How noisy

🎵"In the Jungle, the mighty Jungle, the Lion sleeps tonight. In the Jungle, the mighty Jungle,  the Lion sleeps tonight"🎵

Anna sat on a single swing in a playground and sang slowly with her eyes fixed on the opposite building.

Suddenly, she felt someone push the swing from behind her. Luckily, she was holding the ropes so she did not fall. 

"I can't believe you are so comfortable here when you're almost driving me insane" Joel complained as he looked at her with a frown. 

"It's always difficult to hide from you" Anna pouted before she continued singing. 

Joel held both ropes to steady her and squatted in front of her. 

"Did she do that to you?" He asked while pointing at her colored cheek. 

She knew the 'she' he was referring to was her mother. She ignored Joel and only sighed. 

"Mrs Kang asked me to call her if I ever hear from you." He informed her.

"And I believe you're not going to do that." She frowned. 

"Of course not." He shook his head before asking "What happened this time? You weren't caught hugging a boy again right?" He asked in a jokular manner, making Anna laugh.

"Seriously! That happened 5 years ago. Can you just stop remembering that all the time?" 

A small laugh escaped his lips before he used his hand to touch the side of her face. "Does it hurt?" He asked with worry clouding his eyes.

Anna forced a tiny smile before shaking her head. "I think that's one of the best things about being old. Her strength dwindled quite a lot from the last time." She joked. 

"This is not something to joke with. I am worried about you. What exactly happened?" He asked with worried eyes. 

"They wanted me to get married to Colonel Feng Jianhong as soon as possible. I guess I crossed the line and said a lot of hurtful words to my mother so she hit me. That's practically it" She said with her eyes down and her feet drawing circles on the ground.

"Stop saying that. You can't always blame yourself for her actions." He scolded in a warm voice before pulling her into a hug. "I am sorry. I really wish I can take you away from her." He continued to pat her back. "You can cry if you want to. I'm here for you." 

But instead of crying, he heard her say...

"You smell like a woman. Guess you had fun last night." Anna noted as she continued to sniff him. 

He broke away from the hug and stood tall before laughing awkwardly. 

"I knew it. Tsk tsk" Anna shook her head before standing up also. 

"You should have at least showered or something. Plus your mouth reek of alcohol." 

"Well thanks, I had to come look for you" He spread his arms wide. 

"Why? Did you think I was going to try to commit suicide?" She asked with her hands folded in front of her chest.

Joel kept his mouth shut for a few seconds before he began to say seriously.  "Look Anna, please, don't ever leave home like that without at least calling me or something. You could always crash in my place if you're looking for somewhere to go to. I swear I'll  not tell anyone about it." 

Anna was touched by his words. She knew she could count on him. She could always count on him. But maybe she wanted to be a bit dramatic and that was the reason why she had left her phone behind. 

"Let's not tell Tom about this okay? You know how he is... he might—" Before Anna could land, she was interrupted by a loud and stern voice. 

"Now hold it right there!" 

Anna and Joel were both startled to hear Tom's voice behind them. When they turned their heads, they saw him looking at the both of them suspiciously. 

His eyes darkened when he saw her colored cheek and moved closer to inspect it. 

"Your Mother hit you again?" He asked in a cold voice rhetorically before taking out his phone from his pocket. 

"What are you trying to do?" Anna asked in a panic. 

"What do you think I am trying to do? If I cannot get her arrested again because she is your mother, then at least I should talk some sense into her."

"You cannot do that. Joel talk to him." Anna begged. 

When the call connected, Tom only succeeded in saying a "Hello?" Before Joel took the phone from him to end the call.

"What do you think you are doing right now?" Tom asked angrily while trying to take back his phone.

"Do not act rashly. You know her family is supporting your father in his race. You don't  want to annoy Mrs Kang." Joel advised.

"Who cares? That's between the elders. This is my friend! How could she hit her like this?" He asked angrily while pointing at Anna's  cheek.

"She is already an adult for goodness sake! How could she still continue to hit her? What sort of abuse is this?"

After a little pause to catch his breath, he continued.

"What's wrong with every parent? Are they having a slapping competition?" He yelled in anger before kicking the nearest thing he could find on the ground but unfortunately,  it was a brick. He wailed in pain and raised his injured foot while limping.

Lisa who had been watching from inside the car could not help but chuckle lightly before she shook her head. 

"How noisy" She muttered to herself.