Episode 39
Chahee’s voice, asking again so innocently, carried a hint of laughter. That was what was infuriating. Why was she so happy when she already knew Taeyoon and Serin were meeting? Was she breathing easier because of it?
—”Did you think I’d give up just because you were rubbing it in front of me? I’m not that easy.”
Chahee, who had been laughing cheerfully, suddenly erased her smile.
—”Just wait and see how I respond. You’ll see.”
Her last words weren’t directed at Youngsook. They were for Taeyoon, Serin, or maybe someone else entirely.
Youngsook felt a chill down her spine from that cold and cruel voice.
“What are you even talking about… Did something happen?”
But her question was lightly ignored as a voice in the background seemed to be calling for Chahee.
“Yoo Chahee, hurry up!”
Upon hearing that, Chahee’s tone turned brisk.
—”Alright. I’m busy. I’m hanging up, ma’am.”
Beep Ma’…
Before Myungsook could say anything more, the call was disconnected. All that remained was the empty beep-beep from the phone.
“This girl, seriously?”
Myungsook stared at the disconnected phone in disbelief. She used to at least respectfully call her “Mother,” but now she treated her like some lady from next door.
And the noisy sounds she heard through the phone… It was clear that Chahee wasn’t in a normal setting.
‘Is it really worth going through all this just to make this marriage happen?’
She had a brief moment of doubt. Even if it was a marriage with Osung Group, did she really have to be treated like a nosy neighbor?
“No… Still, it is Osung.”
Once she became her daughter-in-law, she’d fix that attitude. After the papers were signed, there’d be no turning back.
“Aigo, goodness.”
With a splitting headache, Youngsook slumped onto a cushion in the corner of the room.
When would this all end? She just wished it would be over soon. But the growing unease kept sending signals that it wouldn’t be so simple.
—
Serin, having been kicked out of Hyeonmuje, had spent the night at a cheap motel. The dim lighting, the seedy atmosphere, and the occasional loud moaning from other rooms made even a single night feel uncomfortable and awkward.
She briefly regretted not just paying extra to stay in a hotel. But she quickly changed her mind—spending hundreds of thousands of won just to stay a few hours would have been an unnecessary luxury, especially considering her family’s current financial state.
Unable to sleep until dawn, she quietly packed her things and left early in the morning.
Dragging her rattling suitcase through the damp morning air, her phone began to vibrate. When she pulled it out of her pocket, her brows furrowed. It was Taeyoon.
It was surely a call to confirm that she had disappeared. After a moment’s hesitation, Serin put the phone back in her pocket without answering.
As she walked toward the bus stop, the phone kept vibrating relentlessly. It would stop momentarily, only to start again shortly after. She could practically picture Taeyoon’s face staring stubbornly through the screen.
“Miss, your phone keeps ringing.”
An elderly woman sitting at the bus stop called out to Serin after noticing the vibration coming from her pocket.
“Aren’t you going to answer it? It seems urgent.”
Looking awkwardly at the screen, Serin simply turned the phone off. The persistent buzz finally stopped.
“Tsk. Something must be going on.”
The elderly woman clicked her tongue and boarded the bus in a hurry.
“I’m home.”
After a short ride, Serin arrived at her house, which was filled with silence. She stood her suitcase up and looked around, finally realizing that no one was home.
Ah right, Dad’s in the hospital.
Last night had passed like a storm, and she had completely forgotten her father was hospitalized.
Feeling dazed, Serin muttered to herself and took off her shoes, stepping inside. The house felt unfamiliar—the air, the atmosphere, everything. She walked toward her room with a strange sense of loneliness.
The room she entered with her suitcase was spotless. Her father had clearly been cleaning regularly even in her absence. He had always been like that, even since her middle and high school years. After her mother passed away, her father had tried to fill the gap, pouring all his attention into Serin.
No matter how busy he was with work, he’d still show up at the school gate with an umbrella if it suddenly rained. Even when she told him repeatedly that he didn’t need to do that anymore, it made no difference.
“If my daughter catches a cold, it hurts my heart even more.”
Thinking of her dad smiling gently as he handed her a pink umbrella brought a shadow to Serin’s eyes.
Is Dad going to be okay…?
Her once robust father’s health had rapidly declined in recent years. All because he had overworked himself trying to revive a failing company.
To Serin, her father Seunghyup was her only family. After losing her mother, he had been more devoted to her than anyone else in the world. The thought of his weakened body weighed heavily on her heart.
“Maybe I should visit him.”
Suddenly, she felt a strong urge to see him. Once she made up her mind to go, her heart started racing. If she wanted to make the abalone porridge her father liked, she’d need to go to the store. She also had to pack things he might need at the hospital.
Until now, she’d used the excuse of being busy to leave the caregiving to Aeseon, but there was no need for that anymore.
The weather was beautiful too. She remembered the time she and her dad had shared an umbrella, talking and walking together. A smile crept onto her lips.
Yes, let’s do that again today.
Recalling childhood memories, she cooked the porridge, and though it wasn’t as good as her mom’s, it was edible.
She packed it in a thermal container and took a bus to the hospital. But for some reason, her heart kept aching. She couldn’t tell if this unfamiliar flutter was because of what happened at Hyeonmuje or the anticipation of seeing her father.
Or maybe it was the flowers filling the world. Since when had the sky been so blue? Outside the window, blooming flowers adorned tree branches she hadn’t noticed before.
As Serin got off the elevator, she saw a crowd murmuring near her father’s hospital room.
What was going on?
Her heart began to beat harder as she approached. The closer she got to the room, the more her anxiety grew. Her worst fear came true—the crowd had gathered in front of her father’s room.
Pushing through the people and stepping into the room, she saw her father lying on the hospital bed.
But something was wrong. The man who had been sitting up just a few days ago now wore an oxygen mask. Even though Serin had arrived, his eyes remained shut.
“Dad…?”
Aeseon, who had been sitting and praying beside the bed, looked up in surprise when she heard Serin’s voice.
“Serin.”
Aeseon’s face had turned pale, like a blank sheet of paper. Her expression, momentarily startled by Serin’s arrival, soon contorted as if she were about to cry.
“Why are you only coming now? I called you, but you didn’t answer!”
Aeseon reproached her. Serin had turned her phone off early in the morning because of Taeyoon. Clenching her teeth, Serin first took her father’s hand.
“Dad.”
There was no response, but his hand was still warm.
Long ago, her mother’s hands had been cold like ice when she died. So it’s okay. He’s not cold yet.
Serin turned to Aeseon.
“Auntie, what happened? When I left, he wasn’t this bad.”
Aeseon, who had stood up when she saw Serin, slumped back into her seat.
“I don’t know. He’s unconscious and no one knows what will happen. They told him not to overdo it, but he suddenly got shocked.”
“Shocked?”
“That’s why I asked—why are you only coming now? Something happened this morning! Dongmyung… Dongyoung Foods… Something happened to it!”
As she spoke, Aeseon finally buried her face in her hands.
