11.3

“Mom, your daughter is here.”

Chaeyoon announced her presence while watching Ah-young engrossed in work, seemingly about to dive into the computer monitor.

“I’ll be done soon. Just sit for a moment.”

Ah-young briefly lifted her head and smiled before returning her focus to the screen and moving her mouse again.

“What’s keeping you so busy?”

Chaeyoon walked behind Ah-young and looked at the monitor.

“I’m adding subtitles to a video I’m going to upload on YouTube.”

“Subtitles? You’re doing that yourself?”

The video on the monitor was about the potted plants growing in the winter greenhouse.

“At first, I outsourced it, but I didn’t like the results. It’s manageable as I learn, and it’s fun too. Kind of a new hobby.”

“And who does the filming?”

“Dad and I do it together.”

“As expected, my Mom’s so smart. At your age, just watching YouTube is considered youthful, but here you are, shooting and editing.”

Chaeyoon noticed her desk was filled with books about video editing and promoting on YouTube.

“I used to think that by this age I would be an old granny. But the average lifespan has increased so much. I still have many days ahead, so what can I do? To avoid being left behind, I need to learn about new cultures and technologies. Even this sister, in her 70s, is doing it.” 

Ah-young said, tapping a book written by a popular YouTuber in her seventies.

“Haha, ‘sister’! That’s right, she’s like a sister to you, Mom.”

“She’s really cool. You should read it too, someday. It will be a challenge.”

“I will.”

It was Chaeyoon who had suggested uploading gardening videos to promote her father’s gardening business. She believed that personal broadcasting was a growing trend and offered endless possibilities, making it essential knowledge for small business owners. However, she had never imagined that her parents would be the ones to actually create the content.

“Phew, it’s done.”

Ah-young finally stood up after her last click.

“Has uploading videos made an impact? Last time I checked, you had quite a few subscribers.”

“There’s been an increase in inquiry calls and more work too.”

“Really? That’s great.”

“People even come from far away because they think the live flower shop is beautiful. I’m running separate channels for gardening and the flower shop. With the new year, I plan to film and upload gardening and flower classes too. Once we get some promotion, we’ll also recruit offline students.”

“You’re busy.”

“Your dad is an excellent gardener but not much of a businessman. That’s where I come in.”

Ah-young smiled brightly.

“Weren’t you originally going to set up a secretary training academy?”

“I was, but it seemed like it would be too much work.”

“You like being busy, Mom.”

Chaeyoon’s workaholism was inherited from Ah-young.

“That’s true, but with you going abroad and just the two of us left, what good is it if we don’t even see each other because we’re both busy? I just want to stick close to your dad. It’s killing two birds with one stone, growing the business alongside.”

“People say that couples who stick together tend to fight more. Just do your own thing, Mom. If you don’t want to work, just enjoy doing what you like. We’ve saved up enough money anyway.”

“When you decided to go study abroad, I realized I’d been complacent. I always thought we could see each other anytime we wanted, but that’s not the case. The two things I love most are your dad and you, and now that I think about it, we don’t spend enough time together.”

“You’re not telling me not to go to London, are you?”

Chaeyoon cautiously posed the question, to which Ah-young laughed out loud.

“Of course not. It just hit me how much your dad has aged when I looked at him. Then I looked in the mirror and realized I’ve aged too.”

“All of a sudden.”

“Exactly, all of a sudden. It’s strange, watching you grow up and not realizing I was getting older too. If I feel this way after sending you off, imagine how your dad must feel with his tender heart.”

“Really? I hadn’t thought of that.”

Feeling sorry, Chaeyoon scratched her head.

“Your dad seems to be going through a sort of midlife crisis. He’s having trouble sleeping at night and keeps wanting to watch dramas. Just the other day, he was crying during a movie.”

Ah-young whispered as if she was sharing a secret.

“My goodness! Really? Shouldn’t he see a doctor? They say you shouldn’t take midlife crisis depression lightly.”

“It’s not that severe. Anyway, that’s why I’m trying to spend some time with him.”

“My mom, always so kind. I’ve heard that at your age, husbands can be a nuisance.”

“Why do you say that? I chased after your dad a lot to get married. I still love him very much.”

Despite the fine lines around her eyes, Ah-young’s eyes still sparkled, making her seem youthful and full of life.

According to Chaeyoon’s aunt, Ah-young was quite aloof and icy before she fell in love. But once she fell for Chaeyoon’s father, she was like a dry leaf catching fire—she became passionately inflamed. Today, their love seemed even more romantic than usual.

“Did you eat lunch?”

“I made ramen. It’s weird. It’s the same ramen, but why does it taste better in Korea?”

Chaeyoon tilted her head, puzzled.

“You won’t last long abroad with that taste of yours.”

“Come on, people are creatures of adaptation.”

“Did you get some rest? You seemed to have a hard time waking up this morning, so I didn’t disturb you.”

Chaeyoon had arrived home the previous day and, after dinner with her parents, had fallen straight to sleep.

“Yeah, I slept a lot. I can’t remember the last time I just lounged around like this.”

Chaeyoon stretched lazily like a cat.

“You’ve had a tough time. Let’s have a coffee. I need some caffeine.”

Ah-young filled a mug with coffee from the machine in the office corner and handed it to Chaeyoon.

“Thanks.”

Chaeyoon smiled brightly and took a sip of her coffee.

“So, how was Joo-eun’s wedding?”

Caught off guard by the question, Chaeyoon almost spits out her coffee.

“Pfft, cough, cough.”

“Be careful.”

Ah-young handed her a tissue. 

“Did you know about it?”

Chaeyoon wiped her lips with the tissue and looked at Ah-young. 

“How could I not know?”

“Did Mrs. Ko know too?”

“She came by. Wondering what I might know.”

“What did she say? No, what did you say? You told her to leave it be, right?”

“I did. Especially since Joo-eun is pregnant. How is Joo-eun doing? She was hospitalized after meeting you; it was quite a mess, and now pregnant on top of that.”

“She was hospitalized?”

Chaeyoon hadn’t realized Joo-eun had been struggling that much. 

“She’s better now. She seemed happy.”

“She turns three families upside down and she’s the only one happy?”

Ah-young’s voice was cold.

“It’s good to have at least one person happy. But why three families?”

“Chairman Yoon’s family was also upset about their marriage being called off. Especially Seonho’s mother.”

“That makes sense.”

“She was furious, but Seonho handled it well. It seems like it will all settle down because he was there.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Chaeyoon had suspected as much, but Seonho’s role had clearly been crucial.