𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍. the first day of the rest of your life

JIEUN WALKED INTO HER BIG REMODELED LIVING ROOM, LOOKING through the plate-glass window at the oak tree stump between the house and the scrubby woods beyond. Rain was falling in big flakes on the river and the living trees and the dead oak. It was like a poem come to life.

With the rain came the doors that banged, the wind that wanted nothing more than to announce its arrival, to say, "I'm here." And so it went on, the grass outside flattening in waves that reflected the light and the surface of the river covered in waves as if it were in open water.

Her house was lovely, Jieun really undersold it when she was asked to describe it to her friends. It wasn't some crazy modern house with a swamp. It was some crazy spread, a beautiful home with art on the walls, expensive shit.

The doorbell sound brought her back to reality. Knocks came thrice, strong and loud. Suddenly, there was a voice calling. "Eunie, it's appa." Her father sang, keys jingling as he struggled to open the heavy doors.

"Appa?" she whispered, she walked closer, unlocked the chains and she spun the handle, and pushed with all her strength. It didn't budge. A dim light came in as Jieun continued to try to force open the door. She carefully hefted the lip to the peephole. She didn't notice any movement as she was met with the back of her father's head, the night was too dark to see very well.

She looked up into the sky where she saw the same heavy gray clouds she'd noticed when she reached her home after the tournament.

Jihyun and her reached the door handle at the same time, both pushing so the door wouldn't open. "Appa, what's going on?" She whispers, looking down at the door knob. Her voice started to shake, the adrenaline scrambling her mind.

Someone then appeared in her view through the peephole. She moves her head to peer over her father's shoulder to stare wide-eyed at a man she'd never seen before.

It was hard to tell but his build was young, mid-forties maybe, and the terrifying part was she couldn't see his face, covered by a mask, all she could see were the evil in his eyes alone. Everything about his expression was menacing, and it made her want to curl up.

There's a gunshot, and she steps back. Her dad winces and falls. "Dad." She looks again, now, a faint light shone from the shot, casting broken shadows on the ground.

Jihyun staggers back to his feet and grabs the door handle, again preventing Jieun from opening it. "Dad, are you okay?" Jieun could do nothing but struggle against the door frame. "Who is that?"

"Not my daughter." He whispers, his gray hair was frazzled and sweat dripped over his temple and down his lap.

Jieun was scared, terrified even. Being scared was a tough, tough emotion. Surviving it will make one stronger, though a sane person such as herself would of course avoid it if there was any other option.

Jihyun was the type who can be scared and still stand his ground. He can be scared and still think clearly ― with logic, heart, and self-control. He was a good leader. She admired him for it.

Jihyun pulled out a long, slender knife, and held it up. The figure approached again. Jieun heard grunts and the sounds of struggling. It was still dark and Jieun continued to struggle to open the door which now had Jihyun's key lodged inside of it, she still could barely see who he was fighting.

Jihyun punched and kicked, slashed with his knife, and felt it connect and rip. The figure screamed, a fist smashing into his right cheek, something hard nailing him on his upper thigh. Jihyun paused to brace himself, then pushed with all his strength. His attacker slammed into the wall, then jumped back on top of him again. They rolled and bumped into potted plants.

It took every bit of his concentration to hold on to the knife, and he kept slashing, but it was hard being so close to his assailant. With little to no knowledge of the fight, he jabbed with his left fist, hit under his attacker's chin, then used the moment of reprieve to slam his knife into the person's shoulder. Another scream ― then he pushed the figure off for good

"Appa!" her voice was high and taut, she wanted to reach out to him. "Appa ―"

Another loud shot rang, she didn't see it but blood splattered across the door frame.

She was frozen in place, staring at her side of the door, banging harder than before, "Appa, open the door."

"Don't come out!" Jihyun yelled.

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she looked again, spotting her father's attacker, stalking and limping further from the door, leaving the crime scene. On instinct and with a sob lodged in her throat, she pushed harder on the door. "Dad, are you okay? Open the door."

Jihyun could barely muster a response. "Please, I want to come out." Tears poured from her eyes as Jihyun's body slides on the door. Her ears were ringing, "Please let me out. Please" she repeated.

Jihyun stops, swallows hard, and looks past his watery eyes to the package on the doorstep. "Jieun" She cried at this, "I'm sorry," he says, his voice changing. "I'm sorry I wasn't here,"

"No! No, it's okay!" She cries. Deep down she knew what was going to happen. If this situation was anywhere near the movies, Kang Jihyun had only a few minutes. "It's okay! Open the door." She screamed, banging once more. Tears came as if an ocean was trickling through. "Please, Dad."

"How did it end up like this?" a single tear trickled down his cheek. "It's all my fault."

"No, please, you can't do this to me." She manages in a feeble whisper, wrapping her hand yet again around the knob. "This isn't your fault."

"Jieun."

"Yes, Dad."

"My dear Jieun." His voice was laced with hopelessness as Jieun wiped her own tears, forehead against the door separating them "Everything works out the way it's supposed to. To me..." he paused, glancing up. The potted plants were huge and numerous, each about as long as his arm. He gazed across the wind-ruffed surface at the lily pads in bloom, their white or magenta petals catching the breeze. He inhaled slowly. Peace. His little piece of heaven in this awful world. "you were..."

Then total silence.

Jieun cried softly, repeating the words 'hold on' her eyes welled up as she struggled to breathe. "Hold on, Dad. No," she mutters, and she continued to repeat the words. "No! No. No."

Finally getting the door to open she reached for him, falling to her knees, she grabbed her father in her embrace. The world stopped still on its axis. There was no time, no wind, and no rain. How could it be that he'd leave Jieun so soon? Her body pressed in, soft and warm. Jieun hugged all the tighter. "Dad! No, Appa! Appa!"

She shook him, in hopes that this was all some elaborate prank. Her tears tracked down the sides of her face. "Appa..." She stopped the bloody knife, tugging it and throwing it far away from her, her screams getting louder.

But it didn't come, it wasn't a prank. He truly was gone.

A whimper escaped her hands now covered in her father's blood, wide-eyed, and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Appa. Appa. Wake up." Her body started to tremble as she continued to repeat these words. "Wake up, Dad! What's wrong? Please, please."

He doesn't say anything. His corpse lay still on the ground, she cradled his face. "Help me!" She yelled to no one. "Somebody, please help my dad!"

But no one heard her.

Now her father was dead, and she was all alone. All she had was blood on her face and a card that slipped out of her dad's pocket.

Ben Sparrow.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

hi hi hi hi

a shorter chapter but we're finally getting plot heavy and she'll start learning how to kick ass really soon !!

much love,