Ch.147Chapter 147. Running Away From Home (3)

“Are you going through menopause?”

“Tsk……”

That was the first thing Bob said after quietly listening to my story.

I couldn’t even think of how to respond to that comment, just clicking my tongue in frustration.

Even I had to admit I’d been acting like a complete idiot.

“You kicked your daughter out because you didn’t want her joining a club? Good grief, you moron. You don’t deserve to be a father.”

“No… It just feels unfair. She was once someone I had my eye on, and now I’m thinking she might be stolen away by some other guy.”

“I was joking before, but now I really do think you don’t deserve to be a father.”

“……”

Bob’s tone became noticeably serious.

Damn this guy.

Like you wouldn’t feel the same if you had a stepdaughter?

Only someone who could look at Cuss and not think about sleeping with her has the right to throw stones at me.

That would leave no one except her actual father.

“Well, that’s part of it… I just wanted her to explain why she absolutely had to join the club. I would’ve given permission if she’d explained. But she just kept insisting without giving a reason. So I got really angry and…”

“You’re really showing how inexperienced you are at raising kids. What an idiot.”

“What did you say?”

“When a kid wants to do something, why do they need a reason? They do it because they want to! Are you expecting her to write a full page explaining her motives just to join a club?”

“Well, no…”

“How can a parent possibly know what’s in their child’s mind? They might be acting without thinking, or they might have reasons they’re too embarrassed to share. Trying to dig into every single thought in your child’s mind is a sickness, man. Just accept it for what it is. Your child is their own person, not your puppet.”

“……”

Maybe it was because of the harsh words, but the whiskey tasted especially bitter today.

“From what I can see, you just don’t want Cuss getting involved with other guys. You want her to forever be daddy’s little girl who only looks at you.”

“That’s nonsense…”

Not even remotely funny.

Still, Bob’s words weren’t entirely without merit.

After thinking deeply for a while, I finally spoke again.

“So I should… let her join the club after all.”

“Do whatever the hell you want. Why are you asking me?”

“You seem to be in a bad mood today.”

“Of course I am. I left in the middle of watching a baseball game.”

“The Dodgers?”

“Yeah. If they win today, it’s a series sweep.”

A friend who would leave a baseball game to come drink with me.

I really did have one hell of a good friend.

“Thanks. You helped clear my head.”

I stood up abruptly and took out my wallet.

Thanks to Bob, I could see myself a bit more objectively.

I realized that I might have been treating Cuss more like a pet that needed looking after rather than as a person.

I hadn’t respected her free will at all.

While Cuss was trying to become human, I was still treating her like a monster.

Though I was only a half-baked father who had missed the newborn stage, I now had a better idea of what to do.

“Here. I added a tip.”

“Great. Make up with your daughter.”

I placed the money on the bar table and turned to leave.

Now that I recognized my mistake, nothing was holding me back.

I couldn’t wait to see Cuss.

“Hey! This isn’t enough money!”

“……”

I ignored Bob’s urgent call and quickly left the bar.

.

.

.

In the quiet car, Juliane glanced at the passenger seat and gave a bitter smile.

She had followed Cuss after she ran away, driving with her to the park to listen to her story.

The reason Cuss wanted to join the club was to earn money to repay Jinsoo.

Though the embezzlement aspect was a bit concerning, her intentions were good, which was admirable.

At the same time, Juliane envied Jinsoo.

It was clear that despite her seemingly stubborn nature, Cuss regarded Jinsoo as highly as the heavens…

“Juliane, please convince Jinsoo for me. He listens to you well.”

“Hmm… I don’t think so. Jinsoo is incredibly stubborn. If anything, he listens to you better than he listens to me.”

“Is that so…”

“I think if you explain your reasons to him properly, he’ll understand.”

“I don’t want to. I’d rather not join the club than tell him that.”

“……”

Cuss blushed and turned her face toward the window.

In the end, both father and daughter were equally prideful.

They were both too embarrassed to admit they were doing things for each other.

Juliane sighed and shook her head.

“Oh? Looks like Jinsoo went out and came back too.”

As they approached the house, they saw Jinsoo’s car entering the garage.

Jinsoo, walking unsteadily out of the garage, somehow looked tired and lost in thought.

“Ah! Cuss!”

As soon as Juliane parked the car in front of the garage, Cuss unbuckled her seatbelt and rushed out the door.

“What?!”

Juliane quickly turned off the engine and pulled up the handbrake, but as she tried to get out, she got caught in her seatbelt and was thrown back into her seat.

Rubbing her aching chest with tears in her eyes, Juliane looked outside.

Cuss had already run far ahead and was hugging Jinsoo, who had knelt down on one knee to match her eye level and was embracing her tightly.

“I was wrong. I’ll do as you say. I won’t join any club… so please… don’t throw me out. I want to keep living with you…”

“No, do what you want. You can join that club. All those other reasons were just excuses. I told you not to join because I didn’t like that Jake guy. I still don’t really like him… but he doesn’t seem like a bad person. You can trust him. Probably.”

“Jinsoo…”

“I overreacted. I’m sorry for telling you to leave the house…”

Watching Jinsoo reveal his true feelings with a bitter expression, Juliane felt pleased.

So even that man becomes completely vulnerable in front of Cuss.

“Mmm, no. I’m actually happy that you were jealous.”

“Jealous? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry. I belong to you.”

Cuss buried her face in Jinsoo’s chest and spoke in a muffled voice.

Jinsoo’s expression turned to one of embarrassment.

“No, kid. I’ve decided to treat you as your own person.”

“I don’t need that. I’m satisfied just being your possession.”

“Wait, this isn’t right.”

“…?”

Though the flow of conversation seemed a bit strange, Juliane decided to let it slide.

It didn’t really matter.

What was important was that Jinsoo and Cuss were opening up to each other and making compromises.

It was okay if they were still awkward.

Though they hadn’t been together for many years, it was still okay.

The two of them were slowly but surely becoming a family.

“Shall we go inside?”

“Yes. Carry me.”

“Do you not have hands or feet?”

Despite his gruff words, Jinsoo picked Cuss up and sat her on one arm.

Seeing Cuss clinging to Jinsoo’s neck and glancing her way, Juliane felt envious and rushed over to stick close to Jinsoo as well.

“Hehe. Me too!”

“How am I supposed to lift someone over 170 pounds with one arm?”

“I’m not 170 pounds! If you remove my prosthetic hand and leg, I’m not even 70 pounds!”

“But right now you’re over 170 pounds, aren’t you?”

“T-then… if I remove them right here…”

“Sigh. Just climb on.”

“Yes!”

As Jinsoo bent his knees and offered his arm, Juliane wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed on.

Soon, with Jinsoo’s groan, both Cuss and Juliane were sitting on his arms, lifted into the air.

Hearing the giggles from both sides, Jinsoo smiled and thought to himself:

This is definitely not something I can do twice.

With his right arm trembling as he struggled to support Juliane’s bottom, Jinsoo headed toward the front door.

“By the way, didn’t you say there was another member in that club besides Jake?”

“Yes. There is. Eugene.”

“What’s his full name?”

“Eugene Damon. He’s a guy who wears thick glasses and always carries books around. Usually he’s very quiet…”

“W-wait! Did you say Damon?”

“Ugh!”

“Eek?!”

At that moment, Juliane got excited and moved, causing Jinsoo’s arm to give way.

Juliane, who was thrown to the floor before even fully entering the front door, groaned in pain while holding her waist.

But confirmation was more important than the pain.

“Damon? Is the spelling D-A-M-O-N?”

“Um… probably.”

“Aha…”

Lying sprawled at the entrance, Juliane smiled.

It wasn’t a common name.

It seemed likely that he was related to someone she knew.

“Ms. Juliane… did you hit your head?”

Meanwhile, Jinsoo looked down at Juliane with concern.

***

-Snyder Prime

In the Senate office with the nameplate displayed.

Snyder extinguished his cigar by pressing it firmly and gritted his teeth.

No matter how many times he thought about it, he couldn’t control his trembling hands from anger.

When he threatened to spread information about Jinsoo Kim’s criminal record, he was met with insults.

If that had been all, he might have enjoyed watching the bug squirm.

But the man had the audacity to say nonsense about betting one’s life to reveal his criminal record.

“The weight of our lives is different, you bastard…”

The life of an Asian ex-con who wasted 10 whole years in a labor camp is not equal to the life of a Senator.

It was an error from the start to bet one’s life on destroying such a trivial person.

Anyway, it’s typical of ex-cons to have big mouths despite never having achieved anything.

Snyder decided to teach him his place.

“Send…”

After sending the email, Snyder leaned back in his chair.

The recipient was the team leader of the department where Jinsoo Kim worked at Tactum company.

From his underground investigation, he learned that there wasn’t a proper entrance exam when Jinsoo Kim was hired.

Apparently, they urgently recruited engineers after a group of them died in an accident.

It was highly likely that Tactum had hired Jinsoo Kim without properly knowing about his criminal record.

What would happen if that criminal record came to light now?

“This is just a warning, heh.”

Getting fired because rumors spread at work would be nothing.

The real damage would come when rumors spread at school, affecting his child as well.

This should teach him his place.

He thought the man might call tomorrow to beg for forgiveness.

He was thinking he wouldn’t even talk to him until he came to the office and got on his knees.

Ding!

“Hmm?”

An email notification appeared on the monitor.

It was a reply from an assistant manager in Tactum’s R&D department.

Snyder clicked on the notification with a smile.

The content was extremely brief.

-Fuck off!

“What the…?”

Snyder’s face filled with bewilderment.