Chapter 1 Part 3

The paper hanging on the store door rattled. Thinking it might be a customer, Minjoo stepped out of the kitchen. It was Gi-hyun heading towards the counter.

“Welcome…”

Minjoo’s greeting was cut off again today. Yesterday, he stayed outside the store, but today he came all the way inside. Gi-hyun, in a checkered shirt, stood in the middle of the store, staring at Minjoo.

Minjoo, responsible for packaging and the counter, stood awkwardly. Mrs. Yoon looked at her strangely. However, attributing it to Minjoo’s poor condition, she stepped forward in Gi-hyun’s place.

“May I help you?”

“What can be done quickly?”

“It seems busy. Everything is quick. Only the premium lunch boxes take a little longer.”

“Then please go with the premium.”

“Which one?”

“Could I have the A set lunch box?”

“That one requires more preparation. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes, please take your time.”

“Such a decisive person with a straightforward personality. Would one lunch box be enough?”

“No, about fifteen… Is that okay?”

“Oh dear, it would have been faster if you had pre-ordered. We’re a bit short on rice at the moment. Fifteen will take quite a while.”

“That’s fine. Please take your time. Can I pay in advance?”

With the sudden large order, Mrs. Yoon hurriedly went into the kitchen. Only Minjoo and Gi-hyun remained in the store. Minjoo swiftly swiped the card Gi-hyun handed her.

“Have you thought about it?”

Minjoo, who was issuing the receipt, heard Gi-hyun’s words. It seemed absurd that he had come to the store without being able to wait half a day. When Minjoo didn’t respond, Gi-hyun added,

“You clearly mentioned ‘tomorrow’ yesterday.”

“It’s not worth considering.”

Minjoo responded firmly, placing the card and receipt on the counter table with a firm thud. Showing her displeasure, she walked forcefully towards the kitchen, putting extra strength in her footsteps. Behind her, eyes followed as she started unfolding lunch boxes.

Before she knew it, Gi-hyun’s gaze was fixed on her as he sat down at a table in the store. For 20 minutes straight, she packed lunches without a break, folding the paper boxes neatly and stacking the lunch boxes meticulously. Mrs. Yoon urged Minjoo on, insisting she load them into the car trunk. Minjoo resisted at first, but without a word, Gi-hyun took over, lifting the lunch boxes away.

“Let me carry it, could you hand me some chopsticks?”

“There are chopsticks in each lunchbox.”

“I want to divide them up.”

It was an implausible excuse. It could have ended if he had just placed them on top of the box, but Minjoo grabbed a bundle of chopsticks and followed Gi-hyun.

The two stood outside the store in front of the trunk. As soon as Gi-hyun set down the box in front of the trunk, Minjoo extended the pile of chopsticks.

“I wish you hadn’t come back.”

Minjoo’s dry remark left Hyun silent with an expressionless face. With no response, Minjoo spoke again.

“I’ll contact you when I make up my mind.”

“How long should I wait?”

Hyun’s pale face, shining through the sunlight, felt unnervingly calm. His demeanor fueled Minjoo’s anger. She snapped.

“If you’re in such a hurry, use the time and money here to find another woman. That’ll be faster. Or maybe you’re already looking elsewhere.”

“Why look for someone else?”

“…Of course, because you need eggs…”

“Why do I need that?”

“I wasn’t just doing surrogacy?”

“What for?”

Hyun looked down at Minjoo and slowly murmured,

“No need to make it complicated, right?”

Minjoo’s face paled as she understood Hyun’s response.

“Just you will do.”

Minjoo, already in a state of agitation, couldn’t hear anything more. She grabbed Gi-hyun by the collar and shouted with determination,

“Why complicate things when I can do it alone?”

Gi-hyun remained silent.

“There are options like test tube modifications. If you just bring the eggs! Why should I mix my blood to have your child…”

“Why do you think I’m giving so much money?”

“Well then…”

“Whether it’s test tubes or artificial modifications, I’m not interested.”

“I’ll do it with you directly.”

As soon as she realized what he meant, Minjooo nearly fell to the ground. She braced herself and held on.

“Are you trying to save your as$?”

Her hands shook with anger. Gi-hyun seemed to stare at it for a moment, then turned his sharp gaze to Minjoo.

“I told you.”

His tone was clear.

“I don’t like being f*cked by strangers.”

It was a stark contrast to his cool demeanor and tone. Disillusioned with him, Minjoo shouted.

“Park Gi-hyun, wasn’t it expensive to invite me out like this?”

“It doesn’t matter. You can call me out more.”

Gi-hyun accepted the chopsticks. He glanced at Minjoo, who was still in a daze.

“I’ll take care of everything.”

***

After Gi-hyun left, Minjoo frantically washed the dishes. She felt like everything would fall apart if she didn’t do something. She leaned against the sound of water and pots and forced back tears.

By the time she finished the second load, it was finally time to go home. She felt her phone vibrate in the bag. It was after 12 o’clock, and she checked the caller ID to see if anyone was calling. As soon as she saw the words “Hye-kyung,” Minjoo picked up the phone.

[- Cha Minjoo, are you alive?]

Minjoo’s face brightened a little at the neutral voice. It was Minjoo’s old friend, one of the few people she could confide in.

“It’s me, I’m fine. Is it your time to finish work?”

– No, I’m off today. I’m just calling when you’re available.

“You should be resting. Why are you calling?”

– You didn’t come to visit your mother this week.

Hye-kyung was working as a nurse at the hospital where Minjoo’s mother was hospitalized. She’d give Minjoo updates on her mother’s condition when she was busy.

“Even on my day off, I had a part-time job that day…. on my day off.”

– That must be tiring.

“Is mom feeling too bad?”

– She’s still unconscious. But her blood pressure hasn’t been great lately.

“Is it something I should be prepared for…?”

– It’s not for me to say, but you should go to another hospital. Hospital A is known for their kidneys, so you’ll be better off there. It might cost more, but you’ll be better off there, even with a transplant.

“…….”

– These are just my thoughts, but anyone who has a family member in the ICU should be prepared. You don’t have to be positive, you don’t have to be pessimistic.

It’s advice that reflects her personality. Her words didn’t instill hope or despair, just realism. Rather, She could feel it because she knew her. It meant that her mother’s condition had worsened.

Minjoo stood there, saying nothing. She leaned against the wall and sighed once. She paused for a moment, then parted her lips.

“Hye Kyung Ah.”

– Huh?

“I met Park Gi-hyun.”

– …Why would you…?

Hye-kyung was both surprised and stunned. It was an expected reaction. Minjoo tried to sound nonchalant.

“…I met him by chance.”

She couldn’t bring herself to talk about the contract. Hye-kyung muttered in a more cynical voice.

– You should have spit on him to get lost.

“I couldn’t, He’s my landlord.”

– Landlord?

“…The landlord, to be exact.”

Hye-kyung gave a short exclamation, followed by a barrage of questions.

– He’s the landlord of your house? And that’s a coincidence? How did he get to be the landlord? Did he get a job in college because he was so good at telling lies? Who else did he beat up?

“Yeah.”

– Is he married? Is he married to Kang Yoon-jung?

“…I don’t know, that kind of thing.”

Minjoo’s calm demeanor caused Hye-kyung’s words to falter. It seemed as if she was considering Minjoo’s feelings, who once had feelings for such a person like Gi-hyun. Minjoo fiddled with her fingertips and cautiously spoke out what she really wanted to say.

“Hye-kyung, I’m not suspecting you or anything.”

– What?

“…You know what I mean?”

Minjoo recalled 9 years ago. Hye-kyung seemed to understand the significance, remaining momentarily silent.

– I didn’t say anything, so if Cha Minjoo didn’t say anything, that guy wouldn’t know.

As Hye-kyung responded, Minjoo sighed again. Without that, she wouldn’t have been able to make such a suggestion. She couldn’t tell if she was relieved or sad. Her feelings were complex. Meanwhile, Hye-kyung continued the conversation.

– When you mentioned meeting Park Gi-hyun, it reminded me of something.

“……?”

– Was it before you took a leave of absence? Park Gi-hyun came to me once.

“Why?”

– He was asking where you were.

It was a fact Minjoo hadn’t known.

– Anyway, I couldn’t contact you either at that time… I had forgotten about it.

“You did well. I wasn’t in my right mind at that time either…”

Minjoo’s voice grew softer. Hye-kyung asked with concern.

– Are you taking your medication these days?

“I’m fine now.”

– Depression is like a cold. You think you’re cured, and then it hits you again, sometimes unexpectedly, every year.

“Okay. I’ll be careful.”

– It’s not that I’m afraid of getting dirty; I avoid it because I don’t want to get involved. Just ignore it. Once you sort out the rent, move quickly or should I just lend you the money for the rent?

“Don’t do that. I don’t want to borrow money from you.”

Minjoo didn’t want to beg from anyone in the world, especially not from Hye-kyung, a longtime friend. She had already received a lot of help. Hye-kyung had been immensely supportive ever since Minjoo’s mother struggled with diabetes, utilizing her position as a nurse to find good hospitals and taking extra care of them when they transferred to her hospital.

Sensing Minjoo’s feelings, the usually sharp-toned Hye-kyung spoke more gently.

– Just focus on saving your mom when you feel down.

“Okay.”

– Actually, just think about yourself. I shouldn’t have said that.

Hye-kyung’s concern continued for about three more minutes before Minjoo could end the call.

After hanging up, Minjoo felt even more exhausted. Although she was told to think of herself, saving her mother felt like caring for herself to her.

Minjoo’s mother always puts her children first. Even after her father passed away, she tried to keep the family together, invested in her children’s education, and always fed her children first, which is why she herself rarely had enough to eat.

A week ago, Minjoo recalled her mother’s hand in the ICU. It used to be rough, but now it is severely swollen. Thinking about her mother’s swollen limbs and deteriorating skin color brought tears to her eyes immediately.

Back when her mother was going for dialysis, they could still communicate. Minjoo wished she could be reassured that her efforts to persevere were not in vain. The state of her mother, unconscious and deteriorating, was a source of pain for Minjoo.

Her mother’s worsening health, the mounting debt, and the physical and mental toll from working without a day off—time was running out.

If only she had money.

At least then she could buy some time to visit her mother.

If only she had money.

She could transfer her to a better hospital and see a renowned specialist.

If her mother recovered and was discharged, they could perhaps live in a slightly more comfortable home.

Minjoo clasped her face in her hands. Today, like every other day, felt endlessly long.

***

The next day, Minjoo stopped by the pharmacy early in the morning. She scraped together what little money she had to buy a vial of energy booster. She didn’t know if it was just a placebo effect, but she felt a bit clearer mentally.

Sitting on the bench inside the pharmacy, she pulled out the contract and her phone from her bag. Park Gi-hyun’s phone number was written on a corner of the contract. She slowly dialed the number. The phone rang about three times.

– Park Gi-hyun speaking.

Gi-hyun responded briefly. Once, Minjoo had thought his soft voice had an air of ambiance, but now she mechanically processed it.

“It’s me.”

He seemed to recognize her without needing to hear her name. Taking advantage of the silence on his end, Minjoo continued the conversation on her own.

“I’ve thought about it.”

Where else could she find someone willing to value her as highly as Gi-hyun did?

“Send the money first.”

It didn’t matter what their relationship had been in the past.

There was no need to feel any responsibility towards Park Gi-hyun.

Thinking this way made it simple.

“Once I see the deposit.”

It was an absurd contract, after all.

“I’ll sign it.”

“If it doesn’t work out after a few tries, then we’ll just stop.”

“Come and get the contract whenever you’re ready.”

Gi-hyun might have his own plans, but this fling will be short-lived.

Just like before, he’ll be the one to leave first this time too.