Chapter 202 – Chapter 202
A few more days have passed since Eunchae left.
Eun-ah sat in the living room of Baeksan’s house and looked at Baeksan, who was across from her.
Her eyes were clearly shining as she buried her body on the sofa and looked at herself. Her face was such that not a single gap could be seen.
Seeing that face, Eun-ah opened her mouth.
“Eunchae is gone.”
Words spoken with a clear pronunciation that no longer stammers.
Baeksan’s fingertips trembled. The hand that had been sweeping the stack of cards that had been placed on the armrest of the sofa all this time stopped.
“… Yes.”
The voice that came out was another blunt tone.
However, Eun-a could see that Baek-san’s expression wavered for a moment the moment she spoke. Baeksan made an emotional stir.
Looking at that face, Eun-ah recalled the memories Eun-chae had passed on to her.
I started to pull out the things inside that hardened mask one by one.
All I see is a frightened old man. She was an old man who was at a loss because he thought he had missed the timing to apologize to him.
Eun-a knew.
She explained why Eun-chae had left, and what she wanted to convey to herself while doing so.
Eun-chae hoped that she and Baek-san would reconcile.
She wanted to convey the sincerity of Baeksan that she knew herself, she wanted to show a different side of Baeksan that she hadn’t revealed to herself, so she let go of herself.
Even though she was able to satisfy her greed, she managed to do that by holding her happiness in her hands.
Eun-a, who was comforted by herself again this time, couldn’t turn away from her heart, so she came to Baeksan. Eun-ah spat out her words toward Baeksan with her firm expression.
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
To say anything.
It was a declaration that I would give you a chance to speak again, a chance to apologize.
Baeksan had heard all of her thoughts, but nonetheless, she came up with the idea that she should hear them once more as Go Eun-ah.
To be honest, I don’t know about forgiveness yet.
Because she cannot turn back her own time, which she has abandoned, and because she will never forget the self she had to be in pain at that moment.
It might be difficult for her to forgive Baeksan for neglecting her so much.
But.
“… Tell me please.”
It seemed that she could not be resentful.
If Baek San apologized to him, he seemed to be able to let go of his resentment if he spoke as Go Eun-ah’s grandfather, not as the chairman of Hanseong.
Because it’s what Eun-chae wants. She’s what she wished she was as a child. She’s probably what she’s hoping for too.
… And, because it’s bloodline.
Because she is a strong bond that cannot be let go no matter how hard you try. Eun-a waited for an answer, remembering that if Baek-san confronted her sincerity, she might be able to let go of her resentment.
Baeksan felt a ripple in his heart at the sight of his granddaughter staring at him with a silent expression, and at the attitude her granddaughter was showing now.
Baeksan is what his granddaughter is talking about now. She wasn’t so stupid that she didn’t know why she came here.
No, it was more accurate to say that he grasps the context terribly well.
So, Baeksan couldn’t just ignore the ripples inside him.
Maybe it’s really the last, the moment when you don’t know if you can relieve yourself a little bit of regret, so wouldn’t it be right to say this heart now.
Baeksan’s head fell down. In his field of vision, his hand, which was still sweeping over the deck of cards, was reflected.
In her mind, the little granddaughter she was bidding farewell to was floating in her mind.
It reminded me of my little granddaughter who had left so casually, as if she would come again next time.
It was an opportunity given to her by her little granddaughter.
It was a one-of-a-kind opportunity given to him by the confident child who called himself a coward.
Baeksan said that while taking a deep breath at the ripples that became waves with Lee Jee.
“… Sorry.”
It was something he had never said in his life.
Because he was in a position where his pride should not be broken, he has lived such a life for a long time and now he doesn’t know how to apologize. What came out was such a crude word.
“I’m sorry I neglected you.”
Spoke again. This time it was a longer talk.
Unknowingly, Baeksan felt that his expression was distorted.
It wasn’t because of pride or anything like that.
It was because I realized that I hadn’t been able to say such an easy word because it was so trivial when I said it.
He was a very timid man.
He was an ugly coward who had lived through those decades without being able to say even a trivial thing.
The breath that came out of Baeksan’s mouth was scattered into the air.
Her resentment toward her poor self, who finally apologized only after her little granddaughter pushed her back, was scattered into space.
Eun-ah clenched her fists, which she had placed on his lap, as Baeksan lowered his head and let out a long breath.
It was because of the sadness that should be called grumbling.
“Apple…”
Feeling overwhelmed by the words of apology that she had finally heard, and feeling a little bit sad, Eun-ah cut off her words, took a deep breath right after, and finished speaking.
“… I’ll accept it.”
Baeksan’s head lifted.
“Only.”
Startle. Baeksan’s fingertips trembled.
Eun-a felt upset at Baek-san’s reaction to every word she said, and continued her words.
“I haven’t completely forgiven you. Chairman…”
While she was talking, Eun-ah came up with the idea that she was saying something too hard and sharp.
“… Grandpa hasn’t known me for too long. I don’t even know my grandfather.”
Because I can’t say forgiveness yet.
“Try again from the beginning. We.”
That’s how Eun-ah did it, and from there, she made a proposal to do it herself.
Baeksan narrowed his eyes at those words. An action that was made because of a sudden fluctuating heart.
At just that word, I felt the stone that had been weighing down my heart swaying here and there, feeling like I was being saved, and it was an act that I was embarrassed by.
Baeksan nodded his head, licking his lips that were barely parting.
“… Yes.”
Baeksan felt an indescribable feeling at finally being able to sit in the same seat as his granddaughter.
*
=
Stupid witch.
=
Eun-seol blankly looked at the words written on the notebook.
A single word written in crooked letters.
Eun-seol, who was gently sweeping it with his index finger, felt a sudden burst of laughter.
“You ungrateful bastard.”
No one needed to hear this anymore, but it was muttered nonetheless.
It was a curse word that could be said as a goodbye.
He was an unpleasant cohabitant who had been harassing each other for most of his life, a cohabitant who argued with each other even at the end, and a cohabitant who did not take good care of himself, so he was happy in the end.
There was a rising feeling.
It was right to say sorry, it was right to say regret, and it was the right feeling to say comfort.
Eun-seol opened her mouth again at the feeling that knocked her inside, and this time, she continued to curse who she did not know who it was.
“… Sick.”
And Do-gyun answered it.
“Did you call?”
Startle. Eun-seol’s shoulders trembled.
Eun-seol raised his head and moved his gaze to his table.
The one at the end of his gaze was Do-gyun, who stopped wiping the table and stared blankly at himself.
Eun-seol suddenly felt such a thought come to mind when he saw Do-gyun’s dazed appearance.
‘Is it too hot?’
It was a thought that came to mind along with guilt.
It was a thought that came to my mind because the way he asked if he sang in response to the word idiot looked so sad, and the way he quietly cringed and looked at me with his mouth shut.
Isn’t it? The hulking, distracted bastard is all over the place, so did he usually treat himself so badly? Thoughts will come to mind.
However, in the midst of that, there was another feeling of frustration.
A man must have ambition, and he kept paying attention all the time. It was a feeling of frustration, wondering where he could play the role of a man.
He’s always felt, but he was such a small and unimpressive guy.
He’ll be a little more confident and straighten his shoulders.
As those words filled her throat, Eun-seol remembered her usual attitude toward Do-gyun and swallowed them down.
The main thing I said was shut up. Noisy. Go away.
The action that was done was kicked, punched, or tongue-tied.
Startle. Eun-seol, who shuddered a little, soon made the decision alone, saying, ‘That much is an expression of intimacy’ and ignored the rising guilt.
There was an eternal law.
It was that violence only remembers the victim.
Eun-seol recalled how she had beaten Do-gyun for a moment, very briefly, and soon came to the conclusion, ‘That guy who scares me to that extent is a loser.’ Then he spat out his words.
It was the words he made by waving his hands.
“I didn’t call. Do it yourself.”
“Ah, yes.”
At Eun-seol’s words, Do-kyun started wiping the table with his hand again.
