If I Beg to Be Spared, Will You Spare Me? [Dad Wants to Meet Jung-woo?]
Okay, Jung-woo. Stay calm and let's sort this out slowly.
“What?! U-Uncle?”
“Yeah!! He says he wants to see you since it’s been a while since he last saw your face.”
Alright, Jung-woo. Let’s take a deep breath and organize the situation step by step.
Chae-yeon’s uncle had suddenly called her and said he wanted to see me.
And the reason was apparently one filled with longing.
Was he really just asking to see my face because it had been so long?
Even someone as slow at reading the room as me could clearly see the true intention behind those words.
If this were back in elementary school, maybe. But the Chae-yeon of now was a proper young woman. And she was their one and only precious daughter.
It was wrapped in the shell of “it’s been a while,” but the core inside was definitely a one-on-one interview.
I’ve seen this in movies. The only thing left was to be dragged into the room of truth.
“Um, when did he say he wanted to see me?”
“He asked if we could meet up when I come down to Gwangju next time.”
“Yeoni, when are you coming to Gwangju?”
“Probably next week or so.”
So my remaining lifespan was one week. Suddenly receiving a terminal diagnosis felt a little unfair, didn’t it?
If I ever got a terminal diagnosis, writing an essay about it had been one item on my wish list.
It looked like the time had finally come to check that wish off.
It was nice knowing you, life.
Still, I got to date Chae-yeon before I died. What a happy life that was.
“Yeoni, what kind of tone did your uncle use when he said it?”
“He said congratulations and was smiling while he spoke.”
Hmm, Yeoni. That wasn’t just smiling. He was smiling because he was about to fold me in half.
I looked to Mom for a helping hand.
She simply smiled lightly and walked out of my room.
Her only son was about to meet his end, and she was being this heartless?!
“It’s okay, Jung-woo. Don’t worry too much. You know what my dad’s like.”
“Yeah, I do.”
To me as a child, Chae-yeon’s uncle had been a scary person for no particular reason.
With his massive build and the charisma radiating from his face, even when he smiled I couldn’t approach him comfortably.
The single phrase that if we played too roughly he’d bring handcuffs and arrest us had been incredibly frightening when I was young.
“Yeoni, should we really give both sets of parents a trip as a gift?”
“Pfft!! Why are you suddenly saying that?”
“I’m scared. I’m scared to meet your uncle…”
“Jung-woo, it’s not like my dad is going to eat you alive.”
“I’m about to become a rabbit caught by a lion.”
“You’re going with me. Nothing’s going to happen.”
I continued the call while receiving Chae-yeon’s comfort.
One week.
Would I still be alive one week from now?
After that, a week passed, and the day I had hoped would never come had arrived anyway.
Maybe because I realized it was the day of the decisive battle, my heart had been pounding wildly since morning.
First, today’s plan was simple: go to the bus terminal to pick up Chae-yeon, then head to her house together.
I hadn’t seen her uncle once since elementary school, so it felt like a first meeting.
I dressed neatly in a shirt and black jeans and showed Mom.
“Mom, how do I look?”
“You look good. Today’s the day you’re meeting Chae-yeon’s uncle, right?”
“Yeah. I feel like my heart’s about to explode right now.”
“It’s not like you’re going for a formal meeting with the in-laws. Why are you so nervous? Just go comfortably.”
“Mom, if I don’t come back, find me and bury me in a sunny spot.”
“Are you going off to war?”
“Well then… I’m off.”
With a solemn heart, I took a taxi to the bus terminal. This time I arrived first and got to watch Chae-yeon step off the bus.
“Jung-woo!!”
“Yeoni, I missed you!!”
Chae-yeon ran over quickly and threw herself into my arms.
How long had it been? We hadn’t seen each other for three weeks, and I had missed her so much.
“It really has been a long time. I missed you so much.”
“Me too.”
Chae-yeon seemed to feel exactly the same, showing no hesitation in expressing her affection.
Even this side of her was incredibly cute.
“Shall we get going then?”
“Huh? Y-yeah.”
“Don’t be too nervous. You’re like a rock right now. A rock.”
I couldn’t help it. I was going to meet the uncle I hadn’t seen since elementary school. How could I not be nervous?
Especially since the reason for the meeting was to step into the room of truth.
Still, thanks to seeing Chae-yeon, my wildly beating heart calmed down a little.
We arrived at Chae-yeon’s house like that.
When Chae-yeon entered the passcode on the door lock and opened it, her aunt and uncle greeted us warmly.
“Jung-woo!! It’s been so long.”
“Hello, Aunt.”
“Wow, Jung-woo. I almost didn’t recognize you. You’ve changed a lot.”
“Uncle, it really has been ages.”
“Mom, Dad. Your daughter’s here, but you’re only welcoming Jung-woo?”
“Huh? Isn’t Jung-woo our daughter’s boyfriend now? We can’t help it.”
“Yeah, boyfriend. Ahem.”
Um… If you keep clearing your throat while emphasizing that part, it makes me so uncomfortable I can hardly stay here.
There’s a saying that even if you enter a tiger’s den, if you keep your wits about you, you’ll be fine.
If I just stayed sharp, everything would pass quietly without any problems.
“I heard you changed a lot after the surgery. You really have changed a lot.”
“Everyone says that.”
“Where did all that fat go? Jung-woo, you’re too skinny.”
“After the surgery I lost my appetite. I don’t eat much anymore.”
“Anyway, you’ve been through a lot. It couldn’t have been easy to get into college after the surgery, retaking the exam twice.”
“It was hard, but I think it was worth that much.”
“Wow, listen to him talk. This isn’t the Jung-woo I knew.”
“Honey, Jung-woo is twenty-three now. The Jung-woo you knew was an elementary schooler.”
Chae-yeon picked up the fruit her aunt had brought with a fork and offered it to me.
I thought it would be okay to accept, but I felt an unknown pressure coming from somewhere.
“Ahem. I heard you’re dating Chae-yeon. When did you two start going out?”
“That’s right. I’m curious about that too.”
“Yeoni, you didn’t tell them?”
“I just… said we’d tell them together when I came to Gwangju.”
“Yeoni?! Oh, is that a nickname?”
“Yes, that’s right. I gave it to her.”
“Ahem. Nickname. I see.”
Uncle, if you keep clearing your throat like that it’s bad for your throat. And could you please stop looking at me with those eyes?
Because of the continuous unknown pressure, I couldn’t even tell if the fruit was going into my mouth or my nose.
If Chae-yeon hadn’t told them, that meant I had to explain it here and now…
Chae-yeon would be too embarrassed to speak properly, which meant I pretty much had to do the talking alone.
If it were just Aunt it might be okay, but with Uncle present, having to explain everything by myself in this situation.
Hmm. I wanted to die.
“We started dating on the day we went to the amusement park together.”
“Oh my, really? Who confessed first?”
“I-I did…”
“Chae-yeon, you?! No way.”
“I-It’s true. I confessed first.”
“If Chae-yeon had been a little slower, I would have done it, but she beat me to it.”
“So you both had feelings. That’s nice to see.”
“Hey, Mom!!”
“What? I said it because it really is nice to see.”
In the light atmosphere where Chae-yeon and her aunt were playfully bickering, I couldn’t smile at all.
Because of the gaze I felt constantly pressing down on me.
“Since when have you liked Chae-yeon?”
“Um… We were studying for the exam together and went to karaoke. I started liking her from then.”
“Oh, really? Then what did you think when you saw our Chae-yeon after she entered college?”
“Can I be completely honest?”
“Yes!! Tell us honestly.”
“I thought she was pretty. The Chae-yeon I knew wasn’t there so it felt unfamiliar, but my eyes were drawn to her from the start.”
“Our daughter did become much prettier after entering college.”
Chae-yeon started lightly tapping my thigh as if telling me to stop.
I was speaking with complete sincerity, not empty words, but it seemed embarrassing to her.
Finding that sight adorable, I fed her the fruit that was in front of me.
“Is it good?”
“Yeah, it’s good.”
“Honey, look at those two. Don’t they look good together?”
“Y-yeah. They do look good together.”
Ah, right. I was sitting in front of a tiger right now.
I had almost lost my mind and gotten eaten alive.
“Chae-yeon, what do you like about Jung-woo?”
“W-why are you asking that!!”
“I’m curious. It’s our daughter’s first relationship.”
“… I like everything. There’s nothing I don’t like.”
“But isn’t there something you can point to as especially good?”
“I’m not saying!!”
“Jung-woo.”
While I was smiling at Chae-yeon’s bright red face, Uncle’s voice reached me.
At that voice I came to my senses and turned my gaze toward him.
“Yes.”
“If it’s all right, would you talk with me for a bit?”
“… Yes?”
“There are a lot of things I’m curious about.”
“Dad!! If you have questions you can ask them here. Why are you taking Jung-woo away?”
“There’s just something about it. Jung-woo, is that okay with you?”
“Ah, yes. It’s fine.”
“Dad, if you bother Jung-woo you’re in trouble!!”
“Look at her, already ignoring her dad and only caring about her boyfriend. Sigh, raising a child really is pointless.”
I followed Uncle as he walked toward the study.
Will you spare me if I beg to be spared?