To Find Something True

※ eleven

synonym
*leave open-mouthed – amazed, surprised, shocked, astonished

phrases
*muddle through/along – cope, manage, get by/along

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As the new season was approaching, Jiah took a break. She planned to spend time with her father. Though, if she correctly counted, it had been five days since she had a job interview at the Bejiwoo. She doubted the staff would call her.

Jiah's lips puckered as her eyes wandered around the space and hummed deeply. Both of her palms were under her chin, elbows on top of the old, wooden table. One of her legs moved side to side to a random tune she hummed.

Her high school batch's invitation she received a few days ago came to mind. She wanted to bring Shinhye, but it was announced that the reunion was only for students who studied in the same batch. She was debating whether to join the party or not.

She did not have any issues with her classmates when she was in high school, so she did not see why she should not attend. Her class environment during high school was fine compared to other classes that might have bully cases or rebellious teenagers. Fights due to misunderstandings happened at times. Still, that did not affect their friendship.

However, her friendship with them was ambiguous. She remembered she never tell them anything deep regarding her problems.

"Appa," Jiah called, still with her chin propped on her palms.

Mr. Lee was busy trimming a young man's hair when he gave a quick response. "Yeah?"

Jiah started carefully. "Tomorrow night. There will be my high school's batch reunion party."

Mr. Lee paused as he looked at his daughter through the mirror. Then, he gave another quick response. "Okay."

"Can I go?"

The father chuckled. "You always tell me that you're an adult now. Why the permission?"

Jiah's lips frowned. "That's because you're my father."

Mr. Lee chuckled again. "Of course, you can. I'll give you my –"

"No!" Jiah enlarged her eyes to warn.

"Oh, right. My daughter is an adult and she has her own money." He paused to sweep the hair off his customer's shoulders with a small, white, rectangle cloth. "I was trying to say I'll give you some of my mint candies. You got motion sickness the other day. You forgot, my child?"

Jiah blinked her eyes multiple times. She became flustered as she remembered an event. "A-ah! The weather was hot. I rode a bus too."

"Oh. You can handle riding the bus well now?"

Jiah nodded once.

Mr. Lee rested his hand on his customer's shoulders. "I will give you the candies. I don't believe you. Share with your friends, okay?"

A sudden drop of her forehead on the table gave rise to a loud thud. And a whine.

**********

The next day, Jiah used the neighbor's grandfather's scooter to avoid her father from giving her the candies. A red helmet was given to her for safety. The moment Grandpa Ji gave her the helmet, she was left open-mouthed upon seeing the stickers on it. They didn't seem to be old stickers, still sticking well and the color had not faded.

Stickers with a 'rock-and-roll' hand sign, a small dark rose, and a winking skull on the helmet. Jiah could not help but raise a slow thumb with her mouth forming an 'o' and said, "you're cool!"