Chapter 22
When I came out of the kitchen, my mother was already packing her bag.
“I’ll head off now for today.”
“The owner’s son is here, so of course you should leave early. Don’t worry about the shop—go in and talk with him.”
The “Eodug-ssooni,” who had worked with my mother the longest, smiled brightly as she spoke.
On the way home, walking side by side, I held an umbrella over my mother.
“You should stop working at the restaurant now.”
“I’m not working myself to death like before. I’m just taking it easy, so it’s fine.”
“But your arthritis will only get worse.”
“If I just stay home, it’s boring. I need to do something.”
“Even just managing the branch stores is already a lot of work.”
“If the taste of the food changes, customers leave right away. The side dishes all depend on my hands anyway.”
My mother looked relaxed.
We stopped by the market on the way home.
She bought a bundle of meat and vegetables, saying she’d make my favorite foods.
Of course, her bigger purpose was probably showing off her son as she went around the market.
“Isn’t that Mrs. Jang’s eldest son? You’re home for the weekend, right? Take this too and feed him well.”
“He’s so handsome. If I had a son like that, I wouldn’t even need to eat.”
“So you became a lawyer? He’s grown up so well, hasn’t he?”
Many people knew my mother, who had worked tirelessly in Yongmun for 13 years after my father passed away.
I followed behind her with the shopping bag, wearing a kind smile.
As soon as we got home, my mother made a crispy kimchi pancake filled generously with pork—my favorite.
I took a bite of the hot pancake, blowing on it, when something suddenly came to mind.
“By the way, did something happen at home?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Your voice sounded strange on the phone.”
My mother paused mid-cooking and brought out something wrapped in a pink cloth from the bedroom.
“These are your father’s documents…”
The moment I heard the word “father,” my heart began to race.
It was a bundle I had never seen before.
“It’s been exactly 13 years. Since your father passed away. Back then you were still young, and I couldn’t understand what was written even when I read it, so I just wrapped it up like this. I thought I’d show it to you when you grew up, but I forgot about it. I only remembered a few days ago.”
“Are these documents related to my father’s case?”
“Yes. Your father always said he was wronged… he would wake up in the middle of the night saying his chest felt tight from injustice. I wonder how painful it must have been… to leave like that alone…”
My mother’s voice broke, and she stopped speaking.
Even now, when I close my eyes, I can still see my father’s last moments.
There were times I resented him, wondering why he had done something like that at home.
But as I grew older, I began to understand a little of how he must have felt.
How painful and lonely must it have been?
To the point where he abandoned life despite having a wife and two children he loved.
While I was lost in thought, I heard the front door open.
“Oppa, are you home?”
It was my younger sister, Yeon-hee.
A girl already in her second year of high school ran straight into my arms like a puppy the moment she saw me.
“Oppaaaa!”
When my father passed away, Yeon-hee was only five years old.
With a 12-year age gap, I often felt more like she was my niece than my sister as we grew up.
Yeon-hee seemed to see me as something between an older brother and a father.
“Why did you come so late? I thought you’d come every weekend…”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Hmmph. I kept worrying with Mom whether you were adjusting well at the office, and you didn’t even think about us?”
“I do think about you. I call Mom often and text you all the time.”
“But that’s not the same as seeing you in person!”
“Alright, I’m sorry.”
As Yeon-hee continued to act cute, my mother placed freshly made kimchi pancakes on a plate.
“Wow, Mom used to make me kimchi pancakes with just kimchi, but for Oppa she puts in lots of meat?”
“Of course. He works away from home—can’t I make something nice for him once in a while?”
“Geez… who’s complaining? I’m saying she did a good job!”
Yeon-hee puffed out her cheeks, pretending to be annoyed.
“You eat too.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
At my words, she quickly grabbed chopsticks and tore off a large piece, stuffing it into her mouth.
“Ahh—it’s hot! Too hot!”
“Don’t talk. The kimchi pancake will escape your mouth.”
“Hmmph.”
Her greasy lips sticking out were so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.
—Ah, this is so good. Mom’s kimchi pancakes are my favorite… it’s been so long.
The red-eyed entity, which appeared and disappeared at will but always showed up when there was good food, suddenly sat beside me and tore off a piece of pancake, stuffing it into its mouth.
My mother, who was scooping batter onto a pan, asked,
“By the way, did you go see Dong-hoon?”
“Yes.”
Yeon-hee’s bright expression suddenly darkened.
“Did he eat?”
“He hasn’t even had lunch yet.”
“Then I should make some pancakes to take to him. Is it too spicy for him? I should add more meat and batter.”
“Put in lots of meat, Mom.”
Yeon-hee took minced meat from the fridge and handed it over.
Something felt off, so I asked her.
“Who is Dong-hoon?”
“He’s a little kid living in the villa behind Yong-yong Mart. He’s super cute.”
“But why hasn’t he eaten lunch at this hour?”
“Last year, Dong-hoon’s mom passed away, and his dad seems to have changed. Dong-hoon says his dad used to take good care of him, but these days he just sits alone in his room a lot. Even when Dong-hoon calls him, he doesn’t respond, and even when it gets dark he just sits there without turning on the lights.”
“Shouldn’t you report that to social services?”
“We thought about it. But apparently, whenever a welfare officer comes, the father suddenly acts completely normal.”
—Huh? Could he be possessed?
The red-eyed entity licked its fingers and asked.
I also had a strong feeling this wasn’t something ordinary.
“How did you first meet Dong-hoon?”
“I was running an errand at Yong-yong Mart for Mom, and he was sitting curled up in the alley across from it. A tiny kid, looking completely exhausted. I asked if he was okay, and he said he was just hungry. So I went back into the mart and bought him kimbap, bread, and milk.”
“Good job.”
—As expected of Yeon-hee, she’s kind.
The red eyes clapped.
Yeon-hee continued.
“I told him I could report it to the township office if he needed help, but he said he was okay. But even after that, I kept seeing him sitting outside on the street. When I asked why, he said he was scared to stay home when his dad changed.”
“Then you should report it to the police.”
“He refused. He strongly opposed it, so I couldn’t.”
It seemed I needed to see the situation myself.
“Then once Mom finishes the pancakes, let’s go together.”
“Really? Oppa, can you help Dong-hoon?”
“I’ll have to see first.”
“Wow, thank you, Oppa. I was worried because Dong-hoon’s dad seems to be getting worse lately… you’re the best.”
Yeon-hee clapped happily.
—Aren’t you getting too involved in something that doesn’t pay you anything?
The red eyes said.
“Yeon-hee probably wants to help kids in trouble because of what she went through after losing Dad as a child. We should go.”
The red eyes nodded.
My mother wrapped several hot pancakes in aluminum foil, then wrapped them again in newspaper to keep them warm, and placed them in a plastic bag.
Yeon-hee and I went to the villa where Dong-hoon lived.
Even after Yeon-hee rang the bell several times, there was no response.
“Dong-hoon, it’s Yeon-hee noona. Open the door.”
She knocked and shouted.
“Maybe no one’s home?”
“No, he’s in there. He usually comes out after a few calls.”
Just as she said, after shouting a few more times, someone finally opened the door slightly.
A small boy—smaller than most first graders—peeked through the gap.
“Dong-hoon, noona brought you kimchi pancakes.”
Yeon-hee waved the package.
“Noona…”
Dong-hoon stepped out, quickly closing the door behind him.
“You said you didn’t eat lunch, right? My mom made this—it’s really good. Try it.”
“Thank you, noona.”
He glanced at me nervously as he spoke in a small voice.
Yeon-hee noticed he was afraid of me and introduced me.
“This is my brother.”
“Hello, Dong-hoon.”
“Hello…”
He relaxed a little, but still looked at me cautiously.
Then a man’s voice suddenly roared from inside the house.
“Hey you little s***! Where did you go?! Where’s that brat?!”
Dong-hoon flinched and shrank his shoulders.
“Is your dad home?”
Yeon-hee asked, and Dong-hoon nodded stiffly.
“Dong-hoon… why is your dad yelling? Is he angry?”
I asked, and Dong-hoon shook his head violently in fear.
—He’s trembling completely.
The red eyes observed him.
“Has your dad ever hit you or hurt you?”
Again, Dong-hoon shook his head.
I scanned Dong-hoon’s aura.
His original aura was a pure, transparent blue—only children with a clean soul had it. Blue represented wisdom, meaning he was likely smarter than most children.
But now, fear had turned his aura a murky yellow, overpowering the blue.
What exactly had this child gone through?
His tiny heart was beating rapidly, visible even through his aura.
“Can I meet your dad?”
Dong-hoon hesitated, unable to answer.
Then Yeon-hee stepped in.
“It’s okay, Dong-hoon. My brother is a lawyer.”
“What’s a lawyer?”
“Someone who helps people who are struggling or treated unfairly.”
Dong-hoon thought for a moment, then asked me,
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I’ll talk to your dad and see how I can help.”
After a moment of hesitation, Dong-hoon seemed to make up his mind.
“Come in.”
He opened the door.
I followed him inside, and Yeon-hee followed behind me.
Even though it was evening, the house was dark with no lights turned on.
A stale smell of unwashed laundry and rotting food filled the air.
But stronger than that was a stench like decaying fish—like something ghostly.
—Ugh… this is serious ghost smell. 100% a haunted house. And a vicious one!
The red eyes shouted.
“Dong-hoon, why are the lights off?”
“My dad says bright light hurts his eyes.”
“Can you turn them on? It’s too dark to see.”
“Yes.”
Dong-hoon switched on the living room light.
