Chapter 3

Detective Choi, the Top Arrest Rate! Chapter 003: Becoming a Chaebol

With Team Leader Seo's permission to buy some time, I rushed to the school and met with Yujin first.

"Yujin!"

"What brings you to school, big brother?"

Looking at her, I had no idea she was suffering at the hands of her classmates.

Among the kids who bullied Yujin was Hyojin, my aunt's daughter.

Perhaps that's why she couldn't speak up.

Knowing that my mother and I would be shocked, she tried to take responsibility on her own.

"I just stopped by. I need to go somewhere with you."

"Are you telling me to skip school?"

"It's okay for one day. I already got permission from the teacher, so pack your bag and come out."

"Ah, okay."

Yujin's eyes trembled, but she seemed oddly relieved.

'Kid! Did you make it through another day safely?'

Her eyes seemed to say that, and I barely held back my emotions.

But how can I restore Yujin's mental state?

'Should I transfer her to another school first?'

Yujin has two weeks left before she attempts suicide.

To buy time, I thought transferring her might be a solution.

"Big brother! Can we go now?"

"Then let's go."

At that time, I hadn't been assigned a company car yet, so we had to use public transportation.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there."

I took Yujin to my father's columbarium.

I don't know why I was given this chance, but if there was something that made this possible, it must have been my father's wish.

'Father, give Yujin strength too.'

I prayed silently, over and over.

"Are we going to see Dad?"

"Yeah? How did you know?"

"This road leads to the columbarium."

"Right. We're going to see Dad. I have something to say to him, and there's something I want you to hear too."

"What is it?"

"It won't be as exciting if I tell you now. Just wait a bit."

Perhaps sensing something, Yujin started to get nervous from that point.

I had never come to her school before, so she must have thought something was off.

When we arrived at the columbarium, I spoke calmly.

"Is there anything you want to say to Dad?"

"What?"

"Should I step aside if you feel uncomfortable with me around?"

"Wh... What are you talking about?"

"Big brother sometimes comes here to vent and gets the strength to keep going. So, Yujin, you should try it too."

Yujin bowed her head, deep in thought.

Whether she opened up or not, I decided to give her some space.

When I came out, I realized how massive the columbarium was.

Are there really so many dead people?

Despite its size, construction was ongoing to expand it, and I was struck by the realization that another world was turning over right before my eyes.

Now that I've come back to life for a second chance, everything looks new.

"Big brother!"

Yujin called me from behind, having come down at some point.

"Are you done?"

"Big brother... Did you know?"

Yujin's voice was weak, and it seemed she had figured out why I was doing something I never did before.

"Yeah. I found out by chance."

"..."

"Did you tell Dad?"

"I... I don't know what to say."

"Was it because of Hyojin that you couldn't speak up?"

"Y... You know about that too?"

"Big brother cares more about you than you think."

I said it offhandedly, but to Yujin, it probably sounded like a poor excuse.

I felt embarrassed, my face burning, because I was too busy with monthly living expenses to give her proper pocket money.

But from now on, I'll do everything I can for her.

"But... What are you going to do?"

"Tell me what you want to do. You can transfer to another school or drop out; it's okay. Don't worry about Mom. I'll talk to her in a way that won't hurt her feelings."

"..."

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I don't know."

"Yujin, you need to think carefully. I can help with anything, but everyone needs to learn to protect themselves. So, the decision is yours."

I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

Even if I can support her for life, everyone has to live their own life.

If I had more time, I'd consult a psychiatrist, but the catch is that I don't have enough time to do that now.

"Are you telling me to decide?"

"Is school important to you?"

"Of course, it is, isn't it?"

"Let's find out what Yujin really wants to do. Why do you study so hard? What do you want to do in the future?"

"S... Sorry! I don't know yet."

I might have asked a stupid question.

It's hard enough to get through each day at school, and asking what she wants to do after graduating and going to college is too much.

'Idiot! Come on! Do it right.'

I'm not sure if I'm trying to help or push her.

"Okay. You can take your time to figure it out. But how about homeschooling for now? It might be better than the stressful school life you're having."

Before meeting Yujin, I thought transferring her to another school might work.

But seeing her demoralized, I realized that even if she transferred, her current mental state would make it hard for her to function normally.

"Homeschooling?"

"Right. You can study at home, and when you feel better, you can attend a cram school and take the high school equivalency test to go to college."

"Can I really go to college?"

The question made my blood boil, but I had to suppress my feelings.

"Of course. Big brother will make sure you and your sister go to college."

"But... "

"Why? Is it because of Su-jin?"

"..."

Her silence confirmed it.

The immediate concern is Su-jin, who is in her third year of high school.

'Ha... How do I say this?'

I wish I could get some coaching.

There's no choice.

I might need to use a cheat key.

"Both you and Su-jin can go to college. It's a secret, but big brother has saved some money, so you don't need to worry."

"R... Really?"

"Yes. So don't worry about money. Just think about what you want to do."

"But... "

It seems hard for her to make a decision.

Her hesitation in responding to my reassurance about money shows she still doesn't fully trust me.

A thought crossed my mind.

Did Su-jin not know that Yujin was struggling at school?

Even though they are in different grades and Su-jin is in her third year.

'Phew... This isn't the time to worry about that. Really!'

I quickly dismissed the thought of doubting Su-jin.

"It's hard to decide right away."

"That's... "

"Then let's apply for a field trip this week and take a break. You can think about it while you rest."

"Is that okay?"

"You know, big brother is here to support you."

"Okay!"

Her response felt forced, indicating that I haven't earned her trust yet.

After all, I haven't been a good big brother so far.

"Anyway, let's do what big brother says. And I'll make sure to deal with the kids who bullied you."

"It's... okay."

"How can it be okay? I'll do better from now on. So, just trust big brother."

"..."

She still doesn't seem to trust me.

"Big brother knows. After Dad passed away, I focused only on work. But I'll change. So, give big brother a chance."

I need to stop thinking I can fix everything at once and focus on helping her understand.

I realized that even in a second chance at life, being a good big brother isn't easy.

"But what if the kids come to our house?"

"Our house?"

I thought separating her from the school would be safe, but I was wrong.

"I... I'm scared."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure Mom stops working at the market."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"It's only natural. How about we go out for dinner today?"

"But Su-jin has night study?"

"I'll tell her to come home quickly. No, let's go to Mom with Su-jin."

Yujin, who had noticed I was acting differently, stared at me and then bowed her head.

"Why?"

"I'm curious about why you're acting like this suddenly."

"I just think we can't live like this anymore. Think about it casually. Let's go."

The sun was already setting.

When I told Su-jin to skip night study, she asked if something was wrong at home, but I told her to come out because I had something important to announce.

Although she didn't say it, Su-jin was also studying hard, but I was worried if she could go to college.

Before I came back, Yujin had fallen into a coma and given up on college, but now I'll change Su-jin's dark past.

@Major Announcement

"Big brother! What's going on?"

"Let's meet Mom first, and then I'll tell you. Is that okay?"

"Okay."

We waited until Mom finished her shift at the market, and it was already seven o'clock.

During the wait, Su-jin was asking Yujin what was going on, but Yujin could only tell her that we had been to the columbarium.

Finally, our family was all together.

"What about your night study?"

"I brought them. Let's go eat first."

"Going out to eat?"

"Yes. Let's go out for a change."

Mom looked at me strangely because I never did this before.

She found it even stranger because I was using formal language, which I usually don't.

"Going out to eat? We can eat at home. Why waste money?"

Usually, it would be hard to change Mom's mind, but not today.

"I have something to say."

"Something to say?"

"Yes. I have a major announcement."

"Did you get into trouble?"

"It's not that. Just follow me."

We went to a pork belly restaurant nearby, not the fanciest place, but a good compromise.

"What's going on?"

She pressed me even before we ordered.

She was really worried, thinking I might have gotten into trouble, but I was relieved it wasn't the case.

"Let's eat first."

"Just tell us."

"Come on, how long does it take to eat? The kids are hungry, and I'm hungry too."

"Okay, I get it."

We ordered four servings of pork belly and started grilling. As the meat cooked, Mom even wrapped it in lettuce and enjoyed it.

Clack!

Yujin, the one with the shortest appetite, put down her chopsticks first, but it seemed she couldn't eat much due to her inner conflict.

After Yujin, Mom, and Su-jin put down their chopsticks, we moved to a nearby coffee shop.

"What's going on? Why the suspense?"

"I won the second prize in the lottery."

I had already confirmed that the lottery numbers in the notebook I found were correct, so I believed the upcoming Saturday's lottery would also match.

I decided to wait for the first prize, which would be double the amount a month later, but for now, I bought the second prize numbers to help Yujin and improve our family's difficult situation.

Most importantly, I wanted to announce to my sisters that they could focus on their studies and go to college.

"Aah!"

Mom was speechless, and Su-jin screamed.

Yujin pretended to be surprised but seemed disappointed it wasn't the first prize.

'No, that's not it.'

Her mental state isn't normal yet, so it's understandable that she couldn't imagine the changes that would come with millions of won.

"Is that really true?"

"Yes, it's true. So, Mom, please stop working at the market and take care of Su-jin and Yujin. Look into cram schools too."

"How much is the second prize?"

"About 40 million won after taxes."

"Min-ja, with that amount, we can live comfortably for a year. But it will be gone quickly if we send Su-jin to college and Yujin to a cram school."