You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 123



Only Krnovel

Episode 123: Find Me (2)

My mother’s cold voice, as if she were handing down a death sentence.

[You’re behind.]

At first glance, there seemed to be no particular problem with the promise to “make our financial status transparent.”

But now, it’s like… …I’m in a situation like the president of a photography club who spent tens of millions of won on a camera.

My father continued to tell me all about his emergency fund.

“The reason I told you not to use the top shelf of the cupboard because it’s hard to reach is because I put money there. You were mad when I threw away the leather clothes I don’t wear often, right? That’s because I was going to tear off the seams and save up my emergency fund. Oh! And under the driver’s seat… … .”

Idain asked me, sticking out her tongue.

“Wow, how much did you have prepared?”

“That’s right. Somehow, you paid for all the gifts with cash… … .”

You shouldn’t just tell everything like this.

Father’s wealth and mother’s anger.

It would be a problem if both things got worse than they are now.

First of all, we quickly completed the implementation of our promise regarding ‘financial transparency.’

Fortunately or unfortunately,

The call was already over.

My father was just blankly staring at his cell phone.

“… … .”

It’s ruined.

I thought that if I gave her a belated gift, she would somehow feel better… … .

‘Isn’t this actually making things worse?’

I’ve done enough shopping.

Since there was no plan B, it was time to slowly move to my aunt’s house.

Idain tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a positive opinion.

“If you put your wallet in your bag, put the bracelet inside the wallet, and open it like a Matryoshka doll, your mother will probably forgive you!”

I thought it was a pretty good idea, so I decided to change the gift wrapping style.

Even while changing the packaging style, my father just played with his cell phone.

‘This is not the time for that… … .’

Anyway, my mom probably won’t even look at the text.

My father finally gave up on trying to contact me and sat in the driver’s seat, putting his phone in his back pocket.

We moved to my aunt’s house in Bongcheon-dong.

* * *

As soon as I finished parking, I ran towards the elevator.

I formed a formation as I rode the elevator up.

“Father, you go in first. Idain and I will hide behind the wall at the bend in the hallway.”

It is not meaningful for mother to let out her anger by ‘looking at us’, but for her to let out her anger by ‘looking at father’.

Idain and I moved behind the wall as soon as the door opened.

My father rang the doorbell with an anxious expression at the door.

After a while, my aunt opened the front door.

“Is your brother-in-law here?”

“… … You look so embarrassed. Where’s the kids’ mother?”

The little aunt answered, wiping her nose.

“Tsk~ Sister told me not to tell anyone… … She ran away. Before brother-in-law came.”

“what?!”

My father closed his eyes tightly and placed his hand on his forehead.

My brother and I were also shocked.

Now, Idain, who had no intention of hiding, came out of her hiding place.

“Auntie, hi! Where did mom go?!”

“Dain’s here? Oh my, but what’s wrong? My sister didn’t tell me where to go.”

I asked, stepping out from behind the wall.

“Isn’t there anything that catches your eye? Like your aunt’s house.”

“You came all the way to Sanha? I guess an emergency is an emergency. But it’s not like that for my second sister either. My second sister said she went down to her parents’ house because something came up.”

Missed the target.

It was a difficult situation… …and my father suddenly started talking on the phone with someone.

Judging by the way he was laughing out loud on the phone, it seems like the person he was talking to wasn’t his mother.

I gave Idae an alternative plan.

“Dain-ah. First, you go home. If you see your mom, do whatever it takes to catch her.”

“Okay. What about dad and brother?”

“I’m going to go see some more places that my mom would go to.”

Role distribution has been completed.

I asked my aunt one more time.

“Auntie, do you know any of Mom’s friends?”

My aunt suddenly smiled sadly and sighed deeply.

“Where do you have any friends, Sister? You came all this way and worked all your life.”

I’m speechless.

If someone told me right now, ‘Leave all your friends in your hometown and go to a foreign country and work for 30 years,’ I would be very worried.

No, I think I would reject it without even thinking about it for a second.

But Mom did it.

Going on a trip or buying a set of clothes becomes awkward.

It becomes natural to be busy and worry about your family.

Even though it has become difficult to rest at ease even once.

He left all his friends behind in his hometown and chose to live a life of work in a foreign land for over 30 years.

I have consistently followed that path throughout the long years of meeting my father, having Dain and I, giving birth to her, raising her, and being together.

I’ve seen comments like this on the Internet before.

‘Be thankful that the towel is there.’

At first I didn’t agree, but after living alone, I came to understand.

That nothing is taken for granted.

In order for me to bloom… …someone had to become the fertilizer.

I wonder if Idain is thinking the same thing.

When I turned my head, I saw tears streaming down my face.

“Ugh… … . I’ll be good to Mom, really… … .”

“Then, first, you should raise your grades a bit… … Hey, put the brick down. I’m your older brother. I’m not killing you. Put it down.”

Just then, my father returned from his phone call.

“let’s go.”

I wanted to ask where he was going, but I didn’t bother asking this time.

It’s because his expression is unusually determined, unlike before.

This time, I followed behind him, looking at my father’s back, who seemed trustworthy.

* * *

Jamsil Hangang Park late at night.

Only the streetlights illuminated the empty walking path.

My father and I walked diligently toward the river where the winter wind was blowing.

“Would my mother really be in a place like this?”

“Yeah. It’s a precious place to us.”

I didn’t readily believe it.

I wonder if my mom came all this way in sub-zero weather?

I followed my father into the cafe attached to the pier.

There were a few people on the spacious first floor, but my mother was nowhere to be seen among them.

As I moved to the second floor with growing suspicion… … I saw a woman sitting by the window.

My back is a little bent from stirring tteokbokki every day.

He is wearing a padded jacket that he bought at a discount, saying that he has to save money even though business is good.

Looking out the window with a pouty expression because the person you love doesn’t remember your anniversary.

That sight is sad and frustrating, but also cute.

I could see my mother’s back even from far away.

I stopped walking at a distance.

Father slowly approached Mother.

“honey.”

“Why did you come here? You’re going fishing with Byeongjin’s father.”

“Wife.”

“What are you doing here? Let’s go play golf with Taeshik’s dad.”

“Seok-eun-ah.”

Only then did mom look back.

How long has it been since I’ve heard my name called?

Honey, wife, mom, mother, new baby, daughter, Sanha’s mom, Dain’s mom, aunt, boss, over here, over there, ma’am…

Mom has been called by countless pronouns.

Yoon Seok-eun is not a beloved being, but has been called by numerous roles.

So this call had a special meaning.

Because what I need now is not the relationship between ‘you and me’, but ‘you yourself’.

Mom asked back with reddened eyes.

“Who would buy something like that?”

My father looked down at the bag he was holding with an embarrassed expression.

“I’m sorry. There wasn’t much I could do right away.”

“I didn’t need anything expensive like this. Just going out for a meal together, spending time together… That’s all I needed. I just wanted to feel that I was important to you. That’s all I needed, so why—”

Mom’s cell phone rang.

It seems like it would be difficult to answer the phone right away because he was in the middle of expressing his sorrow.

Mom took a short breath before answering the phone.

“Hello? What’s going on all of a sudden, Mom?”

It seemed like a call from my maternal grandmother.

In the meantime, my father bowed his head in silence.

“Travel? What kind of travel are you talking about all of a sudden… … Sanha’s dad is sending you on a package tour? What are you talking about all of a sudden… … .”

Even after the call ended, Mom couldn’t hide her embarrassment.

Mom said, holding the cell phone tightly in both hands.

“That’s out of the blue.”

“I promised you. I’ll send your father-in-law and mother-in-law on vacation.”

“I thought that was just empty talk we said when we were young.”

“I never thought it was empty words.”

After hearing my father’s words, I could now understand where my personality came from.

Even if you are not good at keeping promises… …you will never forget them and will try to keep them for the rest of your life.

That’s how similar I am to my father.

Mom put her phone in her pocket and walked toward Dad.

“You’re always like that. You just do whatever you want without saying anything.”

An angry expression and angry footsteps approach with brisk strides.

“Just as I felt like it. I thought it would work out somehow.”

Before I knew it, I was right in front of my father.

“When Sanha was born, and when Dain was born. I pushed myself, tried hard, and suffered, thinking that it would work out somehow. And in the end, it turned out like this… … !”

My mother’s right hand, raised high…

Gently cup your father’s face.

“Like this… … we were able to overcome difficult times together. … … Thank you.”

My father didn’t answer at all.

Just hug mom tightly.

It seemed like no further conversation was necessary.

‘How long has it been since I saw the two of you, who always stood side by side, facing each other?’

I quietly left the place.

From the moment I left the department store, I had already fulfilled all my promises.

So, it means that all of my father’s actions now are sincere.

‘While you were touching your phone every now and then, you were calling to tell me that you were going to send your grandparents on a trip.’

… … If you’re good at it, why did you come home late after drinking yesterday and bring this trouble?

* * *

Since I came all the way to Jamsil, I went back to my studio.

While I was working on the paperwork late, I received a text message from Idaein.

[Daughter of Dad: Before Dad came, I bought a bouquet of flowers and a cake and left them at home. I’m going to sleep at Dream’s today, lol]

[Lee San-ha: (thumbs up emoticon)]

He’s my younger brother, but he really has a sense.

I nodded and resumed my paperwork.

I was about to slowly close the window and shut down the computer… … when the PC’s alarm rang.

This time it was a family chat room.

[Father: Where did all the kids go?]

[Father: Sanha? Dain?]

[Father: Your mom went in to wash up;;; Answer me quickly… … ;;]

I pretended not to see it and closed the window.

Then, when I saw the reply that Idain wrote, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

[Daughter: Can I choose the third name?]

There were some incidents here and there, but fortunately they were handled well.

… … In the end, I couldn’t eat the braised tofu.

But today I discovered something even more valuable than that.

To Yoon Seok-eun: A promise to overcome any difficulties together.

From Yoon Seok-eun: A promise to overcome any difficulties together.

Even if you don’t fulfill it, the two of you will keep this promise.

Forever.

“Okay, now let me finish my work.”

Click the Print button at the top of the Word file.

The words [Resignation Letter] were clearly displayed on the print preview screen.