[M] Choices (1/1)

"I'm going out," you slung your black purse over your arm, and pulled down your black strapless black dress. When she didn't hear it the first time, you came up to her and yelled in her ear."At this time?" Your mother asked you. It was 11PM right now, but you had promised your girls that you'll meet them at the casino. You checked to see if you have your fake ID, and went out the door, ignoring your mother cries for you, your siblings hollers and laughter, and also the sounds your father and his girl for the night was making.You closed the door with a slam and felt the summer's humid air hung onto your skin. You began walking down the street and suddenly a car pulled up beside you."Hey Hana!" The girl wearing a lime green dress yelled out your name. You ran up to them and slipped in the back seat where two other girls were sitting."Wassup girlfriend?" All of them cooed. They continued the car again and the five of you went on your way.Once arriving at the casino, you showed the security guards your 'ID', and went inside to the tables where people sat waiting for their luck. Eunji—the one that had greeted you first—pulled you into a table of poker players.Every time you needed a card, Eunji would silently pass the needed card under the table to you, and you would do the same for her. You wouldn't call it cheating, just simply teamwork. You were winning a lot of money now, and the dealer had noticed that and felt suspicious as he observed the interaction between you two. You would cough while Eunji would switch legs, then one of you would look down and then trade cards.When  you were on the verge of another card swap, he caught you red handed."You, stop right there. You're cheating aren't you?" He screamed at you two and called for the guards. Not giving him an answer, you grabbed your friend and ran towards the exit.Once you were out of the securities reach, you and Eunji phoned the others to meet up at a karaoke bar in Hongdae.Letting everything loose, you and your friends danced around the spacious room and sing your heart out."Bo peep, bo peep, bo peep, bo peep, ahh," you sipped your beer while clapping to the performance that Mihyun and Jihyun was putting on.In the midst of this party, the door suddenly swung opened, revealing Xiumin came out from nowhere. That guy is seriously annoying. Even though you had to admit he was pretty cute, he would always try to stop you from doing things you please. You don't know him that much but somehow he's very protective of you."What are you doing here?" You calmly questioned him.Instead of answering you, he came over to where you were sitting and grabbed hold of your hands. You struggled, trying to break his grasp but you were just a girl while he had the powers of a man. He sharply yanked you up and guided you to the exit."Help, guys?!" You screamed to your friends."Call me.""Seeya tomorrow.""Don't lose your virginity tonight!""It's my turn to sing.""Sing B.A.P's new song!"The last words you heard from your friends were them arguing over which song should come next. The guy in front of you held tightly to your wrist, not letting any blood circulate through your veins. He dragged you outside of the noisy bar, and down the busy streets of Hongdae.Even though it was 1AM right now, the noise never die down in Hongdae. Couples were seen walking hands in hands down the streets, food vendors ladies were still serving customers delicious plates of foods, children running here and there while cars try not to hit any of them. The lights remained on; brighten the atmosphere even more, unlike the atmosphere that surrounds you and Xiumin.He was usually very happy, very calm, but today something must've gotten into him. He wasn't talkative like normal. His eyebrows were scrunched attempting to make him look intimidating, but who could you kid? His fat, chubby cheeks gave the whole look away."Hey...Hey! Xiumin!" He stopped and released your hands. You rubbed the spot where he had grabbed it. There was a white ring around it now.When he walked ahead of you, you ran up to him."You know, you shouldn't go out at this late hour. You're a girl for crying out loud!" He began lecturing you."Why, you really think some random old dude is going to come out and rape me?" You questioned him."Look," he pointed ahead, and you saw some drunken men walking side by side on the opposite side of the street. "See?""Well, I could still protect myself," you defended yourself. He sighed. You were so stubborn! If only Mrs.Park —your mother— hadn't asked him to take care of you, he would still be in deep slumber, not in this hot weather. Xiumin actually knew you more than you would like him to. He and your mom would sit by the kitchen table, both peeling potatoes, and she would tell him cute stories about her children. Like how when you weres till small, you had peed on the bed and blamed it on your younger sister.He felt sorry for Mrs.Park. She was a lovely lady, not at all deserved the hell that was in her house. One filthy and abusive husband, seven troublesome kids, and also dealing with her oldest daughter who never stayed home and help her.She had a secret that she shared to no one but Xiumin. She was actually partially deaf, so whenever her idiot husband call for her after his sex session, she wouldn't hear anything and that resulted in him beating the crap out of her. Xiumin actually had to rescue her a few times. But it seemed like she didn't mind her bruised eye or blown cheeks at all. She was indeed a strong willed woman, unlike the one who was walking besides him; who only ran away instead of facing reality.When Xiumin went into a 24-hour pharmacy, you followed him, confused. He went over to an aisle and pulled out some ointments out and gathered them all to the checkout counter."Xiumin, how are you today?" even the clerk knew him, how many times did he visit this place?"I'm fine, thank you. Have a nice day," Xiumin bowed and picked up the bags containing the ointments. "What are you waiting for? Let's go."You unwillingly followed him, you couldn't escape from him now, you had forgotten your purse back at the karaoke bar. But it's not like you had anything in there either.After walking for a while, your feet started to hurt due to the heels. You took them off and hobbled, trying to not step on the blisters at your soles.Xiumin saw and gave you his worn out shoes that he was wearing."Ew, no, it's ugly, and it smells, too," you refused."Just wear it!""No!""Then I guess I'll do this then," he picked you up to his back and piggy back ride you."Put me down! Put me down! Help, someone, he's trying to rape me!" You yelled out to see if anyone would help you but they couldn't care less. You gave up and plopped down onto his back."Why do you do this?" Xiumin asked you after a while."Do what? You mean the parties and stuff?" He nodded. "I actually don't know.""Do you like doing this kind of stuff?"You thought about it. No, you don't like any of this stuff. What else was there to do when all you could witness at home are a bunch of annoying children? "No. I don't," you said quietly."I know why you do it. You want to run away from the so-called horrors of your house, right?" You hated how he was always so spot on. "You know, life is like a card game. The cards were already planned out. It wasn't your choice to have a 4 or an ace. That's called luck. Either you get good cards and win or bad cards and lose all. It's the same as life. You don't choose who your parents are, or who you'll be with. It was already planned out. So, with that in mind you have to make the best out of everything.""Make the best out of everything..." you repeated. If you were your old self right now, those words would be just nonsense to you. But, somehow right now all the things that he just said made perfect sense."Hana, did you know who said that to me?""Who?""Your mother. She told me that when I was complaining about my brother one day." You nodded.The moment of silence was interrupted by Xiumin's phone."Hello?" You held the phone to his ears since his hands were holding you. "What?! We'll be right there!""What happened?" You asked him."Jaesook just called me. Your mother is in trouble!" He set you down and you slipped on his shoes without thinking. You two flaged down a taxi and drove home quickly.You pounded on the door and Jaesook—one of your younger brothers—opened it for you.Inside your father was holding your mother by the neck, strangling her. Your siblings were squished over at the far side of where your parents were, clinging to each other crying."You stupid bitch, what did you say to me?""I-said-that-you-were-an-asshole!"SLAP!Your father sailed his hands over your mother's cheeks."Fucking dumb slut!" He cursed at her.You couldn't take this any further. Looking at her suffer because of your dad just breaks your heart. It always hadbut you didn't do anything about it. You remembered Xiumin's words to make everything better and you grabbed a nearby vase and ran up to your father, slamming it down on his head. It broke and his head was bleeding."What the fuck?!" He turned around, releasing your mother's throat who slid down on the wall, exhauted. He was about to slap you when Xiumin stopped him. "Do you also want to be like them?!" He yelled at Xiumin who then punched him in the face."You stay away from them! Or else I will kill you!" Xiumin threatened."I'm done if all of you sluts," with that your father disappeared from the house."M-mom," you collapsed next to your mother. "I-I'm sorry, mom." You cried while hanging onto her."Xiumin, you brought her back," your mother managed to smile."Yes, I did bring her home.""I love you Hana," she placed a kiss on your sweating forehead."I love you, too, mom," you told her for the first time.