Jihoon, having gotten his son back, told his work what was up and used all his vacation and sick days, getting a total of nine days off, including the weekends.
He started living the dream, a time he'd only ever dreamed of.
"Yeonwoo, buddy, this is the house you lived in when you were little. I don't know if you remember."
First, Jihoon showed Yeonwoo the one-room apartment where he was born and raised.
The one-room apartment where the family used to live hadn't changed much.
All of Yeonwoo's old baby stuff was still there, untouched.
The only things that were different were the kitchen and the place where Jihoon slept.
That first night, Jihoon held his son close and, for the first time in ages, slept like a log.
After nights of heavy drinking just to get to sleep, worrying about his family, he finally slept peacefully.
Of course, it broke his heart that his wife was gone, but he couldn't show it.
He had to be strong for his son, who was so heartbroken over losing his mom that he couldn't even talk.
The next day, he took Yeonwoo to the doctor.
"It's selective mutism."
"Selective... mutism?"
"Yes, it's a symptom often referred to as aphasia in dramas, but aphasia strictly refers to a disease caused by abnormalities in the brain. Selective mutism refers to symptoms that develop due to mental problems that are commonly known. Your son seems to have suffered a great shock. I'm going to refer you to the neuropsychiatry department. They'll take care of you there."
Just as he suspected.
His son was still reeling from the shock of losing his mom.
It's a wonder he was okay at all, growing up in that hellhole after losing his mom, who was his whole world.
If only he'd been there... maybe things would've been different. He couldn't help but blame himself.
"Yeonwoo, it's okay. Everything will be alright."
Nod, nod.
Yeonwoo nodded like he got what his dad was saying.
"Alright, Yeonwoo, buddy. Anywhere you wanna go? Your old man will take you. Where do you want to go? Amusement park? Zoo? A play place?"
Yeonwoo stared at him, wide-eyed, like, 'What's that?' Then he started looking at his dad's face, trying to figure him out.
"It's okay, Yeonwoo. You can ask your old man for anything, you know. Where do you want to go?"
At those words, Yeonwoo opened his mouth.
He couldn't talk, but Jihoon could read his lips.
Mom.
"...You want to see Mom?"
Nod.
The kid knew his mom was gone.
And Jihoon had found out from the cops where that monster, his wife's uncle, had cremated her and scattered her ashes.
Jihoon didn't know how to tell him without freaking him out.
At that moment, Yeonwoo patted Jihoon's leg.
Jihoon, confused, looked at Yeonwoo, who mouthed the words...
"...Are you okay? You're saying it's okay?"
Nod.
What's he saying is okay...? Oh.
"He doesn't need to see Mom...?"
Nod.
Wow.
The kid was only six, not even in school yet, and already so thoughtful.
Thinking back to when he was six, Jihoon's heart ached. He squeezed his son's hand tight.
"Okay, let's go. To Mom."
Jihoon took Yeonwoo straight to the place where his wife's ashes were scattered.
That scumbag uncle, who wasn't even a blood relative, at least had a tiny bit of decency.
He could've just dumped her in the trash, but he actually drove out to Paldang Dam to scatter her ashes.
At least it's not too far, I guess.
He could visit whenever he missed her.
It was close to Seoul, but it was actually pretty scenic, with the dam and all the nature around.
Yeonwoo was just staring at the view, like he was in a trance.
"This isn't the exact spot... but your mom's here. She's in the river, the sky, the trees... She's all around."
Nod.
Yeonwoo didn't cry.
He just stood there, lost in thought, like he was remembering the old days. It was like he was a little old man.
The two of them, father and son, just stood there for a long time, not saying a word.
After that...
Jihoon was itching to take Yeonwoo on a trip, or at least to the zoo or something, but he knew he had a bunch of stuff to take care of first.
He had to deal with all the paperwork, like changing Yeonwoo's address, and get him some decent clothes and other essentials.
Thank God for one-day shipping, but he still burned through a few of his precious days off.
Once he got all that crap sorted out, he finally took Yeonwoo to the zoo and an amusement park.
He was snapping pictures of Yeonwoo checking out the elephants, looking all amazed, and riding the merry-go-round, looking totally confused, but something else started bugging him.
Being a classic 'J,' he wasn't the kind of guy to just kick the can down the road.
His biggest worry was what would happen when his time off was over and he had to go back to work.
Should he send Yeonwoo to kindergarten or daycare?
Was there even a daycare around here that was open late?
The whole reason he and his wife got this one-room place was because it was close to his job.
They figured they'd move when the kid was ready for kindergarten.
This area was all one-room apartments and office buildings – a place where people shelled out big bucks just to get an extra 30 minutes of sleep because it was close to work.
You'd be lucky to find an elementary school around here, let alone a kindergarten.
First things first, gotta move.
But here again, he was concerned.
Is it really a good idea to throw his kid, who'd barely been around other people, straight into kindergarten?
What if the poor kid gets picked on or something, and he can't even talk?
He might be worrying over nothing, but Jihoon was the type to always think of the worst-case scenario.
He decided that sending him to kindergarten right now was just out of the question.
Maybe he should hire a babysitter who could also help out around the house?
He checked online, but it looked like finding a Korean babysitter these days was like finding a needle in a haystack.
He knew it was wrong to be prejudiced, but he couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness about leaving Yeonwoo with a foreigner.
But what choice did he have?
He couldn't ask his family for help – his dad was gone, and his only sister was off studying in the States.
Oh, right, there was his mom.
But he and his mom weren't exactly close.
His mom had chosen her career over her family, divorced his dad, and Jihoon and his sister had grown up with their old man.
She'd been living overseas and came back to Korea after retiring, like, five years ago. His sister kept in touch, but Jihoon had only seen her a handful of times.
And even then, it was only because his sister dragged him along.
So, family help was the last thing on his mind, but then, out of the blue, his mom called.
"It's Mom."
"Yes, Mother."
"Did Jiyoung tell you?"
"Yeah, I took some time off to be with him."
"What about after your vacation ends? I heard you're worried about that?"
"...I'm thinking of looking for a babysitter."
-.......
His mother was silent for a long time.
"If that's all, I'm gonna go..."
He was about to hang up because it was getting super awkward.
"I'll take care of him."
"...Pardon?"
"Yes, so come to my house with your son. It's not that far from your company. I'll take care of the child while you're at work."
At his mother's words, Jihoon unknowingly said in a voice full of surprise and bewilderment.
"You... take care of him, Mom?"
He couldn't help but sound a little resentful and skeptical.
He was talking to the woman who'd given birth to him but had never actually raised him.
"Look, it's gotta be better than some stranger, right? I'm not saying you have to move in forever. Just until he gets settled."
"......"
"If you're interested, bring him over. Gotta go."
And that was that. His first real conversation with his mom in ages.
Jihoon looked at Yeonwoo next to him. His poor kid, just starting out in life, taking everything in with those big, curious eyes.
Yeah, family's gotta be better than a stranger, right?
At least his mom wasn't the type to, like, lose it and get violent.
The only hang-ups were the bad blood and the crazy awkwardness between him and his mom.
But he didn't dwell on it for long.
He was only human, and blood is thicker than water, even if they weren't close.
"Yeonwoo, we're gonna go stay at Grandma's for a bit."
When he heard "Grandma," Yeonwoo went white as a sheet.
Jihoon saw his face and knew right away he was thinking about his wife's evil stepmother.
"Don't worry, buddy. This is Dad's mom. You know the grandma you used to know isn't around anymore, right?"
Nod, nod.
"Dad's mom, your real grandma... she's a good person."
Is she really a good person?
He didn't know.
He told his mom they'd move in, set a date, and started packing.
He packed his and Yeonwoo's clothes, and the toys he'd bought for him.
Everything else was just memories and stuff he'd shared with his wife.
Jihoon decided to leave all that stuff untouched.
"I'm leaving."
Moving day.
Jihoon said goodbye to the empty apartment, took Yeonwoo's hand, and headed to his mom's place.
His mom, who'd ditched her family to chase her career dreams overseas, had made it big, even if he hated to admit it.
She was loaded and famous.
But for someone so successful, her place was kind of a dump, considering how rich she was.
She wasn't living in some fancy Gangnam neighborhood, but in Bucheon, in an apartment building that was, like, 30 years old.
Actually, the complex itself wasn't too shabby.
It was old, sure, but there was a playground right in front of her building, the landscaping was nice, and it was quiet.
You wouldn't think it was in the middle of a crazy, crowded city.
The only question was, could she actually take care of his son?
He had no idea if she was doing this just to shut his sister up, or if she'd suddenly gotten all sentimental about family, but he'd taken her up on her offer, so now it was time to face the music.
Ding-dong.
The old-school doorbell chimed.
"Come in."
Jihoon's mom, Heo Ok, opened the door.
She had these cold eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses that didn't show a flicker of emotion, and this air of authority that came with all her money and success.
She looked down at her grandson.
