37 — To Mend the Cracks II

A lull settled between us. Peaceful, no doubt. But once the weight of the reveal had finished taking its toll on them, it left room for another quite important quandary. “So… what now?” Mia bit her bottom lip, an action that Eun Ha mirrored.

The cards were now on full display. And when they turned to stare at me, I knew that I had to make the first move. I steepled my fingers over my mouth, closing my eyes, briefly. ‘I’ve never been good with words. Give me a ball, and I can turn the tables around even if the match seems hopeless. But this? It’s like taking on a penalty while blindfolded. I can’t screw this up.’

“Dae Ho…” Eun Ha started, misunderstanding my silence for hesitation.

“Auntie. Mia.” I snapped my eyes open, making sure that both of them were perfectly centered in my field of vision. “There are three different ways we can go about it without staining our relationship with jealousy or resentment—”

“No… wait…” Eun Ha interrupted me with a slow shake of her head. “Dae Ho… it’s fine.” No. It was not. I could see it in her eyes. Purple and wet, sitting above a brittle smile. “I don’t want you to make such a difficult decision. I’m old, and married. There is no destiny for us. I enjoyed our time together, short that it was. But…” She almost choked on her words. “... I believe you should be with Mia. She really loves you, Dae Ho. Save your heart for someone willing to give you theirs. Mine is cracked and trapped in a marriage. I’m not worth the trouble.”

I gaped at her, momentarily stunned. I had already predicted something like this. Eun Ha’s self-esteem had taken a dent when she found out about Yeong Gu’s infidelity. From there on, she was just going through the motions.

I opened my mouth, but Mia beat me to it. “What are you saying?!” She even stood up, hands balling into fists. We were supposed to be quiet, but in the wake of Eun Ha’s words, it culminated in a one-sided screaming match. “Why are you saying this?! God, I hate it! I hate that you kept all this burden to yourself! I hate that you love Dae Ho as much as I do! And I damn hate you for wanting to give him up for me!”

She gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her flushed face. I knew she didn’t really hate her, but the deluge of words had stemmed from guilt and frustration.

‘When the dam breaks, stopping the incoming wave is nigh impossible.’

“Mia—” I stood up, hands raised in a disarming way.

“Shut up!” She snapped, eyes bloodshot and fangs fully bared.

“...”

Eun Ha’s shoulders hunched forward, her head shrinking a little. “M-Mia…”

“How could I possibly accept this?!” Mia threw her hands up, frustration leaking with each word that slipped past gritted teeth. “You just told me that you’ve been unhappy this whole time, yet now you’re denying your only shot at happiness because of me! How can I accept this, mom? How?!”

“Because I love you more than anything, Mia…”

“...”

Eun Ha turned to me, wearing her heart on her sleeves. “And I love you too, Dae Ho. I really do. But you were right earlier… I was the one who got us entangled in this mess. I insisted when you backed off. Looking back now, I wonder if what I did to you was more because of my desire to educate you or a call for help. You filled the void left in my chest… and I couldn’t help but reach out for more, taking a little bit of you each time we came close to making love.” Tears glittered in her eyes, but didn’t fall down. “It’s been years since I felt ‘this’ loved. I wanted to be selfish for a bit more. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone… least of all, you, Mia.”

I sat back down, silently berating myself for allowing the situation to get to this point. Perhaps I could have handled it better. Crying over spilled milk wouldn’t fix the broken hearts left in the wake of my indecision.

“Fuck.” Mia’s sudden bout of strength left her body. She reclined back in her seat, hands covering her face as she muttered a long chain of expletives. “I can’t be angry at you when you say stuff like that…”

Eun Ha responded with a wet smile. She scooted closer to her daughter, wrapping her arms around her trembling frame. Mia melted in the embrace, still sobbing. “It’s okay to cry, Mia. Tomorrow is a new day. Everything will be fine. I won’t resent you for being with Dae Ho. In fact, I encourage it. He’s a great young man who’ll make you the happiest woman in the world. Knowing that you’ll be taken care of is more than enough for me.”

“B-B-But…” Mia looked up, sniffing. She met her mother’s eyes, delicate and innocent. “How could I dare to be happy when I know you won’t. I don’t want to do this to you. I won’t do this to you—”

“Mia…”

“—Because I also love you more than anything…”

Eun Ha’s face softened.

I felt like a spectator to all of this, but I decided to let them have their moment. It was long overdue. Still, the elephant in the room had yet to be addressed.

A few minutes passed by, with Mia and Eun Ha comforting each other.

I smiled at the scene. Regardless of the outcome, the truth had come out, and both of them coped with the repercussions in the best way possible — by being there for each other.

The sniffing and whispers slowly tapered off. Eun Ha rubbed her daughter’s back, offering more words of encouragement. Mia smothered away the leftover tears with the heel of her hand. She looked at me. “Dae Ho…” I perked up. “... what solution were you suggesting earlier?”

I stroked my mouth, leaning forward. “Before you interrupt me, please, allow me to finish. I’ll probably say something you won’t like, and if that does happen, don’t forget that it’s a suggestion, not a solution.” At their nods, I continued. “The way I see it, we could either break off any engagement with each other and forget about it all. Like it never happened. I don’t like it, not one bit. But it’s a choice we have to make together, and if that’s what you want, I’ll respect it.”

“...” They stared at me, not saying anything. However, it was quite easy to see the unhappy lines that marred their faces.

I took that as my cue to list off the other two points. “Alternatively… we could come down to an agreement, in which you both would get to share me. I know, Mia. I remember what you said this morning, but it’s worth taking into consideration, regardless of how ‘frowned upon’ it is. Society won’t care about it as long as I throw money at it. Which by the way, won’t be an issue very soon either way. I’ll be able to provide for you, even with all of your whimsical splurging taken into account.”

With all the endorsements for shoes, fragrances, and various participations in exclusive interviews, I used to make almost a hundred million USD yearly.

“Lastly, we continue… as we are right now. You can either accept the presence of the other in my life, or you can ignore it, and our relationship will never take off to the next level… which means I won’t be exclusive to either of you. If, at some point, I get serious with someone else, they’d naturally take priority over you.”

Their eyes narrowed. I knew that the truth could sting hard, but it still had to be said. Making a decision meant knowing very well the consequences that came with it, both good and bad.

“Oh, so that’s how it is. You take my anal virginity and now you want to wave your hands off of the responsibility.” Mia’s words earned a mortified look from Eun Ha. So sudden it was that I had almost missed the levity in her tone.

A choking sound came from the stairs. ‘What was that?’ I frowned.

“Mia… that’s… that’s…” Eun Ha floundered for words. Clearly, dropping a bomb like that in front of her mother and soon-to-be — boyfriend? step father? both? — was bound to draw explosive reactions.

Thankfully, I was quite immune to Mia’s rather straightforward and blasé attitude.

Mia crossed her arms and focused her still-bloodshot eyes on me. “Yeah, no. I’m not letting some other bitch sniff around my territory.” She pointed a sharp finger at me, tilting her chin up and exposing her teeth. “I marked you, remember?”

“Yes, but so did Auntie.” I shrugged. “I think the bruise is still visible.” I tugged at the collar of my shirt, my thumb sweeping over the hickey in question.

The reminder of it triggered an adorable blush on Eun Ha’s face. Perhaps it was the way I freely exhibited the place her lips and tongue had been that made her abashed.

Mia wrinkled her nose.

“We’re digressing.” Auntie cleared her throat, fixing her posture. She regarded me with an unreadable look. “Dae Ho… what you suggested is…”

“Unconventional.” I nodded. “But not uncommon.”

“True.” She nodded back, chewing on her bottom lip. “Still—”

“Mom.” Mia squeezed her knee. “I know what you’re about to say, so don’t. I’m not happy with it either, but the alternative is worse. I don’t think I’d be able to sleep well knowing he’s in someone else’s bed. Knowing he had a pussy on the side was already stressful enough, but the thought of him fully committed to some stranger is a nightmare.”

That got Eun Ha to pause and think. “But, honey… I’d be more than willing to—”

“I said no!” Mia interrupted her again. “Not this again! I know you want him as much as I do. So, please… Do. Not. Sacrifice. Yourself. For. Me.” With each dotted word, her voice grew louder. Not in anger, but in frustration and fond exasperation at her mother’s stubbornness.

Eun Ha blinked, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Then the frown melted off, and a heartfelt thankful smile took its place. “Thank you…” She mouthed out, eyes heavy-lidded.

“So… what you’re saying is?” I asked, urging them for an answer. I didn’t want to press them into making a choice they’d come to regret, but I was feeling quite anxious myself. I didn’t want to lose either of them.

It was not just about intimacy. But it was the mere thought of Auntie going back to Uncle Yeong Gu, or Mia burying herself into an embrace that wasn’t mine, that made me impatient.

“Of course, if you have a better way to handle this—”

Mia raised a hand, and my mouth clicked shut. “No, your points are valid.” And then she traded a look with Eun Ha. A silent conversation must have happened because, at some point, they nodded at each other and turned to stare at me. “We will…” She started, in a voice that made it clear she couldn’t quite believe what was about to come out of her mouth. And, to be honest, neither did I.

“... share you.” Eun Ha concluded, almost diplomatically. She closed her eyes, loosening out a deep breath.

Relief hit me, instantly, like a shot of morphine straight into my veins. I didn’t know my muscles were that strained until all the tension was siphoned away.

Mia was quick to add on, glaring at me. “It’s a trial run, Dae Ho.” She crossed one knee over the other, foot dangling up and down. “We’ll share you, yes, but do not expect us to jump into bed with you, ‘together’. A line must be drawn. With that being said…”

She traded some sort of secret look with Auntie.

“We’ll have to split your free time and schedule it into ours. And vice-versa. Whatever works, really.”

“We could plan dates disguised as ‘outings’.” I supplied, smiling. “As long as we don’t go overboard with the way we’re seen together, no one will suspect a thing. Uncle Yeong Gu tends to be away for business most of the time, and Su Ah Noona barely leaves her room.”

“T-That… could work, yes.” Eun Ha nodded, looking a little put off by the whole ordeal, but at least she seemed to be adapting.

Mia also offered a nod of approval. “Ahem.” She coughed into her hand. “This brings us to another important thing.”

I raised one eyebrow, my smile widening. I knew exactly what she was about to bring up to the conversation.

“Don’t you give me that smug look!” Mia groaned, threatening me with a fist. Eun Ha simply blushed and looked away, scratching her cheek. “We have to coordinate ourselves… a-about ‘that’.”

“That what, Mia Noona?” I encouraged her with a growing smirk. “Spell it out for me.”

“Bastard.” She hissed. “That! Sex!”

“Oh, ‘that’?” I couldn’t help but be a little more carefree now that the negotiations concluded. The atmosphere had lightened up considerably. No more tears, only smiles. Well, not really smiles, but at least no more tears! I waved her off. “Well, we could set up a group chat or something and decide who goes first. Plain and simple.”

“...”

“...”

Eun Ha blinked, looking oddly thoughtful. Mia rubbed her chin, foot stopping mid-swing.

‘Wait… for real? I wasn’t being serious…’

“It’s not a bad idea, is it?” Eun Ha sought confirmation from her daughter.

“It’s…” Mia struggled for an appropriate word. “... kinda cheapening? It takes a lot of excitement out of it, but given the context… I guess we have to get used to it.”

A round of nods went off. “So…” I was a bit surprised by the, I don’t know, ‘normality’ of it all. Yeah, it wasn’t exactly normal. But it was like sitting through an important exam, and upon succeeding it, life kinda… goes back to normal, making the whole thing appear less important than it was.

“So…” Eun Ha parroted, just as dazed as I was. “We’re a couple now, huh?”

“Yes… we are.” I confirmed, looking at Mia, who looked at Eun Ha, who looked at me. Overall, there was a weird tension between us. Not the bad kind. Quite awkward, perhaps.

I decided to break the ice by winking and blowing a kiss at Mia. She pursed her lips, trying to keep her frown up, but her lips twitched, begrudgingly falling into a smile.

Eun Ha shook her head with an exasperated chuckle.

‘Yes… it feels… normal…’ I thought to myself. ‘Unexpected… but normal.’

A beat of silence ensued before a crashing sound interrupted the stillness of the house. Eun Ha and Mia were startled out of their stupor, snapping their heads somewhere towards the hallway that connected to the staircase.

I sprung up to my feet, alarmed. ‘God… don’t tell me that…’

“W-What was that?” Eun Ha paled, no doubt already assuming the worst. I couldn’t really blame her. Such timing couldn’t be a coincidence.

Mia was also ready to bolt up, her muscles coiled in tension.

I stopped her with a hand. “Wait here. I’ll go check it out.”

“But—”

I walked past her, my feet moving with haste. ‘If shove comes to push, I’ll bear the brunt of the fallout.’ My face was set into a determined frown. ‘Though I doubt they’d come out of it unscathed.’

It didn’t matter. ‘It never did…’

I was in my prime, with a body that was a cheat code in a poorly-developed game. I had enough experience and talent that I could simply speedrun my way to the top again.

Plans could change. Money could be made.

‘Why should I worry?’ I almost smiled to myself as the staircase slowly came into view. ‘Let them know. I won’t budge. I won’t hesitate. I’ve been through a lot of shit to let this negligible setback make me waver.’

And then I stopped, eyes slightly widening.

Su Ah stared at me with a flustered expression, sweat trickling down her face in copious rivulets. It was extremely rare to see the otherwise stoic Su Ah look so… out of it.

I took a step forward. And she might have felt threatened, for she hastily scurried back — or at least she tried to. Somewhere during her eavesdropping, she must have fallen down, and only right now was she picking herself up.

I stared at her, my eyes boring into hers.

Su Ah projected a brave front, but inwardly she knew the importance of what she overheard. Her breathing was fast and rough, despite her best attempts to calm it down.

“D-Dae Ho?” Eun Ha called out hesitatingly. “What’s going on?”

My eyes never left hers. Su Ah frowned, somehow slipping back into her bitch-resting face. “Nothing.” I smiled. “One of the portraits went down. A very beautiful one, in fact. Quite a pity, really. I hope it didn’t get… hurt. I wouldn’t want to carry it myself back to its place.”

Thankfully, she got the hint.

Su Ah bit her lip, slowly scrambled back to her feet, and with one last backward glance, scurried off.

‘Well… better than Yeong Gu, I guess.’ I rubbed my chin. ‘But she knows. I wonder what she's gonna do with that info.’

If she heard everything, there was no way she’d betray her mother like that.

‘Though, I should have a talk with her. Just in case.’