"Jia..." the mother uttered, visibly shocked.
"Hi Mom," Jia smiled bigger, wanting to have a good start. Her mother released the bags, letting the girl carry them to the kitchen.
"W-when did you get back?" Mrs. Kim asked, still in shock to see her daughter, especially since she changed her hair color again.
"Chan dropped me off literally several minutes ago," Jia said, unpacking the food and storing it in the fridge.
"Ah... Chan..." Mrs. Kim sighed and Jia noticed the displeasing tone of her voice. Then her mother came into the kitchen and took on the task of unpacking the bags, visibly annoyed. And Jia just backed away, going to help her father with the tea.
"Honey, let's have some tea, we'll pack the food later," Mr. Kim called from the living room.
"And let the food get spoiled?!" Mrs. Kim shouted back, that uncomfortable feeling returning to Jia's stomach.
She took a nausea pill (for traveling), along with her prescribed contraceptive pill, this morning but she could use one right now as the angry rustling sounds her mother intentionally created made Jia feel sick as to how nervous she was.
Mrs. Kim finally finished unpacking and came to the living room, plopping down on the sofa next to her husband. She glared at Jia.
"Mom, please..." Jia spoke, her pleading voice not easing her mother's anger.
"Please what? I told you last time - that man is not good for you," the woman spoke, keeping her arms crossed in front of her.
Jia rolled her eyes and sighed, plopping back in the tall armchair, "Just because he's an idol, yeah..." she quoted her mother's words from their last fight, "And let me remind you that you absolutely swooned over him when he first visited for dinner."
"Yes, but after thinking about it, I realized that he'll always make his work more important than you and leave you with a broken heart in the end," Mrs. Kim didn't give up and Jia felt the rage starting to build up... just like six days ago.
"And I actually came here, thinking that we'll have a productive conversation," Jia retorted.
"Is it bad that I want you to have a good life?!" Mrs. Kim shot right away.
Jia stood up abruptly, already fed up with this situation, "Then let me live my life the way I want it to! I'm sick of you deciding everything for me! I'm not a child anymore for you to control me!"
"Jia, calm down," her father spoke, gesturing with his hands for Jia to sit back down.
"No! I won't calm down! I want to live my life and if Chan ends up breaking my heart, it's my fault, not yours! Saying that I should stay at home more was just an excuse for you to pull me away from him but I love him, mother! I really, for the first time, love someone as a partner, and I won't let you take that away from me!" she shouted, stomping away from her parents.
"Are you seriously planning to leave again?!" Mrs. Kim shouted, standing up from the sofa.
"Everywhere is better than here!" Jia shouted back, grabbing the handle of her suitcase.
"Wait! Calm down both of you!" Mr. Kim finally spoke up, grabbing the women's attention, "Honey," he turned to his wife, "our daughter is all grown up and she can make her own decisions. I know that you care but Chan seems like a good fellow for her, please let her enjoy her time with him... for as long as it will last. And Jia," he turned back to the girl, "you should know that we both care for you and wish you to have a good life. We just don't want you to get hurt, that's all. I trust you with your decisions and please remember that this house is always open for you to come back to, whatever you decide to do in life."