MJ | Chapter 4

Jungin couldn’t accept the reality as he looked at the chaotic yard. Chairs were scattered, and the decorations from the Christmas tree set up in the middle of the yard last winter had fallen apart. His mother, Kim Eun-hye, sat on the porch in a daze, while the childcare teachers were pacing anxiously beside her.

“Jungin!”

“What happened?”

“We don’t know. They barged in, and we couldn’t stop them.”

Kim Younghee, the oldest of the childcare teachers, sobbed as she explained. Jungin maintained a stern expression as he took out his phone. He found his uncle Ryu Dongchan’s number in the contacts and pressed the call button, but the message said it was turned off. It was the same no matter how many times he tried.

Clenching the phone tightly, he approached his mother sitting on the porch. Her fingertips were still trembling from the shock. Her eyes, filled with tears, looked up at her son.

What do we do… what do we do, Jungin? Unable to continue, she buried her face in her hands. Her usually neat long hair was disheveled, and her clothes were a mess. It was clear how much she had struggled with her small frame to stop the intruders.

“Please go inside. I’ll go out and find him.”

After helping her to the bedroom, he went outside and began cleaning up the yard with the teachers. Seeing the broken Christmas tree made him grit his teeth. It was something Ryu Dongchan had brought for the children.

He was the only younger brother of the pastor father, but he had been a troublemaker since childhood. After cutting off contact for a long time, he came to Somangwon a few years ago. Contrary to concerns, he took on odd jobs and worked diligently, so they were relieved, but they never imagined he’d cause such a big problem.

As he carried the broken items outside, a motorcycle approached from a distance. A man with bright yellow hair sat in front, and a girl in a school uniform sat behind him.

The motorcycle stopped a short distance away, and the girl jumped off with her bag. With her hair tied in a ponytail, she was Jungin’s younger sister, nineteen years old this year. As Jungin approached, the motorcycle sped off.

“When did you get here, oppa? Where’s mom?”

“I told you not to hang out with him.”

The yellow-haired guy who drove the motorcycle was Mina’s friend who dropped out last year and was now doing delivery work. He was a good kid, but as an older brother, he didn’t want his sister hanging out with him.

“Is that the issue right now? Any word from uncle?”

“Not yet.”

Mina clicked her tongue and lamented like an old person.

“Seriously, it’s amazing. How can he stab us in the back like this? After everything mom did for him. We should’ve been suspicious when he crawled back in after dad passed away. Ugh! If it weren’t for uncle, really!”

Frustrated, she swung her fist in the air and cursed.

“Stop fooling around and go inside.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going to the city. Take care of mom. She looks really exhausted.”

“I want to go too!”

Jungin ignored her and walked to the car. As he sat in the driver’s seat and looked outside, Mina stood her ground. When he gestured for her to go inside, she stomped her foot in frustration and went in. Jungin sighed and started the car. The car kicked up dust as it sped down the bumpy dirt road.

***

Chairman Kim’s expression was cold. His wife, Joo Hyeryeon, was restless beside him. Today, her husband seemed determined.

“If you called a busy person, you should say something.”

Hajun, who had been dragged in suddenly, crossed his long legs and sipped his tea leisurely. Chairman Kim threw several photos onto the table. Hajun glanced at them. From flirting with omegas at a club to entering a hotel. The partners varied.

“What’s this?”

Chairman Kim was speechless at his shameless attitude. He told him to at least look embarrassed, but Hajun shrugged nonchalantly. Chairman Kim, furious, snatched the photos and threw them on the floor.

“There’s a limit to playing around. Now you’re even messing with married women?”

“Calm down. Your blood pressure will rise again.”

“Does someone who worries about my blood pressure do this?”

“I told you earlier. Kim Seola is divorced.”

“She’s only been divorced for a day!”

In truth, Hajun felt a bit wronged. Most of the omegas in the photos were just people he had meals with, and he met Kim Seola for work. She wanted to start working again after her divorce but didn’t have a suitable agency to sign with, so she complained.

But Chairman Kim had stopped listening to details and only got angry. They say patience shortens with age, and it was getting worse. Even now, explaining would only lead to more nitpicking.

“Fine. From now on, I’ll only meet people who’ve been divorced for over a year.”

As Chairman Kim’s face twisted, Hajun checked the time.

“Are you done? If there’s nothing else, I’ll go. I have plans tonight.”

“How long are you going to live like this?”

In response to Chairman Kim’s cold voice, Hajun replied calmly.

“Did you forget? You told me to live as I please.”

At fifteen, as Hajun was being wheeled into surgery, Chairman Kim cried and prayed that as long as he wasn’t in pain, he could do whatever he wanted, live however he wished, and it didn’t matter what he became as long as he lived. If he could, he’d sew his mouth shut and go back to that time.

“If you’re going to live as you please, at least don’t cause trouble for your father.”

Hajun quickly nodded in agreement.

“Okay. Got it.”

“…….”

“I’m really leaving.”

As soon as he stood up, Chairman Kim shouted for him to sit down. Hajun sighed briefly and plopped back onto the sofa. It seemed today’s talk would be long. His face gradually showed signs of irritation.

Chairman Kim signaled to Secretary Yoon, who handed something to Hajun. Hajun didn’t even touch it and just looked at it. It was obviously a plane ticket.

“Stay abroad until things calm down.”

It was ridiculous.

“Just until the election is over. Clear your head and come back. I won’t care who you meet there.”

“No.”

“Listen to me. Don’t make me say it twice.”

“I don’t want to say it twice either. I’m not going.”

The atmosphere grew tense. Chairman Kim resorted to his final threat.

“If you keep this up, I won’t leave you a penny.”

Kim Hajun didn’t blink and instead laughed.

“I’m the only child you can leave it to anyway.”

“I’ll donate it all!”

“Oh, sure.”

This brat. Unable to hold back, Chairman Kim grabbed an ashtray, but his wife, Joo Hyeryeon, intervened. Calm down, dear. Joo Hyeryeon signaled Hajun to escape quickly, and he grabbed his coat.

“I’m really leaving.”

Then he casually told his mother to take care of his father’s temper and left. Furious, Chairman Kim declared he’d disowned him and looked for a golf club, causing Joo Hyeryeon and Secretary Yoon to struggle to stop him.

After Kim Hajun disappeared, only Chairman Kim’s angry breathing filled the living room.

“Calm down. Yelling won’t solve anything.”

Despite his wife’s attempts to calm him, Chairman Kim’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.

“I’m going to get rid of that brat right away, so you should know that too.”

“Hajun is an adult now. Don’t push him too hard. If he does what he did before,”

Chairman Kim cut off Joo Hyeryeon’s words with a shout.

“What! Is that my fault? Is trying to die some kind of badge of honor? You keep using that to manipulate him.”

“Dear!”

Chairman Kim called Secretary Yoon.

“Sungmin. Look into that thing I mentioned before.”

“Yes?”

“The place my father talked about.”

Realizing what he meant, Joo Hyeryeon was horrified. Dear! But Chairman Kim’s eyes were resolute.

“Find it.”

Joo Hyeryeon blocked her husband’s path.

“Why are you doing this? Mother said to forget about it.”

Chairman Kim seemed determined. It was absurd. In the 21st century, it was ridiculous to use an old promise to control their son. Besides, Hajun wouldn’t accept it quietly.