“Phoebe, look at this! I made a snowman!”
Angela shouted excitedly as she pointed at the snowman—at least three times her own height. Phoebe’s eyes widened as she gasped in awe.
“No way! You stacked the head up that high? But you’re even smaller than me!”
Phoebe straightened her back and looked down at Angela. Naturally, the snowman was taller than Phoebe too. But Angela stood her ground and puffed out her chest with pride.
“The bodyguard helped me lift it. But I made it.”
“So, it’s not like you made it all by yourself.”
Phoebe turned her head away with a haughty little scoff, and Angela hesitated. What’s with her? Is she mad at me or something? Anxiously watching Phoebe’s expression, Angela shifted in place, but then Phoebe let out a sigh and shook her head.
“Sorry. I’m just not feeling great these days.”
Striking a mature pose, Phoebe elegantly placed one hand on her hip and cast her eyes downward like a refined adult.
“Why? What’s going on? Tell me, Phoebe. We’re friends!”
Angela blinked up at her, worry flooding her face, then asked in a rush. Phoebe tilted her head thoughtfully, resting one cheek on her finger in exaggerated contemplation, then finally opened her mouth.
“Well, something happened at school.”
“What? What happened?”
Phoebe sighed again before continuing.
“Human relationships are complicated. You’re too young to understand.”
“That’s not true! I’m already four!”
Angela snapped back in protest, but Phoebe remained unimpressed.
“You’ve still got a long way to go before you start school. And school society is very complicated—you just don’t get it.”
Angela couldn’t help faltering. It was true. She hesitated for a moment, then carefully asked,
“Is going to school really that hard?”
“Of course.”
Phoebe nodded gravely, as if she’d been waiting for the question.
“You’ve got a while before you experience it. Must be nice—being so blissfully ignorant.”
Phoebe let out a dramatic sigh as she gazed up at the sky. Angela’s eyes went wide.
She’s so cool.
Seeing Phoebe burdened with the weight of adult-like worries, Angela was struck by how small and insignificant she felt in comparison. And no wonder—Phoebe was about to become a second grader. Not just a first grader, a second grader. She was shedding the skin of childhood and stepping into the realm of true maturity.
“That’s amazing, Phoebe. I’m so jealous. I wanna be an elementary school student already!”
Clenching her little fists, Angela looked up at her with starry-eyed admiration, her face beaming with pure reverence. Phoebe gave a gracious, almost saintly smile as she reached out and patted Angela’s head.
“You can do it too. Not quite as fabulously as me, of course.”
“But I wanna be just like you! A super cool elementary schooler!”
“Oh dear… That might be a bit difficult.”
“Phoebe! Teach me! I’ll work really hard—what do I have to do to become someone as cool as you?”
The child’s pure admiration made Phoebe’s heart swell with pride. She couldn’t hide her smug grin as she looked down at Angela.
“Alright, I’ll teach you. You’ve got potential.”
“Thank you, Phoebe!”
Angela squealed and jumped up with joy. In her mind, she was already picturing herself striding gracefully down a school hallway while other kids looked on in awe. I’m gonna be a cool grown-up just like Phoebe!
***
“Well, so then Phoebe knocked out three of that kid’s baby teeth.”
Grant let out a sigh so heavy it felt like it might cave in the floor, gripping his head with both hands. Seated across the table from him, Seol Yu-jin could only offer an awkward, Ha ha, and a stiff smile as he listened.
Grant continued with a tired voice.
“She beat him up so badly we had to go in for a meeting with the principal. Catherine was furious, saying this happened because I taught Phoebe how to box. But think about it—wouldn’t you rather your kid be the one doing the hitting than getting hit? And Phoebe’s a girl. That especially means she needs to be strong, so no punk boys can mess with her.”
As if the very thought reignited his anger, Grant clenched his fist, face flushing. Yu-jin asked carefully,
“Was Phoebe hurt badly?”
If the other kid took that much damage, Phoebe couldn’t have come out unscathed. Grant nodded in agreement.
“Of course. She had a nosebleed this bad from that little nose of hers. Her nose got all swollen and red, and Catherine went ballistic on me.”
Because Phoebe had resorted to violence. Though, in Grant’s mind, he had a solid defense.
“I mean, why settle things with words when your fists get the job done? Besides, the kid even apologized to Phoebe afterward!”
As Grant trembled with rage, fists shaking at the memory, Yu-jin fumbled for a response, unsure how to react. In the end, he quickly changed the subject.
“So, uh… what brings you here today?”
“Oh—”
Grant relaxed his fist, remembering at last.
“Mr. Campbell invited us. And it just so happened that the school told Phoebe to take three days off, so I figured, why not turn it into a vacation?”
So she got suspended.
He tried to frame it nicely as a father, but the truth was clear. Yu-jin chose not to comment and moved the conversation along.
“That’s great. Angela’s happy to have a new friend. It’s always more fun to play with kids your own age.”
“Thank you. I was hoping we could also talk a bit about work… if that’s alright?”
“Of course.”
Yu-jin nodded with a smile. Grant had mentioned over the phone that they should meet up for a proper conversation, so this was actually a good opportunity. And Grant, as if waiting for the signal, dove right in.
“Actually, it’s about that reading event I mentioned last time…”
***
When the conversation ended and they stepped outside, Winston was standing at the bar, drinking alone. He downed a glass of amber liquid in one gulp, and Yu-jin instinctively paused at the sight. Sensing the moment, Grant quickly spoke up.
“Mr. Campbell, thank you for giving me some time to talk with Yu-jin. It was a productive conversation.”
“That’s good.”
Winston replied, though his voice was completely devoid of enthusiasm. There was a listlessness in his tone that made Yu-jin tilt his head in curiosity—just as a servant entered.
“Mr. Campbell, how would you like to proceed with dinner? It’ll be ready in about an hour.”
“That’s fine. I suppose we should tell the children to come in and get ready.”
Grant, catching the eyes on him, quickly volunteered and disappeared without another word. The servant left shortly after, leaving only Yu-jin and Winston in the room. Yu-jin glanced at the now-empty glass and asked cautiously,
“Drinking all of a sudden? Isn’t it a bit early?”
Winston stared at him silently, then turned away and muttered,
“I just felt like drinking.”
Yu-jin tilted his head again, puzzled, but Winston offered nothing more. Realizing he wouldn’t get anything out of him, Yu-jin decided to back off.
“I should go get Angie. See you later.”
Winston didn’t respond. He simply poured himself another drink. What’s gotten into him all of a sudden? Yu-jin was baffled but chose not to dig further. The mood clearly wasn’t open for questions, and even if he did find out, it wasn’t like there was anything he could do about it. Until dinner was over, Winston barely said a single word.
***
“And so I’m telling you… Just thinking about Phoebe falling for some shady bastard and leaving me one day—I’m already bleeding inside, man…”
Grant had somehow transitioned into drunken rambling, and Yu-jin let out a discreet sigh. He’d agreed to have a drink with the adults after the kids had gone to bed, but the night had quickly taken a turn. Even though Yu-jin hadn’t touched a drop, his head was already spinning. He pressed his hand to his forehead and sighed—only to find himself locking eyes with Winston.
“Go up.”
The words came without hesitation, and Yu-jin blinked in surprise. Winston added, voice as flat as ever,
“I’ll stay here. Just go get some rest. You look tired.”
He wasn’t wrong. A sudden wave of sleepiness hit, and Yu-jin gave a quiet “Thanks,” then offered a quick “Good night” to Grant as well—but the man was too deep in his drunken stupor to reply. Yu-jin made a swift escape.
Left alone with the drunken man, Winston stared at him with a look of pure disdain. Grant continued mumbling to himself.
“She’s such a precious daughter, just looking at her makes my heart ache… And now you’re telling me some no-name thief is going to steal her away? I’d rather gouge out my eyes than witness that. Phoebe, nooo. Don’t get married!”
As Grant finally broke down into full-on sobbing, making a complete spectacle of himself, Winston clucked his tongue and poured more whiskey into his glass.
“You can’t stop it. You can’t live with your daughter forever.”
The cold logic hit hard, but Grant quickly protested.
“But even Catherine is out there dating some other guy! How could she do that? When I’m right here!”
“We’re talking about your ex-wife. It’s only natural.”
Up until that point, Winston had been treating it like someone else’s drama. He set the bottle down with a sigh, but Grant kept howling.
“I come home every day to an empty house. So what if my business is doing well? Phoebe’s gone, and Catherine’s going to marry someone else. Mr. Campbell, think about it! How would you feel if Yu-jin left you and started living with another man?!”
Winston froze, whiskey glass halfway to his lips. His hand didn’t move. His expression turned to stone.
But Grant, oblivious, went on rambling.
“This isn’t just about being lonely. My Catherine—my beautiful Catherine—with another man… No! My love! Don’t leave meee!”
Sobbing uncontrollably, Grant snatched Winston’s drink and downed it in one gulp. Winston watched in disbelief as the man collapsed right then and there, knocked out cold.
“Grant. Hey. Wake up.”
He gave him a rough shake, but there was no response. Only the sound of low snoring filled the air. Holding back a string of curses, Winston slung the man over his shoulder and carried him off. He tossed Grant carelessly onto a guestroom bed, then stepped out—only to come to a sudden stop in the hallway.
At the end of his gaze was Yu-jin’s bedroom door.
If Yu-jin left you and started living with another man…
Winston stood rooted in place, staring blankly. A thought, slow and creeping, began to unfurl in his mind. It could happen. Of course it could. Had he actually assumed Yu-jin would stay single forever? Obviously not. Of course he’d eventually start seeing someone.
Someone who wasn’t him.
At that moment, Winston felt like his heart had dropped straight to the floor.
Yes, Winnie, feel the heartbreak mixed with the guilt of knowing it’s your own fault