Chapter 020: Mom
Chapter 020: Mom
**
What should have been a lovely meal, one I’d put so much effort into preparing, now tasted bland to Yumi and me.
Jihoon, that carefree child, ate with great relish. Yumi kept serving him food, never once looking my way.
I could only sigh helplessly inside, this was the first time things had gotten this strained between Yumi and me.
Yumi took a long time to eat, but she didn’t consume much, mostly keeping Jihoon company.
Once Jihoon finished, Yumi put down her chopsticks too.
Earlier at the table, with Jihoon present, I couldn’t explain things to Yumi. After all, some matters are best kept from children.
After dinner, Yumi began clearing the table while I returned to the bedroom to wait for her. I intended to talk things through and explain myself properly.
But just as the sounds from the kitchen faded, I heard Jihoon’s door open and close. My heart skipped a beat.
Opening the bedroom door, I found Yumi was no longer in the living room or kitchen.
Clearly, she had gone to Jihoon’s room.
The evening dragged on without a chance to explain, and the tension was killing me. I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I walked toward Jihoon’s door. Click… Setting aside my pride, I opened the door myself.
Jihoon was doing his homework, and Yumi was sitting beside him, helping him.
“Can we talk in my room?” I cut straight to the point.
“Don’t disturb the child while he’s doing homework…” she said as soon as I finished speaking, rising immediately to come to the doorway.
As Yumi closed the door in front of me, my view of both Yumi and Jihoon gradually faded.
Defeated, I returned to my own bedroom.
I waited… Jihoon couldn’t possibly be doing homework forever.
As time ticked by, it was long past our usual bedtime. I couldn’t sit still any longer.
Stepping out of my room, I saw Jihoon’s room was dark… The light had been turned off long ago.
A pang of sadness washed over me. Hurrying over, I placed my hand on the doorknob once more.
Click…
I pressed down on the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge… it had been locked from the inside.
My heart sank, understanding everything.
Still, I didn’t give up. I knocked softly, quietly enough to be heard inside.
But after a while, there was no response.
Occasional voices chatted within, seemingly oblivious to my knocking, as if I were invisible.
My pride stung. A stubborn resolve surged within me. I stopped knocking and returned to the bedroom.
But Yumi was sleeping with Jihoon tonight, she wouldn’t come to me. Suddenly, I felt like a spare part in this house.
After returning to my bedroom, I didn’t go to bed. Instead, I silently dressed.
It was already past ten o’clock. Once dressed, I grabbed my briefcase, walked out the door, and left the house.
Was I wrong? I was definitely wrong. But Yumi’s coldness tonight made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
I’d leave home tonight, giving us both a chance to cool off.
Even after I left the house, Yumi remained silent in Jihoon’s room, never coming out. I didn’t know if she’d heard me leave.
Descending the stairs, the cold night wind hit my face, sobering me up. I surveyed the neighborhood, glancing up at the star-filled sky.
Where should I go tonight? The usual spot, I suppose.
I started the car and drove toward my office. Countless nights of overtime had kept me there, chasing news stories that prevented me from going home.
When exhaustion hit, I’d simply rest my head on my desk. Now, my only refuge was my own workplace.
Arriving at the office, I entered and rang the bell to wake the night watchman.
He was accustomed to my late-night returns, after all, when journalists are busy, there’s no distinction between day and night.
Returning to my office, the entire space was pitch-black.
Switching on the lights, the office that had been bustling with activity during the day now felt eerily quiet… too quiet, almost frightening.
But I had long since grown accustomed to this environment.
I walked to my desk, sat down, and slumped wearily into the office chair, massaging my temples.
Though my office was comfortable, the events of the day had robbed me of any desire to sleep.
After being out so long, I wondered if Yumi knew. Up until now, she hadn’t even called me.
I refused to give up hope. Maybe she hadn’t gotten my call?
I pulled out my phone only to discover it had shut down at some point.
I usually charged it at night before bed, but tonight I’d rushed out without charging it—so hurried that I’d even forgotten the charger.
Annoyed, I tossed the phone onto my desk and powered up my computer. Work would distract me and kill time.
I’m a workaholic. When I’m focused on my job, I can forget everything else.
Midway through my tasks, I needed to copy some materials and reached into my briefcase for a USB drive.
That’s when I suddenly pulled out the memory cards from the home security cameras I’d left behind during my business trip.
Right… I hadn’t checked the home surveillance footage in all this time.
But after tonight’s fiasco, I decided there was no point in looking at it now.