New Normal - Chapter 34

The relationship between Jungeun and Jisoo was inevitably strained.

The fact that Jungeun was Jisoo’s father’s new wife and Jisoo the daughter of his ex-wife made things inherently complicated.

Ever since her father remarried, Jisoo couldn’t avoid running into Jungeun. Especially since Jisoo had chosen a path similar to hers, conflict was practically unavoidable.

Yet Jungeun was someone who valued appearances, and someone like her would never go around talking about Jisoo, who was involved in such a distasteful situation.

“You said you loved me! Im Dogyun, how could you do this to me? How could you! How?!”

Her mother’s trembling voice echoed in her memory like a heavy weight.

Jisoo put her spoon down. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she reached for her cup, but she forced herself to take a sip.

Lowering her gaze momentarily, Jisoo then lifted her eyes and stared directly at Jungeun.

“Besides, doesn’t the professor already know exactly how much you’re sending me?”

Jungeun’s expression froze for a split second, but she quickly masked it with a polite smile.

After an uncomfortable silence, she slowly opened her mouth.

“Jisoo, you really… take after your mother.”

Jisoo’s brow twitched as she kept her gaze on the tray in front of her.

She paused, then picked up her chopsticks again and reached for the kimchi.

“I never thought I’d hear those words coming from you, Professor Jin Jungeun.”

“So shameless. No sense of embarrassment. All you ever think about is money—money, money, money.”

Jisoo tried to continue eating with composure, but gave up. Her throat tightened.

She stood up without hesitation, lifting her tray as Jungeun’s eyes followed her movements.

“Maybe shamelessness runs in the family. I don’t know what makes you so confident, barging into my space like this.”

The muttered insult hit like a knife.

Jisoo froze mid-step.

My space…

In that moment, a sharp realization struck her.

She had tried not to think it—but maybe this recent demotion had been orchestrated.

Her smooth career path had only started to unravel after Jungeun became a board member at the museum.

No. It’s just a hunch. I have no proof.

But if it really was Jungeun pulling the strings…

It was too much.

What had she done wrong to deserve this?

Unable to distinguish between injustice, frustration, or anger, she pushed the emotions down.

She looked down at her tray.

Leftover rice. Disrupted side dishes. Untouched soup.

And her last thread of patience.

Jisoo turned around deliberately, and flashed Jungeun a bright smile.

“Your space? Professor, what does that even mean?”

Jungeun’s expression twisted in an instant. Her eyes darted around as she hissed a warning.

“Keep your voice down.”

The large student cafeteria was mostly empty, except for the sound of dishes being washed in the kitchen.

Still, Jungeun looked visibly displeased simply by sitting with Jisoo.

But Jisoo, unfazed, almost amused, didn’t back down.

“I’m saying it loudly because I want people to hear it. Is that a problem? That’s kind of funny.”

“Shin Jisoo—”

“Excuse me, Professor. I think you keep forgetting how this started. You were the one who stepped in, not me.”

With each word, Jungeun’s gaze grew sharper, stabbing at Jisoo.

“What?”

“And since we’re being honest—if my presence offends you, maybe it’s time you lead by example and start giving up your position to younger colleagues. There’s no need to hold on till full retirement, is there?”

Jungeun’s lip twitched in disbelief.

“Look at you. You’ve really got no fear, huh? You think you can just throw your life away like this? What do you think is going to happen?”

“Exactly. So let’s both take it down a notch, shall we?”

Seeing Jisoo raise her voice, Jungeun’s face contorted.

“Hey—”

“Professor. The only reason I’ve stayed quiet so far is because of my father. I’ve been holding back. For him.”

Her voice trembled slightly, but her posture remained straight.

She bowed politely and walked away, unshaken.

She could feel Jungeun’s burning gaze behind her, but she didn’t care anymore.

Her stomach churned. She dropped off her tray and exited the cafeteria with her hand over her mouth.

As soon as she stepped outside the building, the tension collapsed.

Her legs wobbled. Still, she forced herself to walk forward.

The sunlight felt unusually blinding.

Jisoo squinted and rubbed her eyes hard.

The back of her hand came away wet.

“It’s nothing. That’s just the kind of person she is. I talked back to her too. I even got in a good jab. It should feel satisfying, right? This is how I’ll live. It’s fine.”

She repeated the words like a mantra, but her eyes still stung.

“Maybe shamelessness runs in the family. I don’t know what gives you the nerve to act like this. Barging into my space…”

She didn’t even want to cry. It just felt like something inside her had cracked.

Like a sharp edge of her heart had been nicked—just barely, but enough.

“You really… take after your mother. Shameless. No shame at all. All you ever care about is money, money, money…”

Her head hung low as she hurried along.

Jungeun’s vicious words kept stabbing at her mind.

But what truly suffocated her were the shadows of the past.

As her memories drifted into a cold, sharp night—

Jisoo sank to the ground.

***

The sound of rain tapping against the window was oppressive.

Jisoo was curled up in a dark corner of a small room, hugging her knees.

Her parents’ shouting leaked through the wall from the living room.

Even with her ears covered, the voices came in too clearly.

Eventually, she buried her face in her arms and held her breath.

“You said you loved me! You said you’d make me happy for the rest of my life! And now you do this to me? Im Dogyun, how could you?!”

Her mother’s choked voice was as cold and cutting as the rain outside.

“So you were just planning to throw me away all along, weren’t you? That’s what this is, right? Even so—what about Jisoo? What about our daughter?! You know how hard I’ve tried! How could you—”

“Why are you being so emotional now? What’s the point?

Didn’t you fall for me because of everything I had? You’re no different. You followed my money, too.”

Her father’s voice was icy.

Each time her mother sobbed, Jisoo felt her body tremble.

“So you’ve been seeing that woman, haven’t you? What is this marriage, even?!”

Their shouting grew more intense, louder and louder.

A thud—something slammed against the wall.

Jisoo pressed her hands harder against her ears and held her breath.

Even with her eyes tightly shut, she could still see her parents’ twisted faces clearly in the darkness.

“Enough. I’m sick of it. Just stop!”

After a long silence, her mother’s voice came again, shaking.

“You’re terrifying. Have you been pretending all along? Was everything a lie from the start?”

Her father said nothing.

Eventually, her mother screamed.

“I trusted you! If you walk out on us like this, what happens to Jisoo?!”

Jisoo couldn’t listen anymore.

She pressed her hands harder over her ears.

***

The childhood memory—branded deep into her soul—kept surfacing.

Her breath quickened.

It’s okay. It’s okay.

Seeing her pale face, Professor Kim Sooyeon leaned in and whispered gently.

“Ms. Shin… you’re sweating. Are you feeling unwell?”

“N-no, I’m fine.”

Jisoo quickly shook her head. Sooyeon gently patted the back of her hand.

While Jisoo stared at her drink, struggling to calm herself, Professor Yoon Jongchan’s bragging showed no sign of stopping.

“So who is this Witman guy, anyway? The type who won’t back down even in front of MoMA curators!”

The alcohol was making his voice louder and faster.

“He invited me to his office, right? And then he starts going over my paper, line by line—asking questions. Then he tells me, ‘You’re not a scholar from the East. You are… a migrant of vision!’ Ha! I still remember those words. A migrant of vision!”

Next to him, Professor Kim Sooyeon’s expression subtly dipped as she sipped her sake.

Sitting beside her, CEO Kim Changjin glanced at Professor Yoon, then tactfully changed the subject.