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Chapter 365: Entangled Feelings (1)

When I helped my mom and Lee Yeon-Sil get out of the car, Choi Yung-Ho bowed deeply. "Welcome, Sister Michaela. And... Miss Yeon-Sil."

The other three men bowed their heads in unison. "Welcome!"

My mom, dressed in her nun\'s habit, bowed politely.

Choi Yung-Ho continued, "Please don\'t misunderstand. Mr. Choi couldn\'t come out in person to greet you due to his illness."

It seemed like Choi Eun-Tae had fallen ill after hearing that Kang Eun-Gi ultimately refused to meet with him.

"I see. It\'s fine, so don\'t worry about it."

It was clear that my mom was making an effort not to hold any prejudice.

Choi Yung-Ho sighed in relief. "Understood. The wind is chilly. Please come inside."

At that moment, my mom turned her head. "Yeon-Sil, would you like to wait in the car?"

Lee Yeon-Sil tilted her head in confusion. "Why? I also want to meet him."

"Just listen to me."

Lee Yeon-Sil nodded. "Okay. Then I\'ll wait with Yung-Jin oppa here."

My mom understood better than anyone else how much Kang Eun-Gi did not want his unborn child to meet Choi Eun-Tae.

Holding her belly carefully, Lee Yeon-Sil returned to the car.

For a moment, Choi Yung-Ho looked disappointed. But with my mom\'s decision already made, there was no way to bring Lee Yeon-Sil into the mansion.

My mom took my hand and turned her gaze toward the main gate. "Let\'s go inside, Yoon-Ho."

Only after holding my hand did my mom step toward the entrance of the old mansion.

***

Inside the living room of the mansion, Choi Eun-Tae greeted us with a pale face. "Please have a seat here, Sister. And welcome, Team Lead Jung."

My mom bowed politely. "Thank you for welcoming us. I wish you a speedy recovery."

"Thank you."

My mom sat down on a cushion with my support. Then she simply stared at Choi Eun-Tae without saying a word.

\'She must be thinking about the past,\' I guessed.

When Kang Eun-Gi was first taken to the orphanage, he ran away every day for a month to look for his biological mom.

In the following month, he refused to eat as he was convinced that his father, who might be somewhere, would come to find him.

Each time, my mom held Kang Eun-Gi in her arms and soothed him, telling him his parents would surely come. She repeatedly told Kang Eun-Gi that his parents would certainly come to find him because he was a good and lovely child.

Having always consoled Kang Eun-Gi like that, she wanted to meet his parents even more than Kang Eun-Gi himself did.

Yet now that she was finally facing Kang Eun-Gi\'s father, many thoughts seemed to be running through her mind as she remained silent.

As the silence grew uncomfortable, Choi Eun-Tae finally spoke first. "Sister, could you please help me meet Eun-Gi?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, my mom cautiously asked, "Do you know why Eun-Gi went to prison, Mr. Choi?"

Choi Eun-Tae shook his head. "To be honest, I don\'t know the details."

After taking control of one of the most notorious gangs in the Gyeonggi area, Kang Eun-Gi immediately chose to turn himself in. Even after nearly being killed by Choi Man-Sik, he had no intention of leaving the detention center.

Kang Eun-Gi\'s choice directly contradicted Choi Eun-Tae\'s life philosophy where success was achieved by any means necessary.

My mom began explaining why Kang Eun-Gi went to prison. "Eun-Gi turned himself in because he wanted to be an honorable father: one his soon-to-be-born child wouldn\'t be ashamed of. He wants to atone for his sins and be reborn."

Choi Eun-Tae looked at us with a baffled expression. "Th-that makes no sense..."

Though Choi Eun-Tae slightly raised his voice in confusion, my mom remained unfazed.

"You asked me to help you meet Eun-Gi, didn\'t you?"

"Yes."

"Then I need to confirm one thing with all due respect."

It seemed my mom was deciding whether to help Choi Eun-Tae or not.

"You can ask me anything you\'d like."

Staring directly at Choi Eun-Tae, my mom posed her question. "If Eun-Gi accepts you as his father... would you be willing to pass on what you have to him?"

Choi Eun-Tae answered as if it were obvious. "Of course. I\'ve found my son, so I must pass everything on to him."

"Everything?"

Choi Eun-Tae repeated, "Everything."

My mom\'s expression hardened. "From what I know, you lend money at high interest rates and make a business out of collecting it."

"That\'s correct."

"And would you be encouraging Eun-Gi, who turned himself in to wash away his sins, to commit those same sins again?"

At that moment, Choi Eun-Tae\'s face flushed red.

Even though my mom had spent her life caring for children, she knew exactly how Choi Eun-Tae had built his fortune.

Choi Eun-Tae was the kingpin of the private loan market in Myeong-dong and a giant in South Korea\'s underground finance world. The throne he occupied was one held by those who had sold their souls for money, and guarding it came with a cost that could never be paid lightly.

Despite my mom\'s efforts to explain Kang Eun-Gi\'s perspective, Choi Eun-Tae gave the wrong answer.

At that moment, sweat began to bead on Choi Eun-Tae\'s forehead.

\'Wow, my mom is intimidating...\' I thought.

Before we arrived, I never expected her to push him this hard. However, for the sake of Kang Eun-Gi who wanted to turn over a new leaf, my mom was testing the formidable Choi Eun-Tae.

The perplexed Choi Eun-Tae finally regained his composure before asking, "Then are you saying that in order to meet my son, I must also confess all my sins and turn myself in like Eun-Gi?"

My mom shook her head. "They say everyone has their own path. The way to redemption is different for everyone. Eun-Gi has his way and you have yours, Mr. Choi."

After a moment of contemplation, Choi Eun-Tae spoke as if a thought had struck him. "Then how about this? I will take full responsibility for every child at the Angel Orphanage. With enough money, they won\'t be mocked for not having parents and can receive the best education. How about it? Would you allow me to meet Eun-Gi then?"

Choi Eun-Tae was trying to buy his way to a solution with money.

My mom\'s expression showed further disappointment. "I can raise my children on my own, sir."

She then looked at me as she finished speaking. "Yoon-Ho, it seems this won\'t work."

Choi Eun-Tae\'s attitude of trying to solve everything with money must have deeply disappointed her.

My mom placed her hands on her knees, preparing to stand up.

Just then, Choi Eun-Tae called out urgently, "Wait! Please, wait a moment!"

My mom paused and looked back at Choi Eun-Tae as if she wanted to give him a chance.

This time, Choi Eun-Tae appeared to be in serious thought.

My mom stood there silently and waited for Choi Eun-Tae to finish thinking.

***

After thinking for a long time, Choi Eun-Tae finally spoke with difficulty. However, he was now wearing a more relaxed expression. "You said everyone has their own way, didn\'t you, Sister?"

"Yes, Mr. Choi."

"My answer may not please you, but I\'ll say it anyway."

My mom silently nodded.

"First of all, I have no intention of letting go of what I have."

My mom tilted her head as if she was confused.

Choi Eun-Tae quickly continued. "But I will change the way I conduct business."

"The way you conduct business?"

Choi Eun-Tae began explaining what he intended to do. "Yes. About half the people who borrow money from me aren\'t upright. But the other half are poor, struggling people who have no one else to lend them money. So I will help those in need as much as I can."

Once again, Choi Eun-Tae\'s solution involved money. However this time round, there was a different sincerity in his tone.

He continued, "If I were to leave this business, countless people would fight viciously to take my place. The one who succeeds me would likely bleed the powerless even more than I do. I will ensure that doesn\'t happen."

Choi Eun-Tae was right. If he stepped down from his role in the loan shark business, others would fight to take over and blood would be spilled.

The bigger issue was that whoever replaced him would likely exploit the vulnerable even more. Given his significant influence over the Myeong-dong market, Choi Eun-Tae prioritized stability. Unlike other loan sharks, his interest rates were already lower than most.

He added, "To someone like you who serves God, my world may look like a cesspool. But people live here too. So... can\'t you compromise with me and allow me to make this place a bit better?"

Choi Eun-Tae had found a way to maintain integrity in the world he lived in.

Following God\'s teachings and spreading goodness without committing further sins was the life my mom lived.

Though Choi Eun-Tae\'s answer was different from my mom\'s values, it still represented a form of good. After all, he was willing to provide direct help to those in need.

After listening quietly, my mom clasped her hands together and began to pray.

Moments later, she finished her prayer and opened her eyes. With a long sigh, she looked at Choi Eun-Tae with a slightly warmer gaze. "I understand your intentions, Mr. Choi. I hope you achieve them—and when you do, I\'d like to meet again."

The moment Choi Eun-Tae sensed hope in my mom\'s words, he responded in a trembling voice. "Thank you, Sister..."

My mom shook her head. "No, I should be thanking you. I came unannounced and said some harsh things, but you didn\'t turn me away. I appreciate that."

My mom stood and bowed politely.

Choi Eun-Tae also stood, bowing deeply in return.

It was a moment where two people, who had walked entirely different paths all their lives, began to understand each other.

***

At the mansion\'s front gate, Choi Eun-Tae personally came to see us off. "Have a safe trip back."

Choi Yung-Ho and his men bowed deeply as well.

My mom wore a kind expression and bowed in return. "I apologize for the trouble."

The moment I helped her into the car, my mom quietly spoke. "Next time, I think we can let him meet Eun-Gi."

"Really?"

"He\'s already repenting. His way of repentance is different from mine, but each person has their own path."

Though Choi Eun-Tae hadn\'t used the word "repentance," my mom believed that his heart was what mattered most.

"Now, shall we go see where my son lives?"

Looking as though a heavy burden had finally lifted from her shoulders, my mom smiled brightly.

Proud of my mom, who hadn\'t backed down even against Choi Eun-Tae, I smiled back and replied,

"Yes, Mom!"

***

We arrived at the house in Cheonho-dong.

As soon as my mom met Jung In-Ji, she presented various kinds of kimchi she had made herself as a gift.

"Thank you for always looking after Yoon-Ho."

"It\'s not me looking after him but it\'s more like Mr. Jung looks after me."

The two of them held hands and began talking about me.

At that moment, we heard the sound of Yoo-Jin entering with Miso.

Instantly, Lee Yeon-Sil sitting beside me lit up with excitement. Though they had video-called a few times, this was their first time meeting in person.

With a bang, the front door on the first floor swung open and Yoo-Jin and Miso rushed in.

"Oppa! We\'re here! Oh? Yeon-Sil unnie, you\'re here early!"

"Auntie!"

Since Miso had also seen Yeon-Sil on video calls, she recognized her face and greeted her warmly.

Kicking off her shoes, Miso ran over and bowed deeply. "Uncle Yoon-Ho! I\'m back from kindergarten!"

"Did you have a good day?" I asked with a smile.

Miso then greeted Sister Michaela and Lee Yeon-Sil with the same deep bow. "Grandma! Auntie! You\'re here!"

Thanks to me always referring to my mom as "Mom," Miso had started calling Sister Michaela "Grandma" as well. She also referred to Lee Yeon-Sil as "Auntie."

Lee Yeon-Sil responded with a touched expression, "Miso, how have you been?"

"Good!" Miso exclaimed.

After tidying up her shoes at the entrance, Yoo-Jin greeted Lee Yeon-Sil warmly. "Yeon-Sil unnie, you must be tired from coming all this way."

"It wasn\'t too bad. I\'m doing fine."

With the greetings out of the way, everyone gathered in the living room.

"Yeon-Sil unnie, how far along are you?" Yoo-Jin asked.

"Twenty weeks now. It\'s starting to get a little uncomfortable," Lee Yeon-Sil replied as she touched her belly.

At that moment, Miso blinked and stared at Lee Yeon-Sil\'s lower belly.

"What is it, Miso?" Lee Yeon-Sil asked.

"Auntie, when is the baby coming out?"

"It\'ll be another 20 weeks."

"20 weeks... that\'s... hmm..."

Miso started counting on her fingers. Though she excelled at acting for her age, math was still a challenge for her.

"That sounds like a long time!"

"Haha, it\'s not that long."

"Will you come to our house again after the baby\'s born?"

Looking at Miso\'s sparkling eyes, Lee Yeon-Sil smiled and nodded. "Of course! I\'ll come visit you, so you come visit me too."

Miso looked over at Yoo-Jin. "Mom! Is that okay?"

"Of course, it is."

By "Lee Yeon-Sil\'s house," we meant Angel Orphanage in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, where I grew up.

I planned to be the first to rush over once my niece was born. After all, it would be like meeting another family member I hadn\'t been able to meet in my past life.

After finishing the talk about the baby, the conversation shifted to the little details about me—what I liked to eat, what kind of work I did, how I was treated at the company, and so on.

Several hours passed and it was time to go to bed.

"Alright. It\'s time to head up to bed, Mom, Yeon-Sil."

Since Haru\'s mom had gone down to Suwon to check out a house, the guest room on the third floor was empty.

Just then, Lee Yeon-Sil grabbed Yoo-Jin\'s hand with a meaningful look.

"Yoon-Ho oppa. Yoo-Jin and I will sleep on the second floor tonight."

"With Yoo-Jin? Why?"

"Yeah, we have some things we want to talk about—just the two of us."

\'Huh? What could they possibly need to talk about?\' I wondered.