Chapter 202

A few days later, the day I had promised Yoo Haon finally arrived.

Meeting her at the appointed place, I first relayed the words I had prepared in my mind.

“Your father never officially operated under his own name. Because of that, there probably aren’t many people who have information about him.”

“That’s…”

It was probably a story not entirely unfamiliar to her.

After all, right in the middle of Seoul Plaza stood a monument commemorating those who had died during the Night Parade of One Hundred Specters Crisis without even being able to make their names known.

Of course, the case was slightly different, but Yoo Baek was also one of those people.

“So, if you want to trace his footsteps, you’ll need to think of another route.”

Recalling memories from the original work, I gave Haon as many hints as possible, guiding her toward the answer.

From here on, it was something she needed to realize on her own.

“…If it’s that, there is a place that comes to mind.”

The place we eventually headed to was the orphanage where Haon had stayed before being adopted. However, it had already disappeared, transformed into a park frequently visited by local residents.

“Actually, I don’t remember that time very well.”

She had been adopted at a very young age, and the environment itself was so poor that there didn’t seem to be any memorable events to recall.

However, despite that, there was a reason she had come here.

“The lady who lived beyond that wall over there, I remember her vividly.”

Among the many children, she was someone who had shown Haon particular affection and favor.

“At first, I just thought she was a kind person, but thinking about it now…”

Something felt off. At least, that’s how Haon seemed to feel.

And that was, to put it plainly, the correct answer.

‘It was probably mentioned in the original work too.’

As Haon cautiously knocked on the door, an elderly woman with grayish-white hair appeared.

She glanced at Haon, who had grown into a proper young woman, and immediately seemed to recognize her, making a complicated expression.

A truly strange expression where joy and sorrow coexisted. The reason for that would likely be revealed from now on.

“…It’s been a long time. Come on in.”

A reaction as if she had known Haon would come looking for her someday.

Unable to hide her wavering eyes, Haon followed her inside.

Shortly after sitting down in the prepared spot, Haon was the first to speak.

“Do you remember me?”

“Of course. How could I forget? Even though your appearance has changed, I could clearly recognize those eyes.”

As if reminiscing, the old woman sent a momentarily bitter gaze and picked up her teacup.

“So, you must have something else you want to ask, right?”

“…Yes. Somehow, some doubts remain. By any chance, do you know something about my past?”

In truth, judging by the old woman’s reaction, the truth was already clear.

As the expected question came out, she slowly began to reveal the words she had kept inside.

“Well, how could I not know? I was the one who entrusted you, a baby, to this place.”

“Then…”

“Yes. I also know who your parents are.”

Haon’s hands trembled slightly as she hesitated for a moment. Then, as if having made up her mind, she opened her mouth again.

“Please tell me. I don’t want to live not knowing about them anymore.”

“……”

In response to that firm resolve, the old woman also nodded and quietly handed over a single business card.

“Simply telling you their names wouldn’t be difficult, but I truly only heard fragmentary information. If you really want to know everything, go find the owner of this card.”

“This person is…?”

“The very person who asked me to look after you, and a close friend of your parents. That person will probably be able to tell you all the facts you want to know.”

Hwangha Mulsan, Ji Munseok.

That was the name of the man written on the business card the old woman handed over.

‘So this is how she reached Ji Munseok.’

Understanding the full story, I nodded inwardly.

The meeting with the old woman was a scene only revealed through Haon’s recollections in the original work, so I didn’t know the details either.

Having thus found the Gyeonggi Branch Office of Hwangha Mulsan, we entered the building, presented the card, and spoke to the employee at the desk.

“We’d like to meet this person…”

“Ah, that. Yes. Could you please wait a moment?”

Since it was the name of the person at the very top of this branch, the employee looked quite flustered and hastily began contacting the upper floors.

However, the answer that soon came was a firm denial.

“I’m sorry. The Branch Manager says he doesn’t know anything.”

“Huh?”

If he had been properly informed, there was no way he wouldn’t know Haon’s identity.

In other words, this had to be seen as a polite refusal containing Ji Munseok’s own intention.

“…He doesn’t want to meet me?”

“It seems that way.”

In the original work, this happened much later, so Haon had used her own position to its fullest, almost forcing her way into Ji Munseok’s office.

However, the current Haon was just an Academy student. Naturally, the same method couldn’t be used.

So, I decided to ask for special help around this point.

Beep.

Brrrrrrr.

“Have you been well?”

[Oh, it’s you. Of course I’ve been well. Thanks to you, business is booming every day, so how could I have any worries?]

It was Hwang Jincheol, the big shot in the Cursed Arts Industry with whom I had previously traded the Simple Barrier Stone deal.

In fact, the Simple Barrier Stone’s performance in this recent crisis had been remarkable, so Hwang Jincheol had also gained tremendous fame and support as a result.

It was only natural that his mood was at its peak.

“Sorry for the sudden call, but I need a little help.”

[Just say the word. For you, I have no reason to refuse.]

And this Hwangha Mulsan was none other than a company under Hwang Jincheol’s umbrella.

With a single word from him, meeting a mere branch manager wouldn’t be difficult at all.

After finishing my business and ending the call, a few minutes later, an employee who had received contact from the upper floors approached with a pale, flustered face.

“T-the Branch Manager has asked for you two to be brought up. Please come this way.”

Following the employee’s guidance, we took the elevator and walked for quite a while.

Soon, what unfolded before our eyes was the entrance door to an office made of luxurious materials.

Clunk.

Creeeak.

At the desk inside the office we entered first sat a middle-aged man full of wrinkles, leaning his chin on his hand with a displeased look.

Soon, a rough voice, different from his appearance, shot out from his mouth.

“Damn it, there’s no end to this. What kind of leverage did you use on that sly old fox?”

“I apologize for the lack of courtesy.”

“Forget it. That’s also a kind of ability, I suppose. That bastard’s daughter sure knows how to make friends.”

As expected, Ji Munseok was already aware of matters concerning Haon. He had refused despite knowing.

In other words, from here on, drawing out his story depended entirely on Haon herself.

“…Do you know my parents?”

“Of course I know. That bastard was my closest friend.”

“I need to know about them. I’m sorry, but I won’t take a single step out of here until you tell me.”

Haon, as if firmly determined, showed an uncharacteristic firmness.

It was so clearly sincere that Ji Munseok grabbed his forehead and shook his head as if annoyed.

“Whether I speak or not is my freedom, are you, a green kid, going to decide that?”

“I won’t force you. I’ll wait until you choose.”

“Look at this annoying brat, that is* forcing me!”

As if he was already having a very busy day, Ji Munseok couldn’t hide his impatience.

When Haon, with an indifferent expression, pulled over a chair and sat down, Ji Munseok finally let out a sigh and opened his mouth.

“No matter how stubborn you are, I can’t speak. No, I won’t speak.”

“…Why is that?”

“Because a promise with my friend is more important than some snot-nosed brat I’ve never even met before.”

At first glance, it might have sounded cold, but he actually seemed to care quite a bit for Haon.

It was just that the promise with his close friend Yoo Baek was that important to him.

“…Did my father want me to cut all ties and live as a completely separate person?”

“If that weren’t the case, would he have done such a ridiculous thing?”

“Even so, I don’t want to do that.”

There was no one present who couldn’t understand that sentiment.

But despite that, Ji Munseok’s attitude remained firm.

So, Haon spoke again.

“You said you made a promise with my father, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll make a promise too.”

“What?”

After taking a moment to steady her breathing, Haon continued with an infinitely clear gaze.

“Even if you ultimately don’t open your mouth here today, I will find the truth in some form or another.”

“……”

“There will be distorted information, and content different from the facts. But I will believe it as it is.”

“What…”

“Is that really okay? Even if I believe something that isn’t true to be the truth, and live and die painting an illusion of the two of you?”

It was a plea that was too transparent, too sincere.

Because of that, even Ji Munseok’s resolute attitude began to waver slightly.

“I can’t do that. Rather than living my whole life embracing a lie, I’d rather die not knowing anything. If I don’t hear the truth today, I’ll just drop out of the Academy. And I’ll marry a really bad person, uh, and I won’t even build you a grave for my whole life…”

“Stop, stop. That’s enough.”

As Haon’s declaration began to veer off into absurdity, Ji Munseok waved his hand as if admitting defeat.

“You really don’t listen, just like that bastard. I give up.”

“Then…”

“Yes. It means I’ll tell you everything I know. You brat.”

At Ji Munseok’s words, Haon’s expression brightened.

Watching the two of them, I quietly turned my feet toward the door.

“In that case, I’ll step out for a moment.”

“No, you come and listen too.”

Just as Haon was about to say something, surprisingly, it was Ji Munseok who spoke first.

When I asked the reason with my eyes, he threw back the answer with a meaningful expression.

“If you’ve come this far, haven’t you already seen everything there is to see? Since I’ve decided to tell her anyway, it’s not bad to have one more person to share the burden with.”

Ji Munseok had probably already roughly figured out who I was through the call with Hwang Jincheol.

In other words, he wanted me, a rising newcomer, to become more formally involved in the situation and become a source of strength for Haon.

While his intention was transparent, that much wasn’t something I couldn’t overlook.

Having seated us together, Ji Munseok finally opened his heavy mouth.

“…Your father, Yoo Baek, to put it simply, was not a person of this era.”

At those words, Haon’s eyes grew as wide as lanterns.