– Mom, Mom! Hehe.
– What’s wrong with her?
– Uh-huh, it’s fine since it feels good.
Ji-yeon grew up to be a very affectionate child.
Around the time she entered middle school, the lingering minor illnesses she used to have nearly disappeared, and she could now be considered a healthy child.
Since I had been taking care of her from a young age, she had no hesitation in expressing her affection towards me, and in addition, she was a cheerful child who loved her family.
In contrast, Ji-eun had become somewhat indifferent.
– …Is there anything you need, Ji-eun?
– No, I’m fine.
– If you need anything, just tell me. Mom will buy it for you.
Rather than being indifferent, it seemed like she had become accustomed to hiding her feelings.
At least in front of her younger sibling, she would smile and show a bright side, but in front of me and him, it was always just, “I’m okay.”
Only then did I feel that my relationship with Ji-eun had become distant, and I tried to make amends, but it wasn’t easy.
Coincidentally, the company had also become busy at that time, so I couldn’t pay more attention.
This was all just an excuse, wasn’t it? I should have worked to restore my relationship with Ji-eun regardless of work.
While I was growing distant from Ji-eun, an incident occurred.
– I’m not your biological child.
– Where did you hear that…?
– I saw it in the storage room, Mom’s notebook.
My notebook contained records from when I first adopted Ji-eun all the way to the parenting stages.
Ji-eun was saying that she realized she wasn’t my biological child through that.
– It’s okay, Mom is still my mom, right? I’m your daughter.
Seeing Ji-eun’s face smiling as she said that gave me some relief, so I let that day pass like that.
Just because she said it was okay didn’t mean it was really okay, but since she always said she was fine, I should have questioned and examined it at least once.
I did nothing.
Perhaps I was scared, scared of the resentment Ji-eun would express when I truly uncovered her feelings.
I was a coward, so I ran away, and in the end, I had to pay the price.
– Thank you for raising me all this time.
Ji-eun left only that note and disappeared without a trace.
She left behind all the clothes she wore and the things she used. She took only the bare minimum.
How did she find a place to stay? Is she eating well? Is she okay now?
I had so many questions, but I couldn’t ask anything. We had lost contact.
No, even if we were in contact, I wouldn’t have been able to say anything. What could I say to a child who was already hurt? It would only sound like an excuse.
As time passed, I at least maintained some interaction with Ji-yeon, and she occasionally showed signs of meeting her sister. I tried to reassure myself by looking at Ji-yeon’s face, and days turned into months and then years.
I spent time without being able to do anything.
In a rigid household, I tried to turn my eyes away and focused even more on work. I whipped myself into doing so.
I shouldn’t have let it come to this, but I was still a coward.
Memories filled only with regrets.
“I’ve always wanted to tell you this, even if you’re not my biological child, I love you. I wanted to say it for a long time.”
“Yes, yes…”
“Ahem, the same goes for Dad. I’ve never thought Ji-eun wasn’t my daughter. I even keep your photo in my wallet. My subordinates tease me about it all the time.”
It was an unexpected confession time.
The role of the priest hearing that confession was played by me.
When she told me to sit down for a moment, I awkwardly took a seat, and this is how it happened.
I didn’t know anything about it.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m fine…”
“Sniff!”
Seeing my mother’s red eyes, I kept repeating that I was okay, feeling confused.
But my mother wasn’t crying as if she had heard something strange.
What is it? Did I say something wrong?
“I-I told you I’m fine.”
“Boo-hoo!”
Um, I guess I should just shut up and stay quiet.
As my mother cried out in a mysterious way, I could only sweat profusely and hold her hands.
My father, who was watching that scene, also took off his glasses, wiping his tears.
Is this it? It must be, right?
Ji-eun must have left because she found out she wasn’t a biological child, and after some time, she returned home and reconciled with her parents.
Let’s end it with a happy ending. While I usually prefer sad endings or open conclusions because they feel more realistic, doing so in reality would be crazy.
Pat pat—
While awkwardly patting my mother’s back, who had buried her head in my arms, I thought to myself.
So, does Ji-yeon know nothing?
Does she know or not know that Ji-eun is not her biological sister?
From her reactions so far, it seems like she doesn’t. Then what does Ji-eun think is the reason she left home?
Simply a fight with her parents? Late-onset adolescence? A journey for personal growth?
I was deep in thought when suddenly—
Crash!
It sounded like when I fell.
I turned my gaze there, half expecting something, and saw Ji-yeon’s sheepish face peeking out.
“Sorry… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I came out because I couldn’t sleep…”
Seeing her reaction, I was sure.
Ji-yeon didn’t know either.
I knew there was some trouble between my mom and sister.
Actually, it was between my sister and my parents. Anyway.
Whatever it was, I remembered that it was a big enough deal for my well-behaved and obedient sister to leave home.
I had been curious about the reason, but my parents would never tell me even if I subtly asked, and the tense atmosphere that ensued made me eventually give up on prying into it.
But to think that such a background was hidden.
‘My sister isn’t my biological sister…?’
I felt dazed. Really dazed.
It felt like I had been blindsided by something I had never anticipated. One of the premises of my life, which I had always taken for granted, had shattered.
I was aware that my sister looked somewhat different from me.
She was a beautiful woman with a cold demeanor, and I was a comparatively rounder and more pleasant-looking beauty.
There was a common denominator that we were both beautiful, but it would be unreasonable to say our moods and appearances aligned.
That said, how many people would suspect their sister wasn’t their biological sister?
To even entertain such a thought because of slight differences in appearance was stepping outside the realm of normal thinking.
However, life doesn’t always flow the same way. Just as moments of brilliance occasionally strike a madman, this was one of those cases.
“Ji-yeon must be surprised, huh? Mom and Dad were planning to tell you someday… but they never found the right moment to do so.”
“Oh, no. It’s okay.”
It wasn’t just empty words; I genuinely felt fine. Fine and all.
So what if my sister isn’t my biological sister? Does it change anything?
Ji-eun will always be Ji-yeon’s sister, and she is the daughter of Lee Jang-hoon and Kim Soo-yeon.
She had been family from the moment she was born; how could I accept that she wasn’t family now?
Thinking like that, Ji-yeon carefully masked her expression.
She didn’t want to show a flustered face here as it might disrupt the atmosphere that Mom and her sister were trying to cultivate. They were in the middle of unraveling their feelings, and she couldn’t be the obstacle.
“Yeah, I’m glad you’re okay. Ji-yeon had a tough time too, right? It’s nice to see you and your sister getting along again and smiling like that. It’s a sight for sore eyes.”
“Yes? Yes…”
However, upon hearing her father’s words, Ji-yeon couldn’t help but feel flustered again.
‘Did I… like it?’
Ji-yeon touched her face to check her state.
The corners of her mouth were slightly turning up into a smile.
She hadn’t forced herself to smile; it naturally occurred.
She had intended to maintain a stoic demeanor, thinking, “It doesn’t matter since my sister is family anyway,” but instead, she was smiling.
Was she laughing without realizing it? Why?
‘Because it felt good.’
While Ji-yeon was searching for a reason behind her feelings, she turned her gaze towards her sister.
‘It’s because my sister returned to the family’s embrace that I smiled without realizing it.’
This seemed like a reasonable deduction, but Ji-yeon felt a nagging unease. It felt like she was missing something.
Ji-yeon observed her state coolly. And then she realized.
When had her feelings been most fervently stirred? It was…
‘When I found out that my sister isn’t my biological sister.’
What she thought was just confusion harbored another emotion within it.
The vague happiness that lay hidden beneath the embarrassment.
Was there any reason to be happy that her sister wasn’t her biological sister?
Ji-yeon pondered for a moment before recalling one possibility that could fulfill all of this.
However, it was so dark and sinister that, even when she thought of it, she found it hard to believe it came from her own mind. Yet, at the same time, it was strangely exciting.
So, to keep that thought from being discovered by others, Ji-yeon smiled even more broadly than before.
“Are you really that happy? Having your sister back?”
“Yes.”
Good. So good.
She swallowed her next words. She wasn’t even sure of her own feelings yet. She left it without adding any clauses.
Just for now, this was enough. Just for now.
Her mother nestled in her father’s arms, looking at her with fondness, and her sister’s awkward face.
That alone made it a good night.
