WWBU - 21

On the other hand, Mrs. Ah-san crawled on her knees toward Young-ae, begging for mercy. She pleaded that she had made a mistake and begged her not to hurt her son anymore.

“That’s enough. Get out of my house.”

At those words, Mrs. Ah-san froze, staring at Young-ae in disbelief.

“Pack your things and leave by today. If I see your disgusting face here tomorrow morning, it’ll be either you or me. Got it?”

Mrs. Ah-san burst into sobs, clinging desperately to Young-ae’s legs. Her tear-streaked face and frantic pleas were pitiful to behold.

Watching this scene silently, Guk approached his mother. After smoothing her disheveled hair, he gently stroked her back. Mrs. Ah-san, still clutching Young-ae’s leg, turned to look at her son and wept like a child.

“Let’s go.”

“...”

“Come with me. Please.”

There wasn’t a parent in the world who could refuse such a plea. Mrs. Ah-san, pulling together her torn clothes, accepted Guk’s support as he helped her to her feet.

“...”

“...”

Standing face-to-face with Hyun-soo, Guk said nothing. Hyun-soo wanted to say something—anything—but she couldn’t muster the courage. In her eyes, she had become the worst of the worst to him.

Click.

As the mother and son left, the door closed behind them, and Young-ae’s string of curses echoed through the room. Hyun-soo stood there, staring blankly at the snowflakes falling outside the living room window.

Hyun-soo simply felt an overwhelming sadness. Even amidst all this chaos, all she could think about was Guk. She selfishly hoped he wouldn’t hate her. But she knew she was now the worst of the worst to him.

Hyun-soo broke down in tears.

That night, just past midnight, a fire broke out in the mansion. The flames, whose origin remained unknown, raged with a ferocity that threatened to consume everything. Neither the annex nor the storage sheds were spared—the entire estate was engulfed, save for the snow-covered garden.

By an unfortunate coincidence, Guk returned late from wandering the streets, trying to clear his mind after the events of the day. He had finally resolved to comfort his mother and sister when he arrived home to find the horrifying scene before him.

The fire had spread to the annex, where his family was trapped. As the realization hit him, Guk snapped out of his daze and sprang into action. He ran toward the annex, determined to save his mother and younger sister, Han.

But then someone grabbed him from behind.

“You...! What are you doing here? How are you even here?”

It was his younger sister, Han. Unharmed and healthy, she looked up at Guk with her large, clear eyes and began chattering.

“Someone brought me here.”

“Who?”

“Yeah, Hyun-soo noona.”

Han pointed to the far right. Following the direction of her finger, Guk saw Hyun-soo sitting on the ground, coughing heavily. Thankfully, she didn’t appear to be seriously injured, though her body trembled noticeably.

Drawn to her, Guk approached Hyun-soo. He couldn’t leave her there, trembling and terrified. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Kim Hyun-soo, Hyun-soo. Look at me. I’m here. But...

“Hyung.”

At the same moment, Han tugged on the hem of Guk’s shirt from behind.

“What about Mom? Where’s Mom?”

Only then did the thought of their mother resurface in Guk’s mind. His gaze swept over the annex, now being consumed by the flames. Fortunately, it hadn’t been completely engulfed yet. There was still hope—he could save her if he acted quickly.

“Stay here.”

“Hyung, where are you going?”

There was no time to explain. After hastily patting Han’s cheek, Guk turned toward the annex. The flames had grown fiercer, crackling and spitting embers as they roared hungrily.

Without hesitation, Guk charged forward.

But he was immediately stopped.

Guk turned to see who had grabbed him, his eyes half-wild with panic.

“You bastard! It was you, wasn’t it? You started the fire!”

The person holding Guk by the collar was Kim Hyeonsung, Hyun-soo’s father. Having sat motionless on the ground moments ago, he suddenly leapt up and began shaking Guk violently, shouting accusations.

“Let go of me.”

“You devil! I know you did this!”

“No time for this—let go! Let me go!”

“I’ll never let you go until you bring my wife back! Do you hear me, you monster?!”

“Aaaah!”

Frustrated by the dire situation, Guk thrashed and screamed. To anyone watching, it was clear that every second counted. Yet Kim Hyeonsung clung to him like a curse, refusing to let go.

Overwhelmed by panic and confusion, Hyun-soo belatedly noticed the commotion unfolding on the other side. It was obvious that her father was preventing Guk from moving. Though she didn’t fully understand the situation, she instinctively knew that no one should stop Guk right now.

Struggling to her feet despite her trembling legs, Hyun-soo rushed over. Stumbling several times, she grabbed her father’s arm and pleaded.

“Dad, stop this! Let him go! We can talk about this later, okay?”

But it was no use. No matter how loudly Hyun-soo cried, her father wouldn’t listen. Kim Hyeonsung seemed possessed, unyielding in his rage.

“Dad, please!”

Bang!

Crash!

Startled by the sudden explosion, Hyun-soo covered her ears and collapsed to the ground. For a brief moment, the chaos around her fell silent, replaced by an eerie stillness.

Opening her tightly shut eyes, Hyun-soo noticed shards of broken glass scattered near her. Fear gripped her heart, making it hard to breathe.

Kim Hyeonsung slumped back onto the ground. Guk simply stared at the burning annex, his expression unreadable. Han, trembling and sobbing, clung to her brother’s waist.

“What... where’s Mom? Where is she?”

Arriving late, Hyun-seo rushed onto the scene after receiving the call. Spotting her father and younger brother sitting on the ground, she scanned the area for the rest of the family. But Young-ae was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Mom?! Tell me!”

Her piercing scream cut through the air, but no answer came.

The inferno was merciless. In the end, it devoured everything in its path, leaving nothing behind. Absolutely nothing.

Snap, snap. Embers continued to burst forth from various spots.

Whee-ee-ee. Faint sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder but still too far away.

Young-ae and Mrs. Ah-san had perished in the fire.

The investigation began.

Guk was immediately branded as the prime suspect. Given the earlier altercation during the day, it seemed plausible that he might have set the fire. However, this wrongful accusation was soon lifted when CCTV footage from the streets confirmed his alibi—he had been elsewhere at the time the fire was believed to have started.

Further investigation revealed more details. While the exact point of origin was difficult to pinpoint, authorities concluded that the fire likely began on the left side of the mansion—where Hyun-soo’s room was located.

Naturally, suspicion shifted to Hyun-soo next. Her habit of collecting and burning scented candles only added fuel to the theory.

“Tell me the truth. Did you light a candle that night or not?”

Hyun-seo questioned her with a cold, unfamiliar expression.

“I did light one, but I swear I put it out before going to bed. I’m sure of it—I even put the lid back on.”

“You crazy bitch.”

“What?”

“Don’t you remember? You said the same thing before—how you ‘put it out,’ but the candle burned all night because the flame stayed lit. Ring any bells?”

“But that was different...!”

“It’s your fault.”

“Sister, no! It wasn’t me!”

“Because of you, Mom’s gone.”

There was no concrete evidence against Hyun-soo, but the collective conviction of those around her was damning enough.

In the end, all blame fell squarely on Hyun-soo. She became known as the daughter who had killed her own mother.

Hyun-soo couldn’t believe it. How could everyone unanimously decide she was guilty without a single dissenting voice? Her chest felt suffocatingly heavy, and her throat constantly tightened with anxiety. The grief over losing Young-ae combined with the shame of being labeled a murderer made it nearly impossible to endure. But denial changed nothing. Once people’s perceptions tilted, they rarely straightened again.

Even at the funeral hall, Hyun-soo faced judgment and scorn from relatives and acquaintances alike. Everyone so easily believed the narrative—that the youngest daughter had set the fire that killed her own mother.

Misfortune always travels in pairs. Following Young-ae’s death, tragedy continued to visit the family. Not long after the funeral, Kim Hyeonsung’s once-thriving business began to crumble.

The family’s financial situation deteriorated rapidly. Hyun-seo, who had grown up indulging in horseback riding, golf, flute, piano, and art lessons, became increasingly hysterical as the support she once took for granted disappeared.

With each passing day, Hyun-seo’s resentment toward Hyun-soo grew unbearable—even for herself. In her mind, all of this was Kim Hyun-soo’s fault.

“I loved Mom. I needed her!”

“...”

“But you took her away from me. How will you make it up to me?”

“...”

“It should’ve been you.”

“...”

“Mom shouldn’t have died—it should’ve been you.”

All the misfortunes that followed were, in Hyun-seo’s eyes, caused by this cursed girl. Her bloodshot eyes screamed these words daily.

It didn’t take long for Kim Hyeonsung’s business to collapse entirely. Within a short span of time, the three of them lost everything they had.

Kim Hyeonsung abandoned his daughters, fleeing under the cover of night. From that point on, none of them knew whether he was alive or dead—or what had become of each other.