episode_0027

The meeting took place.

When I asked, “Do you need to do that?”, he threatened me, saying, “If you don’t tell me, I will come by every day, ring the bell, and run away.” So I obediently told him my home address.

After all, threats work best when they are feasible and somewhat childish.

“Seo-hoo Dad, I think I need to use the car.”

In the meantime, the lady called the man. Coincidentally, it seemed he had left his car at work today.

[What? Why is the car suddenly….]

“I have a place to go with Haru.”

[Okay, wait a minute! Seo-hoo’s mom, calm down for now. I’ll be home soon, so can you wait a minute?]

“No, it’s urgent.”

Stop.

The lady hung up the phone with a one-sided notice. The lady who is synonymous with gentleness, was acting so strongly….

Although the old man’s panicked voice finally caught on, the woman’s gait was more confident than ever.

“Fasten your belts. Let’s go?”

All four of us who had gathered at the house got into the car. The woman who had given me the address and entered it into the navigation system quickly put on her seatbelt and pulled hard on the parking brake.

As the car pulled out of the parking lot, I took out my cell phone.

Since he’s the CEO of a large corporation, wouldn’t something come up if you search for him? They say knowledge is power. In order to fight, you need information first.

[Relocation Group]

As expected, I was able to encounter a lot of information with just a simple search term.

[Lee Ha-neul, Chairman of Lee Seol Group, 7 years of patience.]

[The Lee Seol Group, which directly took on the task of eradicating the city’s pus and shadows. Chairman Lee Ha-neul “Just did what he had to do.”]

Articles sorted by most recent. The content was more informative than I expected.

The first thing that caught my eye was that the Chairman had only recently returned to Stella.

Judging from the article, it only took 5 days. However, in that short period of time, they say they eradicated the criminal organization known as ‘The Shadow’.

But there was something questionable.

The past 7 years. It is said that he had actually been in the US for 9 years, but it is written that 7 years ago, he suddenly abandoned the original business he was pursuing and devoted himself to establishing a cooperative relationship with the US Guild Headquarters.

Thanks to this, there were many articles praising the private sector for dealing with a large criminal organization for the first time, but underneath that, there was a lot of distrust toward the guild and complaints that they needed to work harder.

Why is that? The Iseul Group is originally a company related to the cultural and artistic industries, so why did they suddenly start making equipment for heroes to use?

It is said that he maintained good relations with foreign heroes and eradicated the ‘shadow’ with their help… .

Was there perhaps a personal grudge? The only information about him was speculative articles.

Since the organization called Shadow itself was shrouded in mystery to the point of causing headaches for the guild, it seemed difficult to infer a clear grudge relationship.

The rest were all similar stories. Either promoting a relocation group or driving a guild to the bottom.

[Lee Seol Group Chairman Lee Seon-hwa passes away at age 58, CEO Lee Ha-neul “I have no intention of handing over the family business to anyone. I will follow my mother’s will.”]

As I was scrolling down, I came across an article from two years ago.

A photo of the chairman who looks a little more youthful than he does now. The article said that the next chairman was elected according to the will of former chairman Lee Seon-hwa, and that this was also acknowledged at the general shareholders’ meeting.

It didn’t seem like it could be used. Isn’t this just an article acknowledging that the chairman is great? On the contrary, it ended up making me look pathetic.

Some people are going to school with the goal of becoming guild officials, while others are already respected and trusted as presidents.

“Sigh… .”

I just sighed as I turned my phone over.

I wonder if I can persuade her well. Wouldn’t it be better for the future to be with the chairman rather than me?

Surely, you’ll live in a much bigger house, get expensive private tutoring, and eat only quality food. You won’t even look at the cheap 1,200 won pudding I buy you.

Could it be that she lost interest in me because I hid everything from her and acted like a mother? If Mirae had been a little older, she would have thought it was creepy.

I can’t afford to be weak after coming all this way… .

The pessimistic thoughts that filled my head did not easily go away. I could not even be sure of which path would lead to happiness in the future, and whether I would not regret it later.

“Leeharu.”

I was sitting blankly, leaning my head against the window, when Hanna Yeon shoved her cell phone in from next to me.

“This.”

There was also information about the Lee Seol Group on Hanna Yeon’s screen. It seems like she saw me searching and helped me find it.

[A tragedy has struck the Iseul Group… Police and Guild launch a joint search. We will do our best to find them.]

It was an article from much earlier than the time I turned my phone over. And, coincidentally or not, it was an article that came out in the year I met the future.

What a tragedy… .

I lowered my gaze from the title.

[A woman was found dead in an alley in District 2 of Isty. The victim was known as S-class heroine ‘Binghee’, the eldest daughter of Lee Seonhwa, the chairman of the Iseul Group. The fire department that was dispatched after receiving the report claimed that it was necessary to consider the possibility of murder based on the circumstances such as the ice crystals that remained nearby. On the other hand, there were opinions that the culprit was not the devil since only Binghee’s traces remained… … .]

I read the entire article.

If she is Chairman Lee Seon-hwa, she will be the future grandmother. And if she is the eldest daughter, she will be the Chairman’s older sister… .

[The tragedy of the Lee Seol Group did not end here. The next morning at 10:00, it was revealed that Chairman Lee’s granddaughter (1) had been attacked by a demon and died. The person who reported the death was her biological father, Mr. A, and Mr. A was found dead in a busy area of District 5 of Central City at around 8:00 that evening. The body was so badly damaged that it was difficult to forensically identify it… … ]

“That’s ridiculous. Something’s wrong… .”

“There are several articles with the same name.”

Hanna Yeon pressed the back button and looked through the article. It seemed like it was a big deal, but at the time, I didn’t have time to check the TV or my phone. My internet search history was full of parenting-related content.

“So… .”

Strangely enough, the shock was less. I had already vaguely guessed about my future parents seven years ago. Instead, I felt like the tangled thread inside me had been unraveled a little.

This is why I was able to nurture the future. This is why no one was looking for the future.

The future was a child that did not exist in the world.

A child who has been declared dead, yet is still walking around.

…Why?

If the article is true, I must have faced problems that I couldn’t handle. No matter how much I thought about it, it was strange that I had never had any problems in my life up until now.

When I registered him at daycare and when I went to the hospital, I got through it without any suspicion. I didn’t pay much attention to him either, and I was so busy raising him for the future that I put all the practical issues on the back burner.

Although it may not have been a problem now, it was something that I absolutely could not avoid when I thought about it later. Starting with the elementary school I will be attending next year, there are countless problems that make my head hurt just thinking about them.

Maybe that’s why I avoided all the troublesome things. I just ignored them all, thinking that the future was all that mattered. Because my daily life with my daughter, who I happened to meet by chance, was so enjoyable that I couldn’t come to my senses.

Is it really okay for me to give up my future like this? On the one hand, I wonder if I was acting too complacently, thinking that this was a world in a novel.

The day I met the future, the place I should have gone to might not have been my house, but the police station.

What I’m saying is that the place where the future should be now may not be our house, but the chairman’s house.

What on earth should I have done… … .

Squeak─

Phew!

As my thoughts began to sink into the sloppy swamp, my body suddenly tilted forward. Hanna Yeon seemed to have somehow managed to keep her balance, but I, completely unprepared, ended up hitting my forehead against the front seat.

“Aren’t you driving properly?! Did you leave your eyes at home? ”

The rough voice of the old woman followed. It was as if her personality had changed. Still, she was originally a good person, so she didn’t curse at him so much… I could guess why the old man was desperately trying to stop her.

“Are you okay? Seo-hoo, aren’t you surprised?”

“Yeah, I’m fine… .”

Seo-hu, who was sitting in front of me, turned around. I think he realized that I had hit him because of the impact on the back of the chair.

“Oh my, Haru! Are you okay? Nayeon, Haru, how about your forehead… .”

“It’s okay. Ha, haha… .”

“Madam, I think your head hurts… .”

Seo-hu muttered worriedly as he smiled with his forehead against the back of the chair.

But I’m normal. Rather, my head became clearer and I even felt excited for some reason.

“Are you really okay?”

“Completely fine.”

Hannah Yeon grabbed my shoulder and helped me up. Then she looked at my smiling face and asked again.

“… Is this okay?”

“I said it’s okay! What do you think of people?”

What on earth were you so scared of? Does being scared mean you don’t want to face the future?

Absolutely not. The more I try to leave, the more I miss you.

Nothing has changed anyway. I kidnapped Mirae and raised her until now. And if Mirae wants, I plan to kidnap her again.

If you regret having raised Mirae, you can think about it again later. No, you just have to not create an opportunity for Mirae to regret it. Isn’t that why you’re heading to the chairman’s house right now?

Don’t be afraid of things that haven’t even happened yet. From the moment I started raising 11-year-old Haru and 1-year-old Mirae, I was already crazy.

So it’s okay to do a little more.

The future has become something absolutely necessary to me. I cannot accept a present without a future.

match!

“Leeharu.”

I slapped my cheeks with both palms to calm myself down, and at the same time, Hanna Yeon called out to me.

Because of this, both of them were embarrassed and a strange atmosphere began to flow.

“Why, why?”

“No… .”

Hanna Yeon, who missed her chance to speak, moved her lips for a moment.

“When I graduate from high school, I’m going to France.”

Then, the words that came out with difficulty were a somewhat unexpected notice of breakup.

“Suddenly? Why? Just you? What about Narin?”

My mind went blank for a moment. Why are you saying that now?

“My dad is stuck in France… . So I told Hannah Lin that we want to go too.”

Hanna Yeon turned her gaze out the window. Hanna Yeon, with a rare gentle smile, was reflected in the window.

Beyond the window, a completely different scene unfolded from the area behind Istie. Tall buildings were packed tightly together. Tired office workers and young people burning with youth mixed together, creating a strange atmosphere.

Among them, what caught my eye the most were the lights embroidered like stars in the night sky.

“Because I think I can find my dream there.”

Also, Hanna Yeon’s eyes were shining just as brightly.

This is the first time I’ve heard a story about Hannah Yeon herself.

“But you get lonely a lot. I don’t get to see you often.”

But even that was a story told for me.

“So… please bring your daughter.”

“Hanna Yeon… .”

As she said that, Hanna Yeon turned her head towards me and smiled so comfortably that I wondered if it was really Hanna Yeon.

I thought he was acting a lot strangely today, maybe he was just looking for an opportunity to talk.

If you ask if the timing was right, well… .

However, I could understand Hanna Yeon’s intention. She must have given me an opportunity. An opportunity to gain courage.

“Haruya, are you here?”

At that moment, the woman also stepped on the brake.

When I turned my head, a shiny, clean building came into view. The place we arrived at was a high-rise building that seemed to rise high into the sky.

“Yes… I think that’s right.”

It was exactly the same building as I had seen on the Internet.

“Thank you, Hannah Yeon. Let’s talk about the rest when I bring Mirae.”

“Yeah… . Have a nice trip.”

As I got out of the car, I thanked those who came with me.

“Thank you for bringing me. Thank you for coming with me, Seo-hu!”

“Okay, take care on your way back. I’ll be waiting, so call me if anything happens.”

“If you meet Mrs. Im, hit her with a honey chestnut!”

Instead of closing the back door, he tilted his head.

“…Why honey chestnuts?”

“I said I’d return the chestnut I got yesterday today, but Mirae didn’t come!”

Seo-hu shouted very confidently.

“You do it yourself… .”

“The future is already scary… .”

In the end, it was a honey chestnut that couldn’t be returned.

“I’ll think about it when we meet in the future! Then I’ll go!”

I slammed the back door shut so loudly that it made a banging sound and walked up to the front of the building.

be high.

The building felt like a chairman. If you look at the actual size of the things that were built, the difference might be even greater.

But there are plenty of things I can’t keep up with.

A heart that is focused on the future. Time spent with the future. Memories filled with the future.

Kissing Mirae, sleeping with Mirae, washing with Mirae, eating with Mirae, etc. If I think about it, there’s nothing I’m lacking in.

Yeah, not at all.

If the future is happy, then that’s enough. Nothing is more important than that.

“Let’s go… .”

When I thought about it like that, I lost confidence.

Quality itself.