Chapter 107
Chapter 107
“…Excuse me?”
What? Startled, Bom covered her gaping mouth with both hands.
“I’ve been feeling it lately anyway. That thing. Son-in-law Gyu mentioned it before.”
“You mean the reality hit?”
“Yeah, that. I’m feeling it so much I’m thinking of just getting a divorce.”
Her mother, using a slang term she’d picked up somewhere, spoke of divorce as if it were nothing. Even though the van was parked in a private area, it was an incredibly bold statement.
“What am I lacking that I have to cater to that rotten man’s whims? There are still plenty of people who’d love to be with me. Who does he think I am?”
She claimed she didn’t need her father because there were so many better options for remarriage out there, but perhaps the truth was that she was simply exhausted from her one-sided efforts.
“Well, you are very popular, Mother.”
“Right? Well, I’m not saying I’ll do it right this second. I just don’t want to be intimidated by that man anymore. If we divorce, it’s his loss.”
The only one unhappy with her mother’s refreshing outburst was Yoon-cheong.
“Mother, why are you being like this too? All you have to do is yield a little, and—!”
“Cheong. I’ll handle my own business. Is now the time for you to be worrying about me? Even if an article about you drops right now, I’m not going to block it for you anymore.”
When her mother drew a firm line, her brother couldn't open his mouth any further. Instead, he jerked his chin toward Bom. Even though he was the one in a desperate position now, it seemed his pride wouldn't let him ask her to come over.
“Oppa. Do you have something to say to me?”
“…”
“I’m guessing it’s not an apology?”
“What kind of words are you expecting to come out of my mouth?”
“I figured as much. You know, I have so much I want to say to you.”
To be precise, she had many questions. Since when had he started hating her? Had he been doing things like this behind her back before? Did he truly not feel even a shred of remorse?
“But thinking about it now, I wonder if there’s even any point in talking to you.”
“Are you serious? Are you playing with me right now?”
Red-faced with indignation, her brother stomped his foot.
I lived in pain because of someone as pathetic as him? It’s unfair. Bom felt a deep sense of injustice.
“From now on, I’ll convey what I want to say to you through a lawyer.”
“What lawyer?”
“Because I’m going to sue you.”
“…Wh-what?”
Her brother’s mouth hung open stupidly as if he’d been struck on the head, and he began to stammer like a broken machine.
“What are you talking about? Sue me for what?”
As expected, he looked pathetic and small. Why? Did you think I’d just sit back and take it forever? I won’t do that again. Every reason I had to endure it has vanished.
“You can see for yourself when the complaint arrives.”
“Are you acting out because you’ve got a boyfriend backing you up? How can you sue your own sibling? Just wait until Father hears about this!”
Father? Would he be any different? They were both lowly people who placed the heaviest burdens on their closest family members. They were pitiful people who were so obsessed with their public image that they didn't know what was truly important.
“Go ahead, tell him. I’m not scared at all anymore.”
“Oh, so your true colors are coming out? You think I’m a joke, don’t you? Why, I’ll—!”
The gesture of raising his arm to threaten her was immediately crushed.
“Gack!”
Jae-gyu instantly snatched his thin wrist from behind, and Yoon-cheong let out a high-pitched shriek.
“Ack, aaack! It hurts, it hurts! It hurts! Help me!”
It wasn't an exaggeration; it was a groan erupting from deep within. Jae-gyu tilted his head and looked to Nan-hee for permission.
“Mother, I can do this, right?”
“…Do whatever you want, Son-in-law Gyu. I didn’t see anything.”
Nan-hee watched her son screaming with a troubled expression for a moment, then squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. Having lost his only source of help, Yoon-cheong struggled desperately to break free, but of course, it was useless.
“Don’t touch our Bom. Unless you want to see me get truly angry.”
“You said—hic—you wouldn’t use force earlier.”
“I lied.”
“…”
Yoon-cheong stomped his feet and cried out in pain, but no one stepped in to stop Jae-gyu. Eventually, his face turned pale, and he began to beg, tears fat as chicken droppings falling from his eyes.
“Agh, I won’t do it again! Please! I’m sorry!”
“Who are you apologizing to?”
“Hic, Bom… Yoon Bom, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
“Repeat after me. I will never pull any more nonsense on Yoon Bom.”
“Re-repeat after me… I will never pull any more nonsense on Yoon Bom.”
“Leave out the ‘repeat after me’ part. Again. I will gracefully pay the price for my past actions.”
“I will… ugh… pay the price for my past actions… Please let me go.”
Trembling as if having a seizure from the intense pain, Yoon-cheong eventually began to drool on the floor.
“Like Bom said, contact us through a lawyer from now on.”
“Gah, yes, yes, I understand… please.”
Only after receiving Yoon-cheong’s promise did Jae-gyu finally let go of his wrist. Yoon-cheong tumbled onto the parking lot floor from the momentum, then stared at his wrist in horror. Dark red handprints were clearly visible on his pale, thin wrist.
“Haa… ugh… I think my wrist bone is broken…”
Watching Yoon-cheong stagger away while clutching his mangled wrist, Jae-gyu repeatedly clenched and unclenched his solid fists as if his anger hadn't quite subsided.
“To be honest, I want to crush every bone in your body, but I’m holding back just this once.”
Between his protruding knuckles, his tendons bulged menacingly.
“You understood, right? I’m confident I can beat you both legally and with brute force.”
“Yes, I understand perfectly.”
“Get lost while I’m still letting you go nicely.”
“…Of course, I’m going. I’m leaving right now.”
When Jae-gyu scowled, Yoon-cheong hurriedly disappeared, cradling his limp wrist with his other hand.
Is this the end? It felt hollow.
“Bom, are you okay?”
“I feel like it’s completely over between me and my brother.”
As she stared blankly in the direction her brother had vanished, she heard her mother let out a low sigh behind her.
“I thought that boy would eventually come to his senses as time passed…”
Her mother blamed herself, saying that while what her son did was detestable, she was the one who had created such a monster.
“Bom, about your brother compositing those photos… I actually knew about it.”
It was an unexpected confession. Her mother kept her eyes cast down, seemingly unable to look Bom in the face, as she spoke haltingly.
“I saw it by chance a few months ago while using Cheong’s computer. But since it was in the past, I felt awkward bringing it up, and I figured he wouldn’t do it again, so I pretended not to know. I’m sorry, Bom.”
So that’s how it was. Bom was startled for a moment, but she soon understood her mother. If that had been the end of it, it would have been hard to forgive, but she could tell how much effort her mother had put in this time to set things right.
Bom answered by silently taking her mother’s hand. Her mother looked up at her, her eyes welling with tears.
“They say legal battles between siblings are more common than you’d think. I’ll help you with everything. If you need anything, tell me right away.”
Who could have imagined her mother would ever say such things?
“And I’m going to proceed with a lawsuit against that PD and everyone involved, so you join in too. I’m not giving those insolent people a single cent in settlement.”
Her mother fanned her wet eyes with her hand, saying she got angrier the more she thought about it, then had to leave first due to her next schedule.
“My mother has really changed a lot.”
“She told me this morning. That she feels like she’s finally growing up now that she’s fifty.”
To be honest, the wounds her mother had inflicted were deep and would likely never completely vanish from her memory. But how could she ignore that heart—the one applying ointment to those old scars and blowing on them with such care?
She didn't just hate her mother anymore. She was someone on her side, someone she could whine to when things were hard.
Jae-gyu took the wheel for the drive back to Shinsu-eup. Occasionally, Jae-gyu, the original owner, would drive this car, and it was strange how the ride felt smoother than when she drove it herself, even though it was the same car.
“Then is your car parked at Gimhae Airport right now, Jae-gyu? Since that’s where you started from.”
“Right. I flew into Incheon this morning.”
“That must be such a hassle. I’m sorry, it’s all because of me.”
Jae-gyu’s low humming stopped.
“Bom, I’m hurt that you’d say that.”
“Jae-gyu…”
“It’s a quick trip from Shinsu-eup to Gimhae Airport. What’s so hard about that?”
“…Still.”
“The problem isn’t that. I seriously thought I was going to lose my mind when I found out what happened while I was in China.”
As if remembering that moment, Jae-gyu furrowed his brow deeply. His voice trembled slightly as he gripped the steering wheel so hard his tendons popped.
“I wanted to run to you and be by your side immediately, but my body was in China. I had to crush those broadcasting station bastards right away and deal with what was posted on the internet, so I was going crazy. Haa…”
No matter how wide Jae-gyu’s connections were or how much wealth he had, there were limits; solving all of that overnight should have been impossible. But in the end, Jae-gyu had done it.
After doing all that, as if it still wasn't enough, he said this as if making a vow:
“…I think I’ll only feel like I’m living if I’m stuck to your side at all times.”
They already saw each other every day. Bom smiled faintly, thinking Jae-gyu was saying something silly.
“Okay, let’s stay stuck together every single day.”
“Bom, do you like that too?”
What a silly question. Bom shifted her gaze from the window to Jae-gyu, met his eyes, and nodded.
“I feel like I have the whole world.”
His beautifully shaped lips curved into a wide smile, and Bom, her face suddenly flushing, quickly changed the subject.
“The weather’s gotten quite chilly.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Bom opened the window and felt the passage of time in the much colder wind.
“Winter will be here soon.”
“Bom, do you like snow?”
“Hmm…”
Did I?
As she pictured the falling snow in her mind, the image of this man barging into the faculty office wearing nothing but a single performance t-shirt came to mind.
“I like it now.”
Autumn passes quickly, so winter would be here soon. The season when she first met Jae-gyu.
“Are you good at winter sports?”
“Like skiing or snowboarding? I don’t know, I don’t particularly like them.”
She’d only gone a couple of times, but it hadn't been that fun. Maybe she felt that way because she’d only gone superficially while walking on eggshells around her parents.
“When we went to the valley in the summer, you were doubling over with laughter when I spun your tube around.”
That was…
“How could I not laugh when you were holding the tube and spinning it like a madman? Pfft.”
The memory made her burst into laughter automatically. Her body shook, and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. The heart that had been heavy because of her brother’s situation felt miraculously light.
“You look like an angel when you laugh. Jae-gyu World will take responsibility for winter too. Trust me.”
“How?”
“Let’s go sledding. I’ll show you what a real winter sport is.”
It already sounded fun. Bom giggled again and placed her hand over Jae-gyu’s hand that wasn't holding the steering wheel.
“I’m looking forward to it.”