The sight of residents strolling leisurely through the streets, laughing, chatting, and even arguing during the holidays filled the air. Min Yugeon passed through them indifferently. The feeling of happiness seemed almost tangible, surging everywhere.
Foolishly, he had once imagined walking alongside Seo Suho next to the tracks. He had adjusted his work schedule in advance and even mapped out plans in his head for the perfect holiday.
But now, none of it mattered. That anticipated happiness had been shattered into pieces, and now he was alone.
“Yugeon?”
Lee Minha was startled to see Min Yugeon suddenly show up at the family home. He always contacted her first and arranged a time before visiting, so this unannounced arrival was a first.
…Or was it really just a visit?
Her gaze dropped to the bag slung over one of his shoulders. Then, she glanced at his pale complexion, and her expression gradually stiffened.
“Did… something happen?”
She asked with a tense voice. Min Yugeon stared silently down at her. He barely had the strength to respond, but he forced his mouth open.
“I’ll be staying here for a while.”
“…!”
Lee Minha’s eyes widened at the hollow look in his eyes and the mechanical tone in his voice. Without another word, Min Yugeon turned away.
He wanted nothing more than to sleep for several days, think of nothing, and escape this reality as much as possible.
“Ah… Yugeon.”
If she hadn’t sighed so despairingly, he would’ve gone straight to his room.
“Don’t tell me Suho… Suho found out?”
Min Yugeon froze in place.
Slowly, he turned around to see his mother covering her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears.
“What are you talking about?”
“…”
“Found out? What would Suho… have found out?”
Realizing her assumption had been wrong, Lee Minha lowered her hand, her lips parting and closing without a sound. Her son’s piercing stare bore into her visibly flustered face.
“Ah, it’s just…”
“Mom.”
“No, no, Yugeon. I must have misunderstood something.”
She quickly tried to cover it up, all color drained from her face.
The two had been inseparable since childhood. Her son especially had acted as if he couldn’t live without Seo Suho. As soon as they reached adulthood, they moved in together, and not once had she heard of them fighting.
Now, suddenly, Min Yugeon had returned home with his belongings, his expression lifeless, drenched in sorrow and exhaustion. Of course she thought something must’ve happened between them. And if he was this devastated, maybe Suho had discovered the truth somehow.
But that was a shallow thought. If that had really been the case, Min Yugeon would have lashed out at her the moment he saw her, demanding to know the truth of the past.
On the day the emergency sirens blared throughout the ship, Seo Suho had lost his family overnight. He looked like all will to live had been drained from him. Having known the boy for so long, Lee Minha found his broken state heartbreaking. It felt only natural that her son took care of Suho, and she did what she could to help. Back then, knowing her son wasn’t skilled at cooking, all she could do was make porridge and quietly deliver it near Suho’s house.
Those days continued—until one day, she happened to overhear Min Sanghan speaking secretly to someone in his bedroom.
“Why do you keep sneaking around? I told you I’d give you the info you need!”
At first, she thought he might be having an affair. But something about the conversation felt off.
“If the patrol catches you, it’s over for both of us. No, worse. Your kid lying in that hospital? He’s done for too. …What? Are you asking if I want to die? That’s my line. I’m not the only one with something to lose here. So just keep your damn head down. That’s a real warning.”
“…”
“Don’t make me laugh. You’re the murderer here. And don’t even dream about trying anything. Even if there’s solid proof I ordered it, I’ve got a way out—unlike you.”
Lee Minha sucked in a sharp breath and clutched her chest, the chilling words sending shivers down her spine. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Murder? No way…
As her mind cleared, dozens of thoughts raced through her head. Who… Who the hell did he kill?
No. It couldn’t be. Maybe she should pretend she didn’t hear anything? Or… report him to the patrol?
…What if she dragged Min Sanghan in herself and made him confess?
But she realized that reporting Min Sanghan as a criminal would have devastating consequences.
If he became a criminal, then Min Yugeon would be the son of a criminal.
Though the residential zones or commercial areas on the ship might feel populous, considering the actual population count, rumors spread aboard the vessel in an instant. It made sense. Especially in cases involving serious crimes like murder or solicitation to murder, alerts containing the criminal’s identity, crime details, and execution schedule were automatically sent to every resident’s watch—leaving no room for secrecy.
And after that, the families of the criminal too…
Everyone who knew that Lee Minha and Min Yugeon were Min Sanghan’s family would soon spread the word. The entire population would know. And then, they would all start whispering and shunning them.
No.
Lee Minha could bear it if it happened to her, but she could never let such a fate befall Min Yugeon. As his mother, she could not stand by and watch her son carry the weight of disgrace, hateful gazes, and all the negativity tied to such a shameful title for the rest of his life.
Her breathing grew rough with agitation. Her eyes, reddened with fury, flared as she threw open the door. Min Sanghan, who had just ended a call, flinched in surprise.
“What the hell did you do?!”
“H-Honey?”
“Don’t tell me… Heeseo, Mr. Jaejin… It wasn’t you, right? They died in an accident. It wasn’t… your doing, was it?”
“……!”
“Tell me it wasn’t you—please!”
Her voice trembled with desperation. If he had hurt someone, that alone was horrific enough, but if his victims were people she knew… then Min Sanghan wasn’t even human.
“What are you talking about? Who killed who? You must’ve heard wrong or something.”
Min Sanghan scoffed, as if the accusation were laughable. The words should have been reassuring—but instead, Lee Minha felt her mind slipping into a daze.
The moment he heard their names, the ever-brazen Min Sanghan flinched and his eyes flew open. He stammered—a rarity—and cold sweat began to bead on his face. It was not the face of a man who was genuinely bewildered by a baseless accusation.
So he really had… done that to them…
Her vision darkened. Her legs gave out, and Lee Minha collapsed to the floor, unable to stand.
“Why would you go that far…?”
Even calling him a monster didn’t feel like enough. No word existed to adequately describe the creature born from such jealousy and desire.
“You’re insane, Min Sanghan! You’re not even human! How could you—how could you do something like that?!”
“Shut your mouth! You trying to start rumors?!”
Having been exposed, Min Sanghan lashed out in fury instead of showing even a shred of remorse. He looked as though he had no intention of repenting.
Drowning in despair, Lee Minha opened her mouth, but nothing coherent came out. His words—saying it wasn’t his doing, telling her not to tell anyone—barely registered.
“…You’d better think carefully, for Yugeon’s sake.”
That same threatening tone he had used just moments ago on his caller now turned on her. She completely froze, spirit shattered.
Then she began pounding her chest with her fists, hard enough to bruise.
She had already screamed countless times that Yugeon was his child too—but she didn’t want to say it anymore. She no longer wanted to acknowledge this murderer as Min Yugeon’s father. The only thing she could do was let the frustration and rage tear her apart from the inside out.
After that, she lost the courage to face Seo Suho. Cowardice took over. She avoided him, ignored his messages, and fled whenever they might cross paths.
[Happy birthday, Ma’am. I hope you have a lovely day and stay healthy always.]
Even when she shut him out, Seo Suho never forgot her birthday. He didn’t ask how she was doing anymore, but he still sent those messages. Despite his cold appearance, he was warm-hearted. And that was exactly why Lee Minha feared seeing him again—afraid that if their eyes met, she would fall to her knees and beg his forgiveness.
“…Mom.”
Min Yugeon tried to act normal, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the clear signs of distress in Lee Minha. She was biting her neatly trimmed nails, trembling, beads of sweat forming on her forehead—it wasn’t right.
His instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong. His heart pounded in his chest.
“It’s okay. Don’t look anywhere else—just look at me.”
He gently took her hand and gave it a light tug. Her wavering gaze finally met his.
“Are you… hiding something from me?”
“……”
“Please, tell me.”
His warm hand and calming voice began to ease her trembling. A bit of color returned to her lips, which had turned a sickly shade of blue.
“Y-Yugeon…”
But the story was too horrific to say aloud. Her words stuttered and stumbled.
“I… I don’t know what to do. Huh? What should I do about Suho…? No matter what I do, he’ll never forgive me.”
Her eyes welled up with tears as she rambled, then she looked at Min Yugeon’s hardened expression and began to sob.
“Can’t you just… not know anything?”
If he remained in the dark, he could face Seo Suho without guilt. Lee Minha knew full well how deeply her son cared for Suho, and to tell him the truth felt like unspeakable cruelty. It was something he needed to know eventually—but…
“No. Please tell me.”
Min Yugeon rejected her plea without hesitation. The more shaken she became, the more he felt he had to know. A steely determination overtook his eyes, once dull, now filled with tension.
Seeing his resolve, Lee Minha clenched her eyes shut.
