Chapter 276

Chapter 276. Palao’s Arrangements (2)

If I could have met Palao, I would have grabbed her by the collar and asked.

Why did you give me such lousy choices? What grudge do you have against me to deserve this?

I had never even seen her face-to-face, so why me? The resentment and hatred bubbling deep from within were clear.

“Damn…”

I could not contain the anger that was consuming me and ended up spewing curses repeatedly.

Just like in the distant past, at that moment.

“Kang Hyunwoo, your mouth.”

My mother’s sharp gaze reached me.

I didn’t dare to look back in the direction where she was sitting and instead dropped my gaze to the table.

‘Don’t look. They’ve already passed away.’

Everything that my eyes saw was just a mere illusion, fabricated from my memories.

Therefore, there was no need to talk to them or waste time in this meaningless place.

I closed my eyes tightly and shouted towards Palao.

Haven’t I already been moving in various ways to save the Biharin?

I shouted that I would allow myself to be swayed as he wished if only he would stop.

Why must you scratch open my wounds this way?

I clasped my hands tightly, hoping desperately for this miserable situation to end, but…

“Kang Hyunwoo.”

Damned Palao seemed to have no intention of granting my wish.

No, perhaps she saw my true feelings and remained silent.

If I truly thought this was an illusion, something of no value to me, I wouldn’t have uttered those words earlier.

Yet, if there was even a slight chance that my choice reached elsewhere, and should the time I spent here become real, because I couldn’t abandon that possibility, I swallowed everything inside.

Wouldn’t Palao have noticed that? Is that why this damned trial continued?

Realizing my cowardly intentions made me grit my teeth.

“Are you not going to answer until the end?”

The illusion, in the guise of memory, pressed me again under such circumstances.

Thump, thump, thump.

My heart began to beat excessively fast as I mulled over one supposition.

If this moment wasn’t an illusion but could become real, what should I do here?

“… I’m sorry.”

Hesitantly, I uttered an answer I might have given in the past while rolling my eyes toward the table.

A calendar reflected on its left side caught my eye.

It was the summer of the year my parents passed away, precisely August 2nd.

It was around a week before the accident.

Confirming that explicit time, I couldn’t help but entertain the assumption once more.

If my actions from a moment ago could become the past.

“Don’t vent your bad mood on your family.”

“… I’ll correct it.”

The admonition that used to make me feel slighted in the past was now so nostalgic it almost brought tears.

Realizing the longing that never faded with time, I couldn’t deny it anymore.

In front of Palao’s cruel choices, I was faltering.

* * *

The miserable trial started right in the midst of the summer vacation.

The period when I attended not only academy classes but also private tutoring, so the study load was not much different from the regular semester.

Thanks to that, the task of studying, which I had given up on a few years ago, fell right before my eyes again.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the worst situation.

‘This is familiar.’

It was a level I could manage somehow by flipping through the reference materials.

Re-doing the acts I used to be engrossed in the past wasn’t so bad.

Spending time with my siblings, who joined me with their workbooks saying they’d study together, was nice too.

Regardless of the heavy study load, it was natural to have long stays at home during the vacation.

Thanks to that, just like today, there were many days to watch over their studies.

Each time, the twins’ pattern of behavior was almost identical.

“Let’s play instead! Play, play! We can study after playing!”

Yeonwoo rolled on my bed trying to delay studying as much as possible.

Jinwoo was staunchly sticking by my side, focused on solving his workbook.

“Hyung, couldn’t you check this? Did I solve it well?”

Jinwoo usually asked this when he had written perfect solutions without any mistakes.

As expected, Jinwoo’s work was correct.

“Yes, that’s right, great job!”

I rustled his hair as a form of praise, and Jinwoo shyly scratched his nose while smiling.

One ordinary day of the past, and a familiar routine.

Once more, I chewed over the longing, taking in the sight of Jinwoo’s round head.

Repeating those past times several years later revealed things I hadn’t seen then.

‘He never asks about questions he doesn’t know.’

Jinwoo only showed what he could achieve perfectly.

‘I thought he just wanted to boast about what he was good at and found it merely cute.’

More precisely, it was like he was hiding the fact that he couldn’t solve certain problems, making sure nobody knew.

‘There were signs of this even back then.’

Jinwoo was revealing his personality of hesitation to step forward without confidence, reluctance to seek help from others, and a continuous struggle to avoid being a burden.

In the past, I used to just conclude with a pleased heart and compliments.

‘But I’m no longer the person I used to be back then.’

After a brief moment of thought, I opened my mouth.

“Aren’t you too good?”

“Huh?”

“You’re doing so well that I have nothing to help with. That feels kind of lonely.”

I mischievously said as I tousled his hair. Jinwoo’s eyes grew nearly twice their size in surprise.

He eventually acted as if pondering over something, alternating his gaze between me and the workbook.

“Then, could you, uh, teach me this?”

He guardedly revealed a problem where he’d already scribbled some incorrect attempts.

“Of course.”

While I was helping Jinwoo with his studies, there was a rustling movement from behind.

“I want to do it too!”

It was Yeonwoo, who had been stretched out on the bed.

Before Yeonwoo could sit down, I discreetly requested Jinwoo.

“Jinwoo, could you get me some water?”

“Sure!”

Jinwoo, who had leapt from his seat, headed to the kitchen.

In the meantime, Yeonwoo triumphantly claimed the chair to my left.

“You’ll be surprised, brother! I’m much better than him!”

Yeonwoo cheerfully continued while dangling her legs in the air.

“He keeps getting the same things wrong, even if he sees them again and again, but I get it all on the first go!”

I refrained from saying anything, merely ruffling Yeonwoo’s hair instead.

In terms of academic achievement, indeed, Yeonwoo was quite a bit ahead of Jinwoo.

‘Performance in relation to the time invested stood out.’

Hence, it was common to help Jinwoo while Yeonwoo fool around, and then switch to assist Yeonwoo once Jinwoo finished.

Such words from Yeonwoo certainly must have impacted Jinwoo.

“Yeonwoo.”

“Yes?”

Being a little more straightforward than I was with Jinwoo might primarily suit Yeonwoo better.

“Do you hate Jinwoo? Want to bully him?”

“What? No way!”

I calmly explained how her actions might be perceived by others to Yeonwoo.

Yeonwoo then clamped both hands over her mouth, her eyes darting around.

As seen, Yeonwoo acted without malice or deliberately intended her words to be harmful.

She was merely insensitive to other people’s feelings.

One could say that her reasoning and empathy hadn’t developed enough to ponder the emotional state of the listeners.

‘Because of that tone, she had troubles in middle school.’

At one point, while steadily clashing with classmates, someone brought up our parents.

‘Calling her an orphan with no parents.’

That incident transpired to mutual violence, prompting a visit to the school.

‘How did Yeonwoo’s face look back then…’

The image of Yeonwoo’s face, mingled with injustice and guilt, remains within my deepest memories.

They are my most precious siblings, but not perfect.

Their faults are remnants I left behind.

‘I’m not saying it was my fault.’

How well could a kid barely over twenty raise children?

It was inevitable that I was preoccupied with providing and couldn’t focus on parenting.

That’s why I was so engrossed at this moment.

Bear in mind that everything I do now might become reality.

Amid these thoughts, Jinwoo returned to the room.

“Here, this is yours.”

He had brought water not only for me but also yogurt for Yeonwoo and himself.

I tousled both their hair and resumed holding the pen.

Although my hands were occupied helping with their studies, my mind was a whirlpool of various lingering thoughts.

‘If my parents were alive, they would have guided me slowly, giving timely advice as I wasn’t too harsh or hurried.’

They would have developed endurance within me to handle my urgent and short-tempered nature.

‘They would have done the same for Yeonwoo and Jinwoo.’

The decision over my parents’ life and death wasn’t a choice meant just for myself.

It was the prime opportunity for the twins to experience proper upbringing.

I could reach out and seize it. I had the choice.

Tightening his grip unconsciously, I didn’t know when it happened.

‘This isn’t some feasible daydream or empty hope.’

It would be possible if I utilized Palao’s divinity, which composed everything I could see.

Knowing that, the greed budding deep inside grew with every passing moment.

‘Can I really give up on this chance?’

For the sake of saving complete strangers, should I squander this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

‘Why should I do that?’

Why, indeed, should I have to meet those shimmering opportunities before my eyes?

Just as the dreadful inklings surged with nausea.

Beep-beep.

Suddenly, the echo of a door lock intruded into the quiet space filled with scratching sounds.

“Mom’s here!”

The familiar voice was first echoed by the twins.

“It’s Mom!”

“Mommy!”

The twins sprang to their feet, dashing toward the entrance.

“Whoo.”

Only then could I hurriedly catch the breath I had been suppressing instinctively.

Though I got to my feet not long after, my steps felt unsteady as I left the room.

It felt like my legs might give out before I reached the hallway.

Ultimately, I stopped in my tracks, holding onto the door frame.

At that moment, my mother entered the living room with the twins.

I couldn’t take my eyes off that sight.

“Hyunwoo, what are you doing there?”

After 8 years, 2 months, and 5 days, my mother had returned home.

* * *

The number on the smartphone screen read August 6.

‘It’s already the fourth day.’

Even in the deep of night, sleep eluded me.

With such a chaotic mind, falling asleep would have been a strange occurrence.

I let out a deep sigh, feeling as though the ground would sink.

Turning and tossing on the bed for a couple more hours.

Ultimately unable to sleep, I emerged from the room, thinking of having a drink of water.

“… Could it not be?”

“If it’s Hyunwoo, it’s possible. He’s a thoughtful kid.”

“I wonder if something is wrong…”

Chattered softly.

The conversation from my parents’ bedroom made me freeze.

“I should find a chance to have a talk soon.”

“I agree with having a talk, but wouldn’t it be better if I did it?”

“Would it really?”

“… Well, when you ask questions, it feels like being interrogated.”

“Oh, wow, such a problem didn’t even occur to me… Did I retain habits from my prosecutor days?”

Our parents were busy during their lifetime.

However, they never neglected the three siblings under that pretense.

They consistently made time once a week to be with us.

Ordinarily, they devoted themselves to their own lives.

Nevertheless, the promised time was wholly dedicated to their family.

They were wise, wonderful, and loved us dearly.

Even now, behold. Contemplating and discussing their children late into the night.

I, as well as we, were loved so dearly, vividly remembering the day that took it all away.

“Ah…”

Recalling that affection once again, I could no longer swallow the emotions I had forced down.

Sensing this, my parents came out of the bedroom.

“Hyunwoo?”

“Oh my, son.”

And they hurriedly approached me, embracing me warmly.

“Why are you crying?”

“Is something really going on?”

“Mom and Dad will help, so calmly tell us. Okay?”

How could I give this up!?

Damned System