Chapter 510: Face to Face (5)

“...This is unfair,” said Han Jin-Seong.

He always had an inkling that the world was choke-a-full of unfairness. The older he got, the easier it was to see how dastardly everything was!

Things seemed this bad already, so how much worse would it get in the future? How many more terrible things would he experience as he got older?

Han Jin-Seong had no choice but to lose himself to anguish at all the self-righteousness, pride, and outrageous injustices plaguing this world.

“It's too bloody unfair!”

A man was supposed to live his life like a lone wolf. Yes, accepting help from other people every now and then was still allowed, but a man was supposed to walk a lonely path! A man needed to take responsibility for his life! In that case, shouldn't freedom accompany this responsibility, too?

Many types of freedom could be found in this world. But the most valuable and superior freedom of them all had to be... The freedom to choose how one spent their off-days!

The weekend had finally arrived. After the awful Monday, beige Tuesday and Wednesday, and hellish Thursday, it should've been the turn of the hopeful Friday, but...!

“At least I can understand that. At the least!”

Friday turned into another hellish day after the decision to sacrifice Saturday to the altar of Improving One's School Grades. So, Han Jin-Seong had to spend his entire Saturday in cram school. However, he was gracious enough to understand why he had to do this. Indeed, he did understand.

How could he not be gracious about it when he himself chose to study even on his precious Saturdays? All decisions came with responsibilities, after all! And Han Jin-Seong was prepared to take full responsibility for his own decisions.

However!

“Why can't I relax on Sunday as I want?! Whyyyy!”

Wasn't this simply too unfair?! Why did he have to take responsibility for things he didn't even choose in the first place? Tears of blood threatened to burst out of Han Jin-Seong's eyes at this sheer unfairness of it all!

Since his precious Saturdays had to be sacrificed, the importance of Sunday went through the roof as the sole remaining rest day. It was no longer the case of the 'golden weekend' but more like 'diamond-tier Sunday!'

Han Jin-Seong swore to himself that he'd spend Sunday doing absolutely eff-all even if he had to fight for it! However... His gritty, manly resolution was utterly trampled on by Park Yu-Min, who announced his plan oh-so-nonchalantly after coming home the night before.

“Let's all go to a baseball game tomorrow!”

A baseball game? What?!

Who would be dumb enough to waste their golden weekend on... No, their diamond-tier, dying-ember-like Sunday watching some stupid ball game!

If Park Yu-Min had a functioning brain, he would've never made such a 'suggestion'!

Unfortunately, it was Han Jin-Seong who lacked a functioning brain.

“Uwaaaaaah! Yeaaaaah!”

“Yes! I wanna go! I wanna go!”

“Baseball! Baseball!”

Maybe every kid in this place was indoctrinated to love baseball? If that wasn't it, maybe they just loved any opportunity to get out of this place?

'You aren't some kinda prisoners, you know!'

No one stopped the orphans from wandering outside the orphanage, so why! If they wanted to have fun outside, couldn't they do that on their own time individually? Why did the outing have to be done as a group?!

Almost instantly, Han Jin-Seong morphed into the last loyal retainer of the Korean Empire who tried to stop the Japanese Occupation and fiercely resisted this whole baseball game idea. Unfortunately...!

“What a bunch of rotten bastards...”

Everyone, excluding Han Jin-Seong, enthusiastically agreed to go to that dumb baseball game, which rapidly shrunk the ground Han Jin-Seong could stand on and defend himself. And when the situation quickly devolved to a point where all the scary glares prevented him from getting a word in, Han Jin-Seong resorted to his final card of

“I'll stay back and protect the deserted orphanage!”

However, even that was...

“Why do we need you to stay behind when caregiver aunties are here to do just that?”

Was Park Yu-Min always this clueless? Or just brainless? Or was he burning with the desire to screw Han Jin-Seong over by any means possible? Whatever the case might be, that retort from Park Yu-Min was enough to utterly obliterate Han Jin-Seong's final line of defense.

As a result, Han Jin-Seong now found himself in this spectacle.

Han Jin-Seong cried out, “I said, this is too unfair!”

“Argh! Just shut up, oppa!”

Han Jin-Seong spat out a lengthy groan at all the outpouring of criticism.

'Bloody hell! I'd rather prefer to be in the away team supporters' area, you know!'

How illogical was living in a large group? Very! Just because the unspoken rule stated that the whole group must sit together, an opposing team supporter had to sit in the home team supporters' area! Just how much longer did Han Jin-Seong need to put up with this injustice!

Unfortunately, powerlessness was all he could feel in the face of this merciless oppression that robbed him of his individuality and freedom to choose.

“Jin-Seong, you want a drumstick?” Park Yu-Min asked.

“Mm? Fried chicken…! Yes, I want one.” Han Jin-Seong hurriedly accepted a crispy fried drumstick. This was emphatically not a sign of his submission. After all, fried chicken was justice. It was always right!

...Please stop looking at me like that, Yu-Min hyung. When living in a place filled with so many kids, don't you know how hard it is to get a good chicken drumstick for yourself?

“Why do you keep staring at me like that?” Han Jin-Seong awkwardly asked.

An older boy next to him glanced back in surprise. “Huh? You talking to me?”

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“No, not you, hyung. I meant Yu-Min hyung. Why are you staring at me like that, Yu-Min hyung?” Han Jin-Seong asked in puzzlement when Park Yu-Min kept staring at him with a weird, unreadable expression.

Park Yu-Min chuckled softly. “Jin-Seong, you still have no idea you did something monumental, now do you?”

“...Did I do something wrong?”

“Nah. You didn't.”

“Huh? Why aren't you saying anything else, hyung? You wanna drive me nuts with curiosity? Is that it? Tell me the rest, please! Tell me!”

Park Yu-Min hurriedly turned his head away to hide his grin.

'Yup, Jin-Ho's personality is weird. That's confirmed for real now.'

To think Kang Jin-Ho would arrive at that conclusion while looking at Han Jin-Seong... Only someone with a 'unique' mindset could've done that. No ordinary person would've thought the way Kang Jin-Ho did!

Most people would've viewed Han Jin-Seong as a slightly abrasive high schooler, but not Kang Jin-Ho!

Park Yu-Min turned back to look at Han Jin-Seong. “Hey, Jin-Seong?”

“Ng?” Han Jin-Seong tilted his head.

“Thanks for growing up into an abrasive teen.”

“...You're trying to make fun of me, right? Hyung?”

.

“Nope. I'm praising you.”

“...This has to be torture. It must be.” Han Jin-Seong slumped on his chair and sank even lower.

Park Yu-Min chuckled some more before shifting his attention to Kang Jin-Ho not too far away, currently surrounded by a group of little kids.

'That... still doesn't compute with me.'

Park Yu-Min couldn't understand this one thing even now. How was Kang Jin-Ho so good at looking after little kids?

You'd lose your mind in sweat-soaked panic after getting surrounded by three young elementary school kids in your own home, yet Kang Jin-Ho somehow maintained his cool inside this unfamiliar baseball stadium with a dozen-plus little kids all around him.

Actually, Park Yu-Min was wrong. Kang Jin-Ho wasn't merely maintaining his cool.

'His attention to detail is on another level.'

Park Yu-Min could be considered a professional in childcare. His life had always been with little kids of varying age groups, after all. And he was sure about the number of diapers he had changed being higher than the number of meals he ate. Even so, he couldn't help but be impressed by Kang Jin-Ho's attention to detail.

Just look at him!

While listening and responding to what the kids were saying, Kang Jin-Ho took out a wet wipe with one hand to clean a child's drool. In the meantime, his other hand expertly caught a falling ice cream before it hit the floor. In the middle of all this, he even stretched his leg to stop a wayward child from wandering off and reeled the boy in.

All of this... at the same time!

'Jin-Ho would've done a stellar job if he wanted to open a kindergarten.'

That would've been the birth of the legendary caregiver!

The kids seemed to instinctively spot this point as well, since they had begun relying on Kang Jin-Ho more than Park Yu-Min. They used to subtly lean more toward relying on Park Yu-Min—since they had all grown up together—but the situation had completely reversed course lately.

These little kids got to observe and compare Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min side by side while graduating from babyhood into preadolescence. And that meant all the 'merit' Park Yu-Min had over his friend didn't count for anything. Naturally, the gap between him and Kang Jin-Ho widened into a yawning chasm in these children's eyes.

Park Yu-Min obviously wanted to help Kang Jin-Ho with chaperoning these kids, but... The instances of the kids staring back and making faces that said,

'What does this uncle want now? You're annoying!'

had shot up recently, and Park Yu-Min couldn't handle all that heartache, so he gave up on the idea.

Even so, how should he describe this...?

“Hyung! Jin-Ho hyung! Can I go over there?”

“No.”

“I wanna eat another ice cream, hyung. I finished mine.”

"No, eating two ice cream cones will give you a tummy ache."

“But, hyung~!”

“No is a no.”

Kang Jin-Ho was unyielding. Firm. Even then, children still relied on him and followed him around. What a mystery that was.

With Kang Jin-Ho perfectly looking after & leading the young children, the accompanying orphanage caregivers seemed to have finally let go of their anxiety and tension to take a much-deserved breather.

“How could he be so good with children, I wonder?”

“He'll make a wonderful dad, won't he? And he's such a handsome young man, too.”

“Oh, my goodness! I better take a pic of this! Look at this wonderful scene~!”

Park Yu-Min's previously warm smile became a little cramped at the contents of the caregiver aunties' conversation. Sure, their idea of taking a breather didn't exactly match his, but so what? All roads led to Rome and all that.

“...Yu-Min hyung, why did you suddenly decide to come to a baseball game?” Han Jin-Seong craned his neck to look at Park Yu-Min and curiously asked.

Park Yu-Min nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. “I just wanted to hang out with everyone in a lively, noisy place, that's all.”

Han Jin-Seong's jaw dropped. “...Huh? That's your reason?”

“What's wrong? Isn't that good enough?”

“N-no, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all…” Han Jin-Seong muttered before quietly grumbling,

'Then, why did everyone have to come here, too?! I could've stayed home and played that latest game, you know!'

Of course, Park Yu-Min cleanly ignored that boy's whining.

'Well, things will get so much busier from now on, that's why.'

There was a huge difference between looking at something from the sidelines and becoming an active participant. Although Park Yu-Min was certain that this possibility wouldn't happen, a wall could form between Kang Jin-Ho and these children. That was what usually happened when one's position changed, after all.

This was Park Yu-Min's way of ensuring that everyone would get to spend a little more time together. To create more memories with everyone else.

Even if that wall did happen, Park Yu-Min wanted to rely on these memories to break it down. Even if he couldn't, at least these memories would become snapshots decorating that wall to serve as reminders of the past.

'Yeah, I know I'm worried about nothing.'

His friend was not that type of a man, after all. Maybe today was the result of Park Yu-Min's selfish need to hang out and have fun with everyone. That was why...

Grumble, whine...

“...Argh! Oppa! Stop whining like a little kid, okay! Before I hit you with a full swing and send you flying out of the stands!” Jo Mi-Hye angrily roared like a wounded tiger, forcing Han Jin-Seong to shrink into a small ball in his chair.

Park Yu-Min's smile became cramped once more.

'Jin-Seong is having a tough time, but so what?'

That boy needed to experience tough days like this to grow into a splendid adult one day!

The caregiver aunties crowded around Kang Jin-Ho. “Goodness me, Mister Jin-Ho. Thank you for your wonderful work. Let us take over from here.”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly shook his head. “No, it's fine, ma'am.”

“Don't say that. We all came here to relax and have fun, so you should also do that. Don't worry, the children will be fine with us. Go and relax, have fun watching baseball.”

“It's really fine, ma'am.”

“Just hurry and get going, will you!”

Park Yu-Min silently observed this genuinely awe-inspiring scene. Kang Jin-Ho was putting up a fairly strong resistance, but the caregiver aunties and their totally unconcerned faces still easily pushed him away. They even loudly slapped him on the back, too!

Even the one-and-only Kang Jin-Ho started stumbling back from their onslaught until he found himself standing alone, far away from the group of children. He looked so lost and forlorn while standing there in stupefaction.

'Yup, no one can win against our aunties...'

Park Yu-Min sagely nodded to himself. Not even Kang Jin-Ho could deal with aunties boasting such mighty strength! Park Yu-Min quickly called out to his friend. “O-over here, Jin-Ho! Come and sit here.”

Kang Jin-Ho, making a somewhat dazed face, shuffled next to Park Yu-Min and slumped on the empty chair.

Park Yu-Min chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder. “You haven't got a chance to catch the game properly yet, right?”

“No... But I didn't come here to watch baseball, anyway.” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head as if he didn't mind.

A fierce competition was unfolding before everyone's eyes. And a group of attractive cheerleaders were working the crowd with energetic dance moves.

“Whoa! That cheerleader sister is super hot!”

“Argh! Just shut up already, you pervert! Who brought this moron along?!”

Yells and screams could be heard coming behind Park Yu-Min. He glanced behind, then sighed under his breath.

'Maybe I shouldn't have brought Jin-Seong along?'

Still, the kids seemed to be having fun, so it should be fine, no?

“Everyone seems to be having fun, right?” Park Yu-Min chuckled while leaning back in his chair.

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho glanced behind him. Indeed, everyone seemed to be having a good time... With the sole exception of a certain boy making a depressed face. As for the little ones, they had always been boisterous and unruly regardless of where they were. Even so, they seemed to be having genuine fun, too.

'Enjoying time off like this every now and then is not a bad idea.'

Kang Jin-Ho smiled a little. It felt like he hadn't enjoyed 'peace' like this in a long while. Even if he was not a fan of noisy places like this, being with everyone made it perfectly bearable. It even felt enjoyable, too.

'Right. Next time, I...'

That was when Kang Jin-Ho sensed something and shot up to his feet. Park Yu-Min was startled by that sudden movement and looked up at his friend. He was about to ask what was the matter, only for his question to get stuck in his throat.

Kang Jin-Ho's expression was weird. That face didn't resemble the 'Kang Jin-Ho' Park Yu-Min knew. As if he had transformed into a different person, Kang Jin-Ho's expression was hard and cold as he glared in a certain direction.

Naturally, Park Yu-Min's gaze chased after his friend's.

'Did something happen?'

And then... Park Yu-Min saw it. On the opposite side of the stadium...

Park Yu-Min's eyes caught something weird on the other side of the grandstands.

'Is that... a person?'

A man with a physique so large that it couldn't have belonged to a human being was there. Even though the distance prevented Park Yu-Min from getting a clearer look at the hulking giant's face, he could still instinctively feel it.

That giant, he... He was staring in this way.

Despite the considerable distance between them, Kang Jin-Ho and that giant were glaring at each other.

As if... As if only they existed in this place!