Chapter 4: Jin's Stepfamily Is Full Of Assholes

...The day of the ball had finally arrived, and Jin had been looking forward to it. It had motivated him during the long nights to keep working hard on making his tuxedo, even after a long day’s work where all he wanted to do was sleep. Technically, he didn’t have to start all the way from scratch, meaning that it wasn’t half as hard as it would’ve been, but it was still difficult....

...He was glad that he had taken the precaution to ask the tailor for a few altering tips, since he definitely would’ve butchered his dad’s suit without them....

...Originally, Jin had planned to wear his dad’s old tuxedo to the ball, with minor alterations so that it fit his figure better, but it turned out that the shoulders were too small, meaning that he would have to deconstruct the whole tuxedo and add a few more pieces of cloth....

...He got some cloth from his step-sister’s shared bedroom while they were both sleeping. They were both heavy sleepers, so he wasn’t all that worried about being caught. Besides, he figured that there’s no noise he could possibly make that would be louder than their combined snoring....

...As for the mask, he had planned on using his mother’s old masquerade mask. She had probably gotten it for a themed dance or carnival of some sort. It was a delicately beautiful thing, made of black lace filigree with tiny golden accents around the edges, and a simple black ribbon to secure it....

...Anyway, he wasn't motivated to fix his suit because he wanted to meet the prince. No. Jin just wanted to see Namjoon again. It’s been a long time since Jin had friends his age that weren’t well… Animals....

...And so, meeting Namjoon, who was kind, intelligent, funny-- and handsome with an adorable smile and the cutest dimples Jin had ever seen--It was definitely a refreshing experience....

...It’s also been a while since Seokjin had been able to have fun. He was always working, not given the chance to play and have fun like a normal teenager, and so, Jin felt like he rightly deserved this night of fun....

...It almost came time to leave, and Jin was finishing his last chore of the day, desperately hoping that his step-mother wouldn’t assign any more, or at least, no lengthy tasks so that he could make his departure quickly and sneak out to the ball with some time left over to have fun. He had walked to the dining room to tell his step-mother that he had finished his last task, knowing that she was usually there....

...And there she was, sitting at the dining table, like always. But there was something different about the air surrounding the room. It seemed… tensioned. Jin slowly walked into the room, all too aware of the uncommon silence filling the space, so different than the ever present bickering noises of his step-sisters and their activities....

...“Uh… Ma’am, I’m done with all my chores for the day. Do you have any other tasks you would like to add?” Jin asked, inconspicuously crossing his fingers and toes, hoping that she wouldn’t assign too many....

...“No, Seokjin, I think that’s all for today,” she answered simply, not bothering to turn and face him....

...He looked up in surprise. She usually assigned more things for him to do, no matter how menial they seemed to be, and with today being the day of the ball, he was sure his step-sisters’ room looked like a war zone. “Why aren’t they bickering about the ball?” Jin wondered. Meanwhile, silence persisted in the quiet house, thickening the tension in the air like a dramatic build up....

...“Instead… I would like to talk to you about something, Jin-ah.” Jin’s eyes widened at what she had called him. She had a condescending, dulcet tone, like she knew something he didn’t....

...“And what would that be?” Jin asked, careful to keep his anxiousness from showing in his tone. It was then that she turned around, holding something up for him to see. “I would like to talk about this.”...

...It was his tuxedo. Jin’s eyes immediately widened, before he schooled his features. On the inside, his thoughts were racing. “How did she find out? I know I hid it! I know I put it away! How did she know? How did she find it? What do I do?”...

...But on the outside, Jin retained his calm demeanor. “It’s a suit, madam. What would you like to say about it?” He said, feigning ignorance....

...“Well, I found it in your room, and assumed that you wouldn’t mind if I took it out and looked at it for a bit. I mean, it’s not as if it’s yours or anything,” she said nonchalantly. Jin gritted his teeth....

...“And… While I was looking at it, I noticed a few things. It’s quite a drab thing to look at, isn’t it?” Jin felt his stomach twist....

...“Why, look! It’s even falling apart at the seams!” She gasped, ripping a sleeve off so it hung down limply. Jin looked at his suit, shocked....

...“Girls! Could you come over here and look at this?” his step-mother called. The two girls seemed to materialize out of thin air, as if they were simply waiting for their cue....

...“Yes, mother?” They asked innocently....

...“What do you think about this suit? Don’t you think there’s something wrong with it?” she replied, holding it up for them to see....

...“Why yes, mother! Why, it’s got a loose thread, right here!” Valentina said, ripping the other sleeve off....

...“Oh my, I think there’s a stain on it!” Madeleine exclaimed, spilling wine all over the front....

...They all cackled evilly, as Jin stayed rooted to his spot in shock. He could only watch as they tore apart his father’s suit, a joint handiwork from father to son that he had spent countless precious sleeping hours to work on. How… How could they do this?...

...His overwhelming emotions presented themselves in tears. He crumpled to the floor with a sob, tears of frustration, sadness, anger, coming out in torrents. As heavy as they seemed, they simply decorated the cold marble floor like melancholy raindrops....

...The cackling women threw his tarnished suit to the floor, their laughter only intensifying with his anguish. “Oh, and Jin, do clean this up,” his step-mother said haughtily. And with that cold demand, she and her daughters left for the ball....

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***