Chapter 146
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Mom's Surprise Visit
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What day is it today? Not just one unannounced guest shows up out of nowhere—two of them.
'I'm gonna lose my mind.'
I still hadn't fully recovered from the bomb Oh Hanam had dropped and run off with, and now, of all people, my mom shows up. And unlike him, I can't just chase her away.
That said, what the hell is Mom doing here? No matter how much I rack my brain, I can't figure it out.
"You could've at least called first!"
I quickly planted myself in front of the door, blocking it with my body as best I could, and yelled. Mom didn't even blink.
"Where's the fun in that? And do I really need to call before visiting my own son's place? I know it's your day off."
Yes, you do! Absolutely!
As I fidgeted and stared at her, Mom said casually,
"You suddenly sent me pocket money on Parents' Day. Your voice sounded a bit off on our last call, too. Dad was worried, so he told me to come check on you. I figured why not and hopped on a train. It's been ages since I've seen my boy's face."
That actually sounded like a pretty reasonable excuse. Enough that all I could complain about was the lack of notice.
"Plus, if you'd known ahead of time, you could've hidden all the tough stuff. Then there'd be no point in me shelling out for that pricey train ticket."
Damn it, now I couldn't even complain about the no-call thing.
"Maybe I should've called, though? This is way beyond what I imagined..."
"Mom, uh, just a sec. We've just been hit by a massive natural disaster like a really crappy one, so everyone's a bit out of it right now."
I did my best to block the view with my body, but there was no hiding it. Her eyes were already ignoring me and peering behind. Surprise was slowly creeping into her gaze, and cold sweat started pouring down my forehead in proportion.
"They just dropped by yesterday for a bit, and somehow we all ended up crashing here."
I tried to buy time with a blatant lie that wouldn't fool anyone.
"What are you talking about? From the looks of the rooms, you've all been together for at least a day or two."
Yeah, totally didn't land.
Finally, I let out a deep sigh and decided to face it head-on.
"Mom, I'm really grateful you came because you were worried about me. But the vibe right now isn't exactly welcoming—mmph!"
Before I could finish, someone shoved my face aside and jumped out. Only Oh Hana would pull something like that. She still seemed shell-shocked from running into Oh Hanam, though?
"Hello, ma'am! I'm Oh Hana. I'm hugely indebted to Hyunwoo oppa right now. I'm 22, the youngest one here!"
Contrary to what I'd expected, it was unmistakably Oh Hana buttering Mom up by stressing she was the youngest. Who was this sniveling mess from just minutes ago?
"And I'm oppa's girlf—gah!"
As Oh Hana tried to shout something, Han Aebom zipped over like lightning and jabbed her side with an elbow.
"...girl, friend."
Only then did Han Aebom pull back her elbow and bow gracefully.
"Hello, ma'am. I think we might've had a brief call once before. I'm Han Aebom, the one who gave you a little greeting back then. It's so nice to finally meet you."
What was her deal?
"H-Hello, ma'am. I'm Yoon Sua. Hyunwoo has always helped me out a ton."
Even Yoon Sua wedged herself in like it was a competition and greeted my mom.
"......"
What the actual hell? I got shoved to the back and could only stare in stunned silence. My brain couldn't process it.
Just moments ago, everyone had been moping or dazed from Oh Hanam's bomb. Now they were greeting Mom like nothing happened? Was I the only one having a nightmare?
Slap!
I slapped my cheek hard just to check. It hurt like hell. Definitely not a dream.
'This is scary in its own way.'
They say a woman's transformation is innocent, but doesn't that just apply to makeup? This was straight-up acting.
"Oh my goodness, how are there so many pretty girls like this? You all know my son?"
"Yes!"
All three answered energetically, and Mom asked with a happy smile,
"And you're all living together in this tiny studio?"
"Yes......"
Mom's gaze shifted back to me after their hesitant reply. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes weren't.
"Son, can we talk for a sec?"
I smacked my lips quietly and nodded.
*
"Have some melon while you chat."
Yoon Sua set down a plate of melon slices. Mom was amazed by the beautifully carved fruit, and so were we, knowing her usual skills.
"Oh wow, you carved it so prettily. I've never seen melon cut this perfectly edible in my life."
I agreed completely.
That melon was one Yoon Sua had been saving as a special treat. And she'd cleanly removed the seeds, with a perfect 1:9 ratio of tough to soft parts—something even we'd never seen from her. She usually prioritized efficiency over looks or taste to minimize waste.
Today, though, she'd put in Michelin five-star chef-level care and effort; it showed even in the fruit.
'Did they all borrow money from my mom or something?'
They were all acting so differently from usual.
"Mmm! So sweet!"
While Mom savored Yoon Sua's heartfelt melon, I hadn't touched mine and explained everything in the most family-friendly version possible. Even if my mom was pretty open-minded... if she found out I'd gotten freaky with everyone here, or that I'd saved Oh Hana's number as "My First Pussy," it'd be chaos.
"Hmm, so you posted that ad thinking guys would come, but somehow it turned into this lineup?"
"Yes."
"No major incidents yet?"
"......Yes."
I forced out the answer, but my conscience stung. It wasn't like big incidents happened only occasionally—they happened so often I'd started forgetting the previous ones.
"Sigh......"
Mom rarely made a serious face. But now she looked graver than ever, taking a deep breath in and out.
"You know I don't usually butt into what you do, right?"
"Yeah......"
"But this time, I have to say something. We can't kick out three people already living here. So you move out instead. If you're short on cash, Mom'll chip in. We can still see each other after you move, right? Even looking at it positively, four people under one tiny roof like this? It's weird. What do you think, son?"
If Mom was saying this much, she'd convince me even if I said no—and then Dad would hear about it, making things messy and annoying.
'What do I do?'
Still, I couldn't bear to give up this life, so I was racking my brain when others reacted just as strongly to Mom's words.
"No way! Absolutely not!"
"She's right. The moment Hyunwoo leaves, the balance of our current life crumbles—it's inefficient. We'd be the ones suffering."
"I-I don't want that either. I can't even imagine life without Hyunwoo. Please, ma'am, just this once?"
Oh Hana, Han Aebom, and Yoon Sua clung desperately to Mom. Yoon Sua even dropped to her knees, freaking Mom out.
"Oh dear, what's wrong? Get up."
"She won't budge unless you let Hyunwoo keep living with us, ma'am. Sua unnie never backs down when she's stubborn like this."
"Haa......"
Mom finally let out a deep sigh. How many decades had it been since I'd seen one?
"I'm grateful you all think well of my son. But as his mom, I'm worried he'll cause some accident living under the same roof with such pretty girls."
Everyone flinched at that. Probably the same thought running through all our heads.
We've already done it all—and more. Damn, couldn't say that out loud.
"If that worrying thing happens..."
As mouths twitched silently, Han Aebom spoke up first, boldly.
"I'll take responsibility."
Mom was floored by the unexpected words. But Han Aebom didn't stop there—she launched into her signature polished presentation.
"I'm not saying it lightly out of youthful impulse. I'm from Hanban Group, and I've left home with enough means to keep Hyunwoo happy for life. If 'responsibility' sounds vague and worries you, let me be clear."
Her rock-solid confidence left us all staring blankly at her.
Then came the bombshell from her open mouth.
"If what you're worried about happens, I'll marry Hyunwoo. I can record this or write a formal pledge if you want."
M-Marriage?
When marriage came up, we all gaped like our souls had left our bodies.
'She's insane......'
Truth be told, Han Aebom was as off-kilter as Oh Hana, just in a different way. Or maybe that was normal for her.
From a normal perspective, she was nuts too.
That's why it worked. She could make the unconvincing convincing.
"If you put it like that, I got nothing to say. You must really like my son."
"As I said before, I'm more serious about Hyunwoo than anyone."
"Oh, right. You did. And my crazy son wouldn't accept it."
Mom's smile returned in a flash, flipping the mood. Oh Hana shot her hand up like a shot.
"M-Me too! If oppa... messes up, I'll take responsibility! I-I'm from a pretty big group too. I-Ilha Group......"
Bringing up her trauma-like family in this moment showed Oh Hana's shamelessness, but Han Aebom carried the weight here. As expected from Hanban Group—she had insane persuasion skills.
"Oh my, my son is blessed. So many beauties willing to take responsibility—what's he gonna do? I thought he'd die old without ever holding a girl's hand. Guess Grandpa and Grandma were right; everyone has their match."
Mom was all excited now, chattering away like the seriousness never happened. Mostly grilling Oh Hana and Han Aebom about how I usually acted.
"I was in a tough spot after leaving home, but Hyunwoo stepped up and got me the perfect part-time gig..."
"Oppa follows me everywhere I go and protects me so manly-like. It's so cool..."
"My son? Really? You sure you got the right guy?"
"Totally! Mom! Oh! In my old neighborhood, we call neighbor ladies 'mom' out of habit, so it slipped."
"It's fine, it's fine. Call me whatever. I'd trade my son for a pretty girl like you calling me Mom."
"Really? Thanks, Mom!"
"Aww, this is great."
Han Aebom started it, but Oh Hana was dominating with her charm now. Cuddling into Mom's arms like a pro, and Mom was eating it up.
Meanwhile, as I shook my head at the sight, I caught Yoon Sua alone at the sink, washing dishes. For a split second, a bitter smile lingered on her lips.