Chapter 78
- Weren't you startled because I was scary?
2023.07.17.
"You are me, and I am you, so you can't do that, So-eun."
Mal-hee rebuked in a tone like a lecturing principal. So-eun couldn't agree with her assertion.
Of course, even now, facing each other as strangers, there was still a tender feeling. Because, as Mal-hee said, she had shared something precious with her. But that didn't mean that she and Mal-hee were bound together as a community of fate.
"Our Hee-wook is a wreck because of you."
Madam Kim Mal-hee, her eyelids reddened, sobbed.
"I won't make it long. Okay. If I did anything wrong, I'm sorry."
But soon, she wiped the moisture from her eyes and delivered her business with a stiff apology.
"So come back now and marry our Hee-wook. My heart aches when I think about what you did to my son, but what can I do? Hee-wook likes you so much."
"...Madam, I'm a little taken aback. If Yang Hee-wook likes me, am I supposed to follow? Why can't you think that I might have my own feelings? I broke up with Yang Hee-wook because I don't like him anymore."
"If my son keeps going like this, I'll die! If I die, you'll be a murderer!"
She tried to explain it in a way she could understand, but Mal-hee just shouted.
"So-eun, we can't be separated. We're one body."
"Then why don't you marry Yang Hee-wook, Madam?"
Now So-eun was also angry.
"Madam, don't you think you've ever killed my personality?"
The painful time when she felt wronged and upset but swallowed it inside, when she was losing hope, flowed back up her esophagus and poured out.
"While putting up with you and Yang Hee-wook's displeased looks, while secretly hearing you say that your son is too good for me, while comforting myself by saying I should endure it, I killed myself several times too."
"What are you saying? When did I ever do that!"
"Stop it. It's not even worth arguing with."
At that moment, a large hand suddenly appeared between So-eun and Mal-hee. A hand so large it could grab Kim Mal-hee's face, shake her, and throw her. It was Kim Tae-joon.
So-eun and Mal-hee's heads turned to the side, and their eyes widened at the same time.
"Who are you to interfere?"
"I'm Han So-eun's boyfriend."
"What? ...How could you pick someone like this gigolo."
"Better than someone ugly like your son."
"What?"
So-eun, in the midst of the seriousness, burst out laughing at Tae-joon's composure in deflecting Mal-hee's criticism, and she tightened her lips. When she was dealing with her alone, Kim Mal-hee was so unreasonable that it seemed like a battle where the loudest person wins, and she felt helpless, but just having him standing next to her was a great strength.
No, he wasn't just standing there. Tae-joon's presence was terrifying.
"What are you doing here? Go back right now."
Tae-joon stepped between Mal-hee and So-eun, completely blocking So-eun's body from Mal-hee, and looked down at Mal-hee, pouring out cold words.
"You should think a little. You were already supposed to be dead, but you had your life extended. Thanks to Han So-eun."
His voice was so terrifying, like a grim reaper, that even So-eun felt a chill.
"Your current life is a bonus. You should be grateful for that."
But Kim Mal-hee wasn't one to back down like this. Mal-hee also desperately retorted, even pointing her finger.
"What's so good about this girl? Can you marry someone like this? Huh? Someone with scars all over her body, someone who loves our Hee-wook so much that she cut out her liver for me. Huh? Do you really like someone like this?"
A strange light flashed in Tae-joon's eyes for a moment. Tae-joon grabbed Mal-hee by the collar before she could even shout. The small-framed Mal-hee was lifted up by Tae-joon's grip.
"What's wrong with you, what's wrong with you."
"If you spout that kind of nonsense again, I won't stand it."
Even though Mal-hee's face turned blue and she gasped for breath, Tae-joon didn't bat an eye.
He was a man without respect for elders.
Still, So-eun wanted to stop him for Tae-joon's sake, but she couldn't find a gap to intervene. Fortunately, Tae-joon let go of her hand soon. Mal-hee, who had fallen to the ground with a thud, sat down and wailed.
"Aigo! Aigo!"
Because it was such a quiet alley, the wailing echoed loudly. But no one looked out.
Tae-joon grabbed Mal-hee's shoulders and lifted her up.
"Don't ever come here again. I'm just letting you go today. Madam."
"Aigo! Aigo, I'm going to die!"
"Stop playing tricks and get lost."
Tae-joon was terrifying until the very last moment.
A taxi appeared at the end of the alley. It seemed he had called it before arriving here. Tae-joon calmly waved his hand at the taxi, opened the car door, carefully put Mal-hee in, and gave the driver plenty of money.
"Please go to Seoul."
The car door closed, and the taxi drove away immediately. Tae-joon watched the taxi fiercely for a long time before turning his head.
"Are you okay?"
The brutal man who had made her heart pound throughout the whole time she was watching him quickly changed his expression as if flipping a card.
So-eun felt another chill from his calm appearance, as if he had never been a violent man.
"...How did you know to come here?"
"I was passing by and stopped by for a moment."
"Wow, that's amazing..."
As So-eun made a blank reaction with dead fish eyes, Tae-joon's eyes narrowed.
"I don't intend to apologize, but weren't you startled because I was scary?"
So-eun shook her head vigorously. She was scared and startled, but not startled because he was scary.
"Yang Hee-wook came to see you, and today Yang Hee-wook's mother came. Has this happened before?"
"Actually, yesterday Yang Hee-wook's sister called and yelled at me."
"..."
"But it was something I could just ignore. It seemed like she just called to vent."
So-eun shrugged as if it was nothing as she told him about yesterday's events. Still, Tae-joon's expression was serious.
"I'm sure they understood everything. Madam Kim Mal-hee came alone today, after all. There won't be anything like that anymore."
"Still, I think I should give them a warning to make sure they understand properly."
With a few wrinkles on his smooth brow, Tae-joon became lost in thought.
"Should I break all their legs? So they can never show their faces again."
He was serious about everything. So-eun, suddenly frightened, hurriedly stopped Tae-joon.
"It's dangerous. And that family's child is nine years old. An age when they need their parents."
"Well. I don't know. Nine years old seems like a good age to be independent."
To Tae-joon, who had lost his parents at once when he was ten years old, the sadness that a nine-year-old child would get because of bad parents was a trivial story. He was not a person who would bother to leave emotions in a group that he didn't need to empathize with.
Tae-joon carefully took So-eun home and came outside.
As he came down the stairs and suddenly turned his head, he saw a thick envelope sticking out of the mailbox with So-eun's house number on it. These trivial things had the potential to create danger. Tae-joon took out the mail, thinking he should bring it to So-eun. But the foot he was about to step up the stairs with stopped.
It was mail sent from the Korean Embassy in the Philippines.
Tae-joon took the mail and got into the car. After staring at the cover for a long time, he tore open the envelope with a slow sigh.
Along with the text 'We have confirmed the whereabouts of Han Hong-gyu, whom you inquired about, but unfortunately, Han Hong-gyu passed away last April,' a report on the circumstances of his death was attached. And, an announcement that if you want to confirm the Relics of the deceased, you can go to the enclosed address.
He didn't even know that So-eun was also looking for her father's whereabouts. To think that he was such a heartless father who didn't even contact her once even though his daughter was looking for him like this. Even though he was already a person who had passed away, Tae-joon hated Han Hong-gyu very much.
There was no need for So-eun to know about this.
Tae-joon, determined to contact the Philippine Embassy separately tomorrow, put the documents back in the envelope, started the car, and opened the car window. When he made eye contact with a private security guard guarding the front of So-eun's house, he nodded slightly. He felt sorry for not telling So-eun separately, but he judged that it would be better to maintain this state for the time being.
*
Seok-hwa, who finished work early, contacted Tae-joon. Tae-joon gave her the answer that he would arrive home without being late, so Seok-hwa parked her car in Tae-joon's apartment parking lot and waited for Tae-joon. Not long after, Tae-joon arrived.
"Tae-joon."
"It's nice to see you morning and evening."
After parking the car, Tae-joon, who had approached at Seok-hwa's voice, stretched his lips long. Even though his nephew had rushed over this night, he had a face as fresh as midday.
"I know."
She wanted to smile along with her nephew, but a slight spasm occurred at the end of her lips, which she had raised with effort.
"Would you like to go up?"
"Yes. Let's do that."
Seok-hwa was guided by Tae-joon and went up to the 30th floor.
It was her first time visiting Tae-joon's house. The neatness of the house, even though he lived alone, made her guess at her nephew's tidy personality. Seok-hwa, who walked leisurely toward the display case in the living room, placed the celestial globe she had brought this time next to the Joseon white porcelain.
On one side, the Moon Jar that she had given as a gift in the beginning was placed. The Moon Jar, which was said to have been broken in two, stood proudly, maintaining its original appearance on a tray filled with white pebbles. The stones supporting the bottom held the shape of the jar in its original form.
"The Moon Jar turned out like this."
"I just glued it together, but it fell apart quickly."
Tae-joon answered while clattering in the kitchen. Seok-hwa stared blankly at the few candies in the Moon Jar.
"A friend said that if I support the bottom using the principle of leverage, I can maintain the shape, so I'm maintaining it like that. Aunt, what kind of tea would you like?"
"I'll just have water."
She felt a pang as if she had peeked into someone else's bedroom by looking into the belly of the Moon Jar. Seok-hwa tidied up her seat and quickly went to the kitchen.
Tae-joon put a glass in front of Seok-hwa and asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Tae-joon."
"Yes."
Seok-hwa hesitated a little in front of her nephew's beautiful smile.
"Actually, I found out about that girl."
"......"
"Han So-eun."
At Seok-hwa's confession, Tae-joon's flawless, neat smile crumbled.
As if to say, how dare you bring that woman's name to your lips, her nephew's eyes were full of reproach.
"Did you hear it from Director Song Mun-gyeong?"
He had an expression that he couldn't forgive whoever it was.
