A lot has changed here too
The pleasant drinking party continued.
Empty bottles of liquor piled up, one after another, and along with them, seashells increased in number.
"Who was that gentleman at that time, Muhyeok······. You know, there was that gentleman. He used to bully and rip off the neighborhood's son······."
Jeong Jin-seok also mumbled a story about his childhood, perhaps because he was a little drunk.
Then Myeongsu stopped pouring the drink and answered.
"Who? Hancheol?"
"Oh, I remembered. It's Hancheol Ham."
"What the heck is Ham, you punk."
"Who is that?"
It was a name I had no recollection of at all. Myeongsu answered with a smirk.
"Don't you remember? There was a kid who was a year older than us. He lived next door. He used to steal money from the neighborhood kids and beat them up. I think he was in 3rd grade at the time? I can barely remember now."
It was when I was in 3rd year of middle school. It felt like a very long time ago to me who had regressed.
To the kids, it may have been a story from less than 20 years ago, but to me, it was a memory from decades ago.
No matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn't remember anything, which meant it wasn't a very important event.
"I don't know. I don't remember."
"Wow, this kid is really a bad kid! You beat him to the point of death and you don't know? I thought he was really a murderer at that time. Then don't you remember me getting hurt while trying to stop you?"
What? I hurt Myeongsu?
So you're saying my eyes were properly turned, but I don't remember it at all.
"If you were that angry, you might remember it······. I don't know."
Even during my stormy times, I could count on one hand the number of times I beat someone to the brink of death.
"Look at this. You don't remember who hit you. I'm not sure if I remember well, but I think that bastard hit you first. He also took a lot of money from you. When you found out, you were so angry that you went to beat him up."
"What the heck. That kid deserved to get hit first."
If you had touched Myeongsu, then or now, I would have probably taken action.
Hyunseong also nodded quietly next to him. Even though the two bicker, they are still close.
"But why are you suddenly bringing up that kid? It's ruining the taste of the drink."
"Oh, that guy came back to Yeongdo. What did he say? He said he came back after serving time in prison······."
"Well, that's true. A guy like that never changes. Ah, this really ruins the taste of alcohol."
Myeongsu pretended to spit and then picked up his glass again.
I raised my eyebrows at Myeongsu's reaction. It's amazing that such a kind-hearted person would hate someone so much.
This is Myeongsu who even forgave the guy who dragged him away in high school.
I fiddled with my glass, trying to recall who it was from my hazy memory.
Am I getting older? In the end, I couldn't remember and asked Hyunseong, who was listening silently from the side.
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"Hyunseong-ah. Do you remember?"
"I don't remember. I wasn't there, but anyway, that incident was pretty famous."
Whether it was a touchy subject or not, Myeongsu criticized Jeong Jinseok in a blunt voice.
"Jinseok, why are you suddenly talking about that kid?"
"No, didn't I see that happen with my own eyes and Mu-hyeok followed Ham around? I just suddenly remembered and said that."
"Oh, that's right. You became an ardent follower of Kim Moo-hyuk from then on, right? The kid who used to have a runny nose would follow Moo-hyuk around like crazy and shout, "Hangnim, Hangnim!"
When Myeongsu teased him exaggeratedly, Jeong Jinseok blushed.
"Sir! When did you say I had a runny nose again? I never did."
"What are you talking about? I remember everything, so how can that not have happened? Isn't that right, Moo-hyuk?"
I nodded. In my memory, Jeong Jin-seok was literally a real runny-nosed brat.
"Is Muhyeok like that to you too, sir?"
"Hey! Muhyuk. This kid is all grown up now and he's glaring at you too?"
"Ah, it's ah! Why does Myeongsu keep doing that?"
Jeong Jin-seok was startled by Myeong-su's joke and waved his hand.
"No way! I saw it all. Even Muhyuk said that to you!!"
"Ah! Your Majesty!"
Perhaps because he liked the feeling of being hit, Myeongsu giggled and continued to tease Jeong Jinseok.
"What's so funny that you can hear the laughter outside? Ana. Keep this in mind as well."
The charcoal fire had already died down a long time ago, and the side dishes had almost disappeared.
At that moment, the woman placed a plate of raw fish on the table.
"Jinseok. You are slowly moving."
"Mom! I'm not even a kid, and in front of my brothers······."
When Jeong Jin-seok grumbled, the woman slapped him on the back and said.
"It was only yesterday that you got drunk and caused an accident, you idiot! If you cause another accident, I'll strike you off the family register!"
"Ah! Mom!"
The woman giggled and went back into the kitchen.
The customers had already all disappeared, and the lights on the signs in other stores were going out one by one.
"Some stores are already closing. Don't they do business for long these days?"
Isn't it time to be busy yet? I asked Jeong Jin-seok with a puzzled mind.
"Oh, business is not as good as it used to be. When I used to run a food stall on gravel, I used to stay open until the sun came up. These days, most of them close around 1 a.m. If you guys hadn't come, we probably would have closed too."
I nodded and poured the soju into my mouth. The bitter alcohol strangely tasted even more bitter.
"I see. A lot has changed here too."
In my last life, I went up to Seoul and never visited Busan again.
In this life, I didn't really go anywhere except to go to the market with my grandmother.
So I had no idea that the place where my memories were buried had changed so much.
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No, it would be more accurate to say that I wasn't interested.
"Well, isn't it hard? There have been a lot of thugs here before."
"Oh my, where are you? You've changed a lot since before. What is it? Dongsu-pa? That guy is said to have taken over Busan and not even charge protection money."
"Really? That's good."
When the name Dongsu-pa came up, I couldn't help but smile happily.
It's ironic that he found stability thanks to the organization named after his brother Dong-su, but Yeongdo was originally known as a rough neighborhood in Busan, to the point that gangster movies set in Yeongdo became box office hits nationwide.
"Isn't it because of us that you can't close the store?"
"No, sir. Even if the store is closed, you can still drink here!"
No matter what, it still seemed too late. When I checked my watch, it was already past one in the morning.
"Still. We should probably get up soon too."
"You want to get up? Drink some more and then go. There's nothing to do when you get home. I'm not in a position to go out much······."
Myeongsu trailed off, looking regretful. Hyeonseong nodded and took Myeongsu's side.
"Me too. I have nothing to do when I get home."
"Hey! Why don't you have anything to do? You have to take care of the baby."
"······."
Instead of answering, Hyunseong emptied his glass of soju in one go.
Then he slammed the empty glass down hard on the plastic table.
Even the deep sighs showed the appearance of a father who was exhausted from parenting. Since he is raising his children together, he must be desperate for a day off like this.
"Muhyeok, sir. Would you like to drink a little more before you go? It's been a while since I've had a drink like this using sir as an excuse."
Jeong Jin-seok was also asking for one more drink.
I nodded helplessly and said.
"Then close the shop and come back. Tell your mother to go in now."
"Yes, sir!"
Jeong Jin-seok stood up from his seat, shouting loudly in excitement at the news that the drinking party would continue.
"Mom! Mom! Go to sleep right away. I'll go have a drink with Muhyeok and clean up before I go."
"I wonder?"
"There are no customers anymore, and other stores are closing down one by one. I want to close my store and drink comfortably."
The woman, who had been pondering for a moment, took off her apron and smiled.
"Okay, I'll go, Mom. Drink moderately, okay?"
"Hey, Mom too. Would I make a mistake in front of Mr. Muhyuk?"
The lady who had spilled Jeong Jin-seok gave us a strong order as she came out of the kitchen.
"Muhyeok. I'll go in first. If Jinseok messes with me, I'll hit him."
"Yes. I'll take care of Jinseok. Auntie, you can go in too."
"Yeah. It was nice meeting you. Come visit again next time."
The woman picked up a thick coat from the hanger and said as she walked out the door.
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"Don't take the money, Jinseok."
"Yes. I will think of it as something I bought."
At that sound, Myeongsu was startled and jumped up from his seat.
"Oh my! You're talking nonsense. I'm a politician now, right? If you drink recklessly, you'll get in big trouble later."
Myeongsu took out his wallet, took out all the cash inside, and put it in the pocket of the woman's coat.
"That'll be about right. All that's left is to just drink more here."
"Oh my! Thank you."
Even at a quick glance, it seemed like it was much more than the amount eaten.
The mother must have guessed it too, as she waved her hand.
Myeongsu said, grabbing the hand of the woman who was trying to take out the money again.
"Put it away. I told you, you're in real trouble. Am I right, Moo-hyuk?"
Myeongsu winked at me, and I nodded and added my words.
"Auntie, that's right. If politicians go around drinking for free, it's a big problem. So, don't worry about it and just put it away."
"There are too many of them······."
The woman checked the money in her coat pocket and muttered.
When he felt burdened, Myeongsu started whining.
"Hey. Me, Moo-hyeok, and Hyun-seong are all doing well in Seoul. When we were young, we thought about giving them free food, right? Think of it as the price and take it. Let's go in quickly, Auntie. We'll finish eating and clean up before we go."
Myeongsu pushed the woman's back. The woman reluctantly nodded and fastened her coat.
"Okay. Come visit often. I'll give you great service."
"Okay. I'll stop by when I come to Busan."
"Then see you next time!"
It was at that moment that the lady opened the door to go out of the store.
"Ma'am, where are you going?"
The old woman froze in place.
"Are you closing the door already? Where are you going?"
A group of men came in, pushing the old woman aside.
"What? There are still guests? Huh?"
The man who had pushed the woman who had seen Myeongsu's face raised the corners of his mouth when he recognized Myeongsu.
"Hey, who is this? Isn't this our Congressman Lee Myeong-su? Do you remember me?"
"······."
Myeongsu didn't respond, as if he recognized the man.
But he just giggled even more evilly.
"I forgot about you because you've become successful. Hey, do you think someone like me should live in sorrow? Isn't that right, guys?"
"Yes, sir. But who are you?"
"Morina? My name is Lee Myeong-su. He used to follow me around a lot... He became a member of the National Assembly."
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"Really? A member of the National Assembly? Do you know anyone who is a member of the National Assembly? Are you kidding me?"
"Harmony! This kid is ignoring me!"
The man raised his hand and took a stance to swing it at his whining junior.
"Oh my! Sir. I'm going to close the shop for today. Come next time, next time. I'll give you great service."
As the atmosphere began to turn strange, Jeong Jin-seok quickly stepped forward and stopped him.
"What? Jeong Jin-seok, do you want to die? Won't you let go of my arm?"
At that sight, Director Ma and his bodyguards sitting at the table next to us sat up and looked in my direction.
I shook my head and fiddled with my hands under the table to watch the situation unfold further.
Chief Ma and the bodyguard, who had read my signal, sat down again.
The man looked down at Jeong Jin-seok with fierce eyes.
Jeong Jin-seok wasn't a big guy who would be easily outdone, but he looked small compared to other men.
"Oh my! Sir! Next time! Next time!"
Jeong Jin-seok desperately tried to stop the man.
"Okay. Come next time. The lady is a little tired today. Next time you come, I'll give it to you for free······."
The woman also came back into the store and blocked Jeong Jin-seok's path as she spoke.
"A mother and son are making me feel like shit. Look, ma'am. Have you forgotten who I am?"
"I know. I know. How can I not know you?"
"But you shouldn't do this to me!"
The woman flinched when the man raised his voice.
Jeong Jin-seok pushed the woman back and blocked her way.
"Hey, you see this kid? Are you trying to attack me? I guess he didn't get hit as much last time. Do you want to have a fight today?"
That's when I made eye contact with the man.
The man who had been tilting his head recognized me and roughly pushed Jeong Jin-seok and Myeong-su away, walking towards me.
Chief Ma and his bodyguards stood up and stopped the man.
"Hey! Are you Kim Mu-hyuk? Get out of here!"
The man shouted and tried to push Director Ma away with all his might, but Director Ma did not budge an inch.
"Sir, please step aside."
Director Ma turned his head and looked at me. He seemed worried and was about to say something.
"Boss, but······."
"Get out of my way."
At my command to step aside twice, Chief Ma and his bodyguard reluctantly stepped aside.
The man came up to me with a proud look on his face and said:
"Hey, Kim Mu-hyuk! Do you recognize me?"
"No way. I don't remember anyone like you."
No matter how much I think about it, I still can't figure out who it is.
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The face of the man who had been smiling at my calm words became fierce like an evil spirit.
"Ma! It's my Han-cheol! Jeong Han-cheol! Where are you selling your medicine! I've been waiting for this day."
The man who came into the store and caused a commotion was Jeong Han-cheol, who Jeong Jin-seok and Myeong-su had talked about earlier.
< A lot has changed here too > End
< Bring it to me today >