I am back – Chapter 18

Ah-yoon was closer to Mom than just sharing a face. Every time Mom came home late because of work, she was always grateful for her older sister who took care of me.

It’s not that Mom and I were close with the people upstairs. Ah-yoon’s parents weren’t the type to strike up friendly conversations or greet others when they crossed paths. They never really had interactions, nor did they initiate any.

Did they even know that Ah-yoon stayed at our house during their fights?

Even if they did, it seemed like they didn’t really care.

We weren’t well-off.

If you put it that way, Ah-yoon’s family was probably in a better financial situation than ours. Both their house and ours weren’t exactly luxurious, but if you asked which house was worth more—one above ground or one half-buried—you’d obviously say the one that was above ground.

With more family members, if both Ah-yoon’s parents worked, their situation would likely be better than ours.

…But seeing them fight every day, it’s hard to think that way.

Although we weren’t exactly well-off, Mom always thought that she was indebted to Ah-yoon. Every time Ah-yoon came over, Mom would send her off with something to eat. Usually just a simple meal, but Ah-yoon would accept it cheerfully. As time went on, the frequency of these meals increased, and Mom and Ah-yoon grew closer.

By the time I was just about to graduate high school, she was treated almost like family.

At that time, Ah-yoon had already started living on her own. Despite attending university in Seoul, she likely chose to live separately because of her parents.

Even while living on her own, Ah-yoon often visited our house, but it seemed she hardly ever went back to her own.

It was around that time when Mom got to know Older Sister Yu-ri.

Given Ah-yoon’s friendly nature, it was odd to think that she wouldn’t make friends at university.

While Ah-yoon didn’t drag a huge crowd with her, she had an incredible talent for attracting people who truly matched her vibe.

One day, while visiting Ah-yoon at her university, I met Yu-ri, who was the complete opposite of those I knew before in many ways.

Unlike Ah-yoon, who dressed simply, Yu-ri was always stylishly dressed. In summer, she would show a lot of skin, and in winter, she wore expensive-looking jackets or coats.

Her smartphone was always the latest model, and the bags she carried were mostly high-end brands.

Even at her young age of just starting university, she already had a car, so it wasn’t necessary to explain just how wealthy she was.

I don’t quite know how Yu-ri and Ah-yoon became friends. In fact, neither of them could explain it well. Like most friendships, they began by sitting close and sharing a few words, and then it seemed that they got close enough to hang out often.

“You’re Siyun, right? Ah-yoon has told me a lot about you.”

Yu-ri said this, her eyes narrowing as she scanned me, and then asked, “You’re that nice, huh?”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, our Siyun is really nice.”

Ah-yoon, who was listening from the side, agreed so whole-heartedly that my face turned completely red.

I didn’t meet Yu-ri as often as I did Ah-yoon, but I did see her pretty regularly. Of course, Ah-yoon was always there when I met Yu-ri.

“Ugh, seriously, how can a person with no boyfriend live like this?”

After meeting about seven times, Yu-ri shouted this in a café. Naturally, Ah-yoon and I waved our hands to protest, but Yu-ri didn’t seem to believe us at all.

The next time I met Yu-ri, she brought along her boyfriend, Park Sang-hyun.

…To be honest, I honestly had no idea where she found someone like him. Given that even Yu-ri couldn’t explain it well, I figured it was probably a case of, “It just happened,” like how Ah-yoon and Yu-ri became friends. Yu-ri was always a bit of a free spirit.

That doesn’t mean Yu-ri always brought her boyfriend along, but I did have memories of double dates from time to time.

Then one day, she came to our neighborhood and ran into my mom.

I’m not sure if Ah-yoon introduced Yu-ri to her parents. But it seemed they spoke about my mom. Maybe they showed her a picture of the three of them together.

“Hello!”

In any case, Yu-ri recognized my mom right away and greeted her with a cheerful yet polite demeanor.

Naturally, my mom, seeing Yu-ri for the first time, widened her eyes and looked at me and Ah-yoon.

“Oh, she’s my friend. A university friend.”

“Oh, I see?”

As soon as Ah-yoon explained, my mom welcomed her with a smile.

We met at the neighborhood mart. Mom might have finished work early for a change, as she was grocery shopping when we stopped by to grab some drinks.

Yu-ri had a strong desire to see what our neighborhood was like, but neither Ah-yoon nor I had any plans to show her our home. Yu-ri might not have noticed it properly, but we often felt the gap between us.

It wasn’t just about being unable to eat what we wanted or have what we desired. There’s no way she could understand the mindset of someone who juggles counting every transport fare for a thirty-minute subway and bus ride while someone else drives far away just to kill time.

I knew that there was nothing wrong with Yu-ri. It was just a situation where two different classes of people met, and there was a certain gap created.

Poverty isn’t something to be ashamed of, but that doesn’t mean anyone wants pity from their friends.

Honestly, I didn’t think about it much… But looking at the fighting that still echoes at Ah-yoon’s house, I could empathize with the feeling of not wanting to show off our lives.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Ah-yoon. She said you’ve taken care of her a lot since we were kids…”

“Oh my, really?”

So as we watched Mom and Yu-ri chatting, we felt a bit anxious.

Even if Yu-ri’s personality made it impossible to sever ties knowing where we lived, that didn’t mean it was comfortable. Once she remembers, it would be tough to forget, and who knows how Yu-ri’s attitude towards Ah-yoon may change afterward.

“Oh, right.”

After a brief chat with Yu-ri, Mom reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. After a moment of thought, she took out three ten-thousand won bills and a five-thousand won bill and handed them to Ah-yoon.

“Since you’re here, go buy something delicious with the kids.”

“Uh, ah, it’s okay!”

Seeing the sudden cash, Yu-ri looked flustered.

In truth, Mom probably didn’t know how much money Yu-ri had. She probably thought that since Ah-yoon was a university student, a typical broke student, she was offering to treat them to a meal.

…Or perhaps, even if she wasn’t aware of the brands or prices of the clothes Yu-ri wore, she might have sensed that they were far better than what we usually wore.

After all, the clothes Yu-ri was wearing were from her high school days.

Normally, Ah-yoon would have refused. She generally felt a bit guilty about receiving things from Mom.

But that day, she accepted the money.

“Thank you…”

Though she still looked a bit hesitant.

At that time, I was at an age where I could hardly be called a child. In just one more year, I would be an adult. Of course, I couldn’t say I knew everything, but I was beginning to understand a bit about human relationships.

I could vaguely tell why Ah-yoon accepted the money differently than usual.

“Then have fun!”

“Uh, yeah, thank you…”

Yu-ri looked a bit surprised by Mom’s reaction.

Mom hadn’t invited Yu-ri to our house until the conversation ended, nor did she mention where we lived.

That day, we used that thirty-five thousand won to have budae jjigae.