flipped; jake sim

03. Tears

"oh noona, my dorm fees are up to date already. If we don't pay by this week, I might get kicked out. Can you think of that? I can't seem to reach dad." It was Ahn Seongmin, her brother, with whom she was speaking on the phone.

"Seongmin-ah, I'll try to work some uh, you know, extra part time jobs and I'll pay it as soon as possible. You don't need to worry, and, you have your next match on?" Sohee said, and yes, Seongmin is an ice hockey player and stays in a dorm with the other athletes.

"in three days, but it's just a pre-match though." He answered.

"okay then you must win okay?" she said with a weak smile while slowly walking along the alley way to her house, almost at the top of the hill. It was night already so some street dogs and cats were passing by her quietly.

"of course I will! and Sohee noona, it's okay if you didn't pass the competition into the national team, because I know, you're the best figure skater ever!" she slightly chuckled at him although it wasn't that funny. She knew that he was just cheering her up.

"aey, look at you trying to be the good brother tch."

"it's no use of praising you, you know-" he paused for a second "my friends are calling me, I'll have to go now. Don't over work yourself!" said him.

"sure, bye! Good luck!" she barely finished her words when the line got cut off by her brother.

Luck, she suddenly remembered again about that halmoni. She shook her head to get back to her senses because she doesn't wanted to believe in superstition. For real, that was kind of bullshit for her.

When she climbed the stairs and reached the plain region of her house and saw a woman with curly hair struggling to take out something from her apartment. She rushed to her and questioned, "ajjuma what are you doing with my belongings??"

She took out her suitcase and put her hands on her fat hips and said, "what am I doing?? You haven't paid my rent for 5 months already." She gestured it with her hands and looked at her angrily.

"I promise I'll pay it this month but don't do this to me. I have nowhere to go" she pleaded while holding her hands.

"this month, this month, you always say that! What do you think about the water bills and the electricity bills that I gave?Just get out of here!" she shoved her hands away and she almost started crying. But she badly didn't wanted to do that. She stayed quiet.

"why did you even rented it on the first place when you can't even pay the bills?" the woman muttered on her own while trying to lock the door but Sohee tapped her shoulder which made her to turn her head around, "what now?"

-

She stopped climbing down the stairs and looked up at the night sky and smiled. Why? Because she had weak eyes. Even now they are threatening to fall so she was preventing them. "what's happening to me?" she said while her lips shuttered.

She didn't know, she was tired. Ever heard of the saying? Our tears speak when there is no more words to be spoken by our mouth. A raindrop fell on her cheeks, "why?" she asked and started crying for real along with the rain.

Only if anybody knew how much she was carrying on her back. Studying in a university, being an athlete, doing part time jobs, making a living, taking care of her brother and herself- It was not an easy job just for anybody to do.

Her mom died when she was in middle school due to cancer. And her dad, he lives by the sea shore while getting enough money for himself by fishing, or selling sea foods. He only gets a little money, so everything was all on top of her. She's the one who earn money at such a young age.

Now where will she go now? How will she earn money for both her and Seongmin?

She cried harder.

no it can't be.

oh no seohee:((