Episode 005

Spio Spio Mememe─!

The cicadas' chirping echoed clearly in the green shade. It was a time when there were no gray forests in the city. Apartments were houses that only the middle class could afford, and the majority of the population lived in houses. There was so much interaction with neighbors that there was a joke that they even knew the number of spoons in each other's mouths. After school, the laughter of children was endless in every alley in the neighborhood. I never thought I would feel this again.

Meanwhile, the TV is busy talking about Jeil Group.

"Wow, Jeil Group is really amazing!"

My father exclaimed in admiration while watching TV. Not only did Jeil Group develop the semiconductor business, which was known as a barren field, but it also developed the world's first 256M DRAM. When he first got his hands on semiconductors, there were rumors that Chairman Wang was senile. By now, President Son Il-seon must be on the front lines of business. He is someone that Kang Hyun-do has met.

'If you don't change, you will eventually die.'

This is a saying that Son Il-sun always had on his lips. Son Il-sun really changed everything except his wife and children. After Chairman Wang died, the first thing he did was to kick his younger brother out of the group. When I look back on the secrets I saw while working at the legal team of Jeil Group, I could see how reckless he was. That's why he maintains a firm No. 1 position in the business world.

[Prime Minister Koh Jin-woo and Jeil Electronics President Son Il-sun are inspecting a semiconductor factory together. Now is the moment when South Korea stands tall as a leader in the global semiconductor industry. With this, we can intuitively feel that South Korea is getting closer to joining the OECD in just half a century since the Korean War. It is truly a moving moment.]

Son Il-seon, who appears on TV, looks much younger than in my memories.

I shook my head. This is someone I will never meet again.

That was when.

"Son, what are you going to do during summer vacation?"

My mother brought out a plate of watermelons. I picked up one and gave it to my father. Then I picked up another one and gave it to my mother.

"I need to help out at the laundry, it's peak season now."

It was a time when air conditioners were not common in every household. Most people were using electric fans to beat the heat, so many people were drenched in sweat and went to the laundromat. But my mother's expression was not good. My father was no different. The two of them looked at each other and began to speak.

"Son, I'm so happy that you're doing so well, but I'm worried. If you really need help, I'll tell you. Do you want to go to your grandfather's house this summer vacation? Your grandfather wants to see you once."

"Okay, Kang Hyun-ah. During summer vacation, instead of studying, go to your grandfather's house, see the city, eat delicious food, and have fun."

It seems that his parents felt bad about him helping out at the laundry after school every time. It was understandable that he would go around the neighborhood, hurriedly collecting laundry with his small body. On top of that, he studied until late at night, so his parents were more worried than happy. Now that I think about it,

'My grandfather passed away about five years ago.'

He is already over seventy years old. Five years later, when I was a student preparing for the college entrance exam, my grandfather passed away from old age. At that time, I didn't even attend my grandfather's funeral properly. I was at the funeral home for about three minutes and then went back to the study room. Oh my.

I was speechless as if a sweet potato was stuck in my throat. I was so sorry for being such a bastard back then. But even if I regret it, it's already past life. I vowed to myself not to do it again. My parents' faces brightened as they continued to talk.

"Mother, what kind of food did Grandfather like?"

* * *

I took an intercity bus and went there for a long time.

It was a time when the term "smoking zone" was still unfamiliar. People smoked cigarettes in bars, teachers' offices, and companies without any particular problem. Express buses were no exception. There was an ashtray attached to the back of each seat, making it a perfect place for smokers. The strong smell of cigarettes made my throat tingle, but on the other hand, it made me want to take a puff of cigarette.

I wiped my nose and looked out the window. I saw cars that had been popular in the 90s lined up on the highway that was being modernized. And

[Dong Seoul IC]

A sign caught my eye.

Although it was a trip to my grandfather's house, in a way it was like moving from the countryside to Seoul.

"Please go to Ichon-dong."

It was late, and I didn't know the bus route, so I took a taxi. If it weren't for the security guard my grandfather gave me because his grandson was coming, I wouldn't have been able to take a taxi. The taxi driver glanced at Kang-hyun's face in the rearview mirror and said that he lived in a good neighborhood.

"They're all here, students."

I looked up at the taxi driver's words and looked out the window. It was Dongbuichon-dong, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Seoul, along with Apgujeong-dong. It was a place where not only successful singers and actors, but also members of the National Assembly and businessmen could often be found. Since the Han River was clearly visible, it was a neighborhood where housing prices were traditionally high. The streetlights, which were not common in the countryside, were brightly lit as if it were daytime.

Thump.

It was a place he had been to before. However, too much time had passed to rely on memory to follow the steps. Kang-Hyeon followed the map his mother had written for him.

"It's magnificent."

I could see a tall gray wall that could be described as a castle. I rang the doorbell attached to the large gate and heard an old woman's voice. It must have been the housekeeper.

"This is Kang Hyeon."

The iron gate swung open with a loud noise. Across the flat stone steps, expensive-looking trees caught my eye. In the pond, which added to the garden's charm, golden carp swam gracefully. I entered the mansion, holding a bundle in one hand.

"Student Kang Hyeon, thank you for coming from far away."

The housekeeper welcomed me.

The interior of the mansion was filled with antique furniture. It felt like a restrained beauty rather than something extravagant.

"What is all this?"

"My mother packed some of my grandfather's favorite food for me."

"Oh my. The old man would really like that. Look at my mind, Kang Hyun. Give me the food and go to the living room. You know today is a family gathering, right?"

Family gathering?

I walked forward without showing it. There were already passengers on the spacious living room sofa. They were all dressed in luxurious luxury goods. It was difficult to call them relatives. They were nominally my mother's siblings, but they had no contact with each other. To be exact, it would be correct to say that they were ignoring their mother.

"What are you doing here?"

The great uncle asked Kang-hyun questioningly. There was a note of displeasure in his voice. Did I come to a place I can't go? Not only the uncles, but even the aunts were glaring at him.

"I guess the wise man is trying to look good in front of his father now. He said he didn't need money or family, so he cut off contact with me cruelly and left home, and now he's trying to push his son in. It's so obvious how he's doing, don't you think that's a bit much? Brothers."

The aunt wearing a large ring said while drinking tea. That lady is a master of swearing regardless of the place, whether in the past or present. If it were in the past, I would have blushed and run out of the mansion right away, but Kang Hyun is already middle-aged. Knowing the future, I held back a snicker.

"Grandpa called me."

Kang Hyun said that and sat down on one side of the sofa. The expressions on his aunt's and uncle's faces suddenly changed when he heard that his grandfather had called him.

"Your grandfather called you? Brothers, does that make sense?"

That was when.

"Yeah, I called."

My grandfather, dressed in a modified hanbok, came out of the study. My uncles and aunts, who had looked arrogant, corrected their expressions and postures as if they were model students. My grandfather looked neat and tidy, which was unusual for his age of seventy. I hadn't seen him often in my past life. He passed away when I was nineteen, so it was like seeing him again after several decades. He had seemed so scary before.

"I heard that Kang Hyun-i got first place in the class this time. I was so proud of him that I told him to spend the summer vacation comfortably at his grandfather's house."

No one could object to the grandfather's firm words.

"Our Seok also got third place in the class this year, Father."

The aunt wearing a large ring added in a disapproving tone. She didn't know that her son, who was so good, would later get caught committing fraud. That was the story of the aunt who had not been in contact with her for decades suddenly appearing. She asked if she could save her son somehow, and that he was still her cousin. What happened?

My cousin lived in prison until I left the Western District Prosecutors' Office. Later, I heard that my aunt was bedridden because of that. My grandfather didn't even respond to my aunt's words. Instead, he looked at Kang-hyun and asked quietly.

"How is your mother?"

My grandfather was living without any ties to my mother. Maybe he was old and wanted to see his children. In his previous life, my grandfather didn't come to me like this. I guess the butterfly effect must have occurred in a way I didn't know about.

"Yes, Grandpa."

As my grandfather and I continued our conversation, my uncles' expressions became worse. Just as the conversation was about to end.

"Father, we have to talk about the company now. Tell Hyun to stay with his cousins. The kids will be happy to see Hyun after such a long time."

"Yes, Father."

My aunt interrupted my uncle's words as if she had been waiting for him. Maybe she was suddenly afraid that I might be taking my mother's place. These gentlemen's hearts were still dark. So much so that they stank.

"Grandpa, I'm going to go up now. Like my uncle said, it'll be nice to see my cousins ​​for the first time in a while."

Grandfather nodded briefly.

I got up from my seat, bowed my head to my grandfather, and started walking.

When I went upstairs, my cousins ​​were gathered in a large room. Even though it was called a room, it was as big as a living room in a typical home, so it seemed excessively large. My cousins ​​were all gathered together. While the younger children were playing with toys.

"What are you doing here?"

The older cousins ​​were sitting together, pretending to be adults. Especially my oldest aunt's son. His name was Yoo Jin-seok, and he was two years older than me.

Yoo Jin-seok got up from his seat and strode toward me. Among his cousins, he was the oldest. He was much taller than me. His arrogant expression was just like my aunt's.

"Are you deaf? What are you doing here?"

Yoo Jin-seok asked again with a forceful expression. The image of the kid begging me to spare him after committing fraud and embezzlement in his past life overlapped. Kang Hyun scanned the old-fashioned room. This wealth that seemed like it would last forever.

"Jinseok."

It went bankrupt less than five years after my grandfather passed away.

"Don't mess with me."

Yoo Jin-seok's eyes widened at Kang Hyun's sudden informality.

"what?"

It was the moment when Yoo Jin-seok raised his hand with his face turning red.

"uh······?"

Yoo Jin-seok felt his body tilting. Then Kang Hyun's hand roughly grabbed Yoo Jin-seok's hair. The children were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths. It happened in an instant. Kang Hyun, who was small in stature, tripped Yoo Jin-seok and grabbed his hair.

The cousins ​​all inherited their parents' blood and were timid guys. They were especially arrogant, and if someone showed a weakness, they would always look down on them. However, Kang Hyun had been a prosecutor for many years. He had been through all kinds of things, including battles in the air.

Dealing with these kids.

Crunch.

"If you mess with me one more time."

Yoo Jin-seok, with his head tilted back, looked straight into Kang Hyun's sparkling eyes and nodded repeatedly.

"I'm dying."

It was easier than anything else.