Epilogue: Hidden Camera
I looked at Park Ye-eun.
"Is it because I've been leaving on the dot lately and Team Leader couldn't stand it anymore, so he hired you to kill me?"
"It's nothing like that!"
At my words, Park Ye-eun shook her head while crossing her arms.
"This is purely for fun."
If you keep looking for "fun" like this, someone might actually die.
"...Anyway, no."
I shook my head.
Forget the fact that my life is in danger.
"They'll get hurt."
"..."
Regardless, these are people who have told me they love me.
What good would it do to hurt them?
Fun...
Honestly, it might be fun. But it's still too cruel of a game.
"...I thought so."
Then, Park Ye-eun also lowered her head slightly.
"I guess I just got a little too excited."
She muttered in a deflated voice.
"..."
I looked at Park Ye-eun.
She's not an adult yet, so she might do immature things, but she's not the type to do something this devoid of common sense.
"Tell me."
I lowered my gaze to meet her eyes and continued in the softest voice I could manage.
"Was there some reason you did this?"
"..."
Park Ye-eun closed and opened her eyes.
After a long silence, she spoke.
"Oppa, you know. Um."
"Yeah."
"No, not 'Oppa, you know.' Um..."
Park Ye-eun hemmed and hawed, pondering this and that before finally opening her mouth.
"Actually, the person who gave this to me was Santa."
"I know that."
It's not like I haven't experienced the vicious games made by the self-proclaimed Santa before.
"He told me this when he gave it to me."
"What did he say?"
"'Through this, you will be able to understand your love.'"
"...Through this divorce hidden camera?"
"The keyword itself is 'divorce,' yes."
Park Ye-eun muttered as she pulled out the board game.
I read the title of the board game.
<Destroying a Happy Future>
How can a game title be like this?
I started reading the manual.
<'Happiness requires unhappiness to exist! Find and taste your unhappiness, and vow to never experience that unhappiness again!'
<'The unhappiness gained by starting this game has a high probability of becoming a lesson!'
<'Especially if couples who love each other but have grievances play this game, they will understand each other better!'>
What does this have to do with Park Ye-eun understanding love?
"So?"
"So I drew a keyword, and the keyword 'divorce' came up."
I couldn't even begin to grasp what connection 'divorce' and Park Ye-eun had.
"...So that's why you asked for this?"
"I know. Oppa might find it a bit awkward."
Park Ye-eun scratched her cheek with a sorry expression.
"I was just feeling a bit frustrated, so I asked."
"..."
"I don't really have anyone to guide me forward. And I'm worried too."
"Worried?"
"You never know when you might die in this job. So you need people you can confide these things in, but..."
Park Ye-eun sighed. "Hoo."
"To everyone else, I'm the very reliable person who gives good advice."
"I see."
"So it's hard for me to ask someone for advice myself."
I think I understand the feeling.
Since she's in a role where everyone relies on her, it must be difficult for her to step forward and say something like that herself.
"Anyway, let's just forget about this and—"
"...Let's do it."
"Huh?"
At my words, Park Ye-eun's eyes widened.
"But Oppa, it's really dangerous."
"Did you ask me knowing it was dangerous?"
"No, that's why I said it's dangerous now..."
At my words, Park Ye-eun bowed her head deeply like a guilty person.
"..."
I suppressed a sigh and looked at Park Ye-eun.
"Then. Can we just stick to 'divorce' for the divorce?"
"I have to be included too..."
"You have to be included too?"
"That's what it says."
At Park Ye-eun's words, I fell into thought for a moment.
How can I include Park Ye-eun?
But my pondering was short-lived.
"Should we just say we had an affair, you and me?"
"I would be socially dead."
Did I do something wrong to Santa?
I started to think that.
Maybe I need to take another look at my life.
Thinking that, I looked at Park Ye-eun.
"But there's no other way."
"Or I could say you're my hidden daughter."
"Does that make any sense?"
It doesn't.
"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears."
An idea that is suitable as grounds for divorce and can include Park Ye-eun.
"...What else is there besides an affair?"
"For divorce grounds, besides an affair... Hmm..."
Park Ye-eun closed and opened her eyes.
"Should we say you're adopting me?"
"That's not bad either..."
Since it's a hidden camera, it might be okay.
"Then who should we do first?"
"Eileen?"
"We're doing it to Eileen unnie too? I feel bad about hurting unnie."
What kind of culture is it where you're the one who asked for it but then feel sorry?
Thinking that, I opened my mouth.
"Let's just do it to whoever comes to the office first."
"Okay!"
Park Ye-eun nodded, and as we were sitting together in the office...
"Hello."
The door opened and Jang Chae-yeon came in.
Jang Chae-yeon...
Should I be happy or unhappy about this?
Thinking that, I looked at Jang Chae-yeon.
"Chae-yeon-ssi."
"Yeah?"
Jang Chae-yeon looked at me as she put down her bag.
"Um, I have something serious to talk about. Do you have a moment?"
"..."
Jang Chae-yeon looked back and forth between me and Park Ye-eun, then nodded.
"I have time."
"Then let's go."
And so, I took Jang Chae-yeon to a small room first.
*
When Park Ye-eun followed us in, Jang Chae-yeon tilted her head.
"Do we need to bring Park Ye-eun too?"
"Yes."
"..."
Jang Chae-yeon looked at me, seemingly having no idea what this was about.
Looking at her, I opened my mouth.
"Chae-yeon-ssi."
"Yeah."
"Can you... divorce me?"
"..."
The expression on Jang Chae-yeon's face hardened instantly upon hearing my words.
No. It froze solid.
There was no other way to describe it.
As if she had just heard that a loved one had died, Jang Chae-yeon looked at me and opened her mouth.
"...Why, why...?"
"...Well, um. Actually..."
"..."
"It's to... raise Ye-eun."
"Ra, raise?"
Jang Chae-yeon's voice trembled.
"So you're getting a divorce... because of that?"
"Well, yes. I have a debt to Ye-eun. To repay that debt—"
"Park Ye-eun."
"Y-yes..."
Before I could even finish, Jang Chae-yeon turned her gaze to Park Ye-eun.
Park Ye-eun straightened her back and looked at Jang Chae-yeon.
"Call me Mom."
"...Huh?"
At Jang Chae-yeon's words, Park Ye-eun made a dumbfounded expression.
"Call me Mom Chae-yeon."
"Wait a minute, Chae-yeon unnie—"
"Mom."
"No, unnie...!"
"Mom."
Park Ye-eun made a tearful face, while Jang Chae-yeon opened her mouth with a firmness that seemed to absolutely forbid any title other than 'Mom'.
"The debt my husband owes is my debt."
"Uh, unnie."
"I told you to call me Mom. And if that debt means raising you, I'll raise you for life."
Jang Chae-yeon said that while looking at Park Ye-eun.
Her face showed not a hint of hesitation.
"So."
Jang Chae-yeon slightly lowered her head.
A tremble entered her voice.
"...Please don't take away my last hope."
"...Ugh..."
"...?"
Park Ye-eun grabbed her own cheek.
"Ugh!!!!"
She started pulling on it madly.
"I'm, I'm going to die! I'm going to die! What am I doing!"
Park Ye-eun screamed while pulling on her cheek until it turned bright red.
"My conscience is stinging so much it feels like it's going to explode, Oppa!"
"..."
"Oppa! Shoot me with a gun! Quick, shoot me with a—"
"What are you doing."
Then, at Jang Chae-yeon's icy words, Park Ye-eun's body froze completely.
"...Uh. Um. Well."
"Talk."
Ignoring Park Ye-eun's words, Jang Chae-yeon opened her mouth and looked at her.
"...I'm sorry..."
"Instead of apologizing, talk."
Jang Chae-yeon looked at Park Ye-eun with emotionless eyes.
"...Sniff..."
Tears welling up in her eyes, Park Ye-eun began her explanation.
*
After hearing the whole story, Jang Chae-yeon held out two fists.
"Huh?"
"Head-butt."
She looked back and forth between me and Park Ye-eun and spoke.
"Head-butt my fist. As much as you think you did wrong."
"Uh, unnie..."
"If you don't think you did anything wrong, you don't have to."
Cutting off Park Ye-eun, who was looking at her pleadingly, Jang Chae-yeon spoke.
"..."
Right then, Park Ye-eun threw her head back and then slammed it forward with a thud!
"Oowww..."
Park Ye-eun made a pained face while holding her forehead.
"You think you did wrong?"
"Yes, I did."
"Right?"
I, too, at Jang Chae-yeon's words, threw my head back and then slammed it forward, clutching my forehead in pain.
"Maybe we should just stop..."
"What was this about in the first place?"
"Well..."
Park Ye-eun explained again.
The Santa's game. The 'divorce' keyword. And the hidden camera.
After hearing Park Ye-eun out, Jang Chae-yeon let out a deep sigh.
"Why would you do that?"
"I'm sorry. Let's just stop here—"
"No."
"Huh?"
"I can't be the only one who falls for it."
Jang Chae-yeon looked at the two of us.
"Do it."
"..."
"But."
"Yeah?"
"Saying we're raising you is obviously a hidden camera to anyone who sees it. You must say we had an affair."
"Chae-yeon-ssi. What about my social image and position?"
A man with six wives who has an affair with a high school girl?
Even human trash wouldn't sink that low.
Thinking that, I looked at Jang Chae-yeon.
"You have no choice."
Under her gaze, which seemed to ask what nonsense I was spouting, I could only nod, having lost the ability to speak.
"...No. Then unnie and Oppa—"
A sudden click sound made Park Ye-eun shut her mouth. As Park Ye-eun turned her gaze towards the sound...
Song A-rin was looking around elsewhere, turning her head.
She seemed to be looking for us.
"I'll hide."
Jang Chae-yeon said calmly, looking at us.
"Good luck."
"..."
There was already no way to escape.
Thinking that, I opened the door with Park Ye-eun and stepped out.
"What were you doing back there?"
Song A-rin looked at us as if she was glad to see us.
"..."
"..."
As Park Ye-eun and I exchanged glances, Song A-rin walked straight towards us.
"What. What is it?"
"Well..."
"Um..."
As the two of us trailed off, Song A-rin's expression grew increasingly crumpled.
"Ah, what! You have to say it for me to know!"
"A-rin-ssi."
"What."
"...When Ye-eun grows up, I'm going to marry her. Please stamp the divorce papers for me."
"..."
Song A-rin froze solid on the spot.