Chapter 1229 of 1419
Chapter 1229. Rapid Changes (4)
Chapter 1229. Rapid Changes (4)
“
Appa!
”
“...Not ‘appa’, but oppa, okay?” Kang Jin-Ho said while picking up the little kids running toward him.[1]
He then noticed a child with difficulty walking trying to get closer and hurried across the living room. He picked up the waddling child and smiled gently.
“Have you been well?”
“Yeah!”
Kang Jin-Ho’s smile deepened when the children nodded energetically. He wasn’t all that familiar with the children in his arms right now. That was because over half of the children currently under the Seongsim Orphanage’s care were new and weren’t here when Kang Jin-Ho started supporting this place.
That reminded him of how long it had been since he first visited this place.
“Oppa!”
“Hyuuung!”
“Yes, I’m here.”
Kang Jin-Ho warmly smiled and patted the heads of the children. More kids rushed up to him next. And that deepened his smile even more.
But then,
even more
kids ran toward him.
...Naturally, he stopped smiling by then.
“
Waaaaaaaah!
”
Children pounced on Kang Jin-Ho like a pack of wolves attacking a buffalo.
“...”
He couldn’t push them away, but hugging them all was physically impossible, too. As he found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, a savior suddenly appeared to rescue him from this predicament.
“Stop teasing Jin-Ho oppa and let him be!”
The children sneakily looked behind at that stern voice. When they discovered Jo Mi-Hye standing there, they unhesitantly freed Kang Jin-Ho from their trap.
“You get up too, oppa,” said Jo Mi-Hye.
“...Thanks for the rescue,” said Kang Jin-Ho while staggering back up to his feet. “Did anything happen while I was gone?”
“No, but something happened just now. Oppa, you mustn’t spoil the kids like that, you know? What happened to your old self that could command the kids with one flick of your hand?”
Kang Jin-Ho chuckled wryly. There was no way the ‘Kang Jin-Ho’ of back then would be the same as his current self. Whether that was good or bad was a discussion for another day.
“I guess things have been alright, then.”
Jo Mi-Hye nodded. “Sure. It’s alright now, oppa. For now.”
“
Huh
?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.
‘For now’
implied that a problem would soon rear its head. “What do you mean?”
“He’ll be home soon, you see? He who still doesn’t know whether he will become a hero or a villain of his own story.”
“
Huh
? I still don’t get it...?”
That was when the front entrance silently opened. Kang Jin-Ho snapped his head in that direction.
Jo Mi-Hye nervously swallowed her saliva and stared at the young man entering the orphanage. This young man’s shoulders were slumped in dejection. A tragic expression was etched on his face, too.
It was as if the weight of all the tragedies in the world was crushing down on this young man’s back. Even Kang Jin-Ho grew tense from this imaginary weight.
Step, step...
The young man trudged forward, his steps heavy, before slowly raising his downcast head. His dim eyes, lacking in any discernible light, took in the figures of Kang Jin-Ho and Jo Mi-Hye.
The young man, Han Jin-Seong, weakly addressed the duo waiting for him.
“...I’m screwed, guys.”
A report card with the results from the entrance exams was crumpled in Han Jin-Seong’s hand.
***
“Did he really say he’s screwed?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“What’s gonna happen now?”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, somehow.”
“Will Jin-Seong oppa go to a university?”
“I dunno?”
Jo Mi-Hye’s sharp glare shifted over to the slightly ajar doorway. The Seongsim kids peeking cautiously from beyond the doorway hurriedly fled the scene.
She groaned deeply before focusing her attention on Han Jin-Seong again. “Listen, oppa! This isn’t bad enough to say you screwed up, you know!”
Han Jin-Seong pouted. “...”
“You’re supposed to be a man, right? So how could you get depressed just because you didn’t like the exam results?! Perk up already!”
Han Jin-Seong finally said something. “Leave me alone, okay?”
“Seriously...!”
Jo Mi-Hye wanted to say something else, as evidenced by her twitching lips, but she eventually gave up and sighed deeply. She couldn’t think of anything comforting to say to an exam taker who had messed up the all-too important entrance exams.
“Still, oppa. This is a great result, you know?”
Jo Mi-Hye wasn’t paying lip service here. Considering what Han Jin-Seong’s grades looked like before he started studying in earnest, this result could be seen as a triumph in human spirit.
Han Jin-Seong yelled in irritation. “
Argh
! Leave me alone! You’re so irritating!”
“Oppa!”
“I said, stop!”
That was when the deeply frowning Kang Jin-Ho butted in. “You stop. You think you’ll feel better after getting angry at Mi-Hye?”
Han Jin-Seong sharply stared at Kang Jin-Ho. However, the combativeness in his expression quickly dissipated, and his head faltered again.
“My bad, Mi-Hye. And sorry, hyung. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
Kang Jin-Ho nodded in approval. It was good that Han Jin-Seong was quick to apologize.
Han Jin-Seong groaned deeply. “Yeah, I get that I shouldn’t lose my cool over this. After all, this is the result of all the work I’ve put in. I get all that. But...”
He stopped there and scratched his head in frustration.
It wasn’t as if Kang Jin-Ho didn’t understand where Han Jin-Seong was coming from.
Your efforts didn’t always lead to a suitable reward. Worse still, all that hard work might even end up as a waste of time, too. And people were bound to get disappointed and even despair after learning that their efforts were all in vain.
“Okay, and?”
“I should accept this result and move on, but! With this result, I don’t think I can attend a university in Seoul...”
Kang Jin-Ho finally understood the source of Han Jin-Seong’s dejection.
Most social welfare organizations in the country ran “self-reliance” residences. These places provided temporary lodging to orphans attending university or working full time but who hadn’t found their own places to stay, giving them enough time to assimilate to society after leaving the orphanages.
And that was where Han Jin-Seong’s problem came from: a residence like that was meant for orphans going to school or working full time. To stay there, one must attend a university within commuting distance. Ditto for the place of employment.
If attending a university in Seoul was not feasible, then Han Jin-Seong couldn’t stay in the Seongsim’s ‘self-reliance’ wing. Because he’d have to go to a university in another city or a province.
Jo Mi-Hye frowned in confusion. “But can’t you attend a university in Seoul with these grades?”
“Technically, yeah, but I can’t study the major I want.”
“And what’s the major you’re interested in, oppa?”
Han Jin-Seong suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
Jo Mi-Hye grew impatient and yelled again. “What major did you want to study, oppa?! You know what, forget it! Majors aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things, right? You can just attend whatever university nearby and do your best. Isn’t that okay?”
Han Jin-Seong testily replied, “Urgh... But I want to study this specific major.”
“What major is it?”
Han Jin-Seong clamped his mouth shut again.
That was when Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Jo Mi-Hye. “Can you leave us for a bit?”
“But, oppa!”
“Please.”
Jo Mi-Hye sighed, then nodded. However, before she could get up and leave...
“N-no, it’s fine. Stay, Mi-Hye,” said Han Jin-Seong.
Jo Mi-Hye sneaked a quick glance at Kang Jin-Ho before sitting back down on the room’s floor.
Han Jin-Seong alternated his gaze between Kang Jin-Ho and Jo Mi-Hye, before groaning loudly. “The major I’m interested in is Social Work.”
Kang Jin-Ho studied Han Jin-Seong’s face for a little while before breaking out in a gentle smile.
Han Jin-Seong’s face reddened instantly. “I knew it! I knew you’d laugh! This is why I didn’t want to tell anyone!”
𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Kang Jin-Ho quickly apologized. “Oops, my bad.”
Even Jo Mi-Hye was desperately holding her laughter back.
“Hey, you!” Han Jin-Seong shot a glare at Jo Mi-Hye. “I dare you to laugh. I dare you.”
“...Sorry. It was just so funny, though.”
Han Jin-Seong looked genuinely irritated just then. “I mean... Look, the hyungs that left the orphanage before me all got jobs, right? And they keep sending money to the orphanage.”
“Sure.”
The most prominent ‘hyung’ in this case would be Park Yu-Min. He had been diligently sending a portion of prize money, as well as his wages, to Seongsim. Even though he knew Seongsim’s financial situation was easily among the best in this country, he still never forgot to chip in as much as he could.
It was the same story for others, however.
After leaving Seongsim, the orphans found jobs and started sending money back. Although the total amount wasn’t much, it still undoubtedly helped with the upkeep of the orphanage and improved the lives of the young kids staying here.
“I think helping the orphanage out like that is a good idea. But...
Mm
... I’m like... That doesn’t really suit me, you know?”
Han Jin-Seong scratched the back of his head.
“I’m not sure how to explain this...”
He faltered slightly, before resuming his explanation.
“I’m worried about,
uh
, this thing. I’m an orphan, so it should be easier for me to understand other orphans, right? Even then, I still can’t give these kids that
something
undefinable
that all parents are capable of giving to their kids. You know what I mean?”
Kang Jin-Ho didn’t say anything and listened. He knew that was what Han Jin-Seong needed from him.
“I’m sure others can do a better job than me. And even I wouldn’t want to live together with a childcare worker. But...
Mm
...”
Han Jin-Seong scratched his cheek this time as his eyes darted around. Eventually, a lengthy sigh escaped from his mouth.
“I know I can work my butt off to improve myself if I’m found lacking somehow. This orphanage has given me so much. That’s why I wanted to become someone who can give back to these kids.”
Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew somber. Sincere. It felt like something powerful and hot throbbed in his chest.
‘I never told Jin-Seong what Sister Yi said on her deathbed, though...’
However, here was Han Jin-Seong, saying something remarkably similar to what Sister Yi, the previous orphanage director, said before her passing.
When Kang Jin-Ho realized the seeds Sister Yi had planted in the hearts of the Seongsim kids had begun blooming... This indescribable emotion began washing over him.
“...Don’t look at me like that, hyung. Even I know I sound like a dummy. I’m nobody special, after all,” said Han Jin-Seong.
“No, wait.” Kang Jin-Ho firmly waved his hand. “It’s not what you think, Jin-Seong.”
He was genuinely impressed by Han Jin-Seong. Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t even remember the last time he was this impressed and wanted to praise Han Jin-Seong.
“Well,
uh
... That’s what my plan was. So I gotta choose now. Should I leave the orphanage to continue studying? Or...
Mm
...”
Han Jin-Seong sighed deeply.
“Actually, it’s already been decided, I guess. I gotta leave the orphanage.”
“No, oppa!”
Jo Mi-Hye yelled, her voice sharp. However, Han Jin-Seong didn’t even look at her and continued to speak in a determined tone.
“I wish I could stay for as long as possible. While living in the self-reliance wing, I want to nag the kids a bit more and look after them for a bit longer, too. But I... I think I’m gonna regret it for the rest of my life if I choose a different major.”
Jo Mi-Hye desperately said, “But there are other ways, right? Like that double major stuff.”
Han Jin-Seong shook his head. “I don’t have the time for that. I gotta work part-time, too, you know? Doing a half-assed job will get me nowhere.”
“B-but...”
“I’ve already made up my mind, so that’s enough, Mi-Hye.”
Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow while staring at Han Jin-Seong. “Why are you making up your mind so soon?”
“Sorry?”
“Take the exams again.”
“...
Eh
?”
Han Jin-Seong dazedly stared back at Kang Jin-Ho.
“You can always take the exams again next year, right? If you study for one more year, your grades will surely go up. Then, you can go to any university you want.”
“N-no, wait. Hyung, exam retakers aren’t allowed to stay in the orphanage’s self-reliance wing.”
Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “Who told you that?”
“But that’s how things are.”
“That’s not how we do things around here.”
“B-but, the law says...”
Kang Jin-Ho cocked his head at a crooked angle. “I’m the one paying for all this, so what was that about the law?”
Han Jin-Seong’s eyes powerfully quaked just then. How should he describe this feeling?
While Kang Jin-Ho was undoubtedly dependable in times like these, he could also be so hateful sometimes? Something like that?
“Not only you, but other kids can stay if they want while trying to retake the entrance exams. We’ve already built the cram school for you guys, anyway. It’ll be a bit of a waste to only let younger kids use it.”
“...Can I really do that?”
“Is there a reason you can’t?”
Han Jin-Seong’s eyes quaked again. “But, but... I won’t contribute anything, though?”
Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “For now, yeah.”
“...Hyung, any thoughts on saying something nice and heartwarming to make me feel better?”
“I’m merely stating reality, Jin-Seong.”
“
Urgh
...” Han Jin-Seong roughly scratched his head again. “I wanted to get to work as quickly as possible, you know...”
“It’ll be fine,” said Kang Jin-Ho while dismissively waving his hand. “Getting delayed by one year isn’t much of a delay.”
Jo Mi-Hye butted in. “Jin-Ho oppa is right, you know? Besides, they say retaking exams is a must. And taking it for the third time is a choice, apparently.”
“What the... Are you trying to pick a fight with me?!”
“Stop twisting my words, okay! Why is your personality so twisted, Jin-Seong oppa!”
“
Urgh
...”
Han Jin-Seong fell deep into his thoughts. Clearly, he had a lot on his mind.
Kang Jin-Ho chuckled. “What’s there to think about? You are exempt from military service, right? That means, even if you retake the entrance exams, you’ll still be one year ahead of your peers.”
Han Jin-Seong muttered weakly. “Well, I guess...”
“I think I told you this before...” Kang Jin-Ho grinned brightly while patting Han Jin-Seong on the shoulder. “Taking a slightly longer route might actually save you time in the end, Jin-Seong. To be able to jump even higher, you need to know how to crouch and store energy.”
“I got that, hyung. It’s just that...” Han Jin-Seong replied in a shaky voice. “T-to think I gotta go through this crap for one more year... I think I’ll die for real if I do that.”
“...”
“...”
“Gimme a break. I nearly died studying nonstop for one full year, you know? But now, I gotta go through that again?! Dang it! I should’ve studied a bit more when I was younger!”
Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head. This boy was simply regretting his life choices as if it was something profound, even though everyone did that at least once in their life!
“Fine, fine. I’ll think about it a bit more. I promise,” said Han Jin-Seong.
“Good. For today, get some well-deserved rest. Start thinking about your future from tomorrow. You still have time, after all.”
“Okay, hyung.”
Kang Jin-Ho nodded in approval again. That was when he suddenly grew curious. What would Han Jin-Seong be like once he became a childcare worker?
Han Jin-Seong grumbled while stretching his limbs. “
Argh
. I guess I’ll just pass the time by bullying the younger kids, then. No, hang on. Maybe I’ll torment the high school seniors by showing them what’s in store for them? With what I’ve become?
Heh
, that’s gonna give them indigestion, right?”
“...”
Maybe it’s better to not know,
Kang Jin-Ho inwardly mused.
1. “Appa” is “daddy” in Korean. ☜