Chapter 51
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 51
—–CROW—–
“Mom~ Your lovely firstborn daughter has returned~!”
“You’re 16 years old, and you’re still acting cute?”
“Hehe, I inherited your good looks, so I can get away with it, right?”
I entered the spacious house, showering Mom with affection. She hugged me back, a smile on her face.
‘…Did they get bigger since last year?’
“Have you eaten?”
“I have, but…I’ll gladly eat if you make something~ Just thinking about home-cooked meals makes my mouth water~”
“Pfft. Really? Then I’ll make something simple.”
“Hehe, yay~!”
“Wait a minute. I’ll make some kimchi fried rice. …Oh, right, Yerin and her boyfriend came with you, didn’t they? Where are they?”
“Ah, well.”
Mr. Yong-chul? Hmm, about that…
“…He’s facing a trial every man must endure.”
“?? A trial? You sound just like your dad. What is it~?”
“…It’s something like that.”
I couldn’t meet Mom’s eyes.
I hadn’t expected Supermarket Grandpa to go ballistic like that.
Before coming home, I’d stopped by the supermarket to greet Grandma and Grandpa. The moment Grandpa saw Mr. Yong-chul, his demeanor changed.
* “Ah, hello! Grandpa. I’m dating Yerin…”
* “You? You’re the punk who called our lovely Hercules a gorilla?”
* “…Excuse me?”
* “I’ve been waiting for this day. I’ll make it quick and painless.”
Grandpa, armed with a harpoon and a wooden plank, was a terrifying sight. Mr. Yong-chul ran for his life, with Grandpa in hot pursuit.
I wanted to watch the chase with Dad, munching on popcorn, but I felt a little guilty, so I came home.
Poor Mr. Yong-chul. In the car, Dad had teased him relentlessly. “Father?! Are you seeing our Yuna too? Two-timing? You’re a real man!”
He’d wanted to escape, trapped between Dad’s teasing and Yerin Unnie’s death glare.
But he’d brought this upon himself.
He had to face the consequences of his actions. He had to pay for his sins with Grandpa.
“Well, forget about that~! Where are my adorable little siblings? Are they still so young that they don’t come greet their amazing older sister?”
Huh? Last year, they were so cute and adorable, but had they lost their manners?
Did I need to assert my dominance as the eldest and teach them some respect? How old were they now?
“Yebom and Yuhan are still at kindergarten.”
“Oh, really? When will they be back~?”
“Hehe, they’ll be back before dinner. I don’t know about Yebom, but Yuhan is full of energy these days, just like you, and he’s made a lot of friends.”
“???”
Huh? Like me?
That stung a little, considering my involuntary loner phase in elementary school.
Mom and I chatted as we headed to the kitchen.
…Wow, Mom hadn’t changed a bit since I was little. She looked so young for her age.
I thought my good looks were a TS buff, but maybe I just inherited Mom’s genes.
It did attract unwanted male attention, but being pretty wasn’t a bad thing.
I sat at the familiar dining table.
I used to sit on a booster seat next to Mom. It hadn’t changed.
Mom hummed a cheerful tune in the kitchen, the clatter of dishes and delicious smells wafting through the air.
I watched her small but strong back.
Being back in my childhood home, everything was familiar yet different, new.
Mom hadn’t changed, and we talked on the phone every day, but…it felt a little strange seeing her during breaks.
…
“Mom.”
“Yes? What is it, sweetie?”
Yes, really.
She was the mom I knew.
“Tone it down a bit. Dad’s bones are going to crumble.”
“W-what?!”
Mom’s face turned red as she gasped in surprise.
Every time I visited, she seemed more radiant, like a fox spirit or a succubus.
“How much have you been draining him?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about~ Haha. Ahaha.”
“…”
“…Okay, okay, I’ll try to hold back.”
She finally gave in under my intense gaze.
So, I was right.
Dad was getting old; she needed to be more considerate. He might die of exhaustion, not just weakened bones.
Dying during sex was supposedly the most honorable and blissful death for a man, but still…
Dad, crushed to death by Mom?
I wouldn’t be able to show my face at the funeral.
She grumbled, “My daughter scolds me when she visits,” and started stir-frying ham and corn…
“You’re using condoms, right? You haven’t made a fourth child while I was gone, right?”
“Yuna! Stop it!!”
Hehe, this was fun.
It was fun to see Mom embarrassed, but…she was holding a hot frying pan, so I’d better stop.
I’d almost gotten my head cracked open by a stainless steel bowl when I was little. I’d promised myself not to tease her when she was holding a weapon.
I had a feeling that getting hit by that frying pan would hurt. A lot.
“Hey, Han Yuna…”
“What?”
“Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“You came back alive, didn’t you? Seriously~ Did you think Grandpa would actually kill you~? Just pay for your sins and be done with it~”
It was common sense. He wouldn’t actually kill his future grandson-in-law, no matter how much he disliked him.
He wanted his precious granddaughter to be happy.
And Mr. Yong-chul had a stable job as a teacher, a respectable profession in the eyes of adults.
Supermarket Grandpa wasn’t so unreasonable that he’d harm such a good catch.
He looked tough, but he was kind, lonely, and cared about the people around him.
I sat in the living room with Mr. Yong-chul, who’d survived his ordeal, and Yerin Unnie, who was smiling wryly.
Why were they here at our house, anyway?
They could have stayed somewhere else while we were here.
They could have gotten a motel room or a pension and enjoyed some private time!
Why were they here, taking up space in my house?!
Mr. Yong-chul seemed to sense my thoughts and smirked.
“Home visit.”
“Huh? Suddenly?”
“Don’t talk informally to me, you brat. I’m your homeroom teacher; I should at least greet your parents.”
“Oh!”
A home visit.
A long time ago…back in elementary school, home visits were common for teachers to collect “donations.”
These days, parents felt pressured when a teacher visited their home.
‘Are they asking for a bribe? Or did my child cause trouble at school?’
And there was the pressure of having to entertain a guest.
Mr. Yong-chul wasn’t like those old-fashioned teachers, and he wasn’t a corrupt capitalist, but…
Was he really just here to greet my parents?
Why? I was going to be in a different class next year.
The questions kept piling up.
But for some reason…
I felt uneasy.
Like I was playing rock-paper-scissors with my reflection, I frowned. Mr. Yong-chul smirked, looking down at me.
My beastly instincts were tingling.
Mr. Yong-chul wasn’t a bad person or a pervert like the four weirdos, but…I sensed a familiar feeling.
The feeling of someone about to do something shady!
“Yerin told me you’re hiding your grades from your mother.”
“What?!”
“I brought all your report cards.”
“S-sorry, Yuna. But I can’t keep it a secret from your mom anymore…”
What the hell?! Why did he bring *that* to this beautiful, peaceful island?
He pulled out a white envelope from his bag.
Should I snatch it and rip it to shreds before Mom came back?
No, that was a bad idea. He knew me well; he’d have anticipated that.
He probably had extra copies hidden somewhere.
If I tore his bag and clothes apart looking for them… No. Mom would freak out and probably kill me.
Sigh, there was only one option left.
“…H-how about a draw?”
“No way. Face your karma.”
Mom came back with a plate of fruit, saw my report cards, and…
“You, you!! Instead of studying!!!”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”
*BAM!*
She smacked me on the head with the same plate she used seven years ago.
—–CROW—–
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