Page 117 of Perfect Happiness

“Jiyoo—”

He called out to Jiyoo but didn’t continue.He sat up straight in his chair and took a deep breath.

“Never mind.Forget it.”

The entire walk up the stairs, Jiyoo could feel Stepfather’s gaze.It was the kind of gaze that made her want to look back.She felt worried and confused.Why was Stepfather asking her and not Mother?What was he going to say to her before stopping?And had she given him the wrong answer?

The morning passed slowly.Jiyoo had nothing to do but stare out the window anxiously.But because this room didn’t have a large window ledge like the cabin in the country, she had to sit on top of the desk to watch the occasional car pass by.And each time this happened, her heart would start racing with anticipation.But after a while, she wished that Mother wouldn’t come home until later that night.Perhaps this would all be forgotten if she was asleep when Mother came home.If that happened, perhaps Mother would forget about punishing Jiyoo.

But Jiyoo knew that wasn’t going to happen.Mother would never forget what Jiyoo did.Jiyoo was going to receive her punishment one way or another.In some ways, she just wanted to get it over with.If Mother took Jiyoo to the orphanage, Jiyoo could at least call Auntie Jane to come pick her up—assuming Auntie turned her phone on.

At some point, Jiyoo’s vision started to go fuzzy.She could even feel her head nodding slightly in drowsiness.Jiyoo opened her eyes suddenly when she heard a sound coming from beneath her window.She quickly lifted her head and looked out the window.Mother’s car was parked in front of the garage, and the door to the garage was opening.The moment had arrived.

Jiyoo quickly got down from the desk.But once she was down, she felt lost because she didn’t know what to do, even though she had been thinking about this moment all day.Should she pretend to be taking a nap?Should she pretend to be reading a book?Should she go downstairs and welcome Mother home?And what should she do about Dad Puppet?Mother already knew about him, and she hadn’t taken him away again.Even so, Jiyoo didn’t have the courage to leave him in plain sight.

Dad Puppet eventually went under Jiyoo’s pillow.She sat at her desk and took outFrozen IIfrom the bookshelf.Although she knew Mother wouldn’t pity Jiyoo just because she was reading, she thought it might make her less angry if she found Jiyoo reading.As Jiyoo did this, her ears were turned outward.

Jiyoo could hear Mother’s movements as vividly as though she could see her.Mother got out of the car, entered the passcode on the padlock on the front door, crossed the living room, and entered a room.Jiyoo let out the breath that she had been holding in.Her shoulders, which had been up to her shoulders, dropped with a sigh.Now she needed to think.What would she say when she saw Mother?After all, it was only a matter of time until Mother came upstairs.

But Jiyoo’s intuition had lied to her.It was Stepfather, not Mother, who came up to see her.Jiyoo got up from her chair.

“Your mother wants you to come down, dressed to go.”

Jiyoo didn’t ask why.She knew the answer.Mother was sending her to the orphanage.

“And she wants you to put your things in your suitcase.Only pack the things you need.Pajamas, underwear, socks.”

This time, however, Jiyoo was confused.If she was going to the orphanage, wouldn’t she need all her stuff?

“Do you need help?”

Jiyoo shook her head.

“I can do it.”Then for some reason, Jiyoo added something she really didn’t need to add: “I know how to do it.I’ve done it before.”

“But still, you have to bring the suitcase downstairs.”

Jiyoo shook her head.She wasn’t going to the playground; she was going to the orphanage.If she was going to be chased out of the house, she’d rather do itwithoutStepfather’s help.

“I’ll be down in a minute.”

Stepfather stared at Jiyoo with both hands inside his pockets.Jiyoo dropped her eyes and looked at her toes.It didn’t matter; Stepfather wasn’t going to be able to stop Mother.And if he couldn’t stop Mother, he was of no use to Jiyoo.Plus, Jiyoo needed space to think about what to take and what to leave behind.

“I’ll wait downstairs then.”

Finally, Stepfather left.Jiyoo stood vacantly in the middle of her room.Now that she had her suitcase out, she couldn’t decide.It both seemed like she needed to take everything, and that she needed to take nothing.Jiyoo looked down at her name tag, which was stuck to the top of the suitcase.She remembered what Auntie had told her about choices.

“When faced with a hard choice, just think about what’s most precious to you.”

Jiyoo chose Dad Puppet andFrozen II.At the very back of the book was the note with Auntie’s phone number, which Jiyoo had prepared in case she ever forgot.Jiyoo filled the rest of the suitcase with the things Mother told her to: pajamas, underwear, socks.

Mother and Stepfather were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the sofa.They were both dressed in thick jackets.On the floor beneath the coffee table was a small travel bag.Jiyoo was confused.Was Stepfather going to the orphanage, too?

“Did you pack underwear?”Mother asked as she got up from the sofa.

“Yes.”

“And your gloves and hat?”