Chapter 484: Wrong Encounter
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 484: Wrong Encounter
It wasn't that I hadn't foreseen a situation like this.
However, there was a part of me that had been somewhat complacent, wondering if it would really come to this.
And the moment that neglected future stood before me, the hair on my body stood on end, and my mouth went bone dry.
— Seo Ye-rin —
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
The continuous vibration felt like an emergency alert warning me to evacuate a disaster zone.
By the time I started confusing the sound for my own thundering heartbeat rather than the phone's vibration, the alarm bells in my head told me I had to answer. I cautiously picked up.
"H-hello?"
— Sigh.
The first thing I heard was a sigh.
Normally, such a response would be considered incredibly rude, but in this case, the person on the other end had every right to sigh.
"Ye-rin's mother. Hello. I-I should have reached out first, but things—"
— Mr. Woo-jin, didn't you make a promise to me back then?
"……."
— That you wouldn't do anything to block our Ye-rin's path?
In the background, I heard Seo Ye-rin shout, "Ah, Mom!" but she was quickly suppressed.
"T-that is correct."
My voice came out as a tiny crawl.
I followed the Senior, who had headed out to get the bike ready, but my eyes had lost their focus.
— Then what exactly is this situation?
"M-mother. I can explain—"
— An explanation? I could almost accept you getting a young actress who just won a Newcomer Award pregnant.
— But how on earth do you plan to explain the fact that there are five other women besides her?
— Is a logical explanation even possible? Can you explain it in a way that I can understand and accept, Mr. Woo-jin?
"……."
It was impossible.
I had only blurted out that I would explain; in reality, I knew full well there was no logical justification.
What should I do?
While I was agonizing over my next move, her mother spoke first.
— Sigh. Last time you said there were two more, but somehow it’s become five? Looking at this, you really are quite something, Mr. Woo-jin.
"T-thank you for the compliment."
— Do you think that was a compliment?
"……No."
After letting out another long sigh, she asked again.
— Where are you? I'm coming to see you right now.
"Ah, Mother. About that—"
How was I supposed to say this?
But if I just blindly said I couldn't see her right now, it might look like I had something more important than this situation.
So, I decided to be honest. It wasn't right to keep deceiving her after coming all this way.
When I told her I was on my way to Choi I-seo's house, her voice rose in irritation.
— Are you joking with me right now?!
* * *
It was my first time at Choi I-seo's house.
I had been to her studio apartment often, but this was her actual family home.
I heard she lived alone to foster her independence despite being in the same region, but considering the distance to the university, it was a rational choice.
A cozy family photo was nestled among the neat furniture. I hadn't known before, but I-seo had a younger sister.
There were various awards displayed, and a domestic atmosphere naturally permeated the space.
It was an ordinary family that anyone in South Korea would call successful.
The fact that I was the culprit who had ruined this home stabbed at my heart.
"What are you thinking about?"
Choi I-seo, sitting next to me, nudged my thigh and asked.
"Ah."
Had I been subconsciously trying to escape? I swallowed hard and took in the scene before me.
The living room table.
With me kneeling on the soft carpet at the center, the families were split to my left and right.
On the left was Choi I-seo's family.
On the right was Seo Ye-rin's family.
Seeing them like this, it almost looked like a nice holiday gathering.
'Like hell it does.'
My thoughts were scattering everywhere. My eyes trembled, likely because I instinctively wanted to flee.
"Ahem, well..."
I slowly opened my mouth.
The irony was that I, the greatest sinner in the room, had to lead the conversation.
"These are Ye-rin's parents. And over here are I-seo and her parents."
"Ah, hello."
"Nice to meet you."
Since both sets of parents were meeting at once, the fact that I was the one who created this awkward introduction made me want to cry.
Kim Woo-jin, you really are trash.
I marveled at myself.
Surprisingly, however, both sets of parents just watched each other warily, a strange atmosphere lingering between them.
It was as if they were waiting to hear what the other side thought.
'How should I start this?'
While I was worrying about how to break the ice, Seo Ye-rin—who had always been the one to initiate our meetings and our sex—spoke up first.
"I'm not breaking up with Woo-jini."
"Ye-rin!"
"……."
At Seo Ye-rin's bold declaration, her mother shouted in shock.
Her father watched her silently with a worried expression.
"Unni, is that woman really the actress Seo Ye-rin?"
"Be quiet, Choi I-hyun."
So her name was Choi I-hyun.
She was pretty, just like I-seo.
Since Seo Ye-rin's face was well-known, it was only natural she'd be recognized. Ye-rin's mother looked even more uncomfortable because of that.
She clearly didn't want this becoming public knowledge.
"It's not that I won't break up. I can't. I can't live without Woo-jini."
With that, Seo Ye-rin linked her arm with mine.
Seeing this blatant display, her mother sighed and tried to say something, but—
"Me too."
Choi I-seo, jumping onto Ye-rin's momentum, slid closer to me and declared:
"I'm not breaking up either. We're having a baby, for starters."
"I-seo."
"Whoa, Unni is amazing."
The family was stunned by Choi I-seo's boldness. I hadn't expected her to make such a daring declaration either.
Suddenly, I was caught between two women.
The parents' gazes naturally shifted to me.
"You're Mr. Woo-jin, right?"
Choi I-seo's father addressed me.
"Yes! That's right! I'm Kim Woo-jin!"
"I've heard. That you're the youngest son of Uju Group. But... logically, this situation makes no sense."
"Yes, I also—"
"If we were going to solve this with logic, it would have been solved long ago. Now it's a matter of emotion, Dad."
"I-seo..."
I tried to answer, but Choi I-seo immediately cut in to defend me.
"Those kinds of words have no persuasive power over us."
"Whew."
"I-I-seo! How can you speak to your father like that!"
When I hurriedly tried to stop her, Choi I-seo held back what she was going to say and shut her mouth.
This time, Seo Ye-rin's mother turned on me.
"You know that having a lot of money doesn't mean you can take responsibility. South Korea is a monogamous society. Have you not thought about how harsh the public's gaze will be?"
"Yes, you're right. I deeply agree—"
"How can you live if you only care about what others think? Do other people live my life for me? My life is mine, Mom. And I can't live without Woo-jini."
"Ye-rin—!"
This time, she hurriedly scolded Seo Ye-rin. Talking back so sharply to her mother!
The old Seo Ye-rin would never have imagined doing such a thing.
"Hmph!"
Seo Ye-rin snorted and gripped my arm even tighter.
On the other side, Choi I-seo also grabbed my sleeve, signaling her refusal to let go.
The weight of the stares intensified.
In the midst of a throbbing headache and a situation I didn't know how to resolve, the questions poured down on me again.
"Mr. Woo-jin, this isn't the Joseon Dynasty. You should act rationally. I admit the children are acting out, but couldn't you have been the one to hold the center? If you had just rejected them, this wouldn't have happened."
"You are correct. From the beginning, I—"
"Woo-jin told me no several times. I'm the one who wouldn't let go because I was going to date him."
"……."
It wasn't a lie.
I certainly had told them many times that we shouldn't do this.
But agreeing with that here felt like I was the only one trying to escape the blame.
"I clearly told you! Not to block Ye-rin's path! So why—!"
"What is my path? I don't care if I'm not an actress! Living with Woo-jini is my path! You're the one blocking my path, Mom!"
"Ye-rin!"
"What!"
Ah, I'm getting dizzy.
It was a dizzying and difficult situation.
Realizing I couldn't let it continue like this, I took drastic measures.
"Ye-rin, I-seo. Go somewhere else for a moment."
"No."
"I won't."
"Please. I can't speak to your parents because of you two."
I knew.
I knew why they were doing this.
Just as Yoo Ah-rin had tried to persuade her parents first out of consideration for me.
Both of them were reacting this way because they didn't want me to get hurt, but I couldn't just stay silent all day.
Eventually, the two of them went into the main room.
Immediately, I bowed my head deeply.
"I am sorry. Everything you've said is correct. You must want your precious daughters to meet a good man and live happily."
"……."
"……."
"I know. In this situation, the fact that I am a chaebol actually works against me."
The reckless whim of a chaebol.
I had no excuse even if they saw it that way.
In popular media like movies and dramas, chaebols were often portrayed with that image.
"I know you don't trust me. However, it's hard to deny that we've already come too far. We're also having a child. I will spend as much time as it takes to prove myself and earn your trust."
Choi I-seo's father pushed up his glasses and countered.
"How do you plan to make us trust you?"
"He's right. You can't expect us to accept it just because you ask us to trust you."
"Sigh, what a mess this is."
Voices erupted from all sides.
With my head still bowed low, I answered.
"I won't ask you to trust me with words anymore. Instead, I will show you through my actions."
I was confident.
I was truly confident.
"I am certain that no other man can make Ye-rin or I-seo as happy as I can."
"……."
"……."
Parents want their children's happiness.
The people here weren't rejecting me because they hated me.
They were denying me because they wanted Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo to be happy.
"As you know, I am the youngest son of Uju Group. They say even if a chaebol goes bankrupt, the wealth lasts for three generations. The girls will never lack for anything financially—"
Ding-dong!
Just then, the doorbell rang.
While I wondered who else could be coming, Choi I-seo's younger sister, Choi I-hyun, trotted over to open the door.
"Who is it? Huh?! I've seen you somewhere before..."
Choi I-hyun answered with a dazed expression. As everyone's attention shifted toward the door, there stood my last resort.
"Hello. I am the father of this pathetic rascal."
My father was standing there.