Episode 9. Present

Ziiiing.
Maternal Grandmother
An unexpected call came from someone. It was none other than my maternal grandmother.
I’ll say it again, I became an orphan at the age of nineteen.
There was no help from relatives, and I had to stand on my own feet.
“My maternal grandmother, and my maternal grandfather have passed away.”
At that time, the only person who reached out to me was my maternal grandmother.
But I didn’t take her hand.
“Because I didn’t want to go to the countryside.”
Where my maternal grandmother lived was a remote rural area.
Having lived in Seoul for nineteen years since birth, I couldn’t bear country life even if it meant starving.
And there was another reason why I decisively rejected my maternal grandmother’s hand.
“Because she doesn’t like me.”
My maternal grandmother never directly said that she hated me.
But I could naturally sense it from her expression and tone towards me.
Why would she dislike her grandson? I don’t know exactly, but I can make a rough guess.
“Mom’s death.”
It might be one of the reasons for my maternal grandmother’s dislike.
Mom, whose death I don’t even remember, could be one of the causes.
Mom gave birth to me and then rapidly deteriorated in health.
She suffered and then passed away. From my maternal grandmother’s perspective, it was her daughter’s death.
“And according to Dad…”
Our mom was my maternal grandmother’s most beloved child.
Dad always called Mom an angel, so I understand why she cherished her so much.
On the other hand, the relatives from Mom’s side that I saw at the funeral were all despicable.
My maternal uncle was also a useless human being.
No matter how much they are one’s children, there’s no affection for such selfish individuals.
“Perhaps my maternal grandmother…”
I Think that I am partially responsible for the death of her most beloved daughter.
From my perspective, who can’t even remember Mom, it’s unfair.
But I don’t resent my maternal grandmother.
“Because she fulfilled the minimum duties.”
And that’s probably because of Dad.
Even after Mom’s death, Dad treated my maternal grandmother as he would his own parents.
To me, it was incomprehensible. Honestly, without Mom, wasn’t it almost like an in-law relationship?
Moreover, my maternal grandmother was a person with a sharp temper.
Yet Dad always treated her with respect.
“So that’s probably it.”
The reason my maternal grandmother reached out to me, someone she dislikes, might be because of Dad.
After all, she might see me as someone who Dad treated more like a child than his own parents.
Actually, I refused to go to the countryside, but I did receive help from my maternal grandmother.
It wasn’t a large sum of money, but without her support at that time, independence would have been impossible.
“Even afterward.”
My maternal grandmother extended a helping hand to me.
But I refused all financial support after the first time.
I didn’t want to accumulate more debt. I didn’t feel comfortable receiving help from someone who dislikes me.
The relationship between my maternal grandmother and me was just that.
We occasionally talked on the phone, but our relationship wasn’t affectionate.
Ziiiing.
In other words, we’re not enemies who avoid calls.
So, I answer.
“Yeondu, hold on a moment. Let me make a quick call to Dad and then we’ll go home.”
“Yes!”
Of course, the call wasn’t particularly pleasant.
I took a deep breath and answered the phone.
“Hello.”
My maternal grandmother’s gruff voice came through.
“Is this Juwon?”
“Yes. This is Juwon.”
“Damn… You haven’t even asked how I’ve been after such a long time.”
“… Are you doing well?”
“Forget it, you don’t even know how to greet properly, you little rascal.”
There were things I hadn’t said, but my maternal grandmother was blunt.
She has always called me a little rascal, but I’ve never asked what it meant.
“Did you come up to Seoul?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you attend the funeral?”
“Yeah.”
“You must have had a hard time because of your maternal uncle. Are you okay?”
“… Well, I’m fine. What’s there to not be okay about? I just came and went briefly.”
She probably knows that I’m not okay. But I didn’t have words of comfort to offer.
To console someone over the death of a wayward child, when I’m just as lost in my own grief, would be meaningless.
I had something else to say.
“Why did you call?”
Then an unexpected answer came.
“Come over.”
“.. Pardon?”
“I said, come over.”
“To your place, grandmother?”
“Yes, who else?”
“Why?”
“Why? Because it’s wrong for a grandmother to want to see her grandson after a long time?”
“…”
I couldn’t refuse, even if I didn’t know the English term.
“I understand. I’ll come visit you after the funeral.”
“No.”
“Yes?”
“Come down to the countryside this weekend.”
“… To your house, grandmother?”
“Yes, my house. And bring that kid too.”
Why is she suddenly mentioning Yeondu? Did she hear about her from relatives?
I opened my mouth just in case.
“Surely you don’t intend for grandmother to raise the child…”
Before I could finish, my maternal grandmother’s shout cut me off.
“Why would I raise her! That little rascal.”
“But why are you suddenly…”
“Forget it, I’m hanging up thinking you’ll come.”
Click.
My maternal grandmother hung up the phone just like that.
She’s truly unchanged from the past. But… Do I have to go?
I can’t ignore the debt I owe her.
“It takes five hours.”
That’s how long it takes to get to my maternal grandmother’s place.
I’ll have to sacrifice my weekend. I need to think about it.
While I was contemplating, I heard murmurs from beside me.
Something seemed odd as I looked at Yeondu.
Was it an angry expression?
“Why, Yeondu?”
“Who… is that person?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s just grandmother. Dad’s mother.”
I deliberately didn’t mention that she was my maternal uncle’s mother.
Then Yeondu spoke up.
“Yeondu doesn’t like grandma!”
“.. Huh? Why?”
“Yeondu doesn’t like it when dad gets angry! I’m the only one!”
“Pfft.”
From scolding the ladies at the hair salon to this phone call, one thing became certain.
Yeondu only gets upset when someone treats me disrespectfully.
‘How angry she must be.’
Her face turned red with anger.
But… I think I have a peculiar taste.
Every time Yeondu gets angry, I feel good.
Knowing that I have a daughter who gets angrier than me about my affairs.
‘Perhaps this kind of daughter…’
Is one of a kind in the world.

Saturday afternoon, inside the convenience store.
For me, who works Monday through Saturday, it was the last working day of the week.
I was cleaning the floor with a broom while there were no customers.
Yeondu followed me around and said,
“Dad! Yeondu will help!”
“No, it’s okay. Because… the broom is too big for Yeondu to handle, right?”
“.. No, Yeondu can do it!”
“Is that so?”

I laughed and handed the broom to Yeondu.
But Yeondu, struggling, managed to grab the broom while whimpering.
“Haha, heavy, isn’t it?”
“Ah… not… that heavy…”
Even holding the broom that was quite large, reaching up to my chest, seemed difficult for her.
It felt like the broom was dragging Yeondu along with it.
In the end, I took the broom back.
“When you’re a bit bigger, Yeondu, and if you want to help, let me know, alright?”
“Yes…”
Yeondu replied with a crestfallen expression.
Seeing her dejected look strangely made me chuckle again.
“Okay, Yeondu. How about holding the dustpan for me instead of the broom?”
“The dustpan…?”
“Yeah. If Yeondu holds the dustpan, I can sweep the dust into it. It’ll be a big help, right?”
“Hehe, okay!”
Yeondu seemed pleased that she could help, and she smiled brightly.
The dustpan wasn’t heavy, so Yeondu could easily handle it.
Sitting on the floor, Yeondu held the dustpan.
“Alright, let’s get rid of the dust! Swish~”
“Wow… Dad, the dust is completely gone!”
Hearing about the amount of dust made me sigh for some reason.
Well, there was a reason why there was so much dust.
‘Not an exaggeration.’
Over the past few days, the number of customers had at least tripled.
Once customers saw Yeondu, they kept coming back day after day.
It felt like they were coming to the convenience store just to see Yeondu.
But the bigger change was…
The kids.
“Boss, we’re here again today~”
“Hehe, hello! Did our cutie Yeondu behave well?”
“Gross, stop sticking out your tongue, Hajuyeon.”
“Oh, Jo Donggun, you should shut it!”
“Mister, we brought a bunch of new friends today too! Did we do well? Praise us, hehe.”
The timing of these kids was impeccable.
These guys were the main reason for the sudden increase in customers.
When they first came, the unease I felt was completely justified.
I deliberately greeted them dryly.
“Why hello there.”
“Why are you acting like that, boss? We told you to relax around us…”
“Yeah, mister. Just think of us as your little siblings.”
“Tch. With such a beautiful daughter, do you think calling you little siblings makes sense?”
“Haha, I don’t think that’s something you should say with your face.”
These noisy high schoolers came every day, bringing new friends with them.
Of course, I didn’t have any ill feelings towards them.
‘They’re actually quite nice compared to today’s kids.’
Despite spending a long time in the convenience store, they always cleaned up after themselves neatly.
They even voluntarily helped clean the store.
But because they attracted attention wherever they went, the number of customers skyrocketed like crazy, and I became busier than ever before.
‘I didn’t expect their influence to be this strong.’
A few high schoolers had the influence of a powerful sales team from a big company.
‘If I were the owner, I would have hired them, even if I had to pay them.’
But I wasn’t the owner.
Damn it. If I knew this would happen, I would have stopped them on the first day.
Regretting now won’t do any good. It was already like a river flowing.
“Hello…! Unni, oppas!”
Yeondu bowed cutely to the high schoolers.
After a few days of getting used to each other’s faces, Yeondu became quite friendly with the high schoolers.
Both Yeondu and I did.
“Wow, your greeting is adorable for real.”
“Yeondu looks even prettier today!”
“Hehe, look at the color of her t-shirt. Yeondu is wearing purple.”
“Stop with the dad jokes. It’s gross.”
I spoke up amidst the chattering kids.
“Hey, guys. Do you remember?”
“Remember what?”
“Today’s the last day.”
A few days ago, I received a call from the nursery. They said I could leave Yeondu there starting next week.
So I informed the customers who asked beforehand.
Today was Yeondu’s last day here, naturally.
Of course, I had told these high schoolers beforehand as well.
“Hing… it’s so sad.”
“Visiting Yeondu was the highlight of my life these days.”
Their expressions quickly turned gloomy.
I chuckled and said, “Anyway, study hard from now on. Become good adults, alright?”
Ah, did I sound like an old man just now?
It felt like a smoker saying, “Don’t smoke,” to someone.
But it was a sincere statement from me.
‘Without Yeondu…’
There was no reason for them to come here.
There were convenience stores much closer to the school with better facilities.
They probably wouldn’t be visiting often from now on.
So I just wanted to say something as a failed senior in life.
Despite everything, I had grown fond of these kids.
That’s when it happened.
“Huh?”
A strange question came from somewhere.
It was Donggeon, the mischievous one.
Huh, this kid. I’m giving him sincere advice for the last time.
Ignoring the puzzled look on my face, he continued.
However, what followed his words surprised me.
“Wait, what’s with the sour talk, boss?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you talking like today is the last time we’ll see each other?”
“Because today is Yeondu’s last day…”
“No, it’s not. Even if Yeondu’s leaving, we’ve built up a relationship with you, haven’t we? Naturally, we should still come here. Isn’t that loyalty?”
Even Hajuyeon, the girl who always fought with Donggeon, spoke up.
“That’s right. Even if it’s because of you, Mister, we should come here! We’ll keep doing business even without Yeondu, hehe.”
Wait a minute. What’s this feeling?
It felt like I was about to be moved. I wish they didn’t mention continuing the business, though.
Anyway, these kids seemed even better than I thought.
Amidst all this, Bumjae subtly revealed himself in the crowd.
He was the one who was active as a waterboy when these kids first came.
He was also the one who often received teasing from the group.
He reminded me of myself in the group chat, so I felt strangely attached to him.
After petting Yeondu’s head with a sad expression until now, he suddenly came up to me.
“Hyung, Juwon.”
It felt awkward for him to call me “hyung” with my name.
“Haha, why, Bumjae? What do you want to say?”
“..I have something for you.”
“Huh? To me?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, Bumjae opened his bag zipper, as if he had something to give me.
The kids around laughed as if they had heard something beforehand.
“Haha.”
“Hey, guys, let’s focus. Bumjae is unleashing his special move.”
“Dududududu…”

“Without paying attention to the reactions around him, Beomjae reached into his bag and handed me something.
And that something was an item I hadn’t anticipated.”