The Rival's Visit
She made a fuss, though she wasn't particularly welcome. I already knew more than enough about how she felt about me. Yet the woman still came to my uncle's house, raising her voice as if she were someone important.
I couldn't throw her out. I didn't know the details, but apparently she'd helped a lot when they bought this place. More precisely, her father had. Some nouveau riche man who'd ruined his own child while trying to raise her with money. Still, since he'd spent money on my uncle, there was nothing I could do. So I just stood there, fidgeting, while his daughter strutted around.
She knew I'd gotten into university. I didn't need to figure out who told her, but it seemed the most important detail had been left out—that my uncle had promised to grant me one wish if I got in. I hadn't even made the wish yet. And no matter what I wished for, she could never have my uncle. He'd already given his heart to me. What could she possibly do? Poor woman.
She irritated me, disgusted me, and I hated looking at her face, but I still felt a little sorry for her. Because from now on, I was going to take her man. There wasn't much time left. Once I turned twenty, who could stop me? Who could blame us? I'd be an adult too. Two consenting adults in love… we could do whatever we wanted. Of course. No one could stop me.
A gift held out with both hands. Yes, I could tell exactly what she was trying to do by the way she approached, pretending to congratulate me. She wanted me to finally acknowledge her. Not as a rival, but as my sungmo, as my uncle's woman. Who was she kidding? She was just panicking and putting on airs. Still, she was good at ruining the family mood. Since I found it unpleasant to keep looking at her face, I decided to humor her just enough and then slip away. There was no need for the winner to keep picking fights. The loser could just sit quietly and reminisce about the man she'd lost to her own niece.
But then—
“Our wedding too, of course.”
Wedding? A word as grating as her voice. It would have annoyed me coming from anyone, but hearing it from the woman I hated most made it unbearable. I understood the meaning, so the question came naturally. Uncle. What about me? Our relationship was already twisted… How? How could she marry my uncle?
“I specifically told him not to say anything. I figured you'd be busy studying and didn't want to distract you.”
There was laughter in her voice. Mocking me, or perhaps the victor's leisure. I didn't know what it meant, but everything I'd confirmed with my uncle until now… what was going to happen to all that? I'd checked every night when he came home to see if he smelled like her. I'd asked why he was late. I'd called him. I'd managed him so thoroughly, making sure she never laid a hand on him. Studying while worrying about my uncle had been exhausting. The only thing that kept me going was falling asleep in his arms. How could he… do this to me?
“You'll be busy once we set the date.”
Not you. Me. I'll be the one who's busy. I had no time to waste clinging to my uncle while he wavered. The moment I turned twenty, I planned to pounce.
“If you want to come too, Yerin, we can go together. Your uncle's hopeless with these things…”
She kept rambling. I let it go in one ear and out the other, but the anger filling my chest was impossible to ignore. I ran to the kitchen where he was standing, determined to confront him. After asking for water, I poured it into the sink on purpose, making sure he saw. I wanted to throw it in her face, but that would cause problems for everyone.
“Uncle.”
His face stiffened. He was smart enough to know why I was calling him. Being the honest man he was, he'd probably try to say he couldn't do what I wanted. But… I was my mother's daughter. In the end, he wouldn't be able to refuse. We shared the same blood.
“Aren't you worried about what wish I'll make?”
“You're the one who promised. You said you wouldn't ask for anything unreasonable.”
Unreasonable. If we just stopped holding back and admitted how we felt about each other, everything would be fine. There was no need to call it a wish. Just in case he hadn't realized, I leaned in and whispered in his ear.
Uncle. I'm turning twenty soon. Make sure you remember that. From that moment on, whatever I do, you won't have any excuses left.
Haa. I'd snapped at him, but the knot in my chest wouldn't loosen. What was the point of getting angry at my uncle anyway? The one who truly irritated me was the woman outside. I wished I hadn't heard any of it. Why was this house so poorly soundproofed? Her shrill voice echoed through the entire place.
Should I just go strangle her? No. I couldn't. I couldn't have my uncle visiting me in prison. Besides, she had plenty of money—she'd probably be delighted to have an excuse to separate us. But what could I do? I hated her voice. I hated the sight of her strutting around. What if I asked my uncle to move? Or change jobs? I'd earn the money myself through part-time work. I'd take care of him for the rest of my life. We could run away together to a paradise only the two of us knew. Should I use my wish on him? Asking to go somewhere on earth where I'd never have to see her face again seemed like a perfectly reasonable request.
“Haa… haa.”
? Then came the low, breathy sounds. Unpleasant moans. Disgusting pitches. Even with my ears covered while curled up on the bed, I could hear them. What she and my uncle were doing. What she was doing to him. What filthy things. Kissing my man, touching him, committing some horrific act. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine it. If I opened them, rage flooded in. Trapped in the darkness of the room, listening to those revolting sounds, I couldn't bear it.
Then—
“Oppa, please.”
“Stop complaining and just satisfy me.”
“Why do you keep being difficult?”
The voices slipped through the gaps in my fingers. I lowered my hands and listened.
“Get out. No, forget it. I'll leave.”
“Why? Going to your niece?”
No matter how I looked at it, the problem between them seemed to be resolving in my favor. That slut had finally gotten on my uncle's nerves. Of course she had—there was no room in his heart for anyone but me. It was annoying that her filthy body had rubbed against him and left something dirty behind. I should tell him to take a shower right away.
“So what? You felt sorry for me and decided to give me charity?”
“Don't flatter yourself. Everything you're talking about… is something you should naturally have. You're enjoying far more than you deserve.”
Soon, the rough voices returned. Conflict. Anger. An argument. The two outside were busy fighting, yet for some reason, I felt like laughing. In an empty room, the niece smiled while listening to her uncle and aunt quarrel. It was an unseemly sight if anyone saw, but my face kept breaking into a grin. I couldn't help it.
Right. She was leaving after all. Having failed her original purpose. She'd wanted to show off to me—her love, her money, maybe everything she had. But in the end, she didn't have the most important thing: love. How foolish. In the end, my uncle realized it too. That she only had money. That she was trapped in the bondage she called love, unable to open her eyes properly.
“Uncle.”
When I opened the door and stepped out, he looked a mess. Lipstick smeared across his face. A troubled expression. His clothes disheveled. And finally… he couldn't meet my eyes. Fool. You didn't do anything wrong. You were just tormented by a crazy woman. Think of it as a trial you had to endure to meet me. You have me, after all.
“Uncle.”
“……”
I approached quietly and fastened his buttons again.
“Uncle.”
I wiped the lipstick from his lips. And the tears welling in his eyes.
“Uncle.”
I pulled his collapsing body into my arms. Thump, thump. How about that, Uncle? Can you hear your niece's heart racing uncontrollably because of you?
“Uncle. Uncle. Look at me. Lift your head.”
“I'm sorry… Yerin… I'm sorry.”
“There's nothing for you to apologize for. It was all that woman's fault. Why are you suffering? Don't cry. You have… me.”
That woman—no, sungmo. Thank you. Thanks to you tormenting my uncle. Thanks to you cornering him… he has no choice but to lean on me now. From now on, he'll only know me. You cheered for our love. You completed our love. It was all thanks to you. All because of you…
Pfft.
“Uncle.”
Fool. That's exactly why you're going to lose your man.