Episode 9
“…I’m sorry. There isn’t much time left.”
Her grandfather had been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, with less than a 5% survival rate.
That day, Chaerang’s world completely collapsed.
“How can I close my eyes and leave when my Chaerang is still here?”
Even in his condition, her grandfather only worried about her.
She may have been legally an adult, but to him, she was still a clueless granddaughter he couldn’t bear to leave alone in the world.
For him, Chaerang made a decision.
She would get married and show him she was doing well, so he could stop worrying.
That’s why she went to see the Chairman.
She’d heard the story a million times: the Chairman owed her grandfather a huge debt of gratitude.
Back when no one believed in his business plan, her grandfather had invested in him.
That investment allowed the Chairman to grow his company.
It was also no secret that the Chairman had been eyeing her as a future granddaughter-in-law to repay that debt.
So, Chaerang believed he would grant her request.
Of course, the Chairman hadn’t planned to marry her and Joo-hyuk off so soon.
Neither had she. She had just become an adult, and marriage felt like something way down the road.
She had just gotten accepted into art school and dreamed of becoming a painter like her late mother.
But in a situation where her grandfather could pass away any day, studying felt like a luxury.
She explained the situation to the Chairman and asked for his help.
If she married his grandson, her grandfather would finally feel at peace.
And so, that’s how the marriage got pushed forward.
But the more she met Joo-hyuk, the less this marriage was about her grandfather.
It became her own personal wish.
She really did fall for him at first sight.
That day she met him, she couldn’t believe someone could be that good-looking.
Like a sculpture come to life—polished manners of someone raised in high society, a deep voice that commanded attention…
And the more she got to know him, the more she discovered the warmth hidden beneath his cold exterior.
On the day she got the bad news about her grandfather’s chemo results, he didn’t ask questions.
He just stayed by her side for a long time.
He didn’t comfort her with sweet words, but simply having him there felt like comfort enough.
Most of all, she liked him.
She thought: Even if the person I love doesn’t love me back… if just being next to him makes me feel this full inside, then marrying him won’t be a mistake.
So, with the Chairman pushing things along, the wedding preparations moved forward step by step.
But in the end, she couldn’t even show her grandfather that she was happily married.
It was her fault.
If only she’d answered the phone that day. If only she had faked it better, acted like she was doing fine…
“I’m sorry, Grandpa.”
Everything about him left her feeling guilty.
Six years ago, when she lost him, she wanted to die too.
Every day felt unbearable, weighed down by regret for ruining his final moments.
That’s when the Chairman suggested she study abroad.
He told her to leave Korea, pursue the art she had once wanted, and use the time to heal.
She left because she wanted to survive. If she hadn’t gone to the U.S. back then, she might have wasted away and died.
Even now, she hadn’t completely escaped her guilt. But compared to back then, she was a lot better.
“Please don’t worry about me anymore. I’ll live well. Both of you… Please just watch over me.”
At least now, she could smile when standing in front of her grandfather’s and mother’s graves.
She had just finished saying goodbye and was heading back when her phone buzzed. It was Joo-hyuk.
“Hello, Joo-hyuk.”
—“I heard from the Chairman. You went to Suwon?”
“Yes…”
For some reason, she felt a little guilty.
It wasn’t like she lied or purposely hid it from him.
But if six years ago hadn’t happened—if she hadn’t left him the way she did—maybe she would have told him in advance that she was visiting her grandfather’s grave.
—“Are you on your way back now?”
“Yes. I just finished paying my respects and was heading back.”
—“If I’d known, I would’ve gone with you.”
Hearing that, she smiled softly.
She could tell he was in the middle of work—she could hear business conversations in the background. Yet he still made time to call.
And she knew he meant it when he said he would’ve gone with her.
See? He really is such a kind man.
The thought filled her with both regret and a strange kind of satisfaction—like knowing a secret no one else did.
“It’s okay. You’re busy. And since it was my first visit after coming back, I thought it was better to go alone.”
After a pause, he asked, almost cautiously:
—“…Are you okay?”
She hadn’t expected him to bring it up. Both of them had always avoided talking about that topic.
She wasn’t completely at ease, but she answered anyway.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
—“You went alone, right? I’ll send a driver for you.”
“No need. The Chairman already sent one. I’m actually stopping by his house next.”
—“Alright then. Be careful on your way.”
He must’ve been busy—she could hear people calling for him in the background.
“You too, Joo-hyuk. Good luck.”
—“…Chaerang.”
She thought the call was about to end, but suddenly his voice slipped through again.
“Yes?”
—“Next time… let’s go together.”
She froze for a moment.
—“Did you hear me?”
“Yes… next time… sure.”
—“Good. I’ll hang up now.”
“Okay. See you at home.”
After the call ended, she stared at his name glowing on the screen for a long time.
This man, who shook her heart with just a few simple words—she had no idea what to do with him.
The Chairman’s house.
Walking through the courtyard, which hadn’t changed a bit, nostalgia washed over her.
The first time she came here, she had been with her grandfather.
She was too young to remember clearly, but later he told her she’d been a total handful that day.
He had proudly told the Chairman that she was a sweet, obedient granddaughter, only for her to run around the property like a wild boy.
But apparently, the Chairman had found that side of her charming.
Maybe she had been a small bit of light in his life, especially after losing his son and daughter-in-law.
As she was lost in thought, the Chairman’s secretary approached.
“The Chairman is waiting for you inside. Please follow me.”
She followed him into the mansion.
The housekeeper was still the same, too.
Chaerang exchanged a small smile with her before heading into the living room.
There, she saw the familiar figure sitting on the sofa.
“Chairman, your granddaughter-in-law has arriv—”
“Chairman!”
Before the secretary could finish, Chaerang rushed forward and hugged him tightly.
“Oh?”
“I missed you so much.”
Still holding his newspaper awkwardly, Chairman Kwon Tae-seok’s lips curved upward, though his words came out gruff.
“You say you missed me, but you show up this late?”
“If you’re going to say that, I’ll just leave right now.”
“Yah, don’t say things like that! You’ll jinx it.”
“Then admit you missed me, too. Right? You did, didn’t you?”
Her playful pestering finally made him give in.
“Of course I did. Why else would I have called you over?”
She looked lovelier than ever. The long absence had only made her more precious.
The Chairman gazed at her with affection.
“Oh, right! I even brought you a bribe.”
“A bribe?”
She set down a bag stuffed to the brim. Inside was bread from his favorite bakery.
“You always loved the red bean buns from here.”
The Chairman stared at her for a moment, then gestured for her to sit beside him.
When she did, he took her hand and patted it gently.
“You did well to come. Really well.”
After tapping her hand a few times, he finally spoke again.
“So, you paid your respects to your grandfather and mother?”
“Yes. I should’ve gone sooner… But it felt so good to see them again. It brought back so many memories—like when I first came here with Grandpa, holding his hand.”
The Chairman chuckled, remembering.
“That day, I was such a troublemaker. Poor Grandpa was so embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed? Not at all. Minister Myung bragged about you so much. I teased him endlessly, saying: ‘So the man who only ever locks himself away to write knows how to love something other than his work, huh?’ That must’ve been it.”
He was right—her grandfather had lived only for his writing and for her.
If not for him, she would’ve never known what it meant to be loved so completely.
“I miss Grandpa so much, Chairman.”
