### Chapter 428 – Clan with Structure (4)
—
[Han Kain]
—
It didn’t take long for chaos to erupt in the countryside house.
From the start, Ahri didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding the fact that she had damaged the car tires.
—
Naturally, the horrified adults began to shout, and my parents had to keep apologizing and promising to cover the repair costs.
Ahri and I got into a massive amount of trouble together.
—
…
—
Wait, why did I get dragged into this mess?
Did I fail to manage my little sister properly?
Does this even make sense?
I tried to explain how Ahri had suddenly taken me down with some Muay Thai moves and thrown me into the dirt, but nobody believed me, and it was so unfair.
—
What really turned this absurd situation into a comedy was Ahri’s attitude.
Seeing her casually wave her hands with a ‘Time, flow on~’ expression while half-heartedly apologizing drove Dad over the edge, and, in front of our relatives, he told Ahri to present her calves for a smack.
Then Ahri yawned and warmly declared, “It’s time to act freely now,” before dashing off like a lunatic!
—
“Han Ahri, you get back here!”
—
“Goodbye everyone~!”
—
“My, my crazy sister—”
—
And just like that, she vanished like the wind.
All that remained were bewildered adults scratching their heads wondering what the heck just happened…
—
“Ha ha ha! Whoever it is, you raised a fine daughter! Just give up chasing after her! Those kids are always going to be troublemakers! They’ll come home when it’s mealtime!”
—
The only one laughing madly like a hyena was my great-grandfather.
—
*
Around lunchtime, the adults started squabbling yet again.
Apparently, my great-grandfather had given a substantial amount of money to my uncle back in the day, which became a sticking point.
—
“You brats! You didn’t make a fuss back then—”
—
“Yeah, that’s because we didn’t know how much you received! You got 1.5 billion, right? Why—”
—
“You said it was 800 million at the time!”
—
“Liar! You’ve always been a compulsive liar!”
—
“Chang-sik, you little punk. You ought to know there’s a hierarchy even in conversation—”
—
As the noise escalated, I took the younger siblings out to the garden once more.
While I was feeding some snacks to the carp, I heard a sigh from beside me.
—
“Kain, you’re suffering too.”
—
Startled, I turned to see my great-grandfather standing there.
—
“Grandpa?”
—
“These brats are outrageous, aren’t they?”
—
“…”
—
“Kain, where’s Ahri?”
—
“I don’t know either.”
—
“Wandering around while skipping lunch?”
—
“It’s because if they catch her, she’ll get in huge trouble…”
—
“Kids are just being kids. What’s the big deal about messing up a few things?”
—
“…”
—
Grandpa, that’s honestly not how it works.
If a daughter suddenly punctures the tires of a dozen cars with a metal stick, I’d bet every parent would be ready to bring out the wooden spoon.
—
“I’ll have them cleared away soon, so tell Ahri to come eat.”
—
“Wait, what?”
—
“Cleared away?”
—
I quickly realized the implication of his words.
Grandpa called for a truck from outside and unexpectedly sent all the adults to a nearby plastic greenhouse.
—
When this chaos unfolded, Ahri reappeared out of nowhere.
—
“Hmmm….”
—
“What do you mean ‘hmmm’? Why did you mess with the tires?! You got me into—”
—
“Seems like I can’t stop the current that’s sending the adults away.”
—
“What?”
—
“Whether the tires get damaged or not doesn’t matter. Judging by the situation, sending them to the car field wasn’t spontaneous at all.”
—
“…”
—
“You see, they all gathered to bicker over the inheritance, and even Han Jin-seong got sick of it. So, he keeps throwing tantrums, and since he’s tired of it, he simply chucks them out.”
—
I couldn’t grasp what Ahri was saying. However…
—
Strangely enough, there was another part of me that clearly comprehended her words.
—
“Ahri—”
—
“Listen closely.”
—
“…”
—
“Right now, you are in a default middle school state, but you aren’t entirely that era anymore. Somewhere deep in your heart, you recognize everything.”
—
“…”
—
“Don’t you feel something? That’s why you’ve been quiet?”
—
“…”
—
“Let’s go see Han Jin-seong together. We need to find out something from him.”
—
*
“Hey there! Little one, where have you been hiding?”
—
“…”
—
“Ha ha ha! Grandpa isn’t mad about you messing with the cars. Just make sure you eat well—”
—
Maybe it was because I’d heard what Ahri said earlier, but I saw a kinder side to my great-grandfather’s face, worrying for his granddaughter’s meal.
The person who had been mischievous with the adults was nowhere to be found.
—
Could it be that he found the sight of his descendants hungrily gathering for inheritance stressful in his old age?
Whatever it was, Ahri had her gaze fixed firmly on him.
—
“…”
—
The awkwardness hung in the air, and while both Grandpa and I felt it, Ahri didn’t stop.
—
“Ehem, what’s so interesting about this old face to stare at?”
—
“It’s not that.”
—
“What do you mean it’s not?”
—
“I was wondering whether I could ask you a question?”
—
“Sure thing.”
—
Grandpa displayed a look of curiosity, wondering what this amusing granddaughter would ask.
—
“Isn’t it uncomfortable for you when the relatives are squabbling in this countryside house?”
—
“…”
—
“Is that not true?”
—
“Hmm… so you can talk reasonably, huh? Just that you messed with some tires, and I didn’t think you’d be so insightful. They should be soaked in the sun and discipline—”
—
“Grandpa, you know why they’re fighting.”
—
“…”
—
“It doesn’t make sense. You have plenty of wealth, and you have a lawyer by your side, right? Surely there were better ways to distribute it than what’s happening now.”
—
I found it surprising that Ahri thought so deeply.
I was puzzled, but since it was something I was curious about too, I didn’t stop my sister.
—
“Perhaps… this is a strange story, and you might not believe it.”
—
“I’ll believe it, so go ahead.”
—
After that, Grandpa brought up a mystical jar.
Though its exact origins were unknown, it was an item brought over from Japan, leading to material wealth upon obtaining it.
—
While I was focused on this fascinating tale, Ahri waved her hands as if saying ‘I already know this’ and began asking questions.
—
“So you’re saying you didn’t acquire wealth naturally, but rather through the help of this bizarre object?”
—
“Yeah, that’s correct.”
—
“Don’t you perhaps not want to pass that wealth to your descendants?”
—
What on earth is she saying?
—
“You think there might be some curse tied to the wealth? Because it wasn’t acquired naturally?”
—
Grandpa made a speechless face, awkwardly laughing as he stood up.
—
“Ha ha, oh, Ahri. It was just a playful story. Why are you taking it so earnestly? Come on, eat lunch—”
—
“I want to see the jar.”
—
“Eat lunch first.”
—
With that statement, Grandpa left the room.
Now, with just the two of us, Ahri gazed at me with a meaningful look.
—
“One mystery has been solved. The reason Han Jin-seong was doing something strange with the inheritance is that he didn’t want to give it away. He’s probably thinking that his descendants might inherit a curse along with the wealth.”
—
“…”
—
“Of course, no descendant would say, ‘Sure! I’ll give up 10 billion!’ So he’s been stuck up with this issue.”
—
“…”
—
“From now on, I plan to head to the underground storage.”
—
“What? You’re going to the storage?”
—
“This direction differs from the actual events that transpired in your past. However, since I’m the first one trying this, I’ll check what happens even if I know I might fail.”
—
“… That sounds strange. I can’t completely understand what you’re saying, yet it feels like I do.”
—
“Then that level of understanding is enough.”
—
“Why are you telling me all this?”
—
Ahri chuckled lightly as she placed a hand on my shoulder.
—
“To warn you that difficult times might arise from now on. Now, let’s head to the storage.”
—
*
— Clatter!
—
The sound of a dish breaking.
—
— Ting!
—
An ornate silver candlestick rolled carelessly on the floor.
—
— Creak!
—
A cabinet swung open violently.
—
Within ten minutes of Ahri, the tyrant, entering the storage, utter chaos ensued.
The noise stirred one of the caretakers looking after the hanok, who rushed in, only to be flabbergasted at the sight of the owner’s granddaughter causing mayhem and hastily exited.
—
“Is it alright to act like this?”
—
“Doesn’t matter, just find a jar or something. Where the heck did you hide it?”
—
“Is it okay to smash the storage like this?”
—
Ahri didn’t seem to care about my words.
—
“Ahri, the caretaker just hurried off in shock! They might soon come to get Grandpa.”
—
“Doesn’t matter.”
—
Before long, Grandpa appeared, supported by a strong man.
—
“Goodness! What’s going on here?”
—
“Grandpa…”
—
“Kain, Ahri. If you want something, just tell grandpa instead of tearing through the storage like this, okay?”
—
“…”
—
“Seung-chan! Take the kids out—”
—
Just when Grandpa was about to give directions to the caretaker, Ahri coldly interrupted.
—
“Han Jin-seong. Send the caretaker out.”
—
“…”
—
“…”
—
That wasn’t a way a granddaughter typically spoke to her great-grandfather.
And yet, no one chastised Ahri for her impertinence.
The tension in the air and the way she spoke gave off an unexplainable pressure.
—
“Kiddo.”
—
“I don’t want to hear it from you. Just send the worker out.”
—
“… Seung-chan. You go clean the garden for a bit.”
—
“U-uh, is that really okay, sir?”
—
“Why are you standing there? Off you go!”
—
“Understood!”
—
Inside a now chaotic storage room, three people remained in eerie silence.
Eventually, Ahri broke the quiet.
—
“Grandpa, you used to work for the Administration Bureau, right?”
—
“…”
—
“So, you must understand my words. I’ll be straightforward. I am an agent.”
—
Instead of refuting or ridiculing her, Grandpa stepped closer, examining Ahri closely.
—
Could people from the Administration Bureau tell something by just looking?
—
“This is odd… very odd. We never had a member from the Bureau in our household… Ahri, did you pick up some strange tales somewhere?”
—
“Recently.”
—
“…”
—
“I crossed over the boundary recently.”
—
“…”
—
“Is that hard to understand? Or should I say I came from the infinite realm—”
—
“Got it. Just enough of that, will you?”
—
“…”
—
The way Grandpa spoke changed completely.
—
“Hmm, we had some strange behavior since this morning. What the heck is going on—”
—
“Where is the jar? And you, Han Jin-seong.”
—
“…”
—
“You’re not an agent. I was just wondering what you were talking about, and I thought you sounded like one.”
—
“…”
—
“You can’t handle that thing, so hand it over here.”
—
“Hoo… you people just never change over time, do you?”
—
“Never change?”
—
“What are you planning to do with the jar? Are you going to capture innocent people and confirm what price the jar demands?”
—
“…”
—
“Oh, not just ordinary folks; perhaps you’ll gather death row inmates this time for your experiments?”
—
At that moment, Ahri let out a sharp laugh.
—
“It was that feeling back then, wasn’t it?”
—
“What?”
—
“This place is—very far back. Maybe that’s why it feels different.”
—
“Quit with the riddles—”
—
“Just hand it over. Don’t make this more troublesome. If you obstruct me, I’ll simply contact HQ.”
—
With a grim expression, Grandpa finally seemed to relent and went deep into the storage.
—
Searching alongside Ahri took hours to cover a place that would be hard to find.
—
“Got it. I now know where the jar is.”
—
“…”
—
Grandpa, with an agonized expression, handed the jar to Ahri.
—
“I’m sure you’re planning on doing something terrible, but this is—”
—
“You’re mistaken.”
—
“What?”
—
“I can guess your thoughts, but what I plan to do is nothing like you think.”
—
“What do you mean—”
—
“And I’m sorry, but what I’m about to do has nothing to do with the Administration Bureau.”
—
“What on earth have you been—”
—
Ahri, who had been saying what she wanted from the start, turned her gaze to me.
—
“Kain.”
—
“Uh? Uh?”
—
“You’ve often talked about your family, but I never had the sense that you inherited tens of billions.”
—
“…”
—
“In actual history, the inheritance of over 1 billion that Han Jin-seong had disappeared somewhere. So, I think it’s right for the wealth to vanish.”
—
I was confused.
A part of me didn’t understand what Ahri was saying at all, while another side faintly understood.
—
Thanks to the latter, I realized what Ahri was planning to do from here on out.
—
— Crash!
—
The moment the jar collided with the hard stone floor and shattered, Grandpa’s face turned pale.
—
“Y-yo-you crazy girl! What the hell are you—”
—
“I can’t have you cursing! And have I done something bad? I merely smashed a haunted jar.”
—
“If breaking it would solve things so easily, I would have—”
—
“I know. If I break it, something odd is going to happen. You probably were trembling in fear, not knowing what to do.”
—
“What?”
—
When Grandpa dropped onto the ground, dazed, Ahri smiled lightly.
—
“Sometimes, you have to expect a bad ending and yet still check what might happen. I’ll find out what will transpire by breaking this open.”
—
“You’re insane… insane…”
—
“Jin-seong, you’re being awfully rude.”
—
And time passed.
—
…
…
…
—
*
Not long after the incident, my great-grandfather passed away.
Since there was no will, the inheritance was divided fairly according to the legal shares, and naturally, significant conflicts arose in the process.
—
Afterward, many events unfolded.
I wouldn’t want to detail each one, but to sum it up, my father lost an eye and his job.
He started a coffee shop with his severance pay, and my siblings and I, still in middle school, had to help out every day.
—
One day, while Ahri was fiddling with the espresso machine, she wore a wry smile.
—
“I’m sorry.”
—
“… Huh?”
—
“I had my suspicions, but it seems that when you break the jar, a price comes back.”
—
“…”
—
“It seems troubling to haphazardly break a jar that brought wealth through supernatural means.”
—
“…”
—
“Everyone who inherited got cursed. Should we give up our inheritance?”
—
“…”
—
“Or maybe this path itself is wrong. After all, this dream is your ‘most terrible memory,’ right? I guess it’s necessary to face that name tag stealing game somehow.”
—
“…”
—
“Isn’t the current outcome a bit troublesome?”
—
“Current outcome? What do you mean?”
—
“Your home went down the drain, but you rebuild it with a cute little sister, right?”
—
“…”
—
“Surprisingly feasible, don’t you think? Look behind you.”
—
The coffee shop was doing fantastically well.
It had gained tremendous fame in the neighborhood due to the beauty of its baristas.
Thus, without a token number, nobody could enter.
—
Just then, another hapless student walked in to order coffee.
—
“Um, excuse me!”
—
“Yes?”
—
“Uh, my… uh, my number—”
—
“Please order first.”
—
“Yes, yes! One venti iced Americano please! Uh, my number—”
—
“Can’t happen.”
—
“Excuse me?”
—
“The number comes free when you order both coffee and cake.”
—
“…”
—
“Venti iced Americano?”
—
“Um, no. I’d like the most expensive drink!”
—
“One venti mint chocolate mocha frappuccino with an extra two shots of espresso, along with a blueberry chocolate cheesecake?”
—
“… Yes.”
—
“That’ll be 19,500 won.”
—
Shaking, the boy ordered all the coffee and cake he was wary about eating all by himself, and Ahri wrote down on a note, ‘my phone number.’
—
“This is not your number but mine.”
—
“It’s my job to protect my sister from weird guys.”
—
“…”
—
“But hey! With this, can’t we revive the family?”
—
I felt dizzy just thinking about it.
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