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Chapter 55 - Orabeoni!
Chapter 55 - Orabeoni!
Chapter 55: Orabeoni!
Fortunately, my father’s surgery ended successfully. As long as he focuses well on rehabilitation, he should be able to manage daily life on his own.
Given that too much time had passed since the initial brain hemorrhage, even the top-ranked doctors in the world couldn’t guarantee the surgery’s outcome.
‘…It’s truly a miracle.’
If my father, who was once deemed lucky just to be alive, can stand on his own two feet again, it would be a tremendous mental comfort.
Moreover, thanks to Kim Eun-ha, we now have some financial leeway. Both of them can focus solely on recovery without overexerting themselves.
‘…I never imagined that my mom’s health was in such bad shape.’
A few days ago, my mother, under Kim Eun-ha’s insistence, underwent a comprehensive examination, starting from a simple X-ray to MRI and endoscopy.
However, the results were alarming. Her small body was harboring so many minor ailments that it was difficult to list them all.
‘I was really too neglectful all this time.’
My mother, as the eldest daughter in the family, had endured a hard life from a very young age.
Taking care of my father was not easy for her, both physically and mentally. It was only natural.
All this while, I was so busy taking care of myself that I unconsciously ignored the signs of my mother’s deteriorating health.
‘It’s a relief to have found out now, at least.’
Luckily, she didn’t have any severe illnesses like my father, and some could be resolved with simple procedures.
It could have escalated into something serious, but fortunately, it was discovered in time to prevent any major issues.
Despite her initial refusal, saying she wanted to stay by my father’s side until his rehabilitation was complete, I stood firm on this matter.
After a bit of back and forth, I finally managed to get them to agree to focus on their treatments together after my father’s surgery.
‘I’m really glad we caught it before it was too late.’
When I heard about my mother’s health, my heart sank, and I realized why the saying “Take care of them while you can” exists.
If we had continued to drift apart like before I met Kim Eun-ha, we would have faced this issue in an even more irreparable situation.
– Psychological stability is very important in treating illnesses. Since both of them seem to care about you a lot, frequent communication will surely help.
The doctor’s advice flashed through my mind. Following his words, I should visit and keep in touch regularly from now on.
Of course, they sternly warned me not to come near until the drama was over.
But I know that if I visit, they will complain about why I came, but secretly they’ll be happy.
‘They don’t need to overexert themselves for living expenses anymore.’
The reason my mother endured her illness in silence was ultimately because of money.
Hospital bills were a problem, but she didn’t have the luxury to spend hours waiting in a hospital.
Even if she received a detailed diagnosis, it would only make her feel more troubled, and she wouldn’t want to burden her children further.
‘It’s different now.’
Even though I got the job through connections, the contract fee I received as a formal actor is substantial. It’s a completely different level than before.
Moreover, with Kim Eun-ha, a solid support, there shouldn’t be any financial issues for our family.
‘Of course, they will consider it all as debt.’
Naturally, they wouldn’t just accept all this without feeling indebted.
Even if they were handed money, they would probably refuse, and they would try to repay whatever they had received so far in some way.
This is something I can’t do anything about. They probably think repaying the debt financially is too difficult, so they might try to treat Kim Eun-ha better instead.
– Oh my, our daughter-in-law is here!?
I recalled my mother’s enthusiastic welcome when I visited the hospital with Kim Eun-ha last time. My father was no less welcoming.
It will probably continue to be this way. They will repay the debt in their own way throughout their lives.
‘Even though our relationship is an act…’
Fortunately, Kim Eun-ha didn’t seem to dislike it. No matter how much of a contract it is, she would never force herself to do something she hates.
Maybe, for her, who lost her parents early, this could be much more valuable than money.
‘…I need to try harder too.’
The contract with Kim Eun-ha.
The relationship with my parents.
These are things I can’t afford to lose.
That’s why I resolved not to visit my parents whenever I have time, but to make time to go see them.
If I include regular visits with my parents in my schedule, it will somehow work out.
As I organized my thoughts one by one, I found myself arriving at the café in front of the hospital.
‘…It starts from today.’
My father needs to take complete rest for the time being, and not even a caregiver is allowed to stay with him.
Thanks to that, my mother, who had always been by my father’s side, was forcibly given some free time.
She seemed clueless about what to do, having been a caregiver for so long.
Although I can’t spend a lot of time with her due to filming, I decided to at least see my mother’s face, who must have been anxious throughout the surgery.
‘Was it the 3rd floor?’
After parking, I entered the café building. Being in front of the largest hospital in Korea, the café was a three-story building.
It was relatively quiet inside, possibly because visiting hours were over. I climbed the stairs, trying not to attract attention.
But just before I stepped onto the third floor, a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar voice reached my ears.
“…Doesn’t it seem a bit suspicious?”
“I don’t know. Mom doesn’t think so.”
“No, seriously, think about it. Why would the granddaughter of Mirae Group need to date Kang Woo-ju!?”
Ah-
Even without seeing their faces, an inexplicable anger rose from deep within me.
The instinctive reaction of my body made it clear who the voice belonged to.
– Yeah, your [sister] is coming up this week, so don’t worry too much about here and just focus on your filming.
I vaguely remembered hearing this during our last call. My sister was coming to visit our parents after a long time.
It had been so long since I’d seen her that I had almost forgotten her existence.
“What’s wrong with your oppa?”
“No, seriously, listen. With all the drug issues and cults these days, the world is so dangerous. What if there’s some dangerous contract between them…”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“…!?”
I had no intention of eavesdropping any longer and immediately intervened in their conversation.
Startled as if caught at a crime scene, she averted her gaze sheepishly.
“Oh my, our Joo-heon is here.”
“Huh?”
“Haha, these days, I’ve been getting so many calls from people around me. They’re all so smitten with you that they keep mentioning you as Joo-heon instead of Woo-ju.”
“….”
Contrary to my concerns, my mother seemed to be in a very good mood. Her expression alone showed that a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
After all, my father’s surgery had ended successfully, and I had become quite famous, enough for people to reach out to her first.
Thanks to that, she even started making jokes she normally wouldn’t, showing that her mind was at ease. I also didn’t dislike this change in her.
“….”
On the other hand, my sister’s blatant suspicion as she stared at me silently was extremely unpleasant.
Since childhood, we fought so fiercely that we were far from the angelic siblings laughing together in dramas.
‘If anything, we are more like enemies.’
Although we became somewhat distant as we grew older and lived separately, seeing her after a long time brought back those feelings vividly.
Especially those glaring eyes—so lovely that I almost wanted to bite her head off.
“Kang Byul.”
Pfft-! Cough, cough!
Startled by the sudden call of her name, she spat out the coffee she was holding in her mouth.
Fortunately, my mother was sitting next to me, and my sister desperately turned her head, avoiding a messy situation. I nearly got splashed in the face.
“…What the hell are you doing!? Don’t suddenly try to act all serious. It’s seriously creepy. Do you think you’re Kang Joo-heon or something?”
She wasn’t kidding as she rubbed her arms and shivered. Seeing her like that, I felt an even stronger urge to tease her.
“Byul-ah.”
“Hey, are you really crazy!?”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Just call me like you always do! Hey, you, there, that person, etc. You’ve been calling me that all your life, so why suddenly use my name?”
Kang Byul recoiled completely, showing intense disgust. Her reaction was so over the top that it almost made me laugh.
This girl really hasn’t changed.
Even after years, she’s still the same.
“Your personality is still as bad, I see.”
“Hey, are you picking a fight?”
“Kang Byul.”
“Seriously, this bas… Ugh, whatever. Call me whatever you want, play your little character. Just answer my question.”
Shaa-
Suddenly, there was a steely resolve in Kang Byul’s eyes. The air around us froze, creating a very serious atmosphere.
“What exactly is your relationship with Kim Eun-ha?”
“….”
Whether it’s a family trait or not, Kang Byul has always been very quick-witted. She immediately hit the core of the issue.
Unlike Baek Do-young or Park Ji-hoon, Kang Byul had no information about me and Kim Eun-ha.
Of course, being family, she had plenty of clues to infer my relationship with Kim Eun-ha.
But the look in her eyes wasn’t just a casual probe.
“Lovers.”
Of course, I had no intention of revealing the truth. Keeping it under wraps was better for both of us.
Even if she finds out the truth, nothing will change. Rather, despite her outward appearance, she’s soft-hearted inside, so she’ll just worry needlessly.
“Stop bullshitting.”
…I take back the soft-hearted inside part.
Anyway, the truth wouldn’t benefit her in any way, so I maintained my stance.
“You asked a question, and I gave an answer. Whether you believe it or not is up to you, but don’t worry our parents with baseless speculation.”
“Did you visit the Joseon era in your dreams or something? What’s with your speech!? Do you think acting like this will make me let it slide? Are you involved in something dangerous… Hey!”
Taptap-
When I ignored her and fiddled with my phone, she raised her voice, her face turning red.
For some reason, the third floor was empty except for us, so we weren’t bothering anyone else, but her voice was loud enough to hurt my ears.
“When someone is talking to you, don’t just play with your phone…”
Vrrr! Vrrr!
The familiar rhythm in Kang Byul’s speech instinctively came to a halt. Her phone, which she had placed on the table, started vibrating.
It was a vibration pattern I knew well, having used the same phone until recently. It was the notification for a deposit.
“What are you…?”
“Why don’t you check it first?”
“…”
Kang Byul gave me a suspicious look, but she couldn’t resist the deposit notification. She cautiously picked up her phone.
As she turned on the screen and entered the pattern, her pupils quickly dilated in surprise.
She raised her head slowly towards me, her eyes wide open as if she couldn’t believe it.
“…What is this?”
“Pocket money.”
“500,000 won as an pocket money!?”
“It depends on how you see it. I might increase it based on your behavior.”
“…Based on my behavior?”
Whirr-!
I could almost see the illusion of her eyes spinning like a pachinko roulette.
Being the smart girl she was, she quickly did the math. Her eyes, now bearing a (?) symbol, focused intently on me.
“Orabeoni!” (TL: More formal and respectful way to address elder brother)
My sister finally expressed the joy of our reunion. As a magnanimous person, I decided to generously overlook our petty past.
Indeed.
Money is the best.
*****
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