Chapter 205: What? Dragon Rider? (11)
“Are you… talking about Ms. Chae Yoo-Jin?” Ha Jae-Gun asked once more for verification while looking at Chae Yoo-Jin.
Chae Yoo-Jin, who had forgotten about the world and had fallen into a deep sleep, looked like one of the empty bottles lying around.
“…I understand. I’ll let her know. Thank you.” Ha Jae-Gun then hung up the call. He was so caught up in the unexpected news that no words could come out of his mouth. The shock still did not leave him despite him ma.s.saging his temples.
‘She’s pregnant…?’
As he pulled away the covers by the window, the cold winter wind blew right in, cooling the hot soup and his head at the same time
‘Just what happened to both of them?’ He knew that Chae Yoo-Jin was not married and even naturally thought that her partner was Oh Myung-Suk. He had long guessed that both of them were more than just friends.
However, Ha Jae-Gun’s a.s.sumptions had finally been confirmed. Chae Yoo-Jin had decided to come all the way to his sea out in the dark just to chase the precious memories she had with Oh Myung-Suk. He didn"t know the details, but it was clear to him that she still could not forget Oh Myung-Suk.
“Mm… Myung-Suk… I’m cold…” Chae Yoo-Jin began talking in her sleep.
Ha Jae-Gun was about to cover her with her coat when he decided not to and headed to the counter to settle their bill. He then carried her on his back and left the restaurant.
‘Look at her in pain…’ The emotions of regret and confusion suddenly flooded into Ha Jae-Gun as he walked with the limp Chae Yoo-Jin on his back.
What would have happened if he hadn’t answered that call earlier? He probably would have never stepped into Chae Yoo-Jin’s life at all. He had stepped onto a critical crossroads that could possibly change the future of others.
But how was Ha Jae-Gun supposed to deal with this situation? He was like a helpless boat at sea amidst a typhoon.
***
The car slowed down as it drove into an alley. The driver today was not Ha Jae-Gun but Lee Soo-Hee. She didn’t need help from the navigator and thus had it turned off during her drive. They were currently heading to Yeonhui-dong, which was the most familiar neighborhood to her in the entire world, as it was where her parents lived.
“We’re almost there. We just have to turn that corner.”
“…” There was no response from Ha Jae-Gun in the front pa.s.senger seat. He was blankly staring out the window.
As Lee Soo-Hee turned the steering wheel around the corner, she asked, “Jae-Gun, are you okay?”
“Hmm? No, it’s nothing.”
“You’re tired, right? You drank yesterday and even came back late. Should we not have arranged it today?”
“No, I didn’t drink much yesterday and had enough rest too.”
“What happened then? You don’t look so good since I saw you just now.”
Ha Jae-Gun let out a sigh and said, “There are just some things I have to think about.”
“Is it serious?”
“Depending… I’ll tell you on the way back after meeting your parents.”
“Okay, I won’t ask for now, then.” Lee Soo-Hee then parked the car outside the detached house, and the couple alighted the car.
It was a simple two-story detached house. The terrace, which could be visible from outside, had some laundry hung outside, fluttering in the wind.
“Your house is so warm and welcoming.”
“It looks old, doesn’t it? It’s a house that my dad first bought when he began earning money, and we will never move out from here. It’ll look better once you step inside.”
Ding-dong!
Lee Soo-Hee pressed on the doorbell. The door opened remotely without anyone verifying who was at the front door. Just as they crossed halfway through the yard, Lee Soo-Hee’s mom, Yeon-Ok, came out to greet them.
“You came earlier than expected.”
“Yes, the traffic is smooth. Jae-Gun, this is my mom.”
“h.e.l.lo, Mother. I’m Ha Jae-Gun.”
“W-welcome. It must have been tough on you coming all the way here.” Yeon-Ok smiled shyly, seemingly admiring Ha Jae-Gun
“Wow… You look much better in real life than on TV. So this is how it feels like seeing a celebrity in the flesh. I’m watching Let’s Watch A Movie every week, too. I even watched all the movies you"ve introduced.”
“Thank you.”
“Ah, look at me. Why are we standing out here? Come in, come in.” Yeon-Ok hurriedly led them back into the house. With gift sets of Hanwoo and red ginseng in each of his hands, Ha Jae-Gun stepped into the living room.
While Lee Soo-Hee took the boxes and went to put them in the kitchen, her father, Kyung-Wook, came down the stairs connecting to the second floor.
“Honey, our daughter’s boyfriend is here.”
“I know. Am I blind?” Kyung-Wook’s bluntness showed at their first meeting, making Ha Jae-Gun gulp nervously.
He had been well-informed by Lee Soo-Hee that her father was a rather eccentric man. Although Ha Jae-Gun had mentally prepared himself, he still couldn’t help but feel nervous.
“h.e.l.lo, uncle. My name is Ha Jae-Gun. Thank you for having me over.”
“I’m Lee Kyung-Wook.” The older man reached his hand out for a handshake. Kyung-Wook possessed a short physique, but his aura was quite dominating.
Ha Jae-Gun bowed slightly as he shook hands with Lee Soo-Hee’s father. He could clearly feel the calluses of time on his palms.
Soo-Hee wasn’t exaggerating.’ A greeting and a rugged handshake were enough for Ha Jae-Gun to understand her father’s life as a self-made p.a.w.nbroker in Namdaemun.
“We’re late for lunch, and I’m starving, so let’s have a meal first.”
“Yes, uncle.”
Lee Kyung-Wook headed to the kitchen, but he stopped midway and turned around with a stiff look. Seeing Ha Jae-Gun flinch and wondering if he had done something wrong, Lee Kyung-Wook said, “You calling me uncle sounds strange to my ears. Is there anything you can call me by?”[1]
“Ah, then… Can I call you father?”
“Sure, that sounds good. Let’s go.”
The dining table was laid out with various dishes that Yeon-Ok wholeheartedly prepared. The last dish was a pot of boiling stew, and the four began eating.
“Writer Ha, how do you find the food? Does it suit your tastes?”
“It’s really delicious,” Ha Jae-Gun replied in surprise, his eyes widening.
“I thought Soo-Hee was a great cook, but now I know that it was all influenced by you, Mother. I finally understood as a writer why there was such a saying that the food melts before reaching the tongue.”
“My, my, are you worried that others might not know that you’re a writer…? Oh-ho-ho! Please try this too, Writer Ha.” Yeon-Ok excitedly began recommending side dishes to Ha Jae-Gun.
Ha Jae-Gun also began stuffing himself with food like a vacuum. “I thought you couldn"t eat much, seeing how thin you are, but you really eat well. You should eat more to write better novels. Have some more.”
“I will, and please speak comfortably, Mother.”
Yeon-Ok blushed at Ha Jae-Gun’s request. Seeing how Yeon-Ok had turned away slightly and smiled reminded him of Lee Soo-Hee. She was older, but Yeon-Ok’s beautiful face still held the beauty of her youth. She had to have been a great beauty in her early days as well.
“But you…” Lee Kyung-Wook began but trailed off. He looked alternately between his wife and his daughter, and then he looked back at Ha Jae-Gun before continuing. “Are you in a serious relationship with my daughter?”
“Dad, why did you suddenly…”
“Be quiet, young lady. The adults are talking.” Lee Kyung-Wook rebuked Lee Soo-Hee and turned his gaze back to Ha Jae-Gun.
Ha Jae-Gun placed his cutlery down and nodded seriously in response. “Yes, I would like to marry her if you’ll give us your permission.”
“Mr. Writer… You’re a few steps ahead. Can I drop the honorifics, then?”
“Of course, Father.”
“Okay, let’s continue eating.” Kyung-Wook gestured with his hand.
No more conversations continued until the end of their meal, and only his wife caught the faint smile of satisfaction on his lips.
After their meal, Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Kyung-Wook sat down in the living room across from each other and started a game of chess. Lee Kyung-Wook laid out the board without listening to Ha Jae-Gun’s opinion and started the game.
“I have a habit of viewing self-made people with prejudice. They don’t know how to spend the money they have suddenly earned because of their hard work. Becoming rich all of a sudden is dangerous, and most of them often forget their family because they"re too busy to pay attention to anything else other than their career.”
“I think I understand what you’re getting at,” Ha Jae-Gun replied as he moved his chess piece.
Meanwhile, Yeon-Ok and Lee Soo-Hee were busy preparing refreshments for them in the kitchen.
“What do you think?” Lee Kyung-Wook asked out of the blue as he sent his chess piece straight ahead into the enemy"s camp.
Ha Jae-Gun looked up perplexed. “Sorry?"
“You’re one of those self-made successful people. So what do you think of yourself?”
“Ahh… I see.” Ha Jae-Gun cleared his throat and fell into deep thought. He soon snapped out, and while he moved his next chess piece, he said, “Family is most important to me, and—”
“That’s fine then.” Lee Kyung-Wook cut Ha Jae-Gun off with an expression that he had heard enough from Ha Jae-Gun. He then moved a chess piece on his turn and said, “It’s fine as long as you know that family is most important. There’s nothing else more to say.”
Ha Jae-Gun then looked back down on the board and a.n.a.lyzed the game. A while later, he moved a chess piece and said cautiously, “Um, Father.”
“I have nothing more to say. Focus on the game.”
“Um… Checkmate.”
“What…?!” Lee Kyung-Wook widened his eyes and moved his face closer to the board. Ha Jae-Gun scratched the back of his head regretfully and looked away.
“Gosh, this is why we shouldn’t talk when playing chess. Let’s go for another round.”
Lee Kyung-Wook conceded defeat and roughly reorganized the board to reset it for the second round just as Yeon-Ok and Lee Soo-Hee brought out a tray of refreshments.
“So, who won? You? Or dad?”
Instead of replying, Ha Jae-Gun picked up an apple piece with a fork and handed it over to Lee Kyung-Wook.
Waving his hand, Lee Kyung-Wook refused with a curt look and placed his gaze on the chessboard. Lee Soo-Hee saw through her father’s expression and chuckled.
“Jae-Gun’s in trouble now,” Lee Soo-Hee whispered mischievously into Ha Jae-Gun’s ear. “Seems like you won the first round. You"ve just provoked my father’s compet.i.tive side. Are you prepared?”
Ha Jae-Gun turned pale and looked at Lee Soo-Hee. His expression was so amusing that Yeon-Ok and Lee Soo-Hee turned to each other and burst into laughter. At that time, never in their wildest imagination that the two men would play nearly ten rounds of chess.
***
“Are you sure you can drive?”
“I’m not exhausted to the point that I can’t even drive.”
The night was dark, and the streets were lit. The car that Ha Jae-Gun and Lee Soo-Hee were in was driving out from the narrow alleyway.
“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“Thank you for looking out for my father. You even forced yourself to play nearly ten rounds of chess with him.”
“No, I find it fun as well; it’s been a while since I played.”
“Anyway, he seems to like how you asked about his p.a.w.nshop. He might seem annoyed, but I could see that he was still trying to conceal how happy he was.”
“That’s nice to hear. I was worried that I was making him feel uncomfortable.”
Bzzt!
Lee Soo-Hee’s phone vibrated. Lee Soo-Hee smiled while reading the message that came from Yeon-Ok. “Mom said to set a date for the wedding. She said that she really likes you.”
“I didn’t do much today…”
“You did a lot. You’re great with the basics. You even praised me a lot in front of my parents. They liked it a lot because I"m their one and only child.”
“I’m only speaking the truth,” Ha Jae-Gun said while pressing down on the accelerator. “You don’t know how much courage I got from you.”
“Nothing will come from me even if you flatter me like that.”
“I’ve even completely forgotten about the translation issue now.”
“Translation issue?”
“I heard that the writers of Literature n.o.bel Prize winners tend to understand the writers and their works at a deeper level and take on the difficult task of translating their works. It was that way for Yasunari Kawabata, Murakami Haruki, and even Mr. Li ZiTing. Which means that you"ll be taking charge of mine for the rest of your life," Ha Jae-Gun explained.
“So if I’m bad at English, you wouldn’t date me?”
“You’re good in j.a.panese and German, too. I"m quite sure I"ll expand into at least three different countries."
Lee Soo-Hee scrunched the nose, sulking. Her expression was so cute that Ha Jae-Gun quickly gave her a peck on the lips when they stopped at the red light.
"Anyway… Ha Jae-Gun."
"What is it?"
"That thing we were talking about before arriving at my parents" place. You said you"ll tell me about it. What was it?"
The smile on Ha Jae-Gun"s face slowly faded away. He had forgotten all about it while happily spending time at her parents" house.
Ha Jae-Gun gathered himself before confiding in her. Just then, a light drizzle began pouring down on the car window. As the scene before his eyes turned wet, Ha Jae-Gun began telling her what happened.
***
"Yes, mother. I"ll be there by 7 p.m."
Oh Myung-Suk laid back in his chair after hanging up the phone. His entire body was heavy like wet cotton, he didn"t even wish to move a finger.
"I"m going crazy."
The wall clock showed the current time at 5 p.m., which meant it was about time for him to get ready. However, he wasn"t in the mood to do so. His mind was focused on Chae Yoo-Jin, who hadn"t been answering his calls.
Bzzt!
Oh Myung-Suk reflexively sat back up and reached for his phone. However, disappointment painted his face when he saw that the call had come from Ha Jae-Gun rather than from Chae Yoo-Jin.
"Yes, Mr. Ha. Why did you call?"
— h.e.l.lo, Editor-in-chief. Can you talk right now?
"Of course. Feel free to speak."
— Um, I"d like to speak to you in person, maybe over dinner tonight?
"Ahh… Mr. Ha, I"m sorry, but…" Puzzled, Oh Myung-Suk licked his dry lips and said, "I"m sorry, but I have an appointment today."
— I see.
"If it"s very important, I"ll make sure to call you later…"
— No, I"ll tell you over the phone now, then. I thought it was better to tell you this in person; that"s why I asked. But I don"t think there"s a choice now.
"Thank you for understanding. Please speak."
— Before I say it, please let me apologize in advance for being nosy and interfering in your matters.
“Pardon…?” Oh Myung-Suk was dumbfounded. He thought that Ha Jae-Gun had called to discuss something work-related, as they had been in a strict working relationship all this time. Just what was Ha Jae-Gun about to tell him?
Five minutes later, Oh Myung-Suk dashed out of his office. He even sent his chauffeur back and drove the car out alone at high speed, going in a direction completely opposite from where his appointment was supposed to be.
His heart was pounding much harder, and it felt like it was about to explode. Ha Jae-Gun"s words, which were still quite unbelievable, kept ringing in his ears.
1. In the raws, the words are 아버님 & 아버지, which both translates to ‘father.’ The difference is in the level of formality/honorifics, with 아버님 being the most formal. I used ‘sir’ while doing my initial translation, but it felt kind of distant, so I’ve decided to use uncle, as it’s the closest we can get to in English while still showing how close/special one is with the other party. ☜