SPIDER-MAN: MARK LEE

4

𝟰: 𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥

After hours of staying at Naomi's place for gossiping and light studying, at around 10 pm, I had decided to leave. However, instead of heading straight home, I made a detour to my father's workplace. It had almost been a week since I last interacted with my father. This was primarily due to his constant involvement in either local or international business affairs, resulting in his absence from home.

His busy schedule often made me ponder whether this played a role in my mother's decision to leave him.

Ding.

I finally arrived at the 25th floor, and the doors of the elevator glided apart, unveiling a dim and narrow corridor that eagerly embraced my presence. The emptiness and eeriness of the surroundings sent shivers down my spine, causing a peculiar sensation on my skin. The lack of people in the workplace was completely unexpected, but the late hour seemed to provide a plausible explanation.

As I dismissed my thoughts, I strolled along the hallway, allowing my eyes to roam freely to observe my environment.

My last visit to this place was several years ago, and it appeared as though they had made no alterations to the interior since then. There was nothing new. The atmosphere was dim and rather comforting, reminiscent of its eternal ambiance. Even in the midst of darkness, a glimmer of light emerged from the farthest point of the corridor, emanating through the narrow lite door. Even at that distance, I could discern distinct murmurs originating from the opposite side.

Room 127.

I cautiously placed my hand on the handle and gently pushed the door open to enter. Inside the office, there was a massive table that stretched across the room. Men dressed in tuxedos surrounded it, their focus solely on my father, who was the center of attention. My father appeared impeccable as usual, wearing a white suit and stylishly gelled hair. It seemed like some important meeting, and I felt embarrassed for interrupting as all eyes turned toward me.

"Sweetheart." My father said. "Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice tinged with concern.

No one else in the room uttered a single word; instead, they stared at me with intense gazes. In that instant, I realized that I should have never come by.

I shuddered. Even though I was filled with anxiety, I was able to let it go and concentrate on my purpose of being here. "Oh... Dad, I have something I wanted to ask you. You see, mom wants to invite the three of us for dinner tomorrow to celebrate her birthday. I was wondering if you could possibly-"

"I'm busy, Juliane." My father disrupted, his head shook as a sign for me to leave. "I'll consider."

I let out a low sigh in response, and then shut the door before walking away. Consider. It was always something he said, but never did.

"Dad, let's attend Taeil's singing competition."

"Dad, wanna join us for dinner?"

"It's my birthday. Can you make time for me?"

Every time he responded to these kinds of questions, it was always with the promise to consider it. But did he actually consider it? No, he didn't. He simply brushed it off and acted like it never happened. He never made time for me or Taeil.

I understood why, but I couldn't help but feel sentimental for the merry days of my childhood, when we were still a complete family. I came to the conclusion that I just had to accept the reality. That time was passing by and things were changing.