บท 39: Chapter 39: A Chance Encounter
Are you finally going to give me an answer?"
I've thought a lot about this. I don't want to step into the light, Young Master.
That wasn't the answer I expected.
"So, can I take that to mean you're saying you'll hold my uncle's hand?"
That's not it.
"Then what?"
I'll stay put. When you step into the light, I'll remain in the shadows. If you could just grant me that…
I let out a sigh, making sure Noh Ik-seon didn't hear me..
"Understood. I get what you're saying, so just carry on with what you were doing."
Thank you, Young Master.
I stared at the disconnected mobile phone, lost in thought.
'Even if I leave him be, he'll eventually fade away on his own… But should I deal with him myself? Not with Grandfather's strength, but my own…'
Just as I was deep in thought,
"What are you doing? The kids are waiting."
Myeong-su stepped outside and called out when I didn't come in.
"Ah, sorry! I just hung up. Let's go in now!"
Once inside, all the food we had ordered was already laid out.
I sat down and smiled.
"Sorry, I'm late!"
Whether it was my smile or my apology, everyone started eating without saying much.
"So, besides Min-kyung, everyone here is taking the bar exam together? I hope there's no cold-hearted person who doesn't pass on the first try!"
Myeong-su glanced at me as he spoke.
Despite my busy schedule, I never missed the top spot, making me somewhat of a monster among my peers.
"Maybe? I don't know about Mu-hyeok. I'd love to dissect that guy's brain to see what he's thinking. Right, Jae-ha?"
Oh Hyeon-woo joked, and Yoon Jae-ha chuckled in response.
"He is indeed the most interesting guy at Korea University."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"But Myeong-su, was Mu-hyeok always this good at studying? After that interview, I just wanted to punch him in the face. How is that fair? I struggled just to get into Korea University even with all the tutoring I had!"
"Right? Just thinking about it makes me so angry! That interview made things hell for me at home! Ugh! It felt like all my sweat and tears were invalidated in an instant!"
Oh Hyeon-woo and Yoon Jae-ha vented their frustrations mid-meal.
"I just thought Mu-hyeok was right, but I didn't have any tutoring or classes either."
Han Min-kyung tossed in as she chewed on her meat, leaving everyone speechless.
To lighten the mood, Myeong-su suddenly spoke up.
"You know, Mu-hyeok was originally a famous troublemaker in Busan. He was once called the mad dog of Busan. Ah! I miss those days!"
"Shut it!"
I shot him a look, and he pouted slightly.
The kids who didn't know my past looked surprised.
"Well, that was a tale from my reckless days. Speaking of which, how about we start a gathering of our own?"
"A gathering?"
Everyone turned their attention to me, intrigued.
"What if we all meet up like this in the future? Eat together, chat, and support each other? Who knows where we'll be later on, but isn't now the perfect time to start? After graduation, it might be harder to get together…"
Oh Hyeon-woo and Yoon Jae-ha seemed to understand my point, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Han Min-kyung and Myeong-su looked at me, wanting more explanation.
I clarified for them again.
"In a few years, some of us might be prosecutors, others judges, or even politicians. Some might pursue business or other careers. It could be tough to reconvene later, so why not start now and meet occasionally?"
A moment later,
Oh Hyeon-woo, with his arms crossed, was the first to show support.
"I'm in! If we set this up, it'll be a great help in the future!"
Yoon Jae-ha quickly agreed.
"Me too! Once I pass the bar, I'll probably join my dad's law firm. It'll be nice to help each other out!"
Myeong-su wouldn't oppose what I said.
Han Min-kyung pondered for a while before speaking.
"Um… do you think I'd fit in that gathering?"
She glanced around, showing her lack of confidence.
"What does it matter? You're from the class of '93, our fellow classmates, right? Why would you think otherwise?"
I smiled at Han Min-kyung, and everyone else nodded in agreement.
With a hint of excitement, she nodded back.
"Then I'm in! It's great to meet up often with friends!"
As soon as she agreed, Oh Hyeon-woo suddenly asked.
"So we're doing this? But who will be the president? Mu-hyeok, you should do it, right?"
All eyes turned to me.
I shook my head and looked at Oh Hyeon-woo.
"No, I think it's better if you, Hyeon-woo, take the lead. You're active, and I have too much on my plate to focus on it."
Everyone looked puzzled, but I pretended to be nonchalant as I added.
"Oh, and since we're starting this, it's cool to bring in new members, but let's only do it when everyone agrees. We can stick with just the five of us or recommend someone else and vote on it later, sound good?"
I nudged their opinions gently.
"So, Hyeon-woo, can you let us know when we can meet each month? No matter who succeeds or fails in the future, our gathering should continue on?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Of course! By the way, what should we name our gathering? Any ideas?"
Myeong-su asked me.
A name for the gathering…
"I hope we can skip naming it altogether?"
"Huh? Why not?"
"If we name it, it might feel too organized, and if rumors spread, our names might get dragged into it unnecessarily."
"Hmm…"
Everyone seemed lost in thought at my words.
"Let's just say we'll meet often, support each other, and not worry about naming it."
"I think Mu-hyeok has a point there."
As we moved to a nearby coffee shop to discuss things further, evening fell.
"I'm off now; I have tutoring to do."
Han Min-kyung was the first to grab her bag and stand up.
"Where to?"
"Pyeongchang-dong."
At that, Myeong-su looked at me suggestively.
"Hey, can you give her a ride?"
"Let's head out together. Everyone, let's meet again soon. I'll head out too!"
"Oh! Thanks!~"
As we all stood up, Han Min-kyung beamed with a bright smile.
After leaving the coffee shop, I opened the passenger door for her, and she playfully nudged my arm as she got in.
"Oh~ Kim Mu-hyeok, you've got some stle!"
I chuckled softly and slid into the driver's seat.
"Buckle up!"
"Okay!"
As we drove toward Pyeongchang-dong, I started a conversation.
"How many tutoring sessions do you have?"
"Me? Four… Oh, with the new one, that makes five!"
"Do you have time to study?"
"I can invest about two hours in the evening, but it's still tough."
I stole a glance at her while driving.
She was smiling, but I could tell she was struggling.
Having worked hard to get into Korea University, it must be tough for her to juggle tutoring while others prepared for the bar exam…
"What are you staring at? Is there something on my face?"
"I'm just amazed, that's all."
"What's so amazing?"
"Just that… you're balancing tutoring jobs while not missing a single class and still managing to prepare for the bar exam."
"Tch~ What's so amazing about that? I've been studying like this since middle school. I've never dropped out of being first in class; I'm smart, you know?"
Her pout was quite cute.
"But I'm the top student here!"
"Wow, Kim Mu-hyeok, you really…"
"Hahaha!"
As we chatted, we soon arrived in Pyeongchang-dong.
"Where is it?"
"Oh! Just a bit further!"
As we turned into an alley, I spotted a mansion with a blue door.
"Here! Thanks! You really helped me out. If I had taken the subway, it would have taken forever!"
I started to speak to Han Min-kyung as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Can we talk for a sec?"
"Hmm, since I got here early, I think I have about 20 minutes. Why? Got something to say? Is it… a confession?"
She shot me a bewildered look, bursting into laughter.
"No, I just hope you don't take it the wrong way…"
"What? Why the serious tone? Just say it!"
Hesitating to speak, Han Min-kyung tilted her head, looking confused.
"Aren't you thinking of quitting tutoring to focus on studying?"
"Hey, that's not an option! Who would want to? My dad left, my mom's sick, and my siblings are all waiting for me. I need to earn money!"
"What if I help you?"
Han Min-kyung's cheerful expression suddenly turned serious.
I had never seen her face look so stern before.
"What?"
Her voice rose.
"Do you pity me? Is that why?"
"Why would I ever think that? I've never thought of you that way; don't misunderstand me!"
"Then why would you say you'd help? I mean, it's not like I want to! I can support myself just fine, you know?"
I nodded.
Yeah… I know you're probably more successful than me.
"I'm not helping because I pity you, and it's not because I have extra cash lying around. I just thought it'd be great if we could all prepare for the bar exam together. I have no ulterior motives; think of it as a loan without interest that you can pay back later."
Han Min-kyung seemed unable to hold back her emotions and teared up slightly.
"Hey, Kim Mu-hyeok, don't underestimat me. I've managed just fine on my own! Just because you have some money doesn't mean you can treat me like this!"
"Min-kyung…"
I shared a little about my own struggles with Han Min-kyung.
I talked about the time I wandered alone with my grandmother after my parents passed away.
Meeting my grandfather has made my school life much easier, but if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been able to do what you did.
Han Min-kyung's expression shifted with every word I spoke.
"I don't expect anything from you. Like I said earlier, I just want us to study and take exams together. The decision is yours; I won't force you."
"…I'll think about it. Still, thanks for that."
Once the excitement faded, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes disappeared.
I smiled and handed her a tissue.
"Haha, it's funny. This is the first time I've seen you cry. You're always smiling, so I didn't know you could actually tear up, Han Min-kyung!"
"Do you really want to joke around right now?"
Han Min-kyung shot me a glare, her eyes narrowing.
"Just go. Think about it after your tutoring session. I have no bad intentions, I promise."
Without another word, Han Min-kyung opened the car door and stepped out.
"See you at school tomorrow!"
I watched her enter the blue gate of her house before driving off.
'I wonder if my words got through to her.'
I spoke not of financial debts but of emotional ones, yet I still couldn't predict what choice she would make.
As I entered the house, my grandfather was waiting for me.
Chief Ha was nowhere to be seen.
"You're late," he remarked.
"I was having dinner and chatting with some friends."
My grandfather nodded and gestured toward the sofa.
"Take a seat."
As I sat across from him, he cleared his throat and began to speak.
"How's school treating you?"
"It's great! I've made a lot of friends and I'm enjoying it."
"Good. Even while helping me, make sure you have fun and do what you can at your age."
While we were chatting, Chief Ha entered with a man.
Unlike Chief Ha, who had a solid build, this man wore no glasses and had shorter hair, but his expression was just as stoic.
My grandfather looked at Chief Ha and the man, then chuckled.
"Mu-hyeok asked Chief Ha to introduce someone he could use as his right hand, right?"
"Yes, is this the person?"
I shifted my gaze from the man to my grandfather.
"Making this man your right hand is up to you. I can introduce you, but winning his trust is on you."
"I understand."
I turned my attention back to the man.
He met my gaze with unwavering eyes.
"Hello, I'm Ma Seok-dae."
His deep voice emerged from between his closed lips.
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