Chapter 15: Mom's Work Life  (18+)

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Chapter 15: Mom's Work Life 

Surprisingly, Mr. Kwak Young-cheol kept his promise to take care of our family's livelihood, which I honestly thought was just empty words. 

"Oh my. Really? Oh... Thank you so much, oppa!" 

Mom, who had been worrying about finding a job for a while, was overjoyed when she received the job offer with one phone call from Mr. Young-cheol, her voice soaring with happiness. 

But listening to it made me feel a bit uneasy. She was so angry when Dad went to prison because of that Mr. Young-cheol, but now her voice brightened up immediately when he gave her a job. 

"Hyeon-seong, you know Young-cheol oppa, right? That oppa really got me a job?" 

"Really? That's... good? But what will you be doing there?" 

"I'm not sure exactly. Something about just organizing documents? But... do you know how to use Excel or something?" 

The job Mr. Young-cheol offered was doing simple document work at the used car dealership he runs. But... 

The problem was that Mom was computer illiterate, unable to even turn on a computer properly, let alone use basic Excel. 

"Excel? I learned a bit in computer class..." 

"Then teach me that at least" 

"Really? I don't know it well either..." 

"Still, you must be better than me" 

So I tried teaching Mom... Ah. It seems Mi-hyun's hopeless study skills were clearly inherited from Mom. 

"Ah... I don't understand..." 

"This is just basic Excel..." 

"Ugh. I don't know! It'll work out somehow" 

She lacked perseverance too. I guess she couldn't study because she got pregnant with us twins... that seemed like an honorable death. 

"Sigh. Anyway, I'm heading out Mom" 

"Oh... You're going dressed like that?" 

"Why? Is it too sexy?" 

"No... well..." 

Excited for her first day of work, Mom put on clothes that were closest to office wear among what she had. The blouse and pink jacket were fine, but... 

The skirt was so short it was almost butt-length. Not only was it short, but due to her already large 43-inch hips, it clung tightly like the uniform skirts of delinquent girls shortened to the limit, embarrassingly revealing the curves of her buttocks. 

"I dressed modestly since it's the first day..." 

To think this was modest. I had nothing to say, but when has Mom ever listened to me anyway? 

"Anyway, should you come pick me up when I get off work in the evening? Got it, son?" 

"Mm... I'll come meet you when you get off work" 

And so Mom's first ever work life began. 

While Mom went to her first day of work, I also headed to school. But how should I put it. 

Daily life without Dad... I didn't feel much difference from usual. They say you don't know what you've got till it's gone, but it's not noticeable at all that a person is missing. I guess it's because he didn't do anything at home usually anyway. 

'As expected, Dad... you're someone who doesn't matter whether you're here or not' 

Don't call me an unfilial child. You'd know if you've read this far. 

Anyway, not feeling Dad's absence much, I went to school as usual and was greeted by the familiar face of Gyu-tae. It must have been by lottery, but we've been stubbornly assigned to the same class since elementary school, and even after becoming middle schoolers, we ended up in the same grade and class. 

"Yo. You're here?" 

"Hi Gyu-tae" 

"Hey. Can I come over to your place after school today?" 

"Stop coming over, you bastard" 

"You're too much" 

That guy's sexual desire seems to be overflowing since becoming a middle schooler, as he keeps begging to come over to our boring house at the slightest chance. Though he doesn't say it outright, it was obvious he was trying to come peek at my mom. But since he's such a close friend, I just brushed him off without showing my displeasure. 

While waiting for class to start, chatting with Gyu-tae 

Clatter. 

Just before class was about to start, I saw my twin sister, Kang Mi-hyun, enter the classroom. 

"Oh, Mi-hyun's here too" 

"Don't act like you know that girl. It's embarrassing" 

Gyu-tae pretended to know Mi-hyun again, but I ignored it, not wanting to get involved with him at school. 

But Gyu-tae whispered to me with a strange expression while looking at Mi-hyun: 

"Hey, but I heard your sister hangs out with the delinquents a lot?" 

"What?" 

"You know Yong-su hyung in 3rd year?" 

"Oh... that boxing club hyung?" 

"Yeah. I heard she goes out with him every evening?" 

"...Leave her be. She'll live her own life" 

My twin sister, Kang Mi-hyun, was exactly like Mom. Recently she started hating studying and became wild early on, hanging out with delinquent thugs and playing at being a delinquent girl. I nagged her a few times, but she would throw a fit each time, so I've half given up now. 

...I just hope she doesn't become a single mother like Mom. Even now, the way she wears her skirt shortened... 

Ah. She looks exactly like Mom this morning. 

Unlike other kids, I don't go to academies, so I could head straight to Mom's first workplace, Mr. Kwak Young-cheol's used car dealership, after school ended. 

'Cheol's Used Cars' 

A very intuitive name greeted me on the sign. Despite the funny name, it looked quite large in scale. The lot was full of used cars. If they sold those for an average of 5 million won each... the sales would be quite substantial. 

Even though our neighborhood is in the outskirts of Seoul where land is cheap, owning a lot this big means he's really a local rich guy. 

Anyway, I headed to the office in a corner of the lot to look for Mom, who should be nearing the end of her workday, and peeked inside through the glass window. Though it was bright despite being evening in summer, so I couldn't see inside right away, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I started to see the interior. 

'There's Mom' 

I could find Mom right away, with her pink jacket hung on a chair as she stood in front of a desk. And next to Mom, that Mr. Kwak Young-cheol I saw last time was pointing at a computer and saying something, seeming to be teaching her some work... 

'Huh?' 

In between teaching her work, that toad-like thug ajussi was putting his thick hands on Mom's waist. 

Ah... what kind of fucked up situation is this again. 

'Fuck...' 

Pissed off, I deliberately knocked loudly and opened the office door. Startled, that toad quickly removed his hands. 

"Hello?" 

"Oh? Oh! Na-yeon's son is here" 

"Son! You came? Oppa, my son was supposed to come pick me up today" 

"Haha... is that so?" 

Mom greeted me nonchalantly as if nothing had happened. 

"...When do you get off work?" 

"Ah... about that. I was planning to have a drink with oppa before going home today. Sorry you came all this way to pick me up" 

"..." 

That's when I had a gut feeling that something was going wrong. Looking back, I think that was some kind of turning point. 

Perhaps noticing me frowning without realizing it, the toad quietly took out money from his wallet and held it out to me. 

"You came all this way to pick up your mom. How thoughtful! Here, uncle will give you some pocket money so take a taxi home. Order something delicious to eat at home" 

"..." 

"Hey. Quickly take it when an adult is giving it to you" 

"...Thank you" 

This uneasy feeling. 

Though hesitant, I had no choice but to leave the dealership, leaving the two of them behind. The back of my head felt tingly. 

When I got home, an empty house with no one in it greeted me. Mi-hyun often stayed out all night these days, probably hanging out with her delinquent boyfriend or whatever, and Mom went drinking with that toad. Dad's in prison. 

Lonely, I cooked and ate ramen by myself, and with nothing to do, I just stared blankly at the ceiling before falling asleep first. 

In the end, Mom only came home past midnight that day, drunk. 

September 10, 2022. 

Time passed, summer ended, and early fall arrived. Though it was still hot, probably due to global warming. 

As months passed, Mi-hyun's curfew got later and later. She even started skipping classes at school. Rumors said she had fully blended in and become one of the delinquents. If Dad were here, he would have beaten her to make her come home early, but he's not here now, is he? 

Moreover, Mom also often came home late, later than regular work hours. Like the first day's company dinner, she would come home completely drunk, or sometimes not come home at all, which became more frequent. Now that I'm not an elementary kid anymore and my head has grown a bit, I understood what that meant... and felt even worse. 

Then one day. That day too, Mom said she had a "company dinner" and came home past 1 AM. Mr. Kwak Young-cheol supported the stumbling Mom and brought her to the front of our house, which made me feel sick to my stomach. 

"Haha. Sorry. Your mom went overboard again. I don't know why she pushes herself so hard when she can't handle alcohol well." 

Though I really hated that toad trying to get on my good side with a friendly tone... 

"Here. Pocket money. Take good care of your mom" 

"Ah! Oppa, you keep giving me... hic... money!" 

Money is innocent after all. I quickly took the pocket money and put it in my pocket. Having lived without money, my materialism was much stronger than normal people, so I couldn't help it. 

"Haha. Then I'll see you tomorrow, Na-yeon" 

"Mmm... you too, oppa!" 

Mom waving her hand at the departing Mr. Kwak Young-cheol... looked so happy. In a way, if she hadn't gotten pregnant with us twins at such a young age, she could have lived enjoyably like this, working at a company and socializing. Thinking that made me feel a bit sorry for Mom again. 

"Hic! My son! Did you miss mommy?!" 

"Geez... why are you like this. I'm not a kid anymore" 

"Hey. Mommy's in a good mood, that's why. And you're still my baby, what are you... talking back!" 

Still... I didn't like seeing her constantly clinging to another man like this. She looked so depressed when Dad went to prison. Now she doesn't seem to care at all? Those words were on the tip of my tongue, but I held back and supported her. 

"What about Mi-hyun...?" 

"She doesn't come home before midnight these days" 

"That girl... hic!" 

"Ugh the smell... how much did you drink?" 

"Just~ two bottles... urp... urp!" 

"Shit!" 

When the stumbling Mom suddenly tried to lower her head, I quickly took her to the bathroom. 

"Blegh!" 

Mom started vomiting into the toilet with her head down. I felt bewildered but patted her back from behind... 

'...?' 

As Mom's short tight skirt rolled up, I could see her buttocks half exposed from behind. 

The problem was... inside the black pantyhose, the panties she surely wore when leaving for work were not where they should be. That embarrassing area was blatantly visible through the semi-transparent stockings. 

'...!' 

I was startled and turned my gaze away, but having already seen that embarrassing part, my heart was pounding. 

"M-Mom?" 

But Mom, who had already vomited once, had lost consciousness and was sprawled out on the cold bathroom floor like wet laundry. 

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