Hi, Mrs. Kim," Mely says as the lady opens the door of her home. "Come in, sweetie," Mrs. Kim lets Mely in. Mely slips off her shoes and slides into her bunny slippers. "Jin is not home yet, dear," Mrs. Kim says as she closes the door softly behind Mely. Mely smiles at her, "It's okay, I can wait." Mrs. Kim nods, "You could go up to Jin's room; he left your homework on his desk if you would like to wait for him there."
Mely, taken aback by that comment, asks, "Oh, is that alright?" Mrs. Kim laughs softly, "Of course." Mely thanks her and walks upstairs to the boy's room.
She opens the door, expecting a dirty room, and that's exactly what she finds. She laughs, imagining Jin's reaction to seeing her , now knowing why his mom wanted her to wait for him. She takes a seat on the desk chair and notices all his video games and consoles on the floor and a randomly clean spot, laughing again, knowing that's where he probably sits playing. She turns her attention to the desk and, taken aback, sees a picture of herself with Jin. She smiles softly as her heart swells up even more with love. This picture was taken with a group of their friends, Jin having cropped them out to just have them together.
Mely hears her name. She quickly places it down and exits the room, and it's Mrs. Kim. "Mely, I'm sorry, I'll be right back, I forgot something for dinner." Mely replies, "Yes, don't worry," and the older lady quickly leaves, leaving Mely alone.
Mely was finishing her homework when a door opens and voices fill the air. "It's not a fantasy, Dad. It's my life, and it's about making decisions that I know are right for me. I've thought about this, more than you realize," Jin's voice comes through. From her hidden vantage point at the top of the stairs, she listens,
"Right for you? At 16, you think you're ready to make a decision that will completely alter the course of your life?" his father's voice rises in frustration.
"Yes, I do," Jin replies, his voice steady. "Because it's not just my life I'm thinking about."
"Is this about her?" his father finally asks, skepticism in his tone. "You're talking about derailing your entire future because of a girl?"
Jin's response is filled with quiet intensity. "It's not just about her. But yes, she's a big part of this. I... I want to propose to her, Dad. When we're both 18. I can't just leave and pretend like what we have isn't real."
"Propose? At 18? This is insanity. You're children! You should be focusing on your studies, your future, not... not playing house," his father argues, disbelief evident in his voice.
"It's not playing house. It's planning a future. With her. And I believe it's possible to do that and pursue my education, just not in the way you want," Jin counters, his resolve unwavering.
"You're talking about a lifetime commitment when you haven't even lived a quarter of your life. Do you hear how that sounds?" his father implores,
"I know how it sounds. But I also know how I feel. And I'm asking you, Dad, to try to understand. To trust me," Jin says.
Mely, taken back, wonders how this even came about. They were dating, but they were more friends than boyfriend and girlfriend. What is he talking about? No, no, Jin, what's he saying? Mely quickly runs to the room, her mind racing from the argument still going on downstairs because of her. She needs to leave now. She look down stairs to see if jin and his father are still there and thankfully they arent. She runs down the stairs making sure to be quiet as a mouse
She ran so fast, her heart and mind racing. She just wanted to do her homework; they are 16. No, no, she can't. She wants to go to college and have a job before anything. No way.
Mely knew what she was going to do.
"We need to break up, Jin," Mely says, her voice steadier than her racing heart.
Jin, who had been busily stuffing books into his bag, pauses and laughs, assuming it's a joke. "Okay, Mely, sure," he says, reaching out his hand for her to take.
But Mely doesn't take his hand. "No, Jin, I'm serious. I want to break up with you," she says,
"What? Why?" Jin's confusion is palpable; his hand still suspended in mid-air.
"I don't think I'm ready to date anyone, and I've been thinking that I want to be single for a while. So, I hope you understand," she explains, her voice firm yet tinged with an undercurrent of regret.
As she walks out of the classroom, part of her wishes Jin would follow her, initiate a chase, a gesture to prove her decision wrong. But he never comes.
