Ch.345Epilogue. And, Family (2)

After ending our brief meeting, we agreed to meet again in two days.

“How do you feel?” I asked cautiously, feeling like I should at least check.

Though it’s regrettable to say about Jihye’s mother, Jihye herself was more important to me. After all, she was the one I loved.

Hayun and Ju-a would probably agree with me. They were keeping their distance, seeing this as something between just the two of us, though strictly speaking, this wasn’t entirely my business either.

If I opposed Jihye’s mother’s existence, then it would become my business, but we were still at the stage of determining that relationship.

Whether to accept her as family or not was entirely up to Jihye.

“What about you? How do you feel?”

As I expected, Jihye asked me the same question.

I tried my best to maintain a neutral expression.

“I’ll support whatever choice you make. I know how much you’ve thought about family.”

Until recently, the reason Jihye hadn’t talked to me about family for a long time was because she herself had given up. In fact, even when she used to share her fantasies about family with me, she probably didn’t really believe she could meet them again.

She had already been abandoned once.

Both of us were children abandoned in baby boxes.

Places created with the intention that rather than leaving children on the streets to die, they could be left there—places designed to prevent children’s deaths at the very least.

Isn’t it the last resort for those who don’t want to leave any evidence of having given birth to a child?

That was also the main reason why Jihye’s family couldn’t be found.

“…For now, I want to hear what she has to say.”

But after giving birth to her child, Jihye seemed to have become more desperate about thoughts of family.

It must have been very painful. It must have been difficult. It’s only natural to have such thoughts.

“Then I feel the same way you do.”

Jihye nodded at my words.

I opened my arms and embraced her.

Somehow, I wanted to do that for her. The worried expression on Jihye’s face looked much more pitiful than when she used to just ramble about her fantasies, and even more so than when she brought up family after giving birth.

Jihye stayed in my arms for a long time without saying anything.

She wasn’t trembling, nor did she seem particularly calmed.

That bodily warmth reminded me once again that I was Jihye’s family.

I think I was the one who felt more at ease.

*

After spending some time together, we heard Jihye’s mother, Jung So-yeon’s story again.

A few years after leaving her child there, she did try to find Jihye again.

But by then, the pastor had passed away, and the church itself was gone. It would have been good if someone had taken over, but there were already many children to care for in the church, and the pastor had been spending money to help them. Eventually, the work done by the church was divided among other welfare institutions in Seoul.

We were transferred, but the church people didn’t tell her where.

Because there was no way to prove she was the “mother.”

Personal information is sensitive. They couldn’t know which of the children scattered to different orphanages was Jung So-yeon’s child. Children were abandoned at the church several times a year.

If there had been clear evidence that “the child was one of them,” they might have been able to call all the scattered children for DNA testing.

But from the moment she just left her child in the baby box, there was no way such evidence would remain. In the end, despite making various efforts, Jihye’s mother, who was neither well-off nor particularly lucky in such matters, went through various hardships and eventually ended up living abroad.

The reason she didn’t come looking for us when we became famous was simple. She simply didn’t know.

To the public, we were just known to be from an orphanage. We deliberately didn’t share any other details, so it would have been hard for her to even imagine. We were already nationally, no, even internationally known.

Then, recently.

When Jihye took a DNA test, they discovered each other’s existence. That was the story.

“…I’m sorry.”

Jihye’s mother said.

“I was too selfish… I’m sorry.”

“…”

Again, I couldn’t say anything. Whether to forgive her after hearing this story, or not, or how else to accept it, was all in Jihye’s hands.

All I could do was be there for her if she was struggling, to provide a place for her to lean on.

“I…”

Jihye opened her mouth again, then closed it.

Even with Jihye’s good nature, it would be hard to understand and forgive all at once.

After not speaking for a while, Jihye simply slowly reached her hand toward her mother.

Her mother looked up blankly at that hand, then slowly extended her own to touch it.

Slowly, as if trying to feel the reality that Jihye was there, that her daughter was there. But at the same time, as if it would break if she applied even a little pressure.

Jihye didn’t say anything.

*

Our next appointment was three days later. We had agreed to give each other some time to organize our thoughts rather than meeting constantly.

But at that meeting place three days later, I ended up meeting Jihye’s mother before Jihye.

No, it wasn’t intentional. If I had to be precise, we “ran into each other” rather than “met.”

Jihye and I aren’t always together.

We’re all still magical girls… though it might be fine to drop the “girl” part now, but we still maintain that title for now. We even receive something like a pension.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t pursue other dreams.

I’ve achieved my dream by forming a family like this, but my wives all have things they want to do.

Hayun sometimes goes out to volunteer. She works as a daily teacher at places like orphanages, or uses magic to help where she can.

Ju-a was studying magic more diligently, and these days she often meets with Chaeyeon to do various research.

Jihye, like me, enjoyed resting at home, but sometimes she would go out alone and come back, or go grocery shopping by herself when I wasn’t home. Sometimes she would volunteer with Hayun, or visit other magical girl friends’ homes. She would also chat with Pang Pang.

Today we separated briefly like that. I had to go out first, and Jihye told me to go ahead and wait at the meeting place since I was relatively closer.

I arrived almost 30 minutes early, but I didn’t expect Jihye’s mother to be waiting already.

“…Hello.”

“Ah, yes, hello.”

She looked a bit surprised as I approached alone. Was she afraid I might tell her not to meet?

I had no such intention.

After greeting each other, we sat down awkwardly.

Naturally, we didn’t face each other directly, but sat diagonally apart.

“…Um, excuse me.”

Jihye’s mother was the first to speak.

Which makes sense—why would I speak first? Honestly, even just asking about her well-being felt quite delicate.

“…”

After our eyes met and Jihye’s mother fell silent for a moment, she swallowed hard and continued.

“Perhaps… Jihye…”

But it seemed she couldn’t overcome her dry throat.

I understood what she wanted to say.

After considering how to answer, I decided to simply state the facts plainly.

“She missed you. Jihye did.”

“…”

“She doesn’t remember, but she wanted… family. Especially right after giving birth.”

“I see.”

Should I say something more? Advice, or a warning?

But in the end, I couldn’t choose appropriate words. If I said something that led to a result contrary to what Jihye wanted, I would probably find it hard to forgive myself.

Jihye arrived just as it was almost time for our appointment. She was still well-dressed.

Seeing her mother and me sitting together, Jihye hesitated for a moment, then nodded as if she had made up her mind and approached.

Plop.

She sat down next to me.

She seemed to have made some big decision, as her attitude was a bit different from before. Different from her previous somewhat intimidated appearance.

“Let’s go to school.”

“School?”

I asked reflexively.

“Yes.”

Jihye said.

“Just sitting here, we can’t know how each other has lived. Rather than that, I just want to show you how I’ve lived.”

And the rest of the story would be shared after looking back at each other’s lives.

I nodded and looked toward Jihye’s mother.

Jihye’s mother nodded as well.

And we got up from our seats.

For a short journey to slowly go back to the past, to the story of Jihye and me.