“Ah, ahjussi.”

Yu Min’s face froze.

Why was this person here? He had clearly said this was the house of Uncle Jin Cheol’s friend.

“I prepared everything so you could comfortably play with your friends. Why are you coming out?”

Seung Jun asked, his head lowered.

He prepared everything. Then did that mean the person who was supposedly Jin Cheol’s friend was this ahjussi?

“Is this your house, ahjussi?”

Seung Jun nodded at Yu Min’s question.

“Were you friends with Uncle Jin Cheol?”

“We became close. Since you were sick.”

Why did he say they became friends when I was sick? Yu Min didn’t know the reason, but it was clear this ahjussi was that friend.

Not knowing what to do, Yu Min’s eyes darted here and there.

“If I had known ahjussi was the friend.”

He wouldn’t have borrowed the house. Yu Min stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.

It was already in the past. Hadn’t he insisted and begged Jin Cheol to borrow it? If only he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t be suffering surrounded by lies like this.

Why hadn’t Uncle Jin Cheol told him the main person was Seung Jun? He unreasonably resented Jin Cheol.

“Then, are you thinking of stopping now?”

Seung Jun’s eyes sparkled.

“Tell me if you are. I’ll go along with whatever you say.”

Yu Min looked at Seung Jun, his mouth clamped shut.

He couldn’t say now that it had been a lie. That would make Yu Min even more of a laughingstock to the kids.

Seung Jun gently lifted the corner of his mouth.

“If you’re not thinking that, enjoy it to the end. It’s a stage made for you.”

Seung Jun spoke as if concluding.

Yu Min firmly shut his eyes and opened them again as if resolved, then went inside. Seung Jun’s expression watching him became curious.

He had done his best so Yu Min could enjoy happily, but Yu Min’s face didn’t look very happy.

*

“You waited a long time? Thank you, Jin Cheol.”

That evening. Seol Ah, who had returned from work, had no idea what had happened.

She only knew that Jin Cheol had looked after Yu Min all day today.

Jin Cheol, who had found the kids who had fun at Seung Jun’s house and handed small gifts to their mothers before sending them home, returned to his own house with Yu Min.

Not long after that, Seol Ah had arrived.

“Ah, not at all. I also had a fun day.”

Jin Cheol awkwardly replied while touching the back of his head. Yu Min couldn’t even meet Seol Ah’s eyes.

“Yu Min.”

Misinterpreting their demeanor, Seol Ah crouched down in front of Yu Min. Stroking his face with one hand, Seol Ah gently said,

“I’m sorry. I try to avoid working on Saturdays if possible. This time I had no choice. Next time, I’ll absolutely refuse to work on Saturdays, okay?”

She thought Yu Min was upset about her working on Saturday.

“No, Mom.”

“Let’s eat something delicious today. I bought groceries on the way. I’ll make the pasta you like, Yu Min. Oh, Jin Cheol, you eat with us too. You too, ma’am.”

At Seol Ah’s words, Jin Cheol waved his hands.

“No, I don’t have an appetite. Mother said she has dinner plans today.”

“Then at least you eat with us, Jin Cheol. It’s not good to skip meals when you don’t have an appetite.”

Seol Ah dragged Jin Cheol and Yu Min.

Seol Ah thought Jin Cheol was declining out of feeling unnecessarily sorry. Since In Sook had plans and would be late, he probably intended to take care of himself.

But Seol Ah wanted to do something for Jin Cheol who took care of Yu Min at every opportunity.

“Come on. Okay?”

“Yes, Uncle. Let’s go eat together.”

At Yu Min’s words, Jin Cheol lifted his heavy bottom.

From Yu Min’s perspective, it felt burdensome to be alone with Seol Ah in a situation where he had committed a wrong. If Jin Cheol was there, that burden seemed like it would be somewhat alleviated.

On the contrary, Jin Cheol wanted to avoid Seol Ah as much as possible. But unable to refuse Seol Ah and Yu Min’s continued urging, he ended up following them to Seol Ah’s house.

A neat and simple house. Yu Min finally let out a deep sigh. Of course it was shabby and small compared to Seung Jun’s house that he had gone to during the day, but to Yu Min, this house felt more like a real home that gave him stability.

“Wow, it’s nice.”

As Yu Min muttered unknowingly, Seol Ah asked.

“Hmm? What is?”

“Nothing. I just said the house is nice.”

“The house? What’s with you all of a sudden.”

Seol Ah laughed and took out ingredients from the grocery bag.

“I’m going to make seafood spaghetti that Yu Min likes. I bought this and that. Ah, Jin Cheol, you said you don’t have an appetite? Is your stomach not feeling well? Then should I make you some porridge?”

“No, I like spaghetti too. It’s not that my stomach is unwell, I was just not really thinking about it.”

At Jin Cheol’s words, Seol Ah replied with a gentle expression.

“I see. Then should I make you some soup? Even though I may not look like it, I used to work in the kitchen at a Western restaurant. I’m not completely unskilled.”

Seol Ah began washing the ingredients she took out. Jin Cheol offered to help, but Seol Ah shook her head firmly.

“No. Today you’re a guest, Jin Cheol. Sit down.”

Jin Cheol sat back down, unable to even comfortably put his bottom on the floor and only sneaking glances.

Yu Min was the same, fidgeting anxiously with his eyes darting around as he sat.

While they were doing that, Seol Ah, who was washing ingredients, suddenly burst out laughing. Yu Min and Jin Cheol looked at her wondering what was going on, and she said,

“I forgot to buy tomato sauce. Look at me. Hahaha, I’ll go get some real quick. You two play together for a bit.”

“Ah, Mom, I’ll go get it.”

Yu Min stood up, but Seol Ah grabbed his shoulders and sat him back down.

“What’s gotten into you suddenly? I’ll go get it. I was going to get some things for Jin Cheol’s soup anyway. Don’t worry and stay put.”

Yu Min watched Seol Ah hurriedly leave the house with anxious eyes. Jin Cheol touched the back of his head and lowered his head.

“This is why people can’t live after sinning, I guess.”

Yu Min turned to look at Jin Cheol.

“You too, Uncle?”

“Feels like hiding my report card and meeting Mom as a kid. Ugh. So nervous.”

Yu Min didn’t know what a report card was yet, but he could roughly understand what Jin Cheol meant.

“It’s not Uncle’s fault. It’s my fault. I’m the one who insisted.”

After all the kids left today, Yu Min had asked Jin Cheol why he hadn’t told him Seung Jun was that friend. Jin Cheol replied that he hadn’t wanted to disappoint Yu Min who had such high expectations.

It was Yu Min who had begged kind Jin Cheol. So Yu Min couldn’t say anything more to him.

“Noona won’t say it’s anyone’s fault either.”

Jin Cheol said, shaking his head.

With Seol Ah’s personality, if she found out about all this, she was most likely to blame herself. And that would tear apart Jin Cheol and Yu Min’s hearts.

Why had they told a lie that would be exposed so quickly? Even though he regretted it now, there was nothing he could do about it.

*

Seol Ah bought tomato sauce, mushrooms for the soup, and various snacks at a nearby supermarket. Just as she turned around,

“Oh my, Yu Min’s mom.”

The person who approached with a bright smile was Yoon Sung’s mother.

“Ah, Yoon Sung’s mom. Fancy meeting you here. Did you come to buy groceries for dinner?”

“Yes, I’m really grateful for today. Yoon Sung said he had so much fun. He ate lots of delicious things and even got a cute t-shirt. Didn’t you live downstairs? When did you move?”

“What?”

“Today’s birthday party. Why are you pretending not to know?”

What in the world was she talking about?

Seol Ah’s face turned deathly pale.

“Yu Min’s mom, why are you acting like this? Don’t tell me the person who sent the invitations wasn’t you?”

Seeing Yoon Sung’s mother’s face also turning pale, Seol Ah quickly came to her senses.

Only then did she understand why Yu Min had been a bit strange lately, and Jin Cheol and Yu Min’s attitudes just now. She had brushed it off as nothing significant.

“Ah, no. You’re right, I sent them. I was briefly thinking of something else.”

Seol Ah replied in a trembling voice.

“I’m glad you had a fun time. If it weren’t for work, I would have played with the kids. I feel bad about that.”

“I heard they even called in staff from a party company to throw the birthday party. Thank you for taking such good care of them. It must have cost a pretty penny.”

At Yoon Sung’s mother’s sincere gratitude, Seol Ah didn’t know what to do with herself.

“Not at all. Ah, I need to get going. Let’s talk again next time.”

“Yes, sure. See you again.”

Seol Ah bid farewell to Yoon Sung’s mother and turned around.

Her steps faltered and her body swayed.

Right, you. You wanted to have a birthday party. Invite friends over to the house. But our house was too shabby for that.

She didn’t need to ask to know who it was that had properly thrown a birthday party, even calling in professional party company staff.

Whether it was Seung Jun who proposed it first, or Yu Min who wanted it first, she couldn’t know. But one thing was clear. If Yu Min hadn’t wanted it, none of this would have happened.

Even knowing it wasn’t betrayal, Seol Ah felt like she had been properly stabbed in the back.

‘You lived with me, but you can choose your father too.’

Right now he would say no because he’s still young, but that could change as he grows up. Because clever Yu Min will eventually realize that going to Seung Jun will be much more beneficial for him than being with her.

She felt like her life was slowly crumbling.

The reason she had been able to survive after leaving Seung Jun was because of one name.

‘Mom.’

The word that was like salvation to her when she had crawled out of pain that felt like death and coincidentally went to the front of a convenience store.

That’s right, I’m a mom.

I don’t deserve to live and I’m not worthy, but I have to live because I’m a mom.

Yu Min grew up healthy and bright. And he became a child who only knew his mom. The first time he did origami, Yu Min folded red paper and held it out to Seol Ah.

“Fowa.”

The child said in a pronunciation that wasn’t quite right. Seol Ah still had that flower.

The child who would cry but then smile brightly when mom appeared. The child who would follow mom even to the bathroom. The child who still says he loves mom the most.

Yes, the one who received love was you, not me. I lived thanks to you. But if you end up leaving me. Then I…

Seol Ah stopped in front of the house.

He was already standing there in front of her house. Standing silently holding a cake box, Seung Jun looked at her with indifferent eyes as if to end this story that had stirred up her mind.