Second Chance: A Dark Tale of Urban India-Chapter 62: The News

Seo-yeon’s Room, 11.32 pm

Seo-yeon lay sprawled across her bed, legs loosely crossed at the ankles, dressed in soft pink pajamas. Her phone hovered inches above her face as the screen glowed against her two dark pupils.

She had just finished talking to Namrata.

Her thumb hesitated over another familiar name-Rohit_freind.

She tapped into the conversation.

No new messages.

Status: online.

He had been online for the past three hours since last message.

’Online..Yet not a single reply.’

"..Bastard," she muttered under her breath. "You used my mouth like a toy and then ghosted me. Hmph."

She was mad at Rohit for ignoring her texts for so long.

His status showed online, yet he still did not reply.

By this time, she would normally be asleep, but her father had not returned yet. She was hungry, waiting for him, and killing time by checking her phone again and again.

Three hours earlier, she had a brief talk with Rohit. He said he was still with his mom and might be grounded, so he could not talk much.

Yet he was still online. No message. What the hell did he think of himself?

The reason she was so upset was that she had spent a long time preparing a small farewell speech. She planned to say a few good words and then declare that she could not meet him anymore.

It was a staged plan to defend her dignity and ghost him.

After that, he would either confess his feelings, or they would stay apart for good, saving her heart from future anxieties.

However, everything fell apart. He ghosted her instead. And when she tried to get his attention by sending her own cute pictures...

She got only one text when she was not looking.[Sorry, I’m still out with my mom. Might be grounded.]

That was it.The end of the story.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she opened his profile instead, zooming in on his picture until it filled the screen.

’Okay, fine, the jawline’s decent. But what’s with that nose? And that stupid half-smile he definitely practiced in the mirror.’

Seo-yeon dragged her nails lightly down the screen, right over his face and muttered.

"You think you’re that smart. huh?.. that I’d fall for your trap so easily? You’re not even that handsome—idiot. Hmph"

She tossed her phone onto the bed and hugged the teddy bear to her chest.

Then memories of Rohit crept back into her mind. The ladies’ washroom incident resurfaced, reckless, breathless, intoxicating.

Everything from start to end had felt like a fairytale. Even that moment in the washroom lingered in her thoughts—the throbbing sensation.. vivid feeling..so embarrassing.

She buried her face in the teddy bear with a small groan.

"No. What am I even thinking? I’m not like that."

Her cheeks burned as she flung the teddy aside and pouted.

Her pet rabbit, Miso, chewing on a carrot nearby, paused and looked at her.

She shot it an offended glare. "What? Do you think I’m overreacting?"

Miso blinked slowly... then deliberately turned around and presented her with a fluffy, cotton-ball butt.

Her jaw dropped.

"You dare show me your bum again? I’ll fry you and erase your offensive existence!"

The bunny, as if used to her threats, turned back just long enough to give her a lazy look. Then it wiggled its tail like a challenge accepted and went back to chewing.

Seo-yeon’s eyes narrowed. She lunged for the rabbit, but its ears twitched and it hopped neatly out of reach, retreating to the other side of the bed. Seo-yeon fell face-first onto the mattress, her hair spilling around her like a messy black cloud of defeat.

She blew out a frustrated breath and sat up, sulking."Great. Nobody cares about me. Not even my own pet."

Miso, not understanding a thing, hopped over to check on his owner, only to be scooped up in her arms."So you do care..mwaah! You’re the only boy who came," she muttered.

A small smile returned to Seo-yeon’s face as she patted his long ears, gave a small kiss and rubbed her cheek against his fluffy face.

Feeling a little lighter, she confessed, "Do you think I should send him a message? Asking if he got home safely wouldn’t be too much, right?"

She pulled her face back and frowned. "Or do you think he’ll think I’m desperate?"

Before the poor rabbit could endure her endless questions any longer, there was a knock at the door. A servant’s voice called out,"Young miss, your father has arrived."

She set the little pet back on the bed with a warning. "You just eat your carrot. And don’t chew up my charger again."

Miso could only twitch his ears and return to chewing back its carrot in peace.

**Scene change**

Seo-yeon descended to living hall with a cheerful bounce, but she froze mid-step when she spotted the bodyguard standing nearby like a silent sentinel.

Her stomach twisted. Shit!.. he’s going to snitch.

At the dining table, her father was already seated, waiting patiently. The servant was quietly setting out the final dishes. In the background, the large LED TV murmured with the evening news.

Her father’s face lit up with genuine warmth the moment he saw her. He opened his arms wide. "Come here, dear. Give your daddy his good-luck charm."

Seo-yeon smiled despite herself and hurried over, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Dad... you’re so late today. How was your day?"

He sighed softly, patting her back. "Something came up, aegi. Nothing I couldn’t handle."

He glanced at the untouched plates set for two and frowned gently. "Why haven’t you eaten yet? Come on, take your seat."

She slid into the chair beside him with a bright smile. "I didn’t want to eat alone, Dad. I was hoping you’d come early... like next time?"

Her father let out a heavy, affectionate sigh. "Haiz... like mother, like daughter. What am I going to say to her when I finally go up there?"

Seo-yeon’s smile vanished instantly. Her voice dropped, quiet and firm. "She’s not here anymore, Dad. You’re my only family now. It’s up to me to take care of you."

He winced, realizing too late how his words had landed. Guilt flickered across his face. It had only been a few years since her mother passed, and he’d meant it as a light-hearted tease—but it cut deeper than intended.

He cleared his throat, desperate to shift the mood. "Ahem. Did you check the menu? I ordered something special just for you."

Seo-yeon hadn’t looked yet—she’d been waiting for him to start. When the servant lifted the covers, her jaw dropped.

Stir-fried spicy pork, steamed rice, and bubbling kimchi stew.

"Wow... pork? You actually managed it?" Her eyes sparkled. "It’s been so long since I tasted this. Thank you, Appa."

Her father’s smile was soft and pleased—he’d known exactly how she’d react. Since moving to India, authentic Korean food was rare, and pork was nearly impossible to source reliably. He’d finally found a trusted restaurant that could supply and prepare it.

As they began eating, he asked casually, "I heard you made new friends today."

Seo-yeon tensed slightly but masked it quickly, chewing thoughtfully before answering with food still half in her mouth. "Oh yes, I forgot to mention! There’s this girl, Namrata—she’s really good at Korean. She’s a medical professional preparing for the KMLE license. She might need a little help with her visa."

Her father smirked, amused. "A smart choice for her career. That would be child’s play for me. But... did you meet her alone?"

Seo-yeon paused, biting her lip. "And... there was also a boy from my school."

His demeanor shifted instantly—protective, probing. "What is your age, dear?"

"Nineteen," she answered quietly.

"And what should nineteen-year-olds be focusing on?"

She gritted her teeth, voice tight. "I’m trying my best, Dad. The language barrier is intense."

He shook his head. "And yet you’re failing. Do you think you’re doing what you should be doing right now?"

"He’s helping me, Dad. He knows Korean too, and he promised—"

Her father raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh, so that’s his connecting link."

He took another bite, eyes on his plate, voice low and deliberate. "Seo-yeon... you know very well why we left the country."

Silence fell like a stone. She stared at her bowl.

Three years ago, she’d been assaulted by a close family member. To protect the family name, she’d been quietly betrothed and sent abroad—her father and grandfather pulling every government connection they had. Her father had abandoned the family business to take a diplomatic role, all to fulfill the clan’s demands. It had been a punishment she never deserved—or perhaps, in their eyes, she had simply been too beautiful, too tempting.

Since then, she’d been forbidden from close contact with boys. In India, the rule had faded somewhat—no one approached her anyway. But now, with Rohit...

She bit her lip harder and focused on her food while her father delivered the familiar lecture—how much they’d sacrificed, how dangerous the world was, especially for girls around men.

She tuned most of it out, eyes drifting to the TV in the background.

Then the news feed changed when she wasn’t looking.

Rohit appeared on screen—along with his "mother", being praised for saving an elderly man and an unconscious office worker from the metro tracks. The woman’s calm, inspiring words about civic duty echoed through the room.

Her father paused mid-sentence, watching. A small, reluctant admiration crossed his face.

He tried to lighten the mood. "See? If you ever made friends with people like that guy, I might not have to worry so much."

Seo-yeon ignored him, chewing her pork ribs with exaggerated focus.

"Look how cultured his mother is," her father continued. "He must have inherited good influence. And yet you’re wasting time on random school boys."

At the mention of "mother," Seo-yeon paused.

She glanced at the screen—and couldn’t help it. A soft giggle escaped.

Her father startled. "What?"

She finished chewing, wiped her mouth, and stood. "Sure, Appa."

She gave the sweating bodyguard a long, knowing look as she passed him on her way upstairs.

Behind her, glass shattered. Her father’s voice rose in sharp anger, yelling the bodyguard’s name—and Rohit’s.

A smile spread across Seo-yeon’s face as she climbed the stairs.

She’d already ditched her ghosting plan. Tomorrow, she’d message Rohit. She needed to know what really happened on that news clip.

As she reached her bed, she flopped down beside Miso and giggled softly. "Do you think he might try to take advantage of me on our next meet?"

Miso twitched his whiskers, completely uninterested.

She laughed again, lighter than she had all night.