Bab 12: Chapter 12
"I'm home."
"Uh. Okay. Daniel's finally home?"
When I got home, I saw my father, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, sitting in the room.
"Ah! Is Dad home yet?"
"Not long ago. You've grown a lot since I saw you last, Daniel."
Entering the room, my father and I bumped into each other, and we paused for a moment to talk.
I hesitated for a while because I couldn't adapt to my father's youthful appearance, and my father also hesitated when he saw me grow taller with muscles all over my body in just two months.
As a child before, I always had the feeling that my father was a very scary person.
So I wondered how I would feel when I saw my father after returning, but when I saw my father looking tired, I felt regret rather than fear.
My father, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, looked shorter than I remembered, and his body was slender, and his limbs were thin.
'Has my father been so stunted all this time? He used to look like a mountain.'
For some reason, I thought that my father wasn't as scary as in my memories, and I was very happy to see my father after 28 years more to the point, this was the first time I saw him with tears in my eyes for some reason.
"Dad, how are you? Aren't you sick anywhere?"
"Uh... Yes... Hey, I'm not used to you speaking respectfully. But it's good to hear."
When I approached my father and massaged his arm, my father laughed awkwardly.
As I looked around the room while rubbing my father's shoulder, the atmosphere in the room felt strange.
My mom looked at me once even after I entered, and she was silent not knowing what to do, probably because of our relationship.
"I heard that this time Daniel was ranked first in the whole school?"
The atmosphere in the room was awkward, so my father raised his voice and asked me a question.
"Yes. Somehow I got first place."
"Good job. Good job. Keep going, I have to reward you."
Dad took out his wallet from his back pocket and he took out a 5,000 won note and handed it to me.
"NO. Dad, you need money to live in a faraway place, so you don't have to give it to me."
"Take it, asshole. If your father gives it to you, you say thank you and take it quickly."
"Then. Thank you."
"Really... Haha."
Mom looked at my father and sighed.
Seeing my mom like that, my dad awkwardly turned his head and cleared his throat.
"Mom, why are you like that? Are you in a bad mood?"
I went to my mom and rubbed her shoulder and asked.
"Uh. It's because I'm upset. That guy somehow gave me the feeling that he did something wrong to your mom."
"Maybe it's just Mom's feelings. Aren't we going to have dinner? Your son is hungry. Dad is here too, so let's hurry up and eat dinner."
"Okay? Is Daniel hungry? Okay. I'll make dinner right away."
When she heard that I was hungry, my mom jumped up and went to the kitchen.
"That woman didn't even care about her husband's feelings, but when she heard her son was hungry, she moved like lightning. What the heck."
Dad must have been dumbfounded at my mom's appearance, he grumbled in a small voice.
"Hi. You guys, hurry up and put away your books and bring the table over here. Let's eat."
As if to escape the heavy atmosphere, my younger siblings quickly put the books away and brought the table to the center of the room, while my younger sister went to the kitchen and started helping serve the side dishes.
Evenings were tough because of my mom, but I was able to pass the time well while asking my father various questions over meals.
After teaching my younger siblings for about an hour, I exercised on the rooftop as usual.
After exercising for more than 2 hours, I was almost done with sweat all over my body, but at the end of the bench, my father was smoking a cigarette while looking at me.
"Is Dad looking for some wind? I didn't even know you were coming..."
"Hey, asshole. What kind of exercise are you doing so badly? If you exercise too much, you won't grow taller."
"Don't worry. Because I do just enough. And, I'm still growing taller."
"Okay? Let's see. Come to think of it, you've grown up."
My father came next to me and compared my height.
My father was 173 cm tall, and when he stood next to me, he had his head in line with my ear.
My father returned to the table and sat down.
I also finished my exercise and went and sat next to my father.
"Daniel, I'm sorry. Your mother said that you've been running the newspaper lately. I apologize for being a bad parent and not being able to take good care of their children and only making them suffer."
"I'm fine Dad. It would be nice if I could play sports and earn some pocket money. That's why. Don't worry too much about it."
"However, it's not like that from the parent's point of view. Thank you for studying well and taking good care of your mother."
When I heard that I took good care of Mom, a bitter smile came out of my heart inexplicably.
"Dad, if you're worried, come home often. I know you're busy with work, but you should still come to see Mom often."
"Eww. Huh. Okay."
For some reason, my father stuttered his words with an awkward smile.
I could feel that there was something hidden in my father's figure.
"By the way, in my absence, Daniel, as the head of the family, you should take good care of the house. Understand?"
"Yes, understand. Don't worry."
Dad went to the room, and I went downstairs to take a shower.
Since my father came, my bed was moved to the end of the room.
The lights were off, my father was lying on the door, and his younger brother was already asleep.
Although my mom was late, she was just quietly sewing.
I closed my eyes and went to bed, but I thought about what happened the day before, the beautiful picture of Brandon's older sister, while guessing what my father was hiding outside.
"Hey, how long are you going to sew? Aren't you going to sleep?
"Are you not sleeping? If you just make a lot of money, would I sew at night like this?"
"No, why are you saying that again?"
"How do you think I don't look angry? How can you work for two months and give me 400,000 won? How can I live with my children on only 400,000 won?"
Mom's voice was getting louder and louder, probably because she was so angry.
"Uh! Keep your voice down, the kids will wake up."
Hearing Dad's words, Mom hurriedly turned to us.
"You were talking to me on the roof."
Mom put down her work, put on her shoes, and went to the roof.
"Asshole."
My father also reluctantly followed.
I got up from my bed and quietly hid myself at the roof entrance and started eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Tell me honestly. You're involved with another woman right?"
"Uh! What is this fuck talking about? Where's the proof that I'm with another woman?"
Hearing my mom's sudden question, my father tried to evade it with a panicked voice.
'Ah, my father. You can't lie like that.'
"Proof? Your days home are getting longer, and you only brought home 400,000 won after working for two months. No matter how much I think about it, it doesn't seem to make sense unless you have another woman outside."
"Uh! Even if it's as you say, it's because I can't work well because of the rainy season.."
"No, no matter how rainy it is, how can you only give 400,000 won after being away from work for two months? What do you think you can get for that kind of money?"
Mom wasn't too upset that my father cheated on her.
She was angry that she couldn't take good care of her children.
"I don't care if you have an affair or start a different life with another woman. Because that's how it's always been. But my children, I can't bear to see them living like beggars like that..."
My mom's voice became cold, and she finally started crying.
"Uh! Why are you crying all of a sudden? And why are you talking about the past again?
'Ouch! Dad, have you been caught by Mom yet?
"Does it matter now? What will our children do? Daniel placed first in all the schools this time. I want to send my handsome son to a better and more prestigious school, but I'm going to die of resentment that I can't do that. That little guy gets up at dawn to help me and run the newspaper. He is my caring baby. Do you know how hard it is for me right now? If it wasn't for our Daniel, I would have died a long time ago. But what about the old days? Will everything be the same as it is today? Will we be able to live? What can you do now!?"
Finally, my mom burst out and yelled at him.
"No, why is this person yelling? It's already night. Shut up. And, is Daniel still a kid? In the past, I would have gotten married and had children at that age."
"Bastard! Are you saying that now? Huh?"
"Eh! Stop. It's getting late."
In the end, my father tried to avoid my mother's seat with an annoyed expression.
"No, this man. Where are you going without talking?"
As my mom grabbed my father's arm, my father's body twisted and stumbled.
"No, is this woman crazy? Where did she get this kind of power?"
"Stop talking, where are you going? What are you going to do next? Don't you have to bring more money for your children's lives?"
My mom refused to take off my father's clothes, regardless of what my father said.
"This bastard woman!"
My father got angry and slapped my mom, and I was about to run to stop that but hesitated, turned my legs around, entered the room, and lay down.
I couldn't come out because I felt that my mom didn't want her son to see her fighting.
Father let go of my mom's hand, walked into the room, panted, then lay down and went to sleep.
After a while, my mom came in too, looked at my dad for a moment, then came and lay down next to me with her pillow.
My mom, afraid I would wake up, steered him as far away from me as possible, then lay on her side against the wall and whimpered weakly.
While I was thinking about what to do, I heard my father snoring from the other side.
I raised my head slightly and looked at Dad, then put my left arm under my mom's neck and held her right arm from behind.
My mom was startled and turned to me and looked at me.
"You haven't slept yet?"
"Yes. I woke up a moment ago when my mom came by my side."
"Okay? Sorry for waking you up."
"NO. Mom, don't apologize, and come here."
I turned my mom around and took her into my arms.
"I'm sorry Daniel. I fought with your father and now-..."
"Shhh. Mom, talk to me later. Now please go to sleep."
I cut my mom off and hugged her tightly.
"Hah. Okay. OK."
My mom also hugged me from behind, and I kissed my mom on the lips.
My mom, who was crying just a moment ago, looked at me with a big smile as if everything had been resolved with one kiss from me.
"I'm alive because of our Daniel."
I covered my mom's eyes with my hand and told her to sleep.
***
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