Chapter 140
Chapter 140
"What, did you think I came because of you?"
What kind of bullshit was that?
When I stared at him with that look, Nam Da-un waved his hands defensively.
"Hey, it was a joke, a joke. Don't give me that terrifying face... no, seriously, you really are scary, okay?"
Seeing me glare at him in total earnest, Nam Da-un shuddered.
"I know perfectly well you don't have that kind of interest in me."
"...Is this because of that talent of yours?"
"Well, yeah. How do I put it... it's like you already have someone you like."
"..."
"Judging by your reaction, it's true."
When my face flushed before I could stop it, Nam Da-un shrugged.
"Whoever it is you like, I'm not going to get in your way on purpose, so don't worry."
Even if he'd tried, I had no intention of letting him interfere.
Someone else was already actively interfering.
And the fact that the someone in question was my mother made it all the less welcome, for more reasons than one.
Nam Da-un had only just sat down, but he rose with a grunt of effort and spoke to me.
"Shall we head back? If we stay together any longer, they're going to start getting the wrong idea about us."
I followed his chin gesture. Once again, the onlookers who had paused to stare at us hastily resumed whatever they'd been doing.
Did they really think it wouldn't be obvious? That we wouldn't notice?
"...Alright."
I couldn't see through people's lies. But I didn't get the sense that Nam Da-un was lying to me.
...Because his face was glowing, just like the faces of the people close to me.
By now, I understood the meaning of that light with certainty. The people who would change my life. Whether that change was positive or negative.
On the other hand, light no longer emanated from my mother's face. She would no longer be able to interfere heavily in my life. At the very least, ruining this moment would be difficult for her.
Of course, this ability of mine wasn't exactly a form of prophecy... but still, I decided to trust my instincts this time.
More precisely, I decided to trust myself.
That person inside me had trusted me. She believed she could return my life to me even if it meant discarding herself. The reason she entrusted her body to me this time was also because she believed I would handle things properly.
If that's the case, then it's a problem if I can't trust myself too. Not believing in myself would be the same as not believing in her.
I don't want that.
So, I will trust in myself.
The logic was a complete mess, but that was the principle driving my actions right now.
...And naturally, my friends around me need to trust me too.
It'd be a real problem if they tried to hide their troubles and deal with everything alone, like Ha-neul did.
Watching Nam Da-un stand up and start off ahead of me, I rose from my chair as well and walked toward where the kids were.
*
"So, any results—whoops."
As Nam Da-un walked over to where the club members were gathered, the club president started to say something, then barely managed to block a soccer ball with his hands as it flew straight at his face.
"I told you, it's nothing like that."
The club president, having deflected the ball with his hand, grinned slyly even after hearing that.
"Come on, she's famous for being the prettiest in the whole grade..."
"Club president, weren't you calling her the 'walking incarnation of misfortune' and all that just a little while ago?"
At Nam Da-un's words, the club president was instantly silenced.
"No, hey, I might have said some stuff like that..."
Watching the club president scratch his head as he made excuses, Nam Da-un let out a deep sigh. It was hard to believe this guy was a senior, one year ahead, and graduating next year.
Next year, this guy could go to college, drink, smoke. Though Nam Da-un doubted he'd smoke, at least.
"We just talked a bit. You don't need to worry about it."
"I-is that so...?"
At Nam Da-un's firm response, the club president said that much, but then—
"Come on, you seriously don't feel anything? You're the closest to those girls out of anyone here."
—he just kept on prying.
...Was this guy actually interested in one of those girls?
Well, it'd be weirder not to be interested. It was a suspiciously pretty group of girls, after all.
But if he ever tried to approach them, he'd only end up hurt.
"Closest or not, I really don't have that kind of interest."
Well, maybe he had felt that way once, a long time ago.
A very long time ago.
Like, back when he was around ten years old.
But by now, it was a little, no, a lot, too late to start liking her.
*
In other words, if my mother wanted to harm someone, she could make it happen one way or another. But that didn't mean she could get away with something completely unreasonable. Was that the right way to think about it?
Probably, every time she'd acted that way before, there had been no one to stop her. She is the chairwoman of the largest company by market cap in the country—no, in the world. Even if she only moves her personal assets without touching the company, it's like a giant swinging a kick.
Even a graze leaves no trace. Like the company run by Nam Da-un's father.
Though, of course, they managed to leave a few scars of their own.
'Someone' had spread rumors, hadn't they?
If that had been my mother's scheme, if she'd used it to ruin her own image just to isolate me, then you could say she had utilized the situation quite effectively.
For the purpose of 'isolating me,' that is.
As for securing her 'position within the company,' that must have taken a very serious hit.
The reason she'd been able to keep her seat as chairwoman despite that was probably because my shares were being treated as practically no different from hers.
Combined, we held nearly 15 percent of the stock. And if you added in the Yujin Life Insurance shares under my name and everything else, it wouldn't be strange if she could control the entire group at will.
It wasn't so much about justification; she held the company's leash itself in her hands, so it was possible.
Intimidating people, making consumers resent her in the process, pushing ahead even when it damaged the company.
It was all possible because of the assets my mother had received from my father.
....
I felt sick.
A part of me still accepted my mother as 'my mother.' No matter how much the person I'd loved had changed, that feeling wasn't easily shed.
And when I thought that the reason she'd approached me was simply for 'assets'—
When I thought that my life had been ruined for such a reason, I couldn't possibly feel good about it.
...Right.
Parts of my father's fortune did go to my mother.
But my father did his best for me.
The assets safely stored in places beyond my mother's reach.
The things that were 'wholly mine,' things I hadn't yet known about—revealed by that person.
Using those, I should be able to properly stand against my mother.
What expression would my mother make when I blocked her path?
When someone blocked a path that had never been properly obstructed before,
and when she found out the one blocking it was me—what expression would she make?
"...."
A chill ran down my spine.
It wasn't the kind of chill from fear or disgust.
This was anticipation.
Because at last, I had a means to attack my mother.
On top of that, I even had justification.
"...Sara."
"Hm?"
On the way home.
There was no more climbing walls. Ever since I'd taken control of the mansion, no one followed to watch me, and if I told them not to come pick me up, they didn't come.
We could just walk out the main gate together, openly.
"Is something wrong?"
Something was probably wrong with you.
I still hadn't heard what was going on with Ha-neul. I didn't know the reason—whether she didn't want to cause me trouble, or whether she didn't want to owe 'me' a debt.
Judging by the way she'd hugged me after hearing what I'd said earlier, that didn't seem to be it.
For now, I would wait. Would Ha-neul really be able to trust me?
If she couldn't, well.
I'd just have to make her trust me.
"No, nothing's wrong."
Yeah, nothing was wrong at all.
My steps actually felt endlessly light.
"Nothing's wrong at all."
I looked at Ha-neul, who was watching me with worry, and gave her a bright smile.
Strangely enough, seeing my expression, Ha-neul looked a bit frightened.
But there was nothing to worry about.
There was no reason to be afraid anymore. No more of my friends being brutally torn away by my mother, or So-hee's family suffering unjust treatment, or Ha-neul being put through something terrible, or Su-a being kidnapped by someone—
So, the thought that I would never again lose the 'things that money can never buy twice' made my heart feel incredibly light.
Because when it came to money, I had more than enough.
And above all, my 'greatest asset' wasn't something anyone could steal or take away in the first place.
I walked with a spring in my step—lightly, probably for the first time since I was a child.
Mother.
Just you wait.
Just as you tried to take everything from me, I am going to come and take everything from you.
And at the very last, final moment,
I will hand you the letter I've written for you.
I thought to myself.
That moment would probably be
the moment the relationship between my mother and me truly comes to an end.
I looked forward to seeing the expression on her face.