49
I definitely came prepared for various questions. Though it’s supposed to be a greeting, it feels more like an interview. Since I’ve never had an interview before, it felt like I was experiencing my first one in life.
“I appreciate you saying so. Well then, may I first hear which family you come from?”
Everything else is fine, but why does he talk like that? It was a bit difficult to adjust to. Does Kwon Yikang’s father have noble blood? I thought the alphas in our family spoke authoritatively, and Kwon Yikang’s speech was somewhat stiff, but this man’s way of speaking was excessively awkward.
“Do you happen to know my name?”
“…What?”
“Well, you should be asking about my name, age, or what I’m currently doing, but instead you’re asking about my family right away. I wondered if you already knew.”
Kwon Yikang lifted his teacup to his lips. When I didn’t hear him drinking, I glanced over and saw he was hiding a faint smile behind the cup.
“Names and ages aren’t important. What’s important about a person is which family they were born into, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean by ‘which family’? What my parents do? What they own? My darling is dating me, not my parents or our family’s buildings, so why is that important?”
I don’t understand why everyone I meet lately talks about family background. The first thing that always comes out of their mouths is family, roots, bloodline. I find it hard to understand if these things are truly important, or if I just don’t know because I’m not well-educated.
“A person’s character shows in just a few words. I can tell how well-educated you are without you saying it.”
“I’m not sure about that. Did you learn to speak like that in Cheonghakdong? Your speech pattern is very… unique. Though the house already seemed extraordinary.”
His unique father turned to stare at Kwon Yikang. His expression seemed to want some kind of answer, but it was difficult to discern what exactly from just his gaze.
“I find this side of him attractive.”
Kwon Yikang replied lightly. I couldn’t guess what unspoken questions had passed between them in that look.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry too much. Since your speech pattern is so unusual, it has a refreshing charm, so don’t feel too discouraged.”
“I’m not concerned.”
“That kind of stubborn attitude makes life easier, doesn’t it?”
That’s a very good attitude. Good! As I gave him a thumbs up and praised him, his father cleared his throat loudly.
“You keep clearing your throat. Do you have a cold? Cough properly. I hear it’s not good to hold it in.”
“That’s enough!”
I was concerned and tried to be helpful, but his father rejected me outright. Way to make someone feel embarrassed. He seems to lack social skills.
“Are you upset? Anyway, they say older people get grumpy more often. I’ll tell you about my family. We run a hospital. My father and brothers are doctors there.”
“Run-of-the-mill doctors. Is that what you were so proudly relying on?”
“I wasn’t particularly proud of anything, you’re really misinterpreting what I said. Someone listening might think I’ve been going around proudly announcing that my family runs a hospital.”
“Your manner of speaking is no different from a street thug! Of all people, you had to choose someone like this!”
His father suddenly shouted, banging his hand on the table. Wait, at what point did he get so excited? Does getting older make your emotions more volatile? Our grandfather was like that too, and here was another similar person.
“Darling, Sukyung is scared. I think your father is angry with me.”
Pretending to sob, I hugged Kwon Yikang’s arm and spoke with an exaggerated lisp. When I looked up, Kwon Yikang’s face had subtly stiffened. With his lips trembling as he tried to smile, he managed to say, “I-it’s okay.”
“Is your father always this hot-tempered? Did Sukyung do something wong?”
“N-no.”
For some reason, Kwon Yikang’s stutter wasn’t going away. I hadn’t realized until now that this man had a habit of stuttering.
“Sukyung hasn’t even introduced himself yet. So unfair.”
I don’t understand why referring to oneself in the third person is considered cute. In a way, since Cha Sukyung is a different person from me, calling myself “Sukyung” wasn’t awkward, but it still felt somewhat disgusting.
“Father has always been blunt. Don’t worry and introduce yourself. Father, please restrain yourself. Why would you immediately ask about family background to someone who came to greet you?”
Kwon Yikang spoke as if scolding his father. Right, why is family background so important? I really don’t understand people who act as if their family background is the only thing worth boasting about.
“Father, I majored in art and I’m starting university this year. A fresh twenty-year-old! Our darling is quite blessed, don’t you think, darling?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
His father’s face became terribly distorted, and Kwon Yikang’s face wasn’t much different.
Hey, you should be smiling. This is when you’re supposed to smile.
Gently pinching both of Kwon Yikang’s cheeks, I gave him light kisses.
“Our darling is so cute. How can you be so adorable? You don’t look anything like your father. Your father is scary, but our darling is soooo kind and cute and cool and handsome and sweet. I love it so much.”
Adding a “kyaa” for good measure, his father, who had been watching my antics silently, slammed his fist on the table.
“Is this what you brought him here to show me?”
“Why are you acting like this? …It’s cute. All couples act like this in the early stages of dating. That’s how the younger generation is these days.”
Don’t distance yourself and talk like you’re not part of the younger generation, Kwon Yikang. And you hesitated in the middle there.
I pointedly stared at his father while clinging to Kwon Yikang’s arm, and for a moment, there was a standoff between his father and Kwon Yikang.
“I’m not even curious about where or how you met. I didn’t believe you when you first said you would introduce someone. I didn’t expect much about how useful the person you brought would be. You’ve always been like that, haven’t you? Always dissatisfied with me, rebelling, never once easily following my words.”
“Don’t you think it’s because you’ve always asked unreasonable things of me?”
“That’s fine, it’s fine. But in the end, don’t you follow my wishes? Dating? Good. Go ahead and do it all you want. It’s not bad to play around all you want before marriage. Will three months be enough? Or half a year? It doesn’t seem like it will even last a year. Play all you want until you get bored, then get married. I’ll set up arranged meetings for you soon.”
Wait, this isn’t right. Surprised by how the conversation was going completely against my plan, I called out loudly, “Father!”
“This is not your place to chirp in. You should know when to interject based on the situation. How presumptuous!”
“Excuse me, I just heard you tell my boyfriend to play around with me and then marry someone else right in front of me. If I stay quiet now, I’d be a fool. Seriously. Play all you want until you get bored and then get married? And seeing arranged meetings in the meantime?”
You’re even talking about this in front of me? I’m not deaf, and you know I can hear you, yet you’re saying it so blatantly. I hate people who disrespect others right to their face the most.
“Do you think I’ll just sit quietly? Go ahead and set up those meetings, I’ll crash them and cause a scene. Is your child a toy? Do you think you can do whatever you want because you gave birth to them? If that’s the case, get a dog. Then you can make it breed all you want according to your wishes. This isn’t grafting puppies, what are you doing to your child?”
“…This ill-mannered…”
“Yes, I’m ill-mannered, without roots, uneducated—I’ve heard it all already, so if you want to hurt me, think of some new material.”
“Are you just going to stand there and watch this?!”
His father shouted at Kwon Yikang. Facing his flushed red face, Kwon Yikang shrugged his shoulders.
“He didn’t say anything wrong. Please calm down, this isn’t a place to raise your voice. If you act like this, I’ll lose face in front of Sukyung.”
“Ha, is that good-for-nothing really your…”
“Boyfriend, yes.”
Thinking he might have forgotten the word, I quietly suggested it, and immediately a shout erupted.
“I wasn’t asking you!”
“My, you have a nice, strong voice. I just thought you might have forgotten, so I reminded you. Don’t mind me, please continue.”
After gulping down the now lukewarm tea, he fanned himself as if feeling hot, then called out to someone outside.
“Bring me a glass of iced water.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
After quickly gulping down the iced water that was promptly brought, and even crunching and swallowing the ice, his father looked at me with a more composed face.
“What do you want?”
“Pardon?”
“You must want something. The purpose of you hanging around my son.”
I looked up at Kwon Yikang for a moment. He always has a neat, handsome face. Gentle, kind, sweet. His gaze upon me, the smile he gives me, the hand he extends to me. I wished for none of that to disappear.
“It’s just a rather personal reason.”
“Tell me anyway. What could be too private to discuss here?”
“Since you raised your son so excellently… he’s strong, has good stamina, and great technique. I couldn’t be more satisfied.”
“…”
After silently furrowing his brow as if thinking for a moment, his father soon pointed at me and moved his lips.
“Y-you… dare to mock me? Your intentions are obvious. You’re trying to extort something from my son, aren’t you?”
“I don’t understand why everyone lives with such a victim mentality, but I have no such intentions at all.”
My brothers were the same. Despite being born from the same father, they were always on edge, worried that I might take away some of the assets, and grandfather probably openly said there would be no inheritance for me. I have no greed at all, yet I don’t understand why they worry, suspect, and guard against me preemptively.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
