“Dasom, have you been patient?”
Her mother’s cold eyes penetrated Dasom’s older sister’s skin.
“⋯⋯I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The older sister’s eyes trembled slightly as she answered that.
“Literally. Whatever the cause, you just kept putting up with taking care of the two of us.”
“I never did.”
“No, I put a curfew on weekday evenings saying I had to have a family meal, and on the weekends I had to go on a family trip, so I couldn’t leave the house. Dasom, whatever you say, it’s definitely our fault. Mom and Dad realized that too late.”
love takes hold of the heart The flow of guilt creates fear and eventually blinds you and plugs your ears.
Like my older sister, my older sister and my parents weren’t looking at each other either. I didn’t want to get hurt because it was precious.
“It’s not like that ⋯⋯, it’s because I wanted to ⋯⋯.”
“It’s the same with this one. He said he didn’t want to get married, but in fact, he did it out of fear that we would be worried, right? The kid’s father has just been discharged from the hospital, so⋯⋯.”
My sister shook her head without saying a word.
“Dasom.”
A little warmth, and a voice that seemed to contain remorse resounded. At that sincere voice without a single lie, my sister also looked straight ahead.
“It was my mother’s fault for this.”
“yes?”
A cry came out of her sister’s mouth. She was blinking her eyes as if she was really bewildered, forgot to reply.
“I’m really sorry for pushing you without saying a word to you. It was because my mother was worried that Dasom would waste time with you and care about us. I don’t think it’s because of us that he’s holding on.”
“Mom⋯⋯.”
“From now on, this will not happen again. Dojin, I’m sorry. I just got caught up in it.”
“Oh, no. I should have said it sooner⋯⋯.”
As usual, there was a gentle smile on my mother’s face as she looked at me.
However, for some reason, seeing such a smile did not bring out the sigh of relief or vain laughter that would normally come out. Exactly, I didn’t feel that way.
“okay? Are you sorry?”
My mother said in a humorous voice.
“Yes, because I helped deceive the two of you in the first place⋯⋯.”
“Oh my, it looks like it’s true. It’s enough to wrinkle even a handsome face.”
My mother laughed at me as if it was very funny.
“But if you’re really sorry, you can’t just end it with words. No matter how much it is our fault, the one who deceived the sick and tortured them with hope seems to be the same thing⋯⋯, right?”
“sorry.”
“I must have said a moment ago that verbal apologies are unnecessary, right? Oh, you don’t want to listen to me?”
“⋯⋯How can I relax my mind?”
“Um ⋯⋯. I do not know. If I say do it, is that an apology? Anyway, if you really want to apologize to Dojin-san.”
anxiety.
The anxiety I felt when I looked up at the sea with an anxious mind before the waves hit was now rising in my heart.
“Please date me. With our Dasom.”
“Mom!”
As soon as Mother finished her words, Dasomi noona jumped to her feet.
“Hey, why is he screaming all of a sudden? My ears will fall off.”
“Because my mom is saying weird things!”
“A strange word?”
Mother tilted her head as if she had heard something incomprehensible.
“What’s strange about seeing your 30-year-old daughter the day after tomorrow proudly declares that she doesn’t even want to get married, let alone a man she likes?”
My sister shook her head as if embarrassed.
“⋯⋯You said you don’t care anymore.”
“I didn’t even tell you why, I just said that I would stop pushing things, I never said that I wouldn’t mind. I have no intention of doing that.”
“I do that on my own.”
“By-self?”
Mother frowned for a moment, then opened her expression and opened her mouth.
“Who do you think proposed to you first, Mom or Dad?”
My sister was speechless at the sudden question. She only looked at her mother with an angry look.
However, the mother continued the story with a calm expression as if she did not care at all.
“I did it first. I confessed first.”
With those words, Mother glanced at Father who was sitting next to her.
“This person wasn’t even interested in dating. What did you say, you don’t have time to waste on that? But I really liked this guy. I mean, I wanted to be this person from the first time I met him. so i hit it Keep going until you collapse from exhaustion.”
Mother patted her father’s shoulder and turned her gaze to her sister again.
“Do you have someone like this?”
“⋯⋯What do you want to say?”
“It wasn’t until around 30 that humans were social animals. The friends I thought would be by my side forever got married and left, and contact and meeting are no longer the same as before. Even my parents, who were healthy, fell ill and at some point left my side. That’s how you start to become isolated. class? company people? Yes, it’s like ⋯⋯. You can lean on each other, but you can never have a relationship where you can lean on yourself.”
“I never said I wouldn’t. I was just saying that I was going to look for it slowly over time.”
“You don’t have that time.”
The mother spoke in a voice that sounded like a child.
“I don’t even like anyone, but I’m not good enough to meet someone I like. But isn’t it? Dasom, even while you are hesitating, people find a mate and leave. hour? can send You can also worry. Instead, you should know that you have fewer options.”
“⋯⋯It’s not your mother’s business.”
“I can’t see my daughter getting burned from eating leftovers or defective products.”
There was a sense of responsibility in the firm voice.
“Dasom, it’s not that you did anything wrong. That’s what mom and dad did. So, I’m going to take responsibility and fix it right now.”
“I’m like that⋯⋯!”
“Mr. Dojin.”
My mother turned her head and looked at me as if she didn’t want to hear me anymore.
“I’m not saying that I want to go out with my daughter recklessly. I’m holding on to him because I think he’s such a good guy that it would be a waste to miss it now.”
“⋯⋯Yes?”
“You have a neat face and be polite. He’s the same height as Dasom, so I like it not to look awkward even when we’re together. Also, looking at my body⋯⋯, it seems that I exercise regularly, but I like it because it looks sincere.”
My mother, who had been praising me for a while, suddenly covered her mouth with her palm.
“Ah, it’s difficult to think that I liked you because of the external factors. It’s just that it’s good to have it, not because it doesn’t have to be. The important thing is Dojin-san’s attitude toward our Dasomi.”
“No, I⋯⋯.”
“What is not? Let’s be honest No matter how close you are, where in the world is your younger brother who works as a fake boyfriend while working hard to help an older sister you know? Help me not decorate the house, even acting thoroughly enough to sleep in the same bed under the same roof. No, that was not enough, so we brought up the problems our family had been quiet about for a long time and solved them in a snap, right? Yes, it was Dasom who spoke up, but it was Dojin who moved and persuaded him to do so. Isn’t it strange not to catch a man like this? At least I can’t.”
“Mother, calm down a little⋯⋯.”
“I am more calm now than ever. Don’t be shy and think about it for once. Our Dasomi, wherever we went, we lined up, and Kulli is not a kid. He has a pretty face, and he has a nice personality. I have a lot of money in the family⋯⋯ If Dojin just hangs out with our Dasom, I am willing to support him generously. No, I am going to hand over the entire business.”
“mother.”
“It’s a bit harsh to say things like this, but she’s a girl with enough charm as a woman. Do-jin also doesn’t get a sense of it because he’s spent a lot of time with his older sister. If you just close your eyes and meet him properly, it will be different. That’s all I can promise. I know it’s embarrassing, but even if you look at my face, just once—”
“Do not meddle!”
Mother’s eyebrows twitched at the sudden, sharp voice.
“Dasom, what are you doing now⋯⋯?”
“Mom means not just hold on to the tail and listen to what people say! Why, why do you keep⋯⋯!”
Seeing her blushing and barely voicing words was like a child who had just learned to express her emotions, she felt somewhat lonely.
Perhaps this is her real face. A pure and unrefined true heart that I have kept in my heart since that day.
Time, which had been standing still in Da-jun Lee’s room all along, had finally begun to flow.