Walk slowly (edited)

Chapter 16

[E/N: I think author-nim changed from ‘father’ to ‘dad’, so from now on Dad will be Jinyoung's father, Papa will still be Mark’s father. :P]

“JINYOUNG!!!” Dad screamed loudly, calling my name, making me stop washing the dishes.

Mom, who was helping, was also surprised by the yell. We looked at each other. I can feel that Dad had sniffed something bad at this point. All of it makes my heart feel nervous.

“You should go, look at what your dad wants. Let me do all this work.” Mom told me to immediately go get dad. So I washed my hands and then rushed to get dad who was standing on the stairs.

“What is it dad?” I asked.

“Why is your room locked? What’s inside this room?” Dad began his questions.

Although dad already retired, he never changed, still behaving like a policeman. Surely, dad had already searched all the rooms upstairs.

“Oh… it’s…” I stammered as I tried to think of a right answer to give him, answers that can make dad believe it one hundred percent. If only dad can get into the room. Dad would be so angry and of course the culprit was me.

“Yeah... The room at the end of the hallway.”

“What happened, dad?” Mark appeared in the midst of difficulties, coming out from his room. I feel safer with Mark's presence there.

“I want to know, why is this room at the end of the corridor locked?” Dad asked the question again. And this time, the question was addressed to Mark.

“It is a storeroom, dad! The door was locked for a long time because of it being damaged. I do not have time to change it.” Mark easily lied.

“Oh… Really? Do you want me to help change it?” Dad easily believed Mark’s words.

“It’s all right dad, I’ll change it later.” Mark said.

“Well okay then. Come, let’s go take a walk. You said you wanted to show me this neighborhood.” Dad started walking down the stairs.

Mark smiled and stepped trailing from behind. When he walked past me, he winked at me, certainly feeling proud right now, because dad believed his every single word.

*****

My eyes were really sleepy. Today I feel quite tired, in terms of body and mind. The time had already passed eleven. Usually, I would be lying on the bed and drifting to sleep at this time. But today, I had to endure my sleepiness. Mom and dad have not gone to sleep yet, and because of that I would have to stay on the couch with them. I actually already planned to go back to sleep in my room after mom and dad went sleeping in the guest room that I prepared. It is impossible for me to share a room with Mark again.

“Dad... Mom, I’m going to bed first.” Mark asked for permission to go to bed. Of course, he was sleepy.

“Okay. It seems like Nyoungie is already sleepy, he was surely waiting for you.” Dad made assumptions.

“No, dad. I’m not sleepy. I want to finish this episode.” I denied dad's words. I do not want to be dragged into Mark's room. That’s not my room!

“Since when did you sleep late? Dad already knows, your eyes, when it hits right at eleven o’clock, it will automatically shut itself.” Dad started telling stories that made me feel embarrassed. Mom just grinned.

“Dad!!” I made a face and they started laughing.

“Well dad... Mom, I'm going first!” Mark stood up.