Chapter 08
“Are you done talking?”
Seol-ah glared at Seung-Jun, her eyes filled with tears.
Seung-Jun stood still, not even touching the spot where he’d been struck, facing her calmly.
“The more I see you, the worse you are. Don’t ever step foot in here again.”
Without a word, Seung-Jun opened the door and left.
As the bell on the door jingled, Seol-ah felt like his words were echoing in her heart again.
- That Shin-Young kid made fun of Yumin for not having a dad.
- Maybe not now, but eventually, that kid will be completely isolated. People tend to stick with others at their level.
Fragments of those words clashed inside her, tearing her heart open and leaving it bleeding.
- I’m sorry, Mom.
He was only seven years old, not even old enough for school.
At an age when other kids begged for toys or treats, mature Yumin didn’t even know how to ask for those things.
Instead, he always watched out for his mom, checking if she was tired or okay.
How much must it have hurt to be teased for not having a dad? How lonely must it have been to suppress that pain and keep quiet, so that he wouldn’t hurt his mom?
“Sniff, sniff.”
Seol-ah couldn’t hold back her tears.
The thought that she had caused her son to be mistreated by his peers made her feel like cursing her own life.
Thud.
Something fell on the counter.
When she looked, it was a handkerchief. Seol-ah looked up.
“What’s wrong, noona?”
It was Jin chul, the next shift’s part-time worker.
Embarrassed, Seol-ah quickly looked down.
Seeing the handkerchief had made her think of Seung-Jun.
What was I expecting?
I shouted at him to leave and said I’d never see him again.
“Sorry. I haven’t finished closing yet. I’ll hurry up.”
“It’s okay. But did something happen? Why all of a sudden—”
“No, nothing. I was just watching a drama since it’s quiet. Haha.”
She forced a laugh and fanned herself with her hand.
“Oh, I see. Then I’ll go change into my uniform.”
Jin chul headed inside to change, and Seol-ah sighed, pressing her fingers to her tear-streaked face.
“Noona, we’re here!”
Suddenly, the convenience store door burst open with a noisy group of students.
“Hey, we’re late. I’m starving.”
“How much do you have? Is spicy ramen okay?”
The small store was instantly filled with chatter. They were students from a nearby academy.
Seol-ah, now smiling brightly as if she were a different person, greeted them.
“There are only two spicy ramen left. You should’ve come earlier.”
“Ugh, math is insane. The class wouldn’t end.”
“I was dying because I needed to pee so bad.”
Listening to their lively chatter, Seol-ah felt a little better. She scanned their items and handed them over with a cheerful reminder.
“You’re not just eating stuff like this, right? Make sure to eat proper meals at home.”
“Geez, you sound like my mom.”
The boys grumbled but smiled, clearly fond of her concern.
They sat in a corner of the store, noisily eating their food.
“Noona, what a family-like convenience store, huh? Family…”
Hearing someone mutter those words, Seol-ah frowned and turned her head.
To her surprise, Seung-Jun was standing there.
“You haven’t left yet?”
Seung-Jun fidgeted with a chocolate bar in his hand, lowering his gaze.
He had intended to leave, but he had caught a glimpse of Seol-ah crying through the glass window. That alone had stopped him.
Then, the same guy he had seen at the playground walked by and handed her a handkerchief.
Unable to leave, he lingered as the students poured into the store.
“The convenience store noona is so pretty, isn’t she? She’s like a goddess.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
When the students entered, Seol-ah seemed to cheer up.
And when he saw her smile at them, Seung-Jun couldn’t help but step inside the store himself.
Not wanting to seem empty-handed, he had picked up the chocolate.
“Pay with the next shift. I have to go.”
Without looking at him, Seol-ah glanced at the chocolate in his hand and left the store.
“Thanks for always helping out like this.”
“It’s nothing. She should play and draw at my place rather than be stuck in a corner of the convenience store.”
Today, In-Sook had looked after Yumin. When Seol-ah came home, she thought about what Seung-Jun had said earlier and fought back tears.
“Did you get bored today?”
“No, I had fun. Mom, look at this drawing I made.”
Yumin opened his sketchbook, and Seol-ah smiled at the sight.
Just like me, I have no talent for drawing at all.
Yumin was becoming more and more like his dad, not just in looks but also in tastes and habits. While it was endearing, it also broke her heart.
Still, his drawings were as messy as hers, and she found it amusing.
“What’s this?”
“This is you.”
“And this?”
“Me.”
Two stick figures holding hands, with a crooked line nearby.
What’s that supposed to be? After a long moment, Seol-ah guessed.
“A tree?”
“No, it’s a house. Doesn’t it look like a house?”
Not at all. She barely thought of a tree, and it’s supposed to be a house?
She chuckled, and Yumin poked her side with his finger.
“Mom, that’s mean. It is a house. You’re making fun of my drawing, aren’t you?”
“No, no. Well, it’s not very good, but…”
Seol-ah couldn’t lie, so she tried to console him. Yumin threw his arms around her neck, playfully protesting.
“How could you say that?!”
“It’s okay. I’m not good at drawing either.”
Seol-ah bit her lip to stop herself from saying what she almost blurted out:
“Unlike other things, you didn’t take after your dad.”
Instead, she quickly changed the subject.
“Why did you draw this?”
“This is the house where we’ll live one day. It’ll have a big yard, trees, and even a puppy.”
Hearing that, Seol-ah felt her nose sting. Their tiny basement apartment was too small for a dog, and the landlord would never allow it anyway.
But Yumin had always wanted a puppy.
What if he had grown up with Seung-Jun instead?
Materially, at least, he would’ve had everything.
A puppy, maybe even ten of them, and a big yard where he could run around freely.
“You like living with just me?”
The question slipped out before she could stop herself.
She bit her lip, worried about his answer. Would he say no? What would she do then?
“Of course.”
Yumin slid down from her back and looked at her with bright eyes.
“I like it. It’s enough for me.”
He cupped her face in his small hands and whispered,
“Even without a dad, as long as you’re happy, Mom, that’s all I need.”
Tears welled up in Seol-ah’s eyes. Her worries seemed so small compared to her son’s pure heart.
“I feel the same. As long as you’re happy, so am I.”
She smiled brightly, and Yumin hugged her tightly, nuzzling his face into her scent.
While Seol-ah and Yumin shared their moment, the doorbell rang. It was Jin chul, carrying a large container of kimchi.
“Your mom asked me to bring this over. She forgot to give it to you earlier.”
“Thanks for going out of your way. I could’ve picked it up myself.”
“It’s no trouble. Yumin, have you been good? Sorry, I’ve been too busy to play with you lately.”
Jin chul patted Yumin’s head kindly, making the boy’s face light up.
“Thank you. Take some rice cakes. They’re really good.”
Seol-ah handed him a box of rice cakes, and Jin chul grinned.
“Thanks! I love these.”
As he left, Yumin watched him go with a big smile.
Found him. My dad.
If he needed a dad, Jin chul was perfect.
