018

Chapter eighteen

"Good luck on your exam marks" Ni-Ki kisses me softly and slowly before pulling away

"I hope I do well" I admit nervously as we walk into the classroom

"I'll talk to you later" He walks over to his seat and I walk over to mine

My leg bounces restlessly beneath the desk, a silent rhythm of nerves as I fidget with my fingers, waiting, impatient and anxious, for my exam to be returned

Jiwon's paper is handed back first. "Oh my god, I got an eighty-six!" she squeals, practically vibrating with joy

A moment later, mine lands in front of me I steal a glance at the top corner—ninety-seven

"Well done, Haerin. Highest in the class," my teacher says with a proud smile

But the praise barely registers, My heart sinks

Ninety-seven

All that work, all those hours of studying, pushed aside like they weren't enough

Because they weren't

Not for a perfect score

Not for him

I should be proud, but all I feel is dread, now I don't even want to go home and face my dad

"I guess all those hours of studying paid off" Jiwon snaps me out of my thoughts

"I guess" I mutter, disappointed in myself

I should have gotten the perfect score, I should have gotten the one hundred percent that my dad wanted

My hand flies up in the air, "May I use the restroom?" My teacher nods and I practically sprint out of the class

My chest feeling like there's a rope tied around it and my dad keeps tightening it

I stop at a wall and my back hits it as I slide down to the ground

"What's wrong with you?" I look up to see him

"Nothing" I shrug

"Is this about the exam?" Heeseung questions

"I needed it to be one hundred" I admit quietly

"Stand up" He rolls his eyes and grabs my arms, pulling me up to my feet

"What?" I look up at him

"You got the highest score in the class Haerin, if your parents or whoever it is, can't see that you tried your hardest, then they aren't worth your worrying"

"You were so close"

I was so close, but I couldn't manage to pull it off

"Listen, they are preventing you from living your life, and that's not what parents are supposed to do, you're meant to have fun and it's even better that you were still top of the class while you were" His cold hand reaches up to my face and tucks my hair behind my ear

"A teenage life is supposed to be fun"

"You're meant to mess about, break rules and live"

"And maybe kiss the bad boy at one point" His eyes flicker to my lips before he kisses me

My whole body freezes up before I realise what he has just done, I push him back, pissed

"Are you crazy?!" I exclaim

"Why would you just do that?!" He just added onto the list of my problems

"Learn to live a little"

"Live a little?!" I yell at him, "you know me and Ni-Ki have something, why would you just do that?!"

"You aren't dating though"

"That doesn't fucking matter!" I scream at him before storming off

What did he just do?

I walk though my front door, scared of what's waiting, I'm praying that my parents are home, they never really are

But my dad knew I had an exam, so I have a feeling he would've made up some excuse to come home to see my mark

I also tried to find Ni-Ki all day today but I couldn't, he must've went home early, I need to tell him about Heeseung and what happened

I can't keep it a secret, he needs to know

But I can't text him, so I guess I have to wait till tomorrow

I spot my dad sitting in the kitchen, a stern look on his face, "Exam" He demands coldly and I nervously reach into my bag

I place the ninety seven exam, on the table and he grabs it, his face doesn't twitch, even a little as he reads the score

He stands up slowly and glares at me, then he walks towards me with the test paper in his hands

"Is this a joke?" He asks me, no emotion showing in his tone

"It was the highest mark in the class—" He cuts me off by smacking me around the head with the test paper repeatedly, shouting

"You're a disgrace!"

"Only a ninety seven?!"

"How are you even my daughter?!"

"I'm sorry I— I tried really hard"

"Well it isn't good enough!"

"But dad—"

"No! You don't get to call me dad, you're not my daughter, you're just a disappointment, god I hope I never have to be home to face you" He finally stops hitting me and storms out of the house

Leaving me in tears

PLOT TWIST

-K