A tightly packed red brick house.
A scruffy dog wandering by the roadside.
Cigarette butts rolling on the floor.
Dark gum spots.
A soggy, sinister business card soaked in rain.
An old snack bar.
A laundry shop that’s hard to tell if it’s still in business.
A supermarket selling puffed rice.
A small church.
A steep uphill road.
In a narrow alley where a fire truck couldn’t fit, a messy mix of things blended together, the scenery of the neighborhood I lived in.
Amidst it all stood our 6-story house without an elevator.
And the door of the neighboring house plastered with various flyers.
I peeled off the sticky flyers and opened the door.
“Grandma!”
The smell similar to fermented soybeans.
The scent of Grandma and Grandpa.
The aroma of old side dishes.
Naphthalene odor.
Bleach smell.
The scent of side dishes eaten yesterday.
The smell of old diapers.
The odor of feces soaked into the wallpaper.
And a faint whiff of fabric softener.
I didn’t particularly like these complicated smells.
Along with that.
“Mom!”
“It’s not Mom from Grandma; it’s Noah’s mom from next door.”
“Momaa!”
Crackling and splitting sounds.
She spoke with a slurred, toothless pronunciation.
But the voice was incredibly loud.
I feared that grandma next door’s voice.
“Noah, leave the side dish containers and go home. Mom has to clean first.”
I followed Mom’s gaze as she let out a small sigh while looking around the house.
Crumbled tissues and stained clothes scattered here and there.
Rolled-up diapers and overflowing trash bags.
Our side dish containers sprawled on the dining table.
A soju bottle filled with sesame oil.
A chamber pot on the verge of spilling over.
Cans filled with used oil.
And a family photo, crudely taped and stained with filth.
“…Okay. Let’s do it together.”
“No. Noah should stay home-”
“Mom, it’ll be hard alone.”
“Eh, Mom does this all the time, so it’s fine.”
“Even if it’s regular work… all work is hard. So, let’s do it together.”
Ignoring Mom’s pleas, I stepped into the chaos.
I walked into the kitchen while holding my expression with a forced smile, inhaling the stronger smell.
Crunch—
A cockroach that was so big it squeaked every time it moved hid under the refrigerator.
“Ugh…”
I swallowed the fear crawling up my spine and tiptoed to place the side dish containers in as clean a spot as possible.
Then, I dashed over to Mom’s side with a thud.
“Can I just put it there?”
“Yeah, we’ll have to organize the refrigerator anyway, so I’ll do it later.”
Mom gave my bottom a little tap—taking a breath, she opened the door where Grandma’s calls echoed.
As I caught a glimpse of the scene inside through the slowly opening door, I immediately turned my head and held back the rising vomit.
“…Noah, do you want to stay home?”
“Phew… Ah, no. I’ll wait.”
“…Okay. Let’s finish quickly and go home.”
“Yes…”
I confirmed Mom had entered the room and closed the door, then I put on the plastic gloves I had brought from home and began picking up the trash scattered around.
On high alert for any cockroach that might pop out, I went about it quietly and quickly.
Fifteen minutes might have passed.
A burning smell started wafting up from somewhere.
At first, since it was a smell I often encountered in the neighborhood, I brushed it off… but it increasingly filled the whole house.
Mom kept the door closed… and the smell inside seemed too strong for her to notice.
It definitely had to be coming from inside the house…
I stopped picking up the trash and wandered around the house.
Checked the gas.
Turned off the valve.
Examined the wiring here and there.
Then, I found the source of the smell.
Clothes on the balcony were starting to turn black.
And the ashes rolling around next to it.
I immediately sprinted to the kitchen, filled a bowl with water.
Then dashed back to the balcony and poured splash!
I made sure it was extinguished and checked if anything else had caught fire.
Peeking out to the balcony, I looked up to the upper floor.
A pile of ashtrays and a murky brown water bottle.
Yeah… it must have been a cigarette butt that fell from that ashtray.
“…I need to tell Dad.”
That guy on the 6th floor had caused trouble for so many people with his cigarette smell; I hoped he’d get a good scolding this time.
Of course… going down to smoke might be hard for someone on the 6th floor, but still, he should think about others.
As I collected the nearly burned clothes, I silently thought.
I was really glad.
*
“Oh, that cheeky little brat.”
“What happened, dear?”
“Same as usual… He says he’ll restrain himself for now. But in three days, he’ll be back puffing away like crazy.”
“Hope he doesn’t.”
With a sigh from Mom, her breath puffed out white.
Seeing her breath dissipate, Dad stared at Mom’s outfit and, startled, wrapped his arm around her waist, slowly leading her inside.
“Dear, you must be cold. Let’s talk inside.”
“Yes. Right, we need to eat dinner too.”
Mom followed his touch and moved her steps.
And as the entrance door clicked shut, Dad let out a deep sigh.
“By the way, if it weren’t for Noah, we would have been in huge trouble. If that used oil caught fire…”
“Uh… but why is there a fried chicken oil container at Grandma’s house?”
“Grandpa collects used oil. I think he just left it there for a bit… I should mention it to him sometime. It’s dangerous.”
Mom answered my question instead of Dad, scribbling notes on a small post-it and sticking it on the door.
“Later, dear, you can help move it.”
“Of course, I’ll help.”
Dad nodded in agreement, wrapping his arms around me and Mom, smiling brightly.
A small box in Dad’s pocket poked my arm.
A ring… he brought it.
*
After dinner and a shower.
I entered my room as usual and turned on the computer.
Naturally, I booted up Black Sun.
Not the character holding a great sword.
But another character, and I started the raid.
*
Barely finishing the raid just before the stamina reset, I shut down the computer feeling refreshed and laid down.
*
A special day’s morning.
I woke up.
Saw Dad off.
Saw Mom off.
Turned on the computer.
Logged into Black Sun.
*
The wedding anniversary.
Went to our usual all-you-can-eat meat restaurant.
Ate rice.
Took photos.
Joyfully.
Happily.
Came home.
*
Turned on Black Sun.
On my finger, a silver ring with blue cubic zirconia glimmered.
*
A clear day like usual.
I greeted Dad as he left.
I greeted Mom as she rushed out.
Turned on the computer.
Logged into Black Sun.
The silver ring on my hand bothered me repeatedly.
*
A clear day like usual.
I greeted Dad as he left.
I greeted Mom as she rushed out.
Turned on the computer.
Logged into Black Sun.
The silver ring on my hand bothered me repeatedly.
*
A clear day like usual.
I greeted Dad as he left.
I greeted Mom as she rushed out.
Turned on the computer.
Logged into Black Sun.
The silver ring on my hand bothered me repeatedly.
*
A clear day like usual.
I greeted Dad as he left.
I greeted Mom as she rushed out.
Turned on the computer.
Logged into Black Sun.
The silver ring on my hand bothered me repeatedly.
*
A clear day like usual.
I greeted ■■ as he left.
I greeted ■■ in haste.
Turned on the ■■.
Logged into Black ■■.
The silver ring on my hand bothered me repeatedly.
*
The name of the bothersome silver ring popped into my head.
*
Rubia.
*
Noah, you’re not a character in a game.
*
“Hey, you! Wake up… hey. You woke up early, huh?”
The face of a man who walked in through the door came into view.
He wasn’t my biological dad, but he felt more like a real dad than anyone else.
Always handsome.
Reliable.
And believed in me.
My dad.
“Get up quickly. We have to do this while Mom isn’t home.”
“…Okay.”
“…What’s with you, following orders today?”
“Because it’s the wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad… 20th year.”
“Even if you sweet-talk me, there’s no allowance.”
His words were harsh, but the smile on his face felt warm enough to tear at my heart.
“Yes. Hehe.”
“Let’s hurry. I made daengjiguk. I secretly added lots of beef, so let’s eat it quickly before Mom comes back.”
“Sure!”
Dad’s big hand came toward me.
A huge hand.
With calluses all over.
Burn scars covering it.
Rugged and not good-looking.
But a hero’s hand that saves people.
I grabbed that hand tightly and walked into the living room.
Thus.
A day began that was the most joyful.
The most unfortunate.
And one I’ll never forget.
