Household With Eight

Chapter 3

[Jisung's POV]

My shift at the cinema is over and I have to go back home. I start thinking about things I can do to avoid going home, but my mind is blank, so I take the risk and go home.

I walk as slow as I can back to the house me and my parents live in. My brother left the house a while ago, escaping my parents.

But I'm not yet able to do so. I don't have enough money to live on my own. Chan did suggest multiple times that I could live with him for the time being, but I don't want to be a burden to him.

I stand at the front door of my house, already hearing yells and things break inside. I sigh and open the door as silent as I can.

I'm able to hang up my coat and take off my shoes without my parents noticing. I walk up the stairs, but as usual, you hear the stairs creak under my feet and my parents notice me.

"Where have you been?" my mother asks with a pan in her hand.

"N-Nowhere. I was j-just working, that's all," I stutter, being afraid of what my parents would do to me.

"You need permission to go out, young man, you know that." Tears already start to form in my eyes and my anxiety only grows inside of me.

"I'm sorry, mom." I bow to her as deep as I can, hoping it is enough. But of course, it isn't.

"Come here." I'm scared to walk, but see her already walking up to me. "I said come here!" She smashes the pan against the wall, making a hard sound.

How can the neighbors not hear this?

I practically run up to her. She walks up to me, being only inches away. "Im tired of you. You're messing everything up and for what?!" I flinch, hearing my mother yell at me.

My father also walks up to us. His nose is bleeding and he has a cut on his forehead. He grabs a plate from the kitchen counter and stands behind my mom.

I'm so terrified I can't move, only looking down at my feet.

Before I know it, I feel a plate crashing against my head and I fall down, crying in pain.

"Im so done with you, young man. Can't you just follow your brother's footsteps and not be a burden to us anymore? I actually don't care, you're banned from this house, you understand me?" my mom yells, lowering to my level.

I don't say anything, because my mouth won't let me. I'm shaking so much I don't have any control over myself anymore.

"You understand me, Han Jisung?!" I flinch and nod my head 'yes'. "Y-Yes madam."

I feel a pan against my cheek and I fall backwards. "Then leave! And don't you dare take anything with you, you take with you what you have on now."

My dad lifts me up in a not so gentle way and throws me out of the house.

I'm such a mess I can't move for a long time. Minutes pass by and I lay in our front yard, crying my eyes out, until I can't anymore.

I take out my phone with shaking hands and dial Chan's phone number. He answers immediately.

"Jisung, are you okay?"

"N-No. Please, can I stay with you? M-My parents kicked me out," I say with a shaky voice.

"Of course, do you want me to get you? I don't think you are able to walk properly."

"Y-Yes please."

"Okay, I'm on my way, stay where you are."

He hangs up the phone and my sight starts to get blurry, until everything is dark.

[Jeongin's POV]

I'm at school, working on a project. Well, playing a game on my phone with a blank paper in front of me.

Five more minutes and I can leave this awful place.

Why did I go into college again?

The bell finally rings and I'm the first to leave the classroom. I don't even think about saying goodbye to my school friends, since I just want to leave.

I'm taking the subway back home and listen to some music. I get out and walk the rest of the way.

I enter my home and see my younger brother sitting at the dining table, doing his homework.

Well, someone here has to do it, and it's definitely not me.

My mom is in the kitchen cooking something and my dad is watching television. He notices me walking in.

"Hey Jeongin, how was your day at school?" he asks, looking back at the tv in front of him.

"You know, the usual." I go to the fridge and take an apple out, biting in it.

"We got a call from one of your professors today, Jeongin."

Oh no.

"What did he say?" I ask, nonchalantly.

My mom sighs and stops with what she was doing. "You're failing all your classes and you haven't finished one single project this whole year. We don't pay for you to go to college just so you can lay back and do nothing."

I hear my brother chuckle from the dining table and I give him a death stare.

"We think it would be good for you to focus on your studies and maybe live in a dorm, that way you can be stimulated to study."

Wow. I didn't think my parents would suggest that. Like I'm going to be motivated when I have students around me all the time.

"It's for your own good, Jeongin. We just want to help you, that's all." I scoff and shake my head. "You think that's the solution?"

"Yes, I actually do."

I nod and think for a second, until I get an idea.

"Okay, I will go to a dorm. But on one condition, I do it all by myself." My mom starts smiling at me and gives me a hug. "I'm so proud of you."

I walk up to my room. I didn't tell my parents I'm actually not going to a dorm, but to a friend's house.

They don't have to know that little detail.

I text my friend and start packing my stuff after I do so.

Old boy Chan

I'm going to move in with you

———

I walk down with a suitcase and a backpack. My parents look weirdly at me and I see my brother squeal in excitement for me to leave the house.

"They said I could move in this evening."

After hugging my parents goodbye and basically needing to throw them off of me, I leave the house and start walking to my friend's house.

Chan hyung, here I come.