MORE 31

Woo Hyunse moistened his parched mouth with coffee. Today was the day to visit his ancestral home. The old man insisted on seeing his children who had moved out at least once a month, and he would call them in once the date arrived. No matter how busy life was, and whether one had a cold or a serious illness, paying a visit was the unwritten rule of this place.

To be precise, Woo Hyunse was not born into this house. He was a cousin to Woo Gi-ppeum and Woo Jihye. After his biological father died a sudden, violent death and his mother was left a widow, she chose to send him to be adopted by the main house—which had been eyeing him since they had no sons—rather than try to raise him on her own. At the time, Woo Hyunse was only nine years old.

They say in the olden days it happened often enough that a child from a minor branch was sent to the main branch, but in Woo Hyunse’s generation, it was almost unheard of. Even if it was phrased nicely as being adopted by a rich family, in reality, it was as good as being abandoned by his biological mother.

However, Woo Hyunse accepted it more calmly than one might expect. That was reality. Between becoming a burden to a young mother or a hanger-on in a wealthy main house that inherited all the wealth from the previous generation, the latter was better.

“The Assemblyman has arrived.”

At the news that his father had appeared, Woo Gi-ppeum let out a sigh. Woo Hyunse skillfully hid his irritation and annoyance as he stood up from his seat. It wasn’t even past lunch yet, but the day already felt long.

The meal ended on a harmonious note. If only the children had been gathered, it might have been a bit stiff, but the nieces and nephews played their part, showering their grandfather with all sorts of endearments. For the sake of the pocket money they would receive as compensation for their labor, the two didn’t mind kissing his wrinkled cheeks.

Dessert was set out on the living room table. The brother-in-law ate perfunctorily before making a polite excuse about the children and leaving his seat. It was the back of a man who knew well that he had no place here.

As soon as the grandchildren left, the stern, cranky nature of the old man surfaced on his face, which had been feigning benevolence. They say you cannot hide the life you have lived as you get older. His eyes were sharp, and his thin, tightly pressed lips showed off his stubborn temperament, a man who wouldn’t listen to others even if they whispered in his ear.

Looking at that face, which seemed hard enough to withstand a needle, Woo Hyunse sneered inwardly. They say no one is without a skeleton in their closet, but Woo Hyunse had previously witnessed the old man’s dirty and messy underside indirectly. Undersides that made things like borrowed-name accounts or illegitimate children seem trivial.

“You, how on earth are you educating those kids.”

Now it was time for the nagging. The first target was Woo Gi-ppeum. The old man grilled his eldest as if he were at a hearing, questioning everything from his grandchildren’s grades and hobbies to the gallery Woo Gi-ppeum was currently running and his future plans. As if to prove the saying “like father, like daughter,” Woo Gi-ppeum answered obediently without a single crack in his smile.

Woo Hyunse barely managed to suppress the rising boredom during the suffocating conversation that lasted over thirty minutes. Next was his turn.

“And you, how are you still so immature? I hear other kids are already establishing themselves and are busy gaining experience in youth committees and whatnot—are you going to just run around playing kids’ games while they get ahead? Don’t do that, just wrap things up. I’m going to arrange a position this time, so come and make your mark.”

“It’s a bit early still.”

“What do you mean, early! How many times have you put it off like that!”

“They are all elders, aren’t they? It’ll be a mercy if I don’t get cursed at for a punk whose head isn’t even dry yet sticking his nose in. Plus, no matter how much people shout about ‘young blood’ or ‘reform,’ the voters here don’t give votes to a young guy. Representative Kim Myeong-tae, who lost last time, was my age too. Was this his third defeat?”

Even if you groveled all day, this field was one where people would step on you and crush you the moment they felt you were getting too big for your boots. How many times had he seen such a sight? What he did for a living couldn’t be called noble, but at least it was cleaner than the world the old man was involved in.

“That, that tone of yours. Who said you’d be elected on the first try? You have to step on the stairs and climb up gradually, don’t you? You have to show your face so you can get even one more vote later. How many people do you think end up withered without ever establishing a position after putting it off like that? Take it when I say I’m paving the way for you. How long are you going to live doing business and earning pocket change?”

He thumped the armrest, fuming. Every time this happened, Woo Hyunse hated the characteristic arrogance and sense of entitlement that seeped out of his uncle. It wasn’t as if this was a neighboring country; he spoke as if he were handing down an electoral district like family land.

Even if hereditary politics weren’t unheard of, he really didn’t want any part of it. Back then and now, he always detested politics. Above all, there was no greater chore than feigning good humor and sucking up to the old men.

“Oh, Father, please. At Hyunse’s age, he’s still just a kid. These days, people deliberately gain experience in other fields first. They say that’s how you get more support…. Hyunse will realize it on his own and listen to your words in a little while.”

Woo Gi-ppeum, who had been reading the room, quickly interjected. If the old man really wanted to defend his Assemblyman seat through the generations, he should just pass it to his eldest daughter, whose ambition was bigger than a mountain.

Woo Gi-ppeum was more suitable for politics than anyone else in this family, even more so than his own father. If only he would cast aside his father’s old-fashioned, patriarchal temperament—the idea that someone without a penis shouldn’t step into the political arena—he would have pinned on a gold badge a long time ago.

“That’s right. It’s not like Hyung is someone who doesn’t know anything…. Right, Hyung?”

Woo Jihye joined in to defend him. In reality, if you delved into her hidden intentions, it meant that he should handle things himself before the old man had another stroke and a public breakdown. Woo Hyunse swallowed the profanities rising to the root of his tongue and smiled faintly while hiding his true feelings.

Perhaps unsatisfied with him pretending to be stupid, the nagging continued. Usually, he would have let it go in one ear and out the other, but today it was as annoying as the sound of a mosquito’s wings. The mention of marriage that passed by occasionally was equally displeasing.

When would the old man realize the truth that even a government official cannot force you to work if you don’t want to? When he was young, he was hot-blooded and would talk back, saying he absolutely hated politics, but after seeing him grab a golf club, go berserk, fall backward on his own, and end up in a hospital room, he had taken a step back.

Woo Hyunse plastered a plausible smile on his face and thought of other things. Only after thinking of the intense night he had just spent and someone who should be at a hotel about now did the tedious time become somewhat bearable.

After lunch, listening to the nagging, and hearing his youngest sister perform, the day’s work finally came to an end. When the melody of the violin his sister was playing ceased, the sunset was already fading in the sky.

Whether the location was ill-fated or it simply didn’t mesh with him, he felt exhausted the moment he stepped foot into this house. It wasn’t like his stamina was lacking anywhere else, but he felt it every time he visited—what it meant to have his energy drained.

The old man inwardly seemed to want him to stay the night, but Woo Hyunse used the plausible excuse that he couldn’t sleep well unless it was his own home and slipped out before nightfall. As soon as he got out of the front gate and sat in his car parked on the shoulder, he reached for a cigarette. He had been holding back all day, and it felt as though needles were pricking his tongue.

He pulled one out and lit it, but he heard a knocking sound, tap-tap, on the half-lowered window. He looked up to see Woo Gi-ppeum.

“Give me one, too.”

“The old man will flip his lid if he sees.”

“He’s in the study with the kids right now. I came out to get some air. Give it here, quickly.”

Seeing him in a rush, he rolled the window all the way down and offered the cigarette pack. Woo Gi-ppeum expertly pulled one out and put it in his mouth. He knew he smoked, but it was rare for him to smoke in front of him, so he wondered what was up. Without minding the questioning gaze, Woo Gi-ppeum exhaled a long puff of smoke and leaned against the car body.

“You’re not staying?”

“Are you staying, Hyung?”

“No. I have to go home. It’s suffocating here.”

The same sentiment. Woo Hyunse buried the back of his head into the seat and inhaled the smoke until his cheeks went hollow. The smoke that brushed his lungs and drifted out a beat late looked hazy.

In the silence, Woo Hyunse took out his phone to check it. Only one text message had arrived. He was about to open it, but noticed the gaze staring clearly from outside the window, so he tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.

“Are you seeing anyone lately? Aside from the people you just sleep with.”

“No.”

Woo Gi-ppeum hummed, a nasal sound, and put the cigarette he held between his fingers into his mouth. His eyes seemed to accuse him of lying. Woo Hyunse just flicked the ash out the window and played dumb.

“Father seems to be looking for a marriage partner for you.”

“I’m so busy working I don’t even have time to blink, and you talk about marriage.”

“Don’t you know the old man? He’s the type who thinks life is only complete when you have a wife to support you and give you children. You don’t have much time left to live freely, you know.”

He was giggling, teasing him with a face that looked as if it would die from satisfaction. Woo Hyunse just finished his cigarette. He threw the butt into the ashtray and started the engine. At the soft vibration, Woo Gi-ppeum straightened his body that had been leaning against the car. He threw his cigarette on the ground, extinguished it with his shoe, and said indifferently.

“It’s not like you’re refusing to marry because you’re seeing someone right now, is it?”

“I told you, there’s no one like that.”

“Then that’s a relief. And even if there is, you have to get married.”

“Why?”

“Look at how much they’ve fed and housed you all this time, Hyunse. You need to play your role as a stud properly. Don’t think useless thoughts. And don’t put it off any longer.”