Those Left Behind
Those Left Behind
"Haah... you finally showed up."
Having at last returned home, Ha Hui-ryeong looked less relieved than utterly deflated.
Maybe because the search for her mother had stretched from a thousand miles into ten thousand.
She swept her gaze around the inside of the house and let out a long sigh.
I watched her and asked,
"Surprisingly clean, huh? Did you tidy up before you left or something?"
"Could be. That woman was pathologically obsessed with cleanliness, so it's possible."
At some point, "Mom" had been demoted to "that woman."
The disappointment clearly ran deep.
...Well, still better than calling her a whore, I guess.
"Which one's your room?"
"My room? Ah...."
Ha Hui-ryeong trailed off.
She looked unsettled, like something was nagging at her.
There were only two rooms anyway. What was the big deal?
I found it puzzling.
Just as I was about to ask why she was dragging her feet—
"Hey, where are you going?"
Ha Hui-ryeong started striding forward without a word.
Her steps headed toward the room at the far left.
Well, it's probably her room.
"That your room?"
"...."
No answer came even when I asked.
Rude as hell, like some bratty teenage virgin, she marched straight inside and slammed the door—
"Nnnggh!"
—or tried to. I jammed my foot in just in time to stop it.
Honestly, it hurt like a bitch.
The thought that I'd pointlessly let my pride get the better of me came a little too late.
"Kyaa! A-are you okay?"
"Nnghhk... you fucking bitch... what the hell is this crap all of a sudden...? Have you seriously lost your mind?"
"You're the one who lost his mind! Why would you block it with your foot!?"
As I scowled and laid into her, Ha Hui-ryeong hastily flung the door wide open and inspected my injured foot.
"Whoa, it's totally red. Isn't this really bad? Does it hurt?"
"You think it doesn't? Of course it hurts like hell. You slammed it with everything you had."
"No, no, why'd you stupidly stick your foot in without thinking? You idiot. You could've just waited for me to open it. Geez, what if it's seriously injured, seriously..."
With a restless, anxious expression, she examined it with utmost care, checking for any serious damage.
She looked just like a mother scolding her fool of a son.
That attitude was so strangely endearing that even as I worked up my anger, my heart softened against my will.
"It's a little... swollen, but it's fine. It'll go down soon. More importantly, what's going on? You hiding something in there or what?"
"Well, it's... ugh, forget it. Just come in and see."
What the hell could she be hiding?
Kim Ha-yoon, her curiosity apparently piqued by Ha Hui-ryeong's reaction, followed me into the room.
And the moment I stepped inside, I couldn't hold back my amazement.
"Whoa... what is all this?"
Figures, posters, merchandise of all sorts of 2D characters were displayed everywhere.
Everything was neatly arranged, and the sheer volume was enough to shock even a seasoned weeb like me.
"Unnie, your taste is... something else."
"...Shut it."
At Kim Ha-yoon's deadpan assessment, Ha Hui-ryeong bit down on her lip, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.
I looked around the room and let out a small snicker.
"Ha Hui-ryeong. How the hell have you been hiding this all this time? A collection this size means you're seriously hardcore, you know?"
"...No one finds out if you don't say anything. I have an image to maintain."
Fair enough. Ha Hui-ryeong's outward appearance was pure delinquent queen—nothing about her screamed weeb.
But the reality?
She was a closet otaku who told no one and devoted herself entirely to the degenerate life in secret.
A truth so shocking it was almost absurd.
If the old gang of thugs from back then knew about this, they'd be clutching their stomachs and collapsing in laughter.
"Hm. So there was a reason you brought up manga clichés and all that back then."
"...."
She ultimately averted her gaze.
She was mortified beyond belief, it seemed.
Cute, honestly.
For my part, this new side of her wasn't unwelcome at all.
It gave me that gap moe feeling, I guess. If anything, it made me feel closer to her.
"When did it start?"
"...Start what."
"When did you get into this stuff? There had to be some trigger, right?"
"...Do I really have to say it?"
"If you don't want to, then fine. I'm not that curious, honestly."
At those words, Ha Hui-ryeong twitched her eyebrows and gnawed on her lower lip.
Her face, flushed and blotchy, was utterly ridiculous.
The kind of thing you'd want to snap a photo of and keep.
"I-in high school...."
My amusement was cut short as Ha Hui-ryeong, after opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish a few times, finally spoke.
In a tiny voice, as if she were still embarrassed.
"High school?"
"Ugh, I mean... you were always staring at your phone back then, so I got curious and looked, and..."
Aha.
Now that she said it, it came back to me, faintly.
-Hey, what're you grinning at like an idiot?
-Ack! H-huh? Th-that's....
-That's what? Spit it out, dipshit. Anyway, what is it?
-N-no, don't...!
-Don't my ass! Let's see here... ugh! What the hell, these freaky eyeball monsters. This bastard always looks at the most fucked-up shit, I swear. Be honest. You've jerked off to this stuff, haven't you?
Me, reading manga on my phone every break.
And Ha Hui-ryeong, who'd always sidle up and smack the back of my head while giving me shit.
...Truly some nostalgic memories.
"So basically, you sneakily peeked over my shoulder and at some point fell in deep?"
Having finished my trip down memory lane, I cut her off mid-sentence and wore a smile much like hers from back in those days.
That particular smile, brimming with mischief.
"....."
She gave a timid little nod.
With the tables turned like this, it couldn't be more entertaining.
"Heh heh, who knew you had such an adorable side."
"Ah, don't laugh! I said stop laughing!"
Ha Hui-ryeong shrieked, her face flushed as red as a ripe peach.
She was genuinely embarrassed, so the laughter kept leaking out.
In short, this meant that I was the reason she'd picked up this hobby.
Back then, I'd definitely gotten chewed out for looking at weeb shit, but with her reactions being this cute, none of that mattered anymore.
It's a little infuriating, but... I'll forgive her.
I'll be collecting the price tonight anyway.
Having made up my mind, I figured I'd seen enough and was about to leave.
"Huh? You two, could you come over here for a second?"
Ha-yoon suddenly called the two of us over.
She'd been browsing around the room with keen interest, and it seemed she'd finally found something special.
What, did she find some sex toys or something?
If so, that'd actually be pretty funny.
"What is it?"
"Just come look."
Ha-yoon pointed her finger at the desk where the computer sat.
There, a sheet of A4 paper covered in dense writing lay on top.
...Disappointing.
"What's this?"
"A letter. A letter."
"A letter?"
"Yeah. Looks like it's yours, unnie."
Ha Hui-ryeong tilted her head quizzically when Ha-yoon pointed at her.
"Mine?"
"It's written right here at the top. 'To my daughter Hee, whom I bore in pain.' It's obviously you, unnie."
That checked out.
Given the circumstances, it was clearly left behind by Hui-ryeong's mother—the boss lady.
Anyway, we huddled together and read the letter.
--
To. my daughter Hee, whom I bore in pain.
Love—isn't it a word with such a sweet resonance?
It suddenly brings to mind something the First one said. We shared a love that was hot and passionate.
In my youth, truly, there was no one else in the world but him and me. I believed with unwavering faith that together, we could overcome any hardship.
But do you know what? Nothing is Yeong-won.
When the First one left me, I thought the world had crumbled. An unforeseen farewell... it was cruel beyond words.
As you know, after that day, I gradually lost my vitality and withered away.
Like a sunflower that has lost its sun.
But then, once more, sunlight fell upon even me.
Yes, the Duljjae one. He was short and thick. Warmer and more intense than anyone.
Though it was a brief moment, that person gifted me hope and then departed.
The hope that while love may not be Yeong-won, it can bloom again.
My beloved daughter, Hee. I am in love.
I have met young blood that has rekindled my wilted Yeonsim. To you, he shall be the Setjjae father.
Is it because he is young? He is more valiant and spirited than the First or the Duljjae. When he confessed his love to me, oh, how manly and dashing he looked.
Hee, I wish for you to experience such a love.
I hear you are getting along well with the Duljjae one's child. Who knows, I may yet hear myself called mother-in-law someday.
Fufu, am I getting ahead of myself?
Even so, this mother is hopeful. I wish to at least see my grandchildren before I go.
If I had my way, I would have at least seen your face before leaving, but alas, the affairs of the world seldom go as one wishes.
I am sorry for deceiving you by saying I would wait.
My daughter, my adorable and lovely Hee. It may sound like nothing but an excuse, but there were circumstances that warranted it.
The apartment where we live. The residents there are the problem. More precisely, the young bachelors—excluding the Setjjae one—are the problem.
Ruffians with genitals where their brains should be.
Their kindness conceals lecherous intent. There are surely a number of pitiful young ladies who fell victim without knowing any better.
Even those cautious enough not to have fallen yet, there will be young ladies being actively worked on in real time.
I implore you. Never trust them.
The Ttaekttaeki Yeonggam next door is at least a gentleman, but that old man has no power. As you know, he is simply too old.
In the end, I am sorry to be a wretched mother who could leave you with only this advice.
Hee, my daughter borne in pain. My adorable, lovely, precious daughter Hee.
I am now setting out on a journey with the Setjjae one to enjoy a new life.
Though the path ahead may be treacherous, is there not ample value in attempting it? For surely, the greater the danger, the greater the reward.
He and I will certainly manage. We shall survive and live prosperously. And as a bonus, in harmony with your younger sibling as well, fufu.
In any case, we may never meet again... but it is my sincere truth that I will always love you.
Thank you, and I am sorry. You must survive, without fail.
P.S. : I do not yet know if it shall be a son or a daughter. I say this out of a mother's worry... but if they are safely born, grow up, and you meet someday, I hope you will not resent them too much. They are, after all, your mother's child.
Praying that flowers may bloom even amidst the ruins. From your wretched mother.
--
After spending several minutes reading the letter, we were silent for a while.
More precisely, we were all gauging Ha Hui-ryeong's reaction, so no one dared to speak first.
We had already heard the gist of the situation from the Old Man, but on top of a new stepfather, she'd now learned—adding insult to injury—that she had a half-sibling on the way.
Her state of mind right now had to be indescribable.
Even if the pregnancy wasn't actually real, this letter made it powerfully clear that the intent to bear and raise a child was there.
As her child, it would be hard to put into words how that felt.
We stood there quietly watching, swallowing dryly, for a long moment.
"...You filthy whore. You fucking slut, you goddamn bitch! You used-up cunt!! Fuck fuck fuck fuck!! You fucking piece of shiiit!!!!"
Roughly three minutes later, Ha Hui-ryeong shattered the long, long silence.
She'd been trembling before she burst out screaming.
Her voice climbed higher and higher until her cursing was practically shouting—the sight of it enough to stir genuine pity in anyone watching.
Yeah, fair enough. Let her curse.
If it were me, my mental state would be absolutely shredded too.
"...."
Normally, Kim Ha-yoon would've scolded Ha Hui-ryeong by now, but this time she must have decided against it, keeping her mouth shut.
It wasn't out of sympathy like me.
The way she was pursing her lips, she clearly wanted to say something.
But she'd apparently judged that running her mouth here could get her bones pulverized for real.
Thankfully, she had some sense of the mood at least.
"So, hey, Hui-ryeong."
"...What."
After that cathartic outburst, her voice came back completely drained of energy.
I awkwardly scratched my head and said,
"Is the plan to find your mom still on?"
At the implication that our future course of action would hinge on her answer, her eyes sharpened with a fierce glint.
"...We're finding her. We're finding her and wrecking her. I'm gonna tear that heat-crazed cunt of hers wide open. Make sure she can never pull that kind of bullshit ever again!"
Whoa.