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Jiyu flipped the switch on the floor lamp and closed her eyes for a moment, blinking against the sudden glare of the light.
In the brightness, she could see makeup smudges on Hunter's chest. An excessively sweet scent of perfume wafted from him. It felt as if Sienna had marked her territory.
‘Just how did they hug and roll around for the scent of perfume to soak into him like that?’
Anger, betrayal, disappointment.
Emotions she felt she shouldn't be experiencing right now hit her all at once. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and her stomach churned as if she were about to vomit.
‘I wonder if Hunter's scent lingers on Sienna?’
Overwhelmed, Jiyu squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.
[If you have something to say, say it quickly and leave. You reek of Sienna's perfume.]
Hunter paused, then, with a look of dismay, lifted his sleeve to sniff it and muttered.
[I threw away the jacket, but even the shirt... fuck...]
[So, what is it you wanted to say?]
As Jiyu pressed him, Hunter looked at her with eyes as ominous as the sea before a storm.
[I'll ask you one more time. Were you serious about what you said earlier?]
[Yes. I was serious.]
There wasn't a shred of hesitation in her answer.
He frowned and shook his head.
[I don't get it. If you're not dating that nerd Joshua Yoon, then why on earth? You even said you were going to the prom with Popsicle—no, Chloe—and then you're the one who dumped me, saying you're suddenly going with that guy. Even if I give you the benefit of the doubt... let's say I was wrong for hitting you. But break up? Over such a trivial reason?]
Jiyu gazed at him with exhausted eyes.
Did he even hear what I said on the balcony?
Hunter Hamilton's world revolved around himself. It was no surprise that he perceived and interpreted every situation through a self-centered lens.
[I told you earlier. I'm just speeding up something that was bound to happen once I go to college anyway.]
[What does going to college have to do with breaking up!]
[I'm going to Berkeley.]
A look of shock flashed across his face.
[...What about Columbia? You've wanted to go there since you were a kid.]
Jiyu let out a long sigh.
She felt as if she had aged into an old woman overnight.
[Yes, I did. But most people aren't in a position to live doing everything they want. Especially me. So, it's only right that I go to a college that offers a full scholarship.]
After a moment of silence with a thoughtful expression, Hunter shrugged.
[If that's the only reason for breaking up, I can handle—]
[Hunter!]
Knowing exactly what was about to come out of his mouth, Jiyu cut him off with a warning tone. She couldn't let him trample over the last bit of pride she had left.
[I'll tell Mrs. Hamilton tomorrow, and I'll leave this house as soon as Daisy's new nanny is found. Since I'm going into the fourth year, she might even say a nanny is no longer necessary.]
[......]
Hunter's eyes glinted ominously. Seeing him stare at her in silence with a hardened face, it seemed he finally understood this time.
Was he throwing a tantrum because the toy he could snatch and play with however he liked whenever he reached out was disappearing?
What does it matter to me now?
If he's dissatisfied, he can go to Sienna Reed.
[It's time to clear out the old toys, Hunter. You have plenty of other things to play with besides me. Once you go to college and see a wider world, you would have grown tired of me soon anyway.]
Hunter let out a scoff of disbelief, a sneer curling his lips.
[Are you done?]
[No. There's a bit more. From the time we were in preschool until now, you've always stood far above me. I admire you, and I hate you. I'm grateful you let me stay at your house, but it's miserable. I'm sick of these contradictory feelings I have by your side. They make me hate myself. I want to stop now, sincerely.]
Slowly crossing his arms, Hunter let out a heavy sigh and looked at her through half-closed eyelids. His blue eyes were exceptionally cold.
[Is that what you were thinking while you were by my side all this time?]
His tone sounded as if he had been betrayed.
With a weary face, Jiyu added.
[Yes. So let's break up, Hunter. I don't know if breaking up even means anything since we never properly dated. You only dated me because of the Jinx anyway. Do you remember what you said when you first kissed me? Curiosity, and a trick of hormones.]
[......]
[Whether it was a Jinx or curiosity... find someone else now. Actually, you don't even need to look. Just tell Sienna.]
Taking a couple of deep breaths as if suppressing his anger, Hunter asked in a cold tone she had never heard before.
[Do you not regret the words you said today?]
Avoiding his gaze, Jiyu nodded.
[I'm asking one last time. Is this really what you want?]
She nodded once more.
[Yes. I'm sorry, Hunter.]
The moment those words left her lips, Hunter stormed out of the room without looking back.
With trembling legs, Jiyu collapsed onto a nearby love seat. Then, she slowly tipped over onto her side.
‘I did the right thing. This is for the best. It was... bound to happen anyway.’
Yet, she couldn't understand why she felt so anxious and afraid. A tight pain gripped her heart. It felt similar to the night she felt her childhood had ended after Alan died.
Two years had passed since then.
She felt as though she wasn't fully prepared yet, but she had suddenly become an adult. She had taken only a single step away from Hunter Hamilton, yet her knees were already shaking.
Would she be okay?
She was a little scared, and a little sorrowful. But feeling that such a weak heart was a luxury, she whipped herself into shape.
‘Maybe it's okay to cry a little, alone, where no one knows.’
Covering her mouth and sobbing silently, she finally fell into a deep sleep toward dawn. Then, she woke up with a start to the loud ringing of her phone.
Ae-jeong's name appeared on the screen.
Answering the phone in a daze, Jiyu turned pale and trembled as she hurriedly got dressed. Grabbing only her wallet, she rushed out of the Hamilton residence and hopped into a yellow cab heading for a general hospital in Brooklyn.
✾ ✾ ✾
[I received a call that my mother was admitted to the emergency room! Her name is Ae-jeong Parker.]
Jiyu ran to the ER reception desk and shouted urgently. The staff member sitting behind the desk raised both hands as if telling her to calm down.
[Calm down. I'll look her up right away. Do you know your mother's date of birth?]
[November 24th, 196X.]
[O...kay. Ah, here she is. May I see your ID?]
Flustered, Jiyu stammered.
[I... I only have my student ID.]
She hadn't gotten her driver's license yet, and aside from her passport, she had no ID that could verify her date of birth. After checking the graduation year on the Aster School ID, the staff member looked at her carefully with a troubled expression.
[Excuse me, but the guardian's date of birth is...? According to regulations, a minor cannot be the legal guardian of a patient.]
[April 7th, 199X. I became an adult this year! Really...]
Seeing Jiyu's expression, which looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment, the staff member hesitated and then nodded.
[Then, please have a seat and wait for a moment.]
Before long, an ER nurse guided Jiyu to the bed where Ae-jeong was lying. When Jiyu asked what symptoms had led to the admission, the nurse explained briefly.
[It's an overdose. She was brought in unconscious, and the EMT administered Naloxone intravenously in the ambulance. We are currently monitoring her progress to see if repeated doses are necessary. Her respiratory function is normal, but we must be careful as acute withdrawal symptoms can occur if the patient has a high dependence on psychotropic drugs.]
[...Overdose? My mother? That can't be...]
It was truly nonsensical. Whenever Ae-jeong saw vagrants who smelled strongly of marijuana or were sprawled out on the street in broad daylight, she would lament with a look of disgust that this country would be ruined by drugs.
The woman who emphasized at every opportunity that drug offenders should be thrown in jail and ruined, just like in Korea, had suffered an overdose.
There was a faint glimmer of pity in the nurse's gaze as she looked at Jiyu.
[We won't know for sure until the test results come back, but there's a high possibility of FentaX abuse. Several similar patients are brought in every day. If she's someone who had no history of drug problems... she might have taken it by accident or mistake. If she had depression or mental health issues, the possibility of a self-harm attempt exists, though it's low. Dr. Devgan will come and explain the situation in more detail.]
The nurse pulled back the curtain halfway, nodded for her to go in, and walked away with hurried steps.
Pale as a ghost, Jiyu approached the narrow mobile bed.
Ae-jeong was lying there, wearing a respirator.
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