The Chain (4)
The door creaked open, and a woman who looked exactly like Gong Haeseon cautiously poked her head inside. “…Haeseon? Are you asleep?”
“Mm? Yeji unnie? What’s wrong…?”
Gong Yeji. That was the name of the woman who shared Gong Haeseon’s pink hair and delicate features. Yeji glanced down the hallway before slipping quietly into the room.
“…Can I turn the light on?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
Click— At Haeseon’s permission the lamp flickered to life. Yeji, still dressed in pure white robes, began peeling them off as she spoke.
“Ugh… Haeseon. Help me get this off.”
Haeseon watched silently for a moment before wordlessly assisting her. Beneath the pristine white fabric was an ordinary student tracksuit.
“…Haa. I can finally breathe. Thanks.”
Yeji unzipped her top and gave her sister a sidelong look.
“Haeseon. How’s school lately? Manageable?”
“…Yeah, I guess…”
At her sister’s question, Haeseon’s expression turned faintly guilty as she stared at the discarded robes.
“…Are you okay, unnie? Dad isn’t making things too hard for you, is he…?”
“Dad? That man’s always been pathetic.”
A strange thorn edged Yeji’s words. They had only exchanged simple pleasantries, yet the air between them had grown awkward. Yeji picked lint from her clothes and changed the subject with practiced ease.
“So. Who’s the guy?”
“…Huh? W-what guy…?”
“I heard everything from Miju unnie. You’re seeing someone, right?”
Haeseon’s eyes widened in surprise. “I-I don’t know what you’re—”
“Kyaa! Unnie! Stop that!”
The woman called unnie had reached out and begun kneading Haeseon’s chest with a mischievous grin.
“Why won’t you tell your big sister? Are you two already sleeping apart?”
Haeseon yanked her arms over her chest and cried out. “N-no! It’s not like that at all!”
“Then just tell me. Is he strange?”
“J-Jihwan isn’t— hup!”
“Hm? Jihwan? What kind of Jihwan? A Kim?”
As Yeji pressed closer, pestering her without mercy, Haeseon finally lowered her voice in defeat.
“…Unnie. You absolutely cannot tell the other sisters. Promise me?”
“What’s the point of being twins if I can’t keep your secrets? If you say no, I won’t. Now spill it.”
“…Really?”
“Really!”
Haeseon stared at her sister for a long moment, then let out a small sigh and began slowly.
“…So, um… he’s the boy I saw at the entrance ceremony…”
“Entrance ceremony? The Academy?”
“Y-yeah… On a day when the snow was falling really hard…”
I crossed my legs as I looked at the photos glowing on my phone screen. The many pictures he had sent told me exactly how much fun they had shared today.
Our daughter in the pretty clothes she had bought. A father-daughter shot with their heads pressed together. Photos taken with animals in the background. And finally, pictures from the restaurant.
As the mother of the family, they should have been heartwarming.
But.
“…I don’t like this.”
Before I was a mother, I was a woman. The fact that my beloved husband had spent the day with someone other than me was naturally unpleasant. No matter that she was the child I had suffered to bring into this world, it changed nothing.
“…”
I opened our message thread again.
At least one thing was a relief: my husband did not see Min Soyeon as a woman. I had been slightly worried because she looked exactly like me, but the feared outcome had not occurred.
The problem was that my daughter had become a depraved creature who did not even recognize her own father.
The Min Soyeon in those photos already wore the unmistakable face of a female in heat. My countless experiences driving away the bitches who had circled my husband told me everything I needed to know.
Right now, Min Soyeon was in love with my husband.
It had not yet reached a serious stage, but the sticky gaze she directed at him made it clear it would not be long.
To think such a young bitch was hovering beside my husband… As his wife, I could not simply sit back and watch.
If I followed my heart, I would reveal his identity immediately and tear the two of them apart. Once she learned who he truly was, the child would obediently withdraw her feelings. She had adored her father unusually since childhood, but even she would not lust after her resurrected father.
However, the restrictions the System had placed on my husband were an obstacle. The fact that he had not revealed his identity yet meant there were enormous constraints at work. As long as the System was involved, I could not move carelessly. Those beings loved wordplay; they had surely hidden their true meaning with cunning precision.
In that case, only one path remained.
…I would have to drive one of them away.
Of course I could not drive the child away. If she had properly inherited my blood, no amount of suppression would stop her from clawing her way back up. After all, I had been the same.
But… what if I made my husband drive her away himself?
She would surely collapse under her own power, unable to endure. The biggest problem was luring that daughter-obsessed fool, but if I coaxed him gently as I always had, it might be possible.
The only uncertainty was how long the child’s patience would last. He would unconsciously wag his tail toward her just as he had toward me. If she could not endure and pounced on him instead…
Considering his personality and the situation he was in, he would most likely accept her with reluctance. He was the kind of man who found it easier to endure his own pain than to watch a child suffer. That much was certain.
…I needed to act before that happened. I had to make absolutely certain he could never accept her.
Tap— I set the phone down, then immediately reached for the small bell on the windowsill and shook it.
The housekeeper appeared at the sound.
“Prepare what I mentioned earlier.”
“…Yes, madam.”
I watched the housekeeper hurry off, then began removing my clothes one by one as I headed for the bathroom. It had been a long time since we last shared a bed. I needed to think carefully about how best to please my husband.
I watched Yu Jihwan’s actions in silence.
He had sliced the meat into perfect bites and naturally placed them on my plate, then resumed cutting more. I thought this time he would eat them himself, but of course he slid another piece onto my plate.
I was not a child, and I knew how to use a knife. Why was he taking care of me like this?
“Is it good?”
At that moment, Yu Jihwan smiled brightly and spoke to me.
“…”
Instead of answering, I quietly stabbed a piece of meat and put it in my mouth. My heart was pounding so violently I could not even taste it. As I chewed mechanically, I glanced across the table. Only then did Yu Jihwan lift the corners of his mouth in satisfaction and begin filling his own plate.
…Bad bastard.
I wanted sincere words from him, not these trivial considerations… Whether he knew my feelings or not, Yu Jihwan continued eating with a perfectly calm face.
After finishing the meal with a strangely uncomfortable feeling, it was finally time to head home. Yu Jihwan suggested taking a taxi.
“…A taxi?”
“Yeah, the subway will probably be crowded.”
“…Whatever.”
I could not bring myself to say I preferred the subway. We caught a taxi and got off a short distance from the house.
I had originally planned to get off right in front of the house… but I stubbornly insisted on walking, barely buying myself some time. Even then, the clueless Yu Jihwan asked if I really did not need to go straight inside.
…Clueless idiot. I barely held back the urge to punch him.
When we stepped out of the taxi, the sky had long since grown dark. Only the occasional streetlights illuminated the road. I deliberately slowed my steps to drag out the time. Finally, Yu Jihwan spoke.
“Soyeon. Aren’t you cold?”
It was not the line I had been hoping for, but I nodded instead of answering. Truthfully, I could not feel the cold at all. Every nerve in my body was focused on him; I felt neither cold nor fatigue.
“…Today was fun, wasn’t it?”
“…Yeah.”
To the man seeking agreement, I answered softly. Separate from the way my heart was twisting, it really had been a satisfying day. I had regained memories with my family and received a precious gift from Yu Jihwan. There had been an unpleasant incident in the middle, but the compensation had been more than enough.
Now only one thing remained.
I needed to hear confirmation from Yu Jihwan himself. I had dragged out the time and given him every hint possible. Surely he would not just let it slide.
…Right?
A flicker of anxiety rose, but I forced it down and stretched the moment as long as I could. And then—
“Get home safely. See you next week.”
“…Huh?”
The worst had happened.
…That was it? Just “get home safely”? If you were me, could you actually go inside after that?
He had come all the way to my house without saying anything, so I wondered if he might try to come inside, but no.
“…What’s wrong?”
It had all been my misunderstanding. It was my mistake for expecting anything from this frustrating bastard…
“…Do you have something to say?”
The words my so-called “friends” had said last night came back to me. If this dense idiot stayed clueless until the end, there was only one thing left to do.
“Soyeon…”
“…Hey, Yu Jihwan.”
I took one step closer to him, looked him straight in the eyes, and spoke.
“Do you like me?”
At that moment, Yu Jihwan’s eyes trembled violently.
“…Don’t dodge the question. Say it clearly. You like me, don’t you?”