Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 593

593. Epilogue

Hello! My name is Kang Ji-hoon. I’m six years old, and I’m a boy. Ah! You probably know I’m a boy just by hearing my name, right? I’m too dumb to even realize that. I’m really sorry. Maybe that’s why Mom and Dad hate me.

My mom and dad hate me the most in the world. They say I’m too stupid and idiotic, and they don’t know why they even had me. So, I try to be smart, but it’s not working out. My brothers say it’s because I’m hopeless. I asked what hopeless meant, but they wouldn’t tell me. Seeing them say I don’t even know that, I guess I really am stupid.

I’m very busy right now. I came out to run an errand. Mom told me to be back by 7, but I’m late. Still, the good thing is that Dad hasn’t come home from work yet. If Dad isn’t here, at least I won’t get hit.

“Kang Ji-hoon, you little brat! Get over here right now!”

Oh, no. I’m in big trouble. It sounds like Dad is already here. I can see Dad standing in front of the alleyway. Dad is making an angry face. It’s the same face as the scary ogre from the fairy tale.

“Ah, Dad…”

I opened my mouth without thinking and then realized my mistake. Dad doesn’t like it when I call him Dad. He said I’m old enough now, so I have to call him Father. But my brothers are older than me, and they still call him Dad, right? But Dad has never gotten angry at my brothers. So why can’t I call him Dad? But I spoke in a small voice, so it seems like Dad didn’t hear me. That’s a relief. But it doesn’t change the fact that Dad is angry.

“What time is it now! Huh? I told you to be home by 7, didn’t I!”

I feel like crying at his scolding voice. Every time I answer, Dad gets angrier, but if I don’t answer, he gets angry anyway, so I have no choice.

“Can’t you stand up straight!”

Dad got annoyed because my body kept staggering every time he hit my head. The passing men threw some words of criticism. I wish they wouldn’t. It makes Dad even angrier.

“You come with me right now! I’m going to fix your manners today!”

Ah, I guess he’s going to hit me. Dad grabbed the back of my neck and started dragging me. I can’t keep up with his walking speed, so my neck keeps getting choked, but Dad doesn’t seem to notice at all. He just gets angry at me for not walking properly. But Dad suddenly stopped and let me go.

I was surprised and even more shocked when I turned around. There were older men standing there whom I’d never seen before. One of them was grabbing Dad’s arm.

“What, what are you guys! What are you doing right now!”

Dad seemed very surprised too. The men looked different from me and Dad at a glance. The tall man had blue eyes and blond hair, and the other man had black skin and golden eyes. I know! They call people like that Westerners [foreigners from Europe or North America]. Gyu-cheol from kindergarten said so, so it must be right.

They say you can’t communicate with Westerners, so what should I do? I hesitated a bit, and then I made eye contact with the blond man who was holding Dad.

“Are you okay, kid?”

Ah, that’s a relief. It’s Korean! Fortunately, the men can speak Korean. And they’re very good at it. I nodded without realizing it, and he smiled slightly, saying he was glad. My heart feels like it’s pounding. Ah, come to think of it, did I say something? These men are so handsome!

“Who are you to hit a child?”

“What, what? I’m that kid’s father! What’s it to you if I’m disciplining my own child!”

“You’re this child’s father?”

“Y-yes! I said I am!”

Dad shouted, but the blond man looked like he couldn’t believe it. He looked at the black-skinned man next to him, and that man just shrugged. “It’s not reading. It’s Earth. My abilities don’t work here at all.” The blond man frowned at what the black-skinned man said. Then he looked at me.

“You tell me, kid. Is this man really your father?”

I was scared, but I nodded slowly. Then the blond man looked even angrier.

“A father would do this to his own child…”

Dad’s face turned pale. It was the first time I’d seen Dad look scared. I feel a little strange. To me, Dad is an incredibly strong person. But even Dad can be scared of someone. Then the black-skinned man quickly stopped the blond man.

“I understand how you feel, but hold it in here. What if you get disciplined?”

“Shut up. Why did you bother following me when I said I was going alone and nag me? Thanks to me, you didn’t get lost, right? You’re lucky you didn’t end up alone in an unfamiliar place, right?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Compared to the black-skinned man, the blond man seems to have a bad personality. His tone is blunt, and his expression is always cold. That man looked at me again, and my heart pounded.

“Answer me again, kid. Do you want me to let this man go?”

Dad looked at me with a look that said, ‘Why aren’t you answering quickly?’ I was scared and trembling, but I quickly nodded.

“P-please let my father go.”

“He’s the one who hit you.”

“I-it’s okay because I did something wrong and got hit. They said bad children should be punished. That way, they’ll grow up to be great people.”

Did I make a mistake? The black-skinned man had a troubled expression. The blond man’s expression wasn’t good either. But he did let Dad go. He pushed him away roughly, so he fell over.

“Oh, my! A foreigner is hitting a Korean in Korea! Call the police right now! Where are the police!”

Dad was shouting loudly, but the men didn’t seem to care at all. “Say one more word if you want to be crippled.” Dad shut his mouth at that. The blond man looked at me again and clicked his tongue. The black-skinned man also had a bitter expression.

“It’s a pity that we can’t get deeply involved because it’s the Lord’s domain.”

“…Let’s just go.”

“Do you know El’s location?”

“Well, it’s not accurate. It’s a bit strange. It’s definitely not here, but why do I feel the location around here?”

The men started walking while talking. It looks like they’re going back. It looks like all the scary things are over now. I felt relieved and approached Dad.

“Father, are you okay?”

But I fell backward. Dad pushed me away roughly.

“You good-for-nothing! Does this look okay to you! Kang Ji-hoon! Are you blind? Can’t you see I’m hurt?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Do you even know you’re sorry? This is all because of you…!”

That’s when it happened. Someone suddenly forced Dad to stand up. I was startled and looked up, and it was the men I thought had left.

“What, what are you guys! Why are you doing this again! Let go! Let go of me right now!”

I can see the blond man grabbing Dad’s collar. Dad is trying to get away, but he can’t move at all. Dad is much bigger, though.

“Kid, what’s your name?”

“Yes?”

“Name.”

“K-Kang Ji-hoon.”

“…I’ll ask you just one more thing. What’s today’s date?”

Why is he asking me that with such a scary expression? I was scared and wanted to cry, but I forced myself to hold back because I was afraid of getting scolded, and I stammered an answer. The man’s face became even scarier than before after hearing the date. Did I do something wrong again? I couldn’t say anything and just kept looking around, and the black-skinned man sighed.

“There was a reason why I felt the location here. Why did you set the trajectory at this point in time…”

“Shut up.”

I don’t know what they’re talking about, but it’s clear that both men are angry. Then Dad finally got the man’s hand off him. His face is red like when he drinks alcohol.

“I’ve been putting up with you since earlier! Where did these Yankee bastards [derogatory term for Americans] learn to act so violently! I’m calling the police right now! What country are you from? Huh?”

“Ah, Father…”

“Kang Ji-hoon! You’re the same! Instead of just standing there like an idiot, you should be calling someone to help! Are you happy to see me getting beaten by these young punks? You unfilial son!”

Dad kicked me, and I saw stars in front of my eyes. I couldn’t stand up straight and fell over, and my palms hurt. I think my skin is scraped. Tears welled up, but I barely held them back because I would get hit again if I cried. But then I heard a strange sobbing sound. I lifted my head and was shocked. The blond man was grabbing Dad’s neck!

“Ellyuen, calm down. I know how you feel, but you can’t kill him. Did you forget the oath you made to come here? Even if we put that aside, everything will go wrong if this man dies here.”

“I know.”

“If you know, then let go. If you go any further, he’ll really die.”

I don’t know what they’re saying, but it’s scary. The blond man’s face glaring at Dad, the black-skinned man’s clenched fists, and Dad’s face turning black are all scary. What if the men kill Dad? The thought made my heart sink, and I couldn’t stay still. So, I clung to the blond man’s leg.

“P-please save my dad! I’m sorry, it’s my fault! I won’t do it again! Please don’t kill him, please!”

Tears wouldn’t stop because I was scared. The men’s faces became more and more distorted as I begged for forgiveness. I guess I did something wrong again. What should I do to appease the men?

Fortunately, the blond man let go of Dad’s neck. He gave me a sad look for a moment and then reached out to Dad, who was coughing frantically.
Then Dad’s expression went blank, and he collapsed.

“It’s okay. He’s just asleep.”

“A-asleep?”

“Yes, he’ll wake up soon if you leave him alone.”

I looked at Dad again. I could hear him breathing, so I guess he really is asleep.

“What did you do?”

“I erased his memory and implanted the suggestion that he had a peaceful day. This much should be okay.”

“Yeah, that’s better. Even if we left him alone, he wouldn’t remember our faces, but we have to prevent him from taking it out on the kid.”

Meanwhile, the men were having a conversation I couldn’t understand. The blond man sighed, bent down, and slowly looked at my face. His eyes became scarier every time he saw the bruises and scars on my body.

“You’re still very young.”

But the voice he used to talk to me was gentle.

“You were seventeen. The day you escaped from here. But from such a young age…”

“…?”

“I’m sorry. I want to take you out of here, but I can’t because I made an oath not to interfere with past events.”

I still don’t understand anything. As I stared blankly, the blond man smiled faintly and stroked my head. No one had ever touched my head like this before, so I was honestly very embarrassed. Maybe the man is a much kinder person than I thought. Then I was a little surprised. Tears started falling from the man’s eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

“…I was thinking of my son.”

He has a son. That’s a little strange. I thought all dads were like my dad. Maybe this man is the youngest and most handsome dad in the world. But why is he crying when he’s thinking about his son? Is his son sick?

“Can I hug you for a moment?”

I nodded, and the man hugged me tightly. It’s the first time I’ve been hugged by a male adult. I’m awkward and embarrassed, but it’s still very warm. Fortunately, the man quickly stopped crying. He has a smiling face, as if he feels a little better.

“Ji-hoon, was it? You’re a strong child. It’s okay. You’ll be able to endure it. It’s very hard and painful right now, but you’re not alone.”

“I’m not… alone?”

“Yes. Someday, you’ll meet people who love you more than anyone else. The memories of this moment will fade quickly, but don’t forget that.”

People who love me more than anyone else. My heart fluttered. But maybe the man is mistaken? My mom said no one would love a child like me.

“Well, then we should be going now. See you later.”

“Ah…”

I’m so sad that they’re leaving like this. I wanted to grab their receding hands again. But I couldn’t because I thought I would look like a whiny child. Dad always said he didn’t like annoying kids. I don’t want to be remembered as that kind of child to the men.

“Goodbye!”

So, I greeted them energetically instead. The men’s faces look a little sad as they turn around. The black-skinned man approached me again and hugged me tightly.

“When we meet again, you’ll be happier than you are now.”

His voice sounds like he’s about to cry. His eyes are also red. The black-skinned man looked at me for a while, smoothed my hair, and then stood up. The two men waved their hands and started walking again. They’re getting farther and farther away. We haven’t even met for long, but why does my heart hurt so much? They’re the scary men who hit my dad. But still. Still, they were so kind to me.

Come to think of it, the blond man said he had a son, right? He must be cool and handsome like his dad. Unlike me, he must be a child who receives love from everyone.

Suddenly, I became very envious of that child. But I can’t be like this. It’s too greedy for an ugly and stupid child like me to want to be the son of such a person.

But still, God. I’ll live well in the future, listen to my mom, dad, and brothers, and run errands well, so please grant me just one wish, okay?

‘If I’m born again, I wish I had a dad like that.’

I prayed quietly in my heart. I hope God will grant this wish. I remembered the men saying they would see me again.

Will we really be able to meet again someday?

The End