WWBU - 82

“Shut up. You have no right to speak.”

“My mom’s noona—your father tried to assault her, and yet you blamed my mom for it. I can’t forget the sight of her begging, battered and innocent. I still remember it to this day.”

“So that’s why? That’s why you set the fire?”

“I was just a kid trying to scare him! I never thought it would turn into such a huge blaze. What kind of child wants to kill their own parents?”

Hyun-soo trembled uncontrollably, unable to continue speaking. Han looked up at her with sorrowful eyes.

“Noona... Hyun-soo, Noona.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Please...”

“From now on, don’t even acknowledge me.”

Han’s eyes welled up with tears, his expression twisting in pain. He looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

“Don’t say things like that. How can you be so cruel?”

“You’re the one who shouldn’t act like this. Things have gone your way already. All those things you said today… did you really think I’d react like this?”

“…Even so. Even so, I want to beg for forgiveness.”

Seeing Han stubbornly stick to his position made Hyun-soo feel utterly exhausted. A sudden wave of emptiness left her without the strength to scream.

“I’ll say one thing.”

“…”

“You’ve won.”

“Noona.”

“I don’t think we can be together anymore. Not with you, and not with Yoon Guk either.”

“Noona, please...”

Han’s desperate plea of “please” rang painfully in her ears. Hyun-soo almost gagged. The thought of the person who had burdened her with lifelong guilt looking at her with such eyes was incomprehensible. She found him utterly despicable—so repulsive she couldn’t bear to look at him.

“He’s your brother!”

“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.”

“But you only say what you want to say. You’re despicable. Don’t ever contact me again.”

After glaring fiercely at Han, Hyun-soo turned around and walked away. It was a merciless goodbye. Though Han tried to reach out to stop her despite his weakened body, it was futile.

“Noona!”

Perhaps she didn’t want to hear his voice anymore. Plugging her ears against his cries, Hyun-soo fled the hospital room as if running for her life. Han chased after her but could only glimpse her disappearing figure at the end of the hallway.

“…”

After she vanished, Han stood alone in the empty corridor, staring at it hollowly.

Back home, Hyun-soo collapsed onto the bed without even changing her clothes. The dazzling chandelier above seemed unbearably bright tonight.

Staring blankly at the light fixture for a while, she eventually rolled over and caught sight of the wedding photo. It showed two people, foreheads touching, laughing joyfully.

“…”

For a long time, Hyun-soo silently gazed at Yoon Guk’s face in the picture.

What could he have possibly been thinking? She couldn’t fathom what was going through Yoon Guk’s mind.

But what did it matter now? Even if she understood, the irreversible truth had already shattered their shared future.

Suddenly, a sharp pain throbbed near her temple, and nausea overwhelmed her. Curling up and hugging her knees, Hyun-soo closed her eyes. Behind her tightly shut lids, Yoon Guk’s face flickered hauntingly. It was strange; she didn’t want to face him or even know what to say to him right now.

“I hate it all...”

She truly hated everything. It was suffocating and exhausting.

The one consolation was that Yoon Guk was away on a business trip and wouldn’t return until tomorrow, so at least she could spend tonight alone. But what then? Could she face him normally once he came back?

Ping. Ping. Ping.

Her phone rang, almost as if it sensed her thoughts. With great effort, she reached for her bag and pulled out her phone—it was Yoon Guk.

Ping. Ping. Ping.

Hyun-soo stared at the name “Yoon Guk” on the screen but didn’t answer. After ringing repeatedly, the call eventually disconnected.

The phone screen went dark, reflecting her emotionless face.

A short while later, Hyun-soo sat up as if making a decision. She took out a suitcase and began packing. She barely organized her clothes, grabbing only a few essentials to wear immediately.

Packing hastily as if fleeing, Hyun-soo took a deep breath and slung her bag over her shoulder.

Click. The door closed behind her as she dragged the suitcase away, leaving an icy silence in the room.

She had nowhere to go. After much deliberation, Hyun-soo ended up at her father Kim Hyun-sung’s house. Located in a villa complex, his home was small but modern and tidy enough to stay in.

“Why are you here so late at night?!”

“It’s nothing. I just came.”

“Did you get kicked out or something?”

“What era do you think this is? I just came to rest.”

“Damn that Yoon Guk!”

As Hyun-sung moved to call Yoon Guk, Hyun-soo snatched the phone from him. Her swift action made him glare at her.

“For now, it’s late. Sleep here tonight and go back to your in-laws tomorrow.”

“I’ll figure it out myself.”

“And figuring it out means dragging a suitcase here in the middle of the night?”

She should have just gone to a motel or a jjimjilbang. Still, blood was thicker than water, so she came to her family for refuge—but being roasted alive by her dad felt worse than enduring a professional chef’s scolding.

Dragging her suitcase, Hyun-soo entered the cramped closet-sized bedroom and locked the door. Despite Hyun-sung yelling outside, ignoring him made it tolerable.

Looking around the small room, Hyun-soo pulled an old blanket from the closet and collapsed onto it. All she could see was the low ceiling. Compared to Yoon Guk’s spacious room, this felt like a coffin lid, but for now, it was the best option.

Ping. Ping. Ping.

The phone rang again. Without checking, she knew who it was. Hyun-soo forced herself to ignore it.

Closing her eyes, she tried to force sleep, but peace of mind wasn’t so easily achieved. Eventually, she fell asleep two hours later, her face soaked with tears.

Around noon, Hyun-soo woke up parched. Her body felt impossibly heavy.

“Ugh, my head...”

Whether from crying all night or not, a headache hit her the moment she opened her eyes. After tossing for a bit, she finally gathered herself and stepped out.

“Dad?”

The living room, bathed in sunlight, was empty. Hyun-sung didn’t usually work, so where could he have gone?

Rubbing her gritty eyelids, Hyun-soo headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Though there was plenty of food, all she reached for was the water bottle. Pouring herself a glass, she gulped it down greedily—it tasted sweet after her thirst.

Beep. Beep-beep.

Suddenly, the front door opened.

“Dad!”

Then came a familiar voice. Footsteps approached, and Hyun-soo turned to see who it was. Wiping her wet lips, she met the gaze of someone whose expression twisted as if they’d seen something unpleasant.

“What are you doing here?”

“What about you? Why are you here at this hour? I thought you were busy with your project.”

“Yeah, I am. Crazy busy.”

It was Hyun-seo, her younger noona, answering curtly. Laden with shopping bags on both shoulders and arms, she dropped them dramatically in front of Hyun-soo.

“What’s all this?”

“What do you mean? Can’t you tell? Shopping.”

“I mean, what kind of shopping is this...?”

Hyun-soo glanced inside the bags scattered on the floor. They contained high-end luxury brand items—clothes, bags, shoes, all sorts of things.

“Hey, hands off.”

Hyun-seo, who had been guzzling water straight from the bottle, snapped at Hyun-soo and pushed her hand away. She tugged the bags closer, shooting Hyun-soo a disapproving look.

“Where’s Dad?”

“No idea. He wasn’t here when I woke up.”

“He said he wasn’t doing anything special today. Where’d he go?”

Annoyed, Hyun-seo brushed her hair back and pulled out her phone, clearly intending to call Hyun-sung.

While Hyun-seo dialed, Hyun-soo’s eyes remained glued to the shopping bags. How could anyone afford so many expensive items? Even for someone like Hyun-seo, excelling in a major project and earning well, this seemed excessive.

“Can your salary cover all this?”

“What?”

“I mean, how can you afford all these things?”

Unable to contain her curiosity, Hyun-soo asked bluntly. Hyun-seo, mid-call with their father, removed the phone from her ear and frowned.

“Are you picking a fight again? Did I use your money?”

“Who said that? That’s not what I meant.”

“You married into a rich family and haven’t sent a penny back to our parents. Yet here you are, throwing your weight around.”

Hyun-soo was speechless. What did her marriage and financial support to their family have to do with each other? If anything, her marriage was a transaction—a business deal.

“Damn, why isn’t he answering?”

Despite multiple rings, Hyun-sung didn’t pick up. Impatient, Hyun-seo quickly gave up and hung up.

“Hey, when Dad gets back, give him this.”

Regardless of Hyun-soo’s mood, Hyun-seo spoke her piece. Without waiting for a response, she tossed a small shopping bag toward Hyun-soo’s chest.

“What’s this?”

“Just make sure you pass it along to Dad. Don’t open it unless you want trouble.”

Hesitantly catching the bag, Hyun-soo felt uneasy. The warning not to open it echoed in her ears.

Hyun-seo was busy readjusting the shopping bags on her arms. Hyun-soo watched her for a moment before quietly opening the bag in her hands.

“What’s this?”

“Hey!”

“I’m asking, what’s inside?”

“Damn, didn’t I say not to open it? Why don’t you listen?”

Clearly startled, Hyun-seo dropped the bags she was holding and snatched the one from Hyun-soo’s grasp.