episode_0018

18.

In a South Korea where the birth rate was nearing 0.6 children per woman, Jung Jiyoung, who raised five siblings, could be called a true patriot without any exaggeration.

Jung Jiyoung herself used to say as if it were a habit that she was a master in childcare. However, today it seemed like that wasn’t entirely true.

“Mommmm! Do you know where my light blue dress that I wore last summer is?”

Her eldest daughter urgently searched for her mother.

Normally, one would have been pleased that their mature daughter was looking for them, but today, being only twenty-three and already a mother of three, annoyance took precedence.

Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, she was also the culprit who had told herself, “You haven’t mastered childcare. You’re just a young mother.”

“Sigh….”

Jung Jiyoung sighed and went to find her eldest daughter.

Her daughter was diligently rummaging through her room’s closet. The floor was cluttered with clothes as if a fashion show had taken place.

I’m sure I cleaned this up just 10 minutes ago….

Frost settled coldly on Jung Jiyoung’s face.

“Daughter?”

With a stern voice, her eldest daughter leaned out. Her long, flowing blue hair and eyes resembling sapphires were fixed on her.

Resembling her mother by 90% with eyes slightly resembling her father’s, she was incredibly harmonious and beautiful. Anger melted away in her large, innocent eyes.

Jung Jiyoung spoke again, her voice warm like the midday sun this time.

“Ayoung, what’s all this mess in your room?”

Even the constructed sentence wasn’t as warm.

“Hehe. I’m looking for clothes…”

Park Ayoung awkwardly smiled in response, and Jung Jiyoung’s eyebrows couldn’t help but twitch.

“You’ve asked for help finding that white dress so many times… 10 minutes ago, 20 minutes ago, even 3 hours ago. Didn’t I help you each time? Why are you searching through the closet again…?”

It was a fundamental question.

“W-well…. About that white dress I picked earlier…. It was too revealing.”

“Revealing…? You call showing arms in a summer dress ‘revealing’? Oh my, goodness! Do you think the dress you’re looking for now will be any different!?”

“Well, but….”

Park Ayoung lowered her head sheepishly. Her eyes peeking through her tousled hair shook pitifully.

Ugh – Jung Jiyoung clutched at her chest.

Seems like raising a daughter is useless after all. Just looking at her makes me happy, and when there’s a sense of accomplishment in raising her, what more could one ask for.

Love conquers all, they say. Daughter-obsessed Jung Jiyoung softened her anger. She briskly approached Park Ayoung and pulled out the light blue dress from behind the closet.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

Park Ayoung looked at herself in the light blue dress.

Even objectively, it suited her well without her mother’s opinion. But Park Ayoung seemed to have a different thought as she tilted her head left and right a few times.

From that sight, Jung Jiyoung realized that Park Ayoung was looking at someone other than the dress.

Tension crept in at the parents’ touch. Could it be that their eldest daughter had developed feelings for a boy…?

This was something she couldn’t ignore.

“Daughter, who is he?”

“Huh?”

“You, who usually carelessly dress, spent three hours choosing clothes for a male friend. Who is he?”

“I-I never dressed carelessly…. A-and he’s not a boyfriend…. We’re just really close, normal friends….”

Park Ayoung nervously crossed her legs.

“Oh….”

Jung Jiyoung couldn’t quite grasp whether she should appreciate her daughter’s straightforwardness or feel sad about her lack of acting skills.

What brought her back from her distant thoughts was Park Ayoung’s question.

“So, Mom…. How do I look? Does it suit me well?”

“In a mother’s eyes, everything looks beautiful…. But rather than that, can you tell me who the guy is? Is he a senior student leader? Or maybe the guitar club member we met at the mart last week?”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“Oh, you’re not denying it, you’re asking back? Did you actually develop feelings for a guy that you’re concerned about?”

…”

Park Ayoung bit her lower lip.

It was a sign of getting annoyed. Jung Jiyoung quickly added,

“Sorry. Mom was being too meddlesome, right? All our siblings are dating, and I was worried since our eldest daughter is the only one not doing it.”

“Don’t tease me… I haven’t had time to date….”

“That’s right. Our princess who takes after mom would have charmed all the men in the world if she had more time! So, just give me the first letter of the guy’s name…”

“…”

“I’ll keep it a secret from Dad! Huh? You don’t need to tell me much, just up to the surname. If you mention just the first letter, Mom won’t bother you.”

Jung Jiyoung pressed on persistently. Ayoung, feeling her attack on the adult was too weak, timidly said,

“Du….”

“Du?”

“Jin…. No, I won’t say any further! No more! Mom will find out and ask if our daughter is dating!”

“Oh, no! They were close during kindergarten! How do you even remember that!?”

After a brief commotion, Jung Jiyoung recalled. A name with “Do” at the beginning and “Jin” in the middle.

Fortunately, it wasn’t hard to remember. There had been only one name going up and down from her daughter’s lips consistently since last year.

‘Do Jinwoo.’

It was a connection that began at the high school entrance ceremony in March last year. It stuck in her memory when her daughter, in her late teens, showed interest in a man for the first time.

At that time, Ayoung asked daily about how to become closer, and Jiyoung earnestly offered advice like ‘The Rules of Attraction,’ ‘The Power of Touch,’ and so on.

Not long after, they were happy that conversations flowed easily. They raised their glasses together in the summer of May last year.

But now, after a year has passed, there hasn’t been any progress beyond friendship? Don’t lie to me….

‘Could it be… Is our daughter in love…?’

With that pretty face?

‘No. With that face, most ordinary guys would have fallen for her…. This is just because Do Jinwoo, the male student, is not ordinary.’

Does he like boys? Has he dated a lot? Does he not know female emotions because he hasn’t dated much?

It was the worst assumption, but…

‘Perhaps his sexual function is impaired…’

Hmm….

As Jiyoung pondered, she eventually shook her head.

At 18, it was the most vibrant age in one’s life. Didn’t she herself meet her husband at 18 due to speeding?

Anyway.

She didn’t wish for her daughter to speed, but she did want her to capture at least one man to soothe her heart.

So, as a mother, she had to help.

“Come on, put away those airy clothes.”

“What?”

“Put on the slim dress I just took out, pair it with the white cardigan around your shoulders, I’ll lend you a necklace, let’s go together.”

“Huh…?”

Ayoung blinked in surprise at the sudden situation.

“Why are you standing there dumbfounded? Hurry up and try it on.”

“Oh, okay….”

Ayoung hesitantly put on the clothes. Jiyoung spoke firmly,

“I’ll make sure our Ayoung gets closer to Do Jinwoo… No, to Doh Jin. I’ll make them the closest friends in the world.”

“I’m satisfied with our current relationship…”

“No! If you’re satisfied there, that’s the end of it!”

…”

A “real” fashion show began at Ayoung’s house.

***

“I’m really sorry for working on Saturdays….”

-It’s fine, isn’t it?

“You always treat me well, so I feel even more sorry….”

-Just do your job well. Huh? Nuna is taking care of my money.

Through the phone, a woman’s irritated voice could be heard. Initially, Ayoung wondered if she was genuinely angry, but over time, she realized it was just a husky tone mixed with dialect. Whether happy or sad, she always sounded angry.

“Of course. I understand.”

-You know Maesma, right? Come to our company. They pay damn well, you know?

“I don’t think that’s a place for me. I’ll politely decline again today. Please consider hiring me after a successful interview.”

*Sigh*… This guy. So damn picky. Why do you hate being next to me so much?

Pausing briefly, she parted her lips.

“Maybe fixing your rootless dialect could make things better. Other than your way of speaking, you’re just a stylish ordinary beauty, right?”

*Ha*, damn it. I know I’m rootless too! I know! It’s been stuck to my mouth since I was young and never fell off.

“Yes, you know that your sister has picked up various dialects from different regions. But what can we do? It’s uncomfortable to listen to because it lacks authenticity.”

*Damn it… You talk big, huh? I’ll give you a beating….

“Haha, sorry….”

She retreated without a word.

*Tsk*. Don’t act so arrogant. If you’re really sorry, come to the store next Thursday.

“But on that day, I have a shift at the burger joint….”

“The owner lives in Namcheon-dong, right? I’m telling you! Hey! The owner and I! Yesterday too, right? Ate together and all?! Went to the sauna as well, I’ve done it all!”

“You were friends with the burger joint owner…?”

“Do you get it now?”

“Well…. yes…. It’s not that surprising anymore. By any chance, are you the gang leader who runs the alley market? Not a mafia boss, right?”

As she spoke, she convinced herself.

Connected with various villa and one-room building owners.

With a college student appearance, in her early twenties, driving different sports cars based on her mood each day, excluding mafia bosses or chaebols, seemed implausible.

Furrowing her brows, she seemed genuinely concerned. Through the receiver, a chuckle slipped through.

“Oh, trying to please the gang leader?”

“A little, maybe…?”

“If it’s just a little, it won’t cut it.”

“Please don’t. Gangsters are bad.”

“Oh, okay.”

The chuckling continued.

It seemed like I had hit the humor spot accurately. Or maybe, I was just making silly remarks cutely.

Shrugging, she bid farewell.

“Are you leaving soon?”

“Yes. Go inside and check it out.”

“Alright, have fun tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

Just as she was about to hang up-

“Hey.”

“Why?”

“You sound cheerful, so it’s nice to see.”

“Have I become cheerful? I’m pretty much the same as usual….”

She firmly denied.

“You were gloomy. Your usual look was like a dead fish’s eye a week after its death.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just a lifeless corpse! Weren’t you moping around every day without energy? When I first saw you, I thought you were a zombie baby, didn’t I?”

Did I? I tilted my head slightly.

“Kid, you still don’t know anything.”

“There’s no room for argument here.”

“Anyway, the student council, friends, they all say you look good. Act your age, enjoy your youth, graduate, and join our company.”

“… ”

“And let me add, love is unnecessary in youth. Got it? Damn it. If you meet a girl, tell her you’d die for her.”

“No, if there’s no love in youth….”

“Oh, I don’t know! I don’t care! Just follow along! Promise me you won’t dream of romance until graduation! Damn it, am I your mother? Should I teach you these things!?”

What did she want to teach me….

I shook my head slightly.

One day left until the officer training camp.