling at him.

Great, another person to pity her- just what Mari wanted.