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Chapter 53
Rrrrr. Rrrrr.
The phone, which had been forgotten because it rarely got any use, rang.
As always, it was sitting beneath the television, with the cord stretched out.
Like me, she picked up the phone, which had been wasting space and money, just to check it.
<Oppa>
“What the…?”
Her face creased at the unexpected caller.
If it had been an advertisement call, it might have been better. Calmly, she blocked the phone that rang so loudly.
[Go away. I don’t need you.]
Recalling Joo Seong-gyun’s face, who had coldly drawn a line and insisted they’d never see each other again, only added to her irritation.
And yet, here he was, contacting her.
“What a shameless bastard. Bury him in concrete and it still wouldn’t be enough.”
“Yes? Did you call me?”
The voice of Mrs. Kim from the kitchen responded to her muttered words.
“No!”
We answered quickly, having already blocked the number so it wouldn’t ring again, and even turned off the phone completely.
‘I don’t care what he wants. I can’t stand parasites.’
People like that always behave the same way. If you don’t cut them off completely, they’ll cling to you until the end.
It had been a wise decision for Ae-jung not to tell her brother about the marriage.
Thud.
She tossed the phone aside and muttered,
“I get the benefit, though.”
We clicked our tongues at her bitterness and returned to the sofa. Just as before, we lay down and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Sigh…
Staring at the ceiling for so long made Joo Seong-gyun fade from memory quickly.
Truthfully, there wasn’t even time to think of him. What mattered now was the reality she was facing—being rejected before she could even confess.
‘I was greedy. I had an absurd thought. Because it’s comfortable, I went completely astray.’
It had been a few days since attending the Eunyang Foundation event.
By some luck, she hadn’t run into the relentlessly busy Yoon Jae since that day, and the days had passed quietly.
During that time, our conclusion, after burrowing into the ground like a mole, was simple:
Give up.
The feelings she had for Ha Yoon Jae weren’t simple. The vivid fluttering in her chest couldn’t be denied.
But the fact that Ju Ae-jung liked him as a man was also something that couldn’t just be ignored.
And beyond all that, the most important thing about her feelings was missing.
“…I don’t even know myself. How could you know me?”
The words of an old song spilled out naturally.
Though slightly altered.
After all, she couldn’t tell anyone the most important fact—her situation.
How could she share her heart with anyone when she couldn’t even reveal herself?
If it were someone else, she might have brazenly stepped forward. But of all people…
“Ma’am, it’s time to eat.”
Mrs. Kim’s gentle voice interrupted her cyclical worries.
Swoosh.
We got up like dolls and headed to the kitchen.
It was almost as if someone were pulling strings.
Plop.
Sitting down weakly, Mrs. Kim poured water and asked,
“Is something troubling you lately?”
“…Do I look that way?”
Mrs. Kim nodded immediately.
“Yes. You haven’t been eating well, and you seem to have lost some weight.”
Her normally smooth skin had become rough over just a few days, probably because she had been exercising and eating properly until recently.
We didn’t deny it and picked up our chopsticks.
“My appetite’s a bit off.”
We ate slowly, counting grains of rice, and Mrs. Kim asked with concern,
“You don’t have much of an appetite? Skipping snacks too…”
It was worrying to see someone who used to raid the fridge to lose weight now so hesitant.
We replied awkwardly,
“A little… my stomach hasn’t been feeling well. I’m not sick, though.”
“Your stomach… why suddenly… oh my.”
Mrs. Kim, who cared for us like a mother, widened her eyes in surprise. Then, cheeks flushed, she asked cautiously,
“Have you… tried it?”
We blinked, about to eat another spoonful of soup.
“Pardon? Tried what?”
“A test.”
“…A test for what?”
Mrs. Kim, lowering her voice, asked after startling us out of nowhere. We innocently asked back.
Her patience seemed to snap a little, and she came closer, delivering a bombshell clearly.
“A pregnancy test.”
A nuclear bomb, no less.
“…Cough, cough!”
“Oh my! Water! Drink water!”
Soup went up our throats and triggered coughing. We drank the water she handed us and, barely calming down, shouted with flushed faces,
“It’s not like that!”
“Oh, it’s not?”
“Yes! You need a spacesuit to reach the stars, and I’m not wearing one!”
“Excuse me?”
“Yes!”
“…Hmm?”
Completely flustered, we blurted nonsense until we realized our mistake.
Blinking.
Unintentionally exposing a newlywed’s bare self, we shook our heads, calming our anger.
“Anyway, it’s not like that. I just don’t have much appetite. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“Yes… I’m sorry. I got ahead of myself.”
“No need to apologize.”
A strange tension lingered between the two of us.
‘We almost ended up in a disaster.’
‘No way… surely not. They get along so well.’
Two completely opposite thoughts collided silently.
Gulp.
After a brief silence, Mrs. Kim, regretting her impatience, refilled our empty cups.
“If there’s anything you want to eat, let me know. You’ve lost a lot of weight in a few days. I’m worried you’ll get too thin again.”
“…Yes.”
Understandable concern.
Wee-iiing.
At that moment, Mrs. Kim’s apron vibrated.
“Ma’am, I’ll take a quick call.”
“Go ahead.”
Thankfully, the sudden call eased the awkward tension. Mrs. Kim went to the utility room next to the kitchen, and we rubbed our embarrassed faces.
“Oh…”
Just a few days, and yet we had lost enough weight to cause such a strange misunderstanding. Come to think of it, the ring no longer felt tight.
“….”
She lowered her hands and fiddled with the ring on her left ring finger.
It spun surprisingly, even though it had been tight.
A little force and it slid off up to her fingernail.
‘Is my life ruined?’
She had sulked for days like a tragic heroine, unable to confess or love, and now it was showing physically.
Hoo.
We clicked our tongues at ourselves and tried to put the ring back on…
“Wha, what? Where? How?”
“…!”
Startled.
Thud, roll.
Mrs. Kim’s sudden shout made the ring slip from our fingers and roll across the floor under the table.
“Oh, oh!”
Fortunately, it stopped near the living room carpet.
As we got up, calming our racing hearts, Mrs. Kim’s excited voice continued.
“Okay, hang up for now. I’ll contact you again. Don’t cry!”
Ending the call hastily, she left the utility room.
We asked, noticing her serious expression,
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, no… it’s just…”
Her eyes red and face pale, she seemed restless. We approached her, concerned.
“Mrs. Kim.”
Our hand on her shoulder seemed to calm her enough for her to stammer,
“My… my daughter was in a car accident and is at the hospital… She was with her daughter, and they got hurt… but the son-in-law is on a business trip.”
She tried to stay composed, but her words were scattered.
Losing her husband early and raising an only daughter alone, it was no wonder she was shocked and scared.
We gripped her shoulder to prevent her from collapsing and said,
“Mrs. Kim, take a deep breath. You need to calm down.”
Her trembling hand suggested it could be a serious accident. We took charge to understand the situation.
“Who exactly were you speaking to on the phone?”
“My, my daughter. We talked, but she said she got hurt and her daughter too. Surgery might be needed.”
“If she can call directly, it’s not the worst case. Is there anyone you can go with? If not, I’ll accompany you.”
“What? Bu-but ma’am, how could you…”
“Don’t worry about that. Grab your bag and come. I’ll get the car keys too. Tell me the hospital on the way.”
Still flustered, Mrs. Kim calmed down as she went to the room and took the car keys—the very ones Yoon Jae had given her.
‘Using it like this…’
Despite everything, there was nothing that Ha Yoon Jae hadn’t touched.
But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. We exhaled and headed outside.
Shine.
The lone ring sat inside, unaware, sadly alone.
