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I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 359
🕑 Added 2025-04-05 17:04:51 +0000 UTCChapter 359: Choice (5)
On her way home after her shift,
Jieun usually felt a mix of wistful satisfaction and anticipation for the next day.
The college entrance exams were over, and she didn't have to go to school.
She had free time, a period of relaxation before starting university.
Sweet relief after years of hard work.
She had found a new apartment and saved up a decent amount of money. She had taken care of everything at home, so there were no worries.
She often indulged in happy fantasies about what to do with her newfound freedom.
But not today.
She couldn’t shake the memory of that harsh cough.
That chilling, rasping sound, worse than before.
And the sight of him sweating, struggling to wipe away the thin trickle of saliva… it worried her.
But…
“…”
Jieun frowned, looking at the bag of tteokbokki in her hand.
“…Stupid Min-hyeok!”
She kicked a pebble in frustration.
“It wasn’t about the tteokbokki! It was about eating it with you! You idiot!”
She kicked more pebbles, her frustration growing.
“Ow! Ouch… that hurts…”
She had kicked a larger rock, and now she was hopping on one foot, tears welling up in her eyes.
But the pain was fleeting.
“…Idiot.”
Having been by his side for so long, she knew.
She knew his health was deteriorating.
She had told him countless times to rest, not to push himself so hard, to get some proper sleep instead of those short naps.
But he never listened.
He was obsessed with earning money, his cold demeanor exacerbated by his strained relationship with his family.
That chilling cough was undoubtedly the result of his relentless pursuit of money, neglecting his health.
“I can’t leave you alone. You always do this, making me worry.”
She would visit him, make sure he took his medicine.
“No, I have to make sure he actually takes it. I know his passcode, so I’ll just go in. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.”
But first…
“…”
…she had to stop by her old house.
Jieun took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
‘It’s okay. You can do this, Seo Jieun.’
Once she settled this, she would be done with this family.
She entered her former home.
-Beep.
The door unlocked.
The passcode hadn’t changed.
But the house was dark.
“…What? Is no one home?”
Judging by the darkness, it seemed no one was there.
She looked around, but the house was empty.
This was inconvenient. She didn’t want to wait for someone to return.
“I’ll leave a note. They can call me.”
As she was about to leave…
She noticed a light on in one of the rooms.
It was nighttime.
It wasn't unusual for a light to be left on.
But it was strange that only one light was on, while the rest of the house was dark.
And…
There were papers scattered across the desk.
As if someone had been looking at them.
“…”
It was the desk in her eldest brother’s room.
The room of the "son" who would inherit this house, the family she had never considered her own, the family that had never accepted her.
Seo Juhwan’s room. A place she never wanted to enter, but…
“Something’s not right.”
Sensing something amiss, Jieun walked towards the desk.
She started reading the documents.
“These… look like company codes.”
They looked like ordinary company documents, but there was a hidden meaning.
She knew how to decipher them. That was how she had proven that her mother’s death wasn’t a suicide, but murder committed by her father. She had presented the evidence to the police, leading to his arrest.
Jieun carefully deciphered the codes, taking notes on her phone.
One character at a time.
She didn’t miss a single detail.
And then… she realized.
Seo Juhwan wasn’t an idiot. He was pretending.
[Chairman Kim Yuri is capable of leading the group, but she has a fatal weakness: her mental illness. She suffers from trauma caused by the supposed accidental deaths of her husband and son. She has a rare condition that makes her believe Kim Min-hyeok is her son. Exploiting this weakness led to her downfall.]
[Kim Eunji, the youngest daughter, lacks the ability to inherit the group. This naive, air-headed girl won’t cause any trouble unless provoked. So, I provided her with a target. She already had a desire to bully Kim Min-hyeok, so I simply provided her with the means to do so, creating further conflict.]
[Kim Eunhye, the second daughter, is quite capable, despite being overshadowed by her eldest sister. Her meticulous quality control and independent management of the clothing business made it difficult to interfere directly. However, her impulsive and fiery temper made her perfect for escalating conflicts. I subtly created friction between her and Kim Min-hyeok, exploiting her impatience. As a result, their relationship deteriorated beyond repair.]
[Kim Eunseo, the eldest daughter, is considered the ideal successor, but she feels inferior to Kim Min-hyeok due to his achievements. She’s easily manipulated. Fueling her inferiority complex, coupled with her mother’s absence, should be enough to break her. She already has a poor reputation within the company, so it’s only a matter of time.]
…
…
[Everything is proceeding as planned. The Yuri Group has been destabilized by Kim Min-hyeok’s presence.]
[All that remains is to eliminate him, frame the Yuri Group for a serious crime, and then seize control of the weakened company.]
…
…
[…Why is he so annoying?]
[He’s not even their real son, but he keeps catching my attention.]
…
…
[Kim Min-hyeok. Kim Min-hyeok. Kim Min-hyeok.]
[He keeps interfering with my plans. He’s ruining everything. If this continues…]
…
…
[…I’ll have to eliminate him. He’s the root of all my problems. I tried to use him to eliminate the others one by one, but he’s become my biggest obstacle. Did I bring in a tiger cub?]
…
…
[I have to kill him. He’s not ordinary. I have to eliminate him quickly to seize control of the Yuri Group.]
…
…
[He left. He seems to be living independently, away from the Yuri Group. I was lucky.]
[Kim Min-hyeok has been working tirelessly to earn money. He hasn’t given up on his studies either, but his health is deteriorating. It wouldn’t be difficult to disguise it as overwork. If I just mix in this potion…]
“Oh my god…”
Realizing the truth, the true nature of her family's plan, Jieun rushed out of the house.
“No… no…!”
-Flip.
Time was running out.
Jieun ran as fast as she could.
She stumbled and scraped her knees.
“Ouch…!”
She had rushed out of the house wearing slippers.
And now, the old slippers were falling apart.
But the slippers weren’t the problem.
“I don’t have time for this…!”
Every second counted.
Jieun kicked off the broken slippers and ran barefoot.
Her knees were bleeding, but she didn’t stop.
She reached Min-hyeok’s apartment.
“Is no one here…?”
She looked around, but there was no one there.
Good. That meant nothing had happened yet.
He was safe.
She tried to reassure herself, but…
A wave of fear washed over her.
The lights were off.
Min-hyeok never slept at this hour.
He always worked late into the night.
Could it be…?
Had something already happened…?
“No.”
That couldn't be true.
Min-hyeok… he had to be safe…!
-Beep.
The electronic lock beeped, prompting her to enter the passcode.
Min-hyeok had never told her his passcode.
But she knew it.
His birthday.
His secret birthday, the one no one else knew.
She entered the date, the same as her own birthday.
-Click♪
The door unlocked.
But…
As she reached for the doorknob, a sense of dread washed over her.
If she opened this door, Min-hyeok would be annoyed, asking why she was here so late.
He would tell her to stop nagging him and let him sleep, just like always.
No, this time she hadn’t just knocked. She had entered his passcode. He might be surprised, wondering how she knew it.
She didn’t care how he reacted.
‘Please… please be safe…’
Praying that he was alright, Jieun carefully opened the door.
But…
“Min…hyeok…?”
The computer was on.
Empty bottles of energy drinks were scattered around the room.
And… under the desk…
“No… no…!”
…Min-hyeok was slumped on the floor, unconscious.
***
Some time later…
Tragic news echoed through the halls of the university hospital.
Chaos erupted.
“I told you! I told you he left because of us! Why didn’t you listen?! You sent people after him, you tried to force him to come back! Are you happy now?!”
“…”
“He didn’t want anything! He earned all that money and left it for us! He had no ambition, no greed! We were the ones who were wrong! Why… why didn’t you help him?!”
Outside the hospital, Eunhye grabbed Eunseo by the collar, her voice filled with rage and grief.
She screamed, tears streaming down her face, slapping her sister.
Eunseo couldn’t speak.
Min-hyeok’s intentions had been proven true.
“Move! Get out of my way! I want to see my son! What’s wrong with wanting to see my son?!”
“Someone get more people!”
“Let go of me! Let me go…! I have to see my son! Min-hyeok! Min-hyeok!”
Inside the hospital…
A distraught woman struggled against the hospital staff, trying to force her way through.
Kim Yuri’s mental illness had worsened.
Triggered by the death of the patient, her adopted son, Kim Min-hyeok.
“Waaah…! No… no…”
On the second floor…
A young girl sobbed uncontrollably.
Eunji couldn’t believe it.
She wanted to look away, to pretend it wasn’t happening.
To remain oblivious, like the naive child she was. She just cried and cried.
The Yuri Group was gone.
It had been renamed, taken over by another company.
On the third floor, a long line of mourners waited.
The solemn faces of two people from the dojo. The kendo instructor and his son, along with Min-hyeok's fellow kendo students.
The former student council vice president, and the current president, who was supposed to graduate with Min-hyeok. And the head of the company who had been trying to recruit Min-hyeok, recognizing his talent.
Countless people mourned his passing.
And…
A young woman stood beside his lifeless body, stepping onto a chair.
“I don’t want to live in a world without you.”
-Thud.
***
▶ Hidden Memorial <A World That Might Have Been> has ended. ◀
▶ Time will resume after the timer ends. ◀
“All of this… is it really…”
I felt suffocated.
My head was spinning, lightheaded.
But even through the dizziness, I couldn't forget Jieun’s final moments. I couldn’t forget.
[3…]
[2…]
[1…]
▶ Timer ended. ◀
The timer ended.
The confusion vanished, replaced by a clear sense of purpose.
-Step. Step.
Each step brought back a flood of memories.
From the moment I met her at Claire’s coming-of-age ceremony, to the moment she kissed me yesterday.
Love? I had always dismissed it as a meaningless, abstract concept.
I had never believed in it, but…
Now, my logic crumbled.
-Embrace.
“…W-what…?”
I embraced Harnie from behind, holding her tightly. She let out a surprised gasp, but…
I wasn't letting go.
-Ding!
▶ Harnie’s synchronization rate has reached 100%. ◀
▶ Revealing the character’s affinity. ◀
[Seo Jieun]
Comments
Chibi Chi
Jieun 😭😭😭
