Little Black Notebook | Editing | ✓

9

I realized that it has been about five days since my last update. Oh well.

Anywho, this chapter has been lounging in my drafts for about two days or so since I finished it, and I thought "If I don't publish it now, when am I going to?" Because honestly, I'm so tight with time next week that I need to plan things in advance. Yikes.

Just to notify you in advance, this chapter contains a little bit of romanized Korean, since you know, Yuna is Korean and that's how she's talking with her family members. 

So a little bit of a dictionary: Ye=shortened yes, ttal=daughter, eomma=mother, aniyo=no, jeongmal=really

*Make sure to check out the optional audio to complete the chapter atmosphere*

The seat belt clicks obediently as I lean against the sturdy car seat.

"Ye?" My mom's voice rings out loudly in my ear, making me flinch. "Ttaliya?"

I gulp. "Eomma, it's me," I say, my voice trembling. "Are you on your way already?"

I hear some rustling in the background before I got a response. "Yunaya, I was about to exit the house! What is it? You  done already? Aishh, am I late?" She rambles on and rustling becomes louder.

"Aniyo aniyo!" I say in a hurry while Dean waves at me in a rush and mouths 'now is your chance' in my direction. "Uh, listen, my friend is going to drop me off, so you don't have to come."

The rustling stops completely. "Jeongmal? You sure?"

I nod my head even thought she couldn't see me. "One hundred percent."

"What friend?" She asks.

"I, uh, Jenna."

Dean makes an a-okay sign with his hand and I close my eyes, hoping I didn't tell my mom that Jenna failed her driving test a while ago.

"Okei Yunaya!" She exclaims happily. 

"See you at home, eommonie."

I can't believe my mom actually believed that blatant lie.

*

The drive was very silent.

I couldn't think of anything decent to say, so I just didn't even try to initiate the conversation. I mean, what do I say? What a fine day?  Doubt it. Both of us just literally drove off away from a mental counseling institution. 

"Ahem," Dean clears his throat, clearly trying to gain my attention. "Care to tell me where you live?"

"Oh," I internally facepalm myself. Of course he'd ask me where I live. We aren't gonna drive around for the rest of our lives. "Garnet Lane. Just turn left on the next crossing and go straight until you reach a big green sign. I'll tell you where to go next."

"Certainly doubt it," Dean says, "I live just a few blocks away from Garnet Lane, in High Avenue. It's gonna take us a while to get there though."

I shrug, already aware of the fact that the hospital is on the other side of the town and that we have a relatively long ride ahead of us and look at him, unsure if I should focus on something else or wait for him to say something.

Stopping at a red light, he turns to me and catches me staring. "See anything interesting?"

I snort. "Yeah, definitely that spot you have on the tip of your nose," I say, pointing to my nose to demonstrate. "Riiiight here."

He quickly taps his nose and huffs, his eyes diverting back to the road. "What do you think about doing something like a questionnaire?" He says.

"Um, okay?" I say, slightly taken aback.

"Alright," He lets go off the brake as soon as the light turned green. "I ask one question, then you answer and ask one back." 

"Got it." I nod, squeezing my fists by my sides.

I am ready.

"Full name?" He starts not even a second after.

"Yuna Kang. Last name?" I ask since I really couldn't recall him ever telling me that.

"Ashton. Are you Japanese?" He asks, scratching his head uncertainly. "I mean you are obviously Asian... And you speak some kind of weird language with your mother..."

I laugh. "I'm South Korean. My parents moved here before I was born, but I've been taught Korean since I was a little kid." Dean let's out a small 'ahh' at that answer. "Umm...  Any siblings?"

He shakes his head. "I'm adopted and an only child. Favorite color?" He asks the question quickly, visibly trying to avoid and divert me from asking any more questions that involve family. I found that weird for a moment, but I decided to let it slide and not push him. From all that I've seen so far, he's a rather unpredictable person, so I wouldn't like to make him mad.

"Forest green," I say after a moment of thinking. "Mind me asking a serious question?"

"Go ahead," He says while stepping on a gas pedal.

I know that I have a tendency to ask him a lot of personal questions, but ever since I noticed him in the class I wondered why wasn't he introduced to everyone. 

And now is my chance to find out why.

"You weren't introduced in school..." I stop for a second, trying to properly form a question. "And everyone, including me, was wondering why."

There was a long pause in which Dean just ruffled his hand through his hand gently. His eyebrows furry in thought.

"I...I asked the board to free me from such an activity." 

"Why?"

"It was my turn to ask." He takes a quick look off the road and looks at me cautiously, and then looks back at the road. I could notice him squeezing the steering wheel. "But if I tell you, will you answer me one serious question too?"

After a few seconds of hesitating, I nod my head. "I think it would be only fair."

"I move frequently. There's no point in me introducing myself if I'm not going to be around for long."

I nod in understanding. "Well, that... makes perfect sense."

I was somewhat disappointed by his answer though. I honestly expected something more shocking, but I guess I'm reading too many books in my spare time. 

Not everything in life is ground-breaking. Sometimes that's for the best.

"Now it's my turn," Dean says, and I try to hide my uneasiness by observing his fingers that are now lightly tapping the steering wheel. "Why are you in group therapy?"

The car comes to a halt as the question echoes through my mind and memories start to pour in mercilessly.