WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Malfoid
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◈ The Dynamics of Pure Love and Overprotection ◈
Chapter 27
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5. A Temporary Responsibility
Eighteen missed calls, thirty-five messages still marked with a 1, fourteen unread texts, and seven DMs that had piled up afterward.
As soon as I got home from school, I took strong cold medicine even though I wasn't sick, turned off my phone, and went to sleep. When I finally opened my eyes near midnight, my phone was overflowing with messages from one person.
Every single one was from Kang Uihyeon.
I was dying to know what they said, but I didn't check. I turned my phone off again. If his name appeared on the screen while I sat there holding it, I couldn't be sure I'd have the strength to press decline.
Of course, my head felt hazy after taking medicine while perfectly healthy. I dragged my exhausted body out of my room and searched the refrigerator. I planned to eat something, get myself together, and study. Lying around after getting my heart broken and abandoning everything I had to do wasn't my style.
As I put a pot of water on to boil ramen, I glanced around the living room. At least Mother was sitting in her usual spot. I had once been afraid of my dead mother, yet now I was taking comfort in her presence. What a selfish, carefree way of thinking.
“Mother, I’m good at making ramen now, you know?”
I chattered as I added the seasoning packet to the water.
“I used to make it too watery every time. Now I can get it just right by eye.”
When I had been the youngest daughter with no worries, Mother would occasionally make ramen for me and scold me for eating something so unhealthy. Now, no one was around to say anything even if I got by on ramen for meals.
Other people might think I looked crazy, talking to myself like this, but I needed someone to talk nonsense with right now. Otherwise, I might dig myself a hole, build a house in it, and live there forever. I needed to drown the sight of Kang Uihyeon holding Jeong Sujin in ramen broth and scatter it among my muttered words.
“It’ll be good, right? It’ll be delicious.”
I even added eggs I'd bought a month ago and still hadn't finished, stirring them energetically with my chopsticks. Every time resentment surged up inside me, my throat stung as I forced it back down. I needed to smother it with spicy broth.
But I couldn't eat the ramen as planned.
The moment I reached into the cupboard for a small plate, the pot bubbling on the stove fell flat onto the floor with a thud, landing perfectly upside down and spilling its hot broth everywhere. The meal I was about to eat for the first time in twelve hours was gone just like that.
As I blankly stared at the ramen broth spreading over the wooden floor, I thought I must have knocked the pot over by accident. I must have been distracted and dropped it like an idiot. Maybe my elbow had hit the handle.
But just as when she had made me fall onto the broken cup, Mother was standing beside the scene of the crime. Even though the red broth covered the floor around her feet, the slippers she wore were unstained.
“...The death anniversary has already passed.”
I calmly turned off the stove first.
“So why are you doing this?”
After the death anniversary, Mother went back to being as quiet as a mouse. She didn't drop things or watch me while I slept. She merely sat on the living room sofa like a still life for an entire year. Then, as June approached, she would rise from her seat.
But this was the first time she'd caused something like this after June 3. Of course, the last time she'd pushed me and hurt me had been a first too.
“What do you want? I told you to tell me with words. I told you not to break cups, so now you chose something that wouldn't break?”
I tried to sound rational, but I couldn't hide the slight tremor at the end of my voice.
“This was going to be my first meal in twelve hours. Will you only be satisfied if you don't even let your daughter eat?”
Sorrow scratched its way up my throat. Difficult things came crashing down on me all at once, as though they wanted to drive me out of this world.
“I haven't been getting angry at you lately. I haven't been telling you to leave this place. I'm trying to live well with you, so why are you doing this? Why do you keep making things hard for me? Why are you doing this too, Mother?”
It was only one serving of ramen, but it looked like too much spilled across the floor. I couldn't even bring myself to clean it up. Every bit of strength drained from my body, and I dropped to the floor. I was so exhausted that my mind went completely dark.
Then I heard movement beyond the front door. Someone placed their hand on the door lock and quickly entered the code. I had a feeling I knew who it was, but I wished it were Yu Dogyeom instead. It would've been better to fight with my brother, shouting at him about why the house was such a mess.
Kang Uihyeon’s shadow entered the kitchen. All he could see was the overturned pot of ramen and me, sitting there helplessly with my hands at my sides. The petty Mother had already retreated to the living room sofa.
Kang Uihyeon didn't say anything. Instead, he took out paper towels, wet wipes, and rags, then began cleaning up the spilled ramen. Beside the man silently cleaning, I hugged my legs and buried my face between my knees, avoiding his gaze.
I should have shouted at the man bustling around my home, asking what he thought he was doing and telling him to get out. But as I listened to the sounds of someone alive, someone who was neither Mother nor me, I finally felt the tension in the back of my neck ease.
After restoring the kitchen, Kang Uihyeon made ramen again. I was still sitting on the floor, only lifting my eyes to peek at him. I looked toward the living room through the dining chairs, but the sofa was empty. Mother had hidden somewhere again.
“Come eat.”
It was the first thing Kang Uihyeon had said since coming to my house. I didn't stubbornly resist and simply picked up my chopsticks as he told me to. I promised myself I would eat quickly, kick him out, and change the door lock code.
“Was it your mother?”
I was surprised that Kang Uihyeon had guessed the answer immediately, but I only nodded without showing it. He was used to the state of my home. Something like this was nothing to him.
“You haven't eaten anything since lunch? Is this dinner?”
Perhaps realizing I wouldn't answer aloud, Kang Uihyeon continued the game of twenty questions on his own. All I had to do was nod or shake my head.
“What were you doing until now? Studying?”
I shook my head.
“You were just resting, right? You stayed home and didn't go anywhere?”
I nodded.
“Why did you just leave in the parking lot earlier?”
But I couldn't answer that question with yes or no. I chose silence and kept eating my ramen.
At Jeong Sujin’s birthday celebration, Kang Uihyeon had said I was young, and then Yu Dogyeom had struck right at the heart of the matter. On my way home alone, I decided that this time, I would truly grow attached to Han Jio. I would seriously listen to the advice I'd always ignored: “You should date someone who likes you too.”
So today, I had lunch with Han Jio and studied with him. I thoroughly ignored Kang Uihyeon. And without even knowing what was wrong, Kang Uihyeon had said something obnoxious himself, helping reinforce my resolve.
But my instinct to put myself at a disadvantage whenever it came to Kang Uihyeon quickly weakened my resolve again, and I went looking for him after his class ended. I hadn't intended to say anything important. I only wanted to make pointless small talk as if nothing had happened and return us to the way we had been.
Because I'd forgotten my promise to myself and was about to act like an idiot again, I witnessed Kang Uihyeon and Jeong Sujin pressed tightly together. It had firmly laid the foundation for me to give up on him completely.
So from now on, I needed to keep my head on straight.
“I’m done. Go now.”
I stood up with the pot containing only broth left in it. I was about to wash it immediately when Kang Uihyeon caught my wrist.
“Should oppa stay the night?”
“Mind your own business.”
“What if you get hurt again like last time?”
“Move. I’m tired.”
I twisted my wrist free from his grip. Kang Uihyeon was genuinely annoying to me. This was the first time I'd ever felt that way. Even though I always told him to get lost, I'd never actually wanted him to stop caring about me. But there wasn't a trace of pretense in my attitude now.
“I’ll do it.”
Kang Uihyeon took the scrubber from me. I left the man who had volunteered to wash the dishes behind and walked to the front door to change the code. This time, I wasn't going to tell Yu Dogyeom either. He only came a few times a year anyway.
Kang Uihyeon finished the dishes quickly. Even though he heard me changing the door lock code, he didn't say anything. As if he truly intended to stay the night, he went into Yu Dogyeom’s room and chose clothes to change into as he pleased. I intended to ignore whatever he did, but I couldn't let this slide.
“Please just go.”
I stood in the doorway and pleaded with Kang Uihyeon.
“I’m really exhausted today. I don't have the energy to deal with you, so just go.”
“Is it hard for you when I’m in this house?”
“Yeah.”
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