"I'd like to ask you guys the same question" Bong Soo said. They laughed and she went to the bar to get a drink.
"I could go to jail giving drinks to a minor" the bartender said.
"You can always say I stole it" she answered.
Throughout the day they all talked, drank, played video games and also pool. After a while, things got serious. They all talked about their family issues and how they wanted to leave this town.
"What about you Bong? How are things with you and Ha Eun?" the bartender asked.
"We're good. That old man keeps taking his anger out of me, but it's better than him taking it out on Ha Eun" Bong Soo said. She always worried about Ha Eun. Although they weren't real sisters, she loved her like one. Ha Eun always called that couple their parents, even when they had done nothing to be called that.
The woman ignored them, she got angry whenever they asked for food, so they had to cook for themselves. The woman also worried more about herself than the girls when it came to that man. He was always drunk. He took out his frustration on her but now, he takes it out on the girls more often.
Bong Soo and Ha Eun got hit but once he punched her so hard she got a black eye and he threw her against the wall which left a huge bruise on her back.
The man didn't let Ha Eun leave the house until her eye was fully healed. Those days Bong Soo would treat Ha Eun's back with a cold compress and putting ointment around her eye. After that, she went to school diligently so she could give Ha Eun their homework.
"Why don't you just leave?" one of the guys asked Bong Soo "Just take some of their money, steal some jewelry and pack your bags"
"Trust me, I've tried, but I can't leave Ha Eun" Bong Soo said.
"Well, take her with you" the guy said.
When Bong Soo looked at the clock she noticed school was over and Ha Eun might already be at home. If that man is at home, he'll most likely hit Ha Eun for not being with her.
"Have to go. See you guys later" she said and waved goodbye.
Outside the house, she noticed from the window, the man was yelling at Ha Eun. She knew a beating was coming.
Bong Soo ran into the house and saw the man about to slap Ha Eun "Don't touch her!" she yelled at the man.
"Oh. Look who's here. I was just asking Ha Eun where you were. The school called and told me that you not only did you skip school. You also got in another fight. Do you know how embarrassed I was?!" the man yelled at Bong Soo.
He rushed towards her and slapped her. Bong Soo noticed the woman looking at the TV while the man was yelling at them. Bong Soo has given up on asking for help from that woman. It was quite obvious by her reaction to what was happening to them that she had no interest in protecting them.
"What do I have to do to get you to behave?" the man asked her. Bong Soo didn't answer. He smiled and pointed at Ha Eun "I know"
Bong Soo worried as he walked slowly towards Ha Eun. He punched Ha Eun so hard in the stomach that she fell to the ground, gasping for air and then coughing.
"Every time you misbehave. Ha Eun will get your punishment" he said, then he walked to the kitchen to most likely get another beer.
Bong Soo hurried to Ha Eun's side. She helped her up and they went to their bedroom. She laid Ha Eun on her bed. Ha Eun on the other hand, rather than be sad or angry. She looked at Bong Soo expressionless and grinned at her. Ha Eun was also good a putting up a front, acting indifferent when she was really sad, and also when she was happy. If that old man saw them happy, he'd get even angrier with them.
"Ha Eun" Bong Soo said "Let's get out of here. Let's steal all their stuff and run as far away as we can" she smiled at Ha Eun picturing how easy it would be to run away "We could go to Jeju Island. It so far away and if they look for us they won't look over there. They won't think two 12 year old's are capable of running so far"
Ha Eun smiled at her. Bong Soo had thought about this a lot "I don't have that kind of courage" Ha Eun told her.
"So, you'd rather stay in this shithole. With these people that don't care about you?" Bong Soo asked her angrily. Ha Eun suddenly got a huge pain on her stomach. Bong Soo noticed her expression and quickly apologized "I shouldn't have yelled at you"
"Hey" Ha Eun grabbed Bong Soo's hand "Don't think of running away Bong Bong. You're my best friend and the only family I have."
Bong Soo looked at her sadly "Can you sing me that song again?" Ha Eun asked her. Bong Soo chuckled.
"You do know that when I sing I sound like an injured dog, right?" Bong Soo asked. Ha Eun chuckled.
"Yeah, you are a horrible singer. But that doesn't mean I don't like hearing you" Ha Eun said. They held hands and Bong Soo started to sing her a song. It was an old one that she heard when she was younger and in the orphanage. The woman that took care of them would sing her that song whenever Bong Soo was sad. Now she always sings it when she's sad or for Ha Eun.
When the song was over the two went to sleep.
Bong Soo waited until Ha Eun was asleep to pack up her things. The man would hurt Ha Eun if Bong Soo did anything wrong, so the best thing for Ha Eun was if she wasn't there.
As her friend had suggested this morning, she got everything that was valuable, from those people and took all their money. She didn't want to be mean to Ha Eun but she thought if those people noticed Ha Eun still had her stuff, they would think she helped her escape.
She took a few of Ha Eun's jewelry but leaving the friendship bracelet she made for her, and her favorite earrings, which were the ones the woman that ran Ha Eun's orphanage gave her.
Once all her things were packed she left the house. She went to the house of the friend who had the part time job as a bartender. His parents were never home so she was confident on knocking on the door and not being greeted by parents.
The guy opened the door and was surprised to see Bong Bong. He invited her inside, but she refused "I just came to tell you I'm leaving"
"Is Ha Eun with you?" he asked looking outside but Bong Soo shook her head.
"Didn't you say you weren't going to leave her?" the guy asked.
"That man said that if I didn't behave, he'd hit her" Bong Soo looked down, trying to control her anger. "And you know I'm not the type of person to follow the rules" she looked at her friend and forced a chuckle.
Her friend went back inside his house, leaving the door open. He came back with a lot of cash "To get you as far away as you can" then he handed her a piece of paper with an address and a number on it "He's my cousin. Tell him I sent you. He'll be sure to give you a job"
"Where?" she asked. She didn't want to be so close to home that the cops will be able to find her.
"We live in Daegu and he lives in Seoul" he said "I gave you enough, so with that I think you can make it all the way to Seoul"
Bong Soo thanked him "I won't forget you" she said.
"You better not" he said. The two hugged. Then she remembered Ha Eun.
"Ha Eun will try to find me. She knows where I hang out, so she'll probably go to the bar and ask for me. Please make sure all the guys are nice to her" she said. Her friend nodded.
"A friend of Bong Bong is a friend of ours"