Chapter 11

11

Baek Myung-hee was startled and got up from her seat.

"Seok was in the news?"

Creak. The chair scraped against the floor as she got up abruptly. Baek Myung-hee hurriedly approached Kang Chae-young.

"That's right...!"

"Chae-young, wait a moment."

Kang Chae-young's eyes sparkled as she held out her phone. Over her shoulder, Kang Seok, who was scratching the back of his head, could be seen approaching.

"Seok, what's this all about?"

"Ah, well..."

Kang Seok avoided her gaze, swiping his finger along the tip of his nose. His ears were slightly red, looking embarrassed.

Embarrassed? What for? Question marks filled Baek Myung-hee's mind. Then, Kang Chae-young went to Kang Seok's side and poked his stomach with her elbow.

"Explain, Seok. Hurry up."

Kang Chae-young's nagging and Kang Seok's embarrassed bowing left Baek Myung-hee utterly confused.

While she was taking a break after finishing her meal earlier than the children, her son and daughter seemed to have exchanged some secret talk during their meal.

As she waited calmly, Kang Seok gradually raised his eyes to meet Baek Myung-hee's.

There. Baek Myung-hee nodded, urging him to explain, but her vision was suddenly blocked by something white. It was the envelope Kang Seok had thrust at her.

"An envelope?"

Baek Myung-hee took the envelope without realizing it. It was heavy and thick. What is this? She looked down at the unsealed envelope.

"...Oh, my!"

It was money. All of it was in large denominations. Baek Myung-hee's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Even a cursory glance showed that it was several hundred thousand won.

She was too shocked to speak. Baek Myung-hee recalled the past few weeks.

After winter break started.

Despite it being a crucial time for second-year high school students preparing for art school entrance exams, Kang Seok's attitude was strange.

He skipped the special classes he was supposed to attend, and his coming and going from morning till night under the pretext of club activities made him seem like he had given up on the exams.

Who would make someone do club activities from morning till night at this time of year?

Baek Myung-hee had her suspicions. It seemed he had been working to earn money, not doing club activities.

She had never once thought it was fortunate that he saved on the special class fees...

Could he have noticed the family's financial situation? Her heart ached at the thought.

"It's from the mural club. I didn't do any part-time jobs."

Kang Seok cleared up Baek Myung-hee's misunderstanding. Baek Myung-hee blinked.

'Really?'

Is there a mother who doesn't know what her child is thinking?

But Kang Seok's eyes said otherwise. They said, 'Yes, really.'

He really had been doing club activities. She recalled other parents saying that club activities at Cheonghwa Art High School were a great help for art school entrance essays.

It seemed he hadn't given up on the exams due to the family's financial situation.

Baek Myung-hee's breathing deepened in relief. But it was short-lived. Her breathing quickened again.

"How much is this? No, what kind of club activity did you do? What kind of club at school could give you this much money...!"

She had so many questions. Baek Myung-hee clutched the envelope tightly. If anyone had wronged her son, she was ready to go to them and throw the money in their face.

"It's not suspicious money, Mom. We participated in a high school mural competition this time and won. This is what we received for that."

"Explain properly, Mom. Listen, the prize money was originally ten million won, but because Seok did the best, the school generously gave him five million. Isn't that amazing?"

"Five million to Seok?"

How well did he have to draw to get half the prize money? Baek Myung-hee slumped into her chair, the cushion deflating with a whoosh.

"He must have done an incredible job. The news article is all about him because of the high school mural competition win."

Baek Myung-hee, whose legs had gone weak, saw Kang Chae-young's phone in her field of vision. After confirming that Baek Myung-hee had taken it, Kang Chae-young perched on the wide windowsill next to her chair, on Baek Myung-hee's left.

Kang Seok also sat on the windowsill on Baek Myung-hee's right.

When he secretly told his mother that he would give her the prize money from winning the high school mural competition, he had been so engrossed in his phone that he hadn't read the article himself, which is why he had rushed to Baek Myung-hee when he suddenly found it.

"Where's the article..."

"Scroll down. More. More. More. More. Ah, there!"

Kang Seok, who had been watching the endless scrolling with a strange expression, suddenly widened his eyes.

The article was really there.

—————————

(omitted)

—————————

– 'I'll make sure to include this content.'

When he said he would include it, this is what he meant. Kang Seok, who had been secretly reading the article over Baek Myung-hee's shoulder, chuckled.

Upon reflection, Joo Sang-rang was excellent at this kind of performance. While Kang Seok was thinking about Joo Sang-rang,

Baek Myung-hee, who had read the article for a long time, several times, held her breath. Her nose was tingling.

So, he had been living almost entirely outside during the winter break, claiming he had mural club activities every night and day.

After reading the article, she understood.

The article mentioned that the winner would receive five million won for the best drawing. That must be why.

– 'You said the bank loan was also not possible. Where can we get five million right away?'

She couldn't help but think of it. Baek Myung-hee clenched the envelope as if to crumple it. She had been the one to say they needed five million.

Baek Myung-hee squeezed her eyes shut. If she relaxed even a little, she might burst into tears.

'If only Seok's father were here too...'

As someone who cries easily, expressing gratitude was not easy. However, Kang Hyun-do was on a business trip, something he rarely did.

"Mom, doesn't Seok seem like a genius? The article says the win was all thanks to Seok. What if Seok becomes famous? Should we practice signing autographs?"

"Why would you practice signing autographs?"

"Is that so?"

The siblings, as good as they were, exchanged playful banter and giggled. They've grown up. They've really grown up. Baek Myung-hee quickly wiped her eyes.

She couldn't show her weakness in front of the children. And she didn't want to take this money.

Even if she couldn't be a parent who gives good things to her children, she didn't want to be a parent who takes away what they have.

"Seok, it seems this money isn't for me, is it?"

"Um?"

"It's your money. Why are you giving it to me? You should use it."

Eh.

Kang Seok looked at Baek Myung-hee with a surprised and confused expression. His slightly widened eyes and open mouth were adorable.

It's the same expression he had when he couldn't recite his multiplication tables as a child. Baek Myung-hee smiled gently and held out the envelope.

* * * *

This isn't right. Kang Seok stiffened, caught off guard.

We need five million, don't we? Kang Seok's confused gaze turned to Kang Chae-young, who was nodding vigorously beside him.

He couldn't say that the rent had increased and they needed five million in front of Kang Chae-young.

He had only thought about getting the five million to solve the problem, not about what would happen if the recipient refused to take it.

At that moment, as Kang Seok was fumbling for words,

Ding.

The door opened. Everyone's heads turned naturally. It was Kang Hyun-do.

Unlike Baek Myung-hee, who was on the verge of tears, Kang Hyun-do looked elated.

"Dad's here."

What caught Kang Chae-young and Kang Seok's attention more than his confident stride was what Kang Hyun-do was holding.

'A cake.'

'A cake.'

A cake, which they rarely saw except on birthdays, was in Kang Hyun-do's hand. It wasn't a simple cream cake from the local bakery.

Kang Chae-young looked at the label on the cake, surprised. It was a strawberry chocolate cake from a large franchise café on the main street.

'Dad?'

'Dad?'

Baek Myung-hee looked at Kang Hyun-do in surprise.

"You... where did you get this cake?"

"Oh, this? Haha, I saw it on my way back from a business trip and brought it."

Business trip? Baek Myung-hee's eyes sparkled.

"By the way, how did your business trip go?"

Kang Hyun-do, who had left in the morning with a determined look, holding a catalog of samples, came to mind.

"Um, well..."

Kang Hyun-do, asked, avoided her gaze, then smiled brightly.

"It was a huge success! They paid on the spot. Two deals."

Kang Hyun-do showed Baek Myung-hee the receipt. It showed a payment of 19 million won. It was unclear what he had sold, but it was a one-time payment of 19 million won.

With this money, even after deducting the profit margin, at least five million would be left. Baek Myung-hee hugged Kang Hyun-do. Kang Chae-young, not fully understanding but sensing it was good news, waved her hands excitedly.

It was truly a double celebration.

* * * *

That evening.

Kang Seok offered the five million won to Kang Hyun-do, saying he could use it for the business, but Kang Hyun-do also refused, just like Baek Myung-hee. The refusal was firm.

In the end, the five million won returned to Kang Seok. As he looked perplexed, Baek Myung-hee, who was making the bed, suggested with a smile,

– 'Since this is the first money Seok earned, he should use it as he wishes. Why are you worrying?'

Use it where you want.

Kang Seok, who had been agonizing over what to do with the money for several days, finally made a decision a few days later.

At the breakfast table where the whole family was present, Kang Seok took out the five million won and said,

"Let's go to the hospital, all of us."

The family, who had been eating, stopped and asked in confusion,

"All of a sudden?"

12. He said.