The warm scent of home-cooked food greeted Ji-eun as she stepped inside the small apartment she shared with her mother and younger brother. The space was modest, barely enough for the three of them, but it was home.
"You're late again," her mother, Han Mi-sook, sighed from the kitchen, setting down a bowl of rice. Her once-vibrant face showed signs of exhaustion, but her smile never faded. "Was work tough today?"
Ji-eun forced a smile, shrugging off her coat. "Just busy."
Her younger brother, Han Min-jae, barely looked up from his textbook, scribbling away at his notes. "No surprise. You work two jobs. How do you even manage?"
Ji-eun ruffled his hair as she sat down. "I have no choice but to manage, don't I?" She tried to sound playful, but her exhaustion weighed heavily in her tone.
Her mother handed her a plate, watching her closely. "You need to rest, Ji-eun. You look pale. Did you ate something ? "
Ji-eun picked at her food "I stopped by convenience store before going to cafe " Rest. The idea sounded foreign. Between juggling her part-time café job, her internship at Kang Enterprises, and keeping their household running, there was no room for breaks.
"I'll be fine, eomma. Don't worry about me," she murmured, but even she wasn't convinced.
Her mother sighed, shaking her head. "You always say that. But I see the dark circles under your eyes. You're not eating enough either."
Ji-eun chewed slowly, realizing she hadn't even been hungry—just exhausted. Her mind kept drifting back to her encounter with Kang Joon-hyuk. He had looked just as weighed down as she felt. Was this what it meant to shoulder responsibilities bigger than yourself?
"Noona," Min-jae's voice broke her thoughts. "Do you really have to work so much? What about your own dreams?"
Ji-eun hesitated, her chopsticks pausing mid-air. Dreams. Once upon a time, she had them. But reality had forced her to push them aside.
"This is my dream, Min-jae," she lied with a small smile. "Making sure you and eomma don't struggle."
Her mother looked away, guilt flashing across her face. "I wish you didn't have to carry this burden."
Ji-eun reached for her mother's hand, squeezing it gently. "It's not a burden. It's just life. And we'll be okay."
Even as she said it, doubt gnawed at her. How long could she keep this up? How long before the weight became too much?
As she cleared the table and prepared for another sleepless night, she didn't have the answers. But for now, she had to keep going. There was no other choice.
This night her mother was hospitalized due to not taking medicine. Thanks to Ji-eun's company her mom got hospitalized with better treatment.
She knew this was coming .