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Translator Note:
This is one of my favorite Korean novels, at first, I was reluctant to upload it because I saw that there was already a site that uploaded the MTL. But I liked this novel so much that I wanted to upload it (even though someone had already uploaded the MTL).
I apologize if you, who uploaded the MTL felt offended by my actions. I translated this novel myself (not copy-pasted from your MTL). Although I also used MTL's help in translating this novel because I'm not fluent in Korean and English.
However, if you still have objections to my actions, you can leave a comment on the blog or contact me at reireiss.dollars@gmail.com
Thank You!
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Chapter 2 – Homecoming
"JJ,
if you need a break, take a vacation. Don't give me a resignation letter."
"Captain,
you've seen my resume."
"Yeah,
I have. I know you can't stay in one place for long."
I
remember several places trying to get me. The Captain was one of them. I mean,
he brought me here after fierce competition, but then I suddenly quit.
Jay
Jenkins or JJ, that's what I was called by the Captain and the crew, was a very
suspicious and strange Asian guy.
Not
through a racist lens, but more of a mysticism, just a literal mystic.
"Still,
this is the first job I've had in over a year outside of the military."
"Huh,
is that supposed to be an honor?"
The
Captain grunted in disappointment.
Jay
was quick on his feet, and if you taught him something, he could pick it up
after one look. He was so good, in fact, that he'd earned a medal in his short
service.
He
was one of the Captain's favorites.
"I'm
saving your spot. If you ever want to come back, let me know."
Well...
Will I ever be able to come back? Reading Jay's dubious expression, the Captain
frowned.
"I
see you're going somewhere far away. Where this time, Chicago or Boston?"
"Korea."
"Korea?
I thought you said you'd never been there except for a brief stint when you
were a kid."
"I
did."
Jay's
life was full of change. He's never been one to settle down in one place for
long, and he's been so busy moving around that he can't think about Korea.
(By
any chance, are you Yoon Jae-hee?)
Until
I saw the message that someone sent while checking the social media account
that I had forgotten after making it roughly because of the same unit.
His
father's wife, who was vague about what to call him, shared that his father was
suffering from terminal cancer and that he wanted to see me.
Jay
thought about it for a moment, then replied that he would come. He would be
quitting his job soon anyway.
"My
father says he's going to die soon. I think I should go see him."
"Father?
You mean, your biological father, not Mr. Jenkins?"
"Yeah."
"I
thought you were adopted."
"It's
complicated."
He'd
originally lived in South Korea, followed his mother to the United States when
his biological parents divorced, and then his mother remarried...... It's a
family history that's hard to explain.
Jay
wasn't one to talk about such personal matters.
"Then,
I'll get going."
Rising
from his seat, Jay smiled and shook the Captain's hand. It was a wistful smile
with no hint of regret.
It
made the Captain look even more disappointed.
"You're
only going to Korea for a little while, right? Come visit me when you get
back."
"I
will."
Someday,
I'd like to visit......, he felt particularly attached to this place since it
was a place he had worked in for the longest time after the military.
"Hey,
JJ."
The
Captain called back to Jay, who was opening the door with a large Boston bag
slung over his shoulder.
"It's
not because of you that Williams died. It was an accident."
"......I
know."
Even
if I know it, the fact that he died before my eyes doesn't change. Jay left the
Captain's office, trying to hide his bitterness.
In
the garage, the crew was gathered to play poker.
"JJ,
come and play a game!"
"Oliver,
I'm afraid your chances of winning money are over forever."
"Forever?
You're finally quitting?"
"Yep.
Goodbye, Losers."
Jay
left the office with a light step that seemed like he would return to work
tomorrow. Is he really quitting? The dazed crew looked at each other.
'I
guess this is my last day here, too.'
Jay
suddenly glanced back. The red fire truck he'd worked so hard to maintain and
polish was visible beneath a sign that read in large letters.
Los
Angeles Fire Department
'I
wonder what I'll do next.'
But
I'll have to see my biological father before that. Jay sighed as he somehow
felt heavy inside.
As
Jay left the fire brigade, Oliver, who was proud to be his best friend,
hurriedly opened the captain's office door.
"Knock
before you open the door."
"Captain,
is JJ really quitting?"
"So
you thought it was a prank?"
"No,
he can't just leave like that!"
"He's
been talking about resigning for a long time."
He
did say something about not being able to stay in one place for long, and that
he might look for another job someday.
It
got worse after Williams, a fellow firefighter, was killed in action. It was
understandable since he died in front of his eyes, but they didn't expect him
to leave so quickly.
"It's
not like we don't have his number, social media? I'm sure we can keep in touch
with him from afar."
"Yes,
we did. But, we already prepared a farewell party."
But
he's already gone. Oliver grumbles and walks out, while the Captain flips
through Jay's resume for the Fire Department.
Enlisted
in the U.S. Army right out of high school. Spent a few years in the Navy SEALs,
serving in frequent overseas operations and earning many decorations for
meritorious service.
A
Silver Star is nothing to sneeze at, but after leaving the military, Jay
bounced around the country between jobs for as little as a week and as long as
two months.
"I'm......"
Based
on his fraudulent resume, he looks like an Asian stereotype, but he's not
arrogant. Jay didn't talk much about himself.
"He
was an enigma to the end."
The
first and last private conversation they had was about his biological father.
The Captain sighed and shoved the resume deep into a drawer.
***
"So,
you quit the Fire Brigade, too?"
"Yeah."
Stopping
by his parents' house before heading to Korea, Jay received a rousing welcome.
"Good
for you. It's a dangerous job."
His
mother, Maria Jenkins, beamed but his father's expression showed concern.
"Son,
why don’t you just settle down now?"
"I'm
comfortable living like this."
"I'll
give you a place in my company if you want it. I'm sure you will adapt well
quickly."
Those
weren't empty words, they were sincere. Jay is smart and has a unique talent.
He would have been happy if his son had settled down in one place and exercised
his abilities to the end, but his son led a nomadic life and always changed his
occupation.
His
parents' eyes held infinite trust. Jay felt his heart fill with affection, but
he didn't like it. His father, who read his expression, hurriedly added.
"Don't
take that as a burden."
"I'll
always be grateful to you two."
"Don't
say that. Parents are supposed to have their kids' backs."
Jay
raised the corner of his mouth. Even though they didn't share a drop of blood,
they really did care for him like a son.
Jay's
family history was a soap opera. His mother divorced his biological father and
settled in America, where she met and married his stepfather, Henry Jenkins.
[Son,
how should I call you?]
[My
Korean name is not easy to pronounce, so just call me Jay.]
That's
how Yoon Jae-hee became Jay Jenkins.
Henry
loved Jay as if he were his own son, but the marriage of Henry Jenkins to Jay's
biological mother, Jeong Yeonjae, didn't last long. She died in a car accident.
His
stepfather met his stepmother and married. His stepmother, Maria Jenkins, had
two children by her ex-husband. Jay had a stepmother and step-siblings who were
not related by blood.
"Yeah,
you did the right thing by going to Korea. He is your biological father, so you
have to see him off for the last time."
"Yes."
"Have
a good day and come back."
Jay,
who was sent off by his parents with a big hug, headed to the airport.
It
was a complicated family, but a good one. His step-parents treated him like a
son, and he got along with his stepmother's children like siblings, so he
didn't remember the awkwardness of the past.
Despite
that, Jay couldn't shake the feeling that his place had been taken away from
him, so he ran away to join the army.
'Maybe
that's why I've never been able to settle down.'
No
matter where you are, this is what you're meant to do. I was told I had a
talent, but it didn't last long. Even though I was living freely, I felt empty
inside.
The
road to Korea was not smooth.
Due
to my military experience in special operations, I've had to come to several
different places, and I've even been sworn to secrecy, though I've gotten a lot
of accommodations in return.
(Passengers,
welcome to Incheon International Airport. After the plane came to a complete
stop......)
After
all the twists and turns, the airport feels unfamiliar. After retrieving his
luggage and heading out the gate, Jay looked around.
"Uh,
Mom. I'm here."
"Let's
get something to eat before we go home."
"Crazy,
did you see him? He's so handsome."
I
have to get rid of the Korean-American smell first. As Jay wandered the
airport, he eavesdropped on the conversations of several passersby, studying
pronunciations and tones.
"Ah,
ah, ah. One, two, three. Hello."
Doesn't
that make you feel less like an expatriate? After a few minutes of listening,
he's got the language down pat and is on his way out of the airport.
(Ah......
You've arrived in Korea.)
"What's
going on?"
(That......
Can we meet in a cafe on the first floor of a funeral home, not a ward?)
"A
funeral home?"
Don't
tell me...... Jay hopped into a taxi and headed for the hospital.
"Hello."
"Oh,
hello."
His
biological father's wife, Park Hyun-ah, whom he met at the cafe, was stunned
when she saw him.
The
hunky man is well-proportioned and model-like. His handsome appearance is
similar to his husband's, but his aura is heavy as if he had been through a
lot.
He
is more like a celebrity than her children, who are celebrities. He can catch
the attention of people around him at once.
"Thank
you for coming."
"No,
you may speak at ease."
Jay
glanced at Park Hyun-ah. Her eyes were puffy, but she looked resilient because
his father's disease was long, and she seemed to have already prepared herself.
"I
heard you grew up in the U.S. ......What should I call you?"
"Just,
you know, call me Jay. And can I call you, Mother......?"
"Sure."
I
thought the word mother was just a title, but it was still a little weird to
call her auntie when she was my biological father's wife.
"So,
my father is...... Dead."
"He
passed away this morning."
Park
Hyun-ah studied Jay's complicated expression.
"Did
my father talk about me often?"
"He
always said he was sorry for you. He always said that his family was broken
because he made a big mistake."
Well,
I thought I was the one who broke up the family. My father had nothing but good
things to say about me, and Park Hyun-ah's expression was favorable.
"He
was so happy when I told him I'd gotten in touch with you and that you'd be
coming to Korea soon. He said he had something he wanted to tell
you......"
"......I
see."
Jay
gulped down his coffee, his throat burning.
"Ma'am,
is this the right box? Dojun says it's the right one......"
"It
is, and thank you for giving the kids a ride, Mr. Manager."
"No,
Ma'am. It's my job."
It's
a man who broke the short silence, and he waved at Park Hyun-ah, who treated
him kindly. There are many celebrities and family members who treat their
managers as if they were their hands and feet, but these people have always
been polite.
As
soon as he made eye contact with Jay, he was stunned; Oh my God, who is this
guy? There's a jewel yet to be discovered......
Jay
glanced behind him, unaware that the manager was salivating. There were two
people, a boy and a girl who looked so young as if they were students.
'They
look alike.'
The
siblings had a slight resemblance to each other and to himself.
'They
must be...... My younger siblings.'
Their
eyes are slightly puffy, probably because of our father's death.
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