You wish to adopt Moon In-seop?
Yes, thats right. The child who appeared on TV recently. He looked so smart!
The couple spoke kindly, but Teacher Bang Jeong-ah narrowed her eyes.
Adoption is a taboo in Korean society.
Its partly due to the Eastern tradition of valuing the continuation of the family line, but also because relatives may turn their backs, complaining about giving away the family fortune to a complete stranger.
Moreover, theres ridicule for raising a dark-haired beast only for them to leave in search of their bloodline eventually, and for foolishly nurturing soone elses child instead of taking care of oneself.
Despite all these societal views.
Those who choose adoption have their special reasons.
It could be a couple unable to have children due to dical reasons, deciding to share their love with the world.
Or it could be those filled with religious or humanistic philanthropy, determined to care for a marginalized child.
However.
There are admittedly a few who seek adoption for exploitative labor, sexual exploitation, or for governnt subsidies for having multiple children.
Hence, staff at orphanages are ticulous and suspicious when reviewing potential adoptive parents.
Bang Jeong-ah, a childcare teacher at New Light Spring Orphanage, was particularly experienced in such suspicions.
Her suspicion towards prospective adoptive parents was as strong as her love for the children.
Ah I see
After the broadcast beca a topic, dozens of people ca wanting to adopt Moon In-seop. And their expressions were all strikingly similar.
Today too, their true intentions were blatantly obvious. They were different from those who genuinely wanted to adopt.
The couple in front of her wasnt showing a face filled with nervousness, anxiety, and anticipation, beating with an excited heart at the prospect of eting a new child
Can we et him soon?
Their faces looked like soone who had just found a gold bar.
So, suppressing her desire to cry, Bang Jeong-ah showed a friendly service smile.
Im sorry. Moon In-seop himself does not wish to be adopted
Can he do that?
Bang Jeong-ah interpreted their question as, Were offering to adopt a child, and you dare to refuse?
Instead of countering with Is it reasonable for you to want a child for money, not love?, she said,
How about considering adopting another child?
Which ant, You cant do that, can you? Then leave.
Fortunately, most adults have the intelligence to understand such non-verbal expressions and the morality to feel ashad when their ugly intentions are exposed.
So the couple awkwardly smiled and replied,
Well look into it more and co back.
Sure. Hehe.
Bang Jeong-ah bid them farewell with a forced smile till the end. Its wrong for an orphanage staff to treat potential adoptive parents poorly. Its the least respect due to the many who genuinely raise children with love.
Only after they left did Bang Jeong-ah sigh deeply with a gloomy expression.
Phew.
What is this?
How about another child?
Well look into it more and co back?
Is this sothing to be said in a supermarket or an orphanage?
Such situations always make her question her profession.
At least these people were relatively decent. Bang Jeong-ah pressed her furrowed brows with her hand, recalling the abuses she had heard over the past few days.
Why wont you let adopt him! Im saying Ill take him and raise him! Are you doing this because you want the donations he gets? What kind of law is this!
Just let et him once! Seeing my face might convince him! Im sure of it! Wouldnt he want as a parent after seeing ?
All sorts of people had co to the orphanage causing trouble.
According to them, they were overwheld with the desire to protect after watching the broadcast, but their bloodshot eyes blatantly revealed that their real motive was money.
Sigh.
I often read on the internet about child actors or elderly people who made a lot of money from movies or docuntaries, and then fell into ruin due to criminals swarming them.
But I never thought that would be our orphanages story.
Will it get better over ti?
With that thought, Bang Jeong-ah greeted the next visitor.
As expected, it was another person wanting to et Moon In-seop.
Interestingly, it wasnt a couple but a middle-aged man alone. Well, strictly speaking, it wasnt unusual. The law had changed recently, allowing single individuals to adopt, and there were many singles who wanted a genius for the sake of money.
But it was concerning that he had co alone, knowing how it might look to others, indicating he might be desperately serious, perhaps dangerously so.
Bang Jeong-ah exchanged brief greetings and tried to send the visitor away with the sa routine.
Im sorry. Moon In-seop himself does not wish to be adopted
Oh. I didnt co for adoption.
What? Oh, Im sorry
The middle-aged man smiled gently, covering for Bang Jeong-ahs mistake.
Its okay. But it seems there are so many people wanting to adopt, enough for you to mistakenly think so. Its really sothing.
Hahaha.
In my view, that child has already grown enough to be independent. So, I ca to propose a slightly different type of support.
The middle-aged man took out a business card from his pocket.
Im sorry for the late introduction. I am Gu Hak-jun, a novelist. I teach novel writing at a university.
EP 2 Other
I looked up at the person who handed the suspicious business card.
Who did you say you are?
An adult with a gaunt look and an old suit, displaying an incongruously angelic smile.
I am the CEO of SSH Publishing-
No need to listen to the end.
So, youre the CEO. How many employees do you have?
Hmm?
How many? Four, three, two
Ha, just one!
Including yourself?
Yes
Goodbye then.
As I ran toward the orphanages main gate with my schoolbag, I heard the suspicious mans voice chasing after .
Hey, kid! Wait! Hear about the royalty rate! Ill make you a lot of money! Baekhak, that corporation, is deceiving you now! Sign with and beco incredibly wealthy!
The shady publishing CEO, unknown to , was caught by Ma Ki-hoon at the orphanage gate.
Hey. Mister.
What! You brat, let go of !
Ma Ki-hoon held his shoulder and made eye contact for about 5 seconds.
My apologies.
He bowed politely, as if manners were forcibly instilled in him. What was that? Hypnosis?
Ma Ki-hoon, who perford a miracle of repentance on the sinner with the grip of his hand and the murderous intent in his eyes, trudged towards .
What is this nonsense every ti you go to and from school?
Exactly.
Today its so shitty CEO, and who was it yesterday?
A YouTuber.
Right. A tow truck. And the day before?
An internet newspaper journalist.
Trash dia?
Thats a bit of a dangerous remark
Whats dangerous is your situation, getting caught by weird adults every ti you go to and from school.
My trips to and from school have beco really tiring lately. Not to ntion the local people recognizing , all sorts of strange people keep clinging to .
Especially on the way ho from school, people trying to use to make money keep taking to cafes, sitting down, and trying to talk earnestly.
Of course, asking to stamp a contract is the inevitable next step.
Attending school was already so exhausting, so imagine what school life must be like. Ma Ki-hoon happened to ask about it.
Hows school these days?
Its kind of awkward.
Sucks?
Pretty much.
If I were getting along well with my peers, laughing and playing, it might be different. But I was the outcast of not just my class, but the entire school.
Who would want to be friends with soone who appeared on a broadcast showing such bizarre behavior?
Of course, a very few down-to-earth kids did show kindness and suggested sharing hobbies, but it turned out their hobby was Minecraft, so there was no way I could really connect with them.
Maybe its better not to go to school. The principal and Teacher Bang begged to at least give it a try, but when I did
At your age, skipping school. You truly embody the spirit of New Light Spring Orphanage.
I have absolutely no intention of becoming a bully.
After all the bullying Id endured, how could I beco like those who tornted ?
In the sa vein, I found Ma Ki-hoons habit of wearing shortened trousers slightly annoying.
Why do bullies wear shortened pants?
Thats because its cool.
I dont get it
At least the bullies at our orphanage didnt extort money from other kids, which was sowhat relieving.
In reality, they couldnt even if they wanted to. Usually, fights among kids turn into adult conflicts, but fights involving orphanage kids often result in parents lodging complaints with the facility. Naturally, they always lose.
Yet, so kids, consud by their inner demons, would run away and escape the orphanages control, walking down a dark path.
And Ma Ki-hoon was sowhere between light and darkness. He was a knight of darkness, guarding New Light Spring Orphanage while looking towards the light
But I hoped he would return to the path of light.
Thats why I brought up the pants thing, but instead, Ma Ki-hoon pointed out my fashion.
Arent you hot?
What?
The weathers getting warr, why are you still wrapping yourself in a blanket?
Oh. This?
Its a long-standing habit. When Im cold, instead of turning up the heating, I wrap myself in a blanket.
When I lived in the high school dorm, I couldnt afford a padded jacket, and even if I saved money to buy one, it would just get stolen. So, during the cold winter, I would just wear a blanket over my uniform. Plus, if I got beaten up while wrapped in a blanket, I wouldnt have to wash my uniform as often and it hurt less.
Even when I started living alone, I couldnt afford the heating bill, so I kept using a blanket. Now, just having a blanket around gives a sense of security. Its like an object that protects from the cold.
Explaining all these feelings would make seem like a needy child, so I evaded the topic.
Theres no reason for fashion. You just wear it.
Hmm. I respect most fashion choices, but a guy wrapping himself in a blanket seems a bit like a high school girl, doesnt it?
You hold such stereotypes, Ma hyung.
The Bible says those who wear wons clothing shall be stoned to death.
Thats insane.
Chatting such nonsense, we were on our way back to the orphanage dormitory.
In-seop!
Teacher Bang Jeong-ah called out to . She smiled as if it was a good timing.
You have a visitor!
* * *
I was aware that there were many inquiries about adopting .
Obviously, I was too old now to start serving soone as a parent, and I was suspicious of the intentions of those who suddenly wanted to adopt at this stage, so I refused.
Principal Moon Chung-jae and Teacher Bang Jeong-ah thoroughly protected from such people.
Still, there were tis when I had to et soone and play the role of a gracious host, usually when those people could potentially influence the orphanage.
Local politicians like mayors or city council mbers wanted to take photos with , boasting about the genius from our neighborhood.
Catholic and Protestant high-ranking officials also wanted to flaunt that my talent blossod thanks to their sponsorship.
In short, no one ca for .
This was the first ti.
So, with a trembling heart, I headed to the reception room.
Teacher Bang Jeong-ah was excitedly making a fuss all the way there.
I heard hes a very famous novelist! He can give you private lessons, and introduce you to various academies where you can learn to write! All for free!
So, whats this persons na?
Its a secret! But youll probably recognize him by face, hes that famous. I didnt know him, but youre so interested in literature, youll probably recognize him right away. Ah, Im so excited!
Such a fuss was unprecedented.
I wondered who could be so significant that I would recognize him just by face.
And her boast turned out to be true.
So youre In-seop! Im so pleased to et you, my boy!
Professor Gu Hak-jun gripped my hand and shook it heartily. His habit of writing with a fountain pen seed unchanged, as evidenced by the calluses on his hand.
Wait, no. This isnt the past. His hand should naturally have calluses.
Then where am I? The future? The past?
For a mont, ti beca blurred, and I started to get confused about what ti period I existed in.
As a result, the voices I heard in my mory were so vivid that I couldnt distinguish whether they were imagination or reality.
With a bit more refinent, you could be great. Thats what I see.
It was the second ti soone had recognized my writing.
The first person who appreciated my writing was a girl my age, my old girlfriend. We t in the first year of middle school and grew up together. We always saw the world from the sa perspective. So, it wasnt reassuring when she appreciated my writing. Just because she was a bit odd didnt an she wouldnt have strange tastes.
But Gu Hak-jun represented the Korean literary world.
He recognized my writing.
Even there, he got into college, and when I nervously brought up the issue of money, he smoothly resolved that too.
He practically dragged from the orphanage into the literary world, turning into a novelist.
He taught how to refine my writing, how to transfer my imagination onto paper, and imbued in all the literature humanity had accumulated.
Gu Hak-jun was my ntor.
And at the sa ti, he was also my lovers father.
It was purely coincidental. I t both of them under completely different circumstances, yet the two people I cherished most were tied within the sa boundary.
I felt a certain fate in that situation. I thought the world hadnt abandoned , that it had shown a minimum of warmth.
So, perhaps he would be the one to believe in an unknown novelist with no money and no parents?
But I was afraid of being rejected. So, I hid it. I couldnt bring myself to speak, so I just accepted his kindness.
Around a year later, when he called with a heavy expression, I thought, Ah, hes found out. I braced myself to be thrown into the harsh reality.
Yet, part of hoped. I hoped he would acknowledge , accept as part of the family.
But Professor Gu Hak-jun was neither.
It wasnt about acceptance or denial. Not about tolerance or anger.
He persuaded .
He treated respectfully as an individual.
Author Moon I regret having to say this, but this union seems very difficult from my perspective. Youre an adult, you know. Marriage is a union of families. If we were just a family of professors, maybe, but my wife and her family run a large business.
However.
At the very least at the very least, I understand your circumstances and know your sincere character, so if my daughter and you are happy, I can support you.
But what about my wife? And my relatives? What about Yubin? They will never leave you alone. They will degrade your character with all kinds of words, insults, and threats, for decades. Can you endure that? And can my daughter endure that? Does a marriage obtained that way sound happy? What about the children from such a union?
Please let it remain a poignant mory from your youth. Its sad and regrettable, but everyone has an unfulfilled first love. And its by cherishing those mories that we can find new happiness.
In my view, thats the way for you, my daughter, and , who cares for you as a teacher, to ultimately find happiness.
Professor Gu Hak-jun said this.
It was a thoroughly polite and gentlemanly statent.
There was no great villain obstructing our love.
It was just , insignificant as I was.
*****
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