Han Family

Shin and Lee Han finally reached Seoul Gimpo Airport.

"Is your family already waiting for you here?" Shin inquired as they walked towards the airport with Lee Han.

Lee Han nodded, replying, "Yes, my wife and daughter are already in the Arrival Lounge."

Shin followed Lee Han into the airport arrival lounge. Upon entering, people seated on comfortable sofas turned to see if Lee Han and Shin were the ones they were waiting for. Realizing they weren't, the onlookers ignored them.

Lee Han scanned the lounge and spotted his wife reading a newspaper while her daughter played on a Gameboy.

Turning to Shin, Lee Han gestured for silence. Shin, initially confused, observed as Lee Han quietly approached the two women seated at the end of the arrival lounge.

The older woman wore fashionable clothes and accessories.

The pretty young woman, seemingly Shin's age, sported a Beret hat, a short skirt, and long sleeves...

***

Choi Mishil, a middle-aged woman, awaited her husband's return while engrossed in a newspaper. It covered the news of the Japanese government building's demolition in Seoul, which commenced on South Korean Liberation Day, August 15, 1995.

Choi Mishil believed it was the right decision, given her parents' deep-seated hatred for the Japanese due to the war. Although she, like many South Koreans, harbored contempt for the Japanese, her feelings began to wane as her husband started working in Japan.

Despite her reluctance to see her husband leave for work in another country, especially for Japan, they had no other option. The feud between her husband and his cousins at the SamStar Group, coupled with his initial job as a janitor in a random company, brought disgrace to the Han family, pushing him to seek better opportunities abroad.

Fortunately, the decision to work in Japan turned out to be beneficial. Within a few years, Choi Mishil's husband rose to the position of a manager in a mall, significantly improving their lifestyle.

Each time Lee Han, her husband, returned, he shared stories of his experiences in Japan. While Choi Mishil's contempt for Japan diminished, she still had reservations about visiting the country, except for her daughter.

In 1990, when her husband revealed that he had quit his managerial position in the Japanese mall for a job in a small company, Choi Mishil berated him. However, as time passed, that small company evolved into a major player, gaining recognition even in South Korea before the ban on certain Japanese products.

Remarkably successful, her husband's company became a notable presence, even catching the attention of the SamStar Group, which began distributing its products.

The fact that her husband ascended to a high executive position in that company filled Choi Mishil with pride. Their lifestyle improved significantly – they acquired a spacious house, a car, and enrolled their children in a better school. Choi Mishil indulged in luxuries like gold earrings and fashionable clothes, earning her the title of "madam" among friends.

Their transformation from once-humiliated, poor relatives in the eyes of her husband's cousins at the SamStar Group became a pleasant sight for them.

The SamStar Group even employed her 23-year-old daughter, Han Soo-Yun, starting her off as a sales associate.

Despite her daughter's age, she had a hobby – playing video games. Choi Mishil attributed this to her husband's influence, bringing home products like consoles and video games. Consequently, both her daughter and son became gamers.

At this moment, her 23-year-old daughter was engrossed in playing a video game on a Gameboy, one of the products from her husband's company. Choi Mishil chose to ignore it, opting to read the newspaper.

Suddenly, a hand gripped her wrist, prompting a frown. Ready to utter a curse, she looked at the person holding her and was taken aback.

Exclaiming, "Dear!" she caught the attention of Han Soo-Yun.

***

"Dear!"

Amused by his wife's surprise, Lee Han chuckled, saying, "Haha, I thought you were about to curse me with the expression you initially showed!"

Choi Mishil playfully nudged Lee Han and asked, "Why would you surprise me like that?"

"Haha, it's because you're not paying attention! I am already so close, yet you didn't notice me..." Lee Han laughed.

"I am reading a newspaper, so I didn't notice."

As they conversed, their daughter Han Soo-Yun exclaimed, "Dad!" and eagerly hugged Lee Han. She excitedly inquired, "Did you bring some games?"

Lee Han chuckled wryly, remarking, "You little... you're so engrossed in playing on the Gameboy that you didn't notice me either! You really take after your mother."

Choi Mishil and Han Soo-Yun burst into laughter at Lee Han's comment.

While chatting, Choi Mishil noticed Shin just behind Lee Han. She turned to him and quipped, "Are you the chauffeur? Wait for my husband's baggage instead of observing our little reunion—"

Initially thinking his wife was talking to someone else, Lee Han realized she was addressing his boss. Panicking, he abruptly ignored his daughter and forcefully pulled his wife away, he momentarily forgotten that he had brought his boss along.

***

Meanwhile, Shin, hands in his pockets, observed Lee Han's family reunion. Since they were conversing in Korean, he couldn't understand.

After a minute, the middle-aged woman in fashionable attire seemed to address him in Korean.

Confused, Shin asked Lee Han, who was still reeling from pulling his wife forcefully, "What did she say?"

Upon hearing his boss inquire, Lee Han awkwardly expressed in Japanese, "Uh... Nothing, cough. This is my wife, and this is my daughter." Instead of elaborating, he gestured towards his wife and daughter to introduce them to Shin.

Choi Mishil and Han Soo-Yun, overhearing the young man behind Lee Han conversing in Japanese, then noticed Lee Han also engaging in Japanese conversation with him confused them.

This prompted a slight frown from Choi Mishil.