BXBX NOVEL Chapter 224: Family (6)
Chapter 224: Family (6)
-Huff, huff. How did you know they were aiming for me? If it weren\'t for you, I would have been sniffing incense behind the screen![1]
Though I was curious about the situation, it was more important to reassure Lee Yeon-Sil first.
"Wait a moment. Let\'s reassure Yeon-Sil first and talk slowly afterward. I just told her that you had an urgent task and had to handle some schedules. Keep it discreet."
-Y-yes, right.
But as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, Lee Yeon-Sil was holding her nose and saying, "Yoon-Ho oppa has constipation~ Yoon-Ho oppa has constipation~."
I heard that hormone secretion makes it difficult to control emotions during pregnancy. But now, it seemed like Lee Yeon-Sil was deliberately acting this way to dispel her worries.
Handing over the phone, I grumbled frustratedly, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Fine, yes I have constipation! But it\'s because of Eun-Gi that I got constipated. Here! Take Eun-Gi\'s call."
Lee Yeon-Sil quickly took my phone and started scolding Kang Eun-Gi like crazy. For a moment, although it was just for a brief moment, I thought it was a huge relief that I didn\'t end up with Lee Yeon-Sil.
After the endless scolding, we agreed to meet at the hospital where Mom was admitted. After all, Mom wouldn\'t fall asleep until 2 a.m. anyway.
"Yeon-Sil, why don\'t you take a rest today and go see Mom tomorrow? Mom isn\'t seriously ill; she\'s just admitted for a health check-up," I said to Lee Yeon-Sil.
Lee Yeon-Sil shook her head. "No, oppa. I want to go see Mom with Eun-Gi oppa right now. Eun-Gi oppa said he\'s coming to the hospital directly too."
I couldn\'t say no seeing the worried expression on Lee Yeon-Sil\'s face.
***
Lee Yeon-Sil and I took a taxi to Seongmo Hospital together.
Kang Eun-Gi, who was already at the hospital entrance, waved at us. He had changed into clean clothes unlike when we parted and no one would believe he had just been in a big fight.
But as soon as Lee Yeon-Sil got out of the taxi, she walked briskly toward Kang Eun-Gi and punched him in the stomach. It was such a powerful punch that it made a loud thud.
"Ouch. What!?" Kang Eun-Gi uttered in shock.
"Don\'t you know people were worried about you? Why didn\'t you call me? I told you to call me if you go somewhere or if you\'re running late!" Lee Yeon-Sil yelled with a worried look.
Kang Eun-Gi clutched his stomach and joked, "You seem to have gotten stronger recently. Is it because you\'re going to be a mom?"
"Ugh, you always bring this upon yourself," Lee Yeon-Sil grumbled.
I had to stop Lee Yeon-Sil from raising her fist again. Then we headed to the special room where Mom was staying. Normally, only one person could visit at a time. But we were allowed a brief visit as we had explained our situation in advance.
Kang Eun-Gi hesitated in front of the door. "Yeon-Sil, you go in first and see Mom. I\'ll talk to Yoon-Ho and come in later."
Lee Yeon-Sil sighed as she looked at us. "You two, talk it all out before coming in. Don\'t even think about fighting in front of Mom!"
Kang Eun-Gi nodded at her words to resolve any lingering issues.
As soon as Lee Yeon-Sil entered the room, Kang Eun-Gi urgently asked me, "How did you know?"
"I told you, I have a sixth sense," I replied.
Kang Eun-Gi stared at me with his face white beyond pale. "I really thought I was going to die this time. But Yoon-Ho, can you really see the future?"
Kang Eun-Gi swallowed hard and watched me closely.
I paused and then said, "You\'re always so suspicious. Just trust me, okay? I can\'t see everything, but sometimes I do."
Kang Eun-Gi\'s expression began to change to one of shock.
"Rather than that, tell me what happened to you," I said.
Kang Eun-Gi continued to stare at me for a while but soon started to explain how he nearly died. "So here\'s what happened..."
***
After parting with me, Kang Eun-Gi immediately gathered his combat unit and attacked the upper ranks. Because the upper ranks never expected the assassination to fail, they were easily defeated.
Thanks to the preparations he made in advance, Kang Eun-Gi was able to take over the remaining organization without much resistance.
But then the organization\'s second-in-command, Director Lee Sae-Dong, raised both hands and said he would retire following President Choi Kang-Han as he felt despair when only a few followers remained despite having led the organization for over ten years.
"But when Lee Sae-Dong said he would hand over the ledger and led me to the president\'s office, he pulled a knife from his coat," Kang Eun-Gi shared.
"Why would you follow him there? Are you stupid?" I rebuked him in a worried tone.
"I needed the ledger to clean up the aftermath cleanly," Kang Eun-Gi explained.
Kang Eun-Gi said he trusted the body armor I had made him wear beforehand and followed Lee Sae-Dong. However, he admitted he might have been in big trouble without my call as he didn\'t consider how the equipment would slow him down.
Thanks to Lee Soo-Chan rushing in after my call, he was able to save Kang Eun-Gi\'s life.
"So what are you going to do about Choi Kang-Han and Lee Sae-Dong? You didn\'t kill them, did you?" I asked.
"You told me not to kill them, remember? So I just subdued them and handed them over to the prosecutors in Suwon," Kang Eun-Gi replied.
I let out a sigh of relief, feeling grateful he didn\'t handle things in a gangster-like manner.
"Then what will you do now? Are you going to take over the organization and end everything like this?"
Kang Eun-Gi replied with a more bitter expression than I\'d ever seen before. "No. I\'ll leave the cleanup to Dong-Hyuk and Soo-Chan and turn myself in."
"Turn yourself in?" I asked in shock.
"Even if things are settled, it doesn\'t clear the past. I\'ve already told the prosecutor I\'ll turn myself in. I want to clean things up and start anew," Kang Eun-Gi said in a determined voice.
"What? Then what about Yeon-Sil?" I probed further.
Kang Eun-Gi scratched his head and replied, "That\'s what I mean...Can you take care of her for a while, Yoon-Ho? Even if I turn myself in, I\'ll be in prison for at least a few months. Maybe even a year or two."
I clenched my fist at Kang Eun-Gi\'s selfish answer. "This won\'t do. You\'re getting a good beating today. Brace yourself."
Kang Eun-Gi flinched and took a step back, but soon closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as if ready to accept his punishment.
At the same time, I threw a punch with all my might. But I relaxed my fist just before it reached Kang Eun-Gi\'s face.
Tap.
When my fist lightly touched his face, the startled Kang Eun-Gi waved his hands. "What, what?"
"You coward. You\'d be dead if I had hit you for real," I said angrily.
Kang Eun-Gi clutched his chest. "Hey! How could I not be scared? You can see the future and also have a strong fist! I thought I was going to die. Your existence itself is a weapon, you know that?"
I smiled and replied to the grumbling Kang Eun-Gi. "Did you piss yourself?"
"No, I didn\'t!"
I pointed to his discolored zipper and laughed. "Liar."
"H-hey! It\'s not what you think! I spilled some sujeonggwa[2] earlier, you idiot," Kang Eun-Gi rebutted.
"Then want me to try again?" I jokingly threatened him again.
When I clenched my fist, Kang Eun-Gi shuddered and stepped back.
"I\'ll report you to the police if you keep using your fists! I\'ll tell them I can\'t even turn myself in because of you!" Kang Eun-Gi retorted.
I let out a sigh at his whining and said, "Fine. I\'ll take good care of Yeon-Sil, but you have to tell Mom and Yeon-Sil yourself. I’m letting you off because I think they\'ll beat you too."
Kang Eun-Gi\'s face turned pale. "Never mind, I think I\'ll go turn myself in right now."
Kang Eun-Gi quickly turned around.
I grabbed Kang Eun-Gi by the scruff of his neck as he tried to escape. "Who said you could leave?"
At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi struggled as he begged me to let go. "Wait! Wait! Let\'s talk first!"
"That\'s enough. Just come with me."
I dragged Kang Eun-Gi, who refused to enter, into the hospital room. Mom, who was lying in bed, slowly sat up when she saw us entering the room. "Oh, my sons are both here."
I felt like the fatigue of the day vanished instantly upon seeing Mom\'s bright face.
"It\'s good to see my sons and daughter together like this," Mom said with a smile.
When Kang Eun-Gi, Lee Yeon-Sil, and I reconciled and held hands, Mom\'s eyes welled up with tears.
At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi took a deep breath and started speaking with difficulty. "Mom, I need to go somewhere for a while."
"Where? Where are you going, son?" Mom asked with a confused face.
That\'s when Kang Eun-Gi suddenly knelt on the cold floor.
The startled Lee Yeon-Sil abruptly stood up. "Oppa, what\'s going on?"
"Oppa, did you get involved in the gangster organization again?" Lee Yeon-Sil continued to ask anxiously.
I held the surprised Lee Yeon-Sil\'s hand and told her to calm down.
Meanwhile, Kang Eun-Gi began to confess. "I really tried to quit, but they wouldn\'t let me leave easily. I committed a crime today. No one died, but some got hurt. So I need to go to prison to pay for my sins. My past actions are also an issue."
Lee Yeon-Sil looked shocked. "Oppa, what do you mean people got hurt?"
Kang Eun-Gi calmly explained what had happened today. He said President Choi Kang-Han tried to eliminate him, so he had no choice but to counterattack and take over the Kanghan faction and entertainment company.
Though no one died, some got hurt during the takeover and he would take responsibility and go to prison. He assured that his sentence wouldn\'t be long since there were no serious injuries.
Lee Yeon-Sil was utterly shocked, but she managed to keep her composure with Mom and me in the same room. However, Lee Yeon-Sil slapped Kang Eun-Gi\'s cheek.
Slap!
"You fool! You idiot! Did you cause trouble without telling me? I told you not to do gangster stuff anymore, but that didn\'t mean I wanted you to let them kill you!" Lee Yeon-Sil yelled.
It was fortunate the room was a single room, or we\'d be kicked out for the loud noise.
"I knew something was off when Yoon-Ho oppa came to reassure me! Both of you are terrible liars! How did you think you could fool anyone with such lies?" She continued berating us.
\'Huh? Did she catch my lie too?\' I wondered.
Thanks to that, I was also left speechless.
Kang Eun-Gi smiled bitterly and rubbed his cheek.
Then, Lee Yeon-Sil calmed down a little and asked, "Are you sure no one was seriously hurt?"
"No. Those who got hurt were sent to the hospital right away. They were just following orders, so they weren\'t at fault. President Choi Kang-Han and Director Lee Sae-Dong were the problem. We only subdued them and handed them to the prosecutors," Kang Eun-Gi explained.
"So? What will you do next?" Lee Yeon-Sil asked.
"I\'m going to distribute the money and dissolve the organization. I\'ll help those who want to quit the gangster life find jobs and..."
At the same time, Lee Yeon-Sil\'s eyes flared. "Are you kidding? I know those guys. They\'ll just go back to being thugs once the money runs out! You should just manage them! Keep them in line and help them transition to legitimate businesses!"
She was right. It was very unlikely the gang members would change overnight. Strict management might indeed be better.
After a moment of thought, Kang Eun-Gi nodded. "Okay. I\'ll wrap things up and transition the business to legitimate ventures then."
Only then did Lee Yeon-Sil\'s expression soften. "Now that\'s my man."
During the time I hadn\'t seen her, Lee Yeon-Sil had grown from a young girl into a capable woman. She sighed deeply and slowly approached Kang Eun-Gi who was still kneeling.
Placing her hand on Kang Eun-Gi\'s shoulder, she said, "Go turn yourself in after Mom\'s health check-up tomorrow, and swear you won\'t do such things again."
Kang Eun-Gi nodded. "Yes, I will. I won\'t be involved in any gangster-related work for our baby. I don\'t want to either."
Kang Eun-Gi said he would pay for his crimes for the sake of their unborn child.
At that moment, Mom placed her hand on Kang Eun-Gi\'s head with a loving and generous smile.
Then, she started praying, "Lord, who forgives all. Today, this sinner sincerely repents and wishes to move forward. Though past sins cannot be fully washed away, please let him be forgiven through his love for others..."
As Mom began to pray for forgiveness with tears streaming down her face, tears also began to flow from the eyes of Kang Eun-Gi, Lee Yeon-Sil, and me.
After the prayer ended, Kang Eun-Gi grabbed my hand. "Please take good care of Yeon-Sil, Yoon-Ho."
Eun-Gi would never ask for help even if it meant dying, but he was now repeatedly entrusting Lee Yeon-Sil to me. It might seem like nothing, but it showed how much he had changed.
"Don\'t worry. I\'ll take good care of her," I assured him,
But that\'s when Lee Yeon-Sil suddenly said something totally unexpected. "Oppa, I\'ll stay at the orphanage and help Mom while you\'re gone. And Yoon-Ho oppa, don\'t worry about me. Focus on your work. You\'re really busy these days, aren\'t you?"
"What?"
"Huh?"
Kang Eun-Gi and I both made a surprised expression simultaneously.
Ignoring our reactions, Lee Yeon-Sil asked Mom, "Mom, is that okay with you?"
Mom smiled widely. "Of course. What mother wouldn\'t like her daughter staying with her?"
"Thank you, Mom."
Eun-Gi looked concerned. "It...might be uncomfortable there..."
Lee Yeon-Sil smiled brightly. "Why would my home be uncomfortable? And who knows, oppa? You might be gone for a longer time than you think. I\'ll be at the orphanage to take care of the kids, so don\'t worry."
Kang Eun-Gi\'s organization had enough money to hire the best lawyers. But due to his long criminal past, the outcome was uncertain. It could be one year, or it could be two.
However, Lee Yeon-Sil said she would wait for him while taking care of the children at the orphanage, determined she would atone alongside Eun-Gi until he paid for his sins and recovered.
And just like that, we could become a family again just like before.
1. In Korean funerals, incense is lit in front of a screen ☜