Side Story 4

When they heard that Siyeon had been hit, Grandfather and Ijun’s parents were shocked. They seemed at a loss, as if they themselves had suffered a severe assault, but then quickly shifted to scolding Ijun, asking why he had let it pass without doing anything.

When asked why Eunhye had hit Siyeon, Ijun’s answer, “She hit Siyeon because she said not to complain as she would be her sister-in-law in the future,” only added fuel to the fire. He reconstructed the story according to his own whims.

The atmosphere at the dinner table turned chaotic. Unable to contain his anger, Grandfather slammed down his utensils and stood up, prompting the others to halt their meal. Ijun started the fire, but it was Siyeon’s responsibility to appease the enraged Grandfather.

“Why?”

Siyeon glared at Ijun in front of Grandfather’s room, but he shrugged his shoulders without a trace of guilt on his face. She pushed Ijun away as he tried to follow her and gave him another stern look before entering the room alone.

“Grandfather.” 

Deliberately calling him “Grandfather” instead of “Grandpa” as she used to, Siyeon sat facing him at the low table. Grandfather, visibly distressed, had a pallid complexion.

“Ijun was exaggerating. Look at me, I’m fine.” 

“…”

 “Grandfather.” 

“…Siyeon, life has lost its joy for me. There’s no pleasure left.”

 He spoke with a weak voice. This pride, the eldest grandson, was receiving poor evaluations from the public, causing him anguish, and he felt lonely and empty with nowhere to attach his heart. Stepping back from work only intensified his loneliness and emptiness. 

Feeling resentful that Ijun didn’t even mention the sole hope of a great-grandchild, he was hit hard by the news that Siyeon had been hit by Professor Kim’s daughter. All his pent-up frustration burst out at once.

“Why do I have to suffer like this in this life? When I die, I hope I won’t have to see such a sight… Old age is truly tough.” 

“Grandfather….”

Upon seeing a hint of moisture in his eyes, tears welled up in Siyeon’s eyes too.Grandfather had two grandsons, but sadly, neither of them was filial. Siyeon felt sorry for the grandfather’s slumped shoulders.

Despite Siyeon’s attempt to console him, grandfather eventually lay down on the bedding without energy, and she had to leave the Suwon house with a troubled expression on her face.

***

Upon returning home, Siyeon sat at the bedroom table, squinting her eyes as she watched Ijun play with her hair. While Siyeon was gloomy with concern for Grandfather, Ijun seemed unaffected, even though Grandfather had lain down. He was a grandson unworthy of anyone. 

“You know Grandfather isn’t feeling well, why bring up my issue on top of that?” 

Unable to contain herself, Siyeon spoke first. He glanced at her discontented face and chuckled lightly. 

“It’s fine.” 

“What’s fine? Grandfather didn’t even finish his meal and laid down.”

 “He’s probably up by now.”

 “How would you know?”

 “I just know.”

 Baffled, Siyeon’s lips trembled, and Ijun leaned in to peck her lips, making her smile.

 “Grandfather probably wanted to talk about us having a child today, that’s why he called us, right?” 

“Yeah. I thought there might be something like that. Well, I had some idea.” 

“When do you want to have a child, Ijun? Tell me sincerely, without mentioning my work.” 

“Sincerely?” 

“Yeah. Sincerely.”

“Honestly, I’d prefer it if it were just you and me.” 

Siyeon, expecting an answer like next year or the year after, suddenly looked dumbfounded. Seeing her expression, Ijun raised an eyebrow.

“I am sincere about that.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t you curious about a baby who looks like you, Ijun?” 

“I’m not really interested in a baby who looks like me. I don’t really need a child who looks like you when I have you. Well, if the baby looks like you, it might be quite cute. You were cute when you were young.” 

Ijun playfully twisted and untangled her hair with his fingers.

“Didn’t you like the idea of having two sons and a daughter, as the monk mentioned?”

“I was happy because I thought you’d be by my side all the time. There wasn’t any other meaning to it.” 

“I’ll take good care of the baby if it’s born.” 

Seeing Siyeon’s displeased expression, Ijun chuckled and tousled her bangs. 

“I’m not saying I won’t take good care of the baby. But even if a baby is born, promise me you’ll treat me the best.” 

“You said not to believe in promises made with words.” 

“I can believe what you said.” 

Ijun lightly held Siyeon’s chin with one hand, gently bit and released her lower lip. His fervent gaze and fingertips brushed past her forehead and cheek.

“Do you want to have a baby?” 

“It’s fifty-fifty. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.” 

“Then shall we leave it to chance for the baby and practice making it first?” 

“…We practice every day anyway.” 

“The more you practice, the better, right?” 

“That’s true, but…” 

Their lips met slightly. Ijun wrapped his arm firmly around Siyeon’s waist, pulling her closer to prevent her upper body from leaning back, delving deeper inside. Siyeon, who had been slightly squinting one eye, soon wrapped her arms around his neck, and his slow, penetrating touch under her shirt swept down her smooth back. 

The afternoon sun, slanting to the west, bathed the two on the bed. It was a warm winter afternoon. 

***

Ijun’s grandfather picked up the last piece of ssukjeolpyeon (a Korean rice cake that is steamed and pounded before being shaped) on the plate with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. Having stopped eating during lunch, his stomach was far from satisfied. He thought to lay down even more sullenly, but he couldn’t afford to skip meals as his energy would plummet rapidly. 

So as soon as Siyeon left the Suwon house, he got up from his seat and called for a helper. If he was going to make a fuss later, he needed to eat well and store up energy. 

“This is intolerable. How dare she.” 

He sharply lowered his chopsticks, his eyes glinting. Whenever he thought about Professor Kim’s daughter raising her hand to Siyeon, his anger flared up uncontrollably. 

It was understandable if Eunhye couldn’t let go of her grudge for Gwiheon, but Grandfather couldn’t forgive her for venting her anger on Siyeon. So as soon as Ijun left the house, he called Professor Kim and told her to come to Suwon immediately. 

“…Sir, I’m here.”

“Come in.” 

Grandfather lifted the teacup, took a sip, and put it down heavily, speaking in a heavy voice. The fact that it was a Saturday afternoon didn’t matter to him. When the grandfather said that he should come, Professor Kim rushed in quick steps. 

Professor Kim sat down cautiously in front of him. His jawline, showing signs of the hardships he had endured, was quite sharp. However, this appearance did not mean he had reflected on his actions. 

In interviews with the media, Professor Kim and his mother consistently claimed that they could never have imagined that the poem “Baekya” was not the work of Kim Dong-han. Knowing there was no evidence, they chose the less embarrassing option for themselves, even though they felt the pangs of conscience. 

The same was true for Eunhye’s lawsuit. While outwardly pretending to dissuade her, they were actually letting her do as she pleased. 

“Yesterday, your daughter visited my grandson and granddaughter-in-law’s home. Were you aware of this?” 

At the grandfather’s words, Professor Kim looked at him with a puzzled expression before quickly lowering his eyes.

“Judging by your expression, it seems you were unaware. Well, if you had known but pretended not to, that would have been even more despicable.” 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” 

“Your despicable daughter slapped my grandson’s wife.” 

“Sir!” 

Startled, Professor Kim widened his eyes as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Furthermore, she had the audacity to say that she will become Gwihyeon’s wife in the future and that they should take care of her.”

“…That’s preposterous. How could such a thing…!”

“Not only did she barge into someone else’s home uninvited, but she also went so far as to hit my grandson’s wife. I’m greatly troubled about how to handle this.” 

“…I apologize, sir. I must have failed to teach Eunhye properly.” 

“It’s not like you could have taught her differently. It’s probably in her nature.”

The grandfather glanced briefly at Professor Kim’s pallid face. His complexion made his sunken cheekbones even more pitiful.  

“I think it’s time we sorted out our relationship. I never thought I’d have to go this far, considering the friendship between our families, but since your daughter lacks discernment and continues to act recklessly, I can’t overlook it anymore. What needs to be resolved legally will be handled as such, and what needs to be settled between us will be done cleanly.” 

“I… I’m sorry, sir.”

Professor Kim couldn’t hide his confusion. The shadow of Chairman Jeong of Baekya Foods had been quite significant. Throughout his life, there had been many occasions where Chairman Jeong had unknowingly been a source of strength and advantage. 

The fact that Chairman Jeong wanted to put an end to this relationship now was clear. Chairman Jeong, who was known for his generosity, had been pushed to this decision because of Eunhye. 

“And I hate to have to bring this up, but I’m talking about the money I gave to my grandson’s wife. I clearly stated that it was the share of the future descendants of Baekya who would marry into our family. Why haven’t you returned it to Siyeon yet?” 

“…” 

“If you don’t want to return it to Siyeon, bring it to me. There’s no need to resort to the law for such a trivial matter.”

“Yes, understood.” 

Professor Kim stared at the floor, his face filled with anguish. The honor of the household, which had been praised for generations, was now tarnished in the mud, and the connection with Chairman Jeong, with whom they had lived like a family for a long time, was now severed. His heartache was indescribable. 

“As for your mother, tell her that your daughter, who is behaving like a stubborn calf, should stop embarrassing herself and think about how she will apologize to my grandson’s wife and family. She should make her decision before I, an old man with plenty of time on my hands, step in.” 

“…” 

“Once everything is settled properly, we’ll consider whether to continue our relationship.”

Chairman Jeong offered both the whip and the carrot to Professor Kim. (The Korean saying “carrot and whip” is a metaphor for a system of reward and punishment that uses a carrot to entice an eager response, and a whip to induce fear.) He would give his family a chance to settle their past, but if he was not satisfied, he would take more drastic measures.  It was also a suggestion that if their reflection was deemed sufficient, he might consider welcoming them back.

“You know very well that you’re different from your mother. As a scholar, as a teacher who educates students, shouldn’t you be ashamed?”  

“…” 

Under Chairman Jeong’s solemn voice, Professor Kim’s eyes welled up with a deep shade of red.

***

On a silent night, at a small unknown funeral site where no signs of life could be felt, after the young woman who had been sitting in front of the portrait, sobbing loudly just moments ago, had left, he now knelt in her place, his knees weak. 

She was smiling inside the square frame surrounded by white lilies, but tears blurred his vision so much that he couldn’t see her face clearly.

Ijun reached out with trembling hands, but the cold glass barrier prevented him from reaching her. A searing pain, like a burning ember in his gut, engulfed him. 

He collapsed on the floor, sobbing. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t change the unyielding reality, and he wished to die right there in that spot.