Seo Yuna froze after hearing the question.
"...Why isn't Noah going to school?"
For a moment, silence filled the apartment.
Then her expression immediately darkened.
Anger.
Not explosive anger.
Just the kind that had been building for years.
Fang noticed it instantly.
Noah quietly lowered her head.
Seo Yuna took a slow breath.
She didn't want to start another argument this early in the morning.
Yesterday had been peaceful.
For once.
But hearing that question still irritated her.
Finally, she spoke.
"...Whose fault do you think that is?"
Fang stayed silent.
Seo Yuna laughed bitterly.
"For years, we barely survived on whatever food was left in the house."
Her voice gradually became sharper.
"Sometimes we couldn't even pay utility bills."
"Sometimes I had to choose between medicine and food."
"And now you're asking why Noah isn't in school?"
Fang remained quiet.
There was no answer to that.
Because the answer was obvious.
Chung Soo.
Seo Yuna looked away.
"How exactly was I supposed to afford enrollment fees, uniforms, supplies, transportation, and everything else?"
The apartment became quiet again.
After a few seconds, Fang finally spoke.
"...You should've told me."
Seo Yuna immediately looked at him.
"Told you?"
"Hm."
"When you realized I changed."
Her expression became complicated.
Then she shook her head.
"Did you think I suddenly trusted you?"
Fang answered honestly.
"...No."
"Exactly."
Seo Yuna lowered her gaze.
"For all I knew, this could've lasted two days before you started drinking again."
Fang couldn't argue with that either.
Trust wasn't something people handed over freely.
Especially after years of abuse.
Seo Yuna continued quietly.
"That's why I didn't say anything."
She glanced toward the stack of money on the table.
"But..."
Fang looked up.
"The money you brought yesterday..."
Her voice softened slightly.
"I was already planning to use part of it for Noah's school enrollment."
Fang paused.
"Oh."
Seo Yuna nodded.
"I spent half the night searching online."
She picked up the new smartphone from the table.
"The phone helped."
Fang looked at it silently.
Seo Yuna continued.
"There are a few elementary schools nearby."
"I was comparing them."
"Looking at reviews."
"Checking enrollment requirements."
For the first time, Fang realized she had already been thinking about it.
She simply hadn't told him.
Noah looked between them nervously.
"...Mom?"
Seo Yuna immediately softened.
"It's okay."
Noah hesitated.
"Can I really go to school?"
The room became quiet.
A seven-year-old child asking that question should have felt normal.
Instead, it sounded heavy.
Seo Yuna forced a smile.
"Of course."
Noah's eyes slowly brightened.
"Really?"
"Really."
The child immediately hugged her notebook tightly.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Fang watched silently.
School.
Friends.
Classes.
Lunch breaks.
Ordinary childhood things.
Things Noah should have had years ago.
For some reason, the thought annoyed him.
Not because of the cost.
Because the child had been forced to wait this long.
Fang looked toward Seo Yuna.
"When can we enroll her?"
Seo Yuna blinked slightly.
Then answered,
"If everything goes smoothly..."
She looked down at the information on her phone.
"...Maybe next week."
Fang nodded once.
"Good."
A simple answer.
Yet for some reason
Noah's smile became even brighter.
Fang looked at the phone in Seo Yuna's hand.
"So which one did you choose?"
Seo Yuna scrolled through the screen for a moment before showing him a page.
"Baekseong Elementary Public School."
Fang glanced at it briefly.
The school wasn't far from their apartment in Gangbuk.
Seo Yuna continued,
"Most schools have already closed admissions by this time."
"But this one still has openings."
"The reviews are good too."
Fang nodded once.
"Hm."
Seo Yuna looked slightly surprised.
"...You understood any of that?"
"Yeah.'"
"...Fair."
Noah immediately became excited.
"Is that where I'll go?"
"Maybe."
Seo Yuna smiled faintly.
"If everything goes smoothly."
Fang looked toward her injured leg.
"It should be better now."
Seo Yuna blinked.
"What?"
"We should go there."
"Today?"
"Hm."
"Why?"
"Ask about the procedure directly."
Fang casually crossed his arms.
"The Internet messes up things."
Seo Yuna stared at him strangely.
Since when did this man think ahead about things like school enrollment?
Fang suddenly stepped closer and lowered his voice.
"You checked properly?"
Seo Yuna frowned.
"Checked what?"
Fang glanced toward Noah, who was happily looking at pictures of the school.
"If parents there find out about our past..."
His voice remained calm.
"...they won't want their children near Noah."
Seo Yuna froze slightly.
That was exactly what she had worried about while searching.
Children often repeated what adults said at home.
If parents looked down on Noah because of Chung Soo's reputation, she could easily become isolated before making a single friend.
For a moment, Seo Yuna simply stared at him.
Then slowly sighed.
"Since when did you become this intelligent?"
Fang looked mildly offended.
"...Rude."
A small smile almost appeared on Seo Yuna's face.
Almost.
Then she answered honestly.
"Yes. I checked."
"The school is far enough away."
"And nobody there should know us."
Fang nodded once.
"Good."
Fang nodded.
"Good."
Seo Yuna slowly stood up from her chair.
Her leg still hurt slightly, but compared to before, it had improved a lot.
"I'm fine now."
She grabbed the phone and some documents from the table.
"Just give me a minute."
Noah's eyes immediately sparkled.
"Are we really going?!"
Seo Yuna looked toward her daughter.
This time, her smile became genuine.
"Yes."
Noah jumped up happily.
"We're going to my school!"
The apartment suddenly filled with energy.
Fang watched silently from the side.
For some reason, Noah looked even happier than she had at the amusement park.
Humans truly were strange.
A school building shouldn't be more exciting than rides and balloons.
Yet the child looked ready to explode from excitement.
"...Weird child."
"HEARD THAT!"
"Hm."
Fang enters the bathroom for a bath.
Twenty minutes later
The three left the apartment together.
Noah looked excited from the moment they stepped outside.
She held Seo Yuna's hand tightly while looking around.
"Will my school be big?"
"Probably."
"Will there be many kids?"
"Probably."
"Will they be nice?"
This time, Seo Yuna smiled.
"I hope so."
A taxi soon stopped near the road.
The three entered.
Noah immediately glued herself to the window.
Meanwhile, Fang quietly looked outside.
The city moved past them slowly.
Normal people heading to work.
Students in uniforms.
Parents walking with children.
Ordinary scenes.
Strange scenes.
By the time they arrived at the school, Fang reached for his pocket.
Then paused.
"..."
Nothing.
Empty.
His entire remaining money had disappeared yesterday.
Taxi.
Food.
Fairs.
Phone.
Everything.
Seo Yuna silently watched him.
Then calmly paid the fare herself.
The driver thanked her and left.
Fang stood there for a moment.
"..."
So this was civilian life.
Money disappeared faster than bullets.
He originally thought he could survive an entire month without spending anything.
After all, he had already bought food and necessities.
Apparently not.
Maybe another part-time job was necessary.
Or extra hours.
Very annoying.
Soon, they entered the school grounds.
Baekseong Elementary School looked clean and peaceful.
Children played in the courtyard while teachers walked around calmly.
Noah's eyes sparkled.
"So many kids..."
The admission office was on the first floor.
A middle-aged woman greeted them politely.
"Good morning."
Seo Yuna bowed slightly.
The woman smiled warmly.
"You're here for enrollment?"
"Yes."
The procedure began.
Forms.
Documents.
Identity verification.
Basic information.
Everything went smoothly.
Then the woman looked toward Noah.
"How old are you?"
Noah immediately sat straight.
"Seven!"
The woman smiled.
"Very good."
Then she asked casually,
"And which school did you attend last year?"
The room became quiet.
For a brief moment, Fang and Seo Yuna looked at each other.
They had already discussed this before coming.
Seo Yuna answered calmly.
"My health was very poor last year."
She gently touched Noah's shoulder.
"And Noah's health wasn't good either."
"So she couldn't attend."
The woman looked at both of them carefully.
Her eyes moved across Seo Yuna's thin figure.
Then toward Fang.
Even after recovering slightly, both still looked like people who had struggled for a long time.
After a few seconds, the woman simply nodded.
"I understand."
No further questions came.
The conversation continued.
School schedules.
Required documents.
Class assignments.
Transportation options.
Lunch programs.
Nearly thirty minutes passed.
Finally
The woman organized the paperwork and smiled.
"Everything looks fine."
Seo Yuna visibly relaxed.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Since this is a public school, there aren't many costs."
She checked the documents.
"Enrollment and administrative fees come to about 4,500 yuan."
"And uniforms, supplies, and transportation will be around another 2,000."
Seo Yuna's expression stiffened slightly.
Instinctively, she looked toward Fang.
Worry appeared in her eyes.
It wasn't a small amount.
The woman noticed immediately.
"You don't need to pay today."
"You can complete payment anytime within the next week."
But before Seo Yuna could answer
Fang spoke calmly.
"Can we pay now?"
The woman blinked.
"Now?"
"Hm."
"You don't have to rush."
Fang looked toward Noah.
"We want her to start as soon as possible."
The woman looked surprised for a moment.
Then her expression softened.
Parents usually delay things.
Especially families struggling financially.
But these two wanted their daughter enrolled immediately.
"That's wonderful."
She smiled warmly.
"If payment is completed today, Noah can begin attending classes in just two days."
Silence.
Noah's eyes widened.
"Two days?"
The woman nodded.
"Yes."
For a moment, the little girl simply sat there.
Then slowly turned toward Seo Yuna and Fang.
Her face brightened completely.