Please Do Your Debauchery After You Die - Chapter 298

Episode 298: Mayo’s Past

Lucy’s bold suggestion left me with a lot to think about.

To be honest, the first thought that popped into my head when Lucy made her suggestion was, “Huh? Maybe three would be better than two?”

It felt a bit tense having just two people living together, but when it increased to three, it seemed like the perception would lighten a bit, I suppose?

It’s hard to explain, but that was how I felt.

“But wouldn’t Miho feel left out if three of us actually lived together?”

I pondered for a moment, but considering my age of 30 and Miho’s personality, the likelihood of that happening seemed very low.

Still, just to be sure, I decided to ask before making a decision.

And in fact, the most important thing was Mayo’s feelings.

As we talked, I figured I’d learn more about Mayo’s personal life.

“She’s still a minor. She’s probably quite sensitive about things like this.”

I decided not to approach the subject hastily.

Even though I am the leader of the crew, business and personal matters must be distinguished.

So, I decided to leave it to Lucy, who was on friendlier terms with Mayo.

“Sure. I’ll ask her how she feels about it. Still, it seems her financial situation has improved a lot recently. She got funding for her architecture project. But living alone at such a young age, there are many things she probably can’t handle….”

It’s true that there must be many uncomfortable issues for a minor living alone.

Moreover, considering the personality and behavior I’ve seen from Mayo up until now, she wasn’t someone who was meticulous or took good care of herself.

“Okay. I’ll talk to her right away. Just wait a little.”

“Yes. It’s not urgent, so take your time.”

I couldn’t grasp why everything suddenly turned to this matter.

Nevertheless, now that I knew about the difficult situation, I couldn’t just leave it be.

Mayo was one of the precious crew members, after all.

“I need to reflect on how I’ve only treated her as a job despite saying she’s precious. I’ll pay more attention to Miho from now on.”

I took a brief moment of reflection.

Then, shortly after, I received a call back from Lucy.

“Mayo said she wants to talk together with us.”

“Really? Just like that? What on earth is Mayo….”

What on earth is going through her mind?

For now, I decided to have a conversation with everyone together.

***

Mayo thought to herself.

Her sisters worried too much about unnecessary things.

She had already lived in this tiny 6-pyeong studio for three years.

She thought she had successfully risen to independence.

“Was it three years or four? I think I moved out around the time I was in middle school.”

It wasn’t something she wanted to remember much.

Maybe because of that, most of her childhood memories were hazy.

When she was younger, she lived with her “biological parents.”

They weren’t from a wealthy family, but they didn’t lack anything either.

A normal family that can be seen commonly in South Korea.

But one day, her father passed away in a traffic accident.

The household fell apart in an instant, and eventually, her mother had to work late alone to support the family.

For some time, every morning when she woke up, she would see a lone 10,000 won bill on the table, and her mother, who came home late in the evening, was always exhausted, often collapsing directly onto the bed without an opportunity to talk.

The family had debts, and her mother had to work overtime as well as take on additional part-time jobs on weekends to repay them.

Mayo thought.

She should do what she could to help her tired mother.

So she started coming home early from school to help out with chores.

Was it thanks to those efforts?

It seemed there was a vague smile lingering on her mother’s lips for a while.

But that memory lasted only a moment.

From when?

It wasn’t just about coming home late anymore; her mother’s absences were increasing.

Mayo remembered her mother as someone who was often lonely.

And she relied heavily on her father.

Was the burden on her too heavy?

Days turned into weeks, and soon the intervals between her mother returning home began to lengthen.

Mayo had a bad feeling about it.

But she was too afraid to bring it up, fearing her mother would disappear right away, and so she just smiled instead.

She prayed that her mother would come home, even if it was late.

But that never happened.

“Oh, in the end, it’s just me… left.”

It had been a week since her mother had last come home.

Even during the times when her mother was late, she would usually return within four days.

Staring blankly at the calendar, Mayo realized the fact that she was alone.

She couldn’t even think of calling the police.

As it happened, it was during vacation, and there was no need to go to school.

“I’m hungry….”

Even in such a situation, her body was straightforward about its needs.

It loudly protested, urging her to consume something to survive.

But all that was left in the fridge and pantry were a few packets of instant rice and mayonnaise sauce.

She endured the hunger for several days, just eating plain rice and drinking tap water.

She felt dizzy and hungry; now all she could do was lie in bed all day and fall asleep, feeling like the dead.

“Everyone has abandoned me.”

Even wanting to ask for help from the outside, the shock of being abandoned by her mother stole away Mayo’s courage.

Was she going to slowly d*e like this?

Now, in a situation where even instant rice was about to run out, Mayo quietly opened the fridge.

Inside sat a solitary bottle of mayonnaise.

She reached out and opened the lid in a daze.

She was beyond hungry now; the pain in her stomach was unbearable.

Her instincts screamed for her to put something inside her right away.

Ah, maybe something broke at that time?

“…So good!”

***

“Fortunately, my aunt came to find me. She said she got a text from mother. Haha, she sent just a text and then cut off contact.”

“…….”

Mayo’s aunt was a very ordinary small-town person.

Somewhat sympathetic and somewhat selfish.

At first, she brought Mayo home and took care of her lovingly.

Dressing her, feeding her, and putting her to bed; it wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say she treated her like her own child.

But one day, suddenly having a sensitive middle school girl move into the house wasn’t something one could think of lightly.

Her aunt already had two children of her own, sharing a small room with their cousin, and as expenses increased in their already tight household, quarrels between her aunt and uncle became inevitable.

“……I’m the mayonnaise.”

Additionally, every meal, the bizarre habit of mixing mayonnaise with rice made it difficult for her aunt to view her niece without discomfort.

Thus, after living with her aunt for about two years while eating her meals quietly, Mayo resolved to become independent.

Gradually, she started to feel the same vibes from her uncle and aunt that she had from her “mother.”

“I don’t want to be abandoned anymore. I’d rather leave first.”

Whether or not they were willing, her aunt agreed to support her with rent.

Of course, since her aunt wasn’t in a comfortable situation either, they had to put in efforts to find a place with cheap rent.

“It may not be very warm, but there’s an electric blanket, and if I layer my clothes while sleeping, it’s okay! I don’t have a problem as long as I have rice and mayonnaise!”

“…….”

Mayo’s voice sounded odd without the usual slang she used.

No, it wasn’t just a matter of slang.

She was talking about a past that could generally be seen as very unhappy, yet her attitude was bright as if she were recounting someone else’s story.

“Hey! It’s no big deal. If you don’t ‘expect’ anything, then there’s nothing to be hurt over, and the disappointments lessen.”

Mayo said that was why she felt happier and more joyful.

She never expected to find such good relationships and happiness in the V-Live Crew.

“Mayo, Seoa, aah!”

Finally, Lucy’s tears burst forth.

It sounded like if we were next to her, she would hug us and cry loudly.

In response to Lucy’s reaction, Mayo awkwardly said that she was living well without much inconvenience in her current situation.

“No, Mayo. That’s not living comfortably.”

I also agreed with Lucy’s statement.

That reaction wasn’t because she didn’t feel discomfort; it was because she had given up so much from the start…

“No, really, I’m okay.”

“Hey! Stop with the nonsense and start getting ready to move.”

The dream of spending a cozy time with Lucy was shattered, but after hearing this kind of story, how could I refuse her proposal?

I decided to wholeheartedly accept Lucy’s suggestion.

Alright, since it has come to this, I should find a way to take care of this mayonnaise-starved little kid as well.

I gave her a serious word, as she kept insisting that she was doing fine.

“Is that living well? Spending all day cooped up alone, with greasy hair, dark circles down to your cheeks, just playing on the computer without a single friend.”

“……Boohoo!”

Ah, was that too harsh?