Chapter 84
"Mom!?"
"Hye, Harin, I missed yo—"
*Hug*
Before she could finish her sentence, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her.
"W—wait, Harin… the flowers… they'll get crushed."
"I don't care," I muttered, my voice muffled against her shoulder. "Mom… I miss you."
Her body slowly relaxed.
One of her hands carefully shifted the bouquet to the side, while the other gently caressed my back.
"I miss you too."
"When did you get out of the hospital?"
"Just a few days ago."
A few days ago? But why didn't my father say anything about it yesterday?
I was just about to ask when, behind me, I heard hurried footsteps.
"Harin, who is—"
Ms. Lee stopped the moment she saw the woman standing at the door.
My mother pulled back and straightened herself. She gave a polite bow, holding the bouquet in front of her.
"Good evening, I'm Harin's mother. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"N—no, of course not."
Just then, another footsteps approached.
"Sunhee, who's coming?" Mr. Kim asked as he entered the hallway. He stopped the moment his eyes landed on my mother.
"I'm sorry for coming so suddenly. I just wanted to visit my daughter here."
"No, no, it's fine. There's no need to apologize," Mr. Kim said, waving his hand lightly. "You're not troubling us at all. It's just that—"
Before he could finish, Haemin suddenly peeked out from behind his leg, his eyes wide with curiosity.
My mother noticed him and bent down slightly, her expression softening.
"And you must be Haemin, right? I've heard a lot about you from my daughter."
Haemin blinked, then nodded shyly. "Hello, Aunty."
She let out a soft laugh. "Hello."
Straightening her back, my mother continued, "I should introduce myself properly. Nice to meet you all. My name is Shin Haneul, and as you already know… I am Harin's mother."
She paused, then bowed politely.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for taking care of my daughter all this time. I hope she hasn't caused you any trouble. I've wanted to meet you for a while, but circumstances didn't allow it. Once again, thank you."
"No, not at all," Ms. Lee said quickly. "Harin hasn't been any trouble. She's really a good kid. She's been very kind and has helped us a lot. We are the ones who should be thankful."
"I'm glad to hear that," my mother said softly.
"Oh yeah, I should introduce myself too. My name is Lee Sunhee, and this is my husband, Kim Seojun. We've been wanting to meet you at the hospital, but the doctor didn't allow too many visitors at the time. How are you now? Are you feeling better?
"Well, I've recovered quite well. I just need to be a little more careful now. The doctor said I should focus on resting and taking things slowly for a while."
"That's a relief to hear. Your health is the most important thing."
My mother nodded. "Yes. I'm very grateful that everything turned out alright. Thank you for your concern."
Ms. Lee suddenly seemed to realize something and clasped her hands together.
"Oh my, how rude of us. Please, Haneul-ssi, come inside."
My mother smiled and shook her head gently. "It's alright. Thank you for the invitation." She then looked at me. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take Harin out for a while. It's been a long time since I last spent time with her."
I blinked, confused.
"No, of course not. There's no need to ask for our permission. Of course you can take her," Ms. Lee said.
Mr. Kim remained silent, his gaze moving between us, still looking slightly puzzled but saying nothing.
"Thank you so much," my mother said.
I nodded in agreement and looked at them.
"I'll be going first. I'll be back in a while."
"Noona, going out?" Haemin asked.
I smiled and bent down, gently caressing his hair. "Yeah. Noona will be out for a bit. When I get back, we'll finish the cake together, okay?"
"Mm. I'll wait."
"Good." I straightened up.
"I'm going first."
"Take care, Harin," Ms. Lee replied.
I smiled. And just as my mother and I were about to leave—
"Harin, wait—"
Mr. Kim called out.
I stopped and turned back to him, confused. "Yes?"
He hesitated, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something. His expression looked conflicted, like he was holding something back.
Then, after a brief pause, he let out a small breath and smiled instead.
"It's nothing," he said gently. "Just… take care of yourselves, alright?"
"I will," I replied with a smile.
With that, my mother and I left together.
_____
We made our way downstairs and headed toward the car parked outside.
As I stopped beside it, I looked at my mother. "Mom, where are we going?"
She smiled, already reaching for the car door. "To celebrate your birthday, of course."
"We could've celebrated inside with them."
"Nope. I want to spend time with you. Why? You don't like going out with me?"
"N—No, I don't mean like that. Of course I do."
My mom just laughed at my reaction. "Hey, no need to panic like that, Harin. I'm just teasing you. Let's go."
"Okay."
Before getting in, I turned back and glanced up at the apartment building one more time. The lights from the living room were glowing faintly through the windows.
"They really seem like good people."
I just smiled at her words. Father had said the exact same thing yesterday.
We got into the car and shortly after, drove away from the building.
Inside the car, my mother hummed quietly to herself. It seemed like she was in a good mood.
Still… I didn't know why. Ever since she showed up at the apartment earlier, right up until now, there had been this strange, uneasy feeling sitting at the back of my mind. I couldn't quite explain it.
Maybe what my father said yesterday had started to influence my thoughts. I chuckled quietly to myself. Seeing my mother smiling and talking like this, everything he said yesterday felt ridiculous now.
But still…
"How have you been, Harin."
"I'm… okay," I replied after a brief pause. "School is fine. Everything's good."
Then I turned to her. "What about you, Mom? Are you… already better?"
She smiled easily. "Of course. Like I said earlier, the doctor said I'm doing well. I just need to take things slow now and not do any heavy work. That's all."
"That's good. Actually… I went to the hospital last week. I wanted to visit you… but the doctor said you'd already been transferred to another hospital."
For a moment, the smile on her face faltered.
"…Yes, that's right. Your father instructed them to."
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "The audacity of him, to think he can do whatever he wants after what he did to me. He should rot in prison. I don't understand why the police let him go."
She glanced at me, her eyes sharp.
"We should avoid him, Harin. You saw it yourself, didn't you? What he did to me. If he ever shows up in front of you, you run, alright? And call the police immediately."
"About that, Mom…" I hesitated. "Actually… yesterday, I did meet Dad."
"WHAT?!"
Her eyes widened in shock. "Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" One of her hands left the steering wheel and grabbed my arm, her fingers moving as if she were scanning my body for injuries.
"I'm fine," I said quickly. "He didn't do anything to me. He just… wanted to talk."
Her expression shifted.
"Why didn't you run? Why did you let him talk to you? What did you talk about?" Her grip on my arm tightened.
"Mom… can you let go?" I winced slightly.
Her eyes widened as she looked down at her hand, then she quickly pulled it back
"I— I'm sorry, Harin. I didn't mean to hurt you."
I rubbed my arm lightly where it still hurt and let out a quiet sigh.
"He just wanted to meet up and check on me. That's all. And even if he had bad intentions, he wouldn't do anything in public, right?"
"You can't say that, Harin. Your father is dangerous and unpredictable. Who knows, if he wanted to do something, he could."
I went silent.
"And what else did you two talk about?"
My mother's eyes stayed on the road, but her grip tightened on the steering wheel. There was a faint panic in her eyes, like she was bracing herself for something she didn't want to hear.
[Your mother stabbed herself.]
I swallowed.
My father's words from yesterday flashed through my mind.
"And…" I hesitated.
"And what else, Harin? Tell me."
I opened my mouth, almost asking about it.
But when I looked at her properly, I stopped. I was afraid that if I asked about it, it would open up memories she wanted to forget.
"…That's all, Mom. We didn't talk about anything else."
She glance at me.
"Is that true?"
"Yes."
Her shoulders finally relaxed, and I noticed she quietly let out a slow breath.
"Okay then."
"Let not talk about him anymore, alright" she continue. "Tonight we just want to celebrate your special day."
I just nodded and smiled, although I still felt that something wasn't quite right.
The rest of the drive passed in silence, broken only by the soft sound of the engine and the city lights sliding past the window.
After a while, the car slowed down.
We pulled into the parking area of an upscale restaurant. Warm yellow lights glowed from inside, and through the glass windows, I could see people sitting at their tables, laughing quietly over their meals.
My mother turned off the engine.
"We're here," she said, her tone lighter again. "You like this place. I used to bring you here when you were little, remember?"
I looked up at the sign, then back at her.
"…Yeah, I remember."
She smiled, reached over, and brushed my hair behind my ear. "Come. Birthday girl shouldn't look so serious."
I nodded, unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened the door. My mother was already walking ahead. After a brief pause, I followed her.
Inside, the air was cool and faintly scented with something floral. A hostess greeted us politely and led us deeper into the restaurant.
We were guided to a table near the window.
The table had already been prepared, softly illuminated by candles at the center, with fresh flowers adding warmth and life to the setting.
My mother pulled out a chair for me before taking her own seat across from mine.
"Mom, I didn't expect you to prepare something like this."
"Of course I would. Today is my daughter's birthday. Of course I'm going to make it special for you."
"Thank you, Mom."
She smiled softly, her eyes warm as she looked at me.
Not long after, a waiter approached our table with a polite bow and began serving the dishes one by one. From the appetizers to the main course, everything felt carefully chosen, as if my mother had planned it all in advance.
"Let's eat," my mother said.
I let out a small smile and picked up my fork. We began enjoying our meal, the soft clinking of cutlery filling the space between us as the warm restaurant lights glowed quietly overhead.
We ate in silence for a while, only exchanging small comments about the food. Time passed slowly, until most of the plates in front of us were nearly empty.
I hesitated for a moment, then looked up at her.
"So, mom… what are you going to do after this?"
She paused.
"Mm, let's see… once the divorce with your father is finalized, I'm planning to move to Yongsan. I have a house over there. So once everything is settled, let's start a new life, Harin. Just the two of us."
My hand froze.
"…Divorce?"
"Yes. Divorce," she replied without hesitation. "Why?"
I slowly put my utensils down, my appetite suddenly gone.
"Did Dad… agree to this?"
She let out a short laugh. "He didn't have a choice."
"Can't you… consider it a bit more?"
"Consider what? The divorce? No. Why would I reconsider it?"
"But… yesterday, Dad said—
"He said what?"
Her reaction was immediate. She turned toward me so suddenly that I flinched. Her grip on the fork tightened. The shift in her expression felt strange.
I stared at her, confused by how tense she suddenly looked.
"He said that… he regrets everything he's done to you. And to us, Mom. He said he's already submitted his resignation letter to the Chairman."
After I said it, she looked relieved again, as though she had tensed up earlier because she expected me to say something else.
"…So?" she said shortly, picking up her fork again and continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.
I hesitated, then spoke again.
"So I thought… maybe we could give him a second chance?"
Her fork stopped.
"Harin," she said, her voice turning sharp, eyes hardening as she looked at me. "Do you even realize what you just said? Have you already forgotten what he did to me? He ruined our family. How can you even think about giving him another chance? What's the point of him regretting it now? He should have regretted it long ago."
"But he really does look like he wants to change, Mom."
"What's wrong with you, Harin? Are you taking his side now?"
"No, it's not like that—"
"Harin, listen to me.Think about everything he's done. When you needed him the most, was he ever there for you? No. I was."
She tapped her chest as she spoke.
"When you were sick, who took care of you? Me. When you felt lonely, who stayed by your side? Me. Your mother. Who paid attention to your school? Me. Who put your needs before her own? That was me too." Her voice trembled. "What did your father do, actually? Where was he? Yeah, busy with his work. That's all he ever thought about."
"He didn't care about us at all," she continued. "Have you already forgotten that?"
I swallowed hard. I didn't know what to say to that.
The silence stretched between us. Seeing that I wasn't responding, my mother's expression changed. It's only made her more tense.
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze locking onto mine, as if she was trying to pin an answer out of me.
"…You're not thinking of softening your heart for your father, right?" she asked, her voice low.
My fingers curled tightly against my palm.
"You're not going to leave me, right? You're not going to betray me… like your father did, right, Harin?"
Her tone changed. It didn't feel like a question anymore. It felt more like a warning. And the uneasiness I'd felt from the start was creeping back.
"No, Mom. Of course I won't leave you. You know how much I love you, right?" I hurried to calm her.
For a moment, she just stared at me. Then, slowly, the tension in her face eased as she reached across the table and gently touched my hand.
"…That's good. That's all I needed to hear."
We didn't speak about my father again after that and returned to our meal.
Time passed just like that, quietly.
When everything was cleared, my mother glanced at me.
"Have you done, Harin?"
I just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
She stood up, and I followed, pushing my chair back into place. After settling the bill, we walked out of the restaurant together, the cool night air brushing against my skin.
We walked side by side toward the car. Our car was parked just along the street in front of the building, separated only by a short curb from the busy road beside it.
Just as my mother reached for her bag, she slowed down.
"Harin."
I looked at her.
"…I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have raised my voice like that. I just… got emotional. Sometimes I forget to control myself."
"It's okay, Mom. It didn't bother me at all."
She looked at me and gave a small smile. "I just don't want to lose you. That's all."
I smiled back at her. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll always be with you."
She let out a soft chuckle. "I know you will."
She turned toward the car again, unlocking it with a soft beep. Just as we about to open the door—
"HARIN!"
I froze.
The voice cut through the noise of traffic.
I turned my head instinctively, my heart dropping as I searched for where it came from. Across the street, on the opposite side of the road, I saw him.
My father.
"HARINNN! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
"Dad?"
He was running toward us, calling my name over and over, his steps uneven, his eyes locked on me. But before he could reach the curb, a stream of cars surged between us, forcing him to stop short. He stood there helplessly on the other side of the road, lifting his hand as if to call out again.
"Why is Dad here…?" I muttered under my breath, then turned toward my mother.
Her face had drained of color. Panic flashed across her eyes.
"Why is he here? How did he even know I was here?" I heard my mother say quietly.
"Mom, are you alright?"
"Harin, get in the car," she said quickly, her hand already on the door handle.
"Should we wait for Dad—?"
"HARIN!" Her voice shot up sharply. "Get inside. Now!"
I flinched at her tone. Startled, I didn't argue. I got into the car at once and shut the door.
My mother climbed into the driver's seat, hands trembling as she turned the key. The engine roared to life, and without hesitation, she stepped hard on the accelerator. The car pulled away abruptly from the curb.
I turned around instinctively, looking out through the rear window.
Across the street, my father was still standing there, staring at us as we sped away. Then, he rushed toward his own car, throwing the door open.
He started his engine. And then… he followed us.
The car shot forward, tires screeching as my mother merged into traffic. Streetlights streaked past us in long blurs of white and yellow. My seatbelt dug into my shoulder as she swerved sharply into another lane.
I glanced back again.
He was still there.
My father's car cut through traffic behind us, refusing to fall back.
"Mom…" my voice shook. "Why is Dad chasing us?"
She didn't look at me. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"He wants to take you away from me. He wants to steal you from me."
"What?" I stared at her. "Mom, please, don't drive like this. You're going too fast."
"I can't slow down. If I do, he'll catch up."
"Mom, please," I said, panic creeping in. "This is dangerous. We should stop. We can talk it out with Dad—"
"No!"
The car swerved again, narrowly missing another vehicle. A horn blared loudly beside us.
"Mom!" I cried. "Please, stop! This isn't right!"
"No!" Her voice cracked. "Why do you want to stop, Harin?" She finally glanced at me, eyes wide and wild. "Do you want to go to him? Is that it? Do you want to leave me?"
"No!" I shook my head frantically. "That's not what I meant! I'm just scared. This is dangerous!"
"Then why are you asking me to stop? Do you not love me? Do you want to abandon me too?"
My chest tightened. "No, Mom! I love you! I just don't want anyone to get hurt!"
"There's nothing to discuss. I won't let him take you away from me."
The road ahead opened into a long, dark stretch. The sound of the ocean grew louder, waves crashing somewhere beyond the railing.
"Mom… this is the coast road."
She didn't answer.
Behind us, my father's car accelerated, closing the distance. His headlights filled the rearview mirror.
Then—
Red and blue lights flashed ahead.
Two police cars appeared from the opposite direction, sirens wailing as they swerved across the road, blocking the lane completely.
"Mom!" I grabbed her arm. "The police—!"
She slammed the brakes.
The car screeched violently before jerking to a stop just a short distance from the police blockade, the edge of the coastal road visible beyond, waves crashing far below.
Her chest heaved as she sat frozen behind the wheel.
Then she screamed.
A frustrated scream tore out of her, echoing inside the car as she slammed her palm against the steering wheel again and again. I flinched, my heart pounding so hard.
The driver's door of the car behind us opened.
My father stepped out, his movements hurried, his face pale with worry.
"Harin!" he called out urgently, raising his hands slightly as he took a step forward. "Come out of the car."
Before I could even react—
"Stay inside," my mother said coldly.
Her voice was completely different now. Almost empty.
"Don't listen to him."
I turned to her, stunned. I didn't understand what was happening anymore. Why did she look like this? Why did she sound like this?
Two police officers approached carefully from the front.
"Ma'am!" one of them shout, "please turn off the engine and step out of the vehicle."
My mother let out a short laugh.
"No. I'm not going back there again."
My heart skipped.
"Mom…?" My voice trembled. "What are you talking about?"
She ignored me. Her hand suddenly moved toward the dashboard.
"Mom—!"
She opened the glove compartment and pulled something out.
A knife.
My breath caught in my throat.
"M-Mom, what are you doing?" I cried, panic flooding me. "Why do you have that?!"
"Shut up, Harin!"
I froze.
She pushed the door open and stepped out of the car, gripping the knife tightly. The cold metal glinted under the moonlight as she raised it, pointing it toward my father.
"Don't come any closer," she warned, her hand shaking but her grip firm. "Stay where you are."
My father stopped immediately, his face draining of color.
"Haneul… please. Put it down. You're scaring Harin."
But she didn't lower the knife.
Instead, her eyes hardened as she stared straight at him.
"What are you doing here, Kang-min? You came to take Harin away from me, didn't you?"
"Ma'am, stay where you are," one of the police officer said firmly, raising his hand. "Please lower the weapon. No one here wants anyone hurt."
Another officer slowly shifted position, trying to widen the angle between my parents. "We can talk this through. Just put the knife down on the ground."
My mother laughed again and looked back at my father.
"This is what you want, right, Kang‑min? As if putting me in that psychiatric ward wasn't enough for you. Now you're going to make me suffer by taking Harin away from me, right?"
"Haneul, I'm not here to take Harin. I swear."
I couldn't take it anymore.
I pushed the car door open and stumbled out.
"Mom, stop!" I cried, my voice shaking as I ran toward her. "Please… put the knife down."
"Harin, don't—!" my father shouted.
My mother turned sharply, eyes widening when she saw me so close.
"Harin… why did you come out?" she said, panic flickering across her face for a split second.
"I'm right here," I said, tears streaming down my face. "I'm not going anywhere. Please, Mom—drop it."
Her breathing grew erratic. Her grip tightened.
And then—
She grabbed me.
One arm wrapped tightly around my shoulders, pulling me back against her chest. The cold edge of the knife pressed dangerously close to my neck.
Everything stopped.
"Haneul!" my father shouted, horror flooding his face. "Don't do this. Please!"
The police froze instantly.
"Ma'am," an officer said slowly, carefully, "please release the child. Let her go. No one is moving."
My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear anything else.
"Don't come any closer!" my mother screamed, backing away with me still trapped in her arms. "If anyone moves, I swear—"
"Mom…" I sobbed, my hands trembling as they clutched her sleeve. "It's me. Harin. Please. I'm right here."
Her breath was hot against my ear.
"I won't let anyone take you," she whispered, voice cracking. "You are all I have in this world, Harin."
Tears streamed down my face as we stood there, her arm locked tightly around me, the knife still raised.
"Mom…" I choked. "Why are you doing this? Don't you love me anymore?"
She took another step backward, dragging me with her. Her footing was unstable now, heels scraping against the rough pavement near the edge.
"I love you so much, Harin. That's why I'm doing this… because I don't want to lose you."
She suddenly looked at my father.
"This is all your fault!" she screamed at him. "Look at us! Look at what you did to our family!"
Her voice broke as she yelled, "Are you happy now? Would you be satisfied if we just die here?!"
"Dad—" I cried, my voice breaking as I looked at him through my tears.
My father dropped to his knees without hesitation.
"Haneul, please," he begged, his hands shaking as he raised them. "Just take it out on me. I'm right here. Do whatever you want to me. Just don't hurt our daughter. Please."
"Hurt her? What are you talking about?" Her arm tightened around me protectively. "I'm not hurting her. Can't you see? Harin is safe. She's safest with me."
"Ma'am, please stop this. There's no need to go this far. Let the child go. We can resolve this peacefully."
Her head snapped toward the police officers.
"You stay there!" she screamed, the knife shaking in her hand. "Don't come any closer!"
She took another step back.
The edge of the cliff was only a few steps away now, and beneath it, the sea roared violently. Heavy waves crashed against the rocks below.
"Mom—" I gasped, feeling the wind whip against my face.
"Haneul! What are you doing?!" my father screamed, his voice breaking as he pushed forward before stopping himself, terrified to make her panic more. "What are you planning to do?!"
She laughed softly.
"What do you think I'm going to do? You've pushed me this far, Kang-min. If I surrender… you'll just take me back to that hellhole, won't you?"
The knife trembled as she gestured wildly.
"You'll lock me up again," she continued, her voice rising. "You'll tell them to keep watching me, won't you?"
She shook her head, her smile turning bitter.
"If I hadn't run away from that hospital… you would've trapped me there forever, right? You and them. All of you."
I don't understand what they mean by that. Run away? My mom… ran away from the hospital?
"I had no choice, Haneul. You were sick. You kept threatening to hurt yourself every time. That's why we had to keep a close watch on you."
My mother suddenly turned her body fully toward him.
"I'M NOT SICK! You're the one who's sick! All of you are! You locked me up, injected me and watched me like an animal."
She looked down at me.
"If they take me back… I'll never get to see you again, Harin," she whispered, then lifted her head to face my father once more.
"I'D RATHER DIE THAN GO BACK TO THAT PLACE!"
"Mom—please—"
"Harin," she said urgently, her voice shaking as she stared at me. "You love me, right? We have no escape anymore. You understand me, right? You want to stay with me, right? You won't leave me, right?"
She took a step backward, closer to the edge.
"No!" my father screamed.
"Just close your eyes, okay, Harin. Everything will be over in a second."
"Mom…" I pleaded. "Please don't do this."
"Shhh… don't be scared. Everything will be fine."
Before she could take another step, there was sudden movement behind her.
In one swift motion, I saw her arm jerk upward. Someone's hand gripping her wrist tightly.
"Harin—move!" a voice shouted.
The sudden force broke her hold on me.
I stumbled backward, losing my balance and collapsing onto the ground. My palms scraped against the gravel as I caught myself. Heart pounding, I looked up.
"…Mr. Kim?"
Why… is Mr. Kim here?
My mother let out a furious scream.
"LET GO OF ME!"
"Haneul-ssi, please calm down. This isn't worth it."
"OUTSIDERS SHOULD NOT MEDDLE IN OUR BUSINESS!"
She thrashed violently, struggling against him at the very edge of the cliff. Mr. Kim held on with everything he had, his feet slipping on the gravel as the waves roared below.
Police officers rushed forward.
"Ma'am, stop resisting!"
But she kept pushing, her strength fueled by pure rage.
"SCREW ALL OF YOU!"
Then—
The ground gave away.
Their bodies disappeared over the edge, swallowed by the darkness and the roaring waves below.
"AHJUSSSIIIIIII!"
.
.
.
.
.
That night… how I wished I had listened to my father back then. If I had forgiven him, if I had believed what he said… I'm sure none of it would have happened.
Because of my stubbornness, an innocent life was lost. But why… why did it have to be this way?
.
Mr. Kim… you must be upset with me, aren't you?
I should be punished for my own foolishness. Don't you think so?
I should have listened to what you were going to say to me that night, before I left with my mother. If only I had stayed. If only I had listened.
It's okay if you resent me, Mr. Kim.
No…
You should resent me.
Because I was the one who brought suffering upon your family.
But why…
Just why…
When you were about to fall that night…
Why did your face look so calm?
And why…
Why did you smile at me?