CFMFL 08

Chapter 8

“I don’t have any use for a car, though.”

Youngbaek pulled Jisoo’s Americano toward himself and gulped it down as though it were his own, looking at her as if asking why she was giving him this.

“You don’t have any use for a car? You don’t even have a license.”

Youngbaek had been driving without a license ever since his license was revoked for drunk driving in his twenties.

Jisoo had been grateful when he gave her a used car as a gift to celebrate her getting a job, but more than half the times she had actually used that car had been to act as a chauffeur for Youngbaek and his mother.

She had done more than enough for the mother and son who called her whenever they needed a car.

Youngbaek sensed that something was off about Jisoo’s cold expression and sharp tone as she bluntly brought up his own shameful history. He belatedly began reading the situation.

Straightening his previously lazy posture, he sat up properly and started trying to appease Jisoo.

“Our Jisoo, surely you’re not acting like this just because I went to meet your mom and then came straight back up? Why are you staying upset for so long this time?”

“……Upset?”

“No, I mean… Come on, be reasonable! It was really hot that day. You know better than anyone how much I can’t stand the heat. Should we go again now? It’s cooler now. But why hasn’t my drink come out yet?”

“Haah. I’m really exhausted, Oppa.”

It had already been nearly two weeks since their trip to Gyechon-ri.

Except for the time she had spent with Jaegyeom, Jisoo had never once avoided the countless calls Youngbaek had made to her.

Every time he called, she answered and seriously told him they should break up.

Even when he came to her home, she told him that there was nothing more to discuss and that he should stop coming there, warning him that she would call the police if he continued.

He had completely ignored everything she said.

And yet, when Jisoo herself contacted him and asked him to meet her, the best thing he could come up with was this.

“Oppa. I’m going to say this clearly today. Please listen carefully. I told you properly that I want to break up, but you seem to keep thinking this is just a minor argument. So let’s make it clear.”

“Why are you being so scary? Huh? We’ve been together for six years…”

Those six years.

Jisoo was starting to feel like she was going to develop a neurosis from hearing about them.

Her brows furrowed deeply.

“Take the car keys. If you had actually given the car to me outright, I would have scrapped it, but the title isn’t in my name, so I couldn’t. You can’t drive anyway, so I left the car at your mother’s store parking lot.”

“Jisoo.”

“Oppa. Our six years… Just like you and your mother keep saying, I know there were things you sacrificed and endured because I was a student, because I was poor, and because I didn’t know much about the world. I understand that. But I also think I did enough. Every holiday, I went to your house and did the household chores. I helped out at your family’s mart. I even faithfully acted as your chauffeur. So let’s stop here.”

It was the first time Jisoo had been able to say the words of a breakup so completely.

Even though she was sitting across from him and looking directly into his eyes, she felt no emotional turmoil at all.

Somehow, that was bitter.

When Youngbaek tried to stop her, Jisoo coldly shook him off and walked straight out of the café.

This was the first time she had ever given him such a serious declaration of their breakup, so Youngbaek was quite shocked.

He hurriedly made a phone call.

“Mom! What do I do? Lim Jisoo wants to break up! I think she’s serious this time! She gave me this really nasty look. Ah, damn it. This is so annoying. That’s why I told you I didn’t like her!”

Jisoo completely stopped caring about what Youngbaek was doing alone in the café.

Without even looking back, she headed home.

I want to celebrate.

She would eat something delicious and maybe watch a movie by herself.

She was going to throw away everything that reminded her of Kim Youngbaek.

It looked like she was going to have a busy weekend.

“To my friend Lim Jisoo’s glorious single life!”

Jisoo’s plan to spend the weekend doing various things by herself became completely useless thanks to Eunmi, who showed up carrying a huge amount of alcohol.

It was difficult to count how many cans of beer they had already clinked together over the same toast.

By now, Eunmi was pleasantly drunk and loudly chewed on some dry snacks.

“Hey. Every time I came to the entrance of this studio apartment building, there was always some piece-of-junk car sitting in the parking lot. Do you know how much it ruined my mood every time I came over? But now that it’s gone, I feel so relieved.”

“Pfft! Ah, that’s so funny.”

“……What is?”

“There’s a reason.”

Yoon Jaegyeom had complained about the “piece-of-junk car” that much too.

With the alcohol in her system, Jisoo felt a little lighter.

She kept thinking about Yoon Jaegyeom, and she repeatedly burst into laughter.

Seeing Jisoo grinning foolishly, Eunmi lowered her voice as though she were making a grand proposal.

“Hey. Go on a blind date. I can set you up with about twenty guys. Men who make that pathetic loser look like nothing.”

“No.”

“Ah… Well, I guess you need the pain of heartbreak to immediately forget someone through a new relationship. But you’re feeling so relieved and refreshed right now that you probably don’t need one.”

Eunmi shuddered, knowing the entire arduous six-year history of Jisoo’s relationship.

Now Jisoo had also managed to break through the rose-colored glasses on her own.

Since she was no longer making an effort to see Kim Youngbaek in a positive light, everything had become crystal clear.

Jisoo finally managed to voice the thought that had been difficult to say aloud.

“Eunmi, I don’t have to feel intimidated just because I dated someone for six years, right?”

“Of course not.”

Youngbaek hated women who drank, so Jisoo had never even allowed herself to get drunk.

“I want to do whatever I want from now on. The very first thing I want to do is finish all this alcohol tonight and get drunk.”

“Good. This older sister will drink with you. It’s Sunday tomorrow anyway, so let’s drink until we drop. We don’t even have to go to work. Who cares! Once again, congratulations to our Lim Jisoo!”

They continued drinking and kept raising their glasses for quite some time.

They even went to the convenience store in front of the apartment and bought more alcohol.

“Now, I think we’re really drunkkk… Hey, Lim Jisoo! Is there anything else you wanna try?”

Eunmi asked in a slurred voice that sounded completely broken.

Jisoo felt as though she were floating on a cloud as she thought about what else she wanted to do.

While waiting for her answer, Eunmi nodded off and slowly slumped sideways.

Jisoo brought over a blanket and covered her with it.

When she checked the time, it was 2:12 a.m.

This was the first time Jisoo had ever been completely drunk.

She didn’t know yet that when the early hours of the morning and a phone happened to meet while she was drunk, regret was almost guaranteed to follow.

Her hazy mind bewitched her like an evil spirit.

She picked up her phone and unlocked it.

She had already deleted Jaegyeom’s contact information, but after unblocking him from her messenger app, Yoon Jaegyeom appeared in her list of conversation partners again.

She suddenly wanted to talk to him.

Whether this was the true desire of drunken Jisoo or the sincerity she had locked away while sober had finally burst free, she couldn’t tell.

[Yoon Jaeㅐㅕm]

[Jaegyeo]

[Jaegyeom-ahhh]

[I got rid of the piece-of-junk car??]

[You did well lol]

[Thak you all becauz of you]

[Wow]

Father! How can you do this to me?!

Jaegyeom was exhausted by this situation that repeated itself every year.

His half-brother, Yoon Seongsik, who seemed determined to devour him alive whenever he saw him.

His father, the person responsible for creating this godforsaken gathering.

It was an awful combination that made it difficult for anyone to laugh even once when they were all gathered together.

And yet, every year on his birthday, his father summoned his two sons to the hotel sauna.

His father had the eccentric conviction that the men of the family needed to sit together in their natural state and have an open, heartfelt conversation.

Every time his attendants and the executives of Daeyoon Hotel bowed their heads and offered flattering remarks like, “You all look so harmonious,” and “Both your sons are so handsome and dependable,” his father looked pleased.

As far as Jaegyeom was concerned, it was an incomprehensible hobby.

Even inside the suffocating sauna, Seongsik continued shouting.

That bastard doesn’t know the first thing about management. How could you possibly give someone like him a position at Motors?!

…….

Father. Daeyoon Motors is already behind schedule, and even if we recruit only the best people, we’re still going to be short-handed… Do you really think he properly studied anything in America? It’s obvious without even looking that he probably spent his time living disgracefully and hanging around with low-class people.

Without answering, their father flipped the hourglass over and closed his eyes again.

Jaegyeom simply watched the situation in silence like an outsider.

He did not reveal the resentment that was steadily piling up inside him.

Who asked for that position?

He had never wanted it even once.

If things became any more heated, he was thinking that he would simply say, “I don’t want any position in Daeyoon Group, so I’ll continue living the way I am now,” and leave the gathering.