Real Man

Chapter 31

He only aimed for the cut-off line in the exams and personal assignments.

Of course, he did care a little about his teammates’ performance.

But he didn’t do half of what he had done in the group training. 

How could this happen?

It was the result of the team evaluation, the peer evaluation and the senior evaluation having much more weight than the individual score.

Yoo-hyun thought that the person who worked hard and achieved results should be the first.

But his teammates thought differently.

“Congratulations. Thanks to you, I had a really good time.”

“Yoo-hyun, let’s see each other again.”

“You did great. If it wasn’t for you, our team wouldn’t have been first.”

What did he do so well that they said such things?

He understood why they praised him during the group training, but he didn’t get it this time.

The answer was given by Ye Jin-ho, who was the leader of Yoo-hyun’s team and a year older than him.

He put his hand on Yoo-hyun’s shoulder and said.

“Well, it’s because Yoo-hyun’s reputation is so good. You were the first in the group training, and everyone who experienced it complimented you.”

“…”

“Besides, you have no greed. You answer perfectly. Don’t people naturally flock to you?”

“That’s embarrassing.”

“Really. Should I ask them?”

“No, thanks.”

Yoo-hyun quickly shook his head.

According to his summary, it was thanks to the reputation he had built during the group training.

Yoo-hyun, who had always thought that skill was the top priority, was surprised by this unexpected outcome.

Anyway, thanks to that, he had some results.

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap.

He received applause on the podium and his parents could see it.

They used to not invite parents on the last day, but now it was different.

They were not on bad terms like before, and there was nothing to be ashamed of.

Rather, he was grateful for their warm smiles.

“You’re amazing, son.”

“We raised our son well, right?”

“Of course, of course. Our son.”

He felt like he was doing all the filial piety he couldn’t do before.

He handed flowers to his mother with a bright smile and felt her expression seep into his heart.

An officetel in the suburbs of Seoul.

The exterior of the building was old, but the inside of the house was very neat, probably because it had been wallpapered anew.

While Yoo-hyun was checking out the interior space, his mother asked casually.

“Is it too small?”

“It’s small. But it’s enough for me.”

“…”

His mother followed him silently as he moved around.

He glanced at her with a smile and stopped in his place. 

Then he took her hands.

She swallowed her saliva and blinked her eyes.

What should he say to his mother who gave him a gift box and waited for his reaction?

He enjoyed this happy dilemma for a moment and opened his mouth.

“Mom, thank you so much.”

“I wish I could get you a place near your company.”

“Don’t say that. I like it here better than a crowded place. And it’s close to the gym.”

“But if it’s far away, commuting will be hard…”

She didn’t seem to end this easily because of her personality.

Yoo-hyun expressed his opinion firmly.

“Hey, it’s more than enough. It’s overflowing. Thank you so much. Really really and again really thank you.”

He shook his head and even showed a cute expression. 

His mother finally burst into laughter.

“Pfft.”

“Thank you so much, mom. I’ll live well.”

“Yes. Thank you. I’m glad you like it so much.”

Was she grateful for giving him something?

Yoo-hyun felt touched by his mother’s heart for a moment and hugged her gently.

“Thank you so much, mom.”

Pat pat.

His mother patted his back with her small hand without saying anything.

‘You did well to accept it.’

At first, Yoo-hyun refused when his mother said she had found a house for him.

He didn’t want to bother her unnecessarily.

But his mother didn’t think so.

She said she was doing well with her side dish shop and her father’s factory had settled down a bit. 

She wanted to help him somehow.

He couldn’t refuse all the time, so he compromised on this officetel.

He still remembered his mother’s bright smile when he signed the contract.

And now.

He felt like the warmth in his mother’s arms would stay in his heart for a long time.

‘Thank you, mom.’

During the holiday, Yoo-hyun had a lot of conversations with his mother.

They went shopping together and learned how to cook.

He was good at cooking, but not as good as his mother.

He tasted the soup and immediately gave a thumbs up.

“Mm, delicious. Who did you learn this from?”

“Who do you think? I’m a Korean cuisine chef.”

“As expected. You’re a national treasure chef.”

“In-seok. You’ve been teasing mom since earlier.”

“Ha ha, no way. How could I?”

She was awkward at first, but now she smiled naturally.

Yoo-hyun was the same.

As they spent a lot of time together, he felt the wall between them gradually crumble.

The warm smile and the time together were what touched people’s hearts.

That’s how Yoo-hyun learned a little bit about living together through his mother.

On Monday morning, his mother fixed his tie for his first day at work.

She fulfilled her dream of seeing her son off to work and looked very happy.

“Okay, that’s it. You look great, Yoo-hyun.”

“Thank you.”

His mother smiled with her eyes and put her hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll make some side dishes for you, so eat well and take care of yourself.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

“Okay. Greet the people at the company politely.”

“Yes. I’ll be back!”

At his mother’s words, Yoo-hyun smiled brightly and bowed slightly.

Kim Yeon-hee, Yoo-hyun’s mother, looked down at her son’s way to work with affectionate eyes.

Did he cross the street properly? 

Did he fall into a broken sidewalk?

She watched him walk slowly as if she was looking at a young son who was left on the water’s edge.

She knew he would do well on his own, but why was she worried?

‘It’s just a needless worry.’

She was very grateful for the reality that she could have such a worry.

He was the son who had been standing on his own since the family collapsed.

She wanted to get closer to him with courage, but she couldn’t easily approach him.

She feared that they might drift apart forever like this.

She lived day by day with anxiety and worry.

Then one day.

Her son reached out to him warmly like a miracle.

She didn’t know how grateful she was for the smile they exchanged.

She sometimes jumped with joy when she received a phone call from him.

And he even got a job at such a good company. 

She felt like she had received all the filial piety she could get in her lifetime.

“Yoo-hyun, thank you.”

She muttered to herself, knowing he wouldn’t hear her.

That’s when it happened.

Yoo-hyun, who was walking, turned around.

And he looked right at this place.

‘How can he see me from outside?’

As he wondered that, his son bowed slightly to him.

He had just greeted her, but her heart swelled again.

“He’s so cool. Whose son is he?”

Kim Yeon-hee smiled with her reddened eyes.

Today was the start of a new life after 20 years.

But it was different.

He wore a suit that he and his mother had chosen, a tie that his mother had tied, and a briefcase that his father had given him as a gift.

In his jacket pocket, there was a handkerchief that his sister had given him as a congratulatory gift.

It was something that never happened in the past, but it was definitely happening now.

Ching.

He got off the subway and saw a platform full of people in suits.

He was momentarily overwhelmed by his emotions.

He remembered the past when he walked forward with the determination to succeed somehow.

‘Crazy kid.’

Yoo-hyun cleared his mind and walked out of the gate.

Thump.

A woman brushed past Yoo-hyun’s arm and quickly went ahead of him.

She wore a white sleeveless blouse, a navy skirt that reached her knees, and low-heeled shoes. 

She looked like a neat career woman.

She left behind a unique scent where she had passed by.

It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was so unfamiliar that Yoo-hyun’s eyes followed her.

The woman who passed by people slowed down and stuck behind a middle-aged man.

She wasn’t just walking, but following him.

Yoo-hyun couldn’t miss the subtle difference in her footsteps.

‘What is it?’

He tilted his head in wonder as he was about to do so.

“Excuse me!”

The middle-aged man seemed to sense something strange and called out to the woman.

But she ignored him and tried to move to the side.

That’s when the middle-aged man reached out and grabbed the woman’s wrist as she was putting the wallet in her handbag. 

He shouted.

“What are you doing!”

Then the young man who had been walking without knowing that he had been pickpocketed turned his head.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, this woman…”

As the middle-aged man tried to explain, the woman started screaming first.

“Ouch! Ouch! Why are you touching me!”

“What are you talking about?”

The middle-aged man said incredulously, but people’s eyes were already on them.

Buzz buzz.

The woman had pulled down one shoulder of her white blouse as if she had planned it.

She also cried with a shameful expression and shouted loudly.

“Why did you keep touching my butt? I said no!”

“What are you…?”

“No, that’s not…”

The man tried to defend himself, but the woman kept fanning the flames.

“Why did you grope my chest? I really. Sob sob.”

The middle-aged man let go of her wrist in astonishment, but it was already a situation where he was misunderstood by everyone.

People murmured.

“She said he’s a molester.”

“Really, why do these guys exist?”

“How can he do that in the morning? Is he in heat or something?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

Thwack.

The middle-aged man quickly snatched the long wallet from the woman’s hand as she tried to put it back in her handbag.

The woman jumped up and protested as if nothing had happened.

“That’s my wallet. Why are you doing this!”

“Don’t lie. I know this is his. Right?”

The middle-aged man pointed to the young man who had turned around and handed him the wallet.

The young man looked bewildered and shook his head with his palms facing up.

“That’s not mine.”

“What? No, no way.”

“Give me my wallet. Help me. That molester took my wallet.”

“…That’s ridiculous.”

Buzz buzz

Surrounded by people, the middle-aged man opened the wallet in disbelief.

Then, as if on cue, a profile picture of the woman fell out of the wallet.

His face turned pale and he stuttered.

“That, that’s a lie.”

“It must have been caught on CCTV. You bad kid. Sob sob. Everyone, please help me.”

The woman’s voice was pitiful.

Yoo-hyun, who had been watching the situation, narrowed his eyes.

The CCTV was quite far away.

Even if he looked closely, he wouldn’t see the details of the situation.

He understood the situation quickly in a short moment.