Chapter 22
When power and resources are vastly inferior to the opponent’s, the best strategy is guerrilla warfare.
Moving quickly and nimbly, cutting off the enemy’s supply lines to suffocate them.
Guerrilla warfare has been a definite winning strategy since the beginning of war.
Of course, it occasionally comes with some side effects.
“You’re just looking at your phone again today.”
Once again today, Junghyun remained in the kitchen without budging even after the meal was over.
The only difference from yesterday was that he was constantly checking his phone while chewing on dried anchovies.
“It should be coming out soon.”
“You were doing something before dinner too. Is it related to that?”
“Yes.”
Director Jang smiled at Junghyun’s quick affirmation as he crunched on crispy anchovies, as if she roughly understood what was going on.
“Looks like you’ve finally made up your mind.”
“Junyoung hyung’s words really pricked my conscience.”
At this unexpected name, she looked up from the dried radish greens she was preparing.
“Lawyer Jang?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That deception repeats itself. So I want to end it all at once. If I get attacked in waves, I think I’ll just get angrier.”
Despite this rather unhelpful explanation, Director Jang quickly understood. Her eyes sparkled with interest.
“You’re going to finish it all at once while everyone’s distracted?”
“Sometimes an all-out offensive is better when you’re at a disadvantage.”
When things explode from all directions, people don’t know where to start responding and might overlook smaller issues.
Of course, it could backfire, but now isn’t the time to worry about that.
When he heard it, he felt like, “Why is that bastard like that?” but Junyoung wasn’t wrong.
Deception, if not corrected immediately, tends to repeat itself.
Originally, one small lie gives birth to another, and as those lies continue, they snowball until they eventually become a disaster.
Then, when the stem is pulled out over some trivial matter, dozens of truth “sweet potatoes” come up in a row.
In fact, that’s what he was afraid of and ran away from.
He didn’t want to show his true bottom.
He wanted to end it at being a strange guy, not become garbage that no one would associate with.
But having come this far, there was nowhere else to retreat.
He thought it was a courtesy to the one who had given up both initiative and control.
To the extent that he had surrendered and conceded, Junghyun too should let go.
The final line.
Of course, there would be considerable aftereffects.
Director Jang, who knew Jaehyuk well, was worried about that aspect.
“I’m glad you’ve finally decided… but if it’s revealed that way, there will be a backlash. Can you handle it?”
At her concern, suggesting he should have just told Jaehyuk directly, Junghyun smiled bitterly.
He had considered that, but it seemed like it would take too long.
In these matters, swift and decisive action is crucial.
It’s a fire that needs to be extinguished before it grows bigger.
“I’ve already caused trouble, so I have to deal with it.”
“You know he’s strict about these issues, right?”
“…That’s why.”
Saying that’s why he was checking his phone, Junghyun crushed the last anchovy between his teeth before swallowing.
The movement was somewhat nervous.
He was tense.
Seeing Junghyun more sensitive than usual, Director Jang pushed aside the prepared radish greens and changed the subject.
“I’m planning to make braised mackerel with aged kimchi for dinner. Is that okay?”
“I love that.”
“Then I’ll make plenty. Would you like anything else? Fruit or…”
As she was about to ask if there was anything else he wanted to eat, a message arrived on Junghyun’s phone.
After checking the content, Junghyun made a strange face.
Director Jang, seeing this expression, asked curiously.
“Did it not work out?”
“No, it worked. They say the desk approved it.”
To be precise, it meant Hanju had given the okay, but that’s what it amounted to.
Finally, the timer had started ticking.
There were 20 minutes left.
* * *
The greatest advantage of guerrilla warfare is that a small force can annihilate the enemy, and results come quickly.
Just like now.
As it happened, Hanju had a game today, so he released the article at exactly 6:20 PM, right before the game started.
As expected, his phone was once again being bombarded with messages.
Anticipating this, he had only given his new phone number to a few people he needed to contact, which was a very wise decision.
Junghyun flipped over his flashing phone and began checking the messages on his new phone.
All the messages were within the expected range.
Twenty-five messages from Yongwoo, filled with harsh curses saying “This crazy bastard, releasing an article right before the game starts.”
And thirty-three messages of double profanity from Jisung asking if he had really gone crazy.
Below those, seventeen messages from “Uncle” asking what this was all about.
One message from Yoonho hyung asking, “This is your doing, right?”
Ignoring Heo Yongwoo and Yoon Jisung, who would quiet down as soon as the game started, he sent a message to Uncle first.
[As you saw.]
Exactly one second after pressing send, his phone started ringing.
As expected, it was Uncle.
Having anticipated this too, he answered the call right away.
“Yeah.”
– Hey! You crazy bastard!
Now more familiar than his name, Junghyun calmly replied to this address while picking up a crispy seaweed snack.
“What?”
– What? Whaaat? Whaaaaat?
To this tirade mixed with gradations of anger asking if he really had the right to say that, Junghyun indifferently repeated the same word.
“What?”
– What do you mean, what? You should have told me about something like this in advance! How could you let me find out through an article?
As soon as he finished speaking, Junghyun heard him coughing dryly, so he waited for him to calm down before continuing the conversation.
“I needed some time to organize my thoughts.”
– What thoughts?
“This and that. I had to run simulations about married life considering what I’ve done, and contemplate whether I want to be happy.”
– Do you need to contemplate such things?
“I’ve lived alone for too long. And I can’t imagine myself living happily with someone else. I was just planning to live somehow and die alone.”
If I died tomorrow it would be a bit regretful, and next year would still be too early, so I thought it might be nice to die in one go through an accident rather than illness after Hanju won the Korean Series about three times, after personally handling Uncle’s funeral, when I’m in my mid-fifties.
Of course, when he told people this, they all said he had depression and should go to the hospital first, but it wasn’t that he really wanted to die—he just thought such a plan wasn’t bad.
Given his habits, even if he lived long, there was a high possibility of living with illness, so he didn’t want to drag out his life.
But now his thoughts had changed.
– So that means you’re thinking of living with Jaehyuk?
“That’s right. But I’m not confident.”
– Of course you wouldn’t be. You’ve been living your life actively avoiding human relationships with all your might.
Somehow struck by this observation that seemed to penetrate his life, Junghyun muttered in wonder.
“…That’s true. Now that I think about it.”
– It’s good that you’re trying to correct things now, but as a consequence, you’ll get a bill with added penalties and back taxes for everything you’ve avoided so far. How are you going to handle those people in that family?
To Uncle’s near-prophetic curse, Junghyun gave a very simple answer.
“It’s okay. Hyung will pay the penalties for me.”
– Why should Jaehyuk bear that burden?
“He caught me, so he should take responsibility and at least pay the penalties.”
He had planned to coolly evade taxes and slip away, but since Jaehyuk caught him, he intended to make him pay.
It would be unfair, but there was no choice.
That was Jaehyuk’s share to bear.
Of course, along with child-rearing.
– Do you think life is that easy?
“Even if it’s not easy, I have to make it easy. I’ve decided to live really simply from now on.”
– …Simply?
Uncle laughed for a moment.
It was unmistakably a sneer.
– The moment you have a family, your life is thrown into chaos whether you want it or not. Your partner becomes your enemy first of all.
“It’s okay. I’m already playing the enemy role in this house.”
Like the saying that every home has a villain, and if you think your home doesn’t have one, then you’re the villain—he was the villain in this house.
Now, and in the future.
Uncle didn’t bother to refute that point.
– …When you put it that way, I guess that’s true.
“So don’t worry. I’ll resolve it today and report back tomorrow.”
As he was about to tell him to hang up, Uncle urgently called out to him.
– Hey! Hey! Wait! Just a moment!
“What?”
– I know you well… Really, I’m just asking just in case… No, there’s absolutely no way, but with you, I never know what you might do…
“What is it?”
– I’m really just asking just in case… Jaehyuk knew about this, right? This article?
To his doubtful question, hoping that surely he must have at least told Jaehyuk about this in advance, Junghyun answered refreshingly.
“No. He doesn’t know. He probably just found out now.”
– Hey! You crazy bastard!
As his breathing escalated again, Junghyun pulled the phone away from his ear and then put it back.
“That’s why I said I’ll resolve it today.”
After that, he heard some extremely harsh curses, but ignoring them, Junghyun quickly wrapped up the call.
“It’s about time for hyung to call, so I’ll hang up. Take your medicine and rest, Uncle.”
Prescribing the cure after causing the disease by suggesting he’d need to take about two Uhwangchungsimwon pills today, Junghyun soon ended the call. Then he stared intently at his phone screen again.
Director Jang, observing this, asked curiously.
“You seem to get along well with Director Han.”
“Yes. He’s better than my father.”
“Sometimes there are people who are better than family.”
“Just because they’re family doesn’t mean personalities match. In the end, family is a group that binds strangers together through blood ties, but blood relations are only necessary for organ transplants and inheritance distribution. Ultimately, affection comes from shared memories and empathy for each other. Without that, it’s worse than being strangers. In fact, people with compatible personalities can be even closer.”
After putting down his phone, Junghyun picked up a cup of cocoa, all while glancing sideways at his phone.
All the expected contacts had already reached out.
Among those who knew this number, only one person remained.
As he tapped the table and sipped the cocoa, which he would never normally drink because it was too sweet, the phone rang again.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
