Mom's Lap Pillow
I felt my breathing growing heavier and heavier, so I pulled away from the mic. A long strand of saliva stretched between my lips and the microphone. "Haa… hoo… hee… Everyone, the chat’s slowed down… heheh."
Smiling softly at the sluggish chat, I could tell most viewers had gone to bed. Checking the time, I realized I’d gotten so absorbed in the ASMR that I’d streamed far later than usual. Can’t blame them for sleeping. ASMR naturally makes people drowsy, after all.
With that thought, I wiped away the drool and felt my face flush as I whispered quietly, "…Everyone, you worked hard today too… Tomorrow, hic, let’s do our best again… I’ll always be cheering for you."
Since these people supported me, I wanted to support them in return. They were the ones who truly loved even someone as insignificant as me. Someday, I hope I can stand proudly in front of them without hiding.
Many probably liked me just because I was a vtuber, but even so, I wanted to show them my real self one day. Having chosen this path because of my low self-confidence, I hoped that once I recovered and became healthy, I could reveal myself at least once. Please, let that day come.
The chat’s energy had clearly dropped. Smiling at the messages, I wanted to linger in the stream’s warmth a little longer, but I also felt ready to rest. "I’ll end here for today… Everyone, sleep well."
With a gentle smile and a wave, I watched the chat fill with farewells even as the viewer count dwindled.
Smiling at the flood of messages, I felt lighter as I shut down the computer, limped to the bed, and dove in.
"…I miss Mom…"
The image of her crying uncontrollably upon hearing about my leg, looking at Jiwoo and me with tears streaming down her face, kept resurfacing. With that thought, I drifted off into unconscious sleep.
The small one-room apartment filled with morning air. Sunlight streamed in as Yoon Sujin turned off the blaring alarm and sat up. Rubbing her barely open eyes, she headed to the bathroom. Not long ago, she had held her long-lost children in her arms again and was now in the process of making amends to them.
Approaching the mirror, she washed her face and examined her reflection. "…The scar… has faded more."
The burn mark on the back of her neck, once much clearer, had lightened. Removing her top revealed scars as numerous as Suhyun’s. Especially the surgical mark on her stomach—a remnant from when Suhyun’s father had beaten her while she was pregnant with Jiwoo, nearly killing her.
Sujin gently stroked her stomach and offered a bitter smile. "…I’m sorry, kids."
She felt nothing but endless regret. She hated herself for bringing them into this world without being able to take full responsibility. Yet because of that, she couldn’t afford to hesitate. She wanted to repair their relationship. That was what both Suhyun and she desired—complete family restoration.
Currently, Jiwoo and Sujin were surprisingly getting along better by the day. As if to prove it:
Honestly, Sujin found Jiwoo intimidating. Her sharp tone and subtly hostile attitude scared her. But even so, she couldn’t bring herself to hate Jiwoo. It wasn’t something she could control. A child born from what was essentially rape—yet because she had chosen to give birth, she felt only guilt, never resentment.
Still, Sujin made one shameless request.
After sending that, Jiwoo went silent. Smiling softly at the messages, Sujin got dressed and left the house. She arrived at the gukbap restaurant, where the owner rarely showed up, leaving her to handle most of the work alone.
With a slightly flushed face, Sujin expressed her gratitude and smiled. This person had been her savior when she was on the verge of being thrown back onto the streets after being scammed out of all her savings. After thanking him once more, she cleaned the restaurant to a presentable state and began packing gukbap.
"…I wonder if Suhyun will like it."
Just as she hoped it would be well-received, she spotted a familiar figure approaching from afar with a hesitant gait.
"Sujin, you’re here?"
"…Boss…! Good morning!"
"Ah, yes. Good morning."
The gukbap restaurant owner smiled warmly. Despite his young age, he had succeeded through streaming or something similar, opened this restaurant, and pursued whatever he wanted. "If the streaming fails, I’ll just keep doing this."
"…You’ll do well again."
"Nah."
The owner laughed awkwardly, sat down, and immediately turned on the air conditioner. "You don’t have to work too hard."
"…H-how could I not?"
Sujin looked troubled, but the owner chuckled and waved her off. "Go ahead."
"Yes…!"
She looked especially excited today. Watching her retreating back, the owner tilted his head. "…I’ll just count the gukbap as a service on the house."
Since he ran the place half for fun, he simply yawned in his seat. In truth, Sujin was practically the owner—she managed the money and only took her rightful salary. "Poor thing… I hope she finds happiness."
Muttering to himself, the owner stood up, dusted off his pants, put on the restaurant apron, and began the day’s business.
8 a.m. I faced a completely unexpected situation.
"…Mom…?"
"Did you wake up, sweetheart?"
I had woken up to find Mom giving me a lap pillow on the bed. Under normal circumstances, this would have been incomprehensible, but right now it just felt nice. …How long has it been since I had this…?
Not quite sure, I smiled and pulled Mom closer. "…I’m not awake yet……"
"Really? Then do you want to sleep more?"
Mom spoke gently and stroked my hair. Her voice was noticeably brighter than before, which put me more at ease. Unlike her usual tearful tone, she now wore a bright smile. Looking at her, I asked cautiously, "Mom… how did you know the password…?"
"Jiwoo said it was your birthday and let me in."
She continued stroking my hair. She remembers my birthday. Feeling a bit moved, I quickly got up, regained my senses, and was able to look at Mom properly.
"I-it really is Mom……"
"Did you sleep well…?"
She asked shyly. She had spoken so well when I wasn’t fully conscious. Tilting my head at the thought, Mom quickly asked if I wanted to wash up and eat. "Suhyun… do you like gukbap?"
"…I do."
I was curious what Mom’s gukbap would taste like. The gukbap restaurant I’d found last time had smelled quite dangerous—not an unbearable stench, but a very appetizing aroma that whetted the appetite.
After washing up, I was finally able to receive the gukbap that had been postponed due to Mom’s sudden appearance last time.
"Wooow……"
Steam rose from the bowl. Letting out a gasp of admiration, I began devouring the gukbap hungrily.