NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 147
Woo-woo-woo.
It felt like I was sinking into the warm bottom of a lake…, and I dreamed.
“Urrgh-!!”
“Mom! Just hold on a little longer!”
“Dear! Just a bit more!!”
Hospital.
Busy obstetricians and nurses.
A familiar-faced mother…, and a familiar-faced husband.
“Ugh-!!!”
“WAAAAAAAH-!!”
The struggling mother, with her last bit of strength, gives birth to a baby, and the doctor and nurse wrap the baby in a blanket with bright smiles, saying,
“The baby has arrived-!!”
“Haah…, haah….”
“…….”
The two people wear blank expressions at the mention of the baby’s arrival.
“Dad, please cut the umbilical cord here.”
“Oh…, ye-yes…!”
The husband, with shaking hands, finally cuts the umbilical cord after being prompted by the doctor.
“Dad, hold the baby just once!”
“WAAAAAAAH-!!”
The doctor gently places the wrapped baby into the still trembling husband’s arms.
He looks down at his child and then….
Drip.
Bursting into tears, he approaches his wife.
“De-dear…! Huhu…, you worked so hard…. Th-this baby is our baby…! Our baby….”
“Haah…, haah….”
Seeing her husband and child approach, the exhausted wife smiles softly and lets a single tear fall.
“Our daughter…, our Love…, she’s so pretty…. This lovely baby came out of my belly….”
‘Love’ was the baby’s nickname.
A name that pledged to raise the child well, filled only with love.
The mother gazes tenderly at the baby, whispering as if she wouldn’t forget that pledge.
“Love…, my beautiful baby…. I’m your mom. Please take care of me from now on.”
Seeing the baby and his wife, the husband wipes his tears and smiles.
“Dear…, now that she’s born, we should call her by her real name, not a nickname.”
“Oh, right, heh heh.”
Then, with eyes that seemed like they would bring down stars from this world and a sweet voice, he leans in and whispers to the child.
“Ye-rin, we may still be lacking in many ways…, but we will do our best. Our daughter Ye-rin, Daddy and Mommy love you so much.”
The baby, whose nickname was ‘Love’, was named Ha Ye-rin.
In other words…, it was me.
The young couple here is my Dad and Mom.
“Dear, let’s raise our Ye-rin well. She should be the most precious in the world…, happy without any worries….”
“Yes…, I will surely do that for our prettiest daughter…!”
And so the dream ended, accompanied by my parents’ firm pledge.
“…….”
I gazed at this scene blankly.
This was not a fantasy or a distorted memory.
It was the moment I was reborn as Ha Ye-rin…, the first scene I ever saw.
The memory I love and cherish the most.
No matter how tough things got, I would endure by recalling the expressions and voices my parents showed me at that time.
After being reborn in Ha Ye-rin’s body, the sincere words from my parents saying they loved me gave me a bliss I couldn’t feel in my past life.
Yeah…, I was truly happy at that time.
Finally having parents who were such good people made me immensely grateful.
I promised to love these people forever….
…Now I realize.
That the happy memories of that time have become the chains I can never betray my parents.
‘Ahh….’
Feeling my heart ache once more, I reached out toward the scene before me.
But it was like a mirage…, as if I could never return to that time….
My hand ultimately couldn’t grasp it.
And….
“…Ye-rin?”
“……Ah.”
While I was stirring the memories I could never return to…, I realized the world was getting bright again.
“Ye-rin! Are you finally coming to?”
Director Jeong was looking at me in surprise.
I immediately got up from where I was lying and looked around.
The place I’m in is not the NAS Entertainment meeting room where I fainted.
It’s a medium-sized room with several clean beds, desks, and various simple medical instruments.
‘This is a place I’ve never seen….’
So, I asked the only other person in this room besides me.
“Director Jeong…? Where is this…?”
“This is the medical room prepared within the company. Initially, we thought of taking you to the hospital, but…, since you seem to be breathing fine and we were worried about the various gazes surrounding you…, we brought you here.”
“Ah….”
If I had been taken to the emergency room and this got out to the media, the interest and gossip from the public would have intensified more than now.
“I apologize if my decision to not take you to the hospital was unpleasant. And if you have any discomfort…”
“No, I’m completely fine. I’m okay. But, Director Jeong…, how long has it been since I collapsed?”
At my question, Director Jeong checked his watch briefly before responding right away.
“Two hours have passed.”
“Then…, what’s the current situation?”
“……”
However, he hesitated to answer my question.
Haah…
After a brief pause, he sighed and continued.
“The good news is that the public opinion towards you isn’t negative.”
“…Despite this commotion?”
“Yes. In fact, you’ve built a good image with the public, and the narrative that you’re undeservingly suffering due to adults has spread sympathy.”
“Sympathy…”
The fact that the public opinion towards me isn’t bad is a relief.
If I had been criticized, my group Rookies would have been criticized too.
‘I hope I didn’t trouble the other members….’
But Director Jeong’s expression, while stating that my public opinion is good, didn’t seem very good at all.
It looked as if…, another problem was at hand.
When I gazed at him quietly, he replied willingly.
“However…, the public opinion towards Brotherhood Planning is the worst possible.”
“……!”
“They’ve been branded as a malicious company and are facing criticism from all directions.”
“Ah….”
Hearing that Brotherhood Planning was taking the hit instead of me made my head droop, and Director Jeong continued with a sympathetic tone.
“And MS Planning wants to inherit your affiliation from Brotherhood Planning.”
“…What does that mean?”
“Originally, after a year of activities with Rookies, your affiliation is supposed to return to Brotherhood Planning, correct? MS Planning has informed NAS entertainment that they want to take you away in place of Brotherhood Planning after one year.”
Does this mean that in a year, I might not belong to Brotherhood Planning anymore but to MS Planning?
‘No way….’
Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine, and I briefly tremble my shoulders and asked him.
“…So NAS is going to…?”
“……”
Director Jeong sighed again and replied.
“The higher-ups are suggesting just to let MS Planning do as they wish.”
“……!”
“After all, in a year, your affiliation with NAS Entertainment will have no bearing, so they’re saying not to stir things up and just let you go willingly to MS Planning.”
“……”
So, they’re saying that a year from now, my affiliation may be easily handed over to MS Planning….?
Thinking that way, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that NAS Entertainment would just hand me over to MS Planning after a year.
I grabbed Director Jeong’s sleeve and pleaded.
“I don’t want to.”
“…Ye-rin.”
“My company is only Brotherhood Planning…. I’ve never signed a contract with MS Planning, and I don’t want to go there….”
“……”
“I can’t just watch Brotherhood Planning get criticized because of me. …Director Jeong, please help me.”
Haah…
“I’m the only one I can ask for help right now, Director Jeong… Please…, please…”
Under my repeated pleas, Director Jeong lowered his head deeply.
Then….
“Actually….”
He began to speak softly.
“I also don’t like what MS Planning is doing right now. Just thinking about Director Ahn, who would be laughing while doing such scummy things, makes me somewhat angry.”
“Director Jeong…!”
“But I’m just administrative staff, and the decision-making power lies above. To persuade the higher-ups…, we need to reverse the current public opinion.”
“Reverse public opinion…?”
“That’s….”
“…Please tell me, Director Jeong.”
After my continuous pleas, Director Jeong finally hesitated and spoke.
“I’ve heard from the lawyer of Brotherhood Planning. You’ve been living a life exploited by your parents continuously.”
“……”
“If we organize a press conference, you can testify that MS Planning and your parents’ words are all lies, and that you’ve been abused by your parents for the past 19 years.”
“……!”
As soon as I heard Director Jeong’s words, a weight dropped in my heart, and at the same time….
‘Ye-rin, we may still be lacking in many ways…, but we will do our best. Our daughter Ye-rin, Daddy and Mommy love you so much.’
Mom and Dad’s words echoed in my ears, capturing my heart like chains once again.
“If we can turn the public opinion around, the rest can be resolved by NAS. So…, no matter how difficult it is…”
He trailed off, as if he thought his words were too cruel for a 19-year-old girl.
I stared blankly at Director Jeong.
This was clearly…, a good opportunity to save Brotherhood Planning and cut ties with my parents who had crossed the line.
But….
“Dear, let’s raise our Ye-rin well. She should be the most precious in the world…, happy without any worries….”
“Wait, just a moment….”
I still wasn’t ready to dismiss them.
So, I blocked my mouth from the rising nausea and spoke to Director Jeong.
“Please give me some time to think….”
“……Yes, please come out once you’ve made your decision.”
Director Jeong nodded as if to understand and went outside.
Being alone, my mind was once again filled with confusion.