I'm Home!! (5)
The dryer hummed loudly.
Squatting in the utility room, Seolah and I stared blankly at the wet blanket tumbling noisily inside the machine, completely zoned out.
We'd gone at it hard since midday, then ended up sweating buckets on the bathroom floor while washing the blanket. Both of us were utterly drained, running on empty.
"……."
"……."
We were spacing out to the rhythmic sound of the dryer like it was a lullaby when it happened.
"Kids~ Are you in there?"
A familiar voice came from the front door. It was Seolah's mother.
"Huk!"
Seolah jumped like she'd been electrocuted, her shoulders trembling.
She'd just been rolling around on the bed and helping wash the blanket, so her hair was a wild mess sticking out in every direction and her clothes were horribly rumpled. Of course, I looked just as bad, drenched in sweat and equally disheveled.
Seolah urgently mouthed words at me, jerking her chin toward the door.
('Hey! You go out first, quick!')
"Uh, yeah. I'll go check."
I hastily adjusted my pants, cleared my throat, and dashed to the entrance.
"Ah, um, Mother! You're here?"
"I am. You've been working hard."
Beyond the front door, Seolah's mother stood holding a large food container. Steam rose gently from between the lid, and it was none other than freshly boiled suyuk!
"This is what was left after serving snacks in the fields. Eat it for lunch with Seolah. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"Ah, yes! Thank you!"
I quickly took the container, and Seolah's mother peeked into the living room with a curious look.
"Is Seolah in there?"
"Ah, yes. She's inside, yep……."
I smiled awkwardly, cold sweat trickling down my back. A very meaningful and mischievous smile spread across Seolah's mother's lips.
"Aigoo, it's such a wonderful time. Still, this is a neighborhood full of parents, so don't overdo it. Control yourselves a little. I'd love to set a whole table for you, but that would be this mother being completely tactless, wouldn't it?"
"Ah…… ahahahahaha……."
She'd hit the nail right on the head. My face burned like it was about to explode, and all I could do was laugh like an idiot. There was no fooling a rural mother's cool, razor-sharp intuition. It was on a whole other level.
Seolah's mother patted my shoulder and left one very important instruction.
"Enjoy the meal. A bit later this evening, bring Seolah and the empty container over to our house. Her father has something to say to you."
"……Ah, yes."
The terrifying prospect of being summoned by my father-in-law sent a chill down my spine, but after she left, my eyes were glued to the food container in my hands.
The steam leaking from the lid carried the rich aroma of pork fat that hit me like a wave.
The smell invaded my nostrils, and my empty stomach let out a loud, rumbling growl. Saliva flooded my mouth, and the energy I'd lost washing the blanket suddenly screamed for food.
('……Father-in-law summons or whatever, let's eat this first.')
I stood in the middle of the living room and called out toward the kitchen in a grand voice.
"Seolah!!! Hurry! Set the table!!!"
Bang!
The utility room door flew open almost before I finished speaking. Seolah stormed out with her hair a complete mess, radiating pure murder.
"What did you just say?? Are you out of your mind…… Did your brain get stepped on with the blanket or something?"
As she clenched her fists and marched toward me, I silently flipped open the container lid with a dramatic flourish. There it was—steaming hot, tender, freshly boiled suyuk.
"……!!"
The anger in Seolah's eyes instantly flipped to pure joy the moment she saw the meat.
"Holy crap! Mom brought suyuk?! Hey! Set it up quick!"
A little while later.
We worked together like a well-oiled machine to prepare the table. It was a truly fantastic spread.
The spicy-sweet marinated crab left over from last night's dinner, a pot of ramen with an egg cracked in and cooked to perfect chewiness. And the highlight—glossy, juice-dripping suyuk paired with Seolah's mother's special fresh kimchi made from napa cabbage.
Facing the perfect table with steam rising beautifully, Seolah and I each gripped chopsticks in both hands and shouted at the same time.
"Thanks for the meal!!!!!!!!"
* * *
"Mmm……."
Once your stomach's full, sleep comes crashing down. It was inevitable. After devouring every last bit of that massive amount of suyuk, ramen, and crab without leaving a scrap, we patted our bellies, collapsed onto my bed, and passed out immediately.
"Uwaah……."
How long had I slept? I stretched luxuriously and opened my eyes to see the orange glow of sunset seeping through the window.
('What time is it now…….')
With my sense of time still fuzzy, I turned my head. Right beside me, Seolah had pulled the blanket up to her chin and was breathing softly, fast asleep without a care in the world. She must have been exhausted from washing the blanket earlier—her face looked deeply, peacefully asleep.
I rolled onto my side and quietly admired her sleeping face.
"……."
Without thinking, I leaned in closer, sniffed at her neck, and even poked her soft cheek with my index finger. Even the way she frowned and whined "Mmm……" in her sleep like I was bothering her was so cute that I let out a small chuckle.
That's when it happened, while I was lost in that peaceful moment.
Bzzz— Bzzzz—
My phone, which I'd tossed by the pillow, started vibrating loudly. The caller ID on the screen read [Dad].
"Hello?"
"Hey, son. What are you up to?"
"Uh…… I just woke up. Took a nap?"
My answer was met with my father's hearty laughter over the phone.
"Hahaha, that's right! During holiday breaks, you're supposed to eat, sleep, and take it easy."
"How was your golf gathering today, Dad?"
"Hey! I'm still number one at the county office, number one! I swept the floor with everyone today!"
Father bragged excitedly for a while before suddenly changing the subject as if he'd just remembered.
"Oh, by the way, Seolah's mother brought over some suyuk for lunch?"
"Ah, yes. We ate really well thanks to her."
"Good. Make sure you thank her properly. Oh, and your mom and I have a dinner gathering in town tonight, so we'll be home late."
I tilted my head at that.
"I heard from Mom earlier…… Isn't today a holiday? You never used to have dinners like this on red days before."
"Hehe, it just means your dad's position has gotten higher! And more than that…… country officials can't really help it. We have to take care of the local bigwigs and handle all the events."
"Ah, I see……."
As I nodded, Father's voice suddenly dropped the playful tone and grew serious.
"Oh, more importantly. Have you made up your mind?"
"……."
I immediately understood what he meant. I gazed softly at Seolah's back as she curled up sleeping beside me. I gently patted the blanket over her shoulder and answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Ah, yes. I want to…… keep staying together."
Father let out another hearty laugh at my firm reply, his voice full of satisfaction.
"Good. You made a very manly choice. I already dropped a subtle hint to Yongseok hyung-nim (Seolah's father) around lunchtime, so go explain it to him properly yourself."
"……Huh??"
For a second I thought I'd misheard. He'd given a hint? To my father-in-law?
"Good luck~"
Click—
"Wait, hello?! Dad? Hold on!!"
But the call had already been cut off mercilessly. Father had kindly paved the entire road to the room of truth for me, then cleanly ran away under the excuse of a dinner gathering.
"Ugh, damn…… seriously!"
As I clutched my head and groaned, Seolah, who had been sleeping under the blanket beside me, frowned and tossed in her sleep.
"Mmm……. Ugh, so loud……."
She blearily opened her eyes, her hair still a wild mess, and grumbled in an irritated voice. But I had no room in my ears for her complaints right now. In just a little while, I'd have to face a tiger-like father-in-law and present a briefing on the justification for our cohabitation. It was a do-or-die crisis situation.
If I showed up in these sweat-smelling wrinkled clothes with my messy hair, I'd start off on the wrong foot and probably wouldn't even get a bone to pick.
"F-first, I need to wash up! At least make myself presentable!!"
"Huh? Hey, why are you suddenly……."
I sprang up from the bed like a spring, leaving Seolah staring up at me with a dumbfounded face, and sprinted straight for the bathroom.
Bang—!
The bathroom door slammed shut with a loud noise, and immediately after, the sound of the shower running echoed through the house.
Left all alone on the bed, Seolah blinked, staring at the firmly closed bathroom door with a look of utter confusion. Still half-asleep, she scratched her forehead and muttered in disbelief.
"……What the hell is that guy doing??"
When I burst out of the bathroom after a lightning-fast shower and started frantically digging through the closet with fire in my eyes, Seolah, who had been sitting blankly on the bed, widened her eyes in surprise.
What I pulled out was none other than my suit set. It was the one I'd gotten tailored for the occasional official events my father dragged me to back in high school.
It was tighter now that I'd grown bigger, with the shoulders and thighs stretched taut like they might burst, but that precarious fit somehow perfectly represented my desperate resolve.
Still wearing the tight suit, I marched straight into the kitchen.
I then scrubbed the food container Seolah's mother had brought the suyuk in with such care that it practically squeaked. I was determined to show the ultimate in manners and etiquette as a prospective son-in-law.
"Hey, Minjun. What are you doing? Going on a blind date or something? Or do you have an interview today?"
Seolah watched me from where she lay on the bed like I was some bizarre creature. I wiped the moisture from the container and turned around with a solemn expression.
"Baek Seolah. Get ready."
"……Ready for what?"
"Just get ready!! Hurry!!"
At my sudden outburst, Seolah let out a deep sigh. "Ugh, that idiot……." Then she burrowed straight back under the blanket.
"Whatever, I'm going back to sleep. Do your little show by yourself."
In the end, I didn't give up. I sat down in the middle of the living room in a solemn lotus position. I placed both hands neatly on my knees and stared fixedly at the phone in front of me.
It was like the calm before the storm.
Soon the phone would ring with the summons from my father-in-law. Then would come the presentation for our cohabitation that I had to survive. I waited for the phone to ring in a more serious posture than ever, like a prisoner awaiting execution or a general before a decisive battle.
('Ah…… but my legs are starting to cramp;;')
I'd been sitting motionless in lotus position for a while when pins and needles started shooting up my calves. I was just about to subtly shift my posture.
A long shadow suddenly stretched across the living room floor, and someone was standing tall right in front of me.
"……?!"
I jerked my head up in shock. There stood Seolah's father, hands clasped behind his back, looking down at me with an expressionless face. I had no idea when he'd opened the front door and come in.
"Father—!!!"
"Shh."
Seolah's father quickly brought his index finger to his lips, stopping me as I reflexively tried to jump up. Then he gave a small nod and whispered.
"Where's Seolah?"
"……Ah, right!!"
I'd been so focused on my solemn preparations that I'd completely forgotten about her sleeping in the room. My legs were still tingling from the cramp as I answered in a hushed voice.
"She's…… in my room……."
Seolah's father walked carefully to the door of my room. Through the slightly open gap, he quietly watched his daughter, who had kicked off the blanket and was sleeping soundly without a care in the world.
For a brief moment, a tender, warm smile crossed the lips of my usually gruff and strict-looking father-in-law as he looked at his daughter.
He quietly closed the door, then jerked his chin at me, signaling me to come outside.
I swallowed hard and followed awkwardly after him on my numb legs toward the entrance. Just as I was about to trail after him empty-handed, Seolah's father stopped and glanced back.
"Hey. Her mom brought some kind of container with suyuk, right? What did you do with it?"
"Ah!"
I'd gone to all the trouble of scrubbing it until it squeaked, and I'd almost left the most important bribe(?) sitting on the sink. I hurriedly tried to run to the kitchen.
Seolah's father frowned deeply and grabbed my shoulder.
"Hey! Don't run. Go quietly, quietly. You'll wake her up."
"Ah…… Yes, yes sir!"
I tiptoed into the kitchen like a ninja, carefully cradled the now-shining container in my arms, and returned.
Feeling a strange sense of emotion at the father's seemingly indifferent but caring consideration for his daughter's deep sleep, I followed Seolah's father out into the dark yard.
We carefully walked out of the yard, and the cool autumn night air brushed against my nose. The father-in-law walking ahead suddenly turned around and asked.
"Do you smoke?"
"No sir!"
I answered like a new recruit standing at perfect attention. Seolah's father clicked his tongue and nodded.
"Good. I don't smoke either. It's nothing but harm and a waste of money. Tell your father to quit soon too."
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."
During the awkward silence that followed, my father-in-law's sharp gaze scanned me from head to toe.
"But what's with that outfit? Why are you all dressed up in a suit?"
"Uh……."
"What? Going to meet some other girl in the middle of the night?"
I panicked and waved my hands wildly while still holding the container.
"No, no!! Absolutely not! Ah, I just…… wanted to make a good impression on you, Father-in-law……."
At that, Seolah's father burst into a dry laugh.
"Heh heh. What a pointless effort. I've known you since you were a snot-nosed brat. I know every corner of your mind even if you don't wear that tight thing. It looks like it's choking you, kid."
At my father-in-law's scolding, the collar of my tight suit felt especially hot. We walked silently along the village path where streetlights shone sparsely. Soon, Seolah's father stopped and threw a heavy fastball.
"Are you two really going to keep living together?"
"……Yes!! We'll live well together."
I answered with as much determination as I could muster, but Seolah's father's expression remained stern.
"Living well together isn't the issue. But don't you know? A man can shake it off and start over later, but if a girl lives with an unrelated man at a young age, what kind of label will follow her?"
"……."
"I heard from your dad. You threw a tantrum saying you wouldn't even go up to Seoul without Seolah? But that's not the problem. The problem is that you two are still too young."
Everything Seolah's father said was completely reasonable. As a parent with a daughter, they were the most natural worries and realistic concerns.
"So what I'm saying is, for now I'll get Seolah a separate room near your studio apartment. You can live in the same neighborhood, see each other often, and eat together. Wouldn't that be similar even if you don't live in the same room?"
A reasonable compromise. It was an enormous consideration from my perspective—her parents taking a step back and allowing her to live nearby.
"So, we'll do it that way?"
Seolah's father asked as if driving in the final nail. But I gripped the food container tightly in my arms, bit my lip, and answered.
"……I don't want that."
At my defiance, Seolah's father's brow twisted fiercely.
"……?? Why??"
"I want to…… live together no matter what."
"Hey!!"
Finally unable to hold back, my father-in-law's roar echoed through the night street.
"That's easy for you to say because you're a boy!! She's my precious daughter, a girl! If she gets criticized for it later or any problems come up, are you going to take full responsibility?!"
Standing before my raging father-in-law, I couldn't even make excuses. Because I knew all too well that my stubbornness came from nothing but immature possessiveness and selfishness.
"……I haven't thought about it. About living without Seolah."
I suppressed my trembling voice and looked straight into Seolah's father's eyes.
"Of course I know this is my selfish stubbornness. I don't dare think that Seolah will definitely be happy just because she lives with me. But……."
