drunk dazed | squid game

ii. mad city

THE SUN SLOWLY SET on the busy Seoul streets, illuminating the bustling city in an almost comforting orange glow. It was almost like a mask, making you think it was a perfect city while deep inside almost every household was deep in their own struggles. Massive debts shrouded its residents, a constant weight on peoples shoulders.

Seohyun used to not be one of those people. Her husband used to work for a major company, bringing home grand paychecks every two weeks. Only the company went bankrupt and Woosung was laid off and the money stopped coming in. After that Woosung turned to alcohol and gambling, draining the money they once had and racking up massive debts which only caused more and more problems at home.

To try and make extra money, Seohyun worked as an elementary school teacher during the day and picked up a second job as a waitress as a local restaurant. Her days off she started sex work, allowing sleazy men to use her body for their own pleasure in hopes of making extra cash. She hated it, but the world revolves around money.

Seohyun used her day off to visit her mom, bringing Jiwoo along for a nice grandma visit. She chatted with her mom in the kitchen, a warm cup of coffee in her hands as Jiwoo ate a bowl of homemade tteokbokki, watching Pororo the Little Penguin with excitement.

"So how have you and Woosung been?" Her mom asked, taking a sip of the bitter coffee she held in her delicately wrinkled hands.

"We're doing alright. He's trying to look for another job and get back on his feet," Seohyun answered though she knew it was a lie. He had been out of a job for about of year and had never made it known that he even considering returning to the working world.

Her mom cast her look, as if she knew that she lied but didn't say anything, instead she sighed. "He's been saying that for a year now. All the monetary duties shouldn't fall on you, you know? You're only human and can only do so much. If you need any help at all, you know that your dad and I are here to help you." 

She gave the same little speech each time Seohyun visited, and she knew she only meant well, but she hated borrowing money from other people, especially family. "Mom, trust me. I can handle this and I'll make sure he puts in applications." She assured to which her mom just shook her head.

The two stayed in the kitchen for a little while longer until Seohyun and Jiwoo had to go home. They each said their goodbyes before setting off down the Seoul streets, heading back to their little apartment. They made their way through a little section of markets, full of different old women selling different little items trying to make some extra money.

The two browsed, Seohyun choosing to buy some fish to cook for dinner that night. The house was silent when the two returned, Woosung was still out. She had no idea where, but knew he would come back reeking of alcohol, eat whatever dinner she prepared that night, and then pass out on the couch where he would remain until the next day.

Seohyun cooked a dinner of fish and rice, portioning it out onto three plates. She left Woosung's on the counter, taking hers and Jiwoo's plates to the dining table. Jiwoo washed her hands quickly in the sink before joining her mom at the table. Seohyun laughed as she watched Jiwoo shoved the rice in her mouth, talking about how much fun she had at her grandma's and wanted to go again tomorrow.

Woosung returned home later that night, long after Seohyun laid Jiwoo down to sleep. He stumbled to the kitchen, bumping into different side tables as he drunkenly ventured to his plate of dinner before falling back onto his place on the couch. He hungrily shoveled the food into his mouth, finishing the plate in maybe a minute.

"Did you take Jiwoo to her grandparents?" Woosung asked as he threw the plate onto the side table next to him.

"Yeah, she had a lot of fun. She wants to go back tomorrow," she chuckled, smiling as she remembered how happy she was. "How was your day? Did you have fun?" She knew the answer, the smell emanated from his entire body. She hated it, but it had gone on for so long it was simply something she was used to.

"It was fine," he hiccuped. He fumbled around for the remote, flicking through the different channels before choosing to settle on some random movie.

"Mom asked about you today," Seohyun began, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She asked me about you, wanting to know how you've been doing. If you plan on starting working again any time soon."

"It's none of that bitches problem if I got a job or not," Woosung grumbled, not bothering to turn his head from the tv.

"Woosung," Seohyun could only sigh. "We're two hundred million won in debt. It's a miracle we can afford this apartment as it is. We're lucky we can keep Jiwoo in school. We're lucky to even have dinner on the table. Maybe something just part-time until," she pleaded, but her words fell on deaf ears. 

"Yeah, and what?" Woosung scoffed. "Work for another company that's gonna use me for cheap labor while the big men up top get to live these nice fancy lives, and then fire me so they can move onto the next sad fuck who's gonna end up the same way? I'd jump off the Mapo Bridge."

"Please," she begged. "Just so we can pay back some of these debts."

"Maybe you should work harder," he retaliated. "I've never seen you do anything. All you do is cook dinner, and then I see you sitting on the couch for the rest of the night. Quite lazy, aren't you? You'll get fat and unattractive if you keep up like that, and no one will want you."

Those were the words that hurt her the most. Years of raising Jiwoo almost by herself, working multiple jobs and barely getting a day off a week, while he went out and wasted money he didn't have before stumbling home blackout drunk while Seohyun had to take care of him because he could barely walk to the couch. She hated him, but there was some part of her that still loved him deep down, and that would never change.

"I'm going to bed," she mumbled, pushing herself off the couch. She made her way to their once shared bedroom, ignoring whatever insults he hurled at her along the way. 

Their house used to be full of love, but that disappeared. There used to be a day when Woosung would kiss his wife and talk to her like she deserved. He used to read stories to Jiwoo at night before she slept, tucking her in and making sure his baby had the sweetest of dreams. Woosung used to take Seohyun on dates, making her feel like the luckiest woman on the planet. Now, that Woosung was gone, and all that was left was a shell of the man she once knew and loved.