Chapter 13: Fall Incident (3)

Song Soo-yeon now visited his restaurant even on weekends.

While enjoying a Saturday lunch there, she asked,

"Mister, do you have a lot of money?"

The man was watching the news.

"Huh? Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

He answered without taking his eyes off the TV.

Song Soo-yeon felt comfortable seeing him like this.

Unlike other men who stared at her whenever they got the chance, he seemed to prioritize his work first.

With a relaxed tone, Song Soo-yeon replied,

"No... I just wondered since you keep giving away free food."

"You're worried about that after coming here for free weekend lunches?"

"Does it burden you?"

"....."

The man glanced at Song Soo-yeon, appearing surprised.

Although she pretended otherwise, she was quite perceptive.

"Where did the person who used to scold me harshly go, and now there's an angel worrying about my finances?"

"Ah, Mister..."

"Hehe, just kidding. Don't worry, it's not a burden."

"So, you are wealthy?"

"No, I'm not exactly rich."

Song Soo-yeon, who had vaguely assumed he was wealthy, was surprised by his answer.

"Then why do you do this?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you give away meals for free?"

"Well... it's for my own satisfaction."

He answered nonchalantly and returned his attention to the TV.

Hearing his answer, Song Soo-yeon was suddenly struck by a sense of unease.

"....."

When she couldn't continue eating, burdened by her concerns, the man turned from the TV and asked,

"What's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

Seeing him care for her again, she felt a warm sensation, though she wouldn't admit it.

"Um..."

She cautiously started,

"What happens to the restaurant if you run out of money?"

Song Soo-yeon realized she had become more attached to this place than she had expected.

The thought of losing this comfortable space made her heart race.

But her anxiety was dispelled by his reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I still have some savings left. I saved a lot when setting up the restaurant... and there are fewer customers than expected."

"....."

"And I can always make money elsewhere."

"Earn money? Just to keep this place running?"

"Yes."

"...."

Song Soo-yeon couldn't understand his mindset, but she didn't object.

She too wished for the place to remain.

She refrained from asking why he was doing such a seemingly foolish thing, lest she persuade him otherwise.

Song Soo-yeon rose from her seat.

It was time to go and make some money.

"....I had a great meal, Mister."

Now, she had started to convey her gratitude too.

"....Really?"

Because when she expressed her thanks, he would smile so radiantly.

There was a peculiar addictiveness to that expression, and recently, Song Soo-yeon never missed an opportunity to say she had enjoyed her meal or to express her gratitude.

---

---

Late at night, after finishing her part-time job, Song Soo-yeon wondered if the restaurant was still open.

However, realizing it was already past 10 pm, she felt it was too late.

She wasn't driven there by hunger but rather by a desire for a place where she felt at ease.

She really didn't want to go home and was looking for somewhere to spend some time.

"The payment will be transferred to your account, just so you know,"

Said the boss, who had handed her flyers, to Song Soo-yeon, who was adjusting her mask.

The mask served as a minimal disguise to prevent her face from being recognized.

She didnt want to attract men who would approach her with offers of making more money.

She didnt need to listen to their proposals; she could almost hear their dirty thoughts in her mind.

Gradually, Song Soo-yeon began to believe these hallucinations weren't madness but actual insights into the thoughts of others.

However, without a friend to confirm this, she could never be certain.

She briefly nodded to her bosss words and turned away.

Even with her face covered, she could feel someone scrutinizing her from behind.

Suppressing her revulsion, Song Soo-yeon moved forward.

Sometimes, she almost forgot what men were like, having gotten used to mister.

As she walked, she reminded herself of this reality.

Her destination was home.

Now that it had come to this, she felt she should check if the money had been properly deposited.

---

---

"Damn it, bitch, why are you just coming in now?"

As soon as Song Soo-yeon entered her house, her heart sank.

A deep male voice echoed from the darkness.

It was her father, who usually wasnt home, but seemed to have returned today.

"...."

After pondering what to do, she decided to ignore his call and head to her room.

"Look at that girl."

Fortunately, his reaction wasn't violent.

Whether it was due to drunkenness or maybe a win at the gambling den, his mood didn't seem too bad.

Otherwise, something in the house would have been destroyed, or she would have had to endure his loud yelling.

Luckily, she could avoid it this time.

Song Soo-yeon entered her room, trying to calm her still-pounding heart.

She felt like she couldn't stay in this house any longer.

Staying put might lead to trouble.

Another relief was that her mother seemed to have passed out drunk.

Had both of them been awake, the house would have been in chaos again.

Song Soo-yeon intended to just grab her bankbook.

She thought it best to wander outside for a while.

She could return and rest when her father fell asleep.

She immediately reached for the high shelf.

"....Huh?"

But she couldn't find the bankbook.

Even standing on tiptoe, thinking she might have reached the wrong spot, her hand grasped nothing.

Backing up to get a better view of the top of the bookshelf, Song Soo-yeon realized that in the unlit house, she could barely see anything.

"....Looking for this?"

When she turned, she saw her father peering through the slightly ajar door.

He was leaning against the door frame, holding her bankbook and card with a cold expression.

The moonlight filtering into the house allowed her to see this clearly.

It felt as if her blood had turned ice-cold.

".....Give it to me."

She said bravely.

She couldn't let him have it.

It was the money she had tirelessly saved for years.

With no other part-time job options, she worked for far less than minimum wage.

She endured beatings from bullies without letting them take it.

She had saved it by starving or eating cheap food.

It was unthinkable to hand it over.

"...."

A tense standoff of gazes began.

It had been years since she stopped thinking of him as her father, but for some reason, she still felt intimidated by him.

Truthfully, she rarely won against anyone.

She lost to bullies and even to her parents.

The only one she had managed to outdo was... perhaps mister who she had just recently met.

He had a sort of pushover air about him.

Involuntarily, Song Soo-yeon thought of mister.

She also remembered how that seemingly naive man had found courage for her sake.

Biting her lip, she glared even harder.

If he could do it, so could she.

After a long standoff, Song Soo-yeon emerged victorious.

Her father snorted and threw the bankbook and card at her.

"....You have the same damn look as your mother."

Feeling a rush of relief, Song Soo-yeon grabbed her belongings and ran out of the house.

---

---

"Haah...! Haah....!"

She was still running, unable to calm her pounding heart.

As if running could help her escape the situation.

She needed to find a new place to hide her bankbook and card.

Until now, there had been no other place but her home, but now she had a new option.

The restaurant.

Perhaps she could ask mister for help.

She moved towards where the restaurant was visible.

".....Ah..."

But the lights of the restaurant were already out.

It seemed to be past operating hours.

As she stood lost in thought, various worries caught up with her.

"...Huh?"

A sudden feeling of anxiety.

Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

The fear was so overwhelming, she could hardly gather any strength.

She forced her trembling legs to move.

After a few minutes, she arrived at an ATM.

Ignoring the machine's greeting, she shoved her bankbook into it.

Her fingers rapidly pressed the 'Account Management' button.

The machine whirred on, almost endlessly.

This money was not just any money.

It was her hope for escaping this hellish place.

She had endured all the pain until now, just waiting for this money to reach the amount of 5 million won.

It was a symbol.

"....No...No..."

After being notified that the action was complete, she retrieved her bankbook.

".......Ah."

Her legs lost strength, and Song Soo-yeon found herself collapsing on the spot.

Balance: 0 won.

She had momentarily forgotten, but her world had always been this way.