Chapter 33

“……”  

Now that help had been offered, Yaein didn’t know how to respond. She understood that she needed to leave, just as Gyeongju had advised.  

What she didn’t know was how to react in this kind of situation.  

She had wanted this, yet now that it was being given to her, she was at a loss for how to accept it. Biting her lip, Yaein finally voiced the thought that had been circling in her mind.  

“I might not be able to repay you.”  

— What?  

“It’ll take a long time for me to get settled. I don’t know when I’ll be able to repay you.”  

Finding work here wasn’t easy either. Raising a child would require an endless amount of money and effort. She had no idea when she would be able to repay her mother-in-law.  

— You really have no sense, do you, girl?  

Gyeongju sighed.  

Yaein felt ashamed. If she had been someone who instinctively knew how to accept kindness and react in a way that pleased the giver, how much easier would this moment be? Even receiving goodwill and expressing gratitude was difficult without experience.  

— Forget it. I’m not lending it to you to be repaid. Just take care of yourself.  

Hearing the matter-of-fact reassurance, countless emotions surged in Yaein’s throat, tangling together.  

“Thank you, Mother.”  

That seemed like the most appropriate response.  

— Well, sure. Even I wonder why I’m doing this much for you.  

Gyeongju dismissed the weighty atmosphere with a dry remark. She didn’t push further and neatly ended the conversation.  

— If you don’t have anywhere else to go, just go where I tell you. I’ll let them know to take care of you. It’ll be a decent place to stay until you recover.  

She didn’t specify where, but Yaein suspected that Gyeongju might be sending her to her hometown.  

She couldn’t stay here anyway. No matter where she went, it would be unfamiliar, so perhaps a place with her mother-in-law’s connections might be better.  

Still, she had to say goodbye one last time. The thought of her mother waiting at home weighed on her. Not that it would make much difference—her mother probably wouldn’t care much whether she left or not.  

Yaein told Gyeongju’s people that she needed to settle things where she was and would leave the next day. She also chose not to accept the envelope of money immediately, deciding instead to take it once she was ready to depart. The thought of those she was leaving behind made her hesitate.  

“I’ll meet you here at noon tomorrow, right?”  

She would pack her things, meet this person, and leave immediately. It was a simple plan.  

As she stepped out of the car, the street looked different from before. This would likely be the last time she saw this place.  

Back at her mother’s house, the atmosphere was rowdy. Yaein tilted her head at the sight of extra shoes lined up at the entrance.  

“Oh, you’re back,” her mother’s lover greeted her with a wave.  

The stench of alcohol made Yaein lift her sleeve to cover her mouth.  

Inside, there was another person beside him. Judging by the sneakers, it must have been his.  

A young man with a shaved head, his nape covered in tattoos, sat there with a flushed, drunken face. As soon as he lifted his head and spotted Yaein, he raised a finger.  

“Uh…”  

Bansak, looking dazed, pointed straight at her.  

His hand jabbed at the air a few times as if confirming something. Yaein frowned and moved aside.  

Her mother’s lover chuckled.  

“What’s wrong, kid? Shocked by how pretty she is?”  

“Uh… yeah.”  

Their crude laughter made her stomach turn. Yaein stepped away from the alcohol and food stench and headed for the bathroom.  

She wanted to shower, but the presence of a strange man in the house made her uneasy.  

The noises from the living room felt even more grating due to her wariness.  

She had no choice but to settle for washing her face and brushing her teeth.  

As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, Bansak was there.  

A man at least a head taller than her, staring right at her.  

A cold shiver crawled up from the soles of her feet.  

“…It’s really her.”  

After staring at her for a long moment, Bansak muttered something cryptic.  

What was?  

Before she could ask, he grinned.  

Then, turning away from Yaein, he slung an arm around her mother’s lover’s shoulders.

“Hyungnim, let’s go out for a smoke.”  

“Go out? Oh, sure.”  

The two whispered among themselves and then left the house.  

It was a relief that they left, but their behavior was suspicious—the way they had spoken to Yaein, the sudden decision to leave.  

With the two large men gone, the house instantly became silent. Yaein opened the window wide to let in fresh air.  

Below the building, flickering lights were visible. The two men stood outside, lighting their cigarettes and talking.  

“You said things were tough earlier. So…”  

“Hey, slow down and explain…”  

“I have a good idea. The reason I’m here is…”  

Even straining to listen, the distance made it hard to catch their conversation. Yaein leaned forward against the window to hear better when a voice spoke from behind her.  

“When did you get in?”  

It was Miryung, her face still groggy from sleep. She had just come out of her room, her clothes disheveled.  

“Why are you alone? Those idiots went out drinking?”  

“I think they’re outside smoking.”  

“Ugh, so that’s where the smoke smell was coming from. I should close the window.”  

Miryung staggered over and shut the window. The mixed smell of cigarette smoke and the men’s voices were cut off, leaving only the orange glow of the streetlights illuminating Miryung.  

“Mom.”  

Her sleepy, swollen face looked more vulnerable than when she was fully awake. Those eyes and nose—her child would probably inherit them too. The thought made Yaein feel complicated.  

“I think I can stop staying here now. I’m going to leave.”  

She wanted to say goodbye. Since she had come all this way, she at least wanted to part properly.  

“Oh, you found a place to stay? That’s good.”  

Miryung spoke casually and let out a long yawn.  

Yaein hadn’t expected a dramatic farewell.  

But it still hurt to realize that this truly meant nothing to her mother.  

“Did you ever miss me?”  

Yaein asked.  

She couldn’t forget the words she had overheard last night—that after over twenty years of separation, she didn’t even feel like a daughter.  

“After you left your hometown… even just once?”  

It would be nice if she said yes. Even as a formality.  

Just so that coming all this way to find her mother wouldn’t feel meaningless.  

Miryung’s expression twisted awkwardly. Her lips pursed as if she were choosing her words.  

“Well…”  

She started speaking in a gentle tone, as if trying to come up with something nice to say to smooth things over.  

But the words never came.  

Instead, she simply turned and walked back into her room.  

Left alone, Yaein curled up in a corner of the living room. Heat rose to her face, making it throb. She pressed the back of her hand to her cheek, trying to calm her embarrassment.  

“So what.”  

She whispered to herself, rubbing her dry eyes.  

This kind of thing happens.  

Before she could fully collect herself, the front door suddenly burst open. A gust of cigarette-scented air rushed in.  

The two men reentered, their eyes fixed on Yaein.  

Her back instinctively stiffened.  

Her mother’s lover was the first to approach. The already cramped living room felt like a dead end with no way to escape. Yaein pressed herself against the balcony window.  

“Your name is Lee Yaein, right?”  

The man looked even more excited than when he had been drinking earlier. Behind him, Bansak licked his lips while watching her.  

Their eyes glowed like predators.  

A bad feeling crept over her.  

“Yaein-ssi, do you have time tomorrow?”  

His awkward use of an honorific felt off.  

Yaein shook her head.  

“I’m leaving this house tomorrow.”  

“What? Already?!”  

Just earlier, he had been nagging her mother about how useless a freeloader was, yet now he acted regretful.  

“Why not stay a few more days? You haven’t seen your mother in a long time, right?”  

“I have to leave quickly.”  

“Where to? Come on, just stay one more day. I was actually planning to take you to pick up your phone tomorrow.”  

“My phone?”  

“You needed a burner phone, right? I was going to get you one. There’s a SIM card and a used phone ready, so you just need to come and pay in cash.”  

“No, it’s fine.” 

Was it an attempt to show some kind of regret? If so, it was too persistent.  

Feeling uncomfortable, Yaein refused again.  

Something felt off.  

As she continued to decline, her mother’s lover seemed even more reluctant to let it go. He hesitated, sighed as if disappointed, then called out to her mother and went into the master bedroom.  

Left alone with the unfamiliar man, her tension rose.  

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye—Bansak was still watching her.  

The moment their gazes met, he bared his teeth in a grin.  

Yaein froze. Bansak mumbled something about smoking and stepped outside. Not long after, her mother and her mother’s lover also left, saying they were going out to buy more alcohol.  

It was as if they had all planned it.  

Suddenly, the living room was empty.  

Yaein instinctively began laying out her bedding. Yet, her eyes kept flickering toward the front door.  

She had finally been left alone, yet the unease remained.  

She tried to force herself to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come easily.  

Her senses sharpened—she could hear even the faint ticking of the wall clock’s second hand.  

Creak.  

The front door groaned as it was slowly pushed open.  

Heavy footsteps followed.  

Had the people who left returned? If so, they should be heading toward the bathroom or the bedroom—yet the footsteps were approaching her instead.  

Her shoulders, once relaxed beneath the blanket, tensed.  

This was a small house with no place to hide.  

The steps reached her bedside.  

Yaein tried to open her eyes, but her body refused to move—frozen as if held down by an iron weight.  

It was suffocating.  

She had no idea how much time had passed.  

The presence that had been watching her finally withdrew.  

Yet, she couldn’t relax.  

She had no idea what was about to happen.

***

She didn’t even know when she had fallen asleep.  

It felt like she had been awake the entire time, yet morning had arrived in the blink of an eye.  

Fortunately, her mother’s lover and the man he had brought, Bansak, were nowhere to be seen.  

Perhaps she had simply overanalyzed their drunken behavior from last night. After everything that had happened with Taeheon, she had become overly sensitive.  

Regardless, it was a relief.  

Once she left this house and met the person Gyeongju had sent, she wouldn’t have to see them again.  

Her luggage was hastily packed yet simple. A few outfits she had bought here, some books, and toiletries—that was all.  

Miryung watched Yaein as she prepared to leave.  

Sitting on the living room sofa, she pretended to be absorbed in her phone, but she kept stealing glances at Yaein, as if she wanted to say something.  

Yaein, taking her time with the few belongings she had, waited for her mother to speak first.  

Why was lingering so difficult?  

In the end, the suitcase was closed without a single conversation exchanged.  

“I’ll be going now.”  

It felt strange that this was the extent of her farewell to the mother she had been reunited with after so many years apart.  

She tried to think of something more to say, but only simple words came out.  

“Thank you for letting me stay.”  

“Mm. Yeah.”  

Miryung’s expression was vague.  

No matter how hard Yaein searched her face, she couldn’t find even the faintest trace of sadness or regret.