Chapter 428: The Clean Up (3)

Only one thing in this world resisted change, and that was the fact that everything was bound to change sooner or later. Lately, it felt like Kang Jin-Ho was getting constant reminders of that unchanging truth.

Everything about himself had changed. His life, his surroundings, and his fate, too... Even his firm stance on never changing his belief ironically had a change of heart, too.

Azure Demon's betrayal taught Kang Jin-Ho that there was no such as absolute trust in this world, but this was a different situation altogether. Kang Jin-Ho believed that his trust in this person would transcend what he had for Azure Demon and that it'd never change. But it did, and that hurt him to his soul.

Even if everyone in this world changed, at least this person before Kang Jin-Ho's eyes shouldn't have. She should not have...

Unfortunately, this person's trust in Kang Jin-Ho had been shaken up. And that was making Kang Jin-Ho sad, and... And...

“Are you listening to me, son?”

“..! Yes, Mother!” Kang Jin-Ho flinched awake and hurriedly nodded.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong tutted unhappily at this sight. “You were thinking of something else even though your mother was talking to you?”

“...My apologies, Mother.”

“You're too absent-minded lately, son.”

“Yes, I am.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong sighed while looking at her son. Not too long ago, those eyes looking at Kang Jin-Ho sparkled in the light of trust and belief. Eyes that seemed to say,

'I believe my son will do a good job no matter what he's doing!'

However, Baek Hyeon-Jeong's glare today only contained distrust and disappointment. She crossed her arms and asked Kang Jin-Ho. “Aren't you going to the pizzeria today?”

“...Yeong-Gi told me not to come, Mother.”

“Why? Isn't that your store?”

“Well, he said I'd only get in the way, so...”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong narrowed her eyes. “...”

“...”

The sight of his own mother sighing in disappointment burned painfully into Kang Jin-Ho's retina.

'It's falling, isn't it?'

If this was a video game, and 'trust' was a stat expressed in numbers, it must've fallen to about half of what it used to be!

“Is that why you're slacking off at home like this?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong narrowed her eyes.

“...”

“Don't you have anything else to do?”

“I'm... looking for one, Mother.”

“Didn't you say you'd start studying again soon? Wasn't it supposed to be this autumn?”

“...No, Mother. It's next year.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong's eyes began twitching ominously. And Kang Jin-Ho's heart also 'twitched' in dread at the same time.

“Are you saying you were thinking of slacking off at home like this for the next half a year?”

Kang Jin-Ho got flustered and hurriedly shook his head. “N-no, Mother. Of course not.”

“Listen, Jin-Ho.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“It feels like you're gradually losing your sharpness with every passing day, son. When you were young, everyone thought you were a prodigy.”

No, that's not true, Mother.

That is a serious and concerning distortion of your memories. I've only gotten smarter around high school, after all. I used to be a moron, Mother. My school report cards and student records are still freely available, so why are you trying to manipulate your own memories, Mother?

“Listen, son. Men shouldn't be slacking off like this.”

“...Yes, Mother.”

“The more you slack off, the lazier you will become. You keep delaying things till later, and by the time you catch yourself slipping, it'll become so, so much harder to turn back the clock, son.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“I believe you'll pull your socks up eventually, so…” Baek Hyeon-Jeong muttered, but her eyes still burned in distrust of her son.

Kang Jin-Ho had no choice but to reflect on his actions as harshly as possible.

'...Just what have I done to deserve that glare from my mother?'

From his perspective, this treatment seemed quite unfair. After his discharge from the military, he never had a chance to take a proper break until now. Didn't Kang Jin-Ho help out in his father's cafe before deciding to run a pizzeria? Then, he also got involved in the orphanage's affairs and, and...

'...Hmm. What have I done around the house?'

Now that he took a second or two to look back, his mother's attitude made more sense. In the past, he had a foolproof indicator called 'school grades' to show to his mother, which worked wonders when filling up the 'trust' stat to the max. These days, though... Kang Jin-Ho would often be absent from home with the excuse of going to work. He'd come home late at night with his clothes all ruined. Sometimes, he showed up in a set of weird, unfamiliar business suits, too!

'And I didn't come home for a few days not too long ago, as well. I even tried to brush that aside with a weird excuse on top of that.'

The more Kang Jin-Ho looked back at his past behavior, the more it seemed like he had been behaving like a... louche.

Kang Jin-Ho raised a fuss about opening a pizzeria, but had he ever brought home the profits earned from that place before? Since he hadn't done that, Baek Hyeon-Jeong must've thought her son was going down the well-worn path of an inexperienced fool making lots of noises about running a business while bankrupting himself.

To make matters worse, Kang Jin-Ho idiotically had to say something about not going back to his own pizzeria because he was basically a hindrance...

'...Yup, I made a mistake.'

Baek Hyeon-Jeong's usually-content stare was now unreadable. Complicated, perhaps. Usually, people reserved such an expression while trying to assess a con man...

“So, Jin-Ho. Still no plans of resuming your studies right away?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong suddenly brought up studying again as if she was trying to get her wayward son out of her sight by dumping him into military service. “Didn't you say Yeong-Gi doesn't want you in the store? In that case, shouldn't you consider resuming your studies as soon as possible? I keep hearing that nowadays, finding a job will get harder the more you delay your graduation, son.”

A cramped smile formed on Kang Jin-Ho's face. “...I've made plans in that regard, Mother.”

“Really? I don't believe you.”

“...”

It didn't work. In the past, Baek Hyeon-Jeong would've responded with,

‘Yes, my son. I believe in you. You'll do a great job.'

But now, she was openly doubting him!

Kang Jin-Ho felt a stream of cold sweat trickling down his spine. He must restore his mother's destroyed confidence in him no matter what!

“Mom~! Are you bullying oppa again?” Kang Eun-Yeong in hot pants emerged from the kitchen while sucking on yogurt through a straw.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong smiled brightly at her daughter. “You're waking up late, Eun-Yeong. Did you have a good sleep, though?”

“Sorry about that. I don't think I got enough rest during the nationwide tour, Mom. Even though it ended last night, I still feel so sluggish and exhausted.”

“Uh-whew... You worked hard, didn't you? Don't worry, get some good rest at home. Oh, should I brew you some traditional tonic, too?”

“Nah, it's okay, Mom. I'll gain weight that way.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong looked surprised by that reply. “You won't gain any weight by drinking that! Besides, you dance so much during your shows, too!”

“Eii~. Mom, dancing like that won't help me lose weight, you know? When I'm in the middle of touring, I gotta think of myself as a little rabbit and eat only a tiny bit of grass. That's the only way to maintain this unreal figure, you know~?” Kang Eun-Yeong smirked triumphantly while pointing at her body. She then glanced at Kang Jin-Ho, her smirk transforming into a bright smile. “It must be sooo nice to be like you, oppa. You don't work, so you can eat whatever you want, and sleep as long as you want, too…”

“...”

“It'd be so wonderful if everyone in this world could live a carefree life like you, oppa. I'm so jealous, you know?”

The more Kang Eun-Yeong knocked Kang Jin-Ho down, the sharper Baek Hyeon-Jeong's glare became.

“Son, look at your little sister. She's already pursuing her dream and making a good living, yet you...”

Kang Jin-Ho could only grimace as the voice in his head cried out,

?Mother, the wealth I've accumulated so far is hundreds of times greater than Eun-Yeong's! I have so much in my bank account that I don't need to work for the rest of my life!

Baek Hyeon-Jeong lamented again. “But, what's the point of having money when you're turning into a lazy slob?”

Mother, things have been unbelievably hectic for me recently, you know?!

“Eh-whew...”

Kang Jin-Ho had so, so many excuses burning a hole in his mind, but one lengthy groan from Baek Hyeon-Jeong was enough to erase them all.

“And there's something else, son...” Baek Hyeon-Jeong shook her head.

“...Yes, Mother?”

“Come and sit over here,” said Baek Hyeon-Jeong while pointing to a spot right in front of her.

Kang Jin-Ho and his mother were sitting on a couch. So, when she was pointing to her front, that meant she wanted her son to sit on the floor. However, wasn't that an act of unwarranted violence?! Kang Jin-Ho hadn't done anything wrong, so why was his mother bullying him like this?

Kang Jin-Ho stood up as if he had nothing to hide, then knelt down on the exact spot his mother had pointed out.

“So~ sad. It's a sad, sad situation~...” Kang Eun-Yeong suddenly began singing a classic pop song at the expense of her dear oppa, but Kang Jin-Ho gallantly ignored her.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong's expression became even more serious. “Son, you need to come clean with what's happening with that lady.”

“...I'm sorry, Mother?”

“I'm talking about Miss Choi Yeon-Ha!”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho's head faltered, and he began staring at the living room floor.

'That pattern on the floor resembles a person's face, doesn't it...?'

He tried desperately to escape reality, but Baek Hyeon-Jeong's cold, loud yell dragged him back without mercy. “People are gossiping about you dating her!”

Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth shut and didn't say anything.

“You think I wouldn't know?! Just because there haven't been any articles about it, do you think I would never find out? People share news like that through social media!”

Kang Jin-Ho inwardly groaned.

What a shocking world this is, then. Seriously...

“Son, what happened? Tell me the truth! That man in the gossip, is it you or somebody else?”

Kang Jin-Ho cautiously raised his hand. “Before I answer that... Can I ask you something first?”

“About what?”

“What will happen if it's me? And if it's not me?”

“If you're the man in the gossip, of course I'll discipline you, son! Not only did you fail to warn me, your own mother, about dating a girl, but you even had to become a subject of salacious rumors, too!”

“Mom's right!” Kang Eun-Yeong glibly chimed in.

They said that a sister-in-law 'intervening' on your behalf was more hateful than anything in this world. Kang Jin-Ho wasn't sure about that because his little sister throwing in a snarky comment or two in moments like this was the most hateful thing in the world in his eyes! Kang Jin-Ho cleared his throat and asked again. “What if it's not me?”

“Then, you deserve to be scolded for failing to look after your relationship and losing your girl to some other man like an idiot!”

Ah. So, I'll get kicked around one way or the other, huh.

“Mother, I think it might save us both time if you just start scolding me regardless…”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong tutted loudly. “Stop talking nonsense and tell us the truth already. Was it you or not?”

“...Yes, it was me.”

“Oh my gosh! Mom! Oh my gosh!” Kang Eun-Yeong began raising a noisy fuss. “Oppa, are you gonna openly date a girl now?”

“...Eun-Yeong, come outside with me for a minute.” Kang Jin-Ho shot a glare at his little sister.

“Mom, mom! Oppa is trying to date a girl in public without telling us! What should we do?! Oh my gosh!”

“I said, come outside for a minute!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong loudly yelled. “Sit down!”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho's impromptu rebellion under the pretext of punishing the insolent Kang Eun-Yeong was instantly shot down by his mother's cold voice.

“Jin-Ho, my son.”

“...Yes, Mother.”

His mother's cold, quiet voice was scarier than the enemy troop's war cry in the middle of a battle to Kang Jin-Ho.

“I understand that you are an adult now, son. I know you wish to handle your matters your way, but... As your mother, I strongly feel this way. The moment you started neglecting your work and became a slacker seems to coincide with when I started hearing Choi Yeon-Ha's name cropping up in your life. Did you know that?”

“Mother, it's a misunderstanding.”

“Yes, indeed. It must be a misunderstanding. But, son. Have you heard about this old saying before?”

.

“Sorry?”

“When enough coincidences overlap, it's no longer an accident, son.”

“...”

“I still believe in you, son. I know you'll do what's right. You won't do something to worry us, yes?”

“...Yes, Mother. I won't.”

“Good.” Baek Hyeon-Jeong smiled gently while patting Kang Jin-Ho's shoulder. Unfortunately, the light in her eyes still contained a trace of doubt. Doubt that didn't exist before when she looked at her son in the past.

Kang Eun-Yeong pouted and muttered, “...Wow~, we have a playboy in our house now. A real playboy...”

'You little punk, I'm gonna set you straight real soon...!'

Kang Jin-Ho inwardly gritted his teeth. He couldn't wait to punish his little sister for her insolence!

***

Kang Yu-Hwan leaned closer. “So? What did your mother say, son?”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed weakly. “...Father, I thought I was going to die.”

Kang Yu-Hwan chuckled affably. How could he not, when his usually-whip-smart son was slumped over the cafe's desk and groaning like a dying man? “Listen, son. It's not hard to see where your mother's coming from.”

“I know, Father.”

“The thing about us parents is that... Well, we can never be rational people when it comes to all things involving our children.”

“...”

“Your mother knows that, objectively speaking, you have been living a very, very busy life. Maybe too busy, considering your age. However, your mother isn't comparing you to others of your age. No, she's comparing you to your old self.”

“Whew...” Kang Jin-Ho sighed again and again while his father continued smiling away.

Of course, Kang Jin-Ho wasn't 'seriously' having a torrid time here. It's just that he earnestly wanted to escape from his mother's nagging. In the past, he simply avoided creating a situation worthy of his mother's nagging. And if he was subjected to some nagging, he'd swiftly move to eliminate the reason for his troubles.

But now, Kang Jin-Ho was slumping it in his father's cafe, clearly not even thinking about fixing the source of his troubles. And that made Kang Yu-Hwan happy.

'My son is finally acting like a human being...'

Even Kang Yu-Hwan sometimes felt that his son could be a bit too... Too extreme? But nowadays, Kang Jin-Ho was displaying behaviors more in line with his age group. As a father, Kang Yu-Hwan couldn't ask for more than that.

“Son, I'm opposed to you living a fast-paced but difficult life. You finally found some leeway in your life, so asking you to go back to that old lifestyle seems too cruel to me.”

“Mm? Father, I wasn't living a fast-paced and tough life, though…?”

“That's how it looked to me, Jin-Ho.”

“...”

“Actually, this is good. Now that it's come to this, how about going on a trip?”

“I'm sorry? A trip?”

“Yes, son. I'm talking about traveling somewhere exotic,” Kang Yu-Hwan smirked deeply. “A university student traveling the world during their sabbatical before resuming their studies is a must, no? And I think you need to broaden your horizons by visiting other places. Instead of saying you'll think about it, just commit to it this time, son.”

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded.

'Traveling somewhere, is it...?'

Now that he thought about it, Kang Jin-Ho realized he might not get enough free time to do something like that after resuming his studies. He might have traveled to China recently, but didn't he live his entire second life there? In that case, that didn't count as a trip overseas.

“Mm, yes, Father. That doesn't sound like a bad idea.”

“Indeed, son. You should do it.”

Cliiing~...

Just before Kang Jin-Ho could say something, the chime by the cafe's entrance rang out, and he turned his head around to look. “...Uh?”

Choi Yeon-Ha and her beaming smile were walking through the cafe entrance.