chapter 8
08. I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse
“For now, mother, calm down.”
“Quickly! Promise me you won’t get married!”
“Mother… ….”
My mother held me tighter and tighter, as if she thought she would never let go until I answered.
Answer It’s a big deal that I made a mistake once.
What should I do?
When I was embarrassed in my mother’s arms for such a long time, the examiner extended a hand of salvation.
“Hmm, Jinhyo’s mother?”
At the call of the examiner, my mother and I turned our gaze to the examiner.
“Isn’t it rude to come in like this when the consultation hasn’t even ended yet?”
“Ha! Excuse me?”
After my mother gave her a snort of laughter, she glared at the examiner with a cold gaze that I had never shown before.
“Isn’t it the judge who made the mistake first? For what purpose did you bring up the subject of marriage to Jinhyo?”
Despite her mother’s sarcastic remarks, the examiner nodded her head and readily admitted her mistake.
“I have nothing to say about that point. It was an insensitive question, I’ll admit.”
Having said that, the examiner got up from her seat and once again bowed her head to deliver a sincere apology.
“Once again, I sincerely apologize.
And, I swear. It was never a question with bad intentions.”
She said that after the examiner politely apologized, she didn’t reprimand her mother any more.
After glaring at the examiner for a long time, the mother let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.
“Ha, I’m sorry for suddenly crashing into the counseling room. I was so excited.”
“No. I fully understand.”
After exchanging her apology with the examiner, my mother put me down again and went on with her words.
“Do you have any more consultations left? I am worried that I may have disturbed you.”
“No. The question I just asked Jinhyo was the last consultation review. Um, Vice Minister?”
The examiner turned her head toward the magic mirror and called out to the Vice Minister as if calling.
A few seconds later, the Vice Minister came into the counseling room in a hurry.
“Did you call Boo?”
“Yes. All consultations have been completed. What about the documents you were told to prepare earlier?”
At the words of the examiner, the vice minister politely held out the documents with a cringing attitude, as if trying to look good.
“Here are the documents. Just in case you didn’t know, I took good care of it——”
Palak.
As if the examiner was not interested in the deputy minister’s explanation, he just indifferently took the documents. The examiner who took the documents sat back down and began examining the documents.
The Vice Minister glanced at us as if he was a little embarrassed, then smiled awkwardly as if he was okay.
The examiner turned over the documents with an expressionless face, wondering if the vice minister was not interested or not, and began to write something diligently.
Hey, this is kind of surprising.
Treating the Vice Minister very casually.
The examiner was more senior than the vice minister, right?
I wasn’t a special examiner for nothing.
“I will fill out the paperwork, so you go out and proceed as I told you beforehand.”
“Ah, I see. Excuse me then.”
Vice Minister bowed politely to the examiner and disappeared from the counseling room again.
Her mother, who had been quietly observing the situation until now, opened her mouth with a puzzled look on her face.
“Hey, progress… ?”
“Ah, let me explain.”
The examiner continued his explanation without taking his eyes off the document.
“Before Jinhyo’s counseling review proceeded, I looked through the shelter life record in advance.”
“Yes, what about that?”
“In fact, Jin-hyo’s conditions for discharge were already satisfied with just the life record.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Fortunately, there were no major problems. Rather, it was too perfect for the screening conditions.”
My mother looked at me with a wide smile, as if her positive evaluation of me made her feel better.
I laughed along with her mother, and she stroked my cheek as if she was going to die.
The examiner put down her pen and opened her mouth, as if she had finished filling out the paperwork in that short span of time.
“I hope you understand. Because we also have procedures.”
“Ayu, don’t say anything. On the contrary, I am so grateful that you have a good view of our Jinhyo.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“Then, our Jinhyo. Can I leave?”
To the mother’s careful question, the examiner answered with a gentle smile.
“Yes. No problem. You may leave.”
“Jinhyo!”
“Wow!”
When the approval came from the examiner’s mouth, my mother called my name out loud and hugged me again.
“It’s not a dream, is it? Our Jinhyo, are you living with your mother now?”
“uuu.”
With my face buried in my mother’s voluptuous breasts, I managed to move her mouth to answer.
It was a bit embarrassing because I had eyes to see, but since my mother seemed very happy, she decided to endure it.
“Kuhm, hmm.”
As she felt her body temperature in her mother’s arms for a while, she heard a clearing of her throat.
My mother must have also heard the sound of clearing her throat, and the strength of her arms holding me was a little loose.
I took advantage of the loose gap and turned her head in the direction of the sound.
The source of the sound is none other than the examiner.
The examiner was looking at us with a very mysterious expression that was difficult to express in words.
Perhaps the mother felt the examiner’s gaze, and she opened her mouth with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Oh, sorry. I was so happy that I showed you a shy side of me.”
“Hmm, no. Jinhyo-sama and your mother are really good.”
“Yes, hehehe. Our Jinhyo is really nice, isn’t it?”
“I agree. I really envy you.”
The examiner nodded and smiled at her, as if agreeing with her mother.
My mother seemed obsessed with me and didn’t notice, but I could see the examiner’s smile clearly.
The mouth is smiling, but the eyes do not smile at all.
And a distinct gaze fixed on me.
The examiner’s eyes were like those of a hungry beast that found its prey.
Just like that,
The gaze of a predator that never misses.
Why?
Why are you looking at me like that?
My body froze at the sight that even felt frightening.
“Huh? Why is our Jinhyo so hard?”
“Eh? Yes?”
I, who had been frozen in the eyes of the examiner, was able to come to my senses at my mother’s call.
When she turned her head and looked at her mother, she was looking at me with a sad expression.
“Certainly our Jinhyo… Was only mom happy? Did Jinhyo hate living with her mother? “
“Oh no! Just that….”
Embarrassed by my mother’s expression, which wouldn’t be strange if she burst into tears right away, I hurriedly opened my mouth.
“I didn’t realize it, so it was hard for a while!
I am really, really happy to be living with my mother too!”
“… Really?”
“Yes! Really! Eight!”
“Oh my gosh~”
I hurriedly hugged her mother by the waist to reassure her.
“Our Jinhyo, looking at Inje, was a fool~”
My mother was relieved by my hug, and she stroked my hair with a kind hand.
Receiving my mother’s affectionate hand, I glanced sideways at the examiner.
Fortunately, the judge’s eyes were back to normal. But it’s a strangely envious look, is it because of my mood?
As my mother continued to stroke my hair, she asked the examiner questions.
“Then, Judge. When will we be able to leave Jinhyo?”
To her mother’s question, the examiner replied with a face that said she did not understand her question well.
“Hmm? Jinhyo’s discharge has now been approved.”
“Yes, I know. So, when can we leave the shelter?”
“… Oh, that’s what you meant. Certainly, since this is the first application for voluntary discharge, you might not know.”
The examiner nodded her head as if he understood her mother’s question and went on with her.
“After the check-out review is completed and approval is given, it is a rule to leave the same day.”
Am I right now?
Same day departure?
“…… To?”
“…… Really?”
My mother must have been very surprised as well, with her eyes wide open, she asked the examiner again to confirm.
To my surprised mother and I, the examiner kindly added an explanation.
“Yes. If there is a period of preparation for departure after the examination for departure, the applicant for departure may change their mind during that time, so we make it a rule to leave on the same day.”
“Ah.”
Somehow, I think I know.
I know this because I lived in a shelter, but all the men in this world are moody.
For example, this happened.
There was a kid who gave me a toy he cherished as a gift, probably feeling better than usual.
But she came back to me shortly after, demanding her toy back.
At the time, I thought it was just a child’s whim, so I didn’t take it seriously.
But that wasn’t the case.
A kid who said he didn’t want to eat the snacks he wanted to eat because the agents found them with difficulty.
A kid who said he wanted to draw, so he went to painting class and then said he wanted to learn music.
The kid who throws away the blanket he doesn’t need anymore and then makes a fuss to come back the next day.
She was capricious not only to him but also to all of her other men.
If you watch them sometimes, don’t you think they have emotional dysregulation as a group? I was about to doubt it.
Perhaps because of that experience,
I was able to guess at once why the principle of discharge on the day the examiner said was born.
“Once, the important documents have been completed. All that remains is to guide Mother.”
“Yes? What guidance?”
“Unlike men who were discharged after the state protection period was over, the state support that men who voluntarily discharged received is a bit different. There are guidelines for this and rules that mothers should be aware of.”
“Ah~ Is it that different?”
“Yes, it is a bit different.
For example, bodyguards, regular health checkups, community service, etc. Are different.”
“… Everything else is fine, but that community service takes a while.”
“I will guide you through it step by step. Also, do you have a place in your house for Jinhyo to live?”
… Oh right!
The house was the problem!
My mother said that she lives alone for a while due to various problems. Will it be okay?
“Of course it is. There is a room prepared in advance for Jinhyo to come out of her shelter.”
… ….
It was a useless worry.
Wait a minute.
She remembers that it’s been a while since her mother moved.
How far in advance have you prepared yourself?
It may be a coincidence, but I felt fortunate that I was discharged even now.
If it wasn’t for that, it would have been a big nuisance to her mother.
“Okay. If space is tight, we tried to provide a temporary shelter… Seeing where your mother lives, it must have been meddling.”
“Huh, first of all, I am a celebrity.”
“Then, before I give you other instructions, Mr. Jinhyo?”
The examiner who was talking with my mother suddenly called me and continued her words.
“There will be agents waiting outside. Go to the shelter with the agents and take over Jinhyo’s luggage to the agents.”
“Uh… Aren’t you coming out with it?”
“I will pack the luggage separately and send it to your home later. Oh, of course, if you have important luggage or items you need right away, you can take it and leave.”
“Well, I see. Can I go now?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Son! As for the rules, the mother will listen carefully to her son, so don’t worry about her and she’ll go quickly.”
“Yes, I’ll be back then.”
After answering, I went out of the counseling room.
As the examiner explained, agents were waiting outside.
After briefly greeting the agents, I followed them to the shelter.
Well, it’s good that I’m discharged.
Is it okay to treat it like roasting beans with lightning?
… Ah. Right.
Come to think of it, I promised to volunteer, but what should I do?
Well, I’ll come back soon and ask the examiner.
◈◈◈
After Jinhyo left the counseling room.
“Now, since my son is out, can we get down to business?”
“… I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Ha, do you think I just ate celebrity jjambab in vain? Please stop wearing masks that don’t work.”
“Oops, it was my mistake. It seems I couldn’t fool the actors’ eyes, Mother.”
“All right. And the title of mother is a bit annoying, isn’t it?”
“hehehe, aren’t you too sensitive?”
Jinhyo’s mother opened her mouth as she sat down on the chair where Jinhyo had been sitting until just now.
“Anyway, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Of course I came here as a special examiner.”
“Don’t be funny, Lee Je-hee. No.”
“Lee Hee-je, the youngest daughter of Sungje Group.”
“…… You knew me.”
“Even though it looks like this, my feet are a bit wide. Anyway, that’s not what’s important.
You. Why did you approach Jinhyo?”
“… Ha ha ha.”
Hee-je put her clenched hands on the desk and said.
“Jinhyo’s mother,
I want to make you an offer I can’t refuse.”