Chapter 46 …
It didn’t take So-jung long to find the two of them. As she entered the park, she immediately ran toward Hyun, who was holding Harim in his arms.
“Harim!”
“She’s asleep.”
“How is she…? What happened?”
Harim was fast asleep in Hyun’s arms. Seeing her like that, So-jung’s expression stiffened.
“Here, take this.”
“What’s this?”
“We dug this up to give to her. So they wouldn’t fight.”
So-jung blinked as she accepted the dandelions. Only then did she understand why Harim’s clothes were covered in dirt. At the same time, a relieved smile spread across her face.
“Still, I’m glad we found her sooner than expected.”
“I told you. How far could a kid with short legs even get?”
“…Harim’s legs aren’t that short, you know? She’ll grow more later.”
“Yeah, but she’s going to need a lot of effort to catch up.”
A brief silence fell between them, interrupting their otherwise natural conversation. Hyun spoke first.
“You’re right.”
“…”
“If I had found out about her right after losing my memory, I don’t think I would have acknowledged her as my daughter.”
So-jung’s eyes widened at Hyun’s honest words. She quickly responded.
“No, I’m the one who should apologize for not telling you about something so important in advance. She’s my daughter, but she’s your daughter too. You had every reason to be upset.”
“Right… So there’s nothing else hidden, right? No secret sons or anything like that?”
“There’s nothing like that, so don’t worry.”
As they talked, Hyun kept stroking Harim’s back. His movements were so natural that So-jung cautiously asked,
“Did you… happen to regain your memory?”
“Memory? What memory?”
“…Never mind.”
From his words and actions, it didn’t seem like his memory had returned. Still, the sight of father and daughter embracing looked heartwarming.
“Oh, here you are.”
At that moment, the bushes rustled again, and someone appeared. Hyun and So-jung turned their gaze to the newcomer.
Who’s that?
A middle-aged couple emerged from the bushes, holding a small shoe in their hands. Seeing the familiar shoe, So-jung reacted immediately.
“Are you the child’s mother?”
The woman asked in response to So-jung’s reaction. So-jung nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. We were worried because she was wandering around barefoot, and my husband and I came chasing after her. Is this the child’s shoe?”
Ah.
Finally, Hyun and So-jung realized who the adults chasing after Harim had been. The middle-aged couple, seeing Harim asleep, seemed relieved and exhaled deeply.
“I’m so glad we found her quickly. We once lost a child when ours were young. Thinking back, it was terrifying… Here, take the shoes.”
“Thank you for caring so much.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. Even if it weren’t us, someone else would have surely helped.”
So-jung bowed in thanks while the couple waved their hands, watching the three of them with smiles.
“Seeing this, it reminds me of how we used to be. I was like that too, wasn’t I?”
“Oh, you weren’t that handsome back then. By the way, you must be the husband, right?”
All eyes shifted to Hyun after the woman spoke. Slowly, he spoke.
“Yes, I’m the child’s father.”
“…Ah, of course. If he’s holding the child like that, he must be the father.”
“Well, we’ll be going now. You both must be surprised, so rest well.”
Hearing Hyun refer to himself as the father, So-jung’s eyes widened. The couple waved goodbye with smiles, and Hyun bowed in return. So-jung remained standing silently.
“You’d better take the car. You have your phone, right?”
“….”
“What’s the matter? Crying again?”
“I’m not crying. Pollen got in my eyes.”
“Pollen? Looking at you now, you’re quite the crybaby.”
“I told you, it’s pollen!”
Seeing So-jung’s eyes redden again, Hyun teased her, and she continued to deny it. Meanwhile, Kang-chan appeared in the background, bringing more people.
Seeing the three together and looking happy, Kang-chan smiled in relief.
“What’s with that band?”
“Mind your own business.”
Star glanced at her younger brother, who had suddenly put a band on his nose.
“Not going well with your girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend!”
Woon’s outburst intensified at the mention of a girlfriend. After fussing for a while, he looked in the mirror and touched his nose. The band in the center reminded him of past events.
Memory loss? Is that why she mistook me for a father?
Even after hearing everything from So-jin, Woon’s expression remained tight. Yet, he remembered So-jin’s pleading face.
〈Please. Keep it a secret that my brother-in-law lost his memory.〉
“A secret… what?”
Hyun’s memory loss was a critical piece of information. Woon knew it could be leveraged in a succession battle. Still, his face didn’t soften.
So, in the end, she’s my niece, huh? That’s why she said what she did.
Even though it was revealed that So-jin didn’t like him, Woon still felt inexplicably upset. Seeing him frown, Star spoke again.
“Did you get dumped?”
“No! Why would I get dumped!”
Woon snapped at Star again, frustrated.
“You’re the one who said weird things first! About the niece!”
“Oh, that niece?”
“Yeah!”
“Ah, so you really got dumped.”
“No!”
Star’s teasing made Woon fume even more.
“If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be this upset.”
“….”
“If you didn’t really like her, there’d be no reason to be mad.”
Woon was speechless. Meanwhile, Star casually looked around the lounge and muttered softly.
“There’s so much fun stuff in this hotel lounge.”
“….”
“You hear about people’s love stories, gossip about others.”
“So… that’s…”
“Do you remember a woman named Han Soo-ah?”
Woon frowned at Star’s sudden question.
“Why now?”
“Don’t you know? There’s a rumor going around that Hyun oppa is divorcing and remarrying.”
“What?”
“Seriously, what have you been doing lately? You haven’t heard that?”
“Uh, well…”
“Anyway, his remarriage partner is a woman named Han Soo-ah.”
Woon froze in surprise. Star muttered quietly.
“Love really makes people do anything.”
“….”
“I can’t believe he’d remarry his ex-husband’s cousin.”
“What do you mean?”
“She was married to Hoon oppa before. You must have seen her.”
Woon’s eyes widened as Star continued.
“…But is it true? The divorce?”
“Well, considering he’s not publicly addressing it, probably not. He’s been very quiet lately, Hyun oppa.”
“….”
“And why are you even caring about this? You didn’t even like Hyun oppa’s wife that much.”
Star was puzzled, but Woon’s thoughts were elsewhere—on So-jin.
His brother’s wife is So-jin… If they divorce, So-jin won’t like it… Wait, why am I even worried about her? I don’t need to.
Trying to shake the thought, Woon shook his head. Meanwhile, Star casually continued taking photos.
“Move aside. Don’t block the light. I haven’t uploaded anything lately.”
After taking a few photos, Star tapped the screen repeatedly.
“Tag it: With my heartbroken brother.”
“Are you crazy? Millions will see this?”
“If you’re upset, start your own SNS account.”
Woon checked Star’s account, but nowhere did it say “heartbroken.” Realizing he had been tricked, he glared at Star, who just laughed.
“Excuse me… are you Star? Could you take a photo for me?”
“Of course, come here.”
Even while Woon glared, people approached Star for photos and autographs. Once he saw the people leave, Woon asked,
“So why did you call me to the lounge? To do this?”
“Why call you? Well, you’re a child, so you should at least greet your parents.”
“What? Today?”
Woon was surprised by the news of his parents.
“They’ve already arrived at the airport. Should be here soon.”
“Then why only you know?”
“I contact them daily. You should too.”
Unable to argue, Woon grumbled. Meanwhile, familiar figures entered the lounge entrance. Star smiled.
“They’re already here.”
Woon’s gaze naturally shifted to the entrance, where he finally saw his parents and jumped up.
