NOVEL NEXT #054
#054
I was resting at home when I got a call from an unknown number, so I hesitated whether to answer or not, but eventually did. I had an uneasy feeling, but since Grandmother was in the hospital, I was anxious about just ignoring it. The hospital might need to contact me.
“Hello.”
Even though I answered after contemplating, there was silence on the other end. I thought it might be a wrong number, but soon a dry voice came through.
– We should go shopping, right?
It was an unfamiliar voice, but based on the content of the conversation and the voice, I could tell the other person was Ha Jin’s mother, Baek Su-ah. She said we have to go shopping every quarter. The date has already approached. But this family is really funny. Do we have to go shopping every quarter?
“I guess so.”
I also roughly spat out words as if I were very indifferent and stayed still. Then a deep sigh was heard from the other end.
– I’ll be there in 30 minutes, so come out when I call you again.
“Wait a minute!”
I stopped her as she was about to quickly hang up. I still had something to say.
……
“Do we have to go together?”
– What does that mean?
“I was wondering if I could drive there by myself.”
Silence followed again. I thought maybe going together was also included in the “shopping every quarter,” but an answer was heard over the receiver. It was a completely different answer than I expected.
– It’s better for me if we go separately. You’re the one who put going together in the request, aren’t you?
“?”
– Then let’s meet at 3 o’clock at Fleure Department Store.
As if worried I might change my mind, she said that and immediately hung up. I stood there frozen, staring at the blackened phone screen for a long time.
“Ha Jin? Requested it?”
What does this mean? I thought it was funny enough that we go shopping every quarter. That was requested by Ha Jin? When the hypothesis was formed, a rough situation was drawn.
Ha Jin, the chaebol son. The cute boy who used to smile brightly when he was young, but gradually loses his smile under his cold parents. However, in a corner of his heart, there is still the young Ha Jin who yearns for his parents’ love… It’s like a setting that often appears in makjang dramas.
So it sounded like Ha Jin requested shopping every quarter to create time with his mother. Including riding in the car and moving together.
“I don’t want to know about Ha Jin’s hidden narrative…”
Why does only Ha Jin’s pitiful side keep coming out? Why are you making this son of a bitch a poor puppy shivering and trembling in the rain? To think Ha Jin had the worst narrative among the webtoon characters.
“I’m the only one who’s pitiful.”
Everyone else is on a flower path, but only I’m on a thorny path.
* * *
Just like last time, I thought we would continue shopping without much conversation, but when the employees left their seats for a moment and the two of us were left alone, mother brought up what she wanted to say to me.
“If you’re going to release them anyway, why don’t you stop shopping too?”
As expected, my prediction was correct. It was now certain that Baek Su-ah goes shopping with Ha Jin every quarter at his request. I reserved my immediate answer.
“If you’re releasing them step by step, I wish the period until the next release was a bit shorter.”
It’s just because Ha Jin became a little bit pitiful. My brows furrowed involuntarily at her attitude that didn’t seem like treating a son. Blood is thicker than water, my ass. It’s very thin and transparent.
“How can you be so similar to the Chairman that you don’t answer when you think it’s disadvantageous to you? You look like me but your personality is like the Chairman. You’re dying to show that you’re our child, aren’t you?”
Baek Su-ah snidely remarked as if she was displeased with even the natural principle of a child resembling their parents. She wasn’t like this at our last meeting, but today she was extremely hostile towards me as if something had happened. Her furrowed face looked like it would spew venom at me at any moment. She was already spewing quite a bit, though.
Right now, it seems like the three of us should hold hands and go to a psychological counseling center together, not shopping. To a place that specializes in family counseling.
“I know, right. Of all things, even if I resemble you in appearance…”
Resemble you? Ha Jin!
Baek Su-ah, his mother, is saying he resembles her. But in fact, Ha Jin’s face was modeled after my face. I haven’t asked the author yet, but is that important? I’d rather be told I resemble you. Seeing Baek Su-ah dislike it so much as if she didn’t want him to resemble her, I suddenly felt heated for no reason.
“Watch your words.”
When she’s been the one saying bad things so far. Baek Su-ah warned me, trembling her lips. What did I do? Her face, distorted with anger, was transparently showing how miserable a situation she was in, as if I had really said something terrible. Rather, it felt like I was the one who got slapped in the face out of nowhere.
‘But why?’
I’m dumbfounded and dazed as if I got slapped while staying still.
“It’s not like he wanted to resemble you, is it?”
As if Ha Jin wanted to be born with this face.
“Can you convey those words to the Chairman too?”
“Why should I? You told me to maintain my handsome face well. I don’t want to do things that will get me hit.”
“How can you not lose a single word?”
“Each and every word is attacking me. Wouldn’t it be strange to stay still?”
Since I’m not just taking it, mother frowned and gave me a cold look. The way she’s suppressing her anger while twitching her lips is similar to father. They say married couples grow to resemble each other.
At that moment, with a knock, our confrontation ended as employees came in with clothes and bags. The employees glanced at each other in the unusual atmosphere and showed the items to mother.
“Secretary Lee. Have you lost your sense? Do you think this design suits me?”
Unlike the previous shopping trip, mother couldn’t hide her low mood well and revealed her sharpness.
“I apologize. I’ll bring something else.”
“You carefully selected and brought this too. What difference would it make to bring something else?”
“…Shall I call another person in charge instead of me?”
“That would be better.”
Seeing the employees’ flustered faces, I felt like the employees had committed some crime, so I left the room to change the mood. Thinking the atmosphere might improve a bit if I’m not there.
I thought I’d just look around the famous Fleure Department Store and aimlessly looked around the building. I heard luxury brands that are known to be picky are dying to enter Fleure Department Store. Indeed, Fleure Department Store was filled with all kinds of luxury brand stores up to the 4th floor, as if having them on the 1st floor wasn’t enough. Unlike a typical department store, the ceiling was high and the corridors were wide, making it nice to look around.
Thinking they would have finished selecting items by now and mother’s mood would have improved a bit, I walked to the VIP room.
“Ha Jin, you foolish bastard. What’s so good about a mother like this that you want to go shopping together? Haa…”
I really feel bad for him that I want to hug him tightly if he’s in front of me. I steeled myself in front of the room for no reason and went in, but there were only shopping bags with items inside and no one was around.
“Is everything settled?”
I thought, but suddenly I heard a bright laughter. When I turned my head towards the sound, what I saw was the fitting room set up inside the room. The ceiling was open, so there was no soundproofing at all.
‘Are you trying on clothes?’
The laughter that sounded like she was in a good mood was mother’s voice that I had heard before. It was the same voice she had when I first saw her at our house, sitting on the sofa and laughing while talking to someone on the phone.
‘While laughing so well.’
How can a person be so cold and dry to her own child? I crossed my arms to pat my shoulders to hug the pitiful Ha Jin. Another giggling laughter is heard from beyond the fitting room.
“Really? You want to eat the ramen I make for you? But ramen isn’t even hard to make. Why can’t you make it yourself? How cute.”
Since I don’t hear another person’s voice from inside, she must be on the phone. Who could mother be making ramen for? Thinking it doesn’t suit father, I clicked my tongue for no reason.
“No, I’m not busy. What’s so hard about making a bowl of ramen for someone you love? I’ll make it for you today.”
I had assumed their marital relationship would be bad, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. I wondered if mother calling him Chairman was just like a pet name. Honey was dripping from her voice. To the point where it could be a call with a lover who just started dating. As I kept listening, I got spiteful at the sight of a happy couple, excluding only Ha Jin.
‘They would be a perfect family if only Ha Jin wasn’t there.’
I quietly left the room again, thinking I would only get an upset stomach if I kept listening. I went to the bathroom for no reason, and this time I made a loud knocking sound and entered.
“…”
Seeing mother narrowing her eyes and looking down on me as if she’s seen all sorts of things, I wondered if the kind laughter I heard earlier was a video of actress Baek Su-ah that someone played by mistake. She’s so cold to me, but she’s being so lovey-dovey with father like that?
“Let’s go now.”
She picked up her bag and got up first. Strangely, my mood hit rock bottom as she left the room. I feel so bad for Ha Jin. So bad! Those two people who make Ha Jin pitiful! It’s too much that only those two spend cozy time together. I have to stop by the main house and check Ha Jin’s childhood photos anyway.
“Shall I interfere a bit?”
* * *
Putting my thoughts into action was quick. I drove straight to Ha Jin’s main house. How surprised will they be to see me showing up suddenly? Thinking their cozy time will be shattered because of me was refreshing and a little sad.
‘Aren’t we family? Why is only Ha Jin… left out?’
I believe a child turning out wrong is always the parents’ fault. Thinking about how Ha Jin acted like a son of a bitch in the webtoon, it might seem like an excessive conclusion, but the young Ha Jin I saw was just too cute, like an angel. Even though it was a photo, his bright energy and loveliness could be felt to the point where he was like an angelic child. If you look at the changes in his face as he grew up, it’s absolutely the parents’ fault that Ha Jin grew up to be like this.
When I arrived at the main house with high spirits, the front gate opened automatically. I guess Ha Jin’s vehicle is still registered. It felt more like a high-end private resort than a regular house. From the outside, this structure wasn’t visible at all because of the large walls. It was a scale that required driving for a long time to get inside.
“This is crazy. To have a house like this in Seoul where land is expensive…”
I was admiring the main house I was visiting for the first time when an employee hurriedly came out from inside the house as if knowing I had arrived. When I got out of the car, they greeted me with a surprised face.
“Young master, what brings you here?”
“I just thought I’d have dinner with my parents.”
“Pardon?”
My words must have been quite unexpected, as they made a surprised face. Well, the two of them will be flirting, so they must be flustered that I came.
“Ah, haven’t you heard?”
What, that the two of them are making ramen together?
When I shook my head, the employee showed a crying face.
“The Chairman and Madam said they will come in after having dinner outside today.”
They’re eating ramen outside? For a moment, I thought the two of them had gone camping together. But at the employee’s next words, my mind had to give up rational thinking once again.
“The Chairman has a corporate event, so he went to a formal dinner gathering, and Madam has a meeting with acquaintances, so she said she’ll come in after having a meal.”
“What?”
Mother clearly said she’s going to make ramen for someone she loves…
What kind of nonsense is this like a daily ending of a makjang drama?
[The Lives of the Golden Spoons]
– Ha Jin’s Forbidden List 14. Ctrl + S forbidden while writing a document
└ I’m having difficulty breathing.
└ Oh no! My vision is going dark.
└ Stop!
└ Teacher. I earnestly request you to withdraw this list.
└ LOL Look at the office worker readers rushing in as soon as they see the comments LOL
└└ Please include the college students mixed with assignments too!
└ Please. That’s something that can’t happen.
└ Calm down. It says Ha Jin’s forbidden list. It doesn’t apply to everyone LOL
└ LOL This is so powerful that they don’t even see it’s written as Ha Jin’s forbidden list LOL
└ Possible to possess the favorite waiting for Su’s answer when the mouse cursor is spinning around. Depending on Su’s answer, you either ‘smile happily’ or ‘go crazy and break things around you’.
└ When the computer lags while writing, we all pray with our hands together, right? It’s not just me, right? I even call upon my ancestors.
└└ I wear a hanbok and bow in front of the computer.
└└ I bring water from the water purifier in a bowl and pray. (You can trust it’s purified water!)
└└└ LOL What’s this now LOL Purified water LOL