Chapter 924. Crank Up 3

“What was that call about?” Gaeul asked as she looked at Maru who sat down.

Maru was cautiously on a long phone call ever since he asked Yoojin about Hong Janghae. There was no way he randomly mentioned someone completely unrelated to this topic. She wondered what Maru said to whoever it was over the phone.

“Someone I know is investigating something, and he ran into a similar situation as this one so I asked just in case.”

“Something similar?”

“It’s a little complicated to explain. But it’s not a big deal.”

Gaeul felt a sense of disparity while looking at Maru smiling. He seemed to be hiding something important. Whether it was his expression, action, or the tone of his words, they were all calm and made it seem like nothing big was going on, but she was strangely concerned about them. Yoojin and Jiseok both nodded and took their attention away from him, but Gaeul narrowed her eyes and observed him. She locked eyes with him just as she was drinking. He was smiling nonchalantly. Seeing Maru ask her if there was anything she wanted to know, Gaeul intuitively realized that he was hiding something. Something that he could not say out loud.

“I’m going to keep watching mom. Who knows, she might quit tomorrow. I don’t think mom’s a foolish person. Right now, she’s involved in that kind of business for some reason, but I’m sure she knows it’s not an upright thing to do. I’m sure she’ll do well without me having to tell her about it.”

Meanwhile, Yoojin was talking about the conclusion she came down to in the bedroom once again. Not going against her mother was Yoojin’s ultimatum and plan. That would not change no matter who it was that tried to persuade her.

“Then I guess there’s no choice. It’s not like we can tell you to do something. If you decided to do that, then we have no choice but to watch what happens,” Maru replied.

“You think I’m pathetic, don’t you?”

“If you came to a decision, then you can’t call that pathetic. You came to that conclusion after thinking hard about it, didn’t you?”

“I know it’s empty words, but it’s still consoling to hear that.”

“That’s good. Oh, let me ask just in case: you will never change your mind, will you?”

“Probably not. I just can’t imagine myself going against my mother. I don’t think I can endure whether it’s going my separate way from mom because I said something to her or her looking at me like she can’t understand. I know it might look frustrating to you, but this is how I honestly feel.”

Maru concluded the conversation with a nod. He looked like he took his hands off this matter. On one hand, he looked like he respected Yoojin’s wishes, and on the other hand, he looked like he had given up early since it would not matter no matter what he would say. Gaeul fidgeted with her hand hidden under the blanket. That was just like Maru. He was not someone who would passionately persuade others to do something. Other than a few exceptions, his motto was that he should not get deeply involved with someone else’s life matters. Accepting and putting it aside was extremely natural for him. However, for some reason, it kept tugging on her heart. She felt like a fish bone was stuck in her throat. It would naturally disappear with time, but just like how the bone would express its presence the more she focused, Maru’s actions, words, and questions made her feel uncomfortable.

“Maru, wait.”

Gaeul stood up and pointed at the bedroom. Maru only blinked and did not stand up. Being the smart man he was, he seemed to have noticed what she would ask from him inside the bedroom already.

“Let’s talk a little,” she said with a little emphasis.

She entered the bedroom after telling Yoojin and Jiseok to talk for a while. Maru followed her in and closed the door.

“You know why I called you here, right?”

“Not at all – would you believe me if I said that?”

Gaeul gestured towards the bed with her chin. This didn’t look like it would take a short time and could be finished up while standing. She could hear the TV being turned on outside. They were probably watching TV since Yoojin’s matters had been resolved somewhat. Maru sat down next to her. She waited until he spoke first,

“I suddenly feel nervous like I’m at a job interview.”

“So you did something wrong?”

“Does it look like that?”

“What in the world are you thinking about? I did call you because I found it strange, but I don’t really know for sure.”

“Did I act unnatural?”

“No, you were perfectly Han Maru. The questions and your solutions were just like you. But something kept catching my eye, telling me that there was something more than just that. I’ll apologize if it’s actually nothing much. I might be overthinking things since this concerns Yoojin, but if it’s not like that, I hope you can tell me about it.”

“A woman’s intuition sure is amazing.”

Maru locked his hands and placed them on his lap. He started talking as he looked straight forward. Listening to the story that was not too long, Gaeul went from surprise to anger, before ultimately chiding Maru.

“You tried to reach Hong Janghae using Yoojin’s mother as a foothold?”

“I know how much Yoojin cherishes her mother, so she would probably tell her mother to stop first if she finds out about the danger. If Yoojin’s mother takes her hands off this business, Hong Janghae will also have no choice but to decrease his range of action, so there would be less chance of catching any clues about him.”

“If I didn’t ask you, would you have driven Yoojin’s mother into a corner after your preparation are done?”

“Our aim is Hong Janghae and his backer, so we won’t drive her back too harshly. We’ll probably ask for her cooperation. Though, we look for another method if things don't go that well.”

“What do you think would have happened to Yoojin if something bad happened to her mother? She’s someone who’s having a hard time just thinking about it. I’m sure someone like you could predict what would happen to her if she sees her mother collapsing in front of her very eyes.”

“Sometimes, things are just inevitable. I don’t really care what Yoojin’s mother does, but if someone I know is involved in it, then I should think about the severity of both sides.”

Maru’s eyes looked cold and dark – something that she had seen several times. They looked like they would steal the warmth of anything that fell in their path. It was heartbreaking. Thanks to Maru’s story, she was able to see that Lee Miyoon was on the line in the process of chasing Hong Janghae. Maru was helping journalist Kim Dongwook for her sake, even if the consequences may involve harming Yoojin’s mother.

“Yoojin is my friend.”

Maru replied that she was also his friend.

“I don’t want to see Yoojin suffering. I know that what Yoojin’s mother is doing is wrong. I sympathize with the fact that she should be stopped. That’s why I plan to persuade her slowly so that she can straighten out the wrongs herself. Only then will Yoojin be able to overcome the situation she’s in. She has to accept the situation and approach her mother with courage in order to straighten out her relationship with her mother. I believe that Yoojin will be able to graduate from her mother’s shadow in that process. And she has to.”

“You’re entirely right. I wish we could do it like that.”

“Then why are you waiting? I’ll try to persuade her as fast as possible.”

Maru sighed softly.

“I told you. This is being carried out by someone who has received suffering that’s incomparable to mine. I’m only helping out from the side too. If it was me, I would be able to wait if you told me to. Like you said, doing things your way will allow Yoojin to gain emotional stability. But I cannot outright tell that hyung-nim to wait.”

“Can’t you ask just once?”

After scratching his eyebrows, Maru started talking about the things he didn’t need to before; he talked about what happened to the person who investigated Hong Janghae’s back for the sake of an actress who was sacrificed in a prostitution incident, for the sake of justice, and for the sake of journalism. Gaeul was unable to close her mouth when she heard that such a person was socially eradicated, and that person even attempted to commit suicide.

“I can’t bear to tell that hyung-nim that we should just let Yoojin’s mother go just because she’s the mother of a friend of mine. That person is investigating this matter with half of his life on the line. The only thing I can tell someone like that is some information and to be careful.”

Funnily enough, a part of her agreed to Maru’s words. Wanting to look after Yoojin and empathy towards that female journalist was equal. Putting aside personal feelings, it was natural to help that journalist. Whether it was reason, justification, or justice, everything was on the journalist’s side. There was only one reason that Yoojin’s mother shouldn’t be hurt – it was because Yoojin would feel sad. Her reason whispered to her that that was nothing compared to the sorrow of someone who tried to end her own life under the pressure of power.

“But if you still want me to tell him, then I’ll try. I don’t know how he’ll act though.”

“How can I ask you to do it after listening to all this?”

“That was why I stayed quiet. There is only one conclusion, and it’ll be better if I’m the only bad guy.”

“You always did things like that.”

“I can’t help it.”

Maru was smiling, which was frustrating to her.

“You aren’t spending some sweet time in there, are you?” Just then, Jiseok’s shout could be heard.

It had been nearly 30 minutes since they entered the bedroom. Gaeul wiped her eyes with her palms, feeling like she would tear up if she didn’t do anything.

“The only thing I can do is to tell Yoojin carefully so that she can prepare. Of course, whether you tell her this or not is up to you.”

“You know I can’t say it to her, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Did she have to hide the truth from Yoojin and have her prepare for the shock just like Maru said? If things did go the way he explained, then many people, including Hong Janghae, would be punished under the law. Yoojin’s mother, who played the role of the procuress, would end up serving a sentence in prison, and Yoojin would blame herself for it. After all, she knew that she should have stopped her early on.

Gaeul felt complicated. This problem involved the family of a friend of hers and the thick resentment of a person. Those two couldn’t be separated cleanly, so she couldn’t see a clear solution to this. So this was why Maru chose to stay quiet.

“It would’ve been great if Yoojin’s mother didn’t do something like that in the first place.”

“You can’t revert something that has already happened.”

“I know. What has happened cannot be reverted nor changed.”

Gaeul stood up from the bed. In order to protect her friend, the only thing she could do was to help her from the side starting now so that she could maintain a firm will. It would be hard for the time being if she refreshed Yoojin of the fact that her mother might be arrested, but that would lessen the shock if it happens for real. Just as she was about to tell Maru that they should leave,

“Changed, huh,” Maru suddenly tapped on his knees with his index finger while muttering those words.

After tapping a few times, he stood up abruptly. Then he approached her and hugged her.

“If Muse does exist, then you would be one.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know if it would work out or not, but thanks to you, I thought of an idea.”

Having backed off from her, Maru had a deeper smile than ever.

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