Until You

Chapter 1

Three years later...

Final revision for tomorrow's anatomy test. Pending.

Payment of rent and electricity bills. Done.

"Hey, beautiful! Show us more of that gorgeous body!" The drunken shout interrupted Jennie's train of thoughts.

Jennie bent over slightly, letting her long hair cover her face, before dramatically raising her head with a sultry smile. She didn't reveal more than she already did, but that gesture got her cheers and hoots from the men.

She moved in slow, smooth movements while continuing to go through her mental checklist.

Payment of the phone bill... Damn! I forgot the phone bill again.

She barely spoke or even had time to talk on the phone, but she always ended paying the late fee most of the time.

A fixed deposit is about to mature this month. She had to make a trip to the bank to have that amount moved to her savings.

Her eyes discreetly looked at the familiar face of the six-and-a-half-foot tall bodyguard standing still at the entrance. Although his face was covered by dark glasses, Jennie knew Dong-Hyun would always have her back.

A small buzzer vibrated against her waist indicating the time was up, and the show would be ending soon. The beats of the music became faster. With a sultry smile pasted on her face, she twirled around in sync with the rhythm of the music, letting the long, pitch-black material of her skirt float around her, exposing most of her glittering skin. Just before the music stopped, she came to a dramatic stop with her arms outstretched above.

Loud cheers, claps and whistles erupted around her.

"Thank you, everyone!" she said, and before anyone could approach her, she exited the room through the back and went into the changing room.

She hurriedly changed into her nondescript clothes consisting of old jeans and a loose, baggy t-shirt that hid the shape of her body. She twisted her hair into a tight braid. She had inherited her mother's lustrous hair that always drew attention when let loose. It worked for her when it came to such events, but the rest of the time, she preferred to hide it.

Stuffing her shed clothes into her backpack, she hurried out. There was still twenty minutes for the last bus to arrive.

She went out through the back entrance of the exclusive luxury hotel where Dong-Hyun was waiting for her with the wad of cash which was her tips.

She smiled. "Thanks, oppa." The bundle was thick, which meant more money into her savings account and closer to attaining her dream.

"It's late. Let me drop you," Dong-Hyun offered as he watched her tuck the cash into her backpack, hiding the money in between the clothes.

"No. It's okay. I'm sure the bus is arriving on time." She finished zipping her bag closed and looked at him with a smile. "How's your mother doing now?"

"She's feeling much better and is able to walk now. Thank you for suggesting a change in the medicines."

"No need to thank me. When you described the symptoms, I knew she might have likely been prescribed a high-dosage medicine which has those terrible side effects."

At the sound of a bus horn from a nearby distance, Jennie  waved at Dong-Hyun and hurriedly began to head to the back gate. "See you next week, oppa."

She barely made it to the bus and got inside just as it began to leave. Clutching her backpack in front of her, she sat on a vacant seat by the window, watching the bustling city outside.

It was faster to take a taxi, but she preferred the bus because it was much safer to travel at night.

A couple of years ago, she had made peace with what she did to achieve her dream. She was now comfortable with who she was. Yes, at first, she was filled with self-loathing when she had worn the skimpy clothes for the first time and stood in front of dozens of rich, drunken men leering at her with lustful gazes. She recalled crying for several nights straight. Until one day, she realized the fact that what she did to achieve her dream didn't define who she really was.

She was going to finish medical school and become a doctor, no matter what.

And it wasn't like she had much of a choice when it came to what she could do to earn money. She couldn't afford to take a full-time job since she had to attend college during the weekdays and finish a ton of assignments and study during most of the weekends. And working part-time as a caretaker or in a restaurant didn't pay one-tenth of what she made in a few hours of performing during special events. She also had control over which event she wanted to accept and not.

 She got up as her stop arrived. Thanking the bus driver who gave her a nod, she got out of the bus and hurried towards her home. She kept her head lowered while keeping her ears open for any impending danger.

Jennie wasn't worried about being robbed. The area she lived in was teeming with thieves and drug dealers who were probably away robbing or dealing drugs to people living in upper-middle-class or affluent areas.

Thankfully, her home was just a few minutes' walk from the bus stop.

She saw the familiar old building with peeling paint and chipped-off concrete that was right behind the railway tracks. As she climbed the stairs to get to the third floor, she heard the faint sounds of laughter, crying and groaning. Keeping her head down, she continued on her way. When she reached her floor, she walked along the long corridor.

Soon, she reached her home and saw the heavy lock hanging outside it. Her father wasn't home yet as usual. He was probably getting drunk somewhere. Dialing his number, she fished out the key from her bag and unlocked the door before going into the apartment. The phone rang multiple times, but was unanswered. Pushing away the worry, which she now knew was of no use, she stopped calling. Her father would return only when he chose to.

Letting out a sigh, she went to the tiny kitchen which was clean with no dirty dishes in the sink. She had already washed them that morning along with a thorough sweep and mop of the entire apartment. Going into the bathroom, she took a quick shower before settling in to finish revising for the anatomy test the next day.

A few minutes later while she sat on the narrow bed with her books spread around her, sounds of heavy thumping and shouting from the neighboring apartment across from hers could be heard.

So, she continued to focus on her test revision. And when she was done, she put her books away. Before lying on the pillow, she adjusted it until it felt comfortable. Her tip money was hidden inside the pillowcase until she could deposit it in the bank the next day.

She was dog-tired and had a long day the next day. But still, she reached for the small, old cabinet next to the bed where she kept her favorite books. She pulled out one of the gardening books that had belonged to her mother. The colors on the cover had faded, and the pages showed their age and overuse, but still the book always brought joy since it reminded her of her mother.

A little later, when her eyes began to droop, she carefully put the book back into its spot and turned off the lights. The sounds of shouting and crying continued along with the sounds of a train passing by.

But she was easily able to fall into a deep, exhausted sleep.