Husband Role - Episode 36

“You crazy bitch!”

It was when the man, who had jumped up from his seat, lunged at Eun-seol.

Thwack! With that sound, the man collapsed.

It was Jung-hyuk. He was loosening his tie, breathing heavily.

“Who do you think you’re…”

“Ah, fuck—!!”

The man, his face red with anger, went berserk. He tried to get up, using the chair for support, but Jung-hyuk kicked the chair leg, causing the man to fall again.

The man continued to curse, and the murmuring among the guests grew louder.

“What the hell is going on here—!”

Ilseong shouted like thunder as he pushed through the crowd. The man, startled, staggered to his feet.

Ilseong’s fierce eyes darted between the man, Jung-hyuk, and Eun-seol. He glared at the snickering group.

“Father!”

Gyeongha, who had returned after seeing off her family, rushed over.

“Jung-hyuk, you’re the eldest son of this family, why are you bothering with these kids?!”

Ilseong scolded him relentlessly.

Gyeongha and Gwang-min exchanged awkward glances. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jangmi was absent due to health issues.

“Is this a new thing? On a day like today, you should be maintaining order, but how can you be so reckless—!”

Ilseong didn’t stop.

“I’m sorry.”

As always, Jung-hyuk lowered his head.

“Tsk, tsk, to disappoint me like this.”

“…Please stop.”

Eun-seol quietly stepped forward. She opened her mouth again, facing Ilseong’s glare.

“Those people started it first.”

“Eun-seol-ah.”

Gyeongha called Eun-seol’s name softly.

“Why does only Jung-hyuk have to endure it?”

“Ahem.”

Ilseong showed his discomfort.

“He didn’t choose to be born, or the environment he grew up in, or anything else. Not even the marriage. So why should he have to put up with their mockery and criticism?”

Gyeongha closed her mouth with a solemn expression.

“Their mockery…”

Eun-seol glanced at the group and continued.

“It seems like it’s been happening for more than just a day or two. Why did everyone condone it? Is there a reason to repay a favor that was given arbitrarily? Is that even a real favor?”

Everyone looked awkward, as if they had nothing to say.

“Giving something as you please, and then telling him to endure it, that’s violence.”

Eun-seol struggled not to cry as she continued.

“Who would get used to violence? How much pain has he been suffering alone? Am I… am I the only one who’s upset about this?”

As if struck by a hammer, Jung-hyuk froze.

His wife had instantly seen through the core of what he himself hadn’t realized.

Moreover, she sympathized and was angry, as if it were something she had suffered herself.

“He’s been doing his best to live up to what the adults have presented, what they expect, isn’t he? Isn’t he?”

Eun-seol was the first person to take his side like this. Perhaps that was why Jung-hyuk was bombarded by a flood of unfamiliar emotions.

He had worked tirelessly to be recognized. But he realized that true recognition was Eun-seol seeing him as he was.

It was shocking.

His whole body was stiff as if paralyzed, but his emotions were raging.

Lee Eun-seol… what are you…

“So…”

Eun-seol, who had been speaking well, finally began to sob.

“Please stop making him prove himself.”

Let Jung-hyuk live a little too… she murmured, her slender shoulders shaking.

Snip.

In an instant, something as tough as a steel cable was cut in Jung-hyuk’s mind.

“I’m sorry for overstepping.”

Eun-seol bowed her small back. At that moment, Jung-hyuk’s neck stiffened.

“I’m sorry.”

As she apologized again, looking around, a jacket was draped over her shoulders like a cape. It was Jung-hyuk’s.

“…Let’s go home and talk about this.”

Ilseong cleared his throat and said.

“I have nothing more to say.”

This time, Jung-hyuk stepped forward. Surprised, Eun-seol looked up at Jung-hyuk. He simply put his arm around Eun-seol’s shoulders with a stern face.

“I know the reputation of the Hocheon Foundation is very important.”

Jung-hyuk continued in a rigid voice.

“But we’re people too. Whether it’s the morons who don’t know how to blame their own incompetence even as they get older.”

His cold gaze fixed on the man, who was turning pale.

“Or me, who always volunteers to be the bullet shield.”

And then he looked straight at Ilseong again.

“We’re all people, so there’s no reason why we can’t be understood.”

“This guy…”

“Father, please calm down.”

Gwang-min said quietly.

“I appreciate grandfather’s favor. But just as grandfather has things to protect, so do I.”

Jung-hyuk’s grip on Eun-seol’s shoulder tightened.

“I will no longer tolerate anyone who crosses that line.”

“…What a devoted wife.”

The man who had been listening sneered.

Jung-hyuk strode up to the man and grabbed him by the collar in an instant. Then he smiled coldly, chillingly.

“If I have to, I can give up my position.”

“…Ugh.”

“So, all of you…”

Jung-hyuk looked around at the relatives who had always looked at him with contempt and continued.

“Bet everything you have and come at me.”

At that moment, a piercing high-frequency sound rang out, and the classical music stopped abruptly.

A heavy silence fell over the wide hall.

In the tense air, only strained breaths could be heard intermittently.

Everything stopped at once, as if in a vacuum.

It was Jung-hyuk who had always been ignored.

Yoon Jung-hyuk, who lived harder than anyone else behind his stern expression.

He was known as an icon of diligence and patience even within the Hocheon family.

Everyone knew it, but no one wanted to admit it.

The relatives, stained with a sense of defeat, looked at each other with stiff faces.

“…”

“…”

It was a silent surrender.

Pop! With the sound of electricity crackling, the music that had been cut off began to play again. Sighs of relief were heard here and there.

Jung-hyuk gave a short bow to the adults. And then he immediately escorted Eun-seol.

In a daze, Eun-seol followed him. The crowd parted quickly like the Red Sea with every step the couple took.

The adults stared at Jung-hyuk and Eun-seol as they passed leisurely through the guests with listless faces. It was a lingering regret.

“I don’t think President Yoon will just let this go.”

Dae-hyuk said as they left the banquet hall. So-hee glanced at Min-seo and replied quietly.

“Eun-seol might even get dumped. How dare she raise her voice like that, unless she’s crazy. And President Yoon is known to be conservative.”

At that, Min-seo smiled slightly. Hoping that would be the case.

“It’s ridiculous how she always crawled into the basement like a mole, and now she’s acting like the main character.”

Jun-seo added his opinion in a grumbling tone. Then he asked Min-seo, “Right?” Min-seo nodded in agreement, saying, “Yeah…”

“People’s hearts are so strange.”

Jun-seo said again. Min-seo asked back with an indifferent face, “What is?”

“Is this how it feels when a dog you abandoned because you didn’t want to raise it meets another owner and lives happily?”

Jun-seo asked as he got on the elevator.

“At least you can beat a dog.”

Min-seo retorted. At that, So-hee, a dog lover, warned, “Min-seo-ya.”

“Exactly. She’s acting just like a dog. She’s got a lot of pent-up anger towards us. The way she was barking, she was about to bite.”

“She’s definitely an opportunist.”

“I saw her pledging her loyalty like crazy. She was even crying.”

“That guy is a yes-man.”

Dae-hyuk replied as the elevator arrived at the underground parking lot.

“Let’s stop talking about it. I feel nauseous from talking about Lee Eun-seol.”

Just as Min-seo said irritably with the sound of the elevator chime,

“Ah—!”

Someone pushed out as if shoving, hitting Min-seo’s shoulder hard with their shoulder. Staggering and falling, Min-seo glared back with narrowed eyes.

It was Seol-gi, wearing a light yellow dress reminiscent of a tulip. Seol-gi raised her upper lip and opened her mouth coldly.

“Why the fuck are you blocking the way?”

“Seol-gi!”

Jun-seo greeted her with a happy face. Then he asked back, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Seol-gi read the affection lingering in Jun-seo’s eyes. In fact, she had read it a long time ago.

From Seol-gi’s point of view, Jun-seo was the type of person she least wanted to deal with.

Even to her, a troublemaker, Mok Jun-seo was a seriously awful thug.

At first, Jun-seo had ignored Seol-gi. But after a big argument one day, his attitude changed.

‘I’ve never met a woman like this before,’ she thought. If that was the case, he was even more of a psycho.

In any case, Seol-gi had been consistently ignoring Jun-seo. She intended to continue doing so.

“…Who are you?”

Min-seo, who had been helped up by So-hee, asked back. Hearing the sharp question, Seol-gi picked at her ear.

“Seol-gi, is that how someone who did something wrong should act?”

So-hee also snapped sharply.

The people who had been on the elevator were grumbling and avoiding them, leaving them in the center. Seol-gi alone stood confidently in the midst of it.

“Why should I?”

Seol-gi retorted. At that, Dae-hyuk frowned deeply. “What kind of family is that?” he muttered, and Jun-seo quickly stepped forward.

“Haha, it’s understandable to be pissed off if someone’s blocking the way. I’d go straight for the headshot.”

“Mok Jun-seo, you actually said something right for once.”

Seol-gi added. Just as a smile leaked out of Jun-seo’s mouth,

“Why would I apologize to people who blocked my sister-in-law’s path? Honestly.”

“I barely managed to hold back from hitting Mok Min-seo and Mok Jun-seo in the back of the head.”

“Oh my.”

So-hee blinked in disbelief. Min-seo cursed under her breath, “Crazy,” and swept back her hair. Unable to listen anymore, Dae-hyuk immediately approached Seol-gi.

And he stood face to face with Seol-gi with a scary face. Pushing up the center of his glasses, he opened his mouth.

“What kind of family education did you get?”

“Mister.”

At Seol-gi’s bold call, the family members except for Dae-hyuk flinched.

But to Seol-gi, Dae-hyuk was just a mister. The title of ‘professor’ was only valid within the hospital.

And that title was only possible because of the Hocheon Foundation. But even that seemed precarious now.

“If you have the guts, keep talking.”

Seol-gi also approached Dae-hyuk closely and glared at him.

“If you want to see what real power abuse is.”

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