FLAME - EPISODE 1

JUNG AERA

“AERA!!”,my mom screamed my name.

It means trouble!

I rushed out of the kitchen where I am making breakfast and rushed to the living room.

“Umma…..”,
Before I could complete my statement,a stinging slap landed on my face,leaving me dazed and on the floor. My face stings as my eyes watered up and I can see my half sister smirking down at me.

‘What did I do wrong?”,I mumbled as the tears dropped from my eyes.

“Why did you not wash your sister dress? Huh? What will she wear to school today”,my mom raved in anger as she walked menacingly towards me.

“Sorry umma…we had a lot of costumer dress to wash and Ara didn’t bring her cloth on time”,I explained myself.

“She is lying! I gave her my cloth but she threw it back at me. She said that we are pathetic and should be ashamed of ourselves that we can’t pay laundry fee”,Ara lied against me.

“Umma….she is lying”,I yelled as I was shocked with Ara white lie.

My mother kicked me again and my rib hurt.

“Are you trying to say that my lovely daughter is lying against you? She doesn’t lie!

“Since you think we are pathetic,I’ll show you how pathetic we can be”,my mom glared at me and rushed to her room.

“Do you think mother will believe you. It will always be your word against mine and I’ll always win”,Ara scoffed at me and then kicked me where I still hurt.

My sob came out more as I had difficulty in breathing. This is what I go through. Life is hell and sometime I do wish that death will come and take me. Ara is always like this to me,fueling mother hate towards me.

Just so you know…Ara and I are age mate but months apart!

Yesterday,truly,Ara came to the laundry mart in which I work in and ordered me to wash her dress that she’d wear to class today but I explained to her that all the washing machine is been used and I even promised to wash it for her with my hand when I get home,thinking that will get me into her good book and she agreed. Once I got home,I told her to bring the cloth but she told me that I shouldn’t worry that she has something else she would wear.

Now this……she lied against me.

I can’t even stop the tears that flowed down my eyes ceaselessly. I always did things that I thought will get me favor from them but they always turn blind eyes to it. I am practically a maid since I do all chores you can think of without Ara lifting a finger.

“Take this”,my mother yelled and flung a huge bag fit to use in traveling at me.

“Wash all the clothes in there and bring them back today. I want them ironed and folded”,she ordered me.

“Yes umma”,I nodded and stood from the ground. I staggered a bit but held myself.

“You must be home before 5pm to prepare dinner”,she added and left for her room.

A stray tear slipped from my eyes….how will I wash all this cloth and be back before 5pm. I am not the owner of the laundry mart and we still have pending customer clothes.

I shook my head and silently went to the kitchen to take my food.

‘At least today,I won’t be working on an empty stomach’,I consoled myself.

I had to eat my word immediately because my mother walked into the kitchen and quickly snatched the pot lid from me.

“What do you think you are doing?”,she raved as she quickly threw the pot lid at me which hit me on my forehead,escaping my eye by an inch.

“How dare you come to the pot without my permission? You leave to work without any food in your belly..you hear me?”,she yelled at me and hid the pot in the cabinet and locked it.

“Umma”,I pleaded,my voice barely like a whisper.

“Get out of here!”,she pushes me away and locked the kitchen door.

“That’s how pathetic I am”,she scoffed and left to her room. The banging of her door reassuring me that she isn’t going back on her words.

My never ending tears flowed as I dragged the huge bag of dirty cloth I would wash for her and left the apartment with my head bowed.

LEE JIM-IN

“Young master”,the butler bowed his head to me in a respectful manner as I stepped out of mettalic Red open roof porshe car.

“Old master Lee is waiting for you in his study”,he added.

“I’ll see him soon”I waved the butler off and stared at the grandness of the Lee ancestral mansion. A place I have lived in for a long time before going to America to study buisness because I will be taking over the Lee empire once I clock 25 years of age,That is next year.

I walked without a care in the world and and entered my grandpa study without knocking to announce my presence.

“Father. Grandfather”,I bowed a little at the two of them.

“Finally you came”,my grandfather smiled at me.

“I wasn’t given a choice”,I shrugged and sat and waited for him to spill why he called me to see him all the way from America.

“Without beating around the bush,I’ll give your father the honor to tell you why you were summoned”,my grandpa said and then took a sip of his wine.

I dropped my gaze at my father. The man I having been looking up to,to show a little fatherly warmth for me. It was always a wishful thinking on my side and it always hurt deeply anytime I think my dad calls to check up on me only to always talk about buisness and the Lee empire.

“As you know,your grandfather will be vacating the CEO position on your twenty fifth birthday”,he started.

“Is there any need to state the obvious”,I rolled my eyes at him.

Till date,I don’t understand why my dad never got the CEO position. I can feel that it is a decision made by my grandpa on a firm ground and right now I am not willing to know anymore.

“We have made an arrangement for you to finish your last year of studying at JIN college”,my father announced.

I glared at him.

He glared back at me.

That meant ‘its not up for discussion.You do as I say!’

When have I ever had a say? I am a puppet to my father that he uses to get good graces from his own father.

“Is that all?”,I asked,replacing my stare at my grandpa.

“Yes! It will take immediate effect from Monday. Next week”,my dad added something he clearly forgot.

I clicked my tongue in anger. So typical of My dad! Saying and doing things so last minute.

For fuck sake! Today is Friday!

“I’ll be taking my leave now”,I stood up from where I sat.

“Go my grandson”,my grandpa smiled at me. A smile he has never shown his own son.

“Where are you off to?”,my dad asked me.

“Not that you care”,I glared at him.

My grandpa chuckled.

“I’ll be going to see my childhood friends;Park Taeyhung and and So Ji-hoo”,I added and walked away.

Those are the only two friends I have kept so close to me. We went to the same school right from childhood except from college but now I’ll be going to the same college with them. We have so many fond memories that we have shared together.

I brought out my phone and mass texted them.

I’M BACK TO SEOUL AND WE’LL BE SEEING MORE OF EACHOTHER IN JIN COLLEGE.

P. Taeyhung:Good to have you back!

S.Ji-hoo:Can’t wait to wreck more havoc in JIN college with you around.

I smiled and rushed to my car. I can’t wait to see their faces. Its been 3 years already!

JIN COLLEGE is in for some fun!