Haeun stuttered, her voice catching in her throat.
"I... I... Aunt Nayoung. I wasn't expecting you. I..."
Her words died as she took in her aunt's appearance. Aunt Nayoung's eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, like she had been crying for hours. Her usually perfectly styled hair was messy, and her hands trembled slightly as she set down her teacup.
Before Haeun could say another word, Aunt Nayoung rushed toward her, pulling her into a tight embrace.
The familiar scent of her aunt's perfume, jasmine and something warm, enveloped her, and Haeun felt her carefully constructed walls beginning to crumble.
"No," Haeun whispered, trying to push her away. "Aunt Nayoung, please..."
She couldn't handle this.
Not tonight.
If she let herself break down now, she might never put herself back together.
But Aunt Nayoung held on tighter, her voice breaking as she spoke.
"Why, Haeun? Why do you do this to yourself? Why?"
"Aunt Nayoung, please let go—"
"Why do you push me away?" The words came out in a rush, desperate and pained. "I'm all you have left, and still you push me away. Why, Haeun? Do you think I want to be estranged from my sister's children? Why, Haeun?"
That broke Haeun.
The tears came all at once. They rolled down her face in hot drips as Haeun finally melted into her aunt's embrace. Her shoulders shook with sobs she had been holding back for months.
"It's okay," Aunt Nayoung whispered, stroking her hair. "It's okay, baby. I've got you. You don't have to carry everything alone. Please, just let me in. Let me help you."
Haeun said nothing. She couldn't say anything through her tears. She hated crying. Hated showing weakness.
Haeun was supposed to have everything together, supposed to be strong. What kind of big sister would she be if she fell apart like this? Hyunbin needed her to be unbreakable, needed her to be the rock that kept their small family afloat.
But here, in her aunt's arms, she felt like the scared twenty-three-year-old girl she really was.
After some time, Aunt Nayoung gently led her to their small dining table. "Sit," she said softly, disappearing into the kitchen.
She returned with a large plastic bag, the kind from expensive restaurants. The smell hit Haeun immediately, rich, savory, and completely mouth-watering.
"I brought dinner," Aunt Nayoung said, unpacking container after container. "Bulgogi, kimchi jjigae, japchae, rice, and some banchan. I know how you get when you're stressed, you forget to eat properly. Even though you have such a talent for cooking."
Haeun's stomach betrayed her with a loud growl, and she realized she hadn't eaten anything substantial since earlier today.
"Thank you," she whispered, and began eating with a passion and enthusiasm that would have embarrassed her if she weren't so hungry.
The bulgogi was perfectly seasoned, the meat tender and sweet. The kimchi jjigae had just the right amount of heat, warming her from the inside out. For a few minutes, there was only the sound of chopsticks against bowls and Haeun's satisfied hums.
"How is school?" Aunt Nayoung asked gently. "First day was yesterday, right?"
Haeun nodded, swallowing a mouthful of japchae. "It's going fine."
But as soon as she said it, her mind betrayed her, flooding with images of everything that had happened.
Seo Minho cornering her near the gate. His cocky smirk. The perfume he'd given her, still sitting in her bag.
His charming behaviour.
His gentle voice talking about the stars.
Aunt Nayoung squinted at her, studying her face with the sharp suspicion that had always made Haeun nervous.
"Park Haeun, you're a grown woman. Do you have a boyfriend?"
Haeun choked on her rice, coughing violently. "No! No, absolutely not!"
"Mm-hmm." Aunt Nayoung's lips curved into the first smile Haeun had seen from her all evening. "Who are you thinking about? I know you're thinking about someone."
"Nobody! Nobody!" Haeun protested, reaching desperately for her water glass. The liquid was cold against her burning throat, but it did nothing to cool the heat spreading across her cheeks.
Argh. Why was her aunt so perceptive?
Aunt Nayoung chuckled, but her expression quickly grew serious again. She leaned forward, her hands folded on the table.
"How did you get the money to pay your school fees?"
Haeun hesitated, her chopsticks frozen halfway to her mouth. "The... the money from my restaurant job. And I write online sometimes, freelance articles and romance books. They pay well when I get good assignments."
It wasn't completely a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.
Deep down, Haeun knew their financial reserves were almost completely depleted.
She had been putting off the inevitable for weeks, but she'd already made the decision.
This Saturday, she was going to finalize a deal with a loan shark. It was dangerous, probably stupid, but Haeun couldn't bring herself to ask her aunt.
Aunt Nayoung sighed deeply, then picked up her phone. Her fingers moved across the screen for a few seconds, and then Haeun's phone chimed.
She glanced at the notification and nearly fell off her chair.
₩50,000,000 had been transferred to her account.
Fifty million won.
"No," Haeun said immediately, standing up so quickly her chair scraped against the floor. "Aunt Nayoung, no. No! Please I don't want to be a leech!"
"Don't make me slap you, Haeun," Aunt Nayoung said sharply. "You're my sister's only daughter. Take the money, and don't complain."
"But I can't. This is too much and I don't deserve—"
"Don't."
The single word stopped Haeun mid-sentence. Aunt Nayoung's expression was fierce, and Haeun immediately knew there was no room or space for argument.
Haeun nodded reluctantly, sinking back into her chair. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'll find a way to repay you. Every won. I promise."
That was apparently the wrong thing to say.
Aunt Nayoung stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. Even from where she sat, Haeun could see her aunt's shoulders shaking. Without another word, she walked to the door, and Haeun could hear her crying as she stepped outside.
The sound broke Haeun's heart all over again. She almost started crying too, the weight of being such a burden crushing down on her chest. She didn't know how to feel. Grateful, guilty, ashamed, relieved. All of it swirled together into a nauseating mess of emotion.
She finished her meal in silence, then carried the dishes to the kitchen. Everything was spotless, the counters, the floor, even the inside of the microwave. Aunt Nayoung had clearly spent hours cleaning their small home.
Haeun was tempted to go look for her outside, to apologize or explain or just... something. But she decided against it. Maybe Aunt Nayoung needed space too.
Instead, she padded quietly to Hyunbin's room, gently pushing open the door. Her little brother lay curled on his side, breathing deeply, his face peaceful in sleep.
She watched him for a moment, feeling that familiar fierce protectiveness surge in her chest. Everything she did, the jobs, the stress, the sacrifices, it was all for him.
She sighed and quietly closed the door.
But Hyunbin's eyes opened the moment he heard the soft click of the latch.
He hadn't been sleeping at all. He'd heard everything.
Aunt Nayoung's tears, his sister's breakdown, the conversation about money. He knew Haeun always tried too hard for them, always carried burdens that were too heavy for someone her age.
He sat up in bed, staring at the ceiling in the darkness. After a moment, he reached under his mattress and pulled out a small, crumpled flyer he'd been hiding for weeks.
The header read: "Quick Cash Loans - No Questions Asked."
He'd taken it from a bulletin board near his school, thinking maybe... maybe he could help. Maybe he could take some of the weight off his sister's shoulders for once.
Hyunbin sighed, smoothing out the wrinkled paper.
He had made his decision.
Tomorrow, he would sign up.