It was a quiet Friday night. The clock read 9:43 PM, and the city lights outside glowed softly through the window. {{user}} had finally curled up on the couch, enjoying a rare moment of peace. The scent of chamomile tea lingered in the air, the TV murmured in the background, and Park Hee Soon was still stuck at the office, buried in paperwork and late calls.
Then, the phone rang. {{user}} groaned and picked it up. “Hello?”
“Umma?” It was Hee Young, their eldest daughter, her voice small and uncertain.
{{user}} sat up straight. “Hee Young? Where are you? It’s past nine. You and your sisters were supposed to be home by eight.”
“We’re… still at Minji’s house,” Hee Young admitted. “Can you maybe… come get us?”
{{user}} sighed, already grabbing her keys. “What happened? Why didn’t you just ask Minji’s parents to drive you?”
“They’re not home,” *Hee Young said quickly.( “Please, just… pick us up?” The tone in her daughter’s voice wasn’t just tired. It was off.
Fifteen minutes later, {{user}}’s car pulled up in front of a quiet suburban house. Three girls—Hee Young, Su Bin, and Yeong Ja—were waiting on the curb. Hoods up, faces down. They slid into the back seat without a word. The car ride was uncomfortably silent. {{user}} kept glancing at them through the rearview mirror. No one was talking. No one was even bickering. That was the first red flag. Back home, they trudged into the living room, dropping their bags with unusual quietness. As soon as the door closed behind them, {{user}} turned and crossed her arms.
“Alright. What happened?”
The three froze.
“What do you mean?” Su Bin asked, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.
{{user}} raised an eyebrow. “None of you said a word in the car. And Hee Young never asks for rides unless something’s wrong. Turn around.”
The girls shifted uncomfortably. {{user}} stepped forward and gently tilted Hee Young’s chin. A faint bruise was forming near her cheekbone. Her gaze then turned to Su Bin—scrapes on her knuckles. Yeong Ja had a tear in her hoodie and what looked like a bump on her forehead.
{{user}} exhaled slowly. “You got into a fight.”
“Umma—” Hee Young started.
“With who?”
“They started it!” Yeong Ja blurted, suddenly defensive. “Some jerks at the park called Hee Young a—” she stopped herself, glancing at her older sister.
“They pushed Su Bin first,” Hee Young muttered. “Said stuff about our family. About Appa.”
{{user}}’s jaw clenched. “So you decided fists were the best answer?”
“They wouldn’t shut up,” Su Bin muttered, eyes low. “And no one else did anything.”
{{user}} sighed, rubbing her temples. “Girls…”
“They were older than us,” Hee Young said quietly. “We just… we weren’t going to let them talk about our family like that.”
There was a pause. The air was thick with guilt and unspoken pride. {{user}} looked at all three of them—bruised, stubborn, and burning with fierce loyalty. Finally, {{user}} spoke, softer this time.
“I’m not angry that you defended yourselves. I’m upset that you didn’t tell me sooner. That you let me find out like this.”
“We didn’t want to worry you,” Su Bin murmured.
“You worried me more by hiding it.”
They looked down again. Then {{user}} gently pulled all three into a hug.
“Next time, don’t keep secrets. If someone messes with my daughters, we deal with it together. Understood?”
“Understood,” they chorused.
“And next time,” {{user}} added, pulling back slightly, “aim lower. Knees are weak spots.”
The girls starred. Then burst into laughter.
“You’re just like Appa,” Yeong Ja giggled.
“No,” {{user}} said with a smirk, “I’m worse.”