Retire 314
by Cristae314 New Family (1)
[Heejae, have you been doing well without me?]
[Is Irok not crying because I’m gone?]
[I want to come home soon]
[But sadly, it looks like I’ll have to stay here a little longer]
Hong Seokyoung spoke about what the mage named Erve Schneider had done.
Unfortunately, I didn’t know much about mages. I wasn’t so idle that I could remember every two-bit mage from twenty years ago.
So, inevitably, I called for Kim Chaemin.
…Correction. I was about to go looking for Kim Chaemin.
“Teacher Woo. Do you have a moment?”
If only Imiseon hadn’t found me first, instead of Kim Chaemin.
“What is it?”
Honestly, I thought Imiseon was about to talk about Erve Schneider. The timing was just too coincidental.
Hong Seokyoung hadn’t told Imiseon about the real circumstances behind this American dungeon raid, because of the source of the warehouse information. But it was impossible to completely avoid Imiseon’s gaze. No, we didn’t even know how far her eyes reached.
So Hong Seokyoung made it sound as if he’d investigated the site reported by Alex Hoff and Sandra Gamble through his connections in America. Imiseon’s influence was limited overseas, and when we said we didn’t want to involve people we didn’t know, she nodded in understanding.
Well, that aside.
Hong Seokyoung said it was the first time he’d gone into a dungeon to raid it and encountered not a monster, but a human assassin.
…How did Hong Seokyoung know he’d be entering that dungeon? As expected, when too many people are involved, the risks multiply.
“It’s nothing else.”
Did Imiseon already know about this? It was frustrating not knowing what was happening in America right now. Having to leave everything to Hong Seokyoung—was there any phrase more unsettling than that?
“Taewoo’s younger sibling will be arriving in Korea soon.”
But Imiseon brought up something completely unexpected.
“They said they’d be here soon, but the schedule kept getting pushed back. I feel so sorry for Taewoo.”
Imiseon called Kang Taewoo with real warmth. While helping him exchange video messages with his little sister, Imiseon had grown quite close to him. After all, he was a cherished friend of her beloved nephew.
“Mm… I’m sure Taewoo understands.”
“That’s exactly why I feel even worse! The kid’s so mature, he never complains, and when I think about Seungyeon, I wonder when he’ll ever grow up.”
“Haha… So, have all the issues with the child’s identity and other matters been resolved?”
“Yes. Honestly, I’m still not sure if it’s really all right to do it this way.”
Imiseon shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed.
No, it was more than embarrassment—she looked apologetic. It wasn’t an expression that suited her.
“Mr. Hong gave his permission, too.”
“Permission isn’t everything, you know!”
Imiseon frowned lightly, then shook her head.
“Still… Taewoo will be happy, won’t he?”
“Of course.”
I glanced at my phone. There was a message from Hong Seokyoung.
[Don’t cry just because Dad’s not there. Take care of your little brother, okay? ^^]
Just because I hadn’t replied right away, he’d sent all sorts of things.
“They’re not just making promises to each other—they’ve become a real family.”
I had to take it in stride. Isn’t it true that as you get older, you start to ramble more?
“People say the heart is what matters most, but sometimes, nothing beats the reassurance of official documents.”
The children from the lab that Sandra Gamble and Alex Hoff had spirited away.
Among them, Henry Lehmann had singled out just one target. With Alex Hoff unconscious, Gamble had said she suspected Lehmann targeted that child because Association people were often seen around them.
Imiseon had also suspected that first. No matter how careful she was, she couldn’t manage things in America the way she could in Korea.
But that alone wasn’t enough to be sure that Lehmann had chosen his target for that reason. There were plenty of other ways for him to get information.
The lab where that child had been was the same one Hong Seokyoung had raided. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he was searching for the children from that lab. In fact, he’d managed to find quite a few of the kidnapped children scattered in orphanages and other places across the country.
If a story was going to leak, there was no stopping it.
So Imiseon used this opportunity to create a new identity for Kang Taewoo as well.
“What? You want me to go to America?”
“Technically, Hawaii. Don’t overthink it—just think of it as a vacation.”
“Uh… but we’re about to go into a dungeon, too.”
“There’s plenty of time.”
Kang Taewoo couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
Of course. If a teacher suddenly called me in and told me to go to Hawaii, I’d think it was a joke, too.
But I wasn’t joking.
I’d just started with Hawaii because I wanted to see his reaction. He really had become more like a kid.
If this were back in the lab, he would have just lowered his eyes and nodded quietly.
“Do you remember when we talked about your identity issues before? You and your sister.”
I watched Kang Taewoo fumble before getting to the point.
His eyes widened, then returned to normal. There was a change in his gaze. Still, it was different from how he’d been in the lab. Instead of avoiding my eyes, Kang Taewoo looked straight at me. There was a lively fire in his eyes.
I smiled slightly and opened the documents Imiseon had prepared. On the very first page was a photo: a typical family portrait, with a father, mother, older brother, and younger sister all smiling brightly.
But Kang Taewoo’s hands were trembling.
“Go on, say hello. These are your parents—you’ve never met them before. And here, as you know, is your little sister.”
Imiseon had created an entire family for him.
A family of four running a guesthouse in Hawaii. The father was a Korean-American, the mother Korean. The children, born between them, looked no different from other Korean kids.
Even this ordinary, loving family had faced hardship a few months ago. The mother had died in a hit-and-run accident.
While struggling to care for the children after this sudden tragedy, the eldest son, Jonathan, awakened.
“Wait. Jonathan?”
“Don’t like the name? Too bad. You can’t change it now.”
“No… no, it’s fine. So how did Jonathan and Sophia end up coming to Korea? Through their late mother’s connections?”
“Hold on. I’ll get to that.”
Because of the aftermath of the hit-and-run and various other issues…
“Why are you glossing over that part?”
“The important thing is how you ended up in Korea.”
“You’re the eldest son. What if you don’t know the family details?”
“Read it later in your room. Be careful not to let the other kids see.”
It wasn’t that I wanted him to be as obedient as he’d been in the lab, but… well, that was enough. Thinking back to my own school days, I had no right to lecture Kang Taewoo.
“Jonathan and Sophia’s father thought of relatives on the mainland. One of them is a fairly prominent Hunter. At least until things settle down, it’d be good to leave the kids with them, and since there’s a famous Hunter in the family, if he took Jonathan around as a sort of apprentice, it would help Jonathan’s future.”
“But then wouldn’t they have to go to America? Why Korea? And why to the principal’s school?”
“Why are you so impatient? I’m getting to that.”
“……”
“The relative agreed to take care of the kids. Originally, only Jonathan was supposed to go, but after hearing the situation, they agreed to take Sophia as well. It’s easier to study on the mainland than in Hawaii, after all.”
“Even in a fake story, the academic fervor stands out…”
“Ahem. You talk too much.”
“……”
But then, misfortune struck the relative as well. The Hunter relative went into a dungeon and disappeared.
It seemed like Jonathan and Sophia’s move to the mainland was in jeopardy.
But the missing Hunter’s family suggested an alternative.
“They said, ‘Hunter Hong Seokyoung in Korea has started a Hunter school—why not send them there?’”
“……”
“If you have any questions, just ask. Why are you making that face?”
“…Even if he’s a prominent Hunter in America, I know how famous the principal is. Would the school really just accept them because someone asked?”
“Honestly, didn’t you just get in the same way?”
“I mean, at least I had a reason.”
Kang Taewoo rolled his eyes. I nodded.
“Right. Jonathan and Sophia’s relative had a reason, too.”
Because that prominent Hunter was a member of Hong Seokyoung’s wife’s family. A gentle family that had adopted a young Korean girl and raised her with love.
“So, you could say you’re the principal’s relatives.”
Kang Taewoo’s mouth fell open.
Imiseon’s hard work had paid off. Looking at these documents, I saw for the first time the family of Hong Seokyoung’s wife. I’d seen a photo of his wife before.
‘Who’s that next to Uncle?’
Father had worn an expression I’d never seen before. If you could put the words love and longing into a single look, that would be it.
‘…If she’d lived, she would have been Heejae’s mom.’
‘She probably would have hated it.’
‘Hm? Why would she hate it?’
‘Who would like it? I’m not even her real son.’
‘Why not? Uncle loves you so much.’
‘…….’
‘She was an orphan, too, just like Uncle. They grew up in the same orphanage. After I heard she’d been adopted to America, I forgot about her for a while…’
‘Did she get abused after being adopted?’
‘No.’
I’d said it just to get a rise out of Father. But he just smiled, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking, and patted my head.
‘She was raised with love. She became a truly lovely person, and that’s how I met her again.’
“Ugh, cheesy.”
“When you grow up and meet someone you love, you’ll understand, Heejae.”
“I’ll never understand, not in my whole life!”
Father burst out laughing.
It wasn’t that I doubted his words. But in the photo, the black-haired woman sitting next to her younger brother, smiling—
Yes. I felt like I could understand why Father had fallen in love with her. And why he had loved me so much, what kind of family he’d dreamed of.
That must be why he’d gone searching for the body of his late wife’s brother, who shared no blood with him.
I didn’t tell this part of the story. It wouldn’t be good for the children’s hearts. It was enough for them to just know he’d gone missing.
Kang Taewoo was staring at his own fake family photo. The faces of parents he’d never seen before, and the little sister he missed so much.
“…So after I go to Hawaii, I’ll come back with Sohee?”
“She’s Sophia now.”
“And I’m Jonathan?”
“I’ll explain it to the other kids.”
Kang Taewoo looked at me with an expression that was somewhere between a smile and tears.
“Do you know the kids think this place is like a Special Investigation Unit for Awakened Crimes?”
“……”
I’d suspected as much, but having it confirmed didn’t make me happy.
“For reference, Sunjin noona says that instead of some grand organization like that, she prefers the idea of Hong Seokyoung’s private detective agency. She thinks it’s more charming, and wishes it were that instead.”