Is it because of the cold air that sweeps the skin?
Or is it because of the dim lighting?
As soon as my eyes met my wife, who had her face slightly protruding through the gap in the door, I took a step backwards without realizing it.
Even in the dim darkness, her eyes were shining like that of a wild beast.
“… uh, mom… .”
Min So-yeon was also surprised, like a child caught doing something bad, she came to me in surprise,
I unintentionally stood guarding her and faced my wife.
OK.
profit-
My wife quietly opened the door and came in and stood facing us.
woo woo woo-
Heavy noise echoing on the stairs.
A little nervous about the heavy atmosphere, I swallowed my saliva and looked into my wife’s eyes.
… I think this is very angry… .
The expression on my face and the cold gaze that didn’t even feel a single emotion stimulated my old memories and was constantly sending warnings.
Now my wife is very angry.
She disobeyed her wife, who had been worried at the most, and got caught after meeting Soyeon late at night, so it was a situation worthy of anger as a wife and parent.
“… that… .”
The moment when I instinctively opened my mouth, thinking that sparks might fall on Soyeon.
The corners of his wife’s lips rose and she drew a nice smile, then blocked my speech with a kind tone.
“… I’ve been looking for you for a while, have you two been together?”
… uh?
So-yeon Min and I, bewildered by the unexpected reaction, were restless and only looked at my wife’s eyes.
what, what… . Aren’t you mad… ?
Both Soyeon and I knew better than anyone what my wife looked like when she was angry, so I was more careful about how to react.
right then,
“… By the way, what are you doing when you’re not sleeping?”
My wife has been talking to me.
… You’re angry too.
I could sense that there was a strange thorn behind my wife’s smiling face.
My wife is blaming Soyeon and me, saying that I am not sleeping right now!
I have to answer well here.
Based on Soyeon, my wife and I are officially unknown.
Since it was a friend who saved his daughter, we barely got to know each other, that’s about it.
Aware of my relationship with my wife, I carefully selected my words and opened my mouth carefully.
“mother. I was worried that Soyeon would be okay, so I secretly called her. … I’m really sorry for trespassing at such a late hour.”
It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not.
What I want to say is, ‘I’m sorry, but I’m here to see my daughter, so don’t say anything!’
If you’re a wife, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
“… .”
My wife, who looked at me quietly, as if glaring at me, spoke slowly as if she had no choice but to speak up.
“… If it was because of our Soyeon, there is nothing we can do… . … But, it’s late today, so why don’t we talk about it tomorrow?”
“… I will.”
My wife, who quietly looked at my answer, looked at Min So-yeon, who was standing next to me, and said,
“… Mom will be in first, so please come in and say hello.”
Min So-yeon quietly nodded her head in response.
With such a satisfied smile, the wife returned to the hospital room, leaving me a greeting to see you tomorrow.
The time has come for us to return.
“Soyeon-ah, I’m glad you look okay though. That, the less well-behaved place must be treated, … Talk to your mother.”
“… yes.”
Min So-yeon, who was leaving the door after saying hello, was showing some regret, but I couldn’t figure out why.
*
Min So-yeon, who entered the hospital room, was startled by the sight of her mother sitting on the bedside chair.
“… .”
Jooyeon-hee, who was leisurely waving her feet with her legs crossed, smiled as if she had waited for Min So-yeon to appear and tapped the bed.
“Shall we talk?”
Min So-yeon, who looked at her blankly, then slowly nodded and followed Joo-yeon’s words.
After Min So-yeon lay in bed,
“… Now, cover the blanket… .”
Joo-hui pulled up the blanket with a gentle hand and handed over Min So-yeon’s flowing hair.
Min So-yeon lying down and Joo-hee looking at her.
Both of them looked at each other tiredly, thinking of a man and harboring completely different thoughts.
It was around the time when the two women had strong convictions about their thoughts.
“… Soyeon-ah.”
Joo Hee opened her mouth carefully.
“… I have one question for my mother. May I ask?”
Min So-yeon, who quietly blinked, noticed what Joo-hee was about to ask.
With strong conviction, he nodded slowly.
Because he realized that Joo Hee-hee’s question was necessary to solidify his plan.
After Min So-yeon’s permission was granted, Joo-hee opened her mouth carefully, exhaling slowly as if holding her breath.
“… You seemed to have a good relationship with that kid earlier, what’s the relationship? ?”
that child.
… Yoo Ji-hwan… .
Min So-yeon remembered her relationship with Yoo Ji-hwan.
More than friends, less than lovers.
More like a lover than a stalker.
Wouldn’t it be strange to call them boyfriends when they even confirmed their affection for each other?
“… I’m dating.”
At Min So-yeon’s confident words, Joo-yeon continued to speak slowly, as if she had expected it with an innocent face.
“… Since when did you meet?”
Min So-yeon, who was again asked the question, shook her head again.
When should I say we met?
It is true that it is difficult to say this or that, since it is not something that has been accurately pointed out.
In the end, Min So-yeon, who had to convince her mother, thought that she had no choice but to steer clear.
“… It’s been a while.”
Seeing So-yeon Min like that, Joo-yeon slowly nodded as if she understood everything.
With her daughter-in-law who resembled her, even boldly trying to deceive her, understand everything… .
Jooyeon-hee was worried.
It is clear why Min So-yeon is lying, but why did she lie? do.
There are only two reasons why children cheat their parents.
Either you don’t want the truth to be revealed, or you want to get something by hiding the truth.
After pondering for a moment, Joo Hee-hee speculated that her daughter-in-law seemed to want to get something out of her.
And to figure it out, I threw the bait again.
“… Do you like it a lot?”
Then, Min So-yeon’s face turned slightly red.
“… yes… .”
Ju Yeon-hee, noticing something about Min So-yeon’s reaction and answer, threw the last bait to hit the wedge.
“… how much?”
She pursed her lips as if she was ashamed of Min So-yeon and said cautiously.
“… I mean, I want to get married… ?”
*
Tick-tick-tick-tick-
The sound of the clock rings in my ears.
Tick-tick-tick-tick-
No matter how much I plug my ears or break all the clocks in the house, the sound of the hands moving does not go away.
flap-
Putting on the blanket, I crouched down in the blanket and quietly recalled that day.
A broken mask and a messed up face of Mi-joo unnie.
And Gaura, the monster who swallowed up such an older sister.
I, who was rescued from my mind, returned home in a hurry after receiving a rough treatment.
To meet my only twin sister, Yeji, who is helping her father’s ‘work’.
But my sister never met me.
No, I couldn’t meet you.
He said he’s really sorry, and he wants to go right away, but he can’t leave.
The older sister, who had given endless apologies over the cold receiver, hung up the phone in less than three minutes, perhaps because she didn’t even have time.
I needed a place to turn to, so I set out to find other family members.
However… .
So did other families.
No one had ever met me, and all said they couldn’t come to see me because they were doing ‘work’ they didn’t know.
You have to work to make money, and you have to earn money to live.
I could understand it with my head, but I couldn’t understand my heart, which was about to explode at any moment.
I wish someone would come and deny me that I was wrong or that I was wrong, but no one looked for me.
My sister-in-law is dead.
No, he may not have died.
Just like you saw in fairy tales when you were a child, you can come back alive in a ship to be a big monster.
… But fairy tales are just fairy tales, and reality is cruel.
I attacked Mi-joo unnie.
I, with my own hands, directly defeated Mi-joo, and threw it into the monster’s stomach.
Those sharp teeth,
my sister… .
“aa!
In the end, I couldn’t help but scream, and I impulsively clenched my hand and covered my mouth.
close-
His teeth dig into his hands, and the fishy taste flows into his mouth.
… I don’t know if Mijoo unnie was chewed like this… .
If you bite a little harder, … I wonder if I can understand your sister’s feelings… ?
In order to understand Mijoo unnie’s heart, she applied a little force to her chin, and the nerve bundles connected to her hands began to scream.
The brain sounds the alarm,
My jaw loses strength, I chew my hands again, I lose strength… .
When I no longer had the courage to bite my hand.
Bump-!
Suddenly the sound of the door opening was heard.
And the blanket is pulled out,
“… Hye, Hye Sun-ah… !”
The long-awaited Yeji unnie, wearing a white dress, gasping for breath, appeared blurry.
“… uh, sister… ?”
At that moment, Yeji unnie hugged me and shouted.
“Wait, are you okay!? Oh, I’m sorry sister!! my sister… , I, I’m sorry Hyesun-ah… .”
What’s really strange is that I shed so many tears that I didn’t feel any emotions even when I met my sister I wanted to see so much.
I slowly pushed my sister away, moving my trembling hands, and then made eye contact with Yeji.
My older sister looked at me with her eyes wide open as if surprised.
Even though they are identical twins, unlike me, they look very pretty.
Looking at my sister’s face, I squeezed my split neck and asked the most curious question right now.
“… Mijoo, your sister… ?”
Then Yeji unnie was surprised and reassured me.
“… Mi, Mi Joo unnie, how are you!! Really! that, just… . Oh, by the way… ! I’ll give you a call too, hey, I’m busy with work… . soon… .”
Mi-joo’s sister is alive.
Even after hearing this good news, I became somewhat gloomy, and squeezed out the next question I was curious about.
“… Sister, what… . ‘work… ?”