✔︎ GET YOU • jungwon - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Jungwon waited at the living room all alone, hands clasped together as his foot shakes in worry.
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It turns out that Hani's mother came home to the sight of him and Hani, together. Jungwon feared that Mrs. Im would not approve of his decision to let Hani try again, because she made it clear that she no longer permits that.
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And seeing your only daughter with a brown bag, and tears brimming in the corner of her eyes definitely is not a good way to prove that her decision to convince him out of it was wrong.
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Mrs. Im took Hani to the bedroom minutes ago, urging her to rest there. And since then, Jungwon has been on edge. What do I do now?
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And just as if on cue, the door to Hani's room slowly opens, revealing the beautiful middle-aged lady cladded with professional clothing.
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"Hello, dear. You must be Jungwon, right?" Mrs. Im lets out a small smile before sitting across Jungwon, who nodded eagerly. Words refused to come out of his mouth as he was greatly overwhelmed with fear and intimidation.
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Hani really resembles her mother a lot.
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"I'm sorry Ma'am." Jungwon stood up and bowed low to show his respect and h8s sincere apology. He bit his lips in nervousness while his heart was pounding hard against his ribs.
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But Mrs. Im totally tilted her head, legs crossed. "What are you sorry for, Jungwon?"
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"For..." Jungwon scratched his head anxiously. "Still tutoring Hani even when you told me not to. Now, Hani hyperventilated and-" Just then, Jungwon was cut off when Mrs. Im stood up from the couch and walked to stand beside him.
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"Son, Hani already told me. You don't need to explain yourself." Mrs. Im smiles in reassurance before guiding Jungwon back into sitting as did she.
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"While I was calming Hani down in her room, she told me that she insisted on getting tutored by you because she is only ever comfortable talking if it's you. Believe it or not, this is her very first time socialising." Mrs. Im explained.
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"I'm a little upset that she didn't consult me on this set-up. I'm worried about her getting burnouts, but she's taking a huge step in bettering her condition—"
"And I know that's not a smooth path to take. There will always be ups and downs, just like now. So, you shouldn't be sorry, son."
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"Instead, I should even be thanking you, Jungwon... for going out on your way to help my girl out." Mrs. Im continued.
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She then reached for Jungwon's shoulder and patted it. "Because of you, Hani got the courage to try and cope with her condition."
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Jungwon could not believe it. He was scared that Mrs. Im would be express disappointment and forbid him to see Hani ever again. That would be the most terrible scenario, not seeing Hani is a complete nightmare.
"Mrs. Im... If it's not rude to ask.. May I know how Hani developed her anxiety disorder?" Jungwon asked.
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Mrs. Im sighed and closed her eyes with knitted brows. "You see, Hani's father and I... We weren't really involved in taking care of our daughter when she was a child. We were too busy with work, and we regret that now."
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"She was taken care of by her grandma and due to her old age, Hani barely goes anywhere outside her house. Whenever her grandma is, Hani will be there." Mrs. Im stated.
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With a pained look on Mrs. Im's eyes, she continued. "We didn't pay it any mind at first, because Hani loved bonding with her grandmother and she didn't mind not going out of the house much... But when her grandmother passed of old age, Hani's world crumbled."
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"She refused to talk to anyone, and even months later- After she finally accepted her grandma's death, Hani didn't know where to start. She was so inclined with her grandmother that she forgot how to interact with other people at the most crucial stage— Especially people her age."
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"She'd always stutter and pause in between words, she couldn't play and hang out with the other kids because she didn't know what to do. Because of this, she was ignored and sometimes even bullied in school. Hani has been an outcast all her life, and that made her more distant to people."
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Mrs. Im's eyes brimmed with tears. So, Jungwon handed his handkerchief. The lady could only whisper a weak thank you before sniffling away.
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Jungwon's heart is also heavy at the revelation. All this time, Hani got so used to her world revolving around her grandmother, so when she inevitably left the world, Hani was lost. What's her place in this world?
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She doesn't know where she belongs.
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Hani's life was similar to stray cats, maybe that's why she loved them. She's been astray, almost all her life.
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As someone who's also been taken cared for by his grandmother, Jungwon empathises with Hani. She's a strong soul for making it this far, for still being kind-spirited despite her experiences.
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And that made Jungwon adore her all the more.
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