episode_0008

Tasting the Bolognese pasta with Uncle, we indulged in all the food and patted our bloated stomachs before heading to the next destination, a cafe.

Of course, even though our stomachs were full, drinking and eating are two separate matters. Besides, we weren’t sure if those guys were still lurking outside, so I decided to spend some time and brought Uncle to the cafe.

“I’ll treat you to coffee, Uncle~”

“Sure, sure… Maybe I’ll try some coffee after a long time?”

I felt guilty for always receiving and not giving back, which is why I offered to buy coffee for Uncle. It’s just my nature to want to repay even in small ways, even though this money was given by Uncle…

“I’ll have a caramel iced blended and a chocolate cake, please~ What about you, Uncle?”

“Just a vanilla latte. Hot, please.”

“OK!! One vanilla latte, please.”

After saluting Uncle with my index and middle fingers, I placed our order with the cashier and received a number tag, taking a seat at a table by the window.

‘This place is really bustling~ Apart from our apartment complex, there are rows of other buildings…’

The presence of bustling famous burger joints and large cafes outside the window proved that everything could be found near our neighborhood. It’s a whole different world from the days when we had to take a 30-minute bus ride to go grocery shopping.

“Is there anything uncomfortable about living here?”

Uncle, who had been focused on his smartphone, asked me.

“Not at all! I love my home and there are so many things to do, so I enjoy it!”

“Good, that’s fortunate.”

“Huh? What do you mean by fortunate?”

“It’s nothing.”

This Uncle… It seems like he’s hiding something from me. Well, considering we only met 2-3 days ago, it’s strange how well he treats me. Maybe he’s planning to hold me hostage and steal money from the people in that house?!

“No, I’d welcome that~”

“Suddenly saying weird things? Oh, I think our coffee is ready. I’ll go get it, you just stay here.”

“Okay~”

No matter how much I think about it, that’s just absurd… Even if I were to wish for the downfall of that household while looking at the memory of their kindness, it’s too extreme.

After all, a good Uncle like him wouldn’t do such a ridiculous thing. Even though they are a fake couple as per the contract, there’s a slight wish for Joo Eun-hye to marry a man like him.

By following the contract and not deeply involving in each other’s private lives, we can at least live comfortably.

Oh, just because of Joo Eun-hye, I don’t want to marry that Uncle. Even though my body is female, my mind is male, right? I prefer women and I will only date women.

Wait… then…

‘I’m already past the age for marriage!’

Feeling deep despair and frustration, my caramel iced blended that I ordered arrived in front of me.

“What’s wrong? Your expression… what’s…”

“It’s nothing! Let’s just enjoy our coffee!”

There’s no reason to be mad at Uncle, but I felt irritated for no reason. Turning my head, I sipped my drink, feeling a small sense of guilt as Uncle looked at me in confusion.

*

Feeling a bit disheartened, I went down the escalator with Uncle after enjoying dessert. Since we were at a large supermarket, I started looking around for things I couldn’t buy before.

“Uncle~ Let’s have octopus bibimbap for dinner tonight! I’ll make it for you!”

“Octopus? Hmm… I’ll be grateful if you make it.”

“OK!”

With a reliable porter in hand, I began my shopping with a light heart. As I made my way through the laundry aisle, I noticed that the detergent was running low, and there was not much kitchen soap left, so the list of items to buy was not short.

“What else do I need to get? Hm?”

As I mentally recalled the list of items to buy and placed them in my cart, I noticed a man passing through the liquor section, sneaking glances at me while grabbing something.

“Sir, what’s that?”

“…Alcohol.”

The man avoided my gaze as if caught in a mischievous prank. It seemed like he was trying to hide it from me so I wouldn’t stop him from buying it… I don’t understand what adults are up to these days.

“Sir, do you remember our agreement? We promised not to interfere too much in each other’s personal lives.”

“Yeah? I wrote it, so of course I remember…”

“Then don’t worry about it and just put it in. As long as you don’t cross the line, I don’t care if you drink or smoke.”

The man widened his eyes at my statement.

Even if I allowed him to buy alcohol, if by any chance he gets drunk and causes trouble, I’ll smack him with a bottle. He probably won’t do that, but you never know with people. Besides, I’m an adult now, and I kind of want to try drinking.

“Oh, and I’ll have some too, so add a few more bottles. Might as well go for a good beer.”

“You too? Alright, then the beer I recommend is…”

Oh, I seem to have pressed a slightly annoying switch. The man suddenly lit up and started showing me beer cans one by one, giving me a detailed explanation.

As I responded with “Really?” “Is that so?” “Oh,” I found myself having bought all the items and finished paying. Not missing out on accumulating points, I handed over all the bags to the man as a reward for feeding him useless information.

“Oh, right! Sir, would you like to come to my place first? I forgot to buy clothes!”

“Clothes? Just come with me and pick them out, why go alone…”

“I’m buying underwear too!”

The man’s face turned red with surprise at the mention of underwear, and he turned away from me with a nod.

I didn’t actually plan on buying underwear, but I wanted to get away from his annoying nagging, so I told a little white lie.

“I finally found you… Joo Eunhye, you little…”

As I shook hands with the man and re-entered the store, a familiar voice came from behind.

Turning around, I saw that yellow trash in front of me once again. She must have been seeking revenge for what happened to her. I was a bit tense, but I wasn’t scared of her. I was just nervous because there were a lot of people around.

As I was considering whether to go to a quiet place with her, a brilliant idea popped into my head.

“Alright, let’s go and have some fun with the crazy dog while we digest… It’s been a while since we played with the crazy mutt, right?”

With that, I turned into a ghostly figure and flashed a bright smile at the blonde woman in front of me.

—

*Riiing riiing!*

I received a call on my phone, which I had decided to use for reporting Eunhye’s work through text unless it was urgent. But with this sudden call, I couldn’t help but worry if something had happened to that child.

“Yes, this is Choe Seonmi. Did something happen to our Eunhye?”

I tried to remain calm as much as possible, but I couldn’t help but shout at the absurd words coming from the other end of the phone.

“What… What did you say?! What did our Eunhye do wrong?!”

The man who had requested Eunhye’s protection gasped for breath and frantically rambled in a desperate voice.

“Huff, huff… It seems like my running situation made it hard to hear! Yes, Youngae slapped a woman’s cheek and then ran away! The woman who fell to the side is now chasing after Youngae!”

“What on earth are you talking about?! Explain it properly again!”

“I also don’t understand what’s going on! There was a similar incident before, but it was so unbelievable that I didn’t mention it separately, but… Anyway, it’s not easy to chase someone in the large mart with so many people! I’ve called all the standby personnel, so I’ll report back!”

– Click, beep… beep…

Eunhye hit someone and ran away? What is this person talking about? Is my hearing impaired?

But this person has been with me for a long time… He is definitely not someone who would joke or lie. Unable to accept the contents of the previous report, I grabbed my confused head and let go of the phone.

“What on earth…”

“Mom, what’s going on?”

My daughter looked at me with concern… Should I tell her about this?

“It’s about your sister, right? Isn’t it, Mom?”

“Oh, no…”

“Lies! Mom always acts like that when it’s related to Eunhye! Stop hiding and tell me quickly!”

Even my daughter’s attitude becomes quite rough when it comes to matters related to Eunhye. While it wasn’t the case with the fathers, her father, and… a few years ago, there was an incident where she tried to bury a man who was stalking Eunhye. I had always said that such trash should be socially disposed of.

“I’ll tell you on the way, so go wait in the car.”

Handing the car keys to Minjeong, I called the servants to help me change clothes. I may not meet Eunhye in person, but I need to at least see if she’s okay with my own eyes.