97. Five on Nine
“Senior Han, so what are you going to do?”
no wonder… .
I thought it was a familiar voice, but the main character of the voice was a reporter of a century.
“I’m going to put the chess board once, so you just have to cover it.”
“Keppan… Isn’t it?”
“At the end of the coverage period, we will hold the North Korean reunion and ask him what he thinks about the successive dictatorships of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il that have been going on for 50 years.”
“really… is it? Isn’t that enough to deliberately fuck you? It’s also mentioned in the report’s notes… .”
“Park Jae-Hoon! This is how the organizers fucked our reporters in the first place. Today’s reunion is a total of six hours, and the reporters are only allowed to cover an hour and a half.”
“… .”
“Two hours in the front, two hours in the back, cut off the climax, and what kind of coverage do you have in the middle of the atmosphere!”
There was a good reason for the ban on the first and last two hours of coverage.
These are families who have not known life or death for the past 50 years.
The moment I first met my family who had been separated like that, and the moment I parted after just a few hours of reunion… .
The intention was not to point the camera at the emotionally charged people and not report on how they are feeling.
“A senior… Then, isn’t the editorial office punishing you?”
At his words, the reporter of the century snorted and said:
“Punishment? When the words come out, write one poem and you are done.”
He tapped his junior reporter on the shoulder and continued.
“I wish the editorial office liked this more, but I don’t even care. What we need to watch out for… It’s not like this, it’s different.”
“If it’s not like this… What should I watch out for?”
“Advertiser! We don’t have to touch advertisers. It is not an advertisement from the government, so there is nothing to be afraid of.”
“… .”
“And I don’t know you well because you’re still a freshman, but opportunities like this don’t come often in my life as a journalist.”
I left the bathroom and headed to the venue.
At first, I thought about reporting it to the event officials, but then I shook my head.
The conversations of the reporters of the century were not recorded, so there is no way to stop the reporters who were officially invited to today’s event.
How could there be no better way?
When I returned to the venue, the North Korean reunion group of separated families was entering the venue.
I returned to our table and told Aunt Joo Hee.
“Did you find your father?”
Aunt Joo-hee said with her eyes fixed on the podium in front.
“It’s too far behind here… I’m far away so I don’t know.”
Aunt Joo-hee’s father’s name was Park Jeong-guk, and I knew in advance that he was the leader of the North Korean reunion group.
This was also information given to me by Secretary Eun-Young Seo a week ago.
I said, pointing to the right side of the podium.
“Perhaps… Isn’t he the one wearing the black robes over there?”
“… !”
After a brief welcome, the North Korean families dispersed to their designated tables.
As the family reunion for the first time in 50 years began, sighs and sobbing began to be heard everywhere.
Aunt Joo Hee was holding my hand while waiting for her father, and holding it so tightly that my hand tingled.
When Director Park Jeong-guk arrived at our table, Aunt Joo-hee covered her mouth with her hand, and tears were streaming down her eyes.
Director Park Jung-guk gave Aunt Joo-hee a silent hug.
Director Park held his daughter who wept like that, and repeated the words sorry in a low voice.
When Aunt Joo-hee stopped crying, the two sat down, and Manager Park opened her mouth with a nervous expression.
“Uh, your mother?”
“Grandma… He died five years ago.”
Director Park nodded and said.
“I heard the news. mother… How did you die?”
“It was cancer. Liver cancer… .”
“I see… .”
“grandmother… Before you go… You found a lot of dad. Because of you… . That my father passed over to the North… .”
Aunt Joo-hee was unable to speak, and Manager Park took off her glasses and covered her eyes with one hand.
The conversation between the two continued, and after about 30 minutes, Director Park seemed to notice my presence sitting next to Aunt Joo-hee.
“Maybe your son… ?”
Aunt Joo-hee only then introduced me to Manager Park, who nodded and said.
“The genealogy is a bit complicated, but… After all, I am becoming a grandfather. haha—! Nice to meet you.”
I said as I grabbed the hand held out by Director Park.
“hello. My father couldn’t come today due to unavoidable circumstances… I asked you to tell me that you were sorry.”
I took a small box out of my bag and handed it to Manager Park, and continued.
“And this is a small gift from my father.”
“Well, even things like this… , haha—!”
After opening the package and checking the gift, Manager Park opened his mouth with a regretful expression as if he had remembered something.
“ah… ! I also brought a present, but I forgot to leave it on the bus. how about this… .”
“The bus is probably in the underground parking lot. When dinner starts in a little while, then I will go to the parking lot and bring it.”
Manager Park explained the bus number from the hotel and the seat he was sitting in, and when he finished explaining, I carefully opened my mouth.
“I… grandfather.”
The word “grandfather” tickled my mouth a lot, but the effect of the word was as strong as expected.
Manager Park said with a smirk as if he was in a good mood.
“Heh heh heh—! When I came back to South Korea, I had a grandchild, but yes. Heh heh–! So what’s going on?”
“My grandfather is the leader of this visiting group… If you are the leader, how much ability do you have?”
“ability?”
“yes. For example… Do you have that kind of power to arbitrarily change the schedule of today’s event?”
At my question, Manager Park smiled and said,
“right. Of course, there must be a good reason. But why are you asking that?”
At his question, I checked the time and said.
“Now, an hour later, the reporters will start covering… Can you keep two reporters out of this place?”
“that is… what do you mean?”
I explained the story I heard in the bathroom, and when my explanation was finished, Director Park opened his mouth with a short sigh.
“under—! At this point, we have to cancel the reporters’ interview time. “The first time I was coordinating the event, I didn’t like it the most.”
I didn’t mean to cancel the entire coverage of the reporters… .
I cautiously opened my mouth towards Director Park.
“It would be difficult to cancel all coverage. Instead, I know who the reporter is. Wouldn’t it be better if only two people couldn’t be interviewed like that?”
Director Park called the event officials, and after a while, an aged official in a suit came to our table.
While a public official and Director Park were talking on the other side of the event hall, I stood up.
It was to go to the underground parking lot.
Before leaving the venue to go to the parking lot, I headed to table 47.
I wondered if Professor Park Soo-soo was having a good time, and on the other hand, I wanted to see a person named Lee Yeon-hee.
When I met Professor Park at Korea University not long ago, I vividly remember the face of Professor Park who talked about her childhood.
At that time, Professor Park, who was talking about Yeonhee’s sister, seemed like a boy who had just fallen in love.
Table 47.
I looked at the woman in her 70s sitting next to Professor Park.
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Now, she has become an old man with gray hair and a bent back, but as Professor Park said, she must have been a rare beauty in her youth.
In her youth, she must have had a western style face with distinct features.
In particular, her sharp nose and strong eyes reminded her of the famous Hollywood star Vivian Lee long ago.
When I imagined the faces of Professor Park and Ms. Lee Yeon-hee when they were young, a smile came to my lips without realizing it.
what?!
By the way… The atmosphere between the two of them is a bit strange.
Professor Park and Ms. Lee Yeon-hee, who are seated side by side at the table, both look calm.
It’s not like the two of them met the lover they’ve been missing for a long time,
He had a lukewarm expression as if he had met a neighbor in the east.
I remembered a story I heard from Secretary Eun-Young Seo a week ago.
On the North Korean visitor list, there was a person accompanying Ri Yeon-hee, and he said his name was Kim Jun-seok.
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Now, there is a middle-aged man sitting next to Ms. Ri Yeon-hee, and I wondered if she was the son of Ms. Ri Yeon-hee, judging from the look of this man’s face.
After thinking for a while… I headed to table 47.
I turned away from Professor Park, who pretended to know me, and opened my mouth to a middle-aged man instead.
“You’re Kim Jun-seok, right?”
To my question, he spoke in a North Korean tone.
“you’re right. What’s going on?”
I raised my hand and pointed to table 79 where Aunt Joo-hee was sitting.
“There is one thing that Manager Park Jung-guk has asked for at the table over there. Could you please help me?”
“You mean comrade? What is your request?”
“The manager said that he had left important items on the bus he took from the hotel. But I don’t know where the bus is. Would you like to go to the parking lot with me?”
He nodded and got up from his seat, and I headed with him to the underground parking lot of COEX.
* * *
Table 47, where Kim Jun-seok was absent.
Li Yeon-hee opened her mouth with a trembling voice.
“Function, I’m sorry.”
Professor Park Soo-soo said while holding Ms. Lee Yeon-hee’s hand.
“I’m sorry… sister.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t keep my promise to wait for you… I am so sorry.”
She couldn’t bear to say that her father forced her to marry.
Tears streamed down the corners of her wrinkled eyes, and Professor Park reached out and wiped the tears with her hand.
“What do you have to be sorry about? It was my fault for not returning home.”
Professor Park smiled and continued.
“To be honest… Maybe Yeonhee noona is growing old alone… I used to worry a lot. But seeing my older sister getting married and living like this… I feel a lot more comfortable now.”
“By the way… Why are you… still… .”
Professor Park waved both hands and said.
“Aww, sister! Don’t get me wrong. Heh heh heh—! It’s not that I didn’t get married because I was waiting for my sister. haha–! I’ve been crazy about studying, so I’ve become an old man all of a sudden. Heh heh heh—!”
“… .”
“Then… Your sister was right.”
“What did I say? I… what did you say… ?”
“My sister told me to study. I’m telling you to study hard… .”
“… .”
“sister… .”
“… .”
“It’s Yeon-hee’s older sister… .”
“… .”
“Like my sister said, I studied really hard… well done… Just give me a compliment.”
At Professor Park’s words, Ms. Ri Yeon-hee embraced Professor Park in her arms, and Professor Park began to sob in her arms.
* * *
“By the way, they say this is a very famous place in South Korea, is this really your first time here?”
At Kim Jun-seok’s question, I scratched the back of the head and said.
“I came here a couple of times to buy clothes, but… This is my first time… I don’t know the way.”
“Look, student.”
“yes?”
“I think if we go this way, it seems further away from the venue, shouldn’t we go the other way?”
“It definitely isn’t. If you go there, you will see the theater.”
.
.
.
“Uh-huh! It seems like we’re going round and round in the same place… . Seeing student Jung-ho wandering around, do you want to go all the way?”
“haha—! Right. I’ve heard a lot of people saying they have no sense of direction.”