Page 39 of Perfect Happiness

Jiyoo’s lips were tight. Yuna must have instructed her beforehand not to talk about what happened at the cabin.

No matter what kind of question Jane asked—direct, indirect, leading—Jiyoo wouldn’t say.

And Jane couldn’t press Jiyoo. In the end, Jane was unable to get a single clue about the whereabouts of Joon-young.

And yet, it was clear to Jane that, at the very least, Joon-young had been and stayed at that cabin. But to get proof, she would need to go to Woohyeri. If she didn’t do this soon, Detective Kim with his lion’s teeth would be reciting the Miranda warning to her.

*

It was Saturday morning. Jane’s body felt as stiff and heavy as a century-old tree, but she jumped right out of bed as soon as she opened her eyes. She had a lot to do today. Places to be, people to meet.

Jane had a cup of coffee for breakfast as she got ready to leave.

But unlike her usual routine of makeup and nice clothes, she got ready by finding and putting on comfortable clothes that she could move in—beanie, face mask, sweater, leggings, and padded jacket.

She put her wallet, lanyard, and cellphone in her coat pocket.

Then finally she took out her zip-up high-top canvas shoes.

As she did this, she felt something buzzing in her pocket.

Jane pulled out her cellphone. The caller ID said “Yuna’s House.” But Jane knew it wasn’t Yuna. She had no reason to call Jane. Even less likely was Eun-ho. Jane pressed the accept button.

“Hello?”

“Auntie—” It was Jiyoo. Her voice was quiet and cautious, as though she were calling while lying next to a sleeping lioness.

It was at this moment that Jane realized something. She missed Jiyoo. The warm sensation in her chest was telling her this.

Jane was so caught off guard by her own emotions that she didn’t answer Jiyoo.

She was embarrassed. Why was she getting so emotional?

Jiyoo had only been gone a few days. These emotions were something Jane thought herself incapable of feeling anymore.

Jane thought herself a pile of dead leaves, too dry to produce a single drop of moisture.

She’d felt like this ever since Dad died.

“Auntie, it’s me—Jiyoo.”

This time, Jiyoo’s voice was even quieter.

“Yes, I know.”

Jane wanted to bite her tongue. Was that all she could say? Yes, I know ? Couldn’t she think of something more affectionate to say? Even something as simple as “Hi, Jiyoo” would have been better.

“Auntie, are you busy today?”

Not surprisingly, Jiyoo was being considerate of people who weren’t even around. Jane needed to act more enthusiastic to let Jiyoo know she wasn’t bothering her.

“Not at all! It’s Saturday, after all. I don’t have anything to do. I was so bored and sleepy that I’ve been just twiddling my thumbs all morning.”

Jane could hear a quiet giggle over the receiver. This shy laughter immediately put a smile on Jane’s face.

“Jiyoo, does this mean you kept Auntie’s business card?”

“Actually, I tore it up into really tiny pieces and threw it away. I memorized your phone number.”

“Really?” Jane asked in genuine surprise.

“Really! I can show you—”

Jiyoo carefully recited each digit of Jane’s phone number. Jane’s lips pursed as the smile on her face turned bittersweet. Jane knew Jiyoo had done this to hide the card from Yuna.

“Is that right?” Jiyoo asked after she said the last digit.

Jane’s facial expression changed again as a chuckle escaped her lips. If it was wrong, would you be talking on the phone with me right now?

“I practiced five times before tearing it up. I wrote the number on a piece of paper without looking at the card. But don’t worry. I wrote it down—somewhere only I can find it.”

Jiyoo’s characteristically careful explanation made Jane chuckle one more time.

“But Auntie . . . I’m really sorry.”

Caught off guard by this apology, Jane stopped laughing.

“What for?”

“I didn’t take the art set you bought for me. Mother wouldn’t—”

Jiyoo stopped mid-sentence as though she had just remembered something. Jane didn’t ask her what she was going to say. She knew that Yuna forbade Jiyoo from taking the art set because Jane had bought it for her.

“It’s okay. You can always play with it the next time you come over.”

“Auntie, I might never go back there.”

The remaining smile on Jane’s lips evaporated.

“Is that what your mother said?”

“Yes.” She sounded sad.

“Jiyoo, you don’t like being at that house, do you?”

“No? It’s not that.” Jiyoo’s voice perked up again. “It’s just that I’m scared at night. I have to sleep alone.”

“But you’re alone when you sleep here, too.”

“That’s because Grandma’s house is an apartment. Grandma’s room is right next to mine. And so is yours, Auntie. But here I sleep alone on the second floor. And the room across from me is Noah’s. I see his room as soon as I open my door. That’s why—”

Jiyoo stopped again mid-sentence. But this time, it didn’t sound like she was afraid of saying something off-limits. It sounded like she was contemplating whether to tell Jane the truth. Jane decided to help Jiyoo:

“You’ve been having dreams, huh?”

“Yes. Noah comes out of his room and keeps knocking on my door. He screams at me, asking for his soccer ball.”

Jane had already heard about the soccer ball incident from Jiyoo.

Even though Jane told Jiyoo it wasn’t her fault, Jiyoo continued to blame herself.

She seemed to believe that if she had given him back his ball, he wouldn’t have had that asthma attack.

And if he hadn’t had that asthma attack, he wouldn’t have died.

The nightmare about the soccer ball had to be a result of her guilt. Jane offered her a solution.

“How about asking your mother to change rooms with you?”

“No, that won’t work.”

Jane didn’t ask why. She didn’t need to. Yuna never allowed her decisions to be changed by another person’s will. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she despised the will of others. Jiyoo had probably picked up on this from years of experience. Jane offered an alternative solution.

“Then should I bring you Dad Puppet?”

“Yes.”

Jiyoo’s response came out of her mouth like a bullet.

“If you want to come,” Jiyoo added suddenly, as though she felt embarrassed for revealing her true intentions so easily.

Jane needed to go to Cheongyeon for something else anyway. But now that she also needed to bring Jiyoo her puppet, she had no choice but to drop by the house. The only problem was that she needed to give Jiyoo the puppet without Yuna’s knowing.

“Jiyoo, is your mother home?”

“No.”

“What about your stepfather?”

“No, he’s not home either.”

Jane looked at the clock. 10:50. She quickly calculated the time it would take to get there. Five minutes to the gas station, five minutes to fill up, and then an hour to Cheongyeon.

“I’ll be there by noon.”

“But Auntie, do you know where Dad Puppet is?”

“I do.”

Jane arrived outside Yuna’s house a few minutes past noon. She was five minutes late because she stopped at McDonald’s. After parking across the street, Jane got out of the car with Dad Puppet and a Happy Meal.

The weather that day was unusually windy and cold. Even the sky was an ashen color. Dead leaves were tumbling across the house’s blue roof. Perhaps it would snow later today.

Jane ran across the street. She even ran up the front steps. The front door was opening just as she approached it. Jiyoo ran outside. She jumped into Jane’s arms and let out a small cheer.

“Auntie!”

Jane reflexively pressed Jiyoo into her chest.

“Auntie, Auntie, Auntie—”

Jiyoo wrapped her arms around Jane’s waist and buried her cheek in Jane’s ribs as she continued to call out to her.

Just like last Monday when Jane came to pick her up from preschool, Jiyoo’s calls sounded like a feeble whimper.

Jane glanced up at the second-story window.

Three windows lined the wall of the house.

Which belonged to Jiyoo’s room? Whichever one it was, Jane was sure that Jiyoo had been staring out her window waiting for Jane. Five minutes would have felt like fifty to her. Jiyoo had run out in her bare feet and was dressed in a white dress that revealed her white ankles.

“I thought you were never coming.”

Jiyoo removed her cheek from Jane’s stomach and looked up at her.

“I told you I would.”

“But still.”

Jane put Dad Puppet in Jiyoo’s hand.

“Think of a place your mother won’t find it. The crack between your bed and the wall is too dangerous.”

“I know. A secret place—”

Jiyoo paused. Judging from the way Jiyoo’s eyes were getting wider, Jane could tell that she finally understood the meaning of her words.

“You knew?” Jiyoo asked.

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it a secret.”

Jane held out the Happy Meal. Jiyoo’s eyes grew with excitement.

“You said no one was home, didn’t you?”

Instead of saying thank you, Jiyoo just looked down at the bag of fast food.

“I told them not to include the toy. Remember to get rid of the wrappers when you’re done. Do you remember what I taught you about folding the paper box?”

“Yes. Fold it until it’s flat, then put it in the trash. My stepfather takes out the trash.”

Jane took a step backwards.

“Well, young lady. Go inside and hide him in your secret place.”

Despite nodding, Jiyoo didn’t move.

“If you need anything, call me. I’ll keep my phone on for you.”

Jane took another step backwards and down the front steps.

“I’m leaving.”

Jiyoo didn’t move. One step, and then another. Jiyoo continued to watch until Jane turned around and crossed the street to her car.

Jane stopped in front of her car and looked back at Jiyoo. Long tangled hair, the hem of her white dress fluttering in the cold wind, slender calves and bare feet, holding Dad Puppet in one arm and a Happy Meal in the other, staring quietly out at Jane.