Twenty Three

When Ma Ri got home, she tried to sneak in, hoping everyone was asleep by then. Slowly, she closed the door behind her, her heart pounding nervously. She had forgotten to inform her parents she'd be late, and now it was way too late. The house was dark, the lights all turned off. She exhaled a long sigh of relief.

Just as she tiptoed toward the stairs, a voice froze her in place.

"What time do you think it is now?"

She recognized the voice immediately and gulped. Her brother, Mi Rae, was sitting on the couch, his silhouette radiating a menacing aura.

"Umm…" Ma Ri stood still, clutching her hands together as her heart raced faster.

"Why aren't you answering? ARE YOU MUTE?" he suddenly roared, making her gasp and tremble.

"I-I'm sorry," Ma Ri whispered, her voice barely audible.

At that moment, Mrs. Han entered the room, switching on the lights. Her face was etched with worry.

"Ma Ri! Where were you? Are you alright? And what happened to your phone?" she asked, hurrying to her side.

"Mother, step aside," Mi Rae ordered in a calm but heavy tone. Ma Ri flinched at the look in his eyes—an intense combination of anger and disappointment.

I'm f* ked! Ma Ri panicked internally. I brought my second phone with me where I keep everything related to bl and my favorite idols. What should I do? Ma Ri's eyes were restless as she kept thinking and trying to come up with something. Should she act fainting? No-no! He'll call the doctor right then.

"Look at ME!" Mi Rae bellowed, breaking her train of thought.

Ma Ri gulped and reluctantly lifted her gaze, although her eyes darted around nervously.

"Where were you?" he asked, his tone ice-cold as he stood up. Ma Ri instinctively stepped back.

"At… Mr. Ahn's… p-place," she stammered while trembling under his piercing glare.

"Did you inform me?" He asked in a calm, but cold tone.

She shook her head slowly, staring at the floor.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU?" he exploded.

"You didn't inform me. It's fine! I get it! But, WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL MOM AT LEAST? WHY I HAVE TO HEAR SHE HAS NO IDEA WHERE YOU WERE? DO YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE? WHAT KIND OF GIRL FROM A NOBLE FAMILY STAYS OUT THIS LATE AT NIGHT? AND WHY THE F*CK YOU WERE AT THEIR HOUSE WITHOUT INFORMING US?" His voice rose with each word, leaving Ma Ri standing there in silence, head bowed in regret.

Mrs. Han placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder, but Mi Rae's fury didn't subside. The commotion brought Mr. Han out of his room.

"You shouldn't have done that, dear," he said quietly.

"This is all your fault!" Mi Rae shot back at his parents. "You always hide things from me, and now look where it's led! I mean, the audacity she has! Unbelievable!"

"Honey, she made a mistake, but you shouldn't…" Mi Rae's wife attempted to calm him, but he cut her off.

"YOU'RE ALSO AT FAULT! WHEN SHE DIDN'T COME HOME ON TIME, SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE CALLED ME? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING? TODAY IT'S HER, TOMORROW, IT'LL BE THE DAUGHTER, AND THEN THE SON, AND YOU'LL KEEP HIDING EVERYTHING FROM ME, IS THAT YOUR PLAN?" He roared again.

His wife lowered her head, unable to respond.

Turning back to Ma Ri, Mi Rae's voice dropped to a deadly calm. "I don't want to see this happen again. Do you hear me?"

"Y-yes," Ma Ri stuttered, nodding quickly with a guilty expression.

"Go to your room. If you ever pull something like this again, I'll break your legs," he warned.

Not daring to look back, Ma Ri hurried upstairs, her face turned pale with fear.

"Keep an eye on her. She's no child; she should know better by now," Mi Rae sighed, addressing their mother before retreating to his room. He knew he was in for another sleepless night, thanks to Ma Ri. Though he didn't want to be rude, frustration got the better of him.

Upstairs, Ma Ri noticed a shadow slipping into her room suspiciously. She smirked and tiptoed towards the door. After entering quietly, she flipped on the light, catching her nephew and niece trying to hide behind the door.

"You guys! Why aren't you asleep yet? It's so late!" Ma Ri whispered loudly, crossing her arms.

"We couldn't sleep. Is Dad really mad?" her nephew asked, plopping onto Ma Ri's bed.

"What do you think?" Ma Ri pouted, feigning a guilty expression.

"We heard everything. He has been acting like this since earlier. That's why we pretended to be asleep." her niece chimed in with a poker face.

"It's fine. He'll calm down, so don't worry. But before he catches you sneaking around, let's all head to bed, okay?" Ma Ri smiled, though she couldn't help feeling anxious. She had indeed pushed the limits tonight.

"I hope so. But don't make him angry like that again, okay?" her nephew said, stifling a yawn.

"Who are you fooling? I've been dealing with this sh*ts for 16 years," her niece muttered, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Whoa! Watch your language! If he hears you, he'll cut you into pieces." Ma Ri exclaimed with surprise.

"Now off you go! We don't need another lecture, do we?" she urged, taking off the outer layer of her clothes.

"Auntie! Can I sleep here with you tonight?" her nephew suddenly declared, sitting firmly on her bed.

"Omo! Why?" Ma Ri asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

"It's too hot in our room, and sister won't let me open the window," he replied with an innocent pout that made Ma Ri grin.

"It's chilly outside! I closed the window for a reason! You're the reptile here!" his sister retorted, her voice sharp.

"Shh! I get it! I get it! Go back to your room now." Ma Ri whispered, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and gently pushing her out of the room.

"And you," she said, turning to her nephew, "close your eyes and keep quiet, okay?"

He immediately shut his eyes, turned on his side, and hugged a bolster. Ma Ri chuckled at how adorable he looked.

After washing up, she climbed into bed, tucking her nephew under the blanket. She knew she needed to sleep since work awaited her in the morning, but Jiang and Ryu Gil's interaction flashed through her mind, stealing her chance at rest.

"They were so cute!" she murmured, her cheeks warming at the memory. "Oh, right! I should jot down that theme!"

She bolted upright, grabbing her phone with a giggle. Just then, her phone buzzed loudly. As she panicked, she quickly silenced it, glancing at her nephew to make sure he was still asleep. When she saw him undisturbed, she sighed in relief and answered the call.

"Hello!" she whispered with a low voice as if talking with someone secretly.

"Hey! I knew you weren't sleeping! What are you doing? Writing again?" a familiar female voice teased.

"No! Min Woo is sleeping beside me, so I can't turn on the light," Ma Ri replied softly.

"Ah! Okay, then. Let him sleep. How's everyone else doing?" she asked casually.

"They're fine. Though I managed to anger brother again," Ma Ri admitted with a pout.

"Again? What did you do this time? Is he really mad?" her sister asked, curiosity evident in her voice. Ma Ri leaned back on her bed, clutching a pillow as she recounted the evening's events.

"You're really something! He must've exploded, no?" her sister exclaimed, half-amused.

"Don't remind me! I know I was wrong, but he just yelled at everyone…like…you know how he is," Ma Ri sighed, adjusting her glasses.

"I know! That's why I ran away. You should find a scapegoat too," her sister chuckled, her tone light as she gave the unsolicited advice.

"Oho! Wasn't it because you were in lo-lo-lo-ve with my brother-in-law, dear sister?" Ma Ri teased, barely containing her laughter as she pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound.

"Argh! Will you stop shipping people and focus on your own life?" her sister snapped, her embarrassment obvious despite her attempt to sound annoyed.

"As for the scapegoat, I think I've found one," Ma Ri said with a mischievous grin.

"Really? Are you talking about the person you're engaged to?" her sister asked, her eyes widened with surprise.

"I'm going to sleep now," Ma Ri replied abruptly, faking a yawn as she wasn't ready to share anything just yet.

"Hey! Spill the tea first! What do you mean?" her sister pressed, her voice rising.

"I promise I'll tell you later. I just don't want Brother to catch me awake right now," Ma Ri whispered with a conspiratorial tone.

"Fine! But you promised!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ma Ri muttered, ending the call. She placed her phone aside and slipped under the blanket, closing her eyes for the night.

When her alarm blared in the morning, Ma Ri groggily turned it off and burrowed deeper into her blanket. After a few minutes of lying still, she forced herself up and shuffled to the washroom.

After she dressed up for work in formal attire, she walked toward her bedroom door. A sudden memory struck her that she didn't close the door before going to sleep. Being puzzled, she grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it. But, it didn't budge.

What happened? Is it broken?

She twisted the knob repeatedly to no avail. Realizing what might have occurred, she called out.

"MOM! ARE YOU THERE? WHY DID YOU LOCK ME IN? OPEN THE DOOR!" She pounded on the door, her voice rising with each word although there was no response from the other side.

"HEY! I KNOW I WAS WRONG! BUT ISN'T THIS TOO MUCH? I'M LATE FOR WORK! MOM! BROTHER! F*CK!" she yelled, slamming her fists against the door in frustration.

A glance at her phone showed it was past 9 a.m. She was already late for work. Just as she was about to give up, the door clicked open. She smiled in relief, expecting to see Mrs. Han.

But it wasn't her mother.

It was Mi Rae.

As he stepped inside, Ma Ri instinctively took a step back. Without saying a word, he raised his hand and slapped her across the cheek.

"You don't need to go to work anymore. And from now on, you're not stepping out of this house," he said in a cold, cutting tone.

Ma Ri froze, her hand pressed to her stinging cheek as she lowered her head in shock. She couldn't comprehend what just happened or why he reacted so harshly.