The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 14 - A Thing Called Family (1)

 

 

“Should we move him to my room?”

 

“It’s fine. What if we wake him up for no reason?”

 

Lee Yoo-seong had cried quietly for a long time before finally falling asleep.

 

After covering him with a blanket, I glanced at his peaceful, steady breathing, then turned to Seo Do-hwan.

 

“Let’s go out.”

 

Seo Do-hwan nodded.

 

We quietly closed the door and went down to the living room.

 

“What about school?”

 

“I finished everything before coming.”

 

In truth, I had delegated the work. As much as I wanted to personally take care of each task, what mattered most right now wasn’t Cheongha High School—it was Lee Yoo-seong.

 

“What are you planning to do?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“About Lee Yoo-seong.”

 

Seo Do-hwan’s voice was sharp.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to send him back. You said he’s an orphan, right? After what that so-called aunt did to him? You can’t seriously be thinking of sending him back there.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Hey! Kwak Yoon-hoo!!”

 

Wow. He must really be pissed—he only calls me by my full name when he’s mad.

 

“Calm down, Seo Do-hwan. Do you really think I’d just throw Yoo-seong back into that house without a plan?”

 

Seo Do-hwan gave me a glare that practically dared me to say something stupid.

 

Scary guy.

 

I let out a small chuckle. “I’m going to kick out everyone who’s been squatting there illegally. That house belongs to Yoo-seong anyway.”

 

That’s right—the penthouse Lee Jin-hyuk’s family lived in had originally belonged to Lee Yoo-seong’s family.

 

It was the home his parents had bought with their hard-earned money before he was born. And Lee Jin-hyuk’s family had stolen it.

 

They’d used the ridiculous excuse that they were merely “managing it” until Lee Yoo-seong became an adult. Of course, they had no intention of ever giving it back—unless someone forced their hand.

 

And that “someone” would be me.

 

An outsider.

 

***

 

“Eat a lot.”

 

“Okay…!”

 

Lee Yoo-seong’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the table full of food. No wonder—he probably hadn’t had a proper meal at home in a long time. He studied each dish like he didn’t know where to begin, then finally picked up his chopsticks.

 

“Why are you picking at your food like that? Don’t tell me you’re a picky eater?”

 

“No!”

 

Startled by Seo Do-hwan’s teasing, Lee Yoo-seong quickly shook his head and shoveled a big spoonful of rice into his mouth.

 

“Yoo-seong, he’s just teasing you. And it’s fine to skip what you don’t like.”

 

At my words, he smiled sheepishly and pushed the stuffed cucumbers aside.

 

“…”

 

But stuffed cucumbers are delicious. How mean.

 

I pulled the plate toward me and took a bite.

 

“Um, teacher.”

 

“Not teacher—just hyung. I’m not your teacher anymore.”

 

I was the chairman now. Not that I needed to tell him that.

 

“Then… Yoon-hoo hyung. And Do-hwan hyung.”

 

He hesitated before speaking again.

 

“Can I treat you two to dinner tomorrow? I can’t afford anything fancy, but I can buy you a hamburger set!”

 

“It’s fine. You don’t need to.”

 

Even a burger set could be expensive for him. And it wasn’t right to take a kid’s money.

 

“Don’t talk about treating us.”

 

Seo Do-hwan plopped a piece of soy sauce stir-fried fish cake onto his spoon.

 

“But…”

 

He still looked uncertain, so I added gently, “If you really want to, treat us when you’re older. Whether you go to college or start working—”

 

“When you’re an adult.”

 

Just make sure you grow up safely.

 

“Treat us then. Got it?”

 

“Okay, hyungs!”

 

His bright smile made both of us smile quietly in return.

 

***

 

The next day, Lee Yoo-seong went to school. I told him he could take a break, but he refused. I was worried, but with Seo Jong-pil accompanying him, it should be fine.

 

“I’m not gonna make him my errand boy or make him cry, okay?”

 

That’s what Seo Do-hwan had said, so I chose to trust him.

 

Once the black sedan carrying the two disappeared from sight, I pulled out my phone.

 

—Yes, young master.

 

“Has everything been taken care of?”

 

—Yes. We just finished. Property seizure proceedings should be underway by now.

 

“Good. Well done.”

 

Click.

 

I hung up and stood.

 

Even with the main work finished, there were still loose ends to tie up. I got into the car and told the driver,

 

“Please take me to Hannam The Line, Building 104.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

Humming to myself, I gazed out at the passing scenery.

 

I wondered how Lee Jin-hyuk’s family was reacting.

 

Would they behave any differently this time?

 

***

 

Despite the flashy furniture and expensive luxury goods, every single item now had a bright red seizure notice stuck to it.

 

“What are we going to do?! How are we supposed to handle this?!”

 

Lee Jin-hyuk’s voice rang through the room, loud enough for anyone to hear, but his mother remained silent, her expression blank—as if she had already lost everything.

 

“Mom!”

 

He whined, frustration bleeding into his voice.

 

“This is all because our family settled in this damn shabby house.”

 

“What?”

 

Kim Jeong-hye blinked, as if she hadn’t heard him right. At her reaction, Lee Jin-hyuk bared his teeth and shouted even louder.

 

“Why are you acting surprised?! None of this would’ve happened if you and Dad hadn’t stolen this place from Yoo-seong’s family!”

 

“Watch your mouth! Stolen? What do you mean, stolen?!”

 

“We stole it! You think I don’t know?”

 

Lee Jin-hyuk gave a bitter, hollow laugh before speaking in a chilling voice.

 

“You, Dad, Uncle, and Aunt all plotted together to kill them. You caused that car crash on purpose—”

 

—to take this house, and the inheritance that came with it.

 

Kim Jeong-hye stared at him, her mouth hanging open.

 

“How… how do you know that…?”

 

They say people spill the wrong words when they’re in shock—and right now, instead of denying it, she had basically confessed.

 

Lee Jin-hyuk’s expression twisted with disgust.

 

“And you even tried to kill Yoo-seong while he was in a coma after the crash.”

 

Pressing a pillow over his face. Again and again.

 

“Mom.”

 

His smile warped into something almost mocking.

 

“You thought I wouldn’t find out?”

 

Kim Jeong-hye’s lips trembled. She couldn’t form a single word.

 

“You knew all that, and you still bullied Yoo-seong like that?”

 

A familiar voice cut through the air.

 

Kim Jeong-hye jolted in surprise and turned toward the front door.

 

“You…! You’re…!”

 

“Hello, Jin-hyuk’s mother. The door was open, so I let myself in. Hope that’s alright.”

 

But more importantly—

 

“Jin-hyuk, what if Yoo-seong had overheard everything you just said?”

 

Kwak Yoon-hoo smiled faintly as he spoke.

 

***

 

They looked genuinely startled.

 

Seeing Kim Jeong-hye and Lee Jin-hyuk stare at me as if they’d seen a ghost, I thought they might react differently this time. But apparently not.

 

Lee Jin-hyuk recovered first, snapping at me.

 

“Isn’t this none of the teacher’s business? And what does it matter if Lee Yoo-seong hears? It’s not like that bastard could do anything with the truth anyway.”

 

My lips twisted involuntarily.

 

If Lee Yoo-seong had heard that just now, both Lee Jin-hyuk and his mother would already be dead—skulls crushed before they even realized it.

 

Ignorant humans really are terrifying.

 

But I hadn’t come here to provoke them into their own deaths. I had come here to try to redeem that “ignorant human” just a little.

 

With that reminder, I spoke.

 

“First of all, Jin-hyuk—I’m no longer your teacher.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

He scoffed.

 

“So you’re not a teacher, but you still think you can lecture me?”

 

“If that’s how it sounded, then I apologize.”

 

Even so, his face contorted in irritation.

 

“I hated you from the moment you came in as the English sub, damn it!”

 

Before his mother could stop him, he lunged at me. Expecting this, I let out a deep sigh.

 

“Raaagh—!”

 

A quick squeeze of my stun gun, and he dropped with a strangled cry.

 

“J-Jin-hyuk! Lee Jin-hyuk!!”

 

She rushed to her son in a panic, then turned to me with a raised voice.

 

“What are you doing?!”

 

“Self-defense.”

 

“What?”

 

“You saw it yourself—your son tried to hit me.”

 

“T-That was—!”

 

“You’re not seriously about to say, ‘He’s just a kid swinging his fists,’ are you?”

 

She fell silent. She knew nothing she said would work on me.

 

“Now, Jin-hyuk’s mother—please, have a seat.”

 

I smiled and gestured toward a chair.

 

“From here on, I’m going to give you options for how to resolve this.”

 

“Options…?”

 

“Option one: You and your son pack up and end up on the street.”

 

Her face stiffened. She already knew they had no right to stay here anymore.

 

I raised one finger, then another.

 

“Option two: You return Yoo-seong’s parents’ inheritance to him.”

 

“I-Inheritance?”

 

“Let’s not play dumb. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”

 

I leaned back, smiling faintly.

 

“You already know which one you’re going to pick.”

 

She wasn’t stupid. She might have squandered the tenants’ deposits on a life of luxury, but she had still been born into what people would call a “respectable family.”

 

“Choose carefully. Because I can drag you, your son, and even your husband into a far worse hell than this.”

 

Her lips trembled violently.

 

“So. What’s it going to be?”

 

I already knew the answer.

 

And just as expected—

 

“T-The second one…”

 

She gave the reply I’d been waiting for.

 

“I’ll give everything back to Yoo-seong. His parents’ inheritance, this house—everything!”

 

“Good. Then let’s draw up the contract.”

 

“Contract?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I pulled several copies of a contract from inside my jacket and handed them to Kim Jeong-hye.

 

“People are fickle by nature. For the record, this contract holds full legal validity—so you’d better not even think about breaking it.”

 

If she did, I was ready to use every means at my disposal to… no, to erase this family from existence.

 

That would be best.

 

***

 

―♬~♩♪♬~!

 

Class had ended. Seo Do-hwan let out a loud yawn.

 

“Hey, Lee Yoo-seong. Why weren’t you paying attention in class today?”

 

Lee Yoo-seong, who had been packing up his textbook, looked at him in disbelief.

 

Seo Do-hwan had been asleep for the entire lesson.

 

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

 

Still, Lee Yoo-seong answered politely.

 

“Jin-hyuk’s not here.”

 

“Jin-hyuk?”

 

Seo Do-hwan tilted his head, then frowned.

 

“Oh, that mama’s boy? Why are you even looking for him? Class is finally peaceful without that jerk. And what’s with the sudden formal speech between friends? Just talk casually.”

 

Lee Yoo-seong hesitated before speaking again.

 

“Um… Hyung.”

 

“Hyung?”

 

“I mean, Jong-pil.”

 

He quickly corrected himself and asked cautiously,

 

“Is it okay if I stop by home after class?”

 

Seo Do-hwan frowned. Why would he want to go back to a place where no one was waiting for him?

 

But when he saw how carefully Lee Yoo-seong was watching his reaction, he eventually nodded.

 

“Fine. But I’m coming with you.”

 

If he let Lee Yoo-seong go alone, who knew what excuse Kwak Yoon-hoo might find to start complaining again?

 

At his reply, Lee Yoo-seong’s face lit up.

 

“Yes!”

 

But Lee Yoo-seong didn’t know—

 

When school ended and he returned home with Seo Do-hwan, the one waiting there wouldn’t be his family.

 

It would be someone else entirely.