★★★ Chapter 20 : ‘Wait, are these people… right now!?’ ★★★
‘It’s suspicious.’
From the moment I entered, they directed me to a strange entrance. The room my father was using was like a VIP room straight out of a drama.
The room had a living room and a kitchen that could be used by family members and attendants. A quick search revealed that it cost anywhere from a minimum of 500,000 won to a maximum of 5 million won per day.
‘There’s no way such a convenient event exists.’
It’s not like any charity organization is covering the surgery costs or lending out VIP rooms.
Financially or in terms of image, it doesn’t make sense. Still, out of curiosity, I searched, but nothing came up as expected.
While my parents, who were not internet-savvy, could be deceived, they couldn’t deceive me. That’s probably why they didn’t mention moving the room.
‘Where is this person and what is he doing!?’
*Gulp!*
I(Kim Gureum) swallowed her dry saliva. In my mind, the suspicious message I had received from Kim Ha-neul a few days ago came to mind.
: [Receive 3,000,000 won.]
: Okay.
In the past, he had occasionally sent me pocket money, but he had never sent such a large sum of money before. At first, I thought it was a common ‘scam’.
: [Received 3,000,000 won!]
: What is this????
: Oppa said he has money somewhere.
: Why are you ignoring my messages?
: Hey!
I did keep the money for now. But that damn blood relative didn’t reply to any more messages after that. He even ignored her calls.
When I asked my parents, they said something about winning a lottery. And on top of that, they said they won with a suspicious story at a glance?
‘No way, could this person…?’
First prize in the lottery?
Are they going to wipe their mouth with that?
For a moment, Kim Gureum had such a thought, but she quickly shook her head. Even if they really won, this person wasn’t someone who would casually spend money like this.
As she contemplated, Kim Gureum briefly thought of “Bitcoin,” but quickly erased it from her mind.
“There’s no way.”
She completely ruled out the possibility of cryptocurrency. This person had put 100,000 won into it for studying purposes before and complained about it for a whole month when it dropped by 87%.
At that time, she had repeatedly said she would never touch cryptocurrency, and she was the type to stick to her words like a major character, so she definitely wouldn’t be involved in cryptocurrencies.
‘Could they be involved in something dangerous?’
Like illegal money lending.
Or a multi-level marketing scheme.
There weren’t many ways for Kim Haneul to achieve such high profits in a short period of time. When she reached that thought, she became unnecessarily anxious.
“Mom, did oppa say anything else?”
“Oh, yes, he said he’s getting married.”
“What… What did you say!?”
A part-time worker.
That one word was enough to describe Kim Ha-neul’s current situation. Of course, he was making steady income from web novels, but the fact is that it lacked stability.
Above all, Kim Ha-neul had always lived his life, building up walls against relationships. He even rejected girls who clung to him, saying he wasn’t ready. And suddenly, he’s getting married now?
“Do you know who the other person is?”
“I saw her in a photo.”
“Show me too!”
Swish!
Kim Gureum almost snatched her parents’ phone and checked the photo of Kim Ha-neul. And then, her mouth opened wide in disbelief.
“…Is this oppa’s girlfriend?”
“She’s pretty, isn’t she? Mom already wants to see her future grandchild.”
“Mom, does this make any sense?”
A jobless person who locks himself in the room to write and doesn’t go out even once a week meets a woman like this? Does that make sense logically?
No matter how many times she looked at it, the beauty of Kang Bada in the photo was unbelievable. She thought she wouldn’t be easily swayed either, but this person is on a completely different level.
“Your oppa takes after me, so he’s a bit exceptional.”
“Oh, come on, our son takes after me.”
“That’s nonsense. When Ha-neul was born, you cried, saying you were relieved that he didn’t resemble you.”
“When did I ever say that!?”
Her parents tried to joke, but their words didn’t go through Kim Gureum’s ears. Her face grew more serious.
“…Could it be that if my brother gets married, he’ll go abroad and live?”
I’ve heard that there are people who sell their vital organs after announcing their marriage to receive money.
If they go abroad and live after getting married and then die in an unexpected accident, there would be no way for the family to uncover the truth.
“I haven’t heard such stories.”
“Wasn’t there anything else he said? Huh?”
“Why is she acting like this today? Usually, she throws a fit whenever we mention her oppa.”
“Logically, this is too strange!”
Kim Gureum pointed out the strange aspects as she saw them, except for the VIP ward incident. There’s no need for them to feel guilty for no reason.
Seeing that Kim Gureum was quite serious, her parents listened quietly to her words. And finally, when all the explanations were over.
“It seems plausible.”
“Right? Even Dad thinks it’s strange, right?”
“Your father’s words meant that your oppa getting married is a plausible explanation.”
“······!?”
Kim Gureum widened her eyes as if asking what on earth they were talking about. Seeing her like that, her mother nodded absentmindedly.
“So, it means that our daughter thinks it’s impossible for our brother to meet a rich, beautiful, and well-behaved woman, right?”
“That’s right!”
“I’m actually curious why you think that way. Even without considering Ha-neul, he’s an okay guy, right?”
“······.”
It won’t work.
These people are serious.
Of course, Kim Ha-neul usually lets his hair and beard grow unkempt, so he may look like a mess like in that photo, but if he takes care of himself, he can look decent.
He graduated from Seoul National University, is responsible, energetic, family-oriented, and quite good at sports! But still, his name is ‘Kim Ha-neul’ after all.
“…This can’t be. It’s impossible.”
“Just in case, don’t say anything strange to your future sister-in-law. When will your oppa get married if not now?”
“You haven’t even seen her face, and she’s already your future sister-in-law?”
“But you’ve already seen her face.”
“No… sigh.”
Kim Gureum sighed at her nagging mother’s words. She quickly grabbed her bag.
“Are you leaving already?”
“I think I need to check it out myself.”
“While you’re at it, see if we need any side dishes, and tell your sister-in-law to come with you next time.”
“······.”
Kim Gureum glanced at her mother once and left the hospital room. Seeing her back, her parents burst into laughter.
“They still get along well.”
“Hoho, that’s true.”
“Even if they have another sibling, they’ll take care of them, right?”
“Of course, they’ll do their best.”
“Cough!”
* * *
Kim Gureum left the hospital and headed straight to Kim Ha-neul’s house. She already knew the address because she had brought side dishes several times before.
“Hey! Open the door!”
Thud, thud, thud!
She felt movement from inside the door. After waiting for a moment, Kim Ha-neul, who looked completely different from what she was used to, opened the door and came out.
“What brings you here?”
“What on earth have you been up to lately? Did you join a pyramid scheme or something? Or is it a scam?”
“Cut it out with the nonsense.”
A grumpy response from Kim Ha-neul.
At that moment, a fire ignited in Kim Gureum’s heart.
Kim Ha-neul had always been like this.
Whenever a problem arose, he solved it alone without telling his family, and he took all the family’s problems on his own shoulders.
Whenever she tried to question him, he would respond with a grumpy expression and vague answers. There were even a few times when she thought he would die.
“Just say it straight! You again…”
“Oh, miss. Hello?”
“Yes, hello… uh?”
Kim Gureum reflexively greeted with a foolish voice. Her gaze involuntarily shifted to the unfamiliar voice that should not have been heard.
“That person is…?”
A woman standing behind Kim Ha-neul.
Clearly, it was the person in the photo.
Looking at Kang Bada, who greeted her with a friendly smile, Kim Gureum’s first thought was ‘Wow.’
‘Her appearance is completely different from what I imagined.’
An old and worn-out apartment.
Thanks to Kim Ha-neul’s personality, it was kept clean, but it couldn’t completely change the unique atmosphere.
But when Kang Bada smiled, the atmosphere around them completely changed. How could a person have such perfect facial features?
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Bada, Ha-neul’s girlfriend. Nice to meet you.”
“···Uh, I’m Kim Gureum.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Ha-neul-ssi. I saw you briefly in a photo, but you’re much prettier in person!”
“······.”
At that moment, everything in Kim Gureum’s mind came to a halt. She would have brushed off such words as mere flattery, but the aura emanating from Kang Bada was genuine.
‘There are two possibilities.’
One is that she is genuinely pure despite her appearance. The other is that she is a skilled ‘gold digger.’
“But…”
Kim Gureum’s gaze shifted once again. Kim Ha-neul frowned as if he found her scrutinizing gaze unpleasant.
“What’s with that look?”
“Why?”
“I told you not to jump to conclusions.”
“…”
Kim Gureum was speechless.
No matter how much she thought about it, there was nothing to criticize about Kim Ha-neul. Even if he won the jackpot in the lottery, it would be the same.
“I’ve checked all the previous draws.”
Kim Ha-neul thoroughly investigated the winning amounts before and after his unusual behavior. The after-tax prize money ranged from 1.2 billion to 2.2 billion.
It was a substantial amount, but it wouldn’t be that big of a deal to someone like Kang Bada. Just by turning on an internet broadcast, CEOs would come running.
“Please come inside instead of standing outside.”
“Uh, well…”
“Just feel free to call me ‘unni’.”
“Unni?”
Heheh-
Kang Bada smiled lightly as if she was feeling good and gently held Kim Gureum’s hand, leading her inside.
“As the youngest in our family, I always wanted to have a younger sibling. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”
“…”
Overwhelmed by the pouring kindness, Kim Gureum couldn’t regain her composure.
While Kim Gureum was lost in thought, Kim Ha-neul brought out some refreshments. It was a flat chocolate resembling Dalgona candy.
“Try it.”
“What is this?”
“This is a chocolate from a brand called ‘Deu bov e galle.’ It’s said to be made by a pharmacist named ‘Marie Antoinette’ who didn’t want to take medicine, so she created medicinal chocolates.”
“Is it really expensive just by hearing the description?”
“Not really. It’s just a snack, after all.”
As Kang Bada explained, Kim Gureum’s gaze naturally shifted. Seeing Kim Ha-neul nod lightly, it seemed that it wasn’t as expensive as she thought.
“The aroma is amazing.”
Even though she wasn’t particularly fond of chocolate, she found herself drawn to the scent without realizing it. Carefully, Kim Gureum picked up a piece of chocolate and put it in her mouth.
“Mmm, it’s delicious!”
“Isn’t it?”
“Can I have another one?”
“Of course, help yourself.”
The chocolates had the phrases from the French royal court written on them, along with the cocoa content, which ranged from 72% to 99%. Kim Gureum sequentially tasted them, letting the flavors melt in her mouth.
A sweet and rich taste spread in her mouth. The rationality she had been holding onto melted away along with the chocolate. Could someone with such generosity be a bad person?
“Do you like the taste?”
“I’ve never tasted anything like this before. It said 99% on the label, but how does it have such a flavor?”
“If you like it, I’ll send you more separately next time.”
“Un…”
Kim Gureum almost called her ‘unni’ without realizing it. She quickly shut her mouth and composed her expression. A cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck.
“I almost fell for it!”
Kim Gureum quickly surveyed her surroundings. Once she regained her composure, she noticed the artificially created environment one by one.
A dehumidifier and a natural breeze blowing from the air conditioner, along with the luxurious chocolates. What do these things signify?
‘To make me feel good.’
People are greatly influenced by their surroundings. The resulting change in mood can have a significant impact even in negotiations.
In fact, when the temperature is lowered, people tend to become more skeptical, whereas if it’s too hot, they become sluggish and everything becomes bothersome.
‘It’s an optimal environment.’
It felt as if they knew in advance and set a trap. Once she fell into one, everything became suspicious.
“Why are you acting like that?” Kang Bada asked.
“I’ll just quickly go to the restroom,” Kim Gureum replied, trying to confirm her suspicions.
In the restroom, she noticed something that made her even more certain. There was only one toothbrush. Even though Kim Ha-neul was known for being neat, it was odd that there were no traces of him being here, not even in unexpected visits.
“Everything is fake!” Kim Gureum concluded.
The marriage between the two of them was a sham. She didn’t know the reason, but it must be related to the money Kim Ha-neul had sent. It seemed like something dangerous was involved, and she needed to find a way to save her brother.
“Huh?” Just as Kim Gureum was about to open the door, she heard a hushed conversation from outside. She immediately brought her ear closer to the door.
– Ha-neul-ssi, stay still.
– But there’s someone inside…
– It’ll only take a moment.
‘Wait, are these people… right now!?’
Startled by the secretive conversation outside, Kim Gureum quickly opened the door, only to witness a bewildering scene in front of her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Bam! Kang Bada pushed Kim Ha-neul in surprise, and both of them looked embarrassed. Kim Ha-neul even turned his head and straightened his clothes.
In that absurd sight, all of Kim Gureum’s suspicions vanished.
