BRF Chapter 4

Woojin bolted upright from the sofa and glared at the TV as if he wanted to devour it.

“You pretended to be uninterested in the news, but you’re watching very intently.”

Hyohyun, who had stormed off to the kitchen in a huff, reappeared, her mood seemingly having calmed down.

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“Why do you like that woman?”

“That reporter is righteous.”

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Hyohyun responded with “reporter” to Woojin’s question about “that woman.” An awkward heat crept up his neck.

“Righteous, my foot.”

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Woojin scoffed dismissively at one of the noble values humans pursued.

“And she’s beautiful. And since she’s a broadcast reporter, she must be intelligent too. She’d be a perfect daughter-in-law.”

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Hyohyun continued her effusive praise, a dreamy look on her face.

“You know my youngest son is thirty-four this year, right? That reporter is thirty-two. I’d have nothing more to wish for if I had a daughter-in-law like her. Imagine how beautiful and smart my grandchildren would be!”

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Why did he feel so irritated that Ban Hyohyun wanted Kang Eunseong as a daughter-in-law?

“She was almost stabbed by him, and now she’s broadcasting a news report sympathizing with the attacker. Where do you find reporters like that these days?”

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“Isn’t it too dangerous to have a daughter-in-law who gets constantly threatened with knives like that? Wouldn’t you be worried?”

Even though Hyohyun’s youngest son and Kang Eunseong weren’t even close to walking down the aisle, Woojin was objecting to their marriage.

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“I admire someone who stands on the side of justice despite the danger. If she’s this dedicated to complete strangers, imagine how devoted she’d be to her loved ones.”

“Admire? Getting involved with someone like that would only cause trouble.”

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“Why are you so serious? You’re being strange and irritable today.”

As if genuinely concerned, Hyohyun scrutinized Woojin’s face.

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“Your cheeks look a little flushed, too. Are you sick? Do you have a fever?”

The wrinkled hand of the elderly woman gently touched Woojin’s forehead.

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“I don’t think you have a fever.”

Woojin pulled his head back abruptly, and Hyohyun quickly withdrew her hand. She smiled affectionately, as if asking why he was so upset again.

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“I’m tired. I’m going upstairs. Go to bed early. And don’t stay up all night watching dramas.”

He abruptly stood up, needlessly criticizing Hyohyun’s drama-watching habits and flawed sleep patterns.

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As he headed towards the stairs to go to his bedroom on the second floor, he heard Hyohyun answering the phone behind him.

“Yes, Lawyer Choi…. Yes, today…. In Gangnam? What?”

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He could guess the content of the call. That blabbermouth Lawyer Choi must have already told Hyohyun everything. Just as Woojin quickened his pace to escape, Hyohyun called out meaningfully,

“Stop right there.”

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As if he were a marionette controlled by Hyohyun, Woojin stopped dead in his tracks. A wave of frustration washed over him. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a deep sigh.

Hyohyun approached him, clutching her phone tightly as if it were her enemy.

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“Gangnam! Kang Eunseong! Was it you, Woojin, who subdued the knife-wielding robber?”

Hyohyun’s eyes were wide with astonishment.

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“He wasn’t a robber.”

“Robbery, attacker, it’s all the same! Why did you get involved in such a dangerous situation? You said getting involved with dangerous people only causes trouble!”

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“You said you admired people who stand on the side of justice despite the danger?”

“I was talking about the reporter!”

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Hyohyun pounded her chest in frustration.

“But I saved that reporter from being stabbed.”

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His excuses were becoming increasingly flimsy. But Woojin thought Hyohyun was being just as sly. A moment ago, she was praising Kang Eunseong as if she would instantly accept her as her daughter-in-law, and now she was furious that he had intervened.

“That’s the reporter’s business!”

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“Earlier, you said she was smart and beautiful and you wanted her as a daughter-in-law? Why are you changing your tune?”

Hyohyun snorted, placing her hands on her hips and lifting her chin.

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“She’s a reporter! What if your face was caught on camera? How would you handle that? These days, you can’t just get rid of the film and photos like you used to. Once it’s on the internet, it spreads in an instant. There are traces everywhere!”

Her scolding voice was so loud that it echoed through the house. Woojin narrowed his eyes and leaned his head back, as if he didn’t want to hear it.

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“I wasn’t caught on camera. There were no cameras…”

Suddenly, the police officer’s words from the cafe flashed through his mind.

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“There’s CCTV, you see, so you can go about your business.”

The business card he had given the officer was Lawyer Choi’s. His brain seemed to harden and then crack.

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“I was caught on camera.”

Hyohyun shook her head.

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“The cafe had CCTV… but my face probably wasn’t recorded.”

“How can you be sure?”

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Hyohyun’s face suddenly hardened as if she finally realized the gravity of the situation.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do now. Just contribute to the advancement of humankind. Extending lifespan is humanity’s oldest dream.”

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“Don’t say such horrible things.”

Woojin gritted his teeth.

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For as long as he could remember, Woojin had lived in his current form. He didn’t know how long he had lived or where he was born. He didn’t know why his appearance remained unchanged over time. Only the fact that he didn’t age was certain.

Life had been manageable before the invention of photography. Even if people encountered the ageless Woojin after a long time, they wouldn’t think he was the same person they had seen in the past. It was not only logically impossible, but also, without evidence, they assumed their memories were faulty.

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However, after Joseph Nicéphore Niépce took the first photograph in 1826, and with the rapid advancement of technology, the situation changed. The traces left behind in photos and videos became a threat to the ageless Woojin. As Hyohyun said, preventing aging and extending lifespan was humanity’s long-held dream.

No one could predict the horrific consequences if the existence of the ageless Woojin became known to the world.

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Come to think of it, there had been only one person who had recognized him; Hyohyun, who was standing right before him. When he first met Hyohyun, she was nineteen years old. She was fifty-nine now, meaning it had been a whopping forty years.

“You should have been more careful. Why did you get involved?”

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Hyohyun was asking even though she already knew the answer. Having lived for so long, Woojin had developed a strange sense, or perhaps an instinct.

If the shadow of death lurked nearby, the air around him would change. His hair would stand on end, and the heartbeat of the person facing imminent death would ring loudly in his ears. The violent throbbing would continue until their heart stopped.

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“You know why.”

Hyohyun lowered her voice ominously.

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“You never interfere in those kinds of situations.”

There was nothing to gain from saving a human facing death. There was a reason for the saying, “Save a drowning man, and he’ll ask for your baggage.”¹ He had no intention of playing guardian angel to ungrateful humans anymore.

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Woojin himself didn’t understand why his body had moved to save Kang Eunseong. Sensing something amiss in Woojin’s subdued mood, Hyohyun pouted and started to joke.

“Kang Eunseong must be very pretty. To think she moved the heart of the stone Buddha, Woojin.”

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It was his body that moved, not his heart.

He was about to retort when Hyohyun’s expression turned stern again.

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“You’ve never done that for me. You’ve never been so concerned or did such a thing for me.”

She seemed to be getting more and more worked up as she thought about it.

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“This is why ungrateful humans are no good. Who was it that caught you when you tripped and rolled down the stone stairs?”

Woojin retorted coldly.

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Forty years ago, that day, he hadn’t intended to save Hyohyun. She had simply happened to stop against his chest after tumbling down the stone stairs. Since that day, Hyohyun had followed him around, claiming he had saved her life.

“If that was the case, you should have accepted my heart, too!”

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Hyohyun turned away, pretending to be upset. Despite being fifty-nine, she sometimes acted like a nineteen-year-old girl in front of him.

“I’ll tell Lawyer Choi to take care of the CCTV footage. It would be troublesome for me if you were dragged off to some laboratory.”

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He couldn’t understand why she stuck to him like glue, always complaining about trouble, yet never leaving his side. Hyohyun had started living with him five years ago. She immediately recognized his true nature and was shocked. At the same time, she had vowed to protect him.

Hyohyun had married a man ten years her senior when she was twenty-two, but her husband had passed away ten years ago. He founded a law firm during the turbulent 1980s and grew it into the largest law firm in Asia.

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Until he met her, Woojin had handled all legal matters and various incidents related to managing his identity alone. Hyohyun, the wife of the founder of a major law firm, had advised him to leave legal matters to the professionals, as times had changed.

From Woojin’s perspective, Hyohyun, with the law firm backing her, was a godsend. Although he often complained about the ungratefulness of humans, Hyohyun was practically repaying him for saving her life on those stairs.

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This level of busyness was a first in his long life. Thanks to Hyohyun, who constantly advised him to “try this,” “don’t wear that,” and “consult with the lawyer,” there was never a moment of silence. Fortunately, he hadn’t yet sensed the stench of death from her.

But that woman, Kang Eunseong, was different. She exuded a strange atmosphere he had never encountered before.

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