Jin Heon pulled out her phone, and her lips immediately tightened into a thin line.
She took a few deep breaths of the cold air, steeling herself before finally answering the call.
For some reason, perhaps because she'd been living in a student dorm ever since starting college and rarely went home, she had gradually drifted away from her family. Now, even taking a call from her parents required mental preparation.
"Hello? Mom," she said. "Have you left already? ...Oh, okay. Dad's not coming? You can't find him?"
She frowned. While part of her was relieved, she couldn't help but say:
"Then let's just forget about him," she said. "I'm getting ready to head over, too. I've already booked us a table."
In some ways, Jin Heon had every right to blame her family.
Her relationship with her father had never been harmonious. He was a hopeless alcoholic and gambler. While he hadn't quite gambled away his wife and daughter, he had come dangerously close.
