Face The Truth - Han Jisung x Reader (Fae AU)

Chapter 1

This all felt too familiar. The stance, the face, the tone, the words, you'd done it all a thousand times before that it all felt like second nature to you now.

"I'm so sorry Miss, my mother just called and she said that my dad's just fallen off a ladder trying to fix a lightbulb. She really needs me home right now to help him out." The lie rolled out of your mouth before you even really thought about what you were saying. the teachers eyes enlarged, just as they always did, sympathy crashing down over her features as she so easily fell for your tale.

"Oh dear, that's horrible," a hand fluttered over her heart as she spoke, like it truly was a tragedy. "Yes, you may go, please let me know if he's feeling any better." She spoke sincerely, thin eyebrows tilted so deeply a crease formed between them.

"Thank you so much, Miss. I really wouldn't have bothered you if it wasn't an emergency," You gave her a smile, like she was the best teacher in the world, like your whole day had changed because of her simple nicety. Let her believe she was doing an act of kindness. It would only make her more pliant to your wishes.

You said your goodbyes and quickly ushered yourself out of the classroom, acting all the doting daughter until you were out of sight. The first few times you had lied for your own benefit you'd been left with a pool of guilt churning in the pit of your stomach, even going back to confess your lies a few times. But after having done it so long, that guilt vanished and now you only felt joy knowing that you only bent to your own rules anymore. In fact, the idea of your teacher finding out that your father hadn't changed a lightbulb in his life brought upon you such a sense of wicked delight that you almost felt concerned.

Well, it wasn't your problem anymore. You shed your school blazer from your shoulders, stuffing it in your bag and swapping it for a jumper, large enough to just reach the ends of your skirt. It made you look like you were wearing nothing but the jumper, a fashion sense you weren't particularly crazy about, but it concealed your uniform and that was what counted.

You'd learnt pretty early on in your days of skipping class that cops, shopkeepers, even neighbours were willing to turn you in when they caught you outside of school during school hours. You simply spun a few more lies on top of your growing pile, and you walked free, with them none the wiser.

You hauled your bike out from behind a bush. You'd hidden it behind the back gate of your school and used it almost exclusively for when you wanted to make a getaway from class quickly. Not even your family knew about your handy stow away vehicle. Another one of your little secrets. You mounted the bike and kicked off, sending a little puff of dirt chasing after you as you sped off down the back roads of your school. You could just about make this trip with your eyes closed now, the amount of times you'd done this in the past few years.

You pedaled faster, letting the wind whip your hair about your face, enjoying the breeze as you cycled through it. It was such a lovely day to be out and about. It was like nature itself was begging you to break free from the confines of that stupid classroom and do something worthwhile.

A few minutes later you were ditching your bike outside your favourite bubble tea store. A quaint little family run business that had drinks for half price up until three o'clock on a Tuesday. It was often much too intriguing of a deal not to take the afternoon off to get a drink with some of the loose change you had hanging around in your pocket. You pushed the door open, a soft tinkling from a bell up above accompanying your entrance.

The person at the counter looked up, a boy a couple years older than you that you'd seen here often. His younger brother was in your grade at school, though you never actually spoke to him. He likely had no idea that you spent most of your Tuesday afternoons in his family's shop. You ordered your usual and went to sit down at one of the tables by the window.