Mint Is Pure Love - Chapter 32

“Grandma’s moving into a nursing home.”

The rice cake I was about to pop into my mouth stopped right at my lips.

“A nursing home? All of a sudden? Did Ji Sungbeom—no, Dad—actually agree to that? He’s fine with being called an unfilial son?”

It was late at night, and I’d wandered into the kitchen for a snack. Normally, my stepmom would have been asleep by now—she’s usually too tired to stay up. But tonight, for some reason, she was in the kitchen. I would’ve been fine with just instant ramen, but she went out of her way to make me a plate of tteokbokki.

“Well, that’s unexpected. Should’ve done it sooner. It’s been hard on you and hard on Grandma too. I looked it up, and nursing homes have proper beds and way better facilities—it might actually be for the best. Good thing.”

That’s what I said, but when I imagined the house without Grandma, an emptiness crept in.

She’d been here for as long as I could remember—always with her hair neatly pinned, a silver hairpin tucked in, her long hanbok skirt swishing around as she walked.

Still, thinking about how this might ease my stepmom’s burden, I decided it was for the best. Lately, Grandma’s face had gotten noticeably gloomier, and I’d been worried.

“Stepmom, wanna go to Apgujeong and get some cold buckwheat noodles? I went there once with Cha Seokyung, and it was amazing. Let’s ditch Minjae and Mingyu for just one day—just you and me. What do you think?”

She just stared at me, chewing my tteokbokki without answering.

I was waiting for a response when she suddenly said, “Yeonseo, whose daughter are you?”

“Me?”

It was one of those jokes we’d traded for years. I gave her our usual answer with a grin.

“I’m Ji Sungbeom and Cha Okhee’s daughter.”

Cha Okhee—my birth mom’s name. At this point, my stepmom was supposed to say something like, Ungrateful brat. After all I’ve done—feeding you, clothing you—couldn’t you at least say you’re Yoon Youngseon’s daughter? Tsk.

We’d toss those lines back and forth, our little inside joke.

But tonight, she just smiled weakly—like a quail caught in the rain—and watched me eat in silence. The look on her face made me feel uneasy.

“Something wrong? Did you and Dad fight again about Grandma going to the nursing home?”

“…Fight? What’s there to fight about? What did Ji Sungbeom ever do in this house to act like he’s doing me a favor? …Just, well… sending Grandma away feels… a little off.”

“You’ve done more than enough for her. I’ll still go visit her.”

“…You talk like you’re all grown up, but at eighteen, you’re still such a kid. Clumsy as ever.”

She tore off half a paper towel and wiped the corner of my mouth.

I once read in some book—something I only got through because it was homework—that a philosopher said separation is an inevitable part of life. People part ways, heal, meet someone new, and part ways again—over and over—while growing and living.

I wanted to tell her that, to comfort her. But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. She was already too much of an adult for that. I didn’t want to imagine how many goodbyes she’d gone through to become the woman she was now.

Two days later, Grandma left in the nursing home’s ambulance. Covered with a blue blanket on a stretcher, she let me hold her hand just once before I let go.

“…I’ll come visit, Grandma.”

Her body was stiff, her mouth drooped, but her eyes met mine directly. Gone was the sharp glare she used to give me—only a lifeless emptiness remained.

And Dad? Even though it was his own mother being moved, he didn’t show up—just like he didn’t show up for Minjae’s birthday. Stepmom had to ride along in the ambulance as her guardian.

“Whose mom is she to you, really?”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen much of Dad lately. Even when he was busy, he’d still come home two or three nights a week, but now? Nothing.

The last time I saw him was a month ago—when I’d stormed into his office saying Stepmom was about to die.

It wasn’t like we’d never gone long without seeing him before, but this felt different. A bad, sticky feeling sat in my throat, refusing to go down.

“Big sis, I’m hungry.”

“Uh… okay, I’ll put some jam on bread for you.”

I handed Minjae some toast with jam, and later that afternoon, after Mingyu came back from soccer, I made dinner for all of us.

The nursing home was in Cheongju, I think. I kept glancing at the clock, guessing when Stepmom would be back. That’s when the front doorbell rang loudly.

“Who is it?”

—”It’s me, Chief Choi.”

She was Dad’s secretary—his chief of staff, technically.

Since today was the day Grandma was being moved, I figured maybe Dad had sent her for some errand. Without thinking much, I opened the door.

“Ugh, it’s so hot. The weather’s insane, right?”

She folded her parasol, left it by the door, and smiled at me. Late twenties? Early thirties? I’d heard Dad praise her once—said she was young but competent.

The last time I’d seen her was at Dad’s office, when she’d handed me a drink and told me kids shouldn’t meddle in adults’ business.

Dressed in a white two-piece outfit, she looked sophisticated and pretty. Maybe she’d gained a little weight—her face looked fuller, softer, and somehow more expensive.

“Hello, Chief Choi.”

Mingyu and Minjae, sitting on the couch, quickly stood up and bowed politely. She gave them a bright smile before turning to me.

“Where’s the room your grandma used to use?”

“Oh… this way.”

I led her to the room Grandma had been in just that morning.

The stale smell unique to the sick lingered in the air. Chief Choi pinched her nose slightly and looked around.

“Yeah, being the master bedroom, it’s a good size. A king bed would fit easily…”

I wondered if she was planning to redecorate it for Dad and Stepmom now that Grandma was gone.

“But wow, it smells musty—probably because she’d been here so long. I can’t stand the smell of old people. We’ll have to redo the wallpaper, disinfect the place, get the smell out.”

Something about that didn’t sit right.

“…What’s the smell got to do with you not liking it?”

She ignored my question and kept talking.

“Where’s your room, and where do the boys sleep?”

“Why?”

“Why else? I need to see the empty rooms so I can plan how to decorate them. Oh, do you have a tape measure? I forgot mine. I should at least get rough measurements. But first, can you get me a glass of water from the kitchen?”

“…Empty rooms?”

“God, it’s hot. Oh, and I see you don’t use the upper kitchen cabinets here—just the lower ones? Let’s check the kitchen together. We’ll have a housekeeper eventually, but the interior still needs to be done right.”

“Lady.”

Her face finally soured when I deliberately called her something she wouldn’t like.

What the hell is she talking about? I stared at her for a moment, then asked,

“…Did you… buy this house or something?”

Dad never discussed anything with us before doing it—he had a history of pulling wild stunts. I figured maybe this was just another one.

It didn’t even cross my mind that it could be something else—because no other woman who’d been with Dad had ever barged into our house talking like this.

Chief Choi just laughed, like she’d heard a funny joke.

“Guess your stepmom hasn’t told you yet?”

“…She’s so slow. This is urgent, but she just drags her feet. If it’s already settled, shouldn’t she be quick and decisive?”

“What are you even talking about?!”

I snapped, and she flinched dramatically, her hands flying to her stomach. My heart sank.

“Why are you yelling all of a sudden? Geez, scared me…”

Even as she complained, I blurted out the thing I desperately hoped wasn’t true.

“…Don’t tell me you… got pregnant by my dad?”

She scoffed. “What, do you think we’re kids or something? It’s called adult business. Ask your stepmom for the details and show me around.”

“…So you are pregnant?”

The smile she always wore at work—tilted just 15 degrees—was gone. Her face turned cold.

“This isn’t your business. I didn’t come all the way here in this heat to deal with you. You’ve always been a stubborn little brat, and you’re annoying me right now.”

“Disgusting…”

“…What?”

“You slept with my dad—a married man—and got pregnant. And that’s not disgusting?”

My eyes dropped to her belly.

“Where do you think you’re looking?!”

Her hand—long nails painted red—flew up.

Go ahead, hit me. I’ll hit back. I’m not the type to just take it, even from a woman, in a situation like this.

I squeezed my eyes shut as her hand came slicing through the air.

…But no slap came. No pain.

Instead, I heard the voice I’d been waiting for all day.

“Don’t make a scene in front of the kids. Whatever harm you try to do to someone else’s child will go straight to the one you’re carrying.”

I opened my eyes to see Stepmom—still in the clothes she’d worn that morning.

She had grabbed Chief Choi’s wrist. Choi yanked her hand back with a huff and stormed out of the bedroom. Minjae came in, eyes watery, clinging to my leg.

“What’s going on?”

“Minjae, go stay with your brother for a bit. Mom needs to talk to your sister.”

He was quick to catch on and left without a word.

When the door clicked shut, it was just me and Stepmom. Her thin, bony hand took mine and pulled me down to sit.

“I’m divorcing your dad. Chief Choi’s pregnant.”

“God, he’s lost his damn mind. That bastard… It’s not enough that he’s been cheating forever, and now he wants to marry some secretary twenty years younger?”

“When did you find out?”

“…It’s been a while.”

And suddenly, it all made sense—the moment she’d lost that brightness between her brows, even while caring for Grandma. Why she’d been in the kitchen that night making me tteokbokki instead of sleeping.

“So that’s why you sent Grandma to the nursing home? Because she didn’t want to take care of her? God, what a horrible person. Dad’s not even human.”

“Don’t say those things. I can say them, but not you. I’m done with him, and… there’s just something I don’t want to leave behind. That’s why I couldn’t tell you earlier. I’m going to find a job.”

Tears welled up. I’d been floating around clueless while the house was falling apart. I wiped my eyes hard.

“Good. Then it’s fine. As long as the four of us are together, we can handle anything. I’ll watch the boys, help them study while you work. We’ll be fine.”

I meant it.

But behind my determination came her hesitant voice.

“…Yeonseo. I’m thinking of moving back to my hometown—Chungju.”

The word Chungju made my chest drop. Instantly, Cha Seokyung’s face flashed in my mind.

How far is Chungju from here? I didn’t know exactly, but I knew it wasn’t within commuting distance.

“…Then… I’d have to transfer schools?”