Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Father. Does It Have to Be France?
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Scene 6. Father. Does it have to be France?
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
“Shh… I’m here to help you.”
“Mmph?”
“Quiet! The men are upstairs.”
They were already dead, of course, but he couldn’t very well say that.
“…”
Yu-hyeon’s warning seemed to work, as the startled, struggling girl went still.
“I’m going to untie you. But remember, they’re upstairs. If you want to get out of here, you have to do as I say. Can you do that?”
“…”
The girl stared at Yu-hyeon for a moment before nodding.
Once the gag was removed, she spoke cautiously.
“Who… are you?”
“Someone like you. And someone who was lucky enough to be escaping.”
The girl nodded again at his words, though she thought his way of speaking was strange.
It was ambiguous, as if he stood on the line between child and adult.
Perhaps it was the unusual atmosphere.
As she spoke with Yu-hyeon, the girl’s own speech began to sound strangely mature for her age.
“Is there anything you need to take with you?”
“I need a phone.”
“A phone?”
“I have to call for help once we’re out of here.”
Help? That was a bit problematic. Yu-hyeon had never been here, and he had no reason to be.
“You mean you’re going to call the police?”
“I’m going to call home.”
Better than the police, but still…
“I have a favor to ask before we leave.”
“A favor?”
“You never saw me.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I was never here.”
“…”
“I don’t want to get involved in anything troublesome. I’m not a citizen of this country, and more importantly, I’m Asian.”
“Ah!”
It seemed the girl hadn’t realized Yu-hyeon was Asian. Only then, with the help of the dim light, did she carefully study the person who had saved her.
The girl nodded silently.
She wasn’t slow on the uptake. Her expression showed she immediately understood what Yu-hyeon was worried about.
“You have to keep your promise. If you don’t, I could be deported for my trouble, or even framed as an accomplice to these criminals.”
The leering eyes of her kidnappers as they scanned her. The countless suitcases and belongings piled up in the cellar.
If this person hadn’t saved her…
She would have been tormented by her captors until, like the owners of those suitcases, she too lost her life.
She couldn't repay his kindness by putting the person who saved her from tragedy in a difficult position.
“Yes. I will.”
“Quietly. Follow me.”
Nod, nod.
There was no one around to stop them even if she made a scene, but Yu-hyeon moved with a caution that suggested they couldn't risk being seen by anyone.
After successfully making it outside, the girl took a desperate gasp of air she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“See that light over there, beyond the alley?”
“Yes.”
Yu-hyeon pressed some of the cash he had found in a suitcase into the girl’s hand.
“Don’t look back. Just keep running. In about ten minutes, you’ll reach a busy street. Not many places will be open this late, but if you look around, you should be able to find a phone.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
“I’m going this way. You go that way.”
Yu-hyeon also needed to head in the same direction as the girl, but he deliberately pointed the opposite way.
*I still have to set the house on fire.*
The girl hesitated, as if her feet were glued to the ground, then looked up at Yu-hyeon.
“I’m Marie. Marie Scollay. Can I know your name?”
“Have you forgotten already? I was never here, and I’ve never seen you. So there’s no need for you to know my name.”
“…”
“Hurry! If they catch you again, you won’t get another chance.”
Marie’s eyes widened, trying to get one last look at Yu-hyeon’s face. But in the darkness, she could only make out his silhouette.
Marie tried to recall his face from the cellar, struggling to commit at least that much to memory.
It wasn't as if this would guarantee they'd meet again, but she didn't want to pass by him somewhere in the future without even knowing who he was.
"Go on."
Yu-hyeon urged her.
“Thank you. And I’ll be sure to keep my promise.”
Marie sprinted in the direction Yu-hyeon had pointed. Once she disappeared down the dark alley toward the main street, Yu-hyeon went back into the criminals’ house.
It was time to end the nightmare.
*
At dawn, the streets erupted with the clamor of wailing sirens.
Kang Man-dong, who had been sleeping soundly enough to snore, tossed and turned, pulling the blanket over his head to escape the noise. But the commotion was too much, and he eventually sat up.
His son, Yu-hyeon, who had been looking out the window, turned to him.
“You’re awake?”
“Ugh. Yeah. You’re up too? Why’s it so noisy outside?”
“Looks like there was a fire.”
“A fire?”
“Yes. The fire trucks went that way.”
Yu-hyeon pointed in the direction of Jang Man-ho’s hideout.
“They were in a hurry.”
“Hmph, of all things. A fire at dawn on our first day in France.”
“Would you like some water?”
“Yeah. I’m a bit thirsty.”
Yu-hyeon brought him a glass of water and sat down on the bed next to his father.
“Father.”
“Father?”
“Yes?”
“What’s with the formal ‘Father’? It sounds weird. Just call me Dad like you always do. Are you protesting because I decided to immigrate without asking you?”
“Ahem. No, of course not.”
"Call me Dad. I like how it sounds better."
"Yes. Dad…"
The word, once so natural, now felt strangely awkward and ticklish on his tongue.
“Heh heh. That’s my boy. What is it?”
“About immigrating…”
“I knew it, you’re not happy about it, are you? It was a sudden decision, after all.”
Kang Man-dong looked at Yu-hyeon with an apologetic expression.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just, I was wondering if it has to be France.”
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“It’s just… I don’t really feel a connection to France.”
“…”
“If it doesn’t have to be France, I was thinking, what about another country?”
“You didn’t say anything back in Korea.”
“I know. But now that I’m here… I just have a bad feeling.”
“I don’t know why you’d suddenly feel that way, but I had my reasons for choosing France.”
“May I ask what they are?”
“It’s about your studies.”
Kang Man-dong put down his water glass and placed his hands on Yu-hyeon’s shoulders.
“Son.”
“Yes.”
“You’re a good student, aren’t you?”
Kang Man-dong’s expression turned guilty as he brought up his son’s education.
Because they had spent their lives moving all over the country, Yu-hyeon had never received a proper school education. He had to study mostly on his own, continuing his education by taking equivalency exams.
He could have complained, asking why he had to live differently from others, but Yu-hyeon had always said that seeing the world with his dad was happier and more helpful.
Instead of getting angry, the thoughtful son had ended up comforting his father.
Despite his gruff exterior, Kang Man-dong was surprisingly soft-hearted, and his failure to properly support his son’s education had always weighed on his mind.
“Well, I’m not bad at it.”
“I did some research. The universities here in France…”
“Fath… I mean, Dad. I did some research too.”
“Oh. You did?”
“You don’t have to live in France to go to a French university.”
“That’s true, but still, if possible…”
“If your dream is for me to go to a good university, I’ll work hard and make it happen. But I’d rather not live in France.”
“Haha. Well, I’ll be. Why all of a sudden… Let’s talk about this again later. There’s the deposit I gave to President Jang, and the papers we submitted here.”
Yu-hyeon wanted to leave France immediately, but it was difficult to insist on another country without a good reason.
His father must have had his own thoughts and considerations when he chose France out of all the countries in Europe.
*I’ll bring it up again when the mood is right. If Jang Man-ho doesn’t show up, Dad will sense something’s wrong. Ah, I could also check on the document registration myself.*
From the very beginning, Jang Man-ho’s goal wasn’t to help them immigrate but to steal the money they had brought for that purpose.
That’s why, contrary to his claims, no documents had been filed with the immigration office, and no progress had been made. Once his father learned the truth, he would surely change his mind.
And that time came sooner than expected.
*
“Hmph. Why is he so late?”
Kang Man-dong, looking exhausted from his restless night, paced anxiously in front of their lodging. It was nearly noon, and Jang Man-ho was nowhere to be seen.
If he could at least get him on the phone, he might have thought he was just delayed by some business, but there was no sign of him, not even a call.
When Jang Man-ho still hadn’t appeared by the afternoon, Kang Man-dong tried calling the agency in Korea that had arranged the immigration.
“This is driving me crazy. They’re not answering either. What in the world is going on?”
His frustration turning to full-blown anger, Kang Man-dong let out a series of heavy sighs.
His son’s words from the morning kept echoing in his mind. Something about criminals who prey on immigrants unfamiliar with the local situation.
“Was I… scammed? No. That can’t be right.”
If Jang Man-ho had intended to scam him, there would have been no reason to pick them up from the airport. He could have just taken the deposit and vanished.
Pacing restlessly in front of the lodging, Kang Man-dong started walking in the direction Jang Man-ho’s Peugeot had taken.
He even went a little way out, a sort of reverse-pickup, wondering if the car had broken down on the way.
But he couldn’t just wander aimlessly through an unfamiliar neighborhood with no idea where he was going.
In the end, unable to do anything, the day slipped away.