Chapter 103.2

Chapter 103.2

“Don’t die! I haven’t even done anything for you yet.”

Miran sobbed like a child and buried herself in Juran’s arms. Holding her close, Juran let out a sob and began to stroke the back of her head.

“I’m sorry, Miran. I’m so sorry.”

At those words, Miran cried even harder.

“Why would you say that? What are you sorry for?”

The two of them clung to each other and cried for a long time.

When Miran finally lifted her tear-streaked face, Juran looked at her messy, snot-covered expression and sighed. She tore off a few sheets from the roll of tissue on the table and held them up to Miran’s nose.

“Blow.”

Miran did as she was told. Once she’d finished, Juran pulled back slightly and asked,

“But how did you find out?”

Sniffling, Miran took a deep breath before answering.

“Back in my senior year… on Dad’s memorial day. I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and I overheard my sisters talking and drinking.”

Juran let out a long sigh and ground her teeth.

“I knew it. No wonder… you messed up your college exam because of that, didn’t you?”

The truth was, her exam score had turned out just as expected. But since it was all in the past, Miran just nodded.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Oh, those loudmouths. They can never keep their voices down once they start drinking.”

Wiping the corners of her eyes with a tissue, Juran suddenly asked, as if remembering something.

“Have you eaten?”

Miran shook her head. She wasn’t hungry, but she missed a home-cooked meal. Juran quickly stood up and rubbed her tear-streaked cheeks dry.

“You must be tired from the long trip. What should I make for you?”

“Kimchi stew. Make it spicy.”

—

Juran had discovered her cancer thanks to a company-wide health checkup that summer. During a gastroscopy, a small tumor was found, and a biopsy revealed it was malignant.

Fortunately, it was caught early at stage one. If they removed it surgically and followed up with radiation treatment, the recovery rate was said to be around ninety percent. Once the scans to check for metastasis were finished, they would schedule the surgery.

Miran let out a shaky breath of relief.

‘I’m glad I came back to Korea.’

If Juran had tried to face all this alone and something had happened… Miran shuddered and shook her head. She knew she would never have forgiven herself.

Even though she hadn’t felt hungry, she ended up devouring the steaming white rice and spicy, tangy kimchi stew like someone who hadn’t eaten in days.

When the meal was over, Juran finally began to speak, cautiously sharing what she had held inside for twenty-five years. Miran didn’t say a word. She just listened, afraid to miss even a single syllable.

“Your dad was the first person from our neighborhood to go to college. He was tall, handsome, and smart, but people whispered behind his back, calling him a half-breed. His father was Russian.”

“But then his father was offered a job as a factory manager at a sewing plant in Uruguay, so the whole family decided to immigrate. He said living in Korea as a mixed-race person was too hard. He asked me to go with them, but… I couldn’t find the courage.”

Juran bit her lip and lowered her head.

“I didn’t realize I was pregnant until after he left. I was too young then, too scared… so I registered you as my younger sister instead.”

She lifted her head and continued in a calm voice.

“When you were not even three years old, a package arrived from Uruguay. They said he had died in a car accident. He missed Korea, and he talked about me often, said he wanted to come back. I kept his belongings, thinking that someday I might have to tell you this story. If you want to see them, I’ll take them out for you.”

Juran’s eyes grew red.

“I’m sorry for not letting you call me Mom, even though you didn’t have a father. It sounds like an excuse, but I regretted it so much later on. Still, seeing you grow up so kind and beautiful… I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

Her voice began to tremble, and soon she buried her face in her hands again, her shoulders shaking. Miran moved closer and wrapped her arms around her.

“Thank you for not giving up on me and bringing me into this world. You went through so much raising me alone. Now it’s my turn to repay you, so please… stay healthy for a long, long time.”

Juran’s shoulders, which had always seemed so strong, felt small and fragile in Miran’s arms. The sight made Miran’s chest ache.