neighbors︱𝐊𝐓𝐇 ‧ 𝐉𝐉𝐊

✽ 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤

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Another night of arguments. 

Jieun stared, deep in thought, at the turned-off television, chin resting on her bent knees while Misam paced back and forth, ranting and spilling insults about her father. She never had the chance to even take a bath and get out of her school uniform after arriving home—her mother snapped soon as she commented about her plans for the holidays.

"... and after all that, you'd rather go off running back to him like nothing happened?"

"That's not what I said—" she protested.

"Why are you still living with me if that's the case?"

"Mom..."

"Clearly it's what you've been wanting since he left!"

"Mom!"

Misam stopped and stared down at her daughter, waiting for her to say whatever she wanted to say. Jieun released her knees, relieved she would be heard for once. It wasn't going to last; she knew it.

"All the birthdays I had, Christmas, New Year, I stay here with you. I'm not asking to move out, I simply said that he invited me to spend the holidays at his house this time and that... I was thinking about it."

"So you can end up in the hospital again?"

"He's not—"

"Your father is crazy, Jieun!" Misam barked, cutting her off. "He knows how I feel about these hikes he loves to take you, and no, it's not the first time it has happened!"

"You can't forbid me to keep seeing dad because of one incident!" she had to raise her voice for that. "And stop treating me this way! I'm eighteen years old!"

"Once you learn how to be more responsible, I'll start treating you like an adult."

Jieun seethed, shocked. "What, I'm not responsible enough for you now?!" she snapped. "What else do you expect from me when everything I've been doing, even when it comes to my future, is to prove to you how much I am?!"

"I know you are, Jieun. But sometimes I need to step up because a young girl like you are bound to make the wrong decisions. We have to, as parents, protect you from all the dangers—"

"This is not protection, it's incarceration!" Jieun stood up from the living room couch, too sick and tired to keep on. 

"Watch your tone with me, young lady! I'm your mother! I only want what's best for you!"

"But what I want," her voice lowered, "it's a little less controlling... Alright? That's all I want."

Misam fell silent and watched her daughter grab the house keys from the center table.