Chapter 114

< The Special Name Called Family >

***

There were times when I wished time would stop while watching my younger sister Yoo Jin’s cute antics.

But busy time waits for no one, and it doesn’t hesitate for a moment.

“Another year older.”

Even Yoo Jin, playing in the frozen yard, seemed to have grown up in a flash.

Four-legged beasts grow faster than humans.

Hongshi, the little pup born on a cold night, who used to crawl around, was now waddling around the yard. Though she couldn’t run fast, she could walk gracefully.

“Hahaha! Hongshi, let’s catch Yoo Jin!”

Yoo Jin, wearing a hat with bells, toddled around while Hongshi followed closely behind.

Yoo Jin kept looking back to make sure Hongshi wasn’t falling behind, adjusting her pace.

Watching this, Jin Hyuk was reminded of the springtime Cheheungbong race.

‘I also ran at a matching pace, worried Mi-kyung might fall.’

It was such a thrilling experience.

The way the hat’s bells jingled and Hongshi’s ears flapped was oddly similar. Though her legs were still weak and shaky, her tail wagged excitedly, showing she was full of energy.

When Hongshi shivered, Yoo Jin quickly ran over and hugged her tightly.

Most kids tend to strangle puppies when they hug them, but Yoo Jin lifted her carefully, as if worried she might crush her.

“Are you cold, Hongshi?”

Yoo Jin blew warm breath on her, and Hongshi wagged her tail like a propeller, not forgetting to lick Yoo Jin’s chin.

Just like Jang Gun-i was to Jin Hyuk, Yoo Jin now had a friend in Hongshi.

Sipping warm citron tea and enjoying the peaceful scene, Jin Hyuk petted Jang Gun-i.

“Jang Gun-i, live long.”

Woof!

Though he didn’t understand the words, Jang Gun-i barked back as if he did.

As everyone knows, dogs don’t live as long as humans.

‘How will I say goodbye to this guy someday?’

Even if he lives a full life, it’s hard to reach 15 years.

The undeniable difference between humans and dogs—Jang Gun-i probably has less than 10 years left. Thinking about the inevitable goodbye made Jin Hyuk’s heart heavy.

“Don’t go to dangerous places, don’t eat strange things, and don’t follow suspicious people.”

Woof!

Jang Gun-i barked in response to every word. Truly a smart dog.

“Hahaha! Hongshi can do this too, right?”

Yoo Jin rolled around in the snow.

Perhaps reminiscing about playing in the snow in Seoul, Hongshi didn’t know how to roll yet. She just chased after Yoo Jin and licked her face, doing her part.

Jin Hyuk, smiling warmly, turned his gaze back to Jang Gun-i.

“Live long, watching Hongshi grow.”

Jin Hyuk isn’t a child who marvels at life.

Nor is he someone who gets sentimental due to hormones or puberty.

He just wanted to remind himself.

“Life being born is fate, but protecting it takes great effort. Life must be protected under the name of family.”

Hehehe.

Contemplating death, waiting on the other side of life, is the privilege of beings with both reason and emotion. In his past life, he had no regrets, but seeing Jang Gun-i, who he met again, giving birth to puppies naturally led him into deep thought.

Grrr—Woof! Woof!

Jang Gun-i suddenly barked fiercely, baring his sharp teeth.

Jin Hyuk, who had been squatting, was startled and fell on his butt.

What the hell? I’m wishing you a long life, and you’re barking like crazy?

You’ve even had puppies and become an adult, so stop nagging, huh?

***

“Ah, I want to eat oysters…”

Han Yu-young muttered while looking at the snowy landscape through the kitchen window.

“I’ll go to the market and buy some.”

“No, the roads are slippery.”

“I have to go out for a meeting anyway.”

Son Kwang-yeon brought oysters from the market, but Han Yu-young only tasted one and stopped eating.

“Does it taste bad? I checked several times to make sure they were fresh…”

“My taste must have changed. It’s too fishy.”

Isn’t the fishy taste what makes oysters delicious?

Jin Hyuk and Son Kwang-yeon also tasted them, but they seemed no different from usual. If anything, they tasted better because it was winter.

Seeing Yoo Jin grabbing a handful and eating them, it didn’t seem like the oysters were bad. It must be because of the baby in her stomach making her sensitive.

“Mom, you want oysters from the sluice gate, don’t you?”

“Mhm.”

Han Yu-young nodded with a sullen face, like a child who didn’t get a Christmas toy.

What to do? No one at home can harvest oysters.

The oysters her mom wanted weren’t the big ones that come up in clusters when you pull a rope from the water.

Near the drainage gate, there were many rocks that only appeared during low tide. The water was clear because there was no mud. Since it was low tide, wearing non-slip shoes wouldn’t be dangerous. The problem was that harvesting them was difficult for non-experts. The oysters attached to the large rocks were small and hard to pry open.

‘You can’t just move the whole rock, can you?’

And this house didn’t have the tool called a “jo-sae” for prying open oysters.

It was because Dad, who didn’t like Mom doing dangerous or dirty work, had hidden it.

If you see the tool, you’ll want to use it, right? Jin Hyuk, who feels the urge to go fishing just by seeing a fishing rod, could understand that.

“I’ll go to Mi-kyung’s house.”

There aren’t many oyster-prying experts in the neighborhood.

He could have called to confirm, but perhaps because he had returned to the countryside, Jin Hyuk chose to visit in person when he needed to ask adults for help.

“Jang Gun-i, stay home.”

He stopped Jang Gun-i, who was trying to follow him while nursing Hongshi, and left the house.

Even though he had his own puppies, Jang Gun-i’s concern for Jin Hyuk was touching.

Bang bang bang!

“Mi-kyung!”

After knocking for a while, Choi Mi-kyung peeked out.

She had a towel wrapped around her head like a turban, looking like she had just washed up.

Choi Mi-kyung, still at her eye level, looked up at Jin Hyuk’s face and smiled brightly.

“Is your mom home?”

“Mom? She went to the sea with Dad because it’s a day with a lot of water.”

“A lot of water” meant low tide.

Choi Mi-kyung often mixed in dialect without realizing it.

In winter, when the tide was low, the women of the village would go to the sea to harvest oysters or seaweed, while the men would gather seaweed to help with the household. Of course, wealthier families went out to enjoy winter delicacies.

“They should be back soon.”

“Can I buy some oysters?”

“They went because your mom wanted the sweet oysters.”

Ah, so that’s why. Jin Hyuk felt a sudden solemnity.

Kim Soon-bok had gone out to the sea on a cold day because of his mom.

The villagers called the oysters near the drainage gate “sweet oysters” because they were less fishy and sweeter than the ones sold in the market.

Choi Mi-kyung told Jin Hyuk about the conversation her parents had last night.

– “Jin Hyuk’s mom really wants those sweet oysters. She looked so desperate. That young one even has puppies now, and coming from another place, she must miss the food her mom used to make.”

– “Then why don’t you go harvest some? It’s not something just anyone can do.”

– “Who else will take care of her? Money isn’t everything. There are things money can’t buy.”

She must have stopped by the house to check on her mom and heard the complaint.

Listening to Choi Mi-kyung’s story, Jin Hyuk’s head naturally bowed.

They are such grateful people.

“I’ll go home and get some money—”

“No, no!”

Choi Mi-kyung quickly waved her hand.

“They’ll be back soon. Help me with my vacation homework instead.”

This cute rascal is at it again.

Jin Hyuk tried his best to come up with a lame excuse.

“We go to different schools—”

Before Jin Hyuk could finish, one corner of Choi Mi-kyung’s mouth twisted into a smirk. It was a sarcastic smile in response to his nonsense.

Well, what does it matter if we’re in the same grade but different schools?

“Ahem. Let’s see what the homework is first.”

Jin Hyuk’s defeat was inevitable, as he wasn’t used to making excuses.

At this age, we don’t have to do exploration assignments anymore, so it shouldn’t be anything weird.

***

Somewhere in Busan.

Jeong Sang-tae found some suspicious figures.

He had used his connections to track down Park Dae-soon’s location, but the guys who arrived first were looking around nervously.

He had no choice but to greet them.

“Grrr, who are you?”

The large man pinned under Jeong Sang-tae’s knee gasped for air.

Jeong Sang-tae had suddenly appeared, slammed the man’s head against the wall, and swept his legs, easily pinning him down. The man rolled his eyes in despair, but his comrades were already sprawled out, barely breathing.

Jeong Sang-tae spoke in a calm voice, as if breathing.

“I won’t ask twice. What are you doing here?”

“Some guy from Seoul told us to come here and deal with the guy living here. That’s all I know.”

“If you don’t know, your life ends here?”

Who would’ve thought he’d use a line he learned from Jin Hyuk here?

He couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“From Seoul, who?”

Gag—.

He must have been pressing on the man’s neck for too long.

The large man’s eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

He didn’t get an answer, but it didn’t matter. It was obvious who was behind this; he just asked to confirm.

Jeong Sang-tae sat on the large man and searched through their belongings.

“Just local thugs.”

He had guessed as much from their appearance and build. It was a familiar situation.

He had encountered similar guys at the last location.

Jeong Sang-tae organized the events in his mind.

‘Park Woo-jung hired Park Dae-soon and then sent people to silence him. Sensing danger, Park Dae-soon moved every six months. But the addresses he moved to were all empty.’

Jeong Sang-tae tapped his temple with his index finger.

Park Dae-soon’s judgment was remarkably sharp, not something you’d expect from a country bumpkin. Whether Park Woo-jung’s plan succeeded or failed, Park Dae-soon would have been killed. Given Dae-jung’s methods, his family wouldn’t have been spared either.

The thugs likely planned to kidnap Park Dae-soon’s family to pressure him. Unintentionally, Jeong Sang-tae ended up protecting Park Dae-soon’s family.

Well, not that there’s anyone left to protect.

Bang bang!

Jeong Sang-tae knocked on the door of the shabby single-story house.

No response, no signs of life inside.

Comparing the utility bills in the mailbox to the electricity meter, it was clear no one had lived here for over four months.

‘Maybe it’s better to end the mission here.’

Or at least pause activities for a while. The longer the mission goes on, the more chances there are to be tracked, and it’s inevitable that Dae-jung will find out. That’s not desirable.

He remembered what Moon Seok-il said when he gave him the mission.

– “It might be better not to look for Jin Hyuk’s sake. I didn’t tell the vice chairman on purpose.”

He didn’t need to hear the reason. They were friends who could understand each other just by looking into each other’s eyes.

Park Dae-soon was a pawn unrelated to the present. Jeong Sang-tae interpreted Moon Seok-il’s intention as burying the past.

After all, Jin Hyuk wasn’t harmed. And Jin Hyuk didn’t seem to want revenge.

‘If he asks me to look again, I’ll step up then.’

For now, it’s better to lay low because of these annoying guys.

The burden of a life on the run is Park Dae-soon’s to bear.

Groaning, Jeong Sang-tae got up, leaning on his knee.

“Let’s just go home.”

It wasn’t bad to take occasional trips like this while on a business trip. Yesterday, to celebrate coming to Busan, he had pork soup with rice. He felt a small happiness with a bowl full of chives and seasoning.

But Jeong Sang-tae, with his parents and family in the town of Taeyang-gun, longed for their faces and voices. It was a longing he hadn’t realized during his busy military service filled with training and missions.

Family—seeing them every day, even a day or two apart made his chest feel empty.

He slipped a 10,000-won bill into the thug’s wallet and tossed it onto the large man’s back.

“Buy some red medicine and apply it. Don’t ruin your ugly face.”

The large man’s body twitched as he lay unconscious.

Beaten and medicated.

It was the gratitude of a touched man.

***

Clatter clatter clatter!

Was there ever a day when the sound of a tractor was this welcome?

Jin Hyuk, who had been lying on the living room floor solving math problems with his childhood friend, jumped up.

The tractor’s sound hadn’t even stopped when Kim Soon-bok entered the house, her body filled with cold air. She must have gotten off at the yard entrance and walked in first.

“Eek!”

Choi Mi-kyung’s eyes widened endlessly as she looked into the basket.