“Playing hide and seek alone?”

“Oh, it’s a visual impairment experience. They say if you can’t see, your other senses develop. Why didn’t you hear the sound of the door lock? Were you too focused on the ground?”

Feeling around her feet, Sooyoung approached Youngsoon and hugged her.

“Oh, it feels so good not being able to see. Mom’s touch is so nice. Mom’s scent is so nice too.”

“Wasn’t it nice when you could see?”

“No. It was nice back then too, but it feels even better now. It’s so scary without being able to see in the house, right? But it’s not scary at all when I hug Mom.”

Woojin seemed to somewhat understand why he hugged her so tightly and went outside.

It’s scary at home, so how scary would it be to go outside?… Again, Woojin felt how courageous he was.

“Did you have a good time? Are you tired? I made kimchi porridge; Mom, do you want to eat?”

When Sooyoung cheerfully spoke while hugging her mom, Youngsoon also spoke while hugging her child.

“What kimchi porridge?”

“Oh, I thought Mom might be tired, so I made it. Since it’s porridge, wouldn’t it be easy to digest even at night?”

“How did you manage to make porridge when you couldn’t even cook ramen properly? Isn’t that difficult?”

“It’s not difficult at all. Put leftover rice and kimchi in water, boil it vigorously, add soy sauce and salt… That’s it?”

“Huh? If you boil it like that, it’ll just taste like kimchi, right?”

“That’s why it’s kimchi porridge.”

Sooyoung smiled as she untied the handkerchief she had tied over her mom’s eyes, who had closed her eyes. When her daughter let go, Youngsoon took off her shoes and stood in the living room, asking as she headed toward the kitchen,

“Why did you suddenly experience visual impairment?”

“Just curious. I wanted to see what inconveniences there might be in living at home without being able to see.”

“So why bother finding that out?”

When she opened the pot lid, there was indeed bright red kimchi porridge inside. Despite being midnight, the scent of kimchi somehow stimulated her appetite.

“Just curious while watching YouTube.”

“Don’t do things like that. It’s unfortunate.”

“Huh? Why is it unfortunate?”
“If words become seeds, what if that really happens? In a world where it’s already hard to live, having a disability on top of that… Sigh… Mom would be so heartbroken, it seems impossible to go on. The porridge must be delicious.”

Youngsoon frowned slightly as she tasted a spoonful of porridge with her utensil. The seasoning was right, but the texture was peculiar.

Nevertheless, thinking about her daughter’s sincerity, she thought she should eat a bowl for her. As she turned her head, she noticed Sooyoung staring into space with a vacant expression.

Did that person also want to die? Considering her sensitivity, it might have been even more difficult for her than others.

At that moment, she recalled when Seol Jihyun called, saying she couldn’t reach Woojin.

Even over the phone, she could feel his urgency and anxiety. She followed his instructions to enter Woojin’s room and even went into the bathroom.

Thanks to that, she could see the landlord’s well-built body, but if the family was so worried when it seemed like it had been a long time since he lost his sight, there might have been similar incidents before…

“Why?”

As Youngsoon examined her daughter’s expression, Sooyoung looked at her mother with a serious expression.

“Mom.”

“Yes?”

“The person I manage, the writer… that person is visually impaired. That’s why I’m their manager.”

Youngsoon’s eyes widened at her daughter’s words.