ITBF 04

CHAPTER 04

Jaehyun paused to recall the past.

…Ah. Right.

Was it when we were seventeen?

Because of that incident, Geuk-joo stopped coming to school for a while, and the once-happy Geuk-joo family was shrouded in darkness for years.

The state Geuk-joo had been in when Jaehyun saw him again after so long had been heartbreaking, and he had kept his mouth shut for more than six months.

Jaehyun vividly remembered what Geuk-joo had been like back then.

He had even followed Geuk-joo to the bathroom because he was afraid that leaving him alone might lead him to make a bad choice.

Even so, Geuk-joo was exceptionally intelligent. He managed to make up in just one year for the time he had been unable to focus on his studies compared with his peers, and eventually obtained an impressive career.

A formidable and ruthless bastard whom I would never want as an enemy.

“Listen. My youngest sister… I thought she was dead, but we found her.”

Jaehyun stopped thinking and stared at Geuk-joo in surprise.

“I’ll explain briefly. Some crazy psychopath kidnapped my sister and lived with her on an island off the southern coast. For twelve years.”

A sigh escaped Jaehyun.

It felt utterly unreal, like something straight out of a movie.

“Then what about the culprit?”

“For now, my brother has locked her up at a secret facility. We haven’t finished investigating everything yet, but apparently her daughter died while being treated at the hospital where our mother used to work.”

“Was she Mom’s patient?”

“No. She had a different attending physician. But the girl had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The fact that Mom used to work in pediatrics is what connects them.”

Geuk-joo paused and stared into space as if contemplating something.

After a moment, he spoke again in the same flat tone.

“The most plausible explanation is that the psychopath held a grudge against Mom and kidnapped Hae-som because of it…”

Geuk-joo looked at Jaehyun again, as though he had organized his thoughts.

“We still need to investigate further. I want to ask Hae-som about it too, but for now, getting her settled in comes first, so I haven’t brought it up.”

Jaehyun nodded.

Indeed, if a girl had spent more than ten years trapped on an island, helping her find stability was more important than forcing her to dig up painful memories.

“Anyway, her lack of education is a big problem. I want her to take the middle and high school equivalency exams first. But she hasn’t adjusted yet, so I’m hesitant to send her to an academy. I’m worried about her, too. At the same time, I can’t just put some random person beside her.”

“So you want to find a trustworthy guardian and have her attend an equivalency exam academy or get private lessons? Because the three of you are busy?”

“As expected of Cha Jaehyun. You catch on immediately. My brother and I have demanding jobs, so our working hours are irregular, and Gi-joo is going on an overseas tour soon.”

“What about your parents?”

“Ha… Did you forget? There’s a war where Mom and Dad are right now, so their flight can’t leave.”

Jaehyun nodded heavily.

How happy must they be to hear that the daughter they thought was dead has returned?

And of all times, there has to be a war.

“So we need a guardian.”

“Got it. I’ll look into—”

Jaehyun suddenly stopped.

His father’s attempts to control him had been getting worse lately.

He had not always been like that, but after remarrying, Jaehyun had shown no goodwill toward the new family, so his father had subtly tried to plant people inside the household to monitor and control him.

Given Jaehyun’s age, he had tried several times to move out independently, but he eventually gave up after his father threatened to cut him off from his position at the company and all his financial support.

If Jaehyun left the household, his father’s remarriage would probably become an issue again. And if Jaehyun deliberately leaked Min-woo’s age and personality to the media, it was obvious there would be a huge headache, so his father was probably keeping him tied down for that reason.

Above all, Jaehyun had remained in the household until now because of his late mother’s final wish—that he become an excellent successor to his father.

But now even Jaehyun was exhausted.

He was sick of looking at his stepmother and half-brother, too.

He had been thinking that this might be his chance to leave home, take some time to rest, and then make his own way in life through his own abilities.

And now, coincidentally, there was Geuk-joo’s house…

Why didn’t I think of this before?

If he stayed at Geuk-joo’s house, his father’s people couldn’t simply barge in and drag him home.

Was Yoon Geuk-joo an ordinary person?

There was no way he would sit still if someone invaded his home without permission.

Especially if they were trying to drag away the person protecting his younger sister.

“I have someone. He’s rich, tall, and built well.”

“Oh…!”

Geuk-joo nodded, his eyes lighting up.

“He’s talented in hapkido and judo. He almost made it onto the national team.”

“Really?! Who is it?”

“Me.”

Silence filled the car.

But Geuk-joo was quick to grasp the situation. He clasped Jaehyun’s hand in both of his and bowed his head several times.

“Thanks, buddy. Who could be more reliable and safe than you in South Korea? And while you’re at it, please tutor her, too!”

“…You want me to be the kid’s equivalency-exam teacher as well?”

And Now

Jaehyun stood in front of the doorbell at Geuk-joo’s family home.

He had not been here since Hae-som disappeared, so it had been a very long time.

He cleared his throat and pressed the doorbell.

“Oh! You’re here?”

Geuk-joo rushed out to greet him.

As he led Jaehyun into the living room, he asked,

“Where’s your luggage?”

“In the car. Are you going to work?”

“Both Tae-joo and I are going to work. Gi-joo is leaving the country today. Thanks for helping even though I asked you on short notice. We’ll come home early after work, so we can have some beef—”

Someone interrupted him.

“Jaehyun’s here.”

It was Tae-joo.

He was normally sharp and prickly, but today he seemed a little gentler.

“Hyung. It’s been a long time. How have you been? Gi-joo, long time no see.”

Gi-joo came out behind him and waved.

And behind Gi-joo, someone timidly emerged as if she were a wind-up doll.

She was petite, with a delicate, slender figure. Her skin looked so soft that it seemed as though a finger could sink into it.

Her small, oval-shaped face had perfectly balanced features. In particular, the flush beneath her eyes was so pronounced that it was difficult to distinguish from the color of her lips.

Her long hair fell all the way to her chest, naturally curling in a way that made her look almost doll-like.

“Say hello. Little sis. He’s my friend who’ll be staying with you for the time being.”

“Th-thank you… so, so much…”

…Thank you?

After a moment of silence, Geuk-joo’s younger sister covered her face and ran back into her room.

The remaining Taegeukgi brothers turned their gazes toward Jaehyun.

Their stares were painfully intense.

Jaehyun instinctively tensed his shoulders.

Why did Geuk-joo’s sister run away after seeing me?

While he was pondering this, the Taegeukgi brothers’ gazes softened again.

Of course. I must have imagined it. I definitely haven’t done anything wrong.

“Ah! My manager says he’s already here. I’ve gotta go!”

Gi-joo suddenly cried out when he looked at the watch on his wrist.

He hurried toward Jaehyun, then suddenly ran back to his younger sister’s room and shouted loudly.

“Pretty girl! Big brother’s heading out! I’ll video-call you often, so make sure you answer! I’ll introduce you to my group members!”

A faint voice from inside the room answered that she understood.

Jaehyun let out a brief snort of laughter.

She runs away all of a sudden, but at least she still answers him.

“Hyung! Please take good care of my sister!”

Gi-joo came rushing back toward Jaehyun, grabbed his arm, and winked.

Then he sped past him and headed out the front door.

“Hey. Even standing next to an idol, you don’t lose out in the looks department.”

With only Tae-joo, Geuk-joo, and Jaehyun left in the living room, Geuk-joo approached and said this.

Jaehyun frowned slightly and looked down at him.

“What? Wondering why I suddenly complimented you? I’m asking you to take good care of my little sister, you idiot. My beloved friend, Jaehyun. I’m late. I’m off!”

He patted Jaehyun’s arm a couple of times and headed straight out the door.

Bang!

Once the door closed, only Tae-joo remained.

Tae-joo briefly went to what appeared to be his room and came back carrying a suit jacket.

As he put it on, he approached Jaehyun and gave him a wide grin.

An ordinary person might have gotten chills at that expression, but Jaehyun was unfazed. He was not the type to be intimidated even in front of executives old enough to be his father.

“You said to take good care of your little sister?”

Jaehyun asked casually.

Tae-joo grinned again, like a traditional Korean mask with an exaggerated smile.

“Keep the tutoring strictly ‘innocent.’”

Jaehyun’s brow twitched slightly.

“‘Innocent’…?”

“Yes. Our little sister is quite pretty. If you lay a hand on her, you’ll die. I’m serious.”

Jaehyun was startled, but soon gave a dry little laugh.

“She’s just a kid. I don’t see her as a woman.”

Only then did Tae-joo relax slightly and nod.

But what he said next was terrifying.

“Who do you think is the only person in this country who could kidnap you?”

“Kidnap a grown man like me?”

Could he even do that?

It would probably take four fully grown men to pull it off.

“…I don’t know.”

“Me.”

It was a threat: if Jaehyun touched his sister, the National Intelligence Service would kidnap him and have him assassinated.

“Hyung. Aren’t you supposed to be asking me to look after your sister right now? Why are you threatening me?”

At Jaehyun’s question, Tae-joo flinched before giving an awkward smile.

“You’re right. I’m entrusting her to you completely, so why did I warn you? Sorry. Try to understand. She’s the sister we found after twelve years, so I’m a little overly sensitive.”

It wasn’t difficult to understand.

If Jaehyun were Tae-joo, he probably would have been more excessive and sensitive as the eldest brother of the family, too.

Jaehyun remembered the shy face of his younger sister from earlier.

“Th-thank you… so much…”

Hmm.

Anyone could see she was exceptionally pretty, so of course he would be worried.

“Don’t worry. I prefer older women, so I don’t even look at younger ones.”