Morning sunlight slowly entered through the apartment window.
The living room remained unusually peaceful.
No shouting.
No broken bottles.
No alcohol smell.
Only the soft sound of Noah humming quietly while drawing on the floor.
Seo Yuna sat beside the table, staring silently at the stack of money again.
9,000 yuan.
Even now, it still felt unreal.
She touched the bills carefully.
Real.
Warm.
Earned through work.
Not gambling.
Not debt.
Not stolen.
Her mind remained restless.
For years, Chung Soo only brought fear into this house.
Now suddenly
Money.
Food.
Medicine.
Work.
It felt so strange that her chest became uncomfortable.
Meanwhile
Inside the guest room.
Fang slept deeply on the sofa.
Completely motionless.
Like a dead person.
His body finally relaxed after an entire night of work.
Noah carefully peeked inside the room.
Then quietly whispered toward Seo Yuna,
"Mom."
"What?"
"I think Dad really worked hard."
Seo Yuna looked toward the guest room silently.
Dark circles under Fang's eyes were clearly visible even from a distance.
His hands also looked rougher than before.
But still
Fear inside her heart did not disappear.
People do not suddenly change overnight.
Especially not Chung Soo.
Seo Yuna lowered her gaze again.
"I don't know."
Noah puffed his cheeks slightly.
"You always say that."
Before Seo Yuna could answer
Noah suddenly became excited.
"Mom!"
"What now?"
"Can we go somewhere today?"
Seo Yuna blinked.
"Somewhere?"
"Yes!"
Noah's eyes sparkled brightly.
"It's been sooo long since we went outside together!"
Seo Yuna's expression softened slightly.
Then, it quickly became bitter again.
Going outside meant spending money.
And despite the 9,000 yuan
She still feared the future too much.
"We should save money."
Noah lowered her head immediately.
"Oh..."
The small, disappointed voice pierced Seo Yuna's chest instantly.
For years, Noah rarely asked for things.
Because the child already understood their situation.
That only made Seo Yuna feel guiltier.
Noah quietly continued drawing again.
But a few seconds later
She carefully spoke again.
"...What about an amusement park?"
Seo Yuna froze slightly.
Amusement park.
Such a simple childish wish.
Yet impossible for years.
Before she could answer
A tired voice suddenly came from the guest room.
"Then go."
Both mother and daughter turned instantly.
Fang stood near the doorway while rubbing his neck tiredly.
His messy hair and sleepy eyes made him look strangely less threatening than usual.
Still
The moment Seo Yuna saw him awake, her body unconsciously tensed slightly again.
Fang noticed it immediately.
Annoying reflex.
Noah ran toward him excitedly.
"Dad! We were talking about an amusement park!"
"Hm."
"Can we go?!"
Fang looked toward Seo Yuna.
"You walked today?"
Seo Yuna looked confused by the sudden question.
"...A little."
Fang's eyes narrowed slightly toward her injured foot.
"It still hurts?"
Seo Yuna instinctively became defensive.
"I'm fine."
"Liar."
Seo Yuna frowned immediately.
"What?"
"You limp while walking."
Silence.
Noah blinked between both adults nervously.
Fang casually walked toward the kitchen and drank water directly from the bottle.
Then calmly spoke again.
"We'll go nearby only."
Seo Yuna looked stunned.
"...You are serious?"
"Hm."
"You just worked the entire night."
"So?"
"You should rest."
Fang looked genuinely confused.
"I slept already."
"...For three hours."
"Hm."
Seo Yuna became speechless.
This man's stamina made no sense sometimes.
Noah suddenly hugged Fang's arm excitedly.
"Dad, you're the best!"
Fang looked down at the child clinging to him.
"...Noisy."
But he did not remove her hand.
Seo Yuna quietly watched everything.
Confusion inside her heart deepened again.
The current Fang acted nothing like old Chung Soo.
Not even slightly.
Even his way of speaking felt different now.
Colder.
Sharper.
Yet somehow... more stable.
That strange thought made her uneasy again.
Two hours later
The three finally stood outside the apartment building together.
The atmosphere immediately became awkward.
Several neighbors stared openly from a distance.
Shock spread across their faces.
Chung Soo...
going outside peacefully with family?
Impossible scene.
Seo Yuna instantly lowered her head uncomfortably.
Meanwhile, Fang looked completely unaffected.
He simply walked forward with both hands inside his hoodie pockets.
Noah happily skipped beside him while holding Seo Yuna's hand.
The little girl looked more energetic than ever before.
For the first time in years
She genuinely looked like a normal child.
Subway station.
Crowded.
Noisy.
Fang already looked irritated.
Too many people.
Too slow.
One man accidentally bumped into him while walking.
"Ah, sorry."
Then immediately froze after seeing Fang's eyes.
"...S-Sorry."
Fang ignored him completely.
Noah looked amazed.
"Dad, people listen to you quickly."
Fang answered casually.
"Because they fear death."
Seo Yuna instantly glared at him.
"Don't say weird things to a child."
Fang looked at her blankly.
"...Humans fear death."
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT."
Noah secretly giggled beside them.
The subway ride itself felt strange.
Noah excitedly looked outside the entire time.
Meanwhile, Seo Yuna remained tense from public attention.
And Fang
He simply observed everything silently.
Ordinary people living ordinary lives.
Couples arguing.
Students sleeping.
Workers scrolling phones.
Nobody is worrying about an assassination.
Peaceful world.
Strange world.
Soon they arrived at a small amusement park near the river.
The moment Noah saw colorful rides
Her eyes sparkled completely.
"WOAHHHHH!"
She immediately grabbed both Fang and Seo Yuna's hands.
"Let's go fast!"
Fang looked around silently.
Bright music.
Children laughing.
Food smells.
Crowded families everywhere.
For some reason
His chest felt strangely unfamiliar again.
Noah pulled him toward the ticket counter excitedly.
"Dad! Dad! Balloon!"
Fang looked toward the colorful balloons floating nearby.
"...Humans pay money for air?"
Seo Yuna covered her forehead.
"Noah, don't ask for too much."
But before she finished
Fang already paid calmly.
Noah gasped happily.
"THANK YOU!"
She hugged the balloon tightly like a treasure.
Seo Yuna stared at Fang suspiciously.
"You don't need to buy everything she points at."
Fang answered casually.
"She stopped crying."
"...What?"
"You said children cry when unhappy."
Seo Yuna became speechless again.
This psychopath truly approached parenting like solving missions.
Hours slowly passed afterward.
Noah dragged them everywhere.
Games.
Snacks.
Small rides.
Photos.
Even Fang got forced onto a tiny spinning ride once.
The entire time, his face remained completely emotionless while children screamed around him.
One teenager nearby whispered,
"That uncle looks like a hostage."
Seo Yuna accidentally laughed, hearing that.
A very small laugh.
But real.
Fang immediately looked toward her.
Seo Yuna instantly stopped smiling and looked away awkwardly.
"..."
For a brief second
The atmosphere became strangely soft.
Noah noticed immediately and grinned proudly.
Meanwhile, Fang silently touched his chest slightly.
Weird feeling again.
Warm.
Light.
Dangerous.
He disliked unfamiliar emotions.
Yet
Watching Noah run around happily somehow felt satisfying.
At the food stall area
Noah happily ate corn dogs while sitting between them.
Seo Yuna quietly looked at the total expenses.
Almost the entire remaining 1,000 yuan is gone already.
"You spent too much."
Fang drank canned coffee calmly.
"It'll recover."
"Money doesn't magically appear."
"Hm."
Seo Yuna frowned.
"Then why spend like this?"
Fang looked toward Noah silently.
The little girl laughed brightly while ketchup covered half her face.
Then Fang calmly answered.
"...Because childhood disappears fast."
Seo Yuna froze slightly.
For moment
His eyes looked unexpectedly distant.
Like someone remembering something painful.
But before she could think further
Noah suddenly pointed toward the photo booth.
"Family picture!"
Seo Yuna instantly stiffened.
Family.
That word still felt uncomfortable.
But Noah already dragged them inside the small booth excitedly.
The camera countdown started.
3...
2...
1...
Noah smiled brightly between them.
Seo Yuna looked awkward.
Meanwhile, Fang simply stared blankly at the camera like a passport criminal photo.
Flash.
The photo printed slowly.
Noah grabbed it excitedly.
Then suddenly became quiet.
Seo Yuna looked down too.
The picture felt strange.
A broken family trying to look normal.
Yet somehow
Not completely fake either.
Even Fang silently stared for a few seconds longer than expected.
Evening slowly arrived.
An orange sunset covered the city streets.
Noah finally became exhausted after an entire day.
Meanwhile, Seo Yuna's face had grown pale again.
Her injured leg clearly worsened from walking too much.
Fang noticed immediately.
"You can't walk properly."
"I'm fine."
Seo Yuna tried walking forward stubbornly.
Then suddenly stumbled slightly from pain.
Before she could react
Fang crouched down in front of her calmly.
"...Get on."
Seo Yuna froze completely.
"W-What?"
"No!"
Several nearby people already looked toward them curiously.
Seo Yuna's face instantly reddened from embarrassment.
"I can walk myself!"
Fang looked back at her expressionlessly.
"You look one step away from collapsing."
"I said I'm fi...."
"Get on."
Noah looked excited instead.
"Mom! Hurry!"
Seo Yuna wanted to disappear from embarrassment.
But her leg genuinely hurt badly now.
After a few painful steps
She finally clenched her teeth and slowly climbed onto Fang's back.
The moment Fang stood up
Seo Yuna stiffened again.
Warm.
Stable.
Strong.
His back felt completely different from drunken Chung Soo she remembered.
The evening streets became awkwardly quiet around them.
Noah happily walked beside while humming.
Meanwhile, Seo Yuna wanted to bury herself underground.
"...People are staring."
"So?"
"...This is embarrassing."
Fang walked calmly through sunset streets.
"Then stop looking at them."
Seo Yuna became speechless again.
How did this man make every conversation impossible?
Yet strangely
His back never shook once during the entire walk home.
Steady.
Reliable.
Dangerous thought.
Very dangerous thought.
By the time they reached the apartment building
The sky had already darkened.
8:02 PM.
Fang calmly lowered Seo Yuna near the entrance.
Then immediately checked my phone.
"Work."
Seo Yuna blinked slightly.
"...Right now?"
"Hm."
Noah looked disappointed.
"You're already leaving?"
Fang looked toward the child.
"...Money doesn't earn itself."
Fang looked toward the child.
"...Money doesn't earn itself."
Then he suddenly paused.
"...And yeah, take this."
He pulled out a brand-new smartphone from his hoodie pocket.
Seo Yuna froze.
"W-What is that?"
"A phone."
"I can see that!"
Her eyes widened immediately.
"Where did you get that? Did you steal it?!"
Fang coughed lightly.
"...Troublesome woman."
He handed the receipt to her.
"When you were on the rides, I saw a phone store nearby."
Seo Yuna looked down at the paper.
Installment plan.
Monthly payment.
Her expression became even more confused.
"You bought this?"
"Hm."
"Why?"
"You don't have a phone."
Seo Yuna opened and closed her mouth several times.
"But..."
"It was cheap."
"Cheap?"
"Eight thousand yuan."
Seo Yuna almost choked.
"That's not cheap!"
Noah looked between them curiously.
"Mom, what's happening?"
Neither answered.
Seo Yuna stared at the phone in her hands.
For years, she hadn't owned anything new.
Everything had either been sold, broken, or taken away.
Yet now...
A phone.
Something so normal.
Something she hadn't even allowed herself to want anymore.
Fang looked away casually.
"If something happens while I'm at work, call me."
Seo Yuna froze.
Those words hit harder than the phone itself.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Fang had already started walking away.
Noah immediately waved.
"Bye, Dad!"
Fang raised one hand without turning around.
Then calmly disappeared into the evening crowd.
Then he calmly started walking toward the street again.
Noah waved immediately.
"Bye, dad!"
Fang raised one hand slightly without turning back.
Seo Yuna silently watched his disappearing figure.
For some reason
The apartment suddenly felt quieter whenever he left now.
And that realization frightened her more than anything else.