episode_0144

-Ding dong, 1st floor.

As the elevator door opened with a chime, Kim Dae-yoon lifted his gaze from his phone and started to walk out.

No, he tried to walk out.

Until he met eyes with the person inside the elevator.

“Wow….”

An involuntary exclamation escaped his lips. To make such a sound upon seeing someone’s face. Despite knowing it was rude, he couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

She had a beautiful face, with dark brown hair styled to one side, giving her a very sophisticated look. Moreover, the sleeveless dress she was wearing left nothing to the imagination, accentuating her sensual figure.

Wait, was that… a size that could exist in Korea?

For a moment, he almost lost his focus on that part of her body emitting a strong presence, but he desperately tried to regain his composure and continued to explore her.

Black dress. A white cardigan draped over the black dress. The epitome of a chic look.

Overwhelmed by the sight before him, he silently prayed.

Oh, God. This trial is too much for me to handle, please take it away quickly.

“Excuse me, are you getting on?”

Lost in his thoughts and staring blankly, someone spoke to him.

A young girl next to her. Judging by her school uniform, she seemed to attend the same high school as him. She looked at him with curious eyes.

However, although not as mature as the woman next to her, she had a different kind of youthful beauty, and Kim Dae-yoon found himself admiring her once again.

Even though he knew her face. Her name was probably Jung Da-young? She was one of the pretty girls rumored in his school. Rumor has it she even received casting offers from celebrities? He only heard rumors and didn’t know for sure.

“Student, hurry and get on before the door closes.”

It wasn’t Jung Da-young, but a woman who resembled her who spoke softly.

“Yes, yes? Oh, yes.”

He boarded the elevator, answering in a foolish tone, and the door closed with a click.

-Swish, empty!

As the door closed, a suffocating silence pressed down on him.

“Do you go to Hansung High School? What grade are you in?”

The woman asked him.

“I-I’m, I’m in 3rd grade!”

Nervous, he stumbled over his words and answered loudly enough for the elevator to ring.

“Really? You must be busy. It must be hard preparing for the college entrance exam, right?”

“Oh, no….”

He answered in a barely audible voice this time. Even so, she smiled at him.

Wow… she’s really pretty.

It felt like seeing a celebrity up close.

“Mom is so annoying. Of course, it’s hard for a high school senior. Why ask such an obvious question?”

Jung Da-young scolded the woman.

Wait, what? Mom? Not sister?

“She can… ask questions too. Did I ask something you couldn’t ask?”

“Excuse me, senior? I’m sorry. My mom can be a bit clueless….”

“Da-young, do you have to belittle your mom in front of others to feel better?”

The mother and daughter started bickering.

Why do even their arguments look pretty?

As he watched the two of them in a daze.

“Oh, they live right above us. What’s your room number?”

“Mom, are you trying to dig for personal information? Be careful.”

“Da-young, tone it down.”

Feeling the tension rising, Kim Dae-yoon stepped in.

“It’s room 1605.”

“Oh, they live right above us. We’re in room 1505.”

“Ahaha, I see.”

I didn’t really want to know, but now that I do, why am I happy? As I pondered this thought, I absentmindedly accepted the conversation and before I knew it, the elevator had arrived on the 15th floor.

“Oh, we’re here. Here.”

The mother and daughter, each holding a plastic bag, seemed to have come back from shopping. The mother took something out of the plastic bag in her hand and handed it to him.

Looking down, he saw what was in her hand.

It was a drink with a muscular man’s torso drawn on it, with the words “Strong man’s drink! Really good for men! Janyanggangjang! Stamina!” written on it.

“Uh, uh?”

“Mom, look at me.”

Kim Dae-yeon, with a puzzled look on his face, alternated between the drink and her, and as soon as she realized her mistake, she quickly withdrew her hand and took out something else from the bag.

“Unleash. 50 million! Unleash. Republic of Korea! National Fatigue Recovery Drink BakhaD!”

Fortunately, this time it was the National Fatigue Recovery Drink BakhaD.

“Haha, my mistake. You must be tired, have a drink.”

-Snap!

Jung Da-young sighed heavily, tapping his forehead loudly.

“Ugh, Mom! Just breathe normally…ugh!”

She blushed and retorted, feeling embarrassed as well.

“It’s a mistake, okay!”

Kim Dae-yoon quietly accepted the drink she handed him and bowed his head.

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

As Kim Dae-yoon got off, the elevator quickly closed.

There was a sense of disappointment, yet his heart felt a little soft. What was it about that mother and daughter?

Leaving behind a lingering feeling, he stood still for a moment, then shook his head vigorously to clear his mind and entered his home.

The smell that spread as soon as he opened the front door. Tonight’s dinner is soybean paste stew. Probably with grilled mackerel as the main dish.

Thinking so, he entered the house and greeted.

“I’m back.”

“Oh, Dae-yoon is here?”

His mother’s voice came from the kitchen. Well, it’s only natural.

Kim Dae-yoon unpacked his bag in his room, holding a BakhaD in his hand as he headed to the kitchen. He was going to put it in the fridge since he wasn’t going to drink it right away.

“Huh? What’s that? Fatigue recovery drink? Why are you tired?”

Suddenly hearing a voice from beside him, he turned around to see his mother. Yeah, his mother.

There were slight wrinkles around her eyes, and her face looked like a typical mid-40s woman. That’s his mother. Yeah. She’s so calm, almost too calm for Jung Da-young’s mother.

Somehow, thinking that way brought a sense of peace to his mind.

“Um. This.”

“What’s this? By the way, what is that?”

“Oh, this? I got it.”

“From who?”

“From the girl who lives downstairs.”

“Oh, Da-young?”

His mother seemed to know her well. Well, with that appearance, it’s more surprising not to know.

“Do you know her too, Mom?”

“Of course. That girl is very famous. She’s pretty and smart. Oh! She goes to the same school as you, right? Da-young doesn’t know?”

Letting out a deep sigh at his mother’s question, Kim Dae-yoon replied.

“I know. She’s famous at school. For being pretty. Yeah, she’s popular.”

So what? We’re completely different people. Kim Dae-yoon thought to himself.

“So. Did Da-young give you that?”

“No, her mother did. Oh, Da-young was there too.”

“Huh? Her mother?”

“Why? No…that house…”

His mother made a sly expression. What’s going on?

“Never mind, you don’t need to know.”

“What is it?”

Just asking made him more curious.

“Ah! Really! Go wash up quickly and come back! The stew is getting cold.”

Glancing over, I wondered how the stew that was still simmering on the gas stove would cool down, but knowing that I would definitely get scolded if I pried further based on past experiences, I decided to just listen to my mom.

After washing my hands and coming out, I met eyes with my father coming in through the front door.

“Welcome back.”

As Kim Dae-yoon greeted him with a nod, his father approached him warmly and hugged him.

“Oh, our son!”

Somehow, ever since Kim Dae-yoon turned 3rd year of high school, his father had become more affectionate. Maybe it was to avoid stressing him out. Although Kim Dae-yoon didn’t dislike it, he couldn’t fully accept it either, feeling a bit embarrassed at 19 years old.

“Oh, stop it. Dad is so… Mom said to wash up quickly and get ready for dinner.”

“I will. I’ll be right back after washing up.”

Kim Dae-yoon turned on the TV and switched to the news channel his father usually watched, then sat at the dining table. Soon after, his father came out after washing up and sat across from him. His mother sat next to him, and a peaceful family meal began.

For him, it was an endlessly routine day. Probably his father would start the conversation with, “Did anything special happen today?”

And sure enough.

“Did anything special happen today?”

“Nothing special. Same as always.”

“No, Dae-yoon, Dad. Do you know the family below, the Da-youngs?”

“Oh, I know. What about them? They have a pretty daughter in that house. The son is like that too. The father has a bit of charm, so that’s why. He must have had his heyday when he was young.”

Huh? Why isn’t she talking about the mother of that house? Honestly, Da-young’s mother was undoubtedly a beauty.

“But, why that house?”

“Oh, Dae-yoon ran into the mother and daughter of that house today. They’re preparing for the college entrance exam, so she gave him a fatigue recovery drink.”

As she said that, his mother pointed to the fridge.

“Huh? Mother and daughter? Is that possible? Didn’t you say the wife of that house had an affair and got divorced?”

Kim Dae-yoon was shocked. Divorced… because of an affair? Does that mean the lady (definitely not an ahjumma, more like a noona) he met earlier had an affair? She didn’t look innocent, but still.

Kim Dae-yoon felt a strange sensation at the word “affair.” Affair… adultery… NTR…

-Shiver.

Before strange thoughts came to mind, he quickly shook his head to clear his mind and focused on his parents’ conversation again.

“Oh, right. Dae-yoon, Da-young called me ‘mom.’”

“What? Yes. She called me ‘mom.’ She looks a lot like me, and everyone would think we’re mother and daughter.”

“So, did they get back together? But I’ve never seen Da-young’s mother recently.”

“Well, the timing must not have been right. Ugh. That husband in that house is something else. Getting back together with the wife who ran away with another man? And abandoning all his children for that woman? Ugh, I just can’t understand it.”

“Honey! Don’t say things like that in front of the kid. Dae-yoon, finish eating quickly and go study.”

“Oh, come on. Why like that in front of the kid? Dae-yoon, eat slowly and take your time studying. Okay?”

He wanted to hear more about the story. He was almost an adult now, so it would be nice to talk comfortably. But as the conversation had ended and it became awkward to ask directly, he had no choice.

Anyway, after quickly finishing his meal and going to his room, Kim Dae-yoon took out wireless earphones from his bag, plugged them into his ears, and opened the app with a purple box-shaped icon on his phone to listen to something.

Soon after.

– “Hi-hi! Jjolha! Raengha!”

Streamer Jo-rang’s broadcast began.

“Hehe, jjolha.”

Before he knew it, Kim Dae-yoon was smiling like a fool, not even realizing it himself, simply watching the broadcast happily.