"Are you going to clean this place again?" I asked looking at my boss/aunt, cleaning the café top to bottom for the 3rd time this evening.
"Once more," She huffed, "that kid came in stinking the whole place!" She chucked herself on the sofa.
"True, true," I nodded in response. "Why not go but him deodorant?"
"I'll have to spray that on for him!" She complained.
I looked at my watch. 9:30pm. I was late by 5 minutes and even 5 minutes was bad. It takes me 10 minutes to get home running.
"Ah," I sighed. "Sorry, I have to go I'm late." I bowed and left.
She know my situation she helps me cover up when I go to the café the next day. She's my aunt, around 32. Her son is in high school, and comes in smelling out the place. She refuses to by deodorant after the incident. She has a point she'll have to do it for him.
As I was running, I bumped into someone. "Sorry," I bowed and ran for my life. At this rate I'll be home in about 3 minutes.
I burst through the door, "I'm here."
"You're late you ignorant child! Go practice the piano!" She yelled.
I walked over to the piano and sat down. "Now play!" She screeched.
I started to play and half way through she stopped me.
"Wrong key!" She yelled, "start again!"
I played again and I got it all right. "Well done! Play again." She said unamused
I messed up a lot in that play, I wasn't focused anymore my hands hurt, and I was about to get hurt even more.
"YOU IDIOT!" She screamed. "YOU FUCKED UP AGAIN YOU STUPID CHILD!"
She dragged me up from the piano and started to beat me. This was the usual. She want her child to be the worlds greatest pianist, I loved to play the piano. Loved. Ever since I was 6 this had happened.
•••
I got up for school the next day. I got dressed into my school uniform and curled my hair. I didn't really care how I looked.
I just walked out of the house not eating, again. She's still asleep and I don't have time to make breakfast.
"Chaesoo!" Someone shouted.
I turned around to see my best friend, Kim Jisoo. We were friends with everyone in the school. I was friendly person, I guess. After awhile I got sick of the fake smiles people gave to seem like they actually cared. Which they didn't.
"Hey," I said.
"You covered it up well," she said, referring to my bruises.
I laughed dryly, "I guess."
We walked in and everyone was talking about a new kid. Great, another person. It's not that I didn't like new people it's just I no longer like to speak to people, it's now just the occasional 'Hi' in the hallway.
"Jisoo! Chaesoo!" Our friend Jennie and Chaeyoung walked towards us.
"So, there's a new boy," Chaeyoung wiggled her eyebrows.
"New boy? Who gives a shit?" I shrugged and walked to class, while the girls followed behind chatting about the new boy.
I slumped myself down in my chair. I was lucky to have no one sat next to me so I could do what I want. Unfortunately, Jisoo and Jennie were sat in front of me.
