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"I heard my great-grandmother checked multiple times a day if I could hear sounds or not" HanByeol noticed the tears pooling in Eungyeol's eyes as he witnessed his father and grandmother having a good time, singing and dancing.
"When I had become of the age when I could finally communicate with others" He gazed at the old female, lovingly. "She took her last breath" Lacing her fingers through his, HanByeol rested her head against his shoulder.
"I didn't imagine my dad to be such a joyful and mischievous boy when he was 18!" A small smile was tugging on his lips, "How did he suddenly become deaf then?" Eungyeol glanced towards HanByeol, hoping to find any sort of answer but was only met with a shrug.
"I need to go home now" Peering her eyes open, she noticed how close their faces were. Immediately a smirk forming against her lips. HanByeol leaned more closer to Eungyeol, satisfaction evident in her mind when she saw him gulping.
"I'll walk you home" Eungyeol instantly shuffled out of his seat, slipping on his shoes. "You should come again tomorrow" Yichan' grandmother, gently patted her head. HanByeol feeling her heart swell with love, brought the old and weary lady in a warm hug.
"I'll make sure to keep visiting you" Yichan from the sidelines noticed how quickly his grandmother and HanByeol had bonded over a short period of time. He also noticed how Eungyeol had slipped his hands into her's and was eager to send her home.
"Goodbye, Yichan" the boy smiled at her words, cheerfully returning her greeting. "You must like holding my hands, don't you?" That's when Eungyeol had realised he still was holding her close. The boy immediately jerked her hand away, causing HanByeol to erupt in fits of laughter.
"You're so cute, Ha Eungyeol!" She swatted her arms around his biceps but hadn't noticed the redness of his face and ears. Heat rushed upto his cheeks at the compliment.
"You can't like me, you know?!" Though she was just teasing him, Eungyeol felt a sense of doubt cross his mind. "And why can't I like you?" They were almost near her house, "Because I like Yichan"
Ha Eungyeol was baffled at her response, speechless with nothing to say. "Just kidding, dude" HanByeol shook her head at his naiveness. "You've found a house and that's a relief"
Standing infront of her house, HanByeol clutched her hands behind her back. "Go then" Without even greeting him goodbye, she was about to head inside the house.
"And FAX me when you reach home." With that she left the poor boy hanging outside with a confused expression displayed on his face, "Yichan has my FAX number" Eungyeol grunted at her words, an unknown feeling creeping inside his heart.
"She has already given it to Yichan?" On the whole way to the guesthouse, Eungyeol couldn't help but mull over her words, repetitively.
On the other hand, HanByeol cautiously tipped over in the house, afraid to make any sound. "Where were you this late? Sleeping with boys again?" The last question made her heart leap out of it's place. Sleep with boys? What did her grandfather meant?
A stinging pain stunned her, HanByeol's hand flying to her reddened cheeks. Behind her now father, she saw a scared looking mother, who was trying to save her child. HanByeol remembered her Mom complaining how her father had always been abusive towards her, especially when he was drunk and right now he reeked of alcohol.
"I wasn't sleeping with boys! You're my father! How could you say such things?!" Though it wasn't directly meant for her, HanByeol's heart ached at his words. Did he really think so low of his daughter?
"HAN JIHYO" Another slap resounded the house as tears stung her eyes. "LOCK HER UP IN THE BASEMENT" Her eyes were wide in fear and terror but it only lasted a few seconds as she was being dragged by a well-built man.
"MOM DO SOMETHING!" HanByeol cried for help, twisting and turning in the man's grip but it didn't loosen even the tinies bit. "Whip her till she knows that she shouldn't talk back to her father"
HanByeol had never known the presence of her grandfather in her life as he had passed away long before she was born and now she was thankful for it. She saw fragments of her own mother in that man, anger and resentment towards their own child being visible.
HanByeol was thrown into the dark basement with only a flickering light bulb hanging above her. "Strip your clothes off" a female servant ordered her to which she dreaded to comply, knowing the outcome of the action.
"NOW" she yelled and there HanByeol was, crying and screaming at every whip of the rope on her skin that shook her flesh. In the dead of the night, HanByeol had fallen asleep to the agonising pain and swollen, tear filled eyes.
Eungyeol waited for hours to get a reply from his female friend but got none. He misunderstood that she was ignoring him like always, "But she was the one who told to inform her when I reach home"
