Chapter 11.2

Chapter 11.2

The salon owner glanced at Yeon-ha again in the mirror as she spoke rapidly. Yeon-ha maintained a calm facade, but the woman in the next chair suddenly interjected.

“Wasn’t his wife sick or something? I think I heard it was cancer.”

“Really? I only heard they divorced right after the incident.”

“No, she took the kids and moved back to her hometown because she was sick. The laundry lady around here said that back then…”

The conversation continued, with the two women speculating while Yeon-ha and her grandmother remained silent. Their chatter was a mix of truth and gossip, but no one in the room really knew the full story.

“Why he came back alone, I have no idea. The son seems to live quietly enough now, but it’s just that… living there with just your granddaughter might be a bit…”

“Yes, that’s true,” the salon owner said, now turning to face Yeon-ha with an awkward smile. Yeon-ha checked her phone, realizing she’d have to stay at the salon until her grandmother was done. Quite some time had already passed.

“Make it tight so it doesn’t come loose. Going back and forth to the salon is such a hassle at my age,” Grandmother said abruptly.

“Of course.”

With that, the conversation ended. Afterward, the talk turned to trivial matters. Trying to make good use of the time, Yeon-ha opened her English vocabulary app on her phone, but she found it hard to focus. Not long after, her grandmother’s perm was finished, and she stood up.

“Even if you’re still on your contract, and there’s another flat available around, move out. It’s better to be safe,” the salon owner said with concern as her grandmother took out her wallet to pay.

“We’ll handle it,” Yeon-ha replied, her voice terse despite her attempt to smile.

The salon owner hesitated before adding that she was just worried about them. Linking arms with her grandmother, Yeon-ha’s face was pale as they left the salon.

That night, Grandmother had trouble falling asleep, tossing and turning restlessly. Although she didn’t show it in front of others, it was clear she was troubled by what she’d heard. Normally, her grandmother would fall asleep first, but that night, Yeon-ha lay beside her, trying to offer comfort.

“We came here because the rent was cheap,” her grandmother murmured, staring at the ceiling as if talking to herself. Then, as if making up her mind, she mentioned that she should ask directly if she saw him again. Startled, Yeon-ha immediately pleaded with her not to say anything, repeatedly assuring her that it wasn’t necessary. Despite her reassurances, she couldn’t shake her unease.

Even at the grocery store, they had heard more talk about the notorious family. An older woman, recognizing them as the new neighbors, summarized the rumors they’d heard at the salon with a few casual sentences.

Noticing Yeon-ha’s fixed gaze, she averted her eyes and mumbled that the son seemed to keep to himself without causing trouble.

“It’s just a warning because you’re a girl,” the woman added with a seemingly kind smile, though her words had a clear undertone.

While Yeon-ha tried not to show her feelings in front of her grandmother, she couldn’t help but feel anxious and upset. She hated that they were now the subject of neighborhood gossip and felt guilty for not having been more thorough in her research beforehand.

However, moving again wasn’t an option. If they could afford to move, they wouldn’t have relocated here in the first place. Stuck in a situation with no clear solution, days turned into weeks. Yeon-ha considered secretly looking for another place, but her busy schedule quickly dulled that resolve.

‘Maybe it will be fine.’

Even though Yeon-ha had such thoughts, she would suddenly worry again and then helplessly let another day pass. Those days, where she had nowhere to set her heart, kept repeating.

But strangely enough, even after almost a month since they moved in, Yeon-ha had not once encountered the man who was their landlord. Unlike her, her grandmother seemed to have had quite a few conversations with him.

“He’s really polite. I asked him where he was going, and he said he was going to work early in the morning.”

“I asked him if we could move out before the contract period ends, just in case, and he said we could do as we pleased. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”

Hearing her grandmother’s relieved voice made Yeon-ha even more anxious. In her experience, no one was that generous to complete strangers. But she didn’t show it. She couldn’t let her grandmother feel as uneasy as she did.

Since they lived in the same building, they would have to meet eventually. All Yeon-ha could do was hope that moment would come as late as possible. She usually got home in the early evening because she didn’t attend evening study sessions. Her heart would start pounding when she was about to get off the bus.

She felt relieved if the lights on the first floor were off, but if they were on, she would quickly run up the stairs in fear. She kept telling herself that after the college entrance exam, she would start a part-time job right away and move out of this house as soon as possible.

The moment of their first meeting, which Yeon-ha had been trying to avoid, came unexpectedly in broad daylight.