Not Sober - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“Gosh, I knew it! When I saw you two talking, I just knew.”

Jenna couldn’t help but smile as she listened to Sua’s endless chatter over the phone.

She has discovered something. Although she vowed never to date him, she is now in a relationship with him.

“I am genuinely impressed. I caught you two dating.”

Jenna’s daily life is now very peaceful. She has never experienced this level of peace before.

She finally enjoyed freedom and happiness after shedding the burdens that once weighed her down.

‘Can I be this happy?’

As she became happier, her anxiety also increased.

She began to fear losing her newfound joy. Sadly, her worries soon became a reality.

She had momentarily forgotten a reality.

It was where she needed to be.

The remainder of the family.

Jenna arrived at school in Sung-chan’s car. Everything seemed routine. He gave her a quick kiss before she exited the car, just like always. However, just as she was about to step out, she heard a familiar, piercing voice.

“Min Jenna!”

“You are a traitor!”

Jenna recognized the voice coming from an unexpected place, and her heart sank.

Why hadn’t she anticipated this? It was her mother, the same one who had visited Sua’s house, now at the school.

“Mom?”

Before she could even turn to see where the voice was coming from, it happened.

“Mmmm-!”

There was a sudden, sharp sound of impact, and Jenna’s cheeks stung. But it wasn’t just her cheeks. She collapsed onto the asphalt. Her body felt weak.

Her ears were ringing with shock. As she blinked in surprise, she realized that it wasn’t her mother who had struck her.

“…Min Yejun?”

It was Yejun, Yena’s younger brother. Struck defenselessly by a grown man, it wasn’t surprising that Jenna fell to the ground.

Her mom stood behind Yejun, using him as a shield, and looked at Jenna with contempt.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to our family?”

“What?”

“You’re not even in puberty yet, and you’re running away from home at your age? Oh, goodness. Pay me back for the expenses.”

Yejun’s words were cut short as another loud sound echoed, followed by a grunt.

This time, Yejun staggered violently, and Jenna’s mother screamed in alarm.

“What kind of thug harms someone else’s precious son like this!”

Jenna was stunned for a moment.

“If Yejun is a precious son, then what about me?”

Her head felt dizzy, unsure if it was from the slap or the chaotic situation unfolding before her.

Through her blurred vision, Jenna saw Sungchan strike Min Yejun across the cheek.

“Some bully dared to harm my precious Jenna, so I had to teach him a lesson,” Sungchan explained as he helped Jenna up from the ground where she had fallen.

“You’re lucky,” he continued, his voice tense with suppressed rage. “If you were my sister, I’d make sure that jerk paid for what he did.”

As Sungchan spoke, Jenna’s mother, who had been seething with anger, shifted her eyes from Sungchan to Jenna.

“You, Min Jenna, I was wondering what you were doing with this man. You’ve been hanging out with a troublemaker, spreading your legs wide open for him. I’m going to tell your daddy, and he’s going to punish you severely!”

She angrily accused Jenna of ruining everything, mentioning her grandfather’s efforts to arrange something.

Jenna was puzzled and unsure of what she meant at first. As her mother continued to scream, Jenna felt a sense of disbelief, as if she were hearing a language she didn’t understand.

Jenna suddenly understood everything. Despite her parents’ absurd interference, she now understood why they were so concerned about her virginity.

“Why did I give birth to you when my in-laws didn’t like you, and after raising you, this is how you repay me? You drive a stake through your parents’ hearts!”

Jenna’s mother blamed her for her actions, causing Jenna to feel a cold chill. She wondered if her actions were truly causing her mother so much pain.

Sung-chan intervened. He covered Jenna’s ear and urged her not to listen. Sung-chan then guided Jenna back to the car. Jenna remained emotionless throughout the incident.

As they drove away, Sung-chan expressed his disgust at Yejun’s behavior and congratulated himself on his patience for not being aggressive.

*.

Sungchan carefully treated Jenna’s swollen cheeks with medicine. He regretted not taking more revenge on the person who had hurt her.

“Damn it…”

He sighed heavily, expressing his frustration with a string of curses.

Jenna, feeling comforted by the warm chocolate he had given her, felt ashamed of her behavior.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” she apologized.

“What good is an apology?” Sungchan asked.

“I should be sorry for acting like a complete fool.”

“A fool?”

He couldn’t figure out if he was her brother or sister. Jenna burst into laughter, recalling the incident with Min Yejun.

“Haha, what a fool.”

“That as$hole should have been punished severely.”

“Why do you have to be so harsh?” Jenna asked.

“Because I know firsthand how devastated a woman like your mother can be if her son fails to live up to expectations,” Sung-chan replied with a heavy sigh, his tone tinged with bitterness.

After applying the medicine, Sung-chan sighed again and laughed bitterly.

“Is that why you cover me up?” Jenna inquired.

“Yeah, actually,” Sung-chan confirmed.

“Well, I’m not blind. Good job catching the troublemaker,” he added.

He playfully patted Jenna’s head, but she couldn’t hide her frustration.

“It’s Jenna,” she corrected him.

“What?”

“Are you going to go home again?” Sung-chan clarified.

“Ah…….”

Sung-chan’s question made her pause. Despite the chaos in her family, Jenna was still young and hadn’t even finished college. It seemed too sudden to think about leaving home for good.

“I’ve never really considered leaving home suddenly and permanently like this,” Jenna admitted.

“I hope you don’t go,” Sung-chan interrupted.

“Can’t you just stay at my home for the rest of your life?” he added with a smile.

Jenna smiled back, but she couldn’t give him a definite answer.

“But what if you change your mind?” Jenna asked, genuinely concerned.

“If you’re worried, I can find an apartment for you. Or do you prefer the apartment? Just let me know, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

He looked at Jenna earnestly, waiting for her response. Feeling embarrassed, Jenna waved her hands dismissively.

“No, no, no. I don’t need that,” she insisted.

“Why not? I’m serious,” Sung-chan persisted.

“But it’s just… kind of…” Jenna struggled to find the right words.

“Never mind, never mind, I’ll be fine,” she finally said.

“Okay, if you say so,” Sung-chan relented. But as he looked at Jenna, he couldn’t help but think, “Maybe it could be a first-anniversary gift.”

Jenna would never have guessed.