NOVEL WEB Chapter 220
Chapter 220
Taeyang started to run away.
Dodging everyone chasing him, left and right.
And the sisters, plus me, couldn’t meet him either.
No one could even guess what kind of rumors and conspiracy theories would arise just from facing him.
Moreover, though we weren’t as targeted as Taeyang, we were also victims of the reporters’ violent coverage. Because of that, most of our lives had to be spent collectively inside the accommodation.
It was just easier to manage and protect when we were together.
Cheon Aram told me that I could stay in a private accommodation, but I refused and volunteered to stay with the sisters.
It was already late, but I thought there might still be something I could do.
Honestly speaking, starting this joint living arrangement with the sisters again was tough.
When we lived together before, they were reasonably positive and considerate, but after seeing what Taeyang went through, they seemed completely out of it, crying at random times and barely speaking all day. When they did open their mouths, it was only to mumble apologies or make baby noises looking for Taeyang.
Up to that point, I could somewhat understand, but moments like Winter sister scratching her wrist with her nails, Autumn sister blankly staring at shattered glass, or Summer sister choking herself made me feel like I was losing my own mind.
Seeing all that, I could barely tell whether we were in a psychiatric hospital or an idol’s dorm.
No… in fact, I’m the crazy one, so why do they seem crazier than me?
Cheon Aram, aware of their antics, came directly to the accommodation and sternly scolded them.
If they had any sense of responsibility, they shouldn’t tear apart what Seon Taeyang had tried to protect.
As Cheon Aram, with her sharp gaze I’d never seen before, suppressed her frustration and spoke, a commotion broke out in front of the dorm.
Thinking it was reporters, Cheon Aram tensed and was about to give orders to stop them, but when she figured out who caused the commotion, she sighed lightly and opened the way.
The person who appeared down that path was Summer sister’s father, Jin Baek-ho, the chairman of the main sponsor, TwoBear.
“Long time no see, Aram.”
“It’s been a while.”
“I know this isn’t the time for pleasantries, but it seems the current situation isn’t suitable for personal greetings either.”
“…Yes, I understand completely.”
“Good, then as an investor and as Summer’s guardian, I demand an explanation of the current situation.”
The warm and doting fatherly side I had sensed from Jin Baek-ho during our brief encounter had vanished.
What remained was a chilling certainty that he could take down sinners at a moment’s notice.
“What exactly did Seon Taeyang do?”
“….”
“Do you think that the protection promised to my daughter is being carried out properly right now?”
Just as Cheon Aram hesitated to speak in response to that question, Summer sister spoke up from behind.
“Dad, it’s not like that.”
“Yuri, I’m not here as Jin Baek-ho the individual. If you plan to defend him out of personal feelings, then right now…”
“Yeoreum, right now, I’m not here as Jin Baek-ho personally. If you’re thinking of defending with personal feelings, now is….”
“It’s not even a defense. …I’m just stating the facts.”
“…Then speak.”
Yeoreum, swallowing dry, struggled to hide her nervousness.
“Right now, the situation is all because of us.”
And then Yeoreum began a long explanation.
She laid bare everything—coercive threats, the unstable relationship that ensued, and the reckless revelations that stemmed from that obsession, all while making it sound like hiding any of it was sinful.
“….”
After a long silence, Jin Baek-ho finally spoke while looking at Yeoreum.
“Yeoreum, as your father, I’ve always treasured you. That will never change, no matter what happens. However, this thing you did….”
With a pained expression, as if he didn’t want to say such words, he added,
“Honestly, I’m disappointed.”
“….”
At that, Jin Yeoreum crumpled to her knees.
Ignoring her, Jin Baek-ho bowed his head to Cheon Aram and said,
“I’m sorry. There’s so much damage due to my daughter’s actions that estimating the losses is difficult, but I will compensate as much as possible under the name of Jin Baek-ho.”
“No, you don’t have to….”
“As a father of a child, I beg you. Let her take responsibility.”
Seeing Cheon Aram subconsciously nod at his desperate plea, Jin Baek-ho staggered toward the exit.
His secretary, supporting him, asked,
“What should we do?”
“I need to apologize to Seon Taeyang.”
“Should we arrange a meeting?”
“No, right now, just seeing my face must be unpleasant for him. Still…, it has to be done.”
Jin Baek-ho muttered to himself with staggering steps.
“I don’t know if I can repay what I’ve lost, but I still have to.”
“….”
The man left, and within the silence that returned, no one could find their voice.
*
The next day, visitors came to the Girl Revolution accommodation, filled with silence and terminal insanity.
Gahyeon, the younger brother of Older Sister Gaeul; Seon Dalrae, older sister to Seon Taeyang; and finally, Older Sister Gyeoul’s grandfather.
An awkward atmosphere hung heavy as Seon Dalrae, scratching her head nervously, spoke up.
“Is there anyone who can explain why my brother is going through this?”
“…I will.”
This time, it was Older Sister Gyeoul who stepped in.
She recounted everything that had happened, similar to what Younger Yeoreum had mentioned yesterday.
“Ugh…, that guy.”
Seon Dalrae sighed with a bittersweet smile, seemingly expecting as much.
Instead, it was Older Sister Gyeoul’s grandfather who stepped forward and said,
“Gyeoul, I don’t misunderstand your feelings, but… I don’t quite get it.”
“….”
“What I wanted to see was you and Taeyang being happy, even if you had two kids, but maybe I was asking for too much.”
“….”
“It’s tough at my age, I don’t understand… I’m sorry.”
They reluctantly wrapped up their short conversation and left the accommodation again.
Before stepping out the door, Gahyeon, looking crestfallen, spoke to Older Sister Gaeul.
“Older Sister.”
“…Yeah, Gahyeon.”
“You shouldn’t do that. Of all people, you shouldn’t do that to Brother Taeyang. He’s done so much and sacrificed so much for us.”
“….”
“…Older Sister, you were wrong. Really, you were very wrong.”
With those words, as she stared at the closed door, Older Sister Gaeul cried again.
*
It was decided that Taeyang would escape overseas.
Actually, the escape had already begun. What we received was a post-event report.
Chairman Jin Baek-ho had assured us that we didn’t need to worry about safety and security since he was assisting him.
But perhaps it was because we realized it had become harder to see Taeyang?
At a gathering, Older Sister Gaeul finally spoke up after a long time.
“…I miss Brother Taeyang.”
“‘…’”
It was something she had refrained from saying throughout their stay at the accommodation.
However, it seemed she couldn’t hold back any longer. One would expect she’d anticipate facing all her sins the moment she spoke those words.
And, as predicted, it acted as a catalyst, prompting Older Sister Yeoreum to chime in.
“Yeah, I miss him too. …But, Older Sister. Is it okay for you to say that, considering it led us to this situation?”
“…I’m sorry, I was wrong. I’ll apologize again; this situation is my fault. Because I couldn’t let go of my greed, because I didn’t give up, I took a selfish approach, which led Brother Taeyang to make such a choice. …But you can’t just blame me, Yeoreum.”
Watching the two, Winter Sister spoke quietly but firmly.
“Older Sister Gaeul, and Yeoreum. Both of you, stop it.”
However, it seemed Yeoreum had no intention of stopping.
“Are you saying that I should have just stood by as Team Leader Seon was forced to date you, while you did something crazy?”
“At the very least, there had to be another way to respond than reigniting this scandal. If it had just been my scandal, we wouldn’t have ended up in such a situation.”
“Stop it. Both of you.”
“…Haha, so you’re saying I should have just stood by and watched you vilely steal away my Team Leader Seon? Do you know how desperate I am?”
“Mine…? Ha… don’t talk as if Brother Taeyang belongs to you…”
“Stop it!”
“‘…’”
Winter Sister’s face was filled with a rage that seemed like it could burn everyone alive.
Everyone froze, staring at her fierce emotions, so different from the shy and innocent Winter Sister they knew.
“Desperate? Can’t give up? I guess so! …But that’s not just you two. I’m just as crazy desperate! I saw a future where Teacher Taeyang disappears!”
She had seen the future.
It was a bizarre, fairy tale-like story that nobody would believe.
However, in that moment, no one in the room showed any skepticism toward her words.
“Future? I’ve seen that too! I saw how miserable Yoo Gaeul’s life would be without Brother Taeyang, regretting and banging her head on the floor!”
“You’re just stubbornly good at this!”
“I think you’re mistaken; it’s not just you two. I saw it too. So I painfully know that if Team Leader Seon wasn’t there, you’d all just be garbage hated by the whole world!”
The three of them spoke competitively about what they saw, what they experienced, and how desperately they loved that man named Taeyang.
In an atmosphere so sharp it felt like blood would splash at any moment, my head was colder than ever. Inside, it felt like a wildfire was blazing.
Yeah, I was extremely angry at those older sisters.
I couldn’t hold back that anger anymore.
“Hey, you selfish bitches!”
The three of them stopped talking for a moment and turned their gaze to me, who was shouting until my voice was hoarse.
Their eyes, as if they’d dance around with kitchen knives at any second, were a bit scary, but I wouldn’t stop.
“Do you sisters only know your own feelings? You’ve received so much and have such a precious person! Is all you can do is throw a fit and ask for more, just from me? How can you be blind to how much that guy has made you happy? If you’ve taken that much, think of a way to make him happy for once!”
That man had given everything to those sisters.
Yet they were still shouting for more, begging for his attention, even now.
I was very angry about that.
…As if he had wasted his love in vain.
“…”.
Tears flowed again from the eyes of Older Sister Gyeoul, who had frozen in place listening to me.
“I hope Teacher Taeyang is happy too. I just want him to be happy and not hurt.”
Then, Older Sister Gaeul cried as well.
“I too wish for Brother Taeyang to be happy. It’s true that I’m a selfish bitch, but my feelings are real.”
Finally, two streams of tears ran down Older Sister Yeoreum’s cheeks.
“I feel the same way, but I don’t know. I really would give up everything, but I don’t think that would make him happy. Really… I have no idea how to make Team Leader Seon happy. …Yuri, do you know? How do we make Team Leader Seon happy?”
All three older sisters looked at me as if they had the same thought.
Then, like a wave, that man Taeyang flowed back into me.
I surrendered myself to that wave as if it was familiar and swam to find a way to make him happy.
“I learned that someone could find happiness through the love I possess and give. …Thanks to that, I became happy.”
What surfaced was his voice.
“…”
A way came to mind.
I spoke it aloud.
“Harem…”
Startled by the words that slipped out, I flinched. Then I chuckled lightly at how I had said such an absurd thing.
‘Have I gone crazy like those sisters?’ was a thought that crossed my mind.
I doubted it. I checked again if this was really the right path.
But even so, my thoughts didn’t change.
So I said with certainty.
“Let’s create a harem.”