[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 28, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: A scattered family will come together. When the family is at peace, all affairs prosper.

(Deleted fortune: Miss this moment, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life.)]

The moment I told them to run an MRI, the part of Fortune of the Day about something happening to Han Dae-Man disappeared. I was so relieved I almost wanted to run around the emergency room cheering.

But even more than that, what made me happiest was the part about a scattered family coming back together.

'Family?'

Today's fortune was about me. And if it mentioned family, it meant my family. In other words, it meant Han Dae-Man's family now saw me as one of their own. And that also meant Han Dong-Hae and Han Dong-Mi, who were on their way here, thought of me as family too. My chest tightened with emotion.

Just then, a hospital staff member quietly spoke to Oh Chil-Seok. "You'll be able to move him for the MRI in about five minutes, sir."

Oh Chil-Seok nodded. "Alright. Let's do that. And make sure he doesn't get shaken at all while you move him. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

As they prepared to move Han Dae-Man, we carefully pulled the blanket up to his waist. Right then, the emergency room doors opened.

Buzz.

At that moment. Han Dong-Hae and Han Dong-Mi rushed in.

"Father!"

"Dad!"

Han Dong-Hae, now thirty-seven, looked heavier than the last time I saw him nine years ago. He must have come in a hurry, because his hair was messy and he was dressed in a tracksuit. Han Dong-Mi, now thirty, appeared more put together in a coat.

Though it had been nine years since we last met, there was no time to savor the reunion. The moment they saw Han Dae-Man's swollen face, they rushed forward in tears. However, Han Dae-Man needed absolute stability right now.

I immediately stretched out both arms, stopping them from grabbing onto him as they cried. "Hyung! Noona! Wait! Mr. Han might have a subarachnoid hemorrhage. He's about to get an MRI. You can't touch him."

Thud.

Blocked by my arms, the two looked at me in confusion.

Han Dong-Mi called out to me with the nickname she used years ago, her voice filled with frustration. "Hoya!"

Memories from the past flooded back, but I still couldn't let them through in their emotional state.

"After the test. Okay?"

In the end, Han Dong-Hae called out from beyond my arm. "Father... Do you recognize me?"

At that moment, Han Dae-Man, his face swollen, cleared his throat and spoke. "You brats... What kind of parent can't recognize their own children?"

Then, Han Dong-Hae dropped to his knees. "I'm sorry, Father. If I hadn't taken money from those bastards back then, none of this would've happened..."

Han Dong-Mi knelt beside him as well.

Han Dae-Man smiled gently and waved his hand. "That's enough. I was too harsh back then too. So... let's let the past stay in the past. Now get up. I'm not dying."

Only then did Han Dong-Hae and Han Dong-Mi stop crying and slowly rise to their feet. Though they had been apart for nine years, blood ties couldn't be severed so easily. The family was already coming back together.

At that moment, Eun Ye-Jin set aside the joy of seeing her children again and spoke. "Dong-Hae, isn't there someone else you should apologize to?"

Han Dong-Hae hesitated briefly, then shut his eyes tightly. Without making a single excuse, he bowed his head toward me. "Yoon-Ho... even if I had ten mouths, I'd have nothing to say. I'm sorry."

He was apologizing for what happened nine years ago.

I shook my head as I held Han Dae-Man's hand. "I know NK Construction had already made their move back then, so there wasn't anything you could do. And like Mr. Han said, let's let the past stay in the past even in our hearts. I understand everything, so let's leave it at that."

Han Dong-Hae lifted his head and stared at me. Then he suddenly pulled me into an embrace. Athat moment, Han Dong-Mi, who was beside us, wrapped her arms around me as well.

As I felt their warmth, I remembered the time we all hugged each other like this when I came back after winning my first medal.

"Our youngest is the best!"

"Hoya is the greatest! Hey, you know this is all thanks to me, right?"

As I let go of the painful past, only the good memories came back to me, one after another, soothing the ache in my chest.

Then, at the entrance of the emergency room, I saw a woman in her early thirties holding a child who looked about three years old.

I gently pulled away from the two still holding me and asked, "Hyung... is that your wife?"

"Yeah." Han Dong-Hae glanced back and nodded. "Honey, come here. You should say hello."

While waiting for the test results, I had heard from Eun Ye-Jin that Han Dong-Hae got married five years ago. But I also heard that the wedding had been small with only a few people attending and without either side's parents. It was because his wife, Yoo So-Yoon, like me, had no parents.

Just then, Han Dong-Mi suddenly stepped outside the emergency room. "Ah, I'll be right back for a moment."

I had no idea why she left, but I didn't have the time to ask because I was greeting Yoo So-Yoon.

Holding her daughter, Yoo So-Yoon approached and bowed to Han Dae-Man. "My name is Yoo So-Yoon..."

She looked extremely tense, meeting her husband's estranged father for the first time.

It seemed like Yoo So-Yeon was worried she might not be accepted. Yet, Han Dae-Man accepted her as his daughter-in-law without hesitation.

"I'm sorry I couldn't attend your wedding five years ago. I was... very narrow-minded back then. I can't talk long in this condition, so let's do proper greetings another time, dear."

"S-Sir..."

Tears streamed down Yoo So-Yoon's face as she nodded. They were tears of relief at being accepted.

Then, the little girl in her arms bowed her head. "Grandpa! Don't be sick! Get better fast!"

Han Dae-Man burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha. So you're my granddaughter, Song-Yi. Don't worry, this old man isn't that sick. Once I'm done with treatment, I'll buy you lots of tasty things."

"Wow!! Grandpa's the best!"

Even with the examination ahead, the atmosphere brightened thanks to Han Song-Yi's sunny smile.

Then, Han Dong-Hae pointed at me and spoke to his wife. "Honey, this is the youngest of my siblings, Yoon-Ho. You already know about him, right?"

Yoo So-Yoon wiped her tears and bowed to me. "I've finally met the youngest brother my husband always bragged about. You look even better in person than on TV."

Just like Everyday had indicated, it was clear Han Dong-Hae had always thought of me as his real younger brother.

Holding back the emotion swelling in my chest, I bowed. "It's nice to meet you, sister-in-law."

At that moment, the chubby-cheeked Han Song-Yi waved her tiny hand and called out, "Uncle Yoon-Ho! Hello!"

"Hi, Song-Yi, you're really pretty."

When I greeted her with a highfive, Han Song-Yi broke into a bright smile. "Hehe. Thaaank you! And I saw you on TV, Uncle! Daddy bragged about you! He said you're the coolest!"

Han Song-Yi, who had only just started talking, chattered away, repeating everything her father had told her.

"Really?"

When I played along, Han Song-Yi spread her arms wide and exclaimed excitedly, "Yes! And I like you this muuuuch!"

Han Dong-Hae cleared his throat. "Song-Yi talks a lot. Sorry, Yoon-Ho. Please understand."

"Why are you apologizing? It's nice to see."

Thanks to Han Song-Yi, the tense atmosphere lightened a bit and I felt relieved.

Just then, a staff member approached, releasing the brakes on the emergency bed and preparing to move it. "Alright, we'll move him now."

As they prepared to take Han Dae-Man for the MRI, Eun Ye-Jin looked around anxiously. "But where did Dong-Mi suddenly go?"

No sooner had she said that, Han Dong-Mi rushed in through the emergency room entrance with a slim man in a suit.

"Dad! Dad! At least take a look at my boyfriend before you go!"

Maybe because she had heard how serious the situation was, Han Dong-Mi had even brought her boyfriend along.

However, I froze on the spot as soon as I saw the man. It was Prosecutor Park Jung-Jik. He was a man who would later earn the nickname "Razor Prosecutor," making a name for himself in major cases.

"Hello, sir. I'm Park Jung-Jik. I'm in a relationship with Dong-Mi with the intention of marriage. I'm currently serving as a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office!"

The moment I heard his voice, memories from the past flashed through my mind. Before my regression when I was the vice president of Top Entertainment, I had once been investigated by him while cleaning up after Kim Dong-Soo. Back then, I had faced a ten-year sentence recommendation before getting released, and the memory made my legs tremble without me realizing it.

'Noh Tae-Soo... looks like you're completely finished this time.'

***

Rattle.

Han Dae-Man was taken into the MRI room while lying on the bed. Unlike the CT, they said it would take about an hour, but no one wanted to leave the front of the examination room out of worry. I didn't want to step away either, but if I wanted to deal with Noh Tae-Soo, I had to move now.

"Please stay here. I need to go meet someone for a moment," I said.

At that moment, Park Jung-Jik stood up abruptly. "Mr. Jung, I'll come with you."

Then Han Dong-Mi spoke up. "Oppa, why are you calling him Mr. Jung? Are you going to keep being so formal with our youngest?"

"Then... should I call him my brother-in-law? Is that okay?"

"Of course." Han Dong-Mi then turned to me. "Hoya, consider him brother-in-law from now on. We're getting married in six months."

I smiled. "Nice to meet you, hyung-nim."

Perhaps because Han Dong-Mi had introduced me as family, Park Jung-Jik also accepted me like a younger brother. "I must be very lucky to have such a famous brother-in-law. Haha. Let's get along well from now on."

Han Dong-Mi spoke bluntly. "Jung-Jik oppa, are you seriously going to keep talking formally? It makes you seem distant."

I nodded as well. "Yeah, please speak comfortably."

Park Jung-Jik cleared his throat. "Alright. Got it, Yoon-Ho."

Just as we shook hands and were about to leave together, Han Dong-Hae tried to follow. "Let me come too."

I knew he was angry after hearing what Noh Tae-Soo had done, but I firmly shook my head. Since Han Dong-Hae was still working at NK Construction, it was better for him not to stand out.

"Hyung, you should stay here."

"Yoon-Ho."

At that moment, Park Jung-Jik also stopped him. "Hyung-nim, please wait here until Mr. Han comes out. Yoon-Ho and I will be enough. If you get involved, it'll only make things complicated."

Han Dong-Hae hesitated for a moment, then held himself back and looked at Park Jung-Jik. "Alright. I'll trust you."

"Yes, hyung-nim." After nodding, Park Jung-Jik turned to me. "Let's go, Yoon-Ho."

The moment he sharply turned his head, the real face of the man who would later be called the Razor Prosecutor revealed itself.

It was just like the look he had when he demanded a ten-year sentence for me before my regression.

***

Noh Tae-Soo and Kim In-Cheol had already been moved into VIP Room No. 2. Since Noh Tae-Soo was an Asian Games gold medalist and also a director at NK Construction, he had quite a few connections.

As we headed toward the VIP ward on the fifth floor, I explained everything that had happened today in more detail about how Han Dae-Man, who had been trying to expose the match-fixing incident from nine years ago, had been kidnapped and beaten by Noh Tae-Soo.

Stopping in front of the door, Park Jung-Jik's eyes sharpened as he spoke. "So, Yoon-Ho, to summarize the situation—you fought against Noh Tae-Soo, who was trying to kill Mr. Han with a knife. Is that right?"

'Huh? That's not exactly what happened.'

"And you, Yoon-Ho, were terrified of the man holding a knife, not in your right mind, and resisted just to survive. Right? You probably don't even remember how many times you hit him. You were scared. And all you could think about was saving Mr. Han."

That wasn't true. I remembered everything clearly. I could even show exactly how many times I hit him and where.

Then, Park Jung-Jik smiled again and asked, "Right, Yoon-Ho?"

I didn't know why, but it felt like I had to agree. Just like back when I was misunderstood because of Kim Dong-Soo and faced a ten-year sentence recommendation, I instinctively brought my hands together obediently and answered, "That's right! Mr. Prosecutor."

"Not Mr. Prosecutor. Hyung-nim."

He smiled faintly, but it didn't feel like a smile at all.

"Ah... right. Hyung-nim."

"Good. Then shall we go in?"

At that moment, I made a request. "Hyung-nim, this isn't just about Noh Tae-Soo. His father, Noh Sang-Jin, is involved too. So please give me a chance to question him as well."

Park Jung-Jik thought for a moment before nodding. "You think we can tie Noh Sang-Jin into this?"

I had fed countless tips to Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill in the past. However, it seemed Seo Jae-Ill had kept everything tightly under wraps, because even though they were in the same office, Park Jung-Jik didn't seem to know much about me.

"If my questions aren't satisfactory, you can cut me off."

"Hmm. Alright. Let's go in, then."

"Okay."

At that moment, Park Jung-Jik pushed the door open.

Rattle.

The VIP room had two beds. Noh Tae-Soo lay on the larger one, while Kim In-Cheol was on the smaller one. Team Lead Oh Cheol-Min and four members of the security team were guarding them.

Then, Noh Tae-Soo, lying on the bed with his face swollen like a steamed bun, spotted me and started shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Jung Yoon-Ho! You son of a bitch! You're dead now!"

At that moment, Park Jung-Jik calmly pulled out his prosecutor ID from his pocket and spoke. "I'm Prosecutor Park Jung-Jik from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Noh Tae-Soo, you are under emergency arrest for attempted murder and kidnapping."

Noh Tae-Soo froze, his words stuttering. "W-What did you say...?"

His mouth hung open as drool dripped down from the corner of his lips. Meanwhile, Kim In-Cheol, who had slightly opened his eyes, immediately shut them again and lay still, pretending to be dead.

'Starting off with attempted murder and kidnapping, huh?'

My brother-in-law was even more ruthless than I expected.

***

"Please spare me, sir."

Noh Tae-Soo knelt on the bed, hands clasped together as he begged desperately.

Nevertheless, Park Jung-Jik didn't even blink. "And why should I? You tried to kill my father-in-law."

"F-Father-in-law...?"

"Yes. The man you assaulted today is my future father-in-law."

Noh Tae-Soo hurriedly tried to explain. "Sir, I did throw a few punches, but I never intended to kill him. I swear! I'm not an idiot. Why would I kill someone?"

"Mr. Han Dae-Man is currently being examined for a suspected brain hemorrhage. If anything happens and he dies, you'll be charged with murder immediately."

"I-I..."

At that moment, Noh Tae-Soo glanced at me.

Instantly, Park Jung-Jik's voice turned cold. "Looks like you're trying to drag my brother-in-law into this. Give it up. You're already way past the point where that would work."

Noh Tae-Soo panicked, unable to think straight. Then, realizing he couldn't escape, he tried to threaten instead. "Sir, I'm the eldest son of NK Construction. Do you really think you can arrest me? You should think about your career too."

That was when Park Jung-Jik's tone completely changed, dropping all formality. "Why are criminals these days so damn fearless? What, you think prosecutors are pushovers because of movies and dramas? You think this is a joke?!"

As his harsh words poured out, Noh Tae-Soo looked flustered. "S-Sir... I didn't mean—"

"Actually, now that I think about it, I'm getting pissed. You're threatening a prosecutor in the middle of official duty? You little punk! That's obstruction of justice added to your charges!"

Caught off guard by the overwhelming force of his attitude, Noh Tae-Soo couldn't respond. Then, Park Jung-Jik glanced at me, giving a signal. It was my turn.

I nodded and pressed Noh Tae-Soo further. "Noh Tae-Soo. This was your father's doing, wasn't it?"

I threw out the bait, trying to tie in Noh Sang-Jin of NK Construction. However, Noh Tae-Soo, still shaken, said nothing.

"..."

'So now he's invoking his right to remain silent?'

"Hey, think carefully. Whether you orchestrated everything yourself or just carried out your father's orders changes your charges. One wrong move, and you're looking at life imprisonment."

I glanced at Park Jung-Jik, and he gave a slight nod.

Then, as if he had finished calculating his options, Noh Tae-Soo clenched his teeth and answered. "I... I did it alone."

'Oh? Trying to protect his father?'

Just like a chaebol heir, he must have believed his family would use their influence to get him out of prison. After all, as the only son, the heir to NK Construction, there was no way his father would abandon him.

"You did it alone?"

"Yeah! I couldn't stand seeing you succeed, Jung Yoon-Ho! That's why I did it! Satisfied?"

Park Jung-Jik shook his head, looking disappointed. Now that Noh Tae-Soo had regained his composure, it would be difficult to tie Noh Sang-Jin into this.

But I simply smiled faintly and spoke again. "Noh Tae-Soo. You really think your father will pull you out if you take the fall?"

"Of course! I'm his only son! He has to pass the company on to me and handle the inheritance. Of course he'll get me out!"

He seemed to have absolute faith in his father. It was too bad. Because as someone who had regressed, I knew something only a handful of people in this world knew.

I let out a small scoff and dropped the bomb. "Tae-Soo. Who told you you're the only son your father has to inherit the company?"

At that moment, Noh Tae-Soo's mouth fell open as he froze completely. It was like the final scene of a morning drama, where the truth about someone's birth is revealed.