Chapter 155

<Stroll (2)>

***

Hohohop-.

“Ahh-, this taste-.”

Jin Hyuk, sitting alone on the bench, swung his legs and enjoyed his freedom.

In a world where adults often say drinking coffee will keep you awake and stunt your growth, he secretly drank it whenever he wanted. Even though his parents praised him for being good at everything, Jin Hyuk knew deep down that it wasn’t because he was actually good at everything.

During finals week, he was making a game in C++ to clear his mind, and after his mom pinched his earlobe and said, “Wow, you’re so good,” he realized once again that he shouldn’t take everything at face value.

Anyway, coffee is delicious.

Sweet, bitter, and hot—it’s the taste that soothes a man’s loneliness. It’s hard to get his favorite espresso, but having instant coffee is better than nothing. Since he tires himself out with exercise, he always sleeps well, and instant coffee also serves as a great energy source during workouts. It’s especially effective when doing weight training to stimulate joints and muscles.

‘Whether it’s because of the coffee or the creamer, I don’t know. And I don’t care.’

Exhausted from the heat and after running around all day, his siblings were sprawled out in the living room. Taking advantage of the moment, he lit a bonfire in the yard and enjoyed the bitter taste of a cup of coffee. It was sweet.

– “Pour it all out and come back. They say keeping things bottled up makes you sick.”

As a son and the eldest, it was sincere advice he gave to his mom.

Even though their family was well-off and had enviable connections, his mom still had shadows under her eyes. She sometimes sighed, and Jin Hyuk listened to her stories to comfort her. Some of the things he heard from Hong Ki-jun were distorted memories due to the shock his mom had experienced.

– “Mom had an older sister, and she misses her. Sometimes she gets calls where the person hangs up without saying anything, and she thinks it might be her sister.”

His mom cried like a baby, her nose and eyebrows red, unable to make a sound. Seeing her cry so pitifully, Jin Hyuk decided to let go of the resentment he had been holding.

What does it matter if they’re not blood-related?

Someone you miss so much that it hurts is family, isn’t it?

It might be presumptuous to guess how his mom feels, but Jin Hyuk convinced her with those words. He wanted his mom to be happier than him.

‘Anyway, I’ve never met those people in this life, so as long as mom forgives them, that’s all that matters.’

If his mom forgave that family, Jin Hyuk was ready to forget about them too.

In his past life, Jin Hyuk hadn’t gone out of his way to seek revenge or hold grudges.

If anyone knew his situation, they might call him an idiot, but for Jin Hyuk, who now lives in the present, those events didn’t exist and never happened. Even though light and shadow can’t be separated, he was trying hard to forget the dark memories overshadowing his otherwise enviable happiness.

‘I’m living a second life, but mom only has one. If mom is happy, I’ll be happy too.’

Hohohop-.

Ahh-, feels good.

“Jang Gun-i, want a sip? But they say drinking this will stunt your growth. You’re already a short-legged dog-.”

Grrr-.

Jang Gun-i opened his triangular eyes and bared his teeth.

“That’s just your impulsive aggression. Try to see the world more beautifully.”

Grrrr-.

But it seemed the world wasn’t beautiful in Jang Gun-i’s eyes.

Jin Hyuk ignored Jang Gun-i and sipped his coffee.

This guy always acts like this even when you tell him the truth.

If you’re upset, grow taller.

Just as he was ignoring Jang Gun-i and enjoying the flavor of his instant coffee, Yoo Jin approached, dragging her mismatched slippers.

“Oppa, I want coffee too.”

“No! It’ll stunt your growth.”

***

After crying for a long time, Kim Eung-nyeo and Han Yu-young sat down again with calmer hearts. This time, they sat close together, not facing each other but side by side.

Thanks to Son Kwang-yeon giving them space, his bloodshot eyes as he rushed to the bathroom seemed like a considerate gesture to let the sisters talk comfortably.

Kim Eung-nyeo talked about her mother, who had passed away in a hit-and-run accident over ten years ago, while keeping an eye on Han Yu-young’s reaction. It was the kind of expression someone who had done wrong and was trying to gauge the other’s feelings would have.

“Our mom, she used to visit dad’s grave sometimes, right?”

“Yeah. She was so good to me······.”

Thanks to her son Jin Hyuk, she had found the courage to open up, but breaking down the barriers in her heart and stepping forward required her own resolve. If she hadn’t found flowers left by someone unknown every year and season, Han Yu-young might not have come today.

“Seeing Ga-yun and Ga-young made me realize I can’t keep living like this. They both got into Taeyang High School because they studied hard. The younger one is graduating this year. Ever since they were little, they’d come to the café after school to help me, but they’ve seen a lot of things they shouldn’t have, like cigarette smoke. We had to make ends meet, and I had no skills. I had to teach them to study too, since their throats were like grapevines. I thought I’d keep going until Ga-young got into college, but then I’d have to sort things out.”

Her mixed dialect and standard speech, which Han Yu-young hadn’t heard in almost 20 years, made her smile as she remembered their childhood.

“How’s Ga-yun doing? I haven’t seen her since she was a baby.”

“She’s in college. She could’ve gone to Seoul, but she chose a national university in Daejeon because the tuition was cheaper. She even works part-time to buy her mom cosmetics. She’s already in her third year?”

Kim Eung-nyeo’s face showed a faint smile as she subtly bragged about her daughter.

Han Yu-young’s face also brightened.

She felt it was good that she came to pour her heart out.

After Kim Eung-nyeo’s outburst, the other guests had left, and only the quiet music and the voices of the two women filled the hall.

Her husband had accompanied her, and there were two strong, agile bodyguards. The person she had feared seeing wasn’t there.

“······What about your brother-in-law?”

“Ugh, that scoundrel······.”

Kim Eung-nyeo let out a long sigh and wiped her tears again.

“Whenever I saved up money for the kids’ textbooks, he’d take it all to gamble. If I hid the money, he’d hit me to make me give it to him······.”

“Sis, you’ve been through so much.”

“I just endured it for the kids. They’re so smart, it’d be a waste if they couldn’t study.”

Han Yu-young nodded as she stroked her sister’s wrinkled face.

Both Kim Eung-nyeo and Han Yu-young had graduated from the same girls’ commercial high school. Back then, commercial schools were more competitive and preferred by female students than humanities high schools. Kim Eung-nyeo must have been smart to have graduated high school in those days.

Han Yu-young smiled as she vaguely remembered Kim Eung-nyeo with her hair braided in two, wearing a green hairpin and a navy blue high school uniform.

But now, she was a middle-aged woman clinging to her sanity in a tiger-like reality. Han Yu-young’s eyes showed pity.

‘How did our sister end up with such a man?’

Kim Eung-nyeo had met the thug while working as an accountant at a small architecture office after graduating from commercial school. It seemed he hadn’t changed, still causing trouble.

“Once, I knelt and begged him. I told him the kids were all grown up, and for their sake, he should live without shame. After that, he seemed to pull himself together and said he was doing some business, but who knows if he’s really working or just gambling······.”

“Does he bring money home?”

“Oh, please-, that’s just wishful thinking. That man bringing money home? It’s a miracle if he doesn’t take out loans······. This café almost went under once, but I managed to save it. Sometimes he’s gone for a month. It’s actually better not to see him.”

Sigh-.

Without needing to say more, the two women sighed simultaneously.

They held each other’s hands tightly.

“Ga-yun would be happy to see her aunt-. Wait. I should at least introduce Ga-young.”

“She’s preparing for college, just let her be. But is Ga-yun home for the holidays?”

“Oh, during the holidays, she tutors during the day and meets friends in the evening. Her friends all went to college in Seoul. But lately, it seems like she’s meeting some guy more than her friends.”

Han Yu-young’s expression turned serious.

There’s a saying that daughters inherit their mothers’ fates, and she was worried Ga-yun might end up with someone like Kim Eung-nyeo’s husband, Hwang Yeong-mo.

“He’s not a bad person, is he?”

“He doesn’t seem like a bad person. He’s tall and handsome. He sometimes comes to our café, but he doesn’t flirt with the waitresses, just quietly drinks his tea and leaves. He doesn’t seem like he’s from around here.”

Han Yu-young nodded, not asking further. She didn’t want to pry too much, thinking it might be impolite to satisfy her own curiosity.

“If she likes him, whether it’s his age or job, we shouldn’t interfere. My mom couldn’t break my stubbornness either······.”

Kim Eung-nyeo couldn’t continue.

They both knew what she meant without saying more.

***

After comforting Kim Eung-nyeo, Han Yu-young left the café, promising to meet again.

Myeong Hyun-woo took the wheel, and Yoo Tae-hwa, Han Yu-young’s dedicated bodyguard, sat in the passenger seat.

Son Kwang-yeon gently stroked his wife’s hand.

“Do you feel better?”

“Yes. Eating the meal sis made for me feels good······.”

It was comforting, but the lingering bitterness from Kim Eung-nyeo’s lament wasn’t entirely gone.

She had apologized repeatedly, saying she had cried tears of blood watching Hwang Yeong-mo ruin their lives and take what little they had left. She said she was grateful they were doing well now and thanked Son Kwang-yeon, holding his hand.

At this point, whether Han Yu-young believed Kim Eung-nyeo or not didn’t matter.

“It’s about forgiveness.”

“Jin Hyuk said that?”

When Son Kwang-yeon asked, Han Yu-young nodded with an expressionless face.

She couldn’t help but be expressionless.

‘Can I forgive?’

Nearly 20 years had passed, and while distorted memories could heal, could the wounds heal too? It was an event that had left a deep impact, especially because she was so young.

Her son Jin Hyuk had encouraged her to be brave for the family. He said connections are scary, and people you never thought you’d meet could suddenly appear. He asked if she would run away scared when that happened.

‘I can’t keep running forever.’

While she believed the issue of forgiveness was valid, she also wanted to trust Kim Eung-nyeo.

Among the things she learned today was that Kim Eung-nyeo had been pregnant with her second daughter at the time. That made her want to trust her even more. A woman carrying a child becomes fiercely protective, even being careful with sneezes, as she knew from experience. How could such a person actively participate in something harmful?

The image of Hwang Ga-young, a shy high school senior, greeting her aunt for the first time also added credibility to Han Yu-young’s thoughts.

Accepting and trusting statements is a matter of reason.

As someone married to the most influential person in the region, her past was now a trivial matter.

But Han Yu-young considered today’s reunion a significant step forward in her life.

It was a rare emotional and mental maturity she might not experience again.

Emotional cleansing.

It felt like walking barefoot on soft soil under warm sunlight, or strolling in a silk robe in a gentle breeze. She felt more at ease and peaceful.

She was grateful to her son for giving her courage.

Thinking of Jin Hyuk, the corners of Han Yu-young’s eyes naturally curved.

“Our son is a blessing.”

The eldest is usually dependable, but could there be another child like him?

“After Jin Hyuk was born, our lives improved, so he’s always been a blessing. But lately, he’s been a bit strange······.”

Son Kwang-yeon pouted and furrowed his brow, trailing off.

After a moment of silence, the couple spoke simultaneously.

“He’s become more affectionate.”

“He’s become a bit of a fool.”

Huh?

The parents had contrasting opinions.

To the mom, he was an affectionate son, but to the dad, he seemed like a fool.

However.

When they arrived home and saw Yoo Jin running towards the car, crying, the parents had the same thought.

“Waaaaah-! Oppa didn’t give me coffeeee!”

Their son, sitting on the bench, quickly downed his coffee in one shot after spotting the car, which didn’t escape the parents’ notice.

‘Ugh, that kid······.’

At least don’t let your siblings see.

Kids who make their siblings cry always act so annoyingly, like they’re teasing them right in front of their faces.

The blessed son turned into a lousy older brother who made his younger siblings cry in less than a minute.

***

The five family members gathered in Jin Hyuk’s room.

The baby and the little one fell asleep to the sound of crickets outside the window.

“What about helping them?”

Son Kwang-yeon stroked Yoo Jin’s forehead as she slept, hugging her teddy bear.

Han Yu-young kept her mouth shut and said nothing. She needed time to sort out the lingering emotions, and above all, Hwang Yeong-mo’s presence was a factor.

Then Jin Hyuk, who was skilled at reading his mom’s mood, had to step up.

Jin Hyuk, peeling the callus off his big toe, acted a bit blunt.

“Everyone has to live their own lives. What’s there to help······.”

Forgiveness is one thing, but financial support is another.

No matter how much his mom considered them family, in reality, they were strangers. It’s different from supporting Jo Seol-chan, who was a minor living in difficult circumstances. Kim Eung-nyeo was already an independent adult with her own family.

“How’s Ga-young doing?”

“Hmm, she’s studying really well- How do you know her name?”

“Oh, um······. You mentioned it earlier.”

Did she?

Han Yu-young just nodded, thankfully not pressing further.

“She’s at the top of her class. She could probably get into a prestigious university, but she says she’ll go to a national university like her sister because her mom is struggling.”

It was shocking.

The eldest, Hwang Ga-yun, had attended a high school in a remote area where you could get in just by applying. She had dabbled in glue and gas, riding around town on the back of a boy’s motorcycle in hot pants, regardless of weekends or weekdays.

‘And now, what? She’s going to college? A national university on a scholarship?’

She even buys her mom cosmetics with her part-time job earnings.

The image of her getting hit with a broom for touching the café’s safe still lingered like a black-and-white movie, but now she’s a model student and a filial daughter.

The second one too.

She was smart but had nothing to do with studying, and now she’s a top student in her class.

Jin Hyuk felt like thunder was rumbling in his ears.

It was an earth-shattering shock.

These didn’t seem like the people he knew.