the view | minsung

78

"ah, minho, my son. welcome back home," their father warmly greeted as he approached, arms open wide, inviting minho for a hug. however, minho extended his arms in a stopping motion, causing his father to halt his steps and drop his arms to his side, a scowl forming on his face.

"you're not even going to greet your old man?" he asked, disappointment evident in his voice.

"i'm not here for a family reunion. i came to talk to you about how you treat minju," minho stated sternly, capturing the attention of the woman sitting on the couch. his father's forehead creased, and his eyes narrowed in response.

"what do you mean by that?" the old man asked, his tone turning intimidating, causing jisung to step back and fade into the background.

"don't pretend you're unaware that you treat your own daughter as if she's your assistant," minho retorted.

at this point, the woman on the couch stood up, inserting herself into the serious conversation. "minho, these accusations seem baseless. if you came back here to start a fight, you shouldn't have come at all," she said, positioning herself between minho and her husband.

"mom, this is none of your business!" minju retorted, her frustration evident in her raised voice, as her own mother seemed oblivious to how she was treated by her own father.

"young lady, manners!" the woman admonished, raising her index finger sternly toward minju.

in the midst of the intensifying situation, minho's father grabbed the woman's shoulder, sternly telling her, "look, let me and the kids talk. go to your room for now."

despite her reluctance, the woman eventually left the scene, her heels clicking on the polished tile as she ascended the stairs.

once the woman had left, the old man settled onto the couch and gestured for them to join him, saying, "come here, let's talk."

at this juncture, the old man remained unaware of the unfamiliar person's presence. so, when jisung walked alongside minho to the couch, the old man immediately fixed his piercing gaze on him and inquired, "who is this?"

"i'll explain later. first, we should discuss the need for you to change how you treat minju and ensure fairness between both of us," minho stated. he wanted to address minju's situation before introducing jisung, as that might complicate matters further.

the old man nodded in response to minho's words, while jisung sat tensely beside minho, keeping his gaze fixed downward and fidgeting with his fingers.

minho cast a concerned glance at jisung but realized that, for now, he needed to focus on discussing the immediate issue without raising suspicions about his relationship with the younger.

"talk," their father commanded, leaning back with both arms resting on the couch.

"i don't like the way you treat minju," minho stated directly.

this statement captured their father's attention, prompting him to shift his position, now leaning forward as he asked, "oh?"

"i'm concerned about the way you treat me kindly, even though i no longer acknowledge you as my father, while you treat minju as if she's your assistant, without even bothering to ask about her day," minho continued, attempting to maintain his composure despite his heart racing. part of him was anxious about how this conversation would unfold.

on the other hand, minju pursed her lips, keeping her head down as nervousness overwhelmed her. she dreaded the uncertain outcome of this confrontation and feared what their father might do to minho.

their father remained momentarily silent, but then he shifted his attention to minju, sternly asking, "is this truly how you feel?"

feeling the weight of his intense gaze, minju couldn't help the trembling of her hands and the tears that welled up in her eyes.