Chapter 16 (1/2)
The celebration was held magnificently.
The ballroom was swarmed with people. Most of them came to give the grandfather a good impression, rather than simply to congratulate Choi on his election to the National a.s.sembly.
Our family greeted Seo-yun who was greeting guests with a big smile at the entrance.
”Congratulations,” my father said.
Even though his tone was a bit sarcastic, her grin on Seo-yun’s face didn’t seem to fade an inch.
Giving the father a light slap on the back, Seo-yun scowled at him.
“Help yourself,” she said.
”You’ve changed since Choi got elected,” the father said, then laughed.
Unlike him, my mother and brother Sang-jun still looked nervous.
”Congratulations,”
She was still grinning when my mother, I and my brother congratulated her. Very rare.
”Oh, do me a favor,” she said to the mother.
The mother raised her eyebrows.
”There is a very important party leader I want you to meet,” Seo-yun said.
My father's eyebrows wriggled.
”What are you talking about?” he asked.
”Honey!” The mother said, tugging at his sleeve, as if to say ‘don’t make any trouble,’
”It’s just because he said he used to be her fan. What’s with the look?”
”I’ll meet him,” the mother hastened to say, then walked into the ballroom, seizing the father’s arm.
”Honey, do not blow your stack over anything,” she said.
The father quickly put a polite smile on his face, greeting and getting greeted by the people, then he squeezed her hand as if saying, ‘all right, honey,’
”Okay, let's take a quick look around, then get out of here,” he said.
He waved his hand in greeting as he spotted Choi.
”Congratulations on your election. What does it feel like, obtaining a seat in Parliament?” he asked, then laughed.
”Oh, well it feels like I’ve been demoted from the chief prosecutor to a newly-elected member of the National a.s.sembly,” Choi said.
When I and Sang-jun greeted him, he stroked my hair and bowed lightly to the mother.
”You look more beautiful with age. The ballroom became bright because of you,” he said to the mother.
”Congratulations,” she said.
I saw Choi’s eyes roamed over her body.
Disgusting son of a b.i.t.c.h! Very off-putting.
”Oh, do me a favor,”Choi said.
”Yep, heard that from Seo-yun. Who the h.e.l.l is it?” the father asked, frustrated again.
”An influential person of the Sixth Republic,”
”What? It’s been only a few days since the Sixth Republic was established,”
”It's President Roh Tae-woo's right-hand man,” he said in an effusive, but low voice.
“Why don't you guys get some food?” the mother suggested, looking at me and Sang-jun.
Choi pushed my parents a bit forward into the crowd.
When I tried to p.r.i.c.k up my ears to listen, I became aware of an intrusive presence.
Kang-jun was standing with his younger sister, Young-kyung. She is one year older than I am.
”Hi, Young-kyung,” I said, raising my hand in greeting as I approached.
They looked horrified. They must have recalled the time when I broke Kang-jun’s one leg.
”Is your leg okay now?” I continued, “I heard you’d walked with crutches,” I said, staring at his leg with a sarcastic edge.
His face then became reddened with rage.
”We will have to adjust its balance by breaking the other,” my tone was soft, but my eyes blazed. Kang-jun huffed, then stormed off. His sister followed in the rear.
”Do-jun, why do you keep p.i.s.sing him off?” Sang-jun asked with an anxious look on his face.