Chapter 625. Henpecked (5)

YANK!

Kang Jin-Ho roughly yanked at the front door to his family home and entered with a scary scowl etched on his face, something he had not done in what felt like forever. Unfortunately, though...

“How dare you glare at me like that!”

All the sharpness and fury contained in Kang Jin-Ho's glare instantly dissipated without a chance to get unleashed by his mother's direct attack.

“...Mother. I didn't know you were home.”

“Of course I'm home,” Baek Hyeon-Jeong tutted. “Where could I possibly be at this time of the day?”

“Oh, I see...” Kang Jin-Ho smiled awkwardly at his mother sitting on the living room couch.

He might have briefly regained his former swagger thanks to the betrayal of his family member, but this was not Zhongyuan. Nothing could stop or deter Kang Jin-Ho back then, but in the modern era? No matter what he tried, there were two people he just couldn't win against!

Among the two, the true ruler of the family was busy tutting in disapproval at her son.

“Son, it's not like you're going through puberty, so why are you yanking and slamming the front door like that?”

“...Did I do that?”

“Although I'm grateful to finally witness my son going through his rebellious phase, don't you think you and I are both a bit too old for it now?”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything and concentrated on taking his shoes off.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong scanned her son from top to bottom. “How about something to eat, son?”

“It's fine, mother. I've already had some.”

“Really? You don't look like you have.”

“...”

“Want me to prepare some for you?”

“No, I'm really fine, mother. Besides, I can prepare food myself now. You don't have to worry about such things anymore.”

“...Son?”

“Yes?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong sighed deeply before carrying on. “It feels like you're uncomfortable about your mother wanting to prepare meals for you. However, look at this situation from my perspective.”

“...Okay?”

“Yes, I know you can make your meals without me worrying about them. You being unable to do that doesn't make any sense, after all. I know you're not an idiot on that level.”

“...I see. Then, why?”

“Because I know you are not gonna do a proper job!” Baek Hyeon-Jeong firmly yelled at her son. “If you prepare your food, you'll only bring out three side dishes when it's supposed to be ten! And your

guk

will be cold, too! And, and! If you can't be bothered, you'll just slap some jam on a slice of toast and call it a day! How can I not interfere when you do stuff like that, son? No one will care whether you fill your belly that way or not if I'm not around to watch over you. Can you imagine the guilt I'd feel when my only son eats whatever is lying around as if you don't care what goes inside you, even though I'm sitting on the couch doing nothing?” [1]

Kang Jin-Ho couldn't think of any excuses after listening to his mother, and the only thing he could do was sneakily avoid meeting her critical gaze.

“Son, if you wish to tell me you can prepare your own meals, do a proper job of it first, okay? I've prepared so many side dishes for you, so how can I sit still when all you take out from the fridge is a little bit of kimchi?”

'...I had no idea this topic was worthy of this much nagging.'

Kang Jin-Ho had lived over a century when all three of his lives were combined, but it seemed he was still a little kid in his mother's eyes.

“So? What should I do? Do you want something to eat or not?”

Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly shook his head. “N-no, I'm fine. Thank you.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong looked rather displeased as she scanned her son from top to bottom again. If only Kang Jin-Ho was a little frail-looking or overweight! She could've unleashed her torrent of righteous nagging. Unfortunately, even to her critical glare, her son's figure was absolutely perfect.

“Keep that up, and you're gonna damage your gut, son!”

“...!”

Of course, being perfect didn't equate to water-tight defense. A mother's nagging was no different from a legendary striker who could slip past some of the best defenders in the world and score the winning goal, after all!

'This is not what I pictured in my head...'

Kang Jin-Ho could only pout faintly in dejection after his swagger got deflated from a series of brutal assaults.

He urgently scanned the vicinity in the vain hope of escaping from this difficult situation somehow, only for one of the doors to suddenly open... And Kang Eun-Yeong brazenly waltzed out of her room.

“Oppa? You're home~.”

“...You!” Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly revved his motor once more. “Come and sit down!”

“Ng? Why?”

“Hurry!”

That was when Kang Eun-Yeong noticed her brother's stoically expressionless face, something she couldn't exactly remember seeing in a long, long while. From other people's perspectives, Kang Jin-Ho might seem perpetually expressionless, but his little sister obviously boasted a higher degree of understanding of him, so spotting that faint hint of anger in his face was a cakewalk for her.

“Oppa, what are you angry about this time?”

“You! What did I tell you?”

“Eh?”

Kang Jin-Ho imposingly crossed his arms and glared at his sister. “Didn't I say family members must look out for each other? So, why did you sell your brother's information? Since when did you become that friendly with Miss Yeon-Ha?”

“Oh... You mean that?” Kang Eun-Yeong replied with a dismissive shrug of her hand, then nonchalantly plopped down on the couch. “It can get pretty lonely while staying in a foreign country, right? That's why Miss Yeon-Ha's been sending me DMs now and then. And you know how often I get driven around for my appearances in late evenings. It can get really boring during those rides, you know? So we DMed back and forth, and that's how we got closer. And guess what? Now that I got to know her better, unnie is a great person, oppa. Sure, she does have a bit of a temper, but everything's good as long as she's not losing it toward me. I'm telling you, she's a really kind person.”

Kind?!

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly felt dizzy after hearing that. Choi Yeon-Ha was... kind? Really?

Even if Kang Jin-Ho was acquainted with Choi Yeon-Ha and wanted to avoid saying bad things about her... He simply couldn't let that incorrect evaluation slide. Learning about how a turtle couldn't swim wouldn't be as flabbergasting as what his little sister dared to say just now!

“What about her is kind as you say?” Kang Jin-Ho tutted loudly.

“Oppa, being pretty is kindness itself. Don't you know that? That's what all men think.”

“...”

Well, if that's the barometer, then...

Mm, yes. She's kind, in that case.

Indeed, if that was the judging criteria, no one on this God's Green Earth could deny Choi Yeon-Ha's kindness. Even if it was Kang Jin-Ho, he...

No, hang on a second!

“...I don't mind you befriending Miss Yeon-Ha,” Kang Jin-Ho quickly sucked in several deep breaths before resuming his lecture. “However, why did you reveal your own brother's activities? Didn't I tell you that family members shouldn't do that?”

“Eii~, oppa. I haven't done anything wrong, you know? I’m only following what you preach.”

“Say what?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow at Kang Eun-Yeong's glib-sounding response.

“Yup, you heard me~. You said family members shouldn't hide anything from each other, didn't you? Unnie might not be a family member now but she will be one soon, no? In that case, how can I say stuff like, '

Unnie, since you're not family yet, I can't divulge top secret info like that with you'

? That's just too cruel, you know?”

“What do you mean, she'll be family soon?”

“Mm? Won't she be family after you marry her?”

“...What are you on about, Eun-Yeong?” Kang Jin-Ho panicked slightly and tried to say something in his defense...

Only for Baek Hyeon-Jeong to latch onto the bait her daughter had cast. “Family? Who are you talking about, Eun-Yeong?”

“You know, that unnie. Unnie Yeon-Ha, mom.”

“Choi Yeon-Ha?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong's eyes flickered dangerously when a familiar name was brought up.

Kang Jin-Ho flinched and shrunk back. “N-no, wait. Mother, it's not what you think. This kid is just...”

“Son, I'm happy with your choice.”

“...I'm sorry?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong smiled radiantly. “Actually, I've been pondering this topic ever since it was brought up the last time. And... Son, I have to admit that finding a wife candidate as good as Miss Yeon-Ha will not be easy. No matter what anyone says, she's still one and only Choi Yeon-Ha, after all!”

“...!”

“Since she's an actress, I feared she might be a bit too fussy, but when I thought about it some more... We already have an idol in our family, and my son isn't the type to get intimidated by a successful actor, anyway. In that case, everything is fine, isn't it?”

“B-but, I never thought about such a thing, mother.”

“Son, no one in this day and age starts dating with marriage in mind. People get hitched after dating for a while and when it feels like the right thing to do.”

“...Mother, I'm telling you, it's not like that.”

“Everyone keeps insisting that these days,” Baek Hyeon-Jeong shook her head, then glanced at her daughter. “By the way, how is she, personality-wise? Is she a nice person?”

“Yeah, mom. Unnie has a bit of a temper, but let's be real, oppa needs a woman like that, don't you agree? He normally has no backbone or wit, right? I have no idea why he's like that at home even though he has no problem outside. So, he needs someone to take the reins in a home environment. In that sense, unnie is perfect.”

“I see. Even so, I'm a little worried,” Baek Hyeon-Jeong frowned slightly. “Someone with a strong will is difficult to deal with, you know?”

Kang Eun-Yeong sagely shook her head. “No, that's not true, mom. A fox-like wife is a hundred times better than a bear-like one, you know.”

“You think so?”

“Yup. Besides, seeing how she's been treating me so well, I think she has figured it all out. Rather than trying to assert her authority, unnie is the type to attract others to her cause instead. She's gonna treat you like the queen, mom.”

“Oh... Then, it's all good.”

Kang Jin-Ho grew even dizzier at this impromptu daughter-in-law evaluation meeting.

He was a man who never once entertained the idea of marrying someone in his life. After all, wasn't he a century-old solo player? But now, his family was discussing not his dating life, but... marriage?!

“I really don't have any plans for marriage, you two. Please don't jump the gun like that.”

When Kang Jin-Ho cast a wide net to stop a runaway train without any functioning brakes, the train conductors stared back at him in naked disappointment.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong fired first. “Why is your oppa so wishy-washy like this?”

Kang Eun-Yeong ably responded. “You know he's a herbivore, mom. A harmless man.”

“...And I'm worried that maybe he's too harmless. A man should have a bit of gumption and venom in him, you know?”

“Mom, that's why we gotta keep our wits about us. If we don't intervene now, this dude will never even get to hold a girl's hand... For the rest of his life!”

Kang Jin-Ho sagged like a wet blanket after receiving continuous verbal blows. He might claim to be unrivaled in matters solvable through fists, but even someone of his caliber was still defenseless against the violence of words.

He groaned loudly, then shook his head. “I will take care of this, okay? Don't butt in. Please.”

“Oppa, what do you mean you will take care of it? Let me ask you, have you ever held a girl's hand before?”

“...”

“Well?”

“...”

“How about smooching a girl, then?”

“Y-you are supposed to be a girl yourself, so how could you say something like that?”

“Huh...” Kang Eun-Yeong turned her head and stared at her mother. “You saw that, right? Mom?”

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“Yes, and he really is hopeless, isn't he?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong stared in disappointment at her son. Of course she already knew how harmless her son could be. However, she still had no idea that the harmless streak wasn't only reserved for his family but for the opposite sex as well! “What a waste of such good looks, too...”

“That's my point exactly!” Kang Eun-Yeong sagely nodded.

Kang Jin-Ho urgently looked around. He was searching for an ally. Unfortunately, the only likely candidate for that role, Kang Jin-Ho's father, resolutely refused to open the door and come out of the main bedroom!

'And I can sense you standing right behind the door, father!'

Despite eavesdropping on this marriage talk taking place in the living room, Kang Yu-Hwan was firmly staying put. Kang Jin-Ho felt a sharp dagger of betrayal dig into his flesh, but... Even his father would've been unable to lend any sort of assistance against these two hungry lionesses!

“...Mother,” Kang Jin-Ho spoke in a weighty-sounding voice in an attempt to regain control of this situation. “I will handle that matter on my own.”

“...We didn't say otherwise, son.”

“Thank you for worrying about me, but...! My relationship with Miss Yeon-Ha is nothing like the one from your imagination.”

Kang Eun-Yeong quietly muttered to no one in particular. “But that relationship will go nowhere if no one does anything about it...”

“You, be quiet,” Kang Jin-Ho scowled scarily, forcing his little sister to sneakily avoid meeting his glare.

She didn't have anything to fear while having the upper hand, but holding Kang Jin-Ho's gaze when he was in a serious mode was still impossible for her.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong sighed. “Well, what can I say when you are this adamant about handling it yourself. I'm just saying, that girl doesn't seem like a bad choice for you, so... If you're interested, I'm not going to oppose you, so do your best.”

“Thank you. Don't worry, mother. Something like what you think won't happen for a while.”

“...You're no fun, Jin-Ho. No fun at all,” said Baek Hyeon-Jeong while ruefully smacking her lips. For a moment there, she really did resemble an unhappy lioness who unwillingly spat out a juicy piece of steak. “In any case, get some rest, son.”

“Thank you... Ah.” Kang Jin-Ho faltered and hesitated as if there was something else he'd like to bring up.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong tilted her head. “What's wrong?”

“Uhm, well... I wanted to tell you something, you see...?”

“Okay?”

Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth shut and grimaced even more. When he thought about it, this timing seemed the absolute worst. Bringing this topic up felt eerily similar to digging his own grave, but...

“Son, did you do something wrong?”

“No, it's not that. It's not. It's, uh...” Kang Jin-Ho hesitated for a few seconds more before squeezing his eyes shut. “It seems I won't be home for a little while, mother.”

“Mm? You won't? Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes. I'm going to... Mm...”

“Going to where?”

Kang Jin-Ho groaned, his shoulders drooping in resignation. “...China, mother.”

“...”

“...”

The atmosphere in the living room rapidly grew icy. Baek Hyeon-Jeong wordlessly stared at her son for what seemed like an eternity, then quietly asked back. “Did you say... China?”

“Yes, mother.”

“As in the... People's Republic of China? That place?”

“Yes.”

“China, as in... where Miss Yeon-Ha is currently shooting her show?”

“...Yes.”

“Ohhh, I see. It sounds like my son wants to do something in China. However, could that something be... related to Miss Yeon-Ha somehow? As in, joining her over there? That would be awkward, no? Especially right after saying all those things to us a minute ago.”

Creeeaaak...

Kang Yu-Hwan, who had been leisurely exiting the main bedroom after determining that the coast was clear, quickly realized this rapid change in the situation and sneakily re-entered the room, then closed the door behind him.

“F-father...”

Bang!

Kang Jin-Ho helplessly watched as the doorway closed shut without mercy and groaned in pain at the severing of the bond between a father and his son.

“Son, come and sit down here. Now.”

“...Yes, mother.”

This must be what a cow would've felt while being dragged into an abattoir. Kang Jin-Ho squeezed his eyes shut when his sister smirking like an evil villain gleefully opened her piehole.

1. “Guk” is a class of soup-like Korean dish. ?