What is Responsibility – 2

“Seriously, what kind of mother is she?”

A patrol officer, who had gone out on a call, grumbled to his senior while glancing at Shin Jeonga sitting in a corner of the police station.

It was fine to find out her personal information and call the student’s mother.

But the student’s mother said it was too much trouble to come and pick her up, so she asked them to take her home.

[Officer, we don’t usually do things like that…]

He was about to explain that this wasn’t usually the case, but a piercingly high-pitched voice echoed through the police station via the phone.

[I pay taxes! What’s wrong with doing me a little favor?]

Recalling that voice, which seemed impossible to reason with, made him involuntarily grimace.

“That’s how it usually is. Does a kid go astray on their own? They all go astray because there’s a problem at home.”

The senior officer muttered with a nonchalant expression, sipping his instant coffee.

The police officer, who had been briefly thinking about the lottery ticket he bought yesterday, glanced at the clock and slurped down the coffee in his paper cup.

“Alright, let’s give her a ride when we go on patrol. Let’s be flexible.”

“Ugh, yes.”

The senior officer spoke as if it were a common occurrence, and the junior officer sighed softly and nodded.

Several tens of minutes later, Shin Jeonga got out of the patrol car.

“I’ll be watching until you go inside, so make sure you do,”

The female police officer in the passenger seat said, and Shin Jeonga engaged in a meaningless staring contest with her.

Shin Jeonga looked at her house, located at the end of a secluded alley.

The fifth floor of a shabby villa, the top floor, still had its lights on.

11 o’clock. It was still too early for that human to sleep.

Shin Jeonga gritted her teeth. She glared at the police car before turning and entering the house.

Second floor, third floor, she climbed the stairs. The lights turned on with each step.

Beyond the small windows on each floor, the red and blue lights of the police car were still flashing.

“……..”

‘Should I just hold out here until they leave?’ she thought, but she didn’t stop walking.

And so, fourth floor, fifth floor. She stood in front of apartment 501.

She stood again in front of that familiar yet unpleasant door with peeling paint.

Shin Jeonga closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, she entered the password on the door lock and went inside.

Before she could even take off her shoes, something brushed past her cheek and flew, hitting the door.

The object shattered into pieces on the floor, and Shin Jeonga slowly turned her gaze to look at the unfortunate victim.

It was a small clock merchandise with her favorite character drawn on it.

“What the hell have you been doing to get a call from the police, you crazy bitch! A call!!”

Her mother, holding a liquor bottle in one hand, greeted her with an ashen face.

Perhaps happy to see her daughter after a long time, her mother strode towards her.

And slapped Shin Jeonga’s cheek with her thick hand.

-Smack!

With a crisp sound, Shin Jeonga’s body slammed into the shoe cabinet.

The shoe cabinet rattled.

“I gave birth to a thing like you and ate seaweed soup, seaweed soup!”

Several more blows followed, and the beating ended when the bodies of the hitter and the hit began to swell.

Whether she hadn’t vented all her anger yet, or whether it was because she had been drinking and moving her body,

The woman, whose face was redder than before, huffed and puffed again and returned to her room.

Shin Jeonga sat down on the cold floor of the entryway, suppressing the pain for a while.

Her throbbing cheek began to swell steadily, and her lips, which had been torn while being hit, were slightly bloody.

It hurt, but it didn’t hurt.

Even as tears welled up in her eyes from the pain, only Inho filled her mind.

‘In the end, it’s back to square one, Inho.’

Staggering to her feet, she entered her room.

A room with trash rolling around everywhere.

Shin Jeonga, sitting at her desk, took out the spring notebook she had tucked away in the back of her drawer.

-Shhh

As she opened it with her index finger, a neat drawing was revealed.

Shin Jeonga turned the pages a few more times. Drawings of attractive figures were embedded on each page.

As she reached the middle of the notebook, Shin Jeonga’s hand stopped.

A drawing of a man with sharp features was unfolded, drawn with great care.

Shin Jeonga stroked it with her hand.

“Inho.”

Recalling the day she fell in love with him at first sight, Shin Jeonga called out his name.

Silence and stillness. No one answered her call.

Because his body and mind were already far away to respond to her voice.

“Ah… I just wish it would all end.”

Pulling her legs together, she muttered.

“Teacher?”

The late-night visitor was Yoon Sia.

Wondering what was wrong, Kang In-ho opened the door, and she was still panting for a while even after entering the house, as if she had run all the way from somewhere.

“Did, anything… happen?”

“The police, did Teacher call them?”

“Yes, because I thought I’d be late. I thought she might have gone to your house. And I couldn’t reach you either.”

“Ah….”

Her phone was in his room.

She hated even looking at her phone after the video call, so she had just thrown it on the sofa.

Yoon Sia told him in detail what had happened after the call ended.

“You did something reckless.”

Kang In-ho said abruptly as she finished speaking.

His tone was very much like scolding.

“I, still, for you….”

Yoon Sia, upset that her sincerity had been rejected, raised her voice for a moment before closing her mouth.

Because Kang In-ho’s face, as he looked at her, was so somber.

“Knowing that Jeonga acts rashly, doing something like that isn’t exactly not reckless, is it?”

“……..”

As if he wouldn’t accept any excuses, he cut her off sharply, and Yoon Sia didn’t think of resisting any further.

“Okay, I’ll be careful next time. But Inho….”

Yoon Sia subtly brought up the topic, agreeing with his words in a docile manner.

“Can I sleep here tonight?”

“Here? Why?”

“Like you said… I don’t know how Jeonga might act, so I’m a little anxious.”

Yoon Sia looked at him, touching her index fingers together.

Kang In-ho’s head throbbed at her shy yet bold behavior.

“…I should have done this sooner.”

The house was a mess. Something red was scattered everywhere.

The girl sitting in the middle of the carnage was holding a lighter she had taken out of her bag.

“Inho.”

Shin Jeonga called out his name.

Death and silence. No one answered.

The one she desperately sought was too far away.

“Let’s just end it. I’m tired.”

She moved her thumb.

Click,

Click,

Click,

Click,

The fire ignited.