The Baby Seizes Fortune - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 3

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“Snow White lived happily ever after with the prince~ The end!”

“The end!”

Even though I already knew all the princess stories in the world, I loved this time when Mom read fairy tale books to me.

“Was it fun?”

“Yeah! Chaea will live happily with Mommy too! Chaea will be Mommy’s prince!”

“Chaea…”

Mom’s eyes looking at me grew teary.

‘So forget about that jerk!’

I glanced and glared at the couple photo of Saebyeol and Mincheol hanging on the wall.

The photo taken after their first kiss at Gyeongpodae, was it episode 6…?

‘That handsome-looking piece of trash!’

I too had a time when I cheered for Mincheol and Saebyeol like other viewers.

When Saebyeol was almost sold to a greedy chaebol chairman due to her half-siblings’ villainous acts, Mincheol appeared magnificently and saved her.

And whenever something happened to Saebyeol, he would appear at just the right time to help and protect her.

‘There were reviews saying it was childish, but honestly it was cool…’

But his image completely crumbled in the final episode. It was the day Saebyeol confirmed her pregnancy, when Mincheol told her he had to leave.

He said something urgent came up and he had to go to America.

Without even explaining specifically what it was about.

The drama’s ending was ridiculous, but he hasn’t contacted her even once until now.

What kind of business could be so important that he can’t contact his wife even after she gave birth!

“Our Chaea has really grown so much.”

Mom hugged me tightly.

And she lovingly stroked my small head.

“Thank you. I love you too, Mom…”

I slowly closed my eyes in Mom’s embrace.

Mom, I’ll definitely make you happy.

When I muttered that and opened my eyes again, I felt the familiar ceiling of Junho’s house and the morning sunlight.

‘It was a dream.’

I let out a sigh and lifted my small body with effort.

Mom’s embrace felt like it was reality.

‘Mom’s scent… it was nice…’

Still, it was good that I could see Mom even in a dream.

I shook my head left and right vigorously to shake off the sadness.

When I turned my gaze, I could see Junho, who had come home after finishing his shift work, still sleeping.

Fair skin with a gentle yet handsome face, and a tall height of 185 centimeters with a muscular build that was impressive for this era.

Anyone could see he was handsome, but perhaps because sharp-featured male actors were the trend in this era, Junho couldn’t get opportunities as an actor.

‘In the era I lived in, he’d have idol visuals.’

Junho had pain relief patches stuck here and there on his shoulders.

Perhaps because of his good physique and strength, Junho was doing physical labor at a factory.

‘That makes it even more heartbreaking…’

Just as I was about to raise my tiny hand to wipe the tears forming in my eyes,

“Mmm… Chaea, are you awake?”

Junho opened his eyes and looked at me with a disheveled appearance. Perhaps because he just woke up, his double eyelids looked particularly deep.

“Yeah.”

“Wait, I’ll give you food. Ouch…”

Junho, who seemed to have considerable muscle pain as he got up making groaning sounds, started preparing breakfast with clattering noises.

On his fingers were bandages from cuts he got while slicing radish when he tried to make radish soup last time.

Watching that heartbreakingly touching scene, I thought about Mom’s insurance money.

About a year before the accident, Mom had taken out an insurance policy with Tomorrow Life Insurance.

“Just in case something happens to me, our Chaea… would be left alone.”

I remember hearing Mom’s phone consultation with the insurance agent.

The accidental death coverage was 100 million won.

A considerably high amount compared to the average. It seemed Mom had strained herself to get high-amount insurance in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.

For reference, considering that the average Seoul apartment price exceeds 1 billion won, you might say it’s not much money,

but this is the late 1990s.

‘As I know, apartments that cost over 2 billion now would be around 100 million during this period.’

It was an enormous amount of money that could change a person’s life.

But after Mom died, I didn’t mention that she had taken out insurance. Obviously because the Kang siblings would target the insurance money.

I haven’t told Junho yet either. Junho is a trustworthy good person, but he’s not shrewd enough.

‘Most importantly, this current period… I need to be careful.’

This is September 1997, and I know well what will happen in a few months.

So I’m planning to save the insurance money for a while.

“Chaea! Let’s eat!”

I sat across from the table Junho had set and picked up my spoon diligently.

The savory smell of soy sauce egg rice, which I loved, was stimulating my sense of smell.

Wow- when I took a bite, it was really savory and delicious!

I’m going to spend today diligently too!

* * *

“Chaea, want to go out today? I’m supposed to meet uncle’s friend.”

Around afternoon, at Junho’s words, my eyes sparkled.

“We’re not going to get shots, right?”

But since I’m not a completely naive baby, I sent him a suspicious look.

Junho had a history of luring me by saying we’d go eat cotton candy and then taking me to the hospital a few days ago.

The vaccination… really hurt.

Junho, who was chuckling at my guarded appearance like a cat with raised fur, patted me and said,

“No, this time it’s real.”

Suddenly, when a beeping sound rang out, Junho took out something small from his pants pocket.

A black device the size of a baby’s fist. Numbers appeared on the screen located at the top.

Junho moved his lips.

“8282…”

Then he held it up to show me.

“See. It’s telling me to come out quickly.”

‘It’s a pager.’

A wireless terminal used in an era when not only smartphones but even cell phones weren’t commercialized.

‘Seeing things like this makes me realize I’ve really come to the 90s.’

Before my possession, I was also born in ’94, the same age as the current me, but I was too young then so my memories of the 90s aren’t clear.

‘I wonder if the tiny version of me is growing up well with my family?’

From my judgment, this world was identical to the real past, but with the characters from 【Love You Even If I Die】 and the events that happened there just added in.

So the past me and my family would all exist too.

I’m curious and want to see them, but I’d need to at least be an elementary student who can take the bus alone to go meet them.

‘By the way, what would happen if I met the me from before my possession?’

Two of the same person! Should I consider it like a doppelganger?

Just as I was deeply absorbed in serious contemplation, Junho, who had dressed me in a strawberry-patterned dress, put on a white shirt and took my hand.

“Let’s go.”

Because of that, my thoughts were easily interrupted. Before long, Junho and I took a bus and arrived at a cafe, no, a coffee shop.

On the menu board, coffee menu items were written in warm handwriting.

‘American coffee… 1,000 won.’

Soon, Junho took out a stiff and very large old 1,000 won bill to order from the menu and seated me in a chair at a table by the window.

“Our Chaea, orange juice is good, right?”

“Yes! I like it!”

At my answer with sparkling eyes, Junho ordered his coffee and my juice.

But still….

‘He told us to hurry up, but we got here first!’

What is that friend doing? I looked out the window while waiting for my juice to come.

At the bus stop, people holding paper bus tickets were lined up, and I could see a student making a call at the public phone.

The streets without people walking while looking at phones or wearing wireless earphones felt unfamiliar but somehow nostalgic.

The somewhat hard-to-adapt part was.

‘There are too many people smoking!!’

Everyone was walking around with cigarettes in their mouths, and even inside this coffee shop, people were smoking.

It was a scene that was difficult for me to adapt to.

‘Ugh, please show some consideration for a little kid!’

I thought while slightly frowning.

Then, someone cast a shadow in front of us.

“Ah, sorry. Traffic was a bit heavy, so I’m late.”

The young man, as tall as Junho, had bleached yellow hair and was wearing baggy pants. The piercing on his ear caught my attention.

‘I guess he’s this era’s hipster in his own way….’

He leaned forward and looked straight at me, then said in surprise.

“What, so you really became a dad? Wow. Is it a daughter?”

I looked back and forth between him and Junho in surprise, then greeted loudly.

“Hello! I’m Gu Chaea!”

I don’t like that he was late, but I’ll greet him for Junho’s sake.

‘But… he said I’m a daughter?’

“Her voice is so clear and bright too.”

The man chuckled and sat across from us.

Then with a smile across his face, he shot a question at Junho.

“When did you get married? You never even mentioned having a wedding.”

Junho shrugged with an awkward expression. It seems they’re not extremely close friends.

“It just happened. My daughter’s cute, right?”

The man’s eyes turned to me again.

Soon an admiring voice flowed out.

“Wow! She could be Miss Korea later.”

“I don’t need to eat meals, just looking at Chaea fills my stomach. She’s so pretty.”

Junho said while stroking my head with a gentle smile.

“But rather than Miss Korea… I hope Chaea lives doing what she really wants.”

Was he saying this because he saw the light and darkness Saebyeol experienced as her manager?

Suddenly my mind became complicated.

“….”

Soon Junho began conversing with his friend.

The man seemed to be doing business after graduating from school.

Since business was going quite well these days, he bragged about buying a new car.

‘But if you’re going to brag this much, shouldn’t you be the one paying!’

I thought while sipping my orange juice.

It was enviable, but Junho encouraged the man with a gentle expression as if things were going well.

Then the man said.

“Actually, the reason I contacted you, Junho… no matter how much I think about it, there’s no one like you.”

Then he leaned closer as if only Junho should know and spoke in a low voice.

“I’m expanding my business this time, would you like to partner with me?”

At those words, Junho’s eyes flinched.

I was also surprised and pulled my lips away from the straw.

“It’s a big business, so the profits will be big too. I’ll even write up a profit-sharing contract. Like you said, if you want your daughter to live doing what she wants, you’ll need to work hard to make money. But I’m a bit short on funds. Of course, I know your situation, so I’m not asking you to lend me money….”

Hmm.

The man whispered subtly.

“Just be a guarantor for me.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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