Picked Up In Winter – Epilogue

UNEDITED

Translation: Ranka

Picked Up In Winter <epilogue>

We eventually arrived at home, slowly opened the front door and went inside. The family that was in the living room then all looked at me with incredulity.

“Happy……?”

Someone asked in a quivering voice. Then a quiet one came from beside me and corrected the words.

“It’s not Happy……”

“…?”

“It’s Hagil.”

“……?”

His family looked baffled. But just then. A small figure sprang out from the main room and ran straight to me.

“Happy……!!”

…… It was Min Hyung.

He ran right up to my front and I held Min Hyung tightly in my arms. His body was still small and soft.

“…… Liar…”

Min Hyung suddenly uttered in a resentful voice.

“Happy is liar…..”

“…… Sorry.”

“Even though you said I would see you if two nights had passed……”

“… Sorry.”

“Liar!”

“… Yep.”

I hugged Min Hyung even more. Behind him, I could see his family watching our little reunion with an emotional look.

His mother’s eyes which were filled with tears, and his father who was sporting a warm smile. Seon Hyung-nuna who had already started crying. And even…… seeing as I had returned, and as if he wasn’t sure what expression to make, the strangely frowning Dae Hyung……

Everyone, every single one of them, entered my view.

‘What, did you think I’d be okay…….’

I suddenly remembered the fellow’s faint voice.

I slowly stretched my arm that wasn’t holding Min Hyung towards Dae Hyung.

“…?!”

Dae Hyung flinched, surprised at the action. I smiled a little and called him.

“Dae Hyung.”

“…… Tch. What, did you think I’d like that.”

He muttered as if he didn’t like it, but approached me step by step, and with an awkward movement entered my embrace.

But I soon couldn’t help the laugh that left me as his head, as if poking, snuggled into me.

That’s how I returned to this house.

***

That day, I told his family for the first time of my mother’s death. Because she was worried I had left my home, she asked me about my family.

‘My father passed away when I was young. And my mother…….’

Speaking up until then, I got choked up. But with difficulty, I slowly opened my mouth, as if to inculcate/instill it in myself.¹

‘Passed away…… recently…….’

At that moment, I burst into tears…… Those tears streamed down (my face).

My mother passed away. My mom was dead. Because of me…….

It was only then that everything felt awfully real, and I couldn’t stop my tears. Feeling as if my heart was getting torn apart, I kept on crying.

And like this, that evening, I’ve confessed everything to his mother.

***

I had actually thought it was inevitable his mother would kick me out. After all, it was different to stay for a while and to continue to be there forever. And I also knew that her being a mother, she had a unique attachment to her own bloodline.

Even if it wasn’t right now, I knew she’d eventually grow not to be pleased with my existence…… Maybe someday, she’d want me to leave.

But I thought…… there was nothing I could do about that. It was not a regrettable thing, but an obvious matter of course…… It was inevitable. That’s what I had thought.

Next day, evening. Just like the last time when his parents decided to let me stay, they had called the whole family to the living room. And sitting on the sofa, slowly looking if everyone has had gathered, she looked at me and spoke.

“I’ve thought about it after listening to your story yesterday…….”

“…….”

Right then, I felt like ‘Ahhh, was it already here?’

No matter what, it’s been too fast. I was a little disappointed. I had thought I could stay in this house at least for as long as I had had stayed here for the last time….

I faced his mother with a wry smile.

She looked at me, waited a while, and again spoke.

“If you’re going to continue living in this house, anyway, wouldn’t it be a little inconvenient for you, too, to be here as a stranger?”

“…….”

“And I think…… that as you go on living, I’m sure you’ll be subjected to a lot of upsetting things just because you’re an orphan.”

“…….”

“So what if we, only if you want, accepted you as an adoptee…… we thought.”

“……?”

I widened my eyes. His mother smiled affectionately at me who’s been surprised and spoke again.

“I’m not asking you to answer right away. But I want you to give it a little thought. What do you say to us becoming a family.”

“…….”

Tears again filled my vision. It was a love I didn’t deserve. It was an undeserved kindness to a guy like me. And as everyone sported expressions of being deeply moved, in the middle of me trying to hold my breath and as tears flowed down my face, suddenly…… A low-toned voice quietly flowed out.

“Definitely not possible.”

“……?”

Those words shattered the entire emotional atmosphere. Everyone turned their faces towards the sound, sporting odd expressions.

“Adoptee you say, don’t make me laugh. Definitely not.”

“…… Jun Hyung?”

It was Jun Hyung. Jun Hyung was sulking terribly and mumbling under his breath.

No, you out of everyone, how could you say such things…… everybody looked at him with expressions as if saying this, when I, at that moment, understood the reason he was saying so and my face heated up.

“……?”

Seeing me like that his family sported an even more bewildered expressions.

But suddenly, Dae Hyung who has been sitting silently on the edge of the sofa softly exclaimed ‘… Ah.’ And Seon Hyung-nuna who sat next to him also let out a voice of suspicion ‘No way……’ Their parents looked at them still without the slightest clue, ‘What’s going on? You know why Jun Hyung is acting like that?’, they asked, and the two, feigning ignorance, could only respond with, ‘It’s better not to know.’ Min Hyung was hugging Patrasche and was smiling brightly as if everything was okay.

Suddenly, I met gazes with Jun Hyung. His eyes were releasing a powerful threat.

‘Without my permission, it’s a definite no.’

The moment I saw that serious look on his face, I couldn’t resist the incoming laugh, and in spite of myself, I’ve laughed out loud.

“What the……?”

His parents were left in utter confusion seeing me suddenly begin to laugh.

That’s how I, Kang Hagil, nicknamed Happy, got picked up in winter. Giving up my raise in status inside this house.

Picked Up in Winter… The End.²

TN:

1) inculcate/instill it in myself – That his mother really was not alive anymore.

2) The End – Was originally in English.

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Aaand, we’ve come to the end of this emotional rollercoaster of a story, hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did (JH’s family truly the heroes here 😭😭), and let’s meet again with another story soon~ (I’m going to post the prologue/intro to this soon so if you’re interested, please do check it out, it’s completely different and you can expect a lot more comedy ^^ asdfghkl I must be getting annying with this lmao)

I also decided to make a ko-fi profile, so check it out if you wish (be sure to read the about me/support thing before you decide to support~)

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