Chapter eighteen

⭐ ୧ No matter how hard I try. What can't become, what can't be done. Is all my fault in the end. ও 🥀

The vibrant staircase leading to Jeong Jae's restaurant stood out in the bustling area of restaurants and shops. Each step was painted with intricate, colorful flowers, creating a stark contrast to the gray concrete beneath. The three siblings—Joo Won, San Ha, and Aera—climbed the steps together. Despite the earlier tension, Joo Won and Aera were determined to lighten the mood, playfully shoving San Ha in an attempt to bring back his smile.

"You feel better now, right?" Joo Won asked, giving San Ha a gentle nudge and flashing a reassuring smile as they reached the top. The sliding glass door of Jeong Jae's kalguksu restaurant gleamed under the midday sun.

"He is. He's smiling," Aera chimed in, grinning as she lightly nudged San Ha's shoulder. He adjusted his white backpack and gave her a faint smile.

"I'll be right down," San Ha said, his voice steady but subdued. He turned and continued up the stairs toward the shared apartment with his father Dae Uk.

"Okay." Joo Won and Aera responded in unison, smiling as they watched him ascend. Turning to face the restaurant, they opened the sliding glass door.

Aera gestured for Joo Won to enter ahead of her, and she stepped in right after her, gently closing the sliding door with a quiet click. However, their smiles quickly diminished, and their joyful expressions faded almost immediately.

San Ha's mother, Jeong Hee, and his half-sister, So Hui, passed by without acknowledging Aera and Joo Won, treating them as if they were invisible. As they moved toward San Ha outside, Aera and Joo Won exchanged apprehensive looks.

"Why are they here?" Joo Won muttered, her frown deepening with irritation.

"She's trying so hard," Aera said, shaking her head in disbelief at Jeong Hee's audacity.

They promptly followed Jeong Hee and So Hui as they exited the restaurant. Aera understood that Jeong Hee's sole intention was to evoke guilt in San Ha regarding the past by bringing So Hui along, a move Aera considered to be unkind and unbecoming of a true mother.

Outside, the scene unfolded on the stairs. Jeong Hee held So Hui's hand as the little girl clung to her mother, peeking nervously from behind. San Ha had stopped midway up the steps, turning to face them.

"So Hui, say hi," Jeong Hee said softly, her hand on her daughter's back as she gently nudged her forward.

"Oppa?" So Hui's small voice trembled as she looked up at San Ha. He stood frozen, emotions storming behind his eyes.

San Ha clenched his fists tightly, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. He couldn't believe Jeong Hee was here, especially after he had explicitly told her he didn't want to see her again. Her persistence felt like a deliberate act of defiance.

From below, Aera observed San Ha's reddened eyes, the tears threatening to spill. Jeong Hee's smirk didn't escape her notice—it was the kind of look that made Aera's blood boil. It was as though Jeong Hee knew she had cornered San Ha, using So Hui as leverage to force him into a confrontation.

Aera's thoughts raced. How could she be so brazen? This was the same woman who had abandoned her son, blamed him for the death of his sister, and now, years later, showed up as though nothing had happened.

Back inside the restaurant, tension thickened the air. San Ha sat stiffly across from Jeong Hee and So Hui at the table near the kitchen counter. Joo Won and Aera hovered near their father, peeking from behind the counter where Jeong Jae was chopping vegetables.

"Why are you two in the kitchen?" Jeong Jae whispered, glancing at his daughters.

"Then should we sit out there?" Joo Won gestured toward the table where San Ha and Jeong Hee sat.

Jeong Jae paused before muttering, "Why don't you two go home?"

"It'll seem like we're avoiding her if we go now," Aera countered, frowning at her father's suggestion.

"We'll do some dishes while we're here," Joo Won added, rolling up her sleeves and dragging Aera to the sink. Aera reluctantly followed, adjusting her white puffy jacket over her green school uniform jacket.

Meanwhile, at the table, the confrontation escalated.

San Ha's gaze was a mixture of anger, disbelief, and a touch of sorrow. He found it hard to comprehend the nerve his mother had to return after a decade as if nothing had transpired, as if she hadn't discarded him or left him behind.

"Didn't Dad call you?" San Ha asked, his tone sharp as he watched Jeong Hee help So Hui drink water. "I'm sure he told you not to come back."

"He did," Jeong Hee admitted, her voice calm.

"Mom..." So Hui scooted closer to her mother, sensing the tension.

"It's fine," Jeong Hee reassured her daughter, stroking her head. Her gaze shifted back to San Ha with a calculated expression. "It's because Oppa is seeing you for the first time," she said, smiling at So Hui. She then turned to San Ha, her tone laced with subtle mockery. "She resembles her, right?"

San Ha's expression darkened as he looked at So Hui, his voice cold. "So?" He glared at his mother. "So what if she does?"

"Who?" So Hui asked innocently, her confusion evident.

"Yoon Joo Won, Moon Aera," San Ha called, his voice cutting through the silence.

In the kitchen, Joo Won and Aera stiffened at the sound of their names.

"Yes?" they answered in unison, spinning around to face him.

"Take the child outside," he ordered firmly, his eyes fixed on Jeong Hee with unrelenting intensity.

"Sure," Aera replied without hesitation, drying her hands on a towel. She approached the table, her expression gentle as she extended a hand toward So Hui.

So Hui quickly stood up, reaching out to Aera. The older girl held her hand carefully, leading her away. Joo Won followed closely behind, her discomfort evident in her stiff posture.

Jeong Hee watched them leave, her expression unreadable.

The crisp ocean breeze swept through the quiet streets as the three of them exited the store, their steps echoing softly against the pavement. Aera held a small plastic bag in one hand and So Hui's tiny fingers in the other. Joo Won walked on Aera's other side, her hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets, her frown deepening with each step.

They reached a small concrete yellow fence that separated the street from the quiet and still shore of the ocean. Aera sat down first, followed by So Hui, and then Joo Won, who positioned herself protectively on the little girl's left side. Pulling out a small bottle of Yakult, Aera expertly poked the straw through the foil cap before handing it to So Hui with a gentle smile.

"Here you go."

So Hui accepted it eagerly, her big eyes shining with excitement. She held it carefully with both hands before looking up at Aera. "Can you buy one for Oppa too?"

Aera chuckled softly. "Oppa has a lot of Yakult at home. He probably doesn't need more."

"Do you like Kim San Ha that much?"Joo Won's voice cut in sharply, her frown deepening as she stared at the little girl.

"I do!" So Hui nodded enthusiastically, her short hair bouncing. "Mom said that when she and Dad go to heaven much later, Oppa and I will only have each other."

Joo Won let out a sharp breath, her brows furrowing in frustration. "What are you even saying? Whether it's three or four people, we can all live together!"

"We can?" So Hui's eyes widened, looking between the two older girls with wonder.

"Of course we can." Aera's voice was soft but steady, and her warm smile reassured So Hui.

The little girl's face lit up like the sun breaking through the clouds. She stared up at Aera with pure adoration. "Eonnie, do you want to come with us?"

Aera laughed gently, tilting her head. "Go where?"

So Hui leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, her small hand cupped over her mouth. "This is a secret. I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

Aera leaned down to meet her at eye level, a playful sparkle in her eyes. "Oh? What secret is that?"

Joo Won, sensing the secret might be important, leaned in as well, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as if preparing to hear something groundbreaking. "We won't tell anyone, promise."

Satisfied, So Hui whispered, "Mom said once it's winter break, we're going to Seoul with Oppa."

Both Aera and Joo Won froze, their expressions faltering. Aera forced a polite smile onto her face. "Seoul? Really?"

So Hui's smile widened as she nodded, her small hands gripping the Yakult bottle tightly. "Yes! Then Oppa will eat and play with So Hui every day!"

"That's... great," Aera managed, her voice tinged with an unease she couldn't quite mask.

Joo Won, meanwhile, glanced at Aera over So Hui's head, her own expression a mirror of worry.

The mood shifted as they began their walk back to the restaurant. So Hui held tightly to Aera's hand, her small steps quick and energetic. Joo Won stuck close to Aera's other side, almost as if guarding her from the child.

As they neared the restaurant, Aera broke the silence, her tone gentle but probing. "So Hui, shouldn't you ask your brother if he wants to go to Seoul with you?"

So Hui looked up, puzzled. "Why?"

"He might not want to go," Joo Won added quickly, her voice firm.

"I don't think so." So Hui's confidence was unwavering. "Mom said he would go."

Aera smiled softly but her eyes reflected something else entirely. "It's still nice to ask him, don't you think? That way, he feels included."

So Hui tilted her head as if considering Aera's words before shrugging. "Okay. I'll ask him later!"

Joo Won narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing as they continued their walk. Aera gave her sister a side glance, sensing her growing irritation.

The sound of clattering containers suddenly echoed sharply through the alley, followed by a low grunt of pain. Aera's heart dropped as she instinctively tightened her grip on So Hui's small hand, then let go and bolted ahead. Her breath hitched when the scene came into view—San Ha sprawled on the ground, his lip split and bleeding, and Hae Jun standing over him, fists clenched, his expression a storm of anger and frustration.

"San Ha!" Aera's voice cracked as she ran to his side, her eyes darting between the two boys.

"Why do you get angry with me when there are other kids with their moms?!" San Ha's voice broke, his words laced with pain and rage as he twisted on the ground to glare up at Hae Jun. "In other people's eyes, you, Aera, and I are just children abandoned by their moms!"

Aera froze at his words, her chest tightening as the raw truth of his declaration settled in. Her eyes flicked up to the stairs, where Jeong Hee stood watching, her expression unreadable. San Ha's gaze found her, and when their eyes locked, she looked away, guilt flashing across her face.

Jeong Jae was just beside her, his brow furrowed in confusion and anger as he took in the scene unfolding below.

Aera's hands trembled as she watched San Ha push himself up off the ground, his shoulders slumping as a single tear slid down his cheek. She felt her own tears begin to well up, but she quickly blinked them back.

San Ha adjusted the strap of his white backpack, his voice steady but cold as he spoke, "How many times do you need me to say it? Should I repeat myself?" His eyes bore into Hae Jun's. "You and I are just—" He stepped forward, his posture rigid with restrained fury.

Before he could finish, Aera rushed between them, her arms outstretched, forcing them apart. Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. "Why are you acting like children?!"

San Ha's glare didn't waver as he shot back, "He is a child asking for his mom." His words were venomous, dripping with bitterness.

Aera turned to Hae Jun, her voice softer now, pleading. "Hae Jun, stop this. Please. Fighting isn't going to change anything. We all know how much this hurts, but this isn't the way to handle it."

But Hae Jun's anger had reached its boiling point. He raised his fist, his knuckles tightening as he prepared to strike again. Aera flinched but didn't move, her body shielding San Ha.

"Kang Hae Jun!" Jeong Jae's voice thundered from the top of the stairs, stopping Hae Jun mid-motion.

At the same time, So Hui ran forward, tears streaming down her small face. "Don't hit my oppa!" she cried, her tiny hands pushing against Hae Jun's legs. "Don't hit him!"

Hae Jun's fist slowly lowered, his face softening as he looked down at the crying girl. San Ha, too, glanced at her, his anger momentarily replaced with guilt.

Jeong Jae hurried down the stairs, his footsteps heavy with frustration. He placed a firm hand on Hae Jun's shoulder, his voice calmer but stern. "What are you doing? Both of you."

"You raised them without self-control," Jeong Hee interjected, stepping forward, placing her hands on So Hui's small shoulders. Her tone was sharp, her words like daggers aimed at Jeong Jae.

Jeong Jae stiffened but said nothing. Instead, he turned to San Ha, brushing dirt off his uniform with quiet care. The fatherly gesture was simple but spoke volumes. He then knelt to pick up the containers that had fallen during the scuffle, placing them neatly back in their spots.

Aera stepped back, her gaze shifting to San Ha, who avoided looking at anyone. Her voice was steady but filled with emotion as she spoke, "San Ha... this isn't fair to any of us. Not to you, not to Hae Jun, and definitely not to So Hui. Can't we... figure out a better way to handle this? Together?"

San Ha didn't respond, his jaw clenching as he glanced at Aera briefly before turning his eyes to the ground.

Hae Jun, too, looked down, his hands loosening at his sides. "I wasn't... trying to hurt you," he muttered, barely audible.

Aera sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. She looked at both boys, her voice firmer this time. "We all carry pain, but we can't keep throwing it at each other like this. It'll only make things worse."

Jeong Jae straightened, placing a hand on each boy's shoulder. "She's right," he said quietly. "Now go inside. All of you."

The group stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of the confrontation still heavy in the air. Aera rested her hand lightly on Hae Jun's arm as she guided him toward the restaurant. Joo Won, who had been watching from the edge of the alley, stepped forward to walk beside San Ha, her expression a mix of worry and determination.

As they made their way inside, Aera glanced back at Jeong Hee, who lingered on the stairs, her gaze fixed on her son. Aera's eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing. For now, it was enough to keep the fragile peace intact.

࿁ • 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘬 . . . 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝒚𝒐𝒖
ྀིྀི 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝒎𝒆 𐙚 ~ @ 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 • ࿁

Hello! How are y'all doing? 😄 I was supposed to publish this chapter like a week ago but I was busy and didn't have time to edit the draft 😓 But here it is! I hope you enjoy it. Hopefully I'll be able to update this Sunday or Monday, so wait for it 😉

Anyways, I will see you all on the next chapter! 💗