Chapter 6 (1/2)

When we descended into the dining-room, I could feel dozens of eyes on me

Whose owners, in fore tables

Some of them somehow looked familiar to me

They were board randfather couldn’t be compared to one to anyone else

They were butlers that I had aspired to be

The grandfather would ood listener

I should make them my allies

The grandchildren were sitting around one of the tables

One of them was my brother and the other eleven were my cousins

Especially when I spotted Young-jun who 30 years later would be the vice-chairer

If I had a gun, I ht have shot him

Another table was set up for the selected ones

That were born as the grandfather's children

five successors

And their wives…

Wait!

Why nine? One

Where on the earth is my mother?

I can’t find her

As the grandfather took a seat, two chefs e in their hands a birthday cake with sixty-six lit candles crowded on top

The dining-room erupted ”Happy birthday!”

The grandfather brew out the candles and everyone cheered and clapped their hands

There were those arms were flabby: my father and my brother

And so were their faces

What’s wrong with them?

No sooner had I found my mother than I found out why

She didn’t get around to sitting and eating

The other wives

That constantly gave errands to her

”Bring me more soup,”

”Bring me some water, with ice,”

”Wipe the table,”

As if she were a housemaid

That didn’t makes any sense at all As far as I knew there were more than ten housemaids

They were being hard on my mother

I felt as if my blood boiled and my flesh quivered

The anger did not differ -jun

Even if it had been less than one hundred days, er each day

What noring her weary look while he was eating

Which explained a lot

Even though -jun must have witnessed this several times, he see

For that reason, he didn’t want to come

I felt a bit guilty about kicking his butt earlier

Behold, I’ to make them drop to their knees, in front of my mother

Eventually, she couldn’tdishes

After the dinner, the grandchildren parted into two groups

Soathered around the grandfather, asking pero upstairs’

”All right, all right Let’s go upstairs,” he said with a chuckle

I felt so the stairs

”You are the star of the day, aren’t you?” it was Young-jun

I forcedup

He looked at er than him, with a friendly smile

Let's see how long the smile will last

”This toy pony is Do-jun’s so he will help each of you take a turn,” the grandfather said, then went downstairs Even as there was no sign of his presence,

”Get out of ht shoulder

My face became reddened and I clenched rasped my wrist And he said

”Yeah, you first, Kang-jun,” with a scared look

Kang-jun? I was sure I’dheard that name before