Chapter 48
The woman's words hung suspended in the air, her gaze piercing Hyun Min like a dagger, searching for any flicker of emotion. "Na yeon is in Korea and she will be coming to school tomorrow," she reiterated, her tone firm, brooking no argument.
Hyun Min's eyebrow arched lazily, his expression a mask of nonchalance. "And?" he drawled, his voice dripping with indifference, like a summer breeze on a hot afternoon.
The woman's eyes narrowed, her gaze intensifying, as if daring him to look away. "And?" she echoed, her voice rising."According to Na yeon, she's harbored feelings for you since junior year, and now you're in your final year. You're not even acknowledging her existence?"
Hyun Min's shoulders barely moved, a dismissive shrug that spoke volumes. "What's your point?" he asked, his tone detached, like a scientist observing a specimen under a microscope.
The woman's gaze lingered on him, her expression a complex interplay of frustration and concern, like a painter struggling to capture the perfect shade. "Na yeon's got everything one could want in a girl," she said, her voice softening slightly, like a summer rain shower. "Beauty, intelligence, kindness... Why aren't you interested?" Her words trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air like an unanswered challenge.
The woman's gaze pierced Hyun Min's, her eyes burning with an inner fire that seemed to sear his very soul. Hyun Min raised an eyebrow, his expression nonchalant, and drawled, "Is that it..the reason you came here?..just to tell me that?" The words hung in the air, a challenge, and the woman's expression shifted, a small, enigmatic smile playing on her lips like a whispered secret.
"Okay, don't worry, I'll go straight to the point," she said, her voice taking on a determined tone, like a ship cutting through treacherous waters. "I want you to marry Na yeon." The words dropped like a boulder into a still pond, sending ripples of shock through Hyun Min's mind. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him. A spark of surprise,ignited in his head, leaving him momentarily speechless, his thoughts stumbling over each other like drunken men.
The proposal hung in the air, a challenge, a command,Hyun Min's eyes locked onto the woman's, searching for answers, for a glimmer of reason behind her words. But all he saw was a determination that bordered on obsession, a fire that burned bright and hot, leaving him wondering what he had gotten himself into.
Hyun Min's suddenly laughed,a deep, rich sound that resonated. "Tell me you're joking," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
The woman's expression remained unyielding, her face a mask of devoid of even the slightest hint of levity. "Do I look like I am?" she asked, her voice firm, like a challenge thrown down on a dueling ground. "Besides, I can't remember the last time I told you I was a comedian." Her words were laced with a subtle undertone of annoyance.
Hyun Min's grin faltered, and he gazed at her with a mixture of confusion and incredulity, like a traveler lost in an unfamiliar landscape. "Wait, you're talking about marriage?" he asked, his voice rising in surprise, like the first tremors of an earthquake. "I'm nineteen, in high school final year." The words tumbled out of his mouth like a confession, unplanned and unscripted.
The woman's gaze didn't waver, her eyes locked onto his like a ship's anchor digging deep into the seafloor. "Well, I'm not asking you to get married to her now," she said, her voice calm and measured, like a summer breeze on a still day. "I mean, when you two gets to college, which is not far from now, and probably your second year in college." The words hung in the air like a promise, or a threat.
Hyun Min's eyes widened, his mind reeling with the implications of her words, like a whirlpool sucking him down into the depths of uncertainty. Marriage? College? It seemed like a lifetime away, and yet, the woman seemed to have it all planned out, like a cartographer mapping the contours of his future.
The air was thick with tension as Hyun Min's voice cracked with desperation. "I mean, it's crazy," he said, his head shaking furiously. "I don't even see a future with her." The woman's gaze pierced his, her eyes unyielding, like ice that refused to thaw.
"You will do as I say," she stated, her voice firm, brooking no argument. Hyun Min's expression contorted in frustration, his face a map of conflicting emotions. "What?...why mother...I..?" The woman's words sliced through his protest, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Because she's best for you."
Hyun Min's voice rose, a mixture of anger and desperation."I've always done whatever you told me, but sorry, I can't do this." The woman leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper, like a summer breeze that carried a hint of menace. "You will do it..... What's even your problem? Why are you always acting like a hard nut that can't be cracked? I am your mother, and you will obey me."
Her words hung in the air, like a challenge, a gauntlet thrown down. Hyun Min's eyes flashed with resentment, but the woman's gaze remained unyielding, her eyes flashing with a fierce determination. The silence between them was oppressive, heavy with unspoken meaning.
The tension between them was palpable as Hyun Min's defiance hung in the air. "I will do no such thing," he said, his voice firm. "I won't do what you want this time."
His mother's gaze narrowed, her eyes flashing with anger. "Don't make me call you a mistake," she warned, her voice low and menacing.
Hyun Min's eyes locked onto hers, a spark of defiance igniting within them. "Yes, because you came when I least expected it," she continued, her voice dripping with resentment. "I never expected you to come. You are my last child. At least you should be grateful that I gave you life."
Hyun Min's expression twisted in anger. "Oh, so now you're acting like I owe you for that?" he shot back, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Besides, I didn't ask to be born. I never asked to be brought into this world."
The words hung in the air, a challenge to his mother's authority. The silence between them was oppressive, heavy with unspoken meaning. Hyun Min's eyes flashed with anger, his jaw clenched in determination. He was no longer the compliant child he once was.