Chapter 278


Chapter 278: Kang Chul-In’s First Love



One summer night 12 years ago, on a playground . . .


“Let’s break up . ”


19 years old . Kang Chul-In, who was at the end of his teenage years spoke towards a girl .


“Break… up? U-Us?”


17 years old . The girl, Han Ye-Sun, was so surprised that she couldn’t speak properly .


“Yeah, let’s break up . ”


“Why?”


Yes, why? Kang Chul-In and her usually couldn’t go a day without seeing each other . But he wanted to break up? Even though it was just immature love [1], it was still a sudden break-up notice .


The reason was…


“I found someone else who’s way better than you . ”


He was crying wolf .


“Liar . ”


Han Ye-Sun shook her head .


“Oppa… are you telling me to believe that right now?”


“ . . . ”


“The lie that you found someone else other than me?”


Kang Chul-In couldn’t say anything to Han Ye-Sun’s scolding . After all, it was a lie . Someone else? Kang Chul-In had never thought of anyone other than Han Ye-Sun .


She was the only light in his life filled with part-time jobs and stress .


“Tell me the real reason, Oppa . ”


“I need a break…”


“Liar . ”


“I’m sick of…”


“Another lie . ”


“Actually…”


“Another lie again!”


Han Ye-Sun shouted .


“Oppa… I can tell whether you’re lying or not…”


“ . . . ”


“It’s plain to see… your eyes shake when you lie…”


The future Kang Chul-In was a sly evil person that you couldn’t read, but the young Kang Chul-In was surprisingly someone that wasn’t very skilled at lying .


“Whew…”


The young Kang Chul-In sighed . It was a depressed sigh…


“Is it because…”


Han Ye-Sun opened her mouth thinking of something .


“Is it because of my dad?”



“ . . . ”


“Is that it?”


Han Ye-Sun’s father, Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul . He was planning on running for the councilman of the city of Bucheon 2 years later . Albeit not a gold spoon, Han Ye-Sun had at least a silver spoon in her mouth, and Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul didn’t like Han Ye-Sun and Kang Chul-In’s relations.h.i.+p . To be exact, he hated Kang Chul-In with a pa.s.sion .


***


“Don’t go out with our Ye-Sun . ”


A few days ago, Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul had come to where Kang Chul-In was working part-time .


“Should my daughter meet with you when she should be studying instead? Hm?”


“ . . . ”


“Break up while I’m being nice . Got it? Why young people like you are dating beats me . ”


Of course, Kang Chul-In had a natural temper back then as well .


“I don’t want to . ”


“Don’t… what?”


“It’s my choice to go out with Ye-Sun, and I believe that it’s Ye Sun’s choice to go out with me . ”


“Y-You! What did you say just now?”


“I said exactly what you heard . ”


“This b.a.s.t.a.r.d . . . ”


“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said . I’ll be off . I have to continue with my work…”


“Ha! Look at you! I heard you don’t have a father… I can see how your mom taught you…”


“Stop . ”


The young Kang Chul-In stopped Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul’s cursing in a low voice .


Boil, boil!


His eyes were fiery . His clenched fists were just about to shoot forward .


“You… you can curse me… but…”


“ . . . ?”


“If you curse my parents… I… cannot hold back… even if it’s you…”


It was a clear warning .


Even if it was Han Ye-Sun’s father, he couldn’t listen to his father, Kang Han, and his mother, Park Sun-Ja, being cursed .


“You can’t hold back? Ha!”


Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul snorted in disbelief .


“You have no manners! Your mom and dad…”


Pakk!


“Oh my!”


That day, Kang Chul-In, who had been working part-time at McDonald’s, threw his fist at a councilman, and it had consequences . Part-time? He was fired . School? The discipline committee opened right away and Kang Chul-In who had been a high school senior at the time faced the danger of being expelled .


“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… it’s all because I didn’t teach my son well… councilman… please…”


His mother, Park Sun-Ja, kneeled down in front of Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul to stop his expulsion .


“Mother, why are you doing this!?”


“Be quiet! Beg for forgiveness!”


“Mother!”


“Now!”


“I just won’t attend school any…”


Thwak!


The day the disciple committee opened, Kang Chul-In was slapped in the cheek for the first time in his entire life, and he had to get on his knees for his mother, regardless of his pride .


His pride had been stepped on just because they were poor .


***


The young Kang Chul-In clenched his fists tightly remembering what happened a few days ago .


F***!


It was funny . It was a plot that should’ve been in a show from the 90s, but the common cliche was now Kang Chul-In’s reality .


Throb!


He could feel his skin being cut apart under his fingernails, but Kang Chul-In didn’t change his mind to break up with Han Ye-Sun .


“My dad… was mean to you… so that’s why we’re breaking up, right?”


“No . ”


The young Kang Chul-In shook his head .


“I-It’s not?”


“Yeah, it’s not . ”


“Then . . . Why…?”


“I want to earn money . A lot of it . ”


“ . . . !”


“I don’t want to live like this even when I’m an adult . ”


“Oppa…”


“I’m going to succeed… I’m going to earn a lot of money to show everyone…”


This was the moment the seed of ambition grew in the young Kang Chul-In’s heart .


“S-So?”


“I don’t have time . ”


“That’s… the reason why? Because you don’t have time…?”


“We’re poor . ”


“ . . . ”


“I’m a senior . I have to go to school and work part-time . I have to take the college admissions tests soon as well . ”


It was the truth . Kang Chul-In wouldn’t have listened to a single word Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul said .


However,


If I can’t escape from this… cycle of being poor… I won’t change… forever…


The young Kang Chul-In was able to feel the impact of money through this incident . Han Kw.a.n.g-Ryul? He was just a pig made from this capitalistic society, but Kang Chul-In didn’t have the strength, nor money, to stand against him .


Money, money, money! This word was scratching his chest . Because of that, the young Kang Chul-In had decided to become a successful man so as not to suffer in this kind of situation again .


“Stay well . ”


He turned away from Han Ye-Sun .


“Oppa…”


“Let’s not meet again . ”


He walked away .


Sorry .


The young Kang Chul-In didn’t want to break up with Han Ye-Sun either .


Throb!


His heart hurt . He wanted to collapse right then and there because it hurt so much . Others would say it was just the fleeting love of high-schoolers, but his emotions weren’t that shallow . However, there was nothing he could do . It was right to break up now . To succeed, and to support his family just a little, he had to stop meeting Han Ye-Sun here .


“D-Don’t go!”


Just then, Han Ye-Sun hugged Kang Chul-In from the back .


“Oppa… don’t go . . . Heuk…”


“Let go . ”


“Opp…”


Plop!


The young Kang Chul-In pushed Han Ye-Sun roughly away .


“O-Oppa!”


“Go away . ”


They were cold words . He began to walk away again .


“Hey!”


He could hear Han Ye-Sun shouting behind him, but he didn’t stop .


“Kang Chul-In, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”


That day when he kicked his first love coldly away, he shook off his young emotions and became an adult . He had evolved into an ambitious fox, hardened by the world .


Of course, Kang Chul-In hadn’t immediately succeeded after this incident, and after he became an adult, he worked himself to death paying back his family’s debt . Why? It was the time in South Korea when the employment rates were at their lowest . He was in the land where you couldn’t succeed just with effort .


***


Dammit!


Kang Chul-In’s face crumpled . He had completely forgotten about it, but seeing Han Ye-Sun’s face above the teacher’s desk made him go crazy .


It was best to say that it was cringy . It was a piece of a dark history that he couldn’t tell anyone . How could he bring it up? Revealing that he was a main character in a soap opera was as humiliating as kissing the dead Rothschild’s b.u.t.t .


You…


Just then, Han Ye-Sun mouthed another message to Kang Chul-In .


Bad . b.a.s.t.a.r.d .


It was what she said to him when they broke up .


I want to get away from here .


He had to use supernatural patience to stop himself from jumping through a window . It wasn’t because he was regretful . Those emotions had already disappeared a long time ago . He was just surprised that he met someone he didn’t expect to see here, and his emotions were boiling up from the embarra.s.sment of his history .


It’s been a while… to see her here . . .


Kang Chul-In and Han Ye-Sun’s last meeting was 2 years before the Great Summoning occurred in the past .


At that time, the 27-year-old Kang Chul-In was paying back debts with three jobs, and Han Ye-Sun had said this when she came to see Kang Chul-In .


“I came… because I missed you . ”


Yes . Han Ye-Sun hadn’t been able to forget Kang Chul-In even after their break-up . It was more accurate to say that she hadn’t given up . When Kang Chul-In was in the military, she sent him letters and goods, and sometimes, she even requested to meet him and put Kang Chul-In in awkward situations .


That wasn’t all .


Sometimes, she walked pa.s.sed Kang Chul-In as ‘random person 1’ and left porridge at his door when he was sick . It was pure caring love .


Of course, Kang Chul-In’s reaction every time was,


-Go away .


It was cold .


It’s been 3 years since the Great Summoning… if I add the 12 years from the past and the 3 years now… it’ll be 15 years since I last saw her .


Han Ye-Sun completely concealed herself after a Christmas day 2 years before the Great Summoning, and the two hadn’t met since .


Until today .


I’ll . Talk . To . You . Later .


While Kang Chul-In was thinking those thoughts, Han Ye-Sun mouthed more words to him .


It was an awkward situation .


He was with his 3 wives, and he was partic.i.p.ating in this observation cla.s.s as his loving Arsh.e.l.ly’s father, not to see his first love!


***


“Alright, cla.s.s is over . ”


The parent observation cla.s.s finished .


“Next… Arsh.e.l.ly’s father will give everyone a special lecture,” Han Ye-Sun said as she pointed to Kang Chul-In .


“ . . . Me?”


Kang Chul-In was taken aback at Han Ye-Sun’s straight punch . Cla.s.s? Why him? What did a villain like him have to say to these little seedlings? He couldn’t talk about murders, war, stealing, threats, and all those other evil acts .


“I’m sorry,” Kang Chul-In said as he glared at Han Ye-Sun .


“I can’t, Ms . Han . ”


“I heard that you were giving a special parent lecture…”


“I think you’re mistaken?”


“Ah… I see… oh well . Then I suppose I’ll have to speak about my first love…”


“Ah, yes, it’s me . I’ll do it . ”


Kang Chul-In quickly changed his att.i.tude . He wouldn’t let her speak about her first love over his dead body .


Dammit, s.h.i.+t!


Things were thoroughly messed up .


[1] In Korea, you’re an adult when you turn 20 .

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