Page 116 of Perfect Happiness
“Yes, I’m all right.”
And she really was.Her throat already felt better.The desire to cry that had been working its way up her throat disappeared with the toast.
“You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to,” Stepfather said as he sat down.His brow was furrowed, but he didn’t seem angry.He just looked concerned.Jiyoo shook her head.
“Are you going out?”
“No, I’m going to wait here until your mother comes home.Why?”
“Nothing.Can I go up to my room?”
Stepfather gave her permission to.But Jiyoo didn’t get up from her seat.She needed to ask him another favor.
“Do you have something you want to say?”
Jiyoo was thankful that he asked.That gave her the courage she needed to speak.
“Can I ask something?Will you keep it a secret that you gave me your phone?”
“From your Mother, you mean?”Stepfather said, filling in the part that Jiyoo wanted to keep implicit.Jiyoo nodded.
“I have something to ask of you, too.May I?”
Auntie had told Jiyoo that nothing was free.If she received something, she had to pay it back.She told Jiyoo that if she didn’t want to pay people back, she shouldn’t ask for favors in the first place.As Jiyoo had already asked Stepfather for two favors, it was only right that she do him one.But Jiyoo was nervous that he would ask her a question that would be hard for her to answer.
“What is it?”she asked.
“The week before last, you were with Mother from Tuesday to Saturday.”
Jiyoo’s heart was beating faster and faster.She knew what he was about to ask.
“Where did you two go?”
This wasn’t just hard for her to answer, this was impossible for her to answer.Her chest was becoming tight, just like earlier when she choked on the piece of toast.Jiyoo decided to use the white lie she had used before.
“Home.”
But this time, Stepfather wasn’t going to let it go.He demanded her to be more specific.
“Which home?”
Jiyoo needed to keep Mother’s secret, but she didn’t want to lie.
“Can’t you ask Mother?”
Stepfather stared at Jiyoo in silence.Jiyoo averted his eyes by looking downward.It felt like minutes passed before he answered:
“Okay.”
Jiyoo wanted to go back upstairs as soon as possible.
“Can I go now?”
Stepfather gave her the same answer from earlier.“Okay.”
Jiyoo stood up from her chair.She bent at the waist and bowed to him.
“Thank you for the meal.”
