Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Gathering
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Chapter 31: Gathering.
Kim Kyung-ae adorned herself from head to toe with the clothes and accessories her son had bought her.
It was because the gathering that had started at the Nan-dong Middle School parents' association was happening that afternoon.
"Time flies so fast. It's already been over ten years."
She shook her head, realizing anew that the get-together, which had begun at the parents' association, had already surpassed ten years.
The years seemed to be passing by far too quickly.
"Wrinkles are getting deeper too. You can't stay young forever, but time sure moves fast."
Standing in front of the full-length mirror, Kim Kyung-ae muttered to herself.
No matter how heavily she applied her makeup, she couldn't hide the wrinkles around her eyes.
"But I've done pretty well, haven't I? I raised my child right."
Up until he was twenty, she had felt so sorry for her son.
She hadn't been able to support him with anything due to their family circumstances.
She didn't even know what he liked or what he was thinking.
She had been too busy just trying to make ends meet to have those kinds of conversations.
Yet despite that, her son had grown up so splendidly.
To the point where she wouldn't be embarrassed to show him off anywhere.
"Hehe. Then shall I take the car my son bought me out for a drive?"
Having finished getting ready, Kim Kyung-ae smiled brightly and stepped out of the house.
Even though the meeting place wasn't far from home, she deliberately drove there.
"Oh my, Ji-hyun's mom! Haven't you gotten even younger?"
"You look even prettier since the divorce!"
As soon as she entered the Korean restaurant in Songdo, the meeting spot, she heard excited exclamations.
It was Lee Ji-sook and Hwang In-hye, who had arrived first.
Seeing the two closest friends out of the five who were supposed to meet today already there, Kim Kyung-ae broke into a wide smile.
"Even if it's empty flattery, it feels good."
"Oh come on, why would we flatter each other at our age? Over fifty now."
"Exactly. We say you look younger because you do. Seeing you makes me want to divorce too. That damn husband of mine comes home drunk every night, passes out, and our son— the one we have— still can't find a job and just lounges at home."
"Let's not talk about dark stuff. It won't change anything."
Lee Ji-sook soothed Hwang In-hye.
She understood her feelings better than anyone since her youngest daughter was also job hunting.
"Yeah, I could go on forever about my daughter too."
"Oh right, Ji-hyun's mom, your daughter was job hunting too, wasn't she?"
"Yeah, no end in sight..."
The upbeat mood plummeted to the floor.
Unlike Woo Ji-hyun, who was thriving, her daughter was still wandering aimlessly.
"Oh well, she'll figure it out. With a brother like that doing so well, what's to worry? We're the ones who should be worried."
"Right."
Hwang In-hye chimed in agreement.
When one sibling succeeded, the others usually followed suit.
"But any good news from your son? He's capable, and at that age— perfect for marriage, right?"
"I've hinted at it casually, but seems like he's not seeing anyone. Just holed up at home working."
"Didn't you say he lives alone in a 25-pyeong apartment?"
"Yeah, one bedroom, one studio, one walk-in closet. I visit sometimes, but no signs of a woman anywhere."
Kim Kyung-ae let out a deep sigh.
It was great that he took good care of himself, but in a way, that was the problem.
People needed some flaws and openings, but her son had none.
"Still, living well on his own is something. How nice not to worry about that."
"True. Honestly, it just sounds like jealousy to me."
"Hehe, you think so?"
"You know it is."
Lee Ji-sook shot her a look.
She had been subtly bragging about her son lately.
"But Ji-hyun's mom."
"Yeah?"
"What if my daughter works out for him since he doesn't have a girlfriend?"
"Eun-kyeong?"
Kim Kyung-ae blinked in surprise.
Lee Ji-sook had suddenly brought up her own daughter.
"You know how pretty my Eun-kyeong is, right, Ji-hyun's mom?"
"I do."
"So, how about setting up a meeting? Who knows? We might end up in-laws."
"Uh..."
Kim Kyung-ae didn't answer right away to Lee Ji-sook's subtle matchmaking tone.
Her son had always been strong-willed since childhood, so he wouldn't listen just because she told him to.
He had even firmly stated he disliked blind dates from the start.
"What? You think my Eun-kyeong isn't good enough?"
"No, no, it's not that. You know my son's personality. He's so stubborn. He's not the type to do what I say. He'd probably jump around the room the moment I bring it up."
"That's why you need to persuade him properly. You know our family isn't bad either."
"That's what makes me wonder. Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
"I just want to ship her off to a good match while I can."
Lee Ji-sook said it with a dead-serious face, not even 1% joking.
She genuinely wanted to marry off her daughter.
"Ah, she's still young. Wouldn't it be better to keep her close a bit longer?"
"Twenty-four is young? Back in our day, she'd already have a kid!"
"W-Well, that's true."
Lee Ji-sook's sudden fervor made Kim Kyung-ae nod along involuntarily.
She couldn't bring herself to say no amid the fierce intensity.
Hwang In-hye seemed to feel the same, nodding silently.
"Ji-hyun's at that age too, so let's set something up. Meet once this year, date for a year— she'd be twenty-nine. Honeymoon, some time passes, she's thirty. Perfect age to have a kid, right? And Eun-kyeong would be twenty-six then— ideal."
"I'll talk to him. But don't get your hopes up too much."
"No parent beats their kid, but since it's a son, he won't outright refuse. So persuade him well, Ji-hyun's mom."
"I'm powerless. So don't expect too much. Big hopes lead to big disappointments."
Kim Kyung-ae smiled awkwardly.
She was laying the groundwork in advance.
She knew exactly what Woo Ji-hyun would say.
"You guys are here early?"
"Yeah, In-seok's mom."
"Long time no see, everyone."
It was already 1:20 when Moon Ji-eun arrived, twenty minutes past the agreed time.
As always, she had Noh Young-hee tagging along like an aide.
"Isn't that too late? We said 1 o'clock."
Hwang In-hye frowned at Moon Ji-eun, who sat down shamelessly despite being late.
She thought at least an apology was in order.
"Sorry for being late. Traffic was bad."
"Jeez."
Hwang In-hye looked exasperated at Moon Ji-eun's unapologetic face.
Lee Ji-sook pulled her back.
Moon Ji-eun was wrong, but no need to sour the mood deliberately.
Plus, this wasn't the first time Moon Ji-eun had done this.
"Let's order some food."
Kim Kyung-ae chimed in at just the right moment to help Lee Ji-sook.
Soon, the course dishes they ordered began arriving in order.
"This place really knows how to cook."
"It's a bit pricey, but the taste is worth it."
"Right."
Kim Kyung-ae and Lee Ji-sook worked to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
But the once-chilled mood showed no signs of thawing.
Moon Ji-eun wasn't the type to care about such things, and Noh Young-hee just followed her lead, looking indifferent.
'Do something about it?'
'What can I do? You know In-hye won't listen when she's like this.'
Kim Kyung-ae and Lee Ji-sook exchanged glances.
The already heavy mood sank even further.
"By the way, Ji-hyun's mom, how's it going lately? Kakao Page, right? Their ads seemed to fizzle out. And they changed models for the follow-ups. Revenue must've tanked, huh?"
"It's down some, but surprisingly not by much, he says. Readers are sticking around steadily."
"Good thing. I was worried since the job's not stable."
Kim Kyung-ae's eyebrow twitched.
She knew exactly what Moon Ji-eun was getting at.
She could tolerate trash-talking friends, but not when it came to her child.
"It's definitely not stable. Income fluctuates. But the base salary is over a hundred million won, so no worries."
"You know you have to manage the money well when they're earning big, right? He's young, could blow it all. You need to oversee it, Ji-hyun's mom."
"My kid's sharp enough. Spends when he should, saves when he should. Bought a nice house and even got me a new car."
"Yeah, a midsize, fully loaded, right?"
Hwang In-hye jumped in with a grin, as if she'd been waiting.
She naturally took Kim Kyung-ae's side to shut down Moon Ji-eun's sniping.
Snap!
A vein bulged on Moon Ji-eun's forehead.
Kim Kyung-ae's bragging had been grating on her lately, and now Hwang In-hye joining in rubbed her the wrong way.
'A job with no roots...!'
She resented Woo Ji-hyun, a high school grad without college, getting lucky and making bank.
She hated seeing him live so well when he should've been scraping by.
Especially since he was outshining her own son, Ko In-seok.
"Cash, not installments! He bought it outright. Our Ji-hyun did. Hohoho!"
"I'm jealous. Wish my son would give me a gift like that. Maybe in this lifetime."
"Everyone's struggling now. He'll settle soon. Look at Ji-hyun. Never dreamed he'd do this well. Worried sick because he only read fantasy and martial arts novels instead of studying, but now he's top in that field."
"Some friends even asked me to set up meetings with Ji-hyun. Their kids all want to be writers too."
"Really?"
It was the first time she'd heard this, so Kim Kyung-ae looked surprised.
She knew her son was doing well but not his exact status.
"Genre fiction, right? They say he's a monumental figure there. Only one in his twenties at that level. Must have quite the fanbase."
"Wow."
"But so what? The market could crash anytime. Back in the rental shop days, they boomed then busted overnight. Could happen again."
"..."
The mood plummeted instantly.
The scattered chill regrouped solidly.
At the same time, Kim Kyung-ae, Lee Ji-sook, and Hwang In-hye shot sharp glares at Moon Ji-eun.
"Oh, right. My In-seok just got promoted to deputy. And not straight out of college either. Guess being smart pays off— company's recognizing him."
Whether oblivious to the icy vibe or ignoring it, Moon Ji-eun launched back into her own topic.
But only Noh Young-hee reacted.
Screech!
Just then, a bright red sports car pulled into the visible parking lot outside.
All five women's eyes naturally turned to the parking lot.
Even though she didn't know the brand, it was clearly expensive.
"Huh?"