You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 467

You Have Been Defended – Episode 468

Worried that Kim Mi-ja’s family, who had been waiting for her for so long, might come to the pier to meet her, I called her eldest son while waiting for the boat and asked him not to come to the pier, as we were going straight home.

Kim Mi-ja hadn’t completely let her guard down, and I thought she might be flustered if she met her family as soon as she arrived in Baekgeumdo.

The eldest son said that the family had been discussing whether they should go to the pier to meet her, and replied that they would wait at home.

“It’s changed a lot here, too.”

After finishing the call, I went to where Kim Mi-ja was, and she said, arranging her hair that was flying in the sea breeze.

“Is this your first time here since then?”

Kang Min-jae asked.

Kim Mi-ja nodded with a bitter face.

“Yes. Even when I had business in Korea, I only came to Seoul. I only started coming to Korea after I married Oda Satoshi… I was really surprised. I never imagined Seoul would change so much.”

“Wasn’t Oda Satoshi worried that Kim Mi-ja might run away to Korea?”

“He was. He even kept my passport, worrying about it.”

He kept her passport?

That’s surprising.

I think I know why Oda Satoshi came to Narita Airport to see her off in person.

Normally, I would have shared my business trip plans in advance to get my passport, but he must have been worried that the news would leak if I told him so suddenly.

Perhaps he even contacted Wooshin to confirm whether Kim Mi-ja was really meeting a professor at Jaesung University in Korea.

Of course, I deliberately went to Jaesung University in preparation for that.

Kim Mi-ja, upon arriving in Korea, told Daeseop that she had booked a hotel because she needed to leave evidence.

I heard that story and sent Tae-shik’s employee to check in so that it wouldn’t be a no-show.

Moreover, Oda Satoshi called Kim Mi-ja about twice on the way to Mupyeong.

Kim Mi-ja, who had fallen asleep, saw the name on her phone, cleared her throat, and answered the phone in a bright voice. After replying in a loving tone that I couldn’t understand, she hung up.

“It’s amazing that such a suspicious person brought Kim Mi-ja to Korea, even if it’s a vacation.”

At my words, Kim Mi-ja chuckled.

“He knows I hate Korea. After we got married, we went to Hawaii for our honeymoon. Since then, whenever we had a vacation, we went to Okinawa or Europe. But one day, he asked me if I would like to go to Korea.”

“So what did you say?”

“Of course, I said I didn’t want to. I meant it. But Oda Satoshi seemed to want to test if that was my true feeling. So I came to Korea for the first time. After that, I was listed as a graduate of Youngjin Women’s College, and I had several reasons to come to Korea. So I became okay with it.”

“Is that how you ended up attending the Emperor of Japan’s birthday party held in Korea?”

“Yes. But even then, I complained that I didn’t want to come to Korea for work, let alone vacation.”

Kim Mi-ja smiled bitterly.

“But if I had known then that my parents hadn’t sold me, I might not have hated Korea so much. Maybe… I just wouldn’t have liked Wooshin. Of course, I’m not sure.”

Would she have?

I’m not sure either.

The reason Kim Mi-ja hated Korea seemed to be because Korea was her parents’ country, but isn’t Wooshin also a company with Korean nationality?

Wooshin, which has committed all sorts of dirty deeds, is still the number one company in the Korean business world, and few people know what they have done.

Whatever the reason, it’s understandable that she would feel disillusioned with the country of Korea.

“It seems like they’re telling us to board now?”

Kang Min-jae saw people moving and jumped up.

Kim Mi-ja nodded and stood up.

Holding her handbag tightly with both hands, she timidly put her trembling toes into the boat.

The woman I met in the morning had regained her noblewoman-like appearance, unlike when I met her at the Jinyeong rest stop, and for some reason, she exuded an atmosphere that didn’t suit this old boat.

“Did you dress like that on purpose?”

After taking a seat on the boat, I asked.

Kim Mi-ja was still shaking her hands.

“…Yes, yes?”

She didn’t seem to hear me properly.

“I, I’m sorry. I used to take a boat when I went from Korea to Japan… I suddenly remembered that.”

“I understand.”

“I don’t remember coming out of Baekgeumdo because I was unconscious. When I opened my eyes, I was on a boat to Japan. Of course, it was much bigger than this boat. …Ah, so what was the question you asked?”

“I asked if you dressed up on purpose.”

“Ah, this… Yes. I deliberately brought things with visible luxury logos. I just wanted to show them that I’m doing well. Even if they really abandoned me, I wanted to show them that the daughter they abandoned was doing so well. And if they didn’t abandon me, I wanted to pretend that I had been doing well without suffering.”

“I see.”

The first question Kim Mi-ja’s mother asked me was whether she had met a good husband and whether she was eating well and living well.

Of course, Oda Satoshi is not a good husband, and her life is so miserable that she cannot be said to be eating well and living well.

But superficially, a member of the Japanese Diet [legislature] is a good match, and wearing luxury goods from head to toe is also proof that she is doing well.

“…I’m nervous.”

Kim Mi-ja took off the gloves on her hands and shrank her body.

Instead of answering, I handed her a bottle of calming medicine.

“What is this?”

“It’s a calming medicine. Lawyer Kang bought it at the pharmacy earlier. He said it makes you feel less nervous. They say people take it a lot on important days.”

“I guess you haven’t tried it, have you?”

“I don’t tend to get nervous.”

Who would have known that I would end up swallowing pills whenever I saw the sea?

Kim Mi-ja said she felt much better after taking the calming medicine and went outside to see the sea.

About 30 minutes passed.

The ship’s broadcast announced our arrival.

“Hoo…”

Kim Mi-ja took a deep breath as she set foot on Baekgeumdo.

And she slowly began to look around.

She seemed to be checking how different the Baekgeumdo she knew was from the Baekgeumdo of today, and how much they were the same.

“I really can’t recognize it.”

“Is that so? What was it like originally?”

When Kang Min-jae asked, Kim Mi-ja continued in a calm tone.

“Well, there was a trading company over there. This pier didn’t look like this either. It was made of wood… And over there too…”

Kim Mi-ja walked towards the taxis and began to explain one by one.

Even though she wasn’t remembering everything, she seemed to remember quite a lot.

Even though it was the place where she was born and raised, it was amazing that she could remember so much even after 33 years.

“Yo!”

At that time, a familiar voice was heard from one side.

“Oh, driver!”

Kang Min-jae immediately recognized him and ran towards him.

It was the taxi driver named Gil-du who I had met when I came to Baekgeumdo before.

I hadn’t contacted the taxi driver, but I didn’t expect to meet him here like this.

“Are you out here for business?”

“No, I heard that Mi-ja was coming today, so I came out to pick her up. I heard she was coming on the morning boat, so I woke up early in the morning. I’m glad I borrowed a big car from the village chief. There are more people than last time.”

The driver threw away the cigarette he was smoking, put it out with his foot, and approached us.

Then, he found Kim Mi-ja, who was standing behind me as if hiding, and shouted with wide eyes.

“Oh my. Oh my, it’s really Mi-ja. Mi-ja, do you recognize me! Huh?”

“…Gil-du?”

Kim Mi-ja had already seen the video taken with the taxi driver, so she shook hands with the driver without much resistance.

“Oh my gosh. Sis, you haven’t changed at all. You’re just like you were when you were young.”

“Is that the Gil-du I know? The one who lived next door…”

“Yes! Yes, it’s me. I still live next door. Oh my, sis, you’re so pretty. Sis, you look like a movie star. You’re exuding elegance.”

“…Thank you.”

“Do you remember me correctly? I used to play ‘ice cake’ [a children’s game] with you, and when you were playing rubber band, I would cut the line and run away. My back still hurts from when you hit me.”

“I remember. Yes, I remember. You’ve grown a lot too.”

“Oh my. We’re only a year apart, so of course. I’m almost fifty now. Aren’t you too young? I’d believe you if you said you were thirty.”

“It’s not that much…”

Kim Mi-ja smiled shyly.

“This is not the place to be doing this. Get in quickly. You have no idea how long your parents and siblings have been waiting for you since yesterday. Let’s go quickly.”

The driver opened the door of the van and said.

Kim Mi-ja hesitated for a moment and looked at Kang Min-jae, who nodded as if it was okay.

After we all got in, the driver hurriedly sat in the driver’s seat.

“Oh my, I should have brought a Benz or something to pick up a madam like you, but there’s no such car here. Just bear with it.”

“It’s okay. I don’t care about that.”

“No. Your clothes are all luxury brands, I see. Isn’t the bag you’re holding the ‘ddong’ [slang for a high-end brand, often used humorously] that my wife is always nagging me to buy?”

“Ddong…?”

Kim Mi-ja didn’t seem to understand, but the driver laughed happily and chattered on.

Thanks to him, Kim Mi-ja seemed to have adapted to the atmosphere to some extent throughout the journey home.

She had been stiff the whole time, and even when she smiled, it was only a bitter smile, but she covered her mouth and laughed heartily.

“Then, sis, do you remember Kyung-pil’s last name?”

“Kyung-pil? Who’s that?”

“You know, the one who always drew maps on his blanket and went from house to house asking for salt.”

“Ah, ah! I remember. What’s Kyung-pil doing?”

“You have no idea. Kyung-pil went to Seoul National University. His parents threw a party and slaughtered a pig that day. I heard he graduated from Seoul National University and now works for Wooshin in Seoul… I heard he’s a manager now.”

At the word Wooshin, Kim Mi-ja’s expression momentarily distorted, but she soon composed herself and answered nonchalantly.

“Really? That’s amazing, Kyung-pil.”

“He’s the pride of Baekgeumdo.”

“Then do you have kids?”

“Me? Well… I have a son and a daughter, but my son is completely uninterested in studying. The rotten bastard was caught stealing my cigarettes and smoking them, so I almost stripped him naked and kicked him out.”

“Oh my, how old is he?”

“Fifteen.”

“What about your daughter?”

“My daughter is now in the sixth grade of elementary school. She’s been so cute since she was little. She’s always acting cute, calling me ‘Dad, Dad.’ But these days, I think she’s going through puberty. Even when I go home, she ignores me and only comes to me when she wants pocket money. I’m so sad. Don’t you have any kids?”

“Me? Um, I…”

“Ah, driver!”

Kang Min-jae cut in as soon as he noticed Kim Mi-ja hesitating to answer.

“Huh?”

“How much further do we have to go? My seasickness hasn’t gone away yet, and I feel a little sick.”

“It’s just around the corner. Just five more minutes.”

“Ah, okay… Please hurry. I really feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“Oh my? You can’t throw up here. This is the village chief’s car.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to hurry. I really feel like I’m going to die.”

Fortunately, the topic changed from then on.

And before long, we reached the road where Kim Mi-ja’s house was visible.

“It looks like everyone’s out.”

Looking ahead at the driver’s words, I saw her family all standing in front of the gate, craning their necks to look at the road.

It wasn’t close enough to distinguish their faces yet, but Kim Mi-ja was visibly trembling.

“Sis, do you see them? Your father and mother are over there.”

“Uh-huh…”

Kim Mi-ja couldn’t bring herself to look ahead and just fidgeted with the gloves on her hands.

“I think she’s very nervous.”

The driver seemed to have noticed Kim Mi-ja’s nervousness and didn’t press her any further.

And before she knew it, the car stopped.

Kang Min-jae, who was sitting at the end, opened the door, and Kim Mi-ja carefully got out of the car.

The family standing in front of the gate looked as if they were about to rush over as soon as the car arrived, but they stood there as if nailed to the spot, just looking at Kim Mi-ja.

At Kim Mi-ja, who still couldn’t raise her head.

“Hello.”

Kang Min-jae approached first, greeted them, and shook hands, but their eyes didn’t leave Kim Mi-ja.

If only someone would speak first, but only a heartbreaking silence lingered between them.

“Kim Mi-ja.”

When I urged her, Kim Mi-ja slowly raised her head.

And she made eye contact with her family for the first time in 33 years.

“…Mi-ja.”

Kim Mi-ja’s father called her in a trembling voice.

Kim Mi-ja flinched, but she didn’t avoid his gaze.

Kim Mi-ja’s father, supported by his eldest son, slowly approached Kim Mi-ja.

“Is it really… Is it really Mi-ja?”

“…”

“Is it really, really our youngest daughter Mi-ja? Huh?”

Tears were constantly flowing down his wrinkled eyes.

Kim Mi-ja’s father trembled his lower lip and reached out his hand, but he only wiggled his fingers, as if she were too precious to touch.

“Huh? Is that my daughter? My baby?”

“Dad…”

As if Kim Mi-ja’s sobbing words were the trigger, her father suddenly hugged her tightly.

“Oh my… My baby, my pretty one… Where have you been? Where have you been, my baby… How long has Dad been waiting… How long have I wanted to see you…”