The Trash Husband, The Trash Dad - 3
Dragging a suitcase behind him, the man who flopped down on the living room sofa was Yun Jiyeon's husband — Kim Sua's father, Kim Jinsu.
Hah... Just what kind of face does he have, showing up here?
"What do you think you're sitting there for?!"
"Why do you keep yelling? Your personality's gotten a lot worse."
"You call that a response...?!"
"Were you cooking? Smells good. Perfect timing — I was hungry."
Just how shameless can a human being get?
Looking at this guy, there didn't seem to be any limit.
"Ah... what did you spill all over the floor? My socks are soaked... Clean up better, will you?"
"Haaaah.... Get up."
"I said I want food."
"I said get up!!!!"
She finally exploded.
But that shameless bastard didn't so much as bat an eye.
"Jiyeon."
"Don't you dare say my name."
"Then should I call you honey, like old times?"
Grit!!!
The sound of her biting down on her lip reached even my ears.
Yun Jiyeon really was something else, though.
If it had been me, I would have stabbed him with a knife — or at the very least cracked his skull open with a frying pan.
"Fine. It was my fault."
"What did you just say...?"
"I said it was my fault~ Things were really hard back then. You were super on edge because of the baby, too. If I'd stayed, we would've just kept fighting."
"And so?"
"What do you mean, and so? The kid's all grown up now, you're probably less high-strung, and I've done pretty well for myself. So let's live together again~"
Done pretty well?
He blew through all the money, got dumped by the mistress who was bankrolling him, lost his job, and is sitting on a mountain of debt — and he calls that success?
"Get out. Right now."
That's right.
Throw him out this instant.
"Ah, come on... Give it a rest. Your husband of ten years shows up and you can't even be happy to see him?"
"That's exactly why I said get out!!! You show up after ten years... How can a person be this shameless!!! Do you have any idea how hard I've had it...! Hic... huuh..."
"Jiyeon..."
"Kyah!! Don't you touch me!!!!"
Thank god.
If she hadn't thrashed and shaken off the hand that landed on her shoulder like it gave her a seizure, I would have punched that bastard's face myself.
"You're really being too much..."
"Who's being too much?!!!"
"That's why I came back! I've done well for myself, and now I can take care of you and our kid properly, so I came back!! Do you have any idea who I spent ten years living alone outside for?! Can't you even try to understand that?!"
"Hah... So abandoning us... was our fault...?"
"I didn't abandon you. I left for a while so I could become a husband and a father I could be proud of! Weren't you waiting for me too? That's why you never even filed for divorce."
"That was because of the debt you left behind...!"
Yun Jiyeon, who had been screaming with the veins standing out in her neck, locked eyes with me for a moment and swallowed the rest of what she was about to say.
"And who's this guy?"
"That's none of your business. Get out. Now."
"Don't tell me he's your boyfriend? No way, right? A married woman..."
Grab!!
I snagged the hand that was reaching for Yun Jiyeon again mid-air.
And I squeezed with everything I had.
Crrrrack!!!!
"Aaaagh!! Wh-what are you doing?! Let go of me?!! Aaagh!!"
"Hello..!! I'm Cha Sunwoo, the boarder..!!!"
"Ah, okay, just let go of my hand!! Aaaagh!!!"
I wanted to crush his hand right then and there, but if I'd had that kind of strength, I would have done it the moment I grabbed him.
"Sunwoo..."
"......"
At the pitiful hand and eyes of Yun Jiyeon carefully clutching my sleeve, I forced down the rage boiling up inside me and released his hand.
"Ow, shit..! You crazy bas—"
"What was that?"
"A-ahem..! I mean, if you're a boarder, just be a boarder! Why are you standing there while the adults are talking?! And you — do you have any sense at all? Letting a male boarder into a house full of women?! That's it. I'm not leaving. I need to stay here to protect you and our Sua."
"Our Sua...?"
"Oh right! How's Sua doing? She must've grown a lot~ How old is she this year? Has she started high school?"
"Get out! You son of a bitch!!!!!!!!"
Yun Jiyeon swung a ladle and drove Kim Jinsu out.
I pitched in by hurling his suitcase out beyond the front gate.
Bang bang bang bang!!!
Even so, that bastard was still pounding on the gate.
"Honey!! Ah, honey!!!! Open the door!!!"
"......"
"Just ignore him and come inside."
"I'm sorry.. for letting you see me like this.... Hic.. huuh..."
"Don't cry. You don't need to cry over someone like him."
I pulled the weeping Yun Jiyeon into my arms, stroked her back, and led her back into the house.
The racket of someone hammering on the gate went quiet after a while.
He must have left. Anyone who wouldn't leave after all that wasn't human.
"Here."
"Thank you, Sunwoo..."
"Don't mention it."
I made the tea Yun Jiyeon usually liked and set it in front of her.
For a long time she just sat there holding the cup, staring blankly down into it, before murmuring under her breath.
"About today... please keep it a secret from Sua..."
"Of course. You told me before. Sua thinks her father is dead. I won't say a word."
"Thank you..."
"Enough thank-yous. Drink your tea first. It's going to go cold."
"......"
"What is it? Don't feel like drinking?"
"What the..."
"Huh??"
"Earlier you were all casual with me, and now..."
"Haha.. That was... kind of a concept, I guess..? Haha.. I was pretty rude, wasn't I?"
"Pfft!!"
"Ma'am..?"
Seeing her smile was nice, but it was a little disorienting watching someone who'd been sobbing just moments ago break into a laugh.
"If I hadn't met you, Sunwoo... I probably would have been stupid enough to take him back again.."
"No way."
"No. The old me would have. I was so exhausted I wanted to lean on anyone at all.. and for Sua's sake, I would have endured even that..."
"......"
"But not anymore. Because you're here."
"That means...."
"D-don't get the wrong idea!! I don't mean I'm depending on you or leaning on you..! I mean... that now I can manage on my own.. Ah...."
I just hugged her.
I carefully gathered the face of the seated Yun Jiyeon against my chest and held her.
"You can depend on me. You can lean on me. Why are you even making excuses about something like that?"
"But...."
"I know what you mean. So for now, just lean on me. I'll be right here."
"......"
What Yun Jiyeon probably wants to say is this.
That our relationship will never go as far as a deep, ordinary man-and-woman connection.
I already know that.
Even if one day, out of nowhere, Yun Jiyeon takes someone else's hand and builds a happy family, I'll congratulate her with a full heart.
But not that subhuman piece of shit.
I won't let that happen.
Beep-beep-beep-beep—
At the sound of the door lock being punched in, Yun Jiyeon and I both stepped out into the living room.
At this hour, there was only one person it could be.
"Sua, is that you?"
"You're home?"
"Uh, Mom...."
"What's wrong, Sua?"
"Aigoo~ So our daughter dreamed of being a singer?"
"What are you doing here..! Get away from our Sua right now!!!"
Is this bastard insane?
He had followed the trail of the daughter he'd abandoned at the age of five and set foot back inside this house.
"M-Mom.... Is that man... my dad..?"
"Sua, that's..!"
"You said Dad was dead... You said he was dead...."
"What? You told Sua I was dead?"
"You shut up!!"
"Mom... is he really my dad..?"
"Sua..."
In place of Yun Jiyeon, who couldn't give any answer at all, Kim Jinsu crouched down in front of the two of them and took Kim Sua's hand.
"I'm Sua's dad. I've been working hard far away all this time so I could make you and Mom happy, so now let's live happily together — Mom, Dad, and you."
"......"
Kim Sua pulled her hand free and hid behind Yun Jiyeon, and Yun Jiyeon begged through the tears dripping down her face.
"Please leave... Please...."
"There you go again. Honey, you want to raise Sua as a kid with no dad? You know how vicious kids are these days? That's exactly the kind of thing that gets them bullied and ostracized at school."
"You know that and still..!!"
"That's why I came back. It's all taken care of now. Sure, right this second, after all the time apart, you and Sua might feel awkward. But we're family, aren't we? We'll adapt soon enough and be happy."
"Just stop and leave... Don't make a scene in front of Sua.. Just go.. I'm begging you..."
"Sigh... Then let's leave it up to Sua."
This shameless bastard has no intention of giving up.
He's hanging the whole thing on a fifteen-year-old kid — the one most confused and emotionally wrecked in this situation.
"Sua, want to live with Dad? I cleaned out my place overseas and came all the way here so I could live with you and Mom. I've got nowhere else to go."
"Please, you..!"
"Is he... really my dad..?"
"Of course~ I'm Sua's dad! Didn't you even show her my picture? Let's see.. our wedding photo... Whoa.. you cleaned them all out... You're cold, you know that? Sua, I really am your dad. If I weren't, Mom would have already said so~"
"......"
"Sua..."
Kim Sua looked back and forth between Kim Jinsu and Yun Jiyeon for a long time without answering.
And then, at last, the answer came.
"Do whatever you want, mister..."
"You mean it? Then Dad's living here?"
"Sua..!!"
"You said he's my dad... He's my dad..... Th-then I'm going to wash up!!"
"Sua, wash up quick and get a good night's sleep~ And it's not mister, it's Dad — Dad!!"
Is she still at an age where she needs a father?
Fifteen years old. I don't know.
If it had been me, I would have spat in his face and cursed him out.
"Aigoo.. I said we should share a room and she has to make it awkward...! Sigh... What a life I've got.."
"......"
I stood on the stairs staring down at Kim Jinsu wriggling and complaining on the sofa, then headed back up.
"Is he really the ajumma's husband..?"
"Yeah."
"Sol's uncomfortable.... Earlier he was staring at Sol with these really weird eyes!"
"Keep your voice down..!"
"Uuung...."
"Why bother lowering your voice? For an uninvited guest."
And just like that, the absurd cohabitation with Kim Jinsu began.
And I learned something.
Why people kill people.
I genuinely felt like I could kill him.
"Unnies~~~~ Waaah!"
"What? Why are you still home?"
"Sua, no practice today?"
"Nope~ It's my day off, nyah~~"
Looking only at that scene, it was perfectly peaceful.
Watching Kim Sua cling to Lee Naye and Eunsol as they came down the stairs, pouring on the aegyo, a smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
Of course, it vanished just as fast.
"Aigoo~ Nice to see. You all seem pretty close with our Sua, huh?"
"Ah, yes."
"....Yes..."
"Hmm.... Nice to see.. Really nice to see..."
"......"
"......"
That son of a bitch..!
It was already June.
Still early in the season, but as the days warmed up, the clothes people wore around the house had been getting thinner and shorter.
He was running his eyes up and down Lee Naye and Eunsol like he was appraising them, a lecherous smile on his face.
Should I kill him?
"Honey, how about sleeping together tonight? Like when we were newlyweds, after all this time~ You must've been lonely all these years too~"
"I told you not to call me honey. And get out."
"Sua said I should stay~ My daughter says stay, so is a father supposed to just abandon his daughter and leave?"
"You already abandoned her once..!"
"Aaah~ Same thing every day. I'm sick of it, sick of it~ And don't lock your door tonight. Got it?"
This time it was Yun Jiyeon.
Spitting cheap pickup lines like he'd wandered into some hunting bar, putting his own trashiness on full display.
Should I kill him?
A hand swung toward Kim Sua's backside as she cut across the living room.
Is this guy out of his mind?
"Kyaah!! M-Mister..."
"Mister? Keep that up and Dad's going to get hurt~ Not mister — Dad~ Come on, say it. Dad."
"Th-that's...."
"Fine, we'll take the titles slow. We've got all the time in the world from here on. Now hurry inside and change. A big girl like you, wearing something so short her whole butt's showing? With a stranger looking right at it."
"Sunwoo oppa's fine, though..."
"Hurry!"
"....Yes..."
Does he mean any of that?
Is he actually worried?
Or was there no intention at all in the hand that just slapped Kim Sua's ass?
Should I kill him?
Smack!!
A crisp, meaty sound rang out as Lee Naye's razor-sharp eyes locked onto Kim Jinsu.
With the reaction speed of a wildcat, she had slapped away the hand reaching for her thigh.
Well done, Lee Naye. That's exactly it.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Ow, that hurt..! What did I do?"
"You just tried to touch my leg."
"Hah.. Accusing an innocent man. It wasn't your leg — I was reaching for the remote. Why put the remote on your thigh in the first place?"
"......"
"Aaagh!! Hey!!!"
Lee Naye shot to her feet, hurled the remote into the face of Kim Jinsu as he snuck another look at her legs, and stormed upstairs.
Not content with the daughter and the wife, now he's going after Lee Naye too?
Should I kill him?
"Aigoo~ Our Sol's shoulders must be killing her."
"S-Sol's shoulders don't hurt...?"
"When they're that big, they hurt~ Uncle knows — I've lived with an ajumma. They get all stiff and sore, right? Uncle'll work them out for you."
"S-Sol's fine!!"
"Don't be like that, Uncle's massages are the re— Guh!!!!"
Just before the hand writhing toward Eunsol's shoulder like a disgusting snake could make contact, I drove a kick into Kim Jinsu's side.
"Sunwoo!!"
"Have you lost your mind?!!"
Eunsol scrambled around the sofa and hid behind me, and I planted my foot firmly on the ankle of the shouting Kim Jinsu and leaned my weight in.
"Aaaagh!! Aaagh!! I-it's breaking! You crazy bastard!!!"
"Keep it up and you really will die."
"I-I get it! I get it!! So please just move your foot..!"
"Sunwoo.. what happened..?"
"Oppa...."
At the noise, Yun Jiyeon and Kim Sua came rushing over in a panic.
Yun Jiyeon was fine, but because of Kim Sua — the one who'd let this bastard in — I'd been trying not to make a scene if I could help it...
Seeing the shock on her face, I did feel a little sorry. But I didn't regret what I'd done.
If anything, it was lucky I'd stopped at this.
No. Let's just kill him.
Killing one person should be fine.
"It is the weekend. If you have a request, please use a weekday."
"Hyung."
"Hyung..? W-wait a second!! Did you just call me hyung?!"
"Want me to say it again?"
"Yeah! Say it one more time so I can record it!"
"Hyung."
"Kheuuu~~~ This bastard finally grew up. Yeah. I'm your hyung, you punk. Why'd you call?"
"I need you to kill someone."
"You've got the wrong number, valued customer. I'll be hanging up n—"
"Three billion. Another three billion as a success bonus. Six billion total."
"And the name was...?"
"I haven't said it yet."
For Kim Sua's future, killing him was the right call.
She was going to be a famous idol — having a man like that running around calling himself her father would be nothing but a headache.