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Chapter 220: Family (2)

Lee Yeon-Sil looked up with a tear-streaked face and asked, "Really?"

"Yes."

The memory of that day was a deep wound for both of them as well.

At the time, Lee Yeon-Sil realized too late that Kang Eun-Gi had been playing tricks. It was only after a few months that she understood the situation when she met the woman who was with Jung Yoon-Ho.

But it was too late to turn back.

Lee Yeon-Sil had threatened to kill Kang Eun-Gi the day she found out the truth, but she couldn\'t completely hate the man who was willing to give up everything for her. Although he wasn\'t like Jung Yoon-Ho, he was the man who had protected her from storms since childhood.

Kang Eun-Gi wiped Lee Yeon-Sil\'s tears with a bitter smile. "Don\'t cry too much. We don\'t want to startle our baby."

From the moment she heard Jung Yoon-Ho\'s voice, Lee Yeon-Sil had been clutching her lower abdomen.

"O-okay. I understand," Lee Yeon-Sil replied as she tried to stop her tears from flowing.

After a moment, she looked at Kang Eun-Gi and spoke."Let\'s go see Yoon-Ho oppa together when you come back from your business trip. Only then can we have a peaceful wedding."

Kang Eun-Gi nodded. "Of course. I\'m even prepared to get punched by Yoon-Ho."

Lee Yeon-Sil wiped her tears and laughed. "Oppa, you\'ll die if Yoon-Ho oppa hits you properly. Instead, I\'ll ask him to go easy on you."

At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi flinched and looked away. "It-it looks like it\'s time for my flight. I should go."

To be honest, Kang Eun-Gi didn\'t think he could beat Jung Yoon-Ho. The only reason he was able to quickly rise in the ranks during his gangster days was because he was a good fighter.

But the reason he was good at fighting was because he grew up brawling with Jung Yoon-Ho who was far stronger. Of course, Kang Eun-Gi was mostly on the receiving end.

Kang Eun-Gi grumbled that he wouldn\'t have used such dirty tricks to make Lee Yeon-Sil his woman if he had been a better fighter than Jung Yoon-Ho as he left the entrance.

"Take care, oppa," Lee Yeon-Sil said with a bitter smile.

"Hmph, whatever," Kang Eun-Gi sulked.

"Hey, you\'re sulking again. I\'m sorry, I won\'t tease you anymore. Be careful on your trip. And let\'s go see Yoon-Ho oppa when you return. Promise me," Lee Yeon-Sil said as she looked into Kang Eun-Gi\'s eyes.

Kang Eun-Gi smiled, holding onto his suitcase. "Alright. Let\'s do that."

He felt as much longing as he did regret thinking of Jung Yoon-Ho\'s face. After all, Jung Yoon-Ho was the precious person who took him in as a brother when he was abandoned by his mother and was full of hate.

This time, Kang Eun-Gi decided not to show off like the last time they met but rather to beg for forgiveness.

He wanted to give his child a reliable uncle named Jung Yoon-Ho.

***

Sister Michaela was the nun who ran the Angel Orphanage where Kang Eun-Gi, Lee Yeon-Sil, and I grew up—and she was also a mother to all the children at the orphanage.

-Son, why did you call?

"Hi. I\'m sorry for calling out of nowhere. But do you know Yeon-Sil\'s contact information by chance?"

-Of course I know.

I got Lee Yeon-Sil\'s address and phone number from Mom. However, I felt completely lost when it came to calling her. I couldn\'t think of what to say or how to react when we met without Kang Eun-Gi. Rather, it seemed better to ask Mom for help directly.

After coming to a conclusion, I first booked a health check-up for her on the 15th. I planned to take her to the hospital for a comprehensive check-up and then call Lee Yeon-Sil and Kang Eun-Gi to come to the hospital.

Knowing their personalities, they\'d drop everything and rush over just hearing that Sister Michaela was in the hospital. I thought I could prevent Kang Eun-Gi\'s death for the time being by doing this. Resolute, I immediately requested time off from work.

A few days later, I visited the Angel Orphanage in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province to seek Mom\'s help.

"It\'s not even that far..." I muttered.

I checked my planner after parking my car in the empty lot next to the orphanage. After all, the reason for my visit wasn\'t solely to prevent Kang Eun-Gi\'s death.

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: November 11, 2024]

-01:00 p.m. St. Mary\'s Hospital Funeral Hall, 1st floor. Sister Michaela, my mom. Died in peace.

As expected, the record of Mom\'s death hadn\'t disappeared either.

"She really should take care of herself. She works herself to the bone feeding the kids..." I muttered under my breath.

Sister Michaela\'s cause of death was the same as mine—stomach cancer. Though there were still four years left until her death, I intended to resolve Mom\'s death as well this time.

In my past life, I used the excuse of struggling to make a living for not visiting her and convinced myself I would visit proudly after my success.

But by the time I succeeded, she was no longer in this world. They say the heavens take good people early and that was true for my mom. She ended up passing away early after spending her life caring for others, not herself.

But that wouldn\'t happen this time because I would make sure of it.

***

Screech!

A familiar scene greeted me when I entered through the sky-blue-colored iron gate of Angel Orphanage.

Angel Orphanage located in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, was a small orphanage accommodating only about twenty children. The yard had vegetable gardens and a quaint wall lovingly enclosed the orphanage.

It seemed big when I was young, but now it looked so small and shabby now that I grew up.

As I glanced around briefly and went to the backyard, I could see a white-haired nun tending the garden with a hoe. Despite the limited means, she managed to grow vegetables to feed everyone.

That was my mom, Sister Michaela.

Perhaps because she sensed my presence at the door, she turned her gaze before I could take a few steps closer. Her face was beaded with sweat but she wore a big smile.

"My son~ What brings you here without a word?" Sister Michaela asked.

I stopped in my tracks the moment I heard Mom\'s affectionate voice. In the time we hadn\'t seen each other, she had more wrinkles and gray hair near her ears.

Because of that, my words came out more blunt than affectionate. "Why are you working alone when your knees are bad? You should have the kids help more."

Mom smiled broadly and replied, "My knees are fine. I\'m all better thanks to the medicine you sent me. Look at this! See?"

She stood up abruptly and shook her legs. She worked so much that her joints were bound to be bad, but she insisted she was fine. Although I sent her joint medicine, it was only natural that age catches up with everyone.

\'Resting would be the best medicine,\' I remarked inwardly.

"It\'s been too long since I saw you. You\'ve aged a lot, Mom," I told her as I looked at her.

At that moment, Mom froze with hoe still in her hand.

Thinking back, it was the first time I\'d called her Mom directly, both in my past and present lives. Tears soon began to well up in her eyes. Though she always called me her son, she seemed deeply moved when I called her mom. As tears started streaming down her now wrinkled eyes, my voice came out hoarse without realizing it.

I sighed and said, "You\'re crying again, Mom. Why are you crying? You\'re usually so tough."

She was quite small standing 160cm tall, but she had the personality to command a crowd if she hadn\'t been a nun. But she always had a tender heart when it came to her children.

I slowly approached and hugged my crying mom tightly. Her small shoulders shook in my embrace. As a son who had been so stoic, I realized I had never hugged her like this before.

I silently made a resolve. \'I should hug her more often from now on.\'

After repeatedly wiping away her tears, Mom finally smiled with an awkward expression. "It\'s just that some dust got into my eyes and made them sting."

\'She couldn\'t lie to save her life, my dear mom,\' I thought to myself.

Despite me being a stern person, she loved me dearly even though we weren\'t related by blood.

"By the way, my son. You seem much more stylish now that you\'re working in Seoul. I heard you\'re doing well these days, huh?" Mom said with a smile.

"How do you know that, Mom?"

"Why wouldn\'t I? I saw you in the newspaper. And don\'t underestimate my information network. The kids who moved out always keep me updated. They say you\'re the most successful among our orphanage kids."

Feeling a bit shy, I scratched my head and looked away. I asked, "How are the kids doing?"

"They\'re all at school right now. The little ones are taking a nap."

Angel Orphanage located in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, was a small place with about five preschoolers and ten older children.

But looking around, I noticed that the place seemed better off than before. The broken wall was repaired and the previously worn-out entrance gate was freshly painted.

Although I had been sending pocket money regularly since I traveled back in time, it wasn\'t enough to cover all these repairs.

"Is the diocese providing substantial support these days?" I asked.

"O-oh, that? Ha ha ha. Aren\'t you so curious about everything when you\'ve come for a visit after so long?"

Mom tried to change the subject in the most awkward manner as she was a bad liar.

At that moment, Sister Grace entered with black plastic bags in both hands. She was a 33-year-old assistant nun who was like an older sister to me.

"Noona!" I cried out.

"Oh my goodness, how long has it been? Look at you! You look great!" Sister Grace exclaimed in return.

After chatting with Sister Grace for a while, I learned about the orphanage\'s situation.

"Eun-Gi has been sending us monthly donations, so we\'re doing pretty well," Sister Grace shared.

"Who?"

"Eun-Gi, Kang Eun-Gi. Your best friend."

Mom hurriedly gestured to Sister Grace to stop, but it was too late.

"Why would you hide this? He should know too," Sister Grace responded.

"Oh dear. Look at you saying unnecessary things again..." Mom said with a sigh.

Mom knew about the complicated relationship between Kang Eun-Gi, Lee Yeon-Sil, and me.

But Sister Grace shook her head firmly. "I know what went on between them too."

Sister Grace looked at me and continued. "Eun-Gi has been sending us quite a lot of money for a while now. And he\'s not as bad of a person as you think. To be precise, he\'s repenting and finding his way now."

Curious about what she meant, I asked Sister Grace. "Noona, please tell me more in detail."

At that moment, Mom sighed deeply and pointed toward the inside of the orphanage. "Let\'s go inside. I\'ll explain everything."

Mom brushed off the dirt from her clothes as she stood up. "Grace, you come with us too."

"Why me?"

"Why else? Your brother is here; aren\'t you going to prepare some food? The kimchi is well-fermented, so bring some out."

"Oh, right."

Sister Grace, who was about to head to the Jangdokdae[1] turned around and looked at me.

Then, she looked at me and said, "By the way, Jung Yoon-Ho. You should greet me properly. Is this how I taught you?"

Seeing her stern look, I quickly responded. "Noona, I\'m back."

Only then did her face light up with a radiant smile. "Welcome back, my brother."

She, who was stricter than Mom but cared for the children deeply, hugged me tightly.

This moment made me feel the reality of my time travel once again.

***

The orphanage made from an old church and dormitory had a room at the back where the nuns lived. In one corner of that room, the three of us sat together at a small table as we drank the coffee I brought.

"Wow! Did you only learn how to make coffee in Seoul?"

"It\'s good, right? This coffee is my secret weapon."

"Is that so? Ha ha. It\'s really good."

"But let\'s stop avoiding the topic and tell me. What do you mean Eun-Gi has been sending money?"

With a deep sigh, Mom began to explain the situation.

"I never accepted a penny of the money he made with his fists during his gangster days."

"Then what is it?" I probed further.

After hesitating for a moment, Mom finally opened up under my persistent questioning. "A few months ago, he came here with Yeon-Sil and gave a large sum of money. He said it wasn\'t money made from hurting people and asked us to use it for the kids."

Come to think of it, he didn\'t act in a violent manner when he came to our company although he spoke harshly. In the past, he would\'ve caused a much bigger scene.

"Do you think Eun-Gi has really turned over a new leaf?" I asked.

"I don\'t think he\'s lying. He\'s the type you can tell when he\'s lying, you know? He said he\'s done with being a gangster and that he\'s going to be the best in the entertainment industry," Mom replied.

To my recollection, Kanghan Entertainment never became a huge success in my past life. They tried to transition from criminal activities to legitimate business, but they downsized for some reason after Kang Eun-Gi\'s death.

I didn\'t know the full story because I only saw Lee Yeon-Sil from a distance at the funeral before leaving.

\'Has he really cleaned up his act...?\' I wondered.

Back at that time, I had been so overwhelmed by Miso\'s death that I didn\'t have the mental space to pay attention to other matters.

\'If I had investigated further back then, maybe I could\'ve been a better help now,\' I reflected.

"How does he plan to become the best with me around?" I teased.

Mom smiled softly. "Anyway, Eun-Gi has lately been sending a significant amount of money from his salary. Yeon-Sil also sends money from her part-time jobs. Thanks to them, it\'s been easier to feed and clothe the kids. Of course, the money you send us has also been a great help."

I had also been sending 500 thousand won every month. I wanted to send more, but I needed to save money to protect Hoop Entertainment.

Anyway, knowing that Kang Eun-Gi had genuinely changed lightened my heart a bit.

At that moment, Mom\'s wrinkled hand grasped mine and began to gently stroke it. Just like when I was a child, her touch conveyed a warm, comforting feeling as she started to speak with difficulty.

"Son. There\'s one wish that I dearly hope for..."

1. outside space, most frequently a terrace, used to store or ferment food ☜