Ch.97Episode 20. A Happy Day (4)

“Where is this…?”

Gu Yeonhwa’s expression, which had been smiling while talking about anime just moments ago, suddenly stiffened. It must be because she recognized the street that was so familiar it was firmly etched in her mind.

“Yu-Yujin oppa… This place is…”

“That’s right. It’s the way to your home.”

Once she caught on, there was no point in lying, so I answered honestly.

“What?!”

Gu Yeonhwa cried out in surprise. Glancing sideways, I could see her face, stunned into speechlessness.

“You said it’s your mom’s birthday. Then you should see her face.”

“No, wait! Please stop for a moment!”

She frantically grabbed my hand on the gear shift.

Her desperate expression and trembling voice made my breathing increasingly rough to ignore.

Unable to continue, I pulled over to the side of the road. I didn’t forget to turn on the hazard lights.

“What’s wrong?”

“L-let’s go back. Please.”

“After coming all this way?”

“Please listen to me. I know what you were thinking when you tried to be considerate. Honestly, I’m grateful. But… this is overstepping. My mom won’t like it.”

Gu Yeonhwa was hyperventilating. Speaking urgently, she was beside herself with anxiety.

I was about to retort that if she was worried about Michell not liking it, she should have abandoned her chuunibyou concept too, but I stopped myself.

After all, the chuunibyou concept was a means to get Michell’s attention.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not! If it were okay, my mom would have come to the parent-teacher meeting!”

“So you’re going to keep avoiding her like this? That’s not what you want. If your mom had said it was okay to come, don’t you think you would have gone?”

“That’s only if my mom had given permission.”

“So if your mom gives permission, it’s okay?”

“What do you mean…?”

I took out my phone while speaking. I searched through my contacts and found Michell’s number.

With the number displayed, I said to her:

“Want to make a bet?”

I spoke slowly and gently so she could regain her composure.

“What kind of bet?”

“Whether your mom will allow you to come or not.”

“Well, obviously…”

“You think she won’t allow it?”

Gu Yeonhwa gradually calmed down at my gentle tone. Watching her nod, I turned off the hazard lights. The clicking sound was bothering me.

“…I think they call it ‘woman-speak’?”

“Woman-speak?”

“They say a common mistake men make with their girlfriends is taking what they say at face value.”

“Well, I suppose there are plenty of people who speak indirectly…”

To be honest, if I didn’t know the information from the novel, I wouldn’t have been able to speak with such confidence.

I would have just been comforting Gu Yeonhwa.

“…Wait a minute. Are you saying that my mom rejecting me was all a lie?”

She’s quite perceptive.

“Not everything would be a lie. She probably recalls unpleasant memories whenever she sees you. But she must know too. That taking her anger out on you doesn’t improve anything.”

Making Gu Yeonhwa spend money was likely a way to alleviate her own guilt. It would be her way of rationalizing that she was still fulfilling her duty as a mother.

“What if, just maybe, your mother has been cold to you because she doesn’t know how to restore your relationship?”

“I wish that were true… but there’s no way.”

“Alright. Then if your mother gives permission, we’ll go in together? If she doesn’t, we’ll turn back.”

She pressed her lips tightly together.

She couldn’t answer hastily. Having come this far, she probably wanted to see her mother, but also didn’t want to cause trouble.

In times like these, a gentle push is needed.

“Gu Yeonhwa. No, Yeonhwa.”

“Yes…”

She answered weakly.

“Trust me.”

I spoke somewhat forcefully. I wouldn’t ask her to trust me half-heartedly. That would only leave room for hesitation.

“Have I ever disappointed you even once?”

“No, you haven’t.”

“Right. You know it well.”

I gently and carefully stroked her hair. She closed her eyes, surrendering to my touch.

“Oppa.”

“Yes?”

“Is it really okay for me to go?”

“Let’s find out.”

I answered her, who had made up her mind, and made the call.

Ring, ring.

The call signal went through.

She hadn’t blocked me after all.

If she truly disliked me, she would have blocked my number the day we first met. She wouldn’t have checked my messages or answered my calls.

But the fact that she hadn’t meant she still cared about Gu Yeonhwa.

The problem was that this situation had persisted for years, and she didn’t know how to resolve it.

That’s why I wanted to give her an opportunity. Because I thought there was still a chance for redemption.

[What is it?]

As soon as she answered, a curt voice came through. Thanks to the Bluetooth connection, her androgynous voice filled the car.

“Ms. Michell. I’m near your home.”

[…Why are you calling from near my home?]

“Just because. There’s something I wanted to ask.”

I looked at Gu Yeonhwa and tapped my lips with my index finger. A gesture to stay quiet.

[What is it?]

“I’m about to meet Yeonhwa soon. How do you feel about that?”

[…Nothing in particular. I don’t feel anything.]

“Is that so? That’s a relief. If you had said you felt bad, I was going to turn back.”

[What did you say?]

“Thank you.”

[Wait—]

Click.

Heh. That’s it!

I got her back for hanging up on me last time. It feels so satisfying. I can’t stand being on the receiving end, after all.

“She gave permission?”

I said with a smile in my eyes. Gu Yeonhwa looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, and gradually, the corners of her mouth began to rise.

“Pfft!”

Eventually, she burst into laughter.

“Ahahahaha!!”

Perhaps my confidence and nonchalant behavior reassured her.

She laughed loudly enough to make anyone listening feel good.

“Hahaha! It’s a mess, a complete mess! Ahahahaha!!”

Watching Gu Yeonhwa holding her stomach in laughter, I felt it was okay to continue.

I smiled along with her, waiting for her to calm down so she could enjoy this moment of comfort, however brief.

“Haah~ I don’t even remember the last time I laughed like this…”

Exhausted from laughing, she leaned back against the seat and relaxed.

“Oppa.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. Really.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Somehow, I feel like even if Mom rejects me again, I’ll be okay now. I’ll try my best until Mom opens her heart.”

“Really?”

“Yes! But in return, you have to comfort me when I get depressed. Got it?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll even lend you my chest if needed.”

“Your clothes will get all wet. Hehe.”

She seems fine now.

I started the car again. I headed to the address listed in Gu Yeonhwa’s profile. After parking in the apartment complex, I grabbed the gifts and got out.

“You give her the flowers and perfume. If she asks where you got the money, tell her you earned it from part-time work.”

“It feels wrong to lie to Mom.”

“You’ll pay it back later anyway. So it’s not really a lie.”

“Does that work? Well, if you say so, I guess it’s fine. Okay.”

Gu Yeonhwa, feeling much lighter than before, shook off her worries and walked ahead.

She strode forward, finding the unit where she used to live. Watching her from behind, I hoped that Michell wouldn’t show any rejection.

I followed her into the elevator.

The elevator, rising without pause, stopped at the 10th floor. As soon as we got off, we stood in front of the door right there. It was unit 1001.

“Phew…”

Watching Gu Yeonhwa take a deep breath from behind, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Who gets nervous about entering their own home?

Ding-dong.

Well, well. She even rang the doorbell.

Could it be she doesn’t know the password?

[…Who is it?]

Just as I was about to tell her to stop asking unnecessary questions and open the door, Gu Yeonhwa took a deep breath and shouted:

“Mom! It’s me! Please open the door!”

Her voice, loud enough to echo through the corridor, pierced my ears.

She’s really going all out? That’s what I like about her!

For a while, no voice came from the speaker.

Just as the heavy silence began to weigh on our shoulders, there was a beeping sound from the door as it unlocked.

“You’re too loud. Making such a racket disturbs the neighbors.”

“Mom. It’s been a while.”

Gu Yeonhwa pressed on brazenly despite Michell’s frown and scolding. That’s right, good job.

“…We saw each other before you entered the academy.”

Michell sighed and reluctantly responded. I held the door to make her come out from behind it. Michell let go of the door more readily than I expected.

“You were sleeping then, so we couldn’t properly greet each other! And I couldn’t show you my dress!”

Come to think of it, she came to the entrance ceremony in cosplay.

Remembering that made me feel dizzy again.

“Ah… so noisy. If you’re coming in, then come in. Do as you please.”

“Shouldn’t you say ‘welcome’ at times like this?”

“You, get out.”

Michell glared at me as she spoke.

“Come on. After coming all this way. Are you really going to send me away? At least offer me coffee.”

“Should I report this as breaking and entering?”

“Think of it as a home visit. I brought cake too.”

I smiled and carefully shook the ice cream cake. They say you can’t spit on a smiling face.

“Don’t you know that birthday celebrations are happier when received from many people?”

“…You’re just as shameless now as when we met before.”

Michell spoke with a thoroughly disgusted expression, but her refusal wasn’t too strong. This could be taken as implicit permission.

“Huh? You’ve met before? Oppa?”

“Oppa? Yujin, you…!”

Murderous intent filled Michell’s eyes. She must have recalled my statement about making Gu Yeonhwa mine.

Actually, I had intentionally asked her to use this form of address just for today.

“Don’t be angry. It’s just a casual way of addressing me sometimes. Usually, we maintain a proper instructor-student relationship.”

“So you don’t maintain boundaries when it’s not ‘usual’?”

“No. I’m not thoughtless enough to lay hands on a student. I can promise you that what you’re worried about will never happen.”

When I spoke firmly, she finally calmed her anger.

While she treats her daughter harshly, it seems she doesn’t want to hand her over to another man. How strict.

“I wouldn’t mind if you did touch me…”

Gu Yeonhwa’s mumbling.

It was so quiet that an ordinary person wouldn’t have heard it, but I was too close and heard it clearly.

“Shall we go in?”

But knowing it wasn’t appropriate to mention right now, I pretended not to hear and moved on.

“…Yes!”

Gu Yeonhwa, coming to her senses a beat late, answered and entered first.

Anyway, we’ve passed the gate.

Now my role becomes important.

It’s natural for there to be friction between the two of them.

The outcome will depend on how well I can act as a lubricant.

Of course, judging by Michell’s expression, it looks like cement has already been applied where lubricant is needed.

But let’s do our best anyway.