Rebirth as a Good Child - Chapter - 4

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After a long while, Ma finally began to twitch and move. She slowly walked over to the sofa and sat down. Tears of joy flowed down her cheeks. Her youngest son. who’s always so heartless and inconsiderate, actually said he loved her! Was she dreaming? She just felt so moved and happy that she stayed in that state until Pa came home. Instead of dissipating, her feelings of joy just kept on growing!

As soon as Kim Yoo reached home, he saw his wife sitting in the living room with an indescribable expression on her face and tear stains at the corner of her eyes.

Kim go-eun (Ma)

“…!”

Kim Yoo

(As a qualified slave of his wife, he immediately dropped his bag and hurriedly sat down by his wife. Carefully, he tucked his wife into his arms and softly asked)“Go-eun, what is it? You cried? Was Taehyung being naughty again? Were you upset by him? I’ll go take care of him for you!”

In a set of ironed steel grey suit, Kim Yoo might be getting on in age but his figure was very well maintained. Not an inch of his face showed his age and his hair was neatly combed. A pair of gold-trimmed glasses sat on his nose. Strikingly handsome with an extraordinary air around him. He looked nothing like a businessman, rather a bookworm or a scholar.

Ma wasn’t moved at all by his charms. When his words reached her ears, her fur immediately bristled. As a mother whose face muscles were cramping from smiling for a whole afternoon, she’s actually hearing someone badmouthing her precious and obedient little boy now? How can she possible allow that?

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(Ma jumped up. With furrowed brows, she spoke in rage) “Who said my Tae is naughty? He is already the most obedient, quiet, good boy in the whole wide world, okay? How else would you have him behave? Also, you dare talk about your son? All day long, you only know about your office, your company, your work. You’re not even willing to spend time with your children. That’s called…called absent parenting!"

Kim go-eun (Ma)

"Do you know that he’s not been feeling well lately? It must be because of you that he doesn’t feel safe anymore! What kind of a father are you? And you dare say he’s not been a good boy? He’s the most obedient child, alright? He even told me that he loved me today!"

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(As she said so, she tilted her head up high proudly. “Fewlish human, come and envy me!” was written all over her face.)

Kim Yoo

(Kim Yoo was stumped. How can he not know what that brat of his was like? Him, a good boy? Obedient? If that’s considered good behaviour, then there’s no such thing as a “wild child” in this world! But his wife was so proud and confident, it didn’t seem to be a lie. Could his youngest son have really grown up and matured? Not only did he learn to care for others but also to make his mother happy?)

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(Kim go-eun proudly boasted for a while but when she saw her husband ignoring her, she flew into a rage again.) “Don’t you believe me? If you don’t, then go ask Aunt Yang! Tae hugged me today and told me, ‘Mom, I love you’ right here! This very spot! I remember it well! It was not a hallucination.”

She walked over to where Taehyung had hugged her. She was eager to make her husband believe what she said was true, eager to share her joy. Her little son had always been happy and friendly. He’d frequently act cute and be lovey-dovey with her but he was always quite independent and spoilt.

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(He’d never said anything like “I love you”. As soon as she heard those words, her kind motherly heart and melted into a puddle of water.)

Kim Yoo

(Kim Yoo embraced his wife and comforted her) “Okay, okay. I get it. Our son’s all grown up. He’s matured, become considerate of others. He knows how to make his mother happy now. I’m happy too.”

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(Kim go-eun was still not satisfied.) “It wasn’t just to make me happy. He sincerely said he loved me. Mothers know their sons best. I could feel it.

Kim Yoo

(Kim Yoo smiled.) “Yes, yes. Mothers know best. I know. No matter how or why, him making you so happy today means all your doting and love was not for nothing.”

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(In front of her husband, kim go-eun’s mental age severely dropped. Her lips formed an unhappy pout.) “Watch how you say things. You make it sound like I’m only good to him because I want him to reciprocate and pay it back. As a mother, I am satisfied as long as he’s happy. I love him not because I want him to do anything, but because he is my son!”

Kim Yoo

(Kim Yoo amiably agreed) “You’re right. There’s nothing greater than a mother’s love. As parents, we would naturally not expect anything from our children.”

Only then did kim go-eun nodded in satisfaction. At this moment, the front doors slam open once more and in walked Kim Yoongi and kim Ji-eun.

As soon as Kim Yoongi entered the house, he could feel that something was not right with the atmosphere in his home. Nowadays there’s usually a heavy aura hanging over the house because of his little brother’s temper mysteriously blowing up all the time. But not only were his parents full of smiles today, even his cool and aloof younger sister was smiling when they met up at the door.

Kim Yoongi

(What’s going on? Did something major happen he didn’t know about?)

Kim Yoongi

(He tilted his head up to where his parents were.) “Dad. Mom. What happened today? You look very happy.”

The eldest brother of the kim family had the tyrannical CEO personality. He was tall, muscular, handsome and had a foreboding aura about him. However, that’s only on the outside. His family knew that he’s just an extremely warm-hearted man inside. He loved his parents, protected his siblings, and was an exceptional son and brother. His grades had been outstanding since he was a child. His smooth sailing proved his intelligence to be far above the average. After he graduated from university, he gave up on further studies and entered the kim group to share his father’s burden. He’s skilfully helped Kim Yoo handle the company these few years. Whenever anyone commented on the eldest son of the kim family, they’d give a big thumbs up and compliment Kim Yoo “for being so lucky”, and compliment Kim Yoongi on being the ideal “someone else’s kid”.

At this moment, this “someone else’s kid” was staring confused at his parents and sister who were smiling for no reason. He couldn’t get what was going on at all.

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(Ma kindly patted Kim Yoongi on the shoulder. She beamed at him and Bai Ji-eun) “You’re back. You must be tired. Go wash up and get ready for dinner. I’ll go call your brother.”

Kim Yoongi

(Kim Yoongi nodded. As he rose from where he sat, he asked) “He’s home?” He didn’t go out to play today?

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(Ma unhappily gave a slap to her eldest son’s backside.) ” Of course, he is. He’s such a good child. Where would he be if not here?” (As she said so, she giddily flew to call her sweet child down for dinner.)

Kim Yoongi

(Kim Yoongi was left behind, reeling.) “… There’re plenty of flaws in him. I don’t know where to start…”

Taehyung only woke up around noon today. He walked about town for a few hours before he came home. After a shower, he laid down on his bed to begin his daydreaming and pondering.

Kim Taehyung

(He’d wonder if this was all a dream that’d disappear when he woke up next. Then, he’d wonder if he frightened his mother with the words he spoke out of the blue. Then, he’d wonder what if the kim family went bankrupt again. What should be done, so they could live then?)

Kim Taehyung

(Thoughts whirled nonstop through his brain, yet no conclusion was reached. Sprawled on the bed, he hugged his blanket and rolled around. He’s completely useless. Except for his knowledge on the city’s upcoming developments for the next four years, he’s absolutely useless! )

Kim Taehyung

(Wait. The next four years of city’s developments? He sat up with his blanket and began recalling to every minute difference between the city he saw today and the city he remembered.)

Kim Taehyung

(He didn’t know how to deal with residential property and the kim family wasn’t in the industry too. Property changes were useless. He didn’t know how to play with stocks, and he never paid it any attention in his last life.)

Kim Taehyung

(Whatever. The only major thing he could really recall was the development of the city’s university and its new address. His city’s university was one of the top universities in the nation. It’s also one of the largest universities. Even so, it wasn’t enough as the years went by. However, the current campus was in the city where every inch of soil was worth its weight in gold. It wouldn’t be easy to expand and further. Some of its buildings were also quite old and needed to be renovated.)

Kim Taehyung

(The university had money. Once they settled on a decision, they’d go ahead with all they’ve got. They bought all the land in an area near the foot of the nearby Mount Nan in one go. Everything was done without notice, and they began rebuilding. That area used to be the least popular in the city. It’s somewhat isolated and was far away from the city centre. It wasn’t convenient no matter what one did with it, so property prices there were the cheapest in the city.)

Kim Taehyung

(Once the campus was built, everything changed. Not only were the original residents of the land being used well compensated, it changed the entire financial scene of the city. In support of careers in education, the higher-ups established two new public transport routes specifically for the university. New highways were built and rumours of similar plans by the government spread.)

Kim Taehyung

(When the businessmen heard of the new university, they started snatching up lands around the development until all connecting property were sold out. These lands were developed alongside the university. Offices, malls, hotels, eateries. In two short years, the city’s poorest districts were developed into something that could compete with the beautiful, bustling heart of the city.)

Taehyung counted the time he had left. News of the move started from around April next year. All of the land to be used by the university were all bought out then. Paperwork was done, and work had started. In that case, the officials might even be finalising everything now. Kim Taehyung laid back down with a hand on his head. He didn’t expect to be able to profit much from this business. Even if he knew about it before others, his brain wasn’t good enough to start snatching food from those realty agencies. Perhaps if he headed to the suburbs around the new university and bought up property like shop lots or houses, he might earn a small sum too once everything was done?

And once construction starts, he could buy some shops there. If he can’t manage them, he could at least rent them out. Before his death, he remembered the market was at the point where even begging for one shop lot to rent was hard. Then, he can just sit at home and collect rent, right? If an emergency happened, selling them out would net him a nice pile of cash too. And with how capable his father and brother were, the kim family would have no issues rising from the ashes again. If that won’t do, then at least the family won’t have to worry about food and shelter.

As Taehyung’s thoughts spiralled down this trail, his heart began to settle down. The house was too quiet. He’d lain down for far too long and had thought too hard. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep. He only woke up when Ma’s soft knocks reached his ears. Blurrily, he opened his eyes. Was it day? Was it night? What time was it? What day was it? He couldn’t tell.

With a messy bed head and in blue bear pyjamas his mother had bought for him, Taehyung open the door with a yawn.

Ma looked at her own soft and fluffy youngest son and hated the fact she couldn’t just press him tight into her embrace or give him a vigorous petting.

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(Reality was too cruel. As her children grew up, they refused to allow her to pet them. If she did so, this son of hers will fly into a rage out of embarrassment.)

Even, so, she couldn’t resist pinching Taehyung’s cheeks and helped him tidy up his messed-up fur. Taehyung was still fuzzy from his nap so he blearily let her did as she pleased.

Kim go-eun (Ma)

(With one hand running through her son’s soft locks, Ma’s heart melted again. With a voice so gentle that words seemed to trickle through her mouth, she asked) “Are you done sleeping? Go freshen yourself up. It’s time for dinner. Your father, brother and sister are all home.”

He blankly nodded. Once Ma had had enough of petting her son’s head, she happily walked back downstairs. When she reached the stairway, she paused then looked back at him.

Kim go-eun (Ma)

“Hurry. Also, Mother loves you too,” (she tenderly spoke.)

Like a fool, Taehyung just smiled back at her. He closed the door and continued staring blankly at it. Only then did his scrambled mind began focusing and deciphering what Ma had said. And then…! His father and brother were home? Taehyung stood there, shocked. He wasn’t ready yet. The last memories he had of his father and brother were their angry, disappointed and hurt eyes glaring right into him, hating him for being how he was.

The last time he saw his father was at Grandfather’s funeral ceremony His father’s forever-straight back was hunched over. His hair was pale white. His looked so old and powerless. And his big brother, whose face was always calm and mature, was filled with sorrow. He had looked so torn up. His eyes were red, yet he continued to stand straight, for he still had to support his parents and siblings. And he? He didn’t even dare stand close to where the ceremony was held. He could only watch from afar in silence as his beloved and kind grandfather was turned into a black box of ashes before being buried in cold dirt.

With everything that’d happened that day, how could he bear to go downstairs and see his father and brother again? Even if none of that had happened yet? Ah, right. Nothing had happened yet. Grandfather’s not dead. The kim family wasn’t bankrupt. His spine was not broken and cracked yet by torture. His family was not yet beaten down to the point of being shamed wherever they went because of that.

He was just the Little Master of the kim family who had a bit of a temper issue. As long as he was a good child. Over and over, he repeated to himself. As long as he was good, everything that was bad wouldn’t happen.

When his emotions calmed down again, Taehyung turned to wash up and change. He cleaned himself up and stretched his lips into a strained smile. He wasn’t satisfied with that. He vigorously rubbed his face, and patted it over and over until his white cheeks were flushed before he tried smiling again. He buried his face in his hands. Much better. He gathered his courage, cheered himself on in his mind, and firmly pressed on out of the room.