episode_0064

It seemed like a reasonable idea.

Didn’t she answer when Ha-eun asked the goddess about her parents before?

… Okay, let’s ask the goddess. But how do we meet?

Now that I think about it, there was a time when the goddess heard the sound of my heart and called me out.

As I recalled that time, I put my hands together as if praying and earnestly sought the goddess in my heart.

“… .”

Nothing happened. Is the goddess busy?

There was a moment when I released the hands I had been holding with that thought.

A huge whirlpool appeared before my eyes, sucking in everything around me, and I saw a goddess floating in the pure white space.

“Goddess!”

“Hello, Dohyun. I thought you were looking for me. What brings you here?”

“I have something to ask about Cha Seon-yeong.”

“Are you talking about Seonyeong? If there is anything I can answer, I will.”

“Goddess, you know about the relationship between Cha Seon-yeong and Jia, right?”

Since he knew Ha-eun’s story, he would naturally know the story of the mother and daughter.

Fortunately, my prediction turned out to be correct.

“Yes, I know.”

“Then can you tell me what happened between you two?”

“… .”

The goddess seemed hesitant and became quiet, but soon began to explain in a calm voice.

“When Seon-yeong was in middle school, she briefly dated a senior at school. One day, the senior persistently asked Seon-yeong, who knew nothing about it, to have sex. Fearing that the other person’s attitude would change, the young Seon-yeong had no choice but to allow the relationship. And she became pregnant with Ji-ah.”

I thought I had Zia early, but I can’t believe it was when I was in middle school and not high school.

It’s definitely not something worth revealing to the public.

“Pregnancy is a blessing, but Seon-yeong wasn’t able to do so. Her father disappeared, and she had to drop out of school to hide her pregnancy.”

“… .”

“That’s how Seon-yeong became an unwed mother. Although she gave birth to Ji-ah safely, Seon-yeong couldn’t easily accept the situation.”

That makes sense.

Because I got fooled by a piece of trash and my life completely changed.

“Seon-yeong hated her missing senior. That hatred was so deep that it wasn’t easy for her to even love her senior’s daughter, Ji-ah. So, she left Ji-ah with a nanny and tried to fulfill her dream of becoming a celebrity that she had always had.”

The goddess’s explanation ended with the story of how she obtained a high school diploma through the GED and finally became a celebrity.

Because the story was darker than I expected, I was lost in thought without saying anything.

I figured there might be a reason I didn’t know about, but I figured it might be my hatred for the guy I met in middle school.

So, every time Cha Seon-yeong saw Ji-ah, she thought of that man and couldn’t treat her in a friendly manner?

My heart was heavy as I thought about the hardships she must have endured at such a young age as a middle school student.

But that doesn’t mean I think the current mother-daughter relationship is right.

Cha Seon-yeong may have wanted to escape from her memories of that man by distancing herself from Ji-ah, but that would have made Ji-ah feel so pitiful.

“Goddess, I have one more question.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“If Jia becomes socially successful and an upright person, will their relationship change?”

“… .”

She hesitates, biting her lips.

The ominous feeling I had upon seeing that sight, unfortunately, did not turn out to be wrong.

“No. Even if Jia’s social status changes, the relationship between the two of you will remain the same.”

“Ah… .”

I couldn’t continue speaking because I was at a loss for words for the answer I most wanted to hear.

Jia is working hard and even keeping the photos she took with her mother, but her efforts are meaningless.

When she felt needlessly resentful not only towards Cha Seon-yeong but also towards the goddess who was calmly telling the truth, she opened her mouth.

“However, this does not mean that improving the relationship between the two is impossible.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“If Seonyoung changes her thoughts about Jia, the two of you will be able to get closer.”

“What do you think of Cha Seon-yeong? What do you think?”

“It won’t be easy to change Seonyeong, who has been hardened for a long time. Even if she is Ji-ah, his biological daughter. But if it’s Do-hyun, it’ll be possible.”

“Me?”

Unlike me who was bewildered, the goddess was confident.

“Yes. Dohyun has a special power to make people around him happy.”

It’s that story again.

This story makes no sense to me at all.

But if you ask what it is, it’s obvious that he’ll answer like last time, that he’ll find out someday.

“… Can I change Cha Seon-yeong? How?”

“You don’t have to try to find a set answer. Just do it your way, Do-hyun. What’s important is not how to persuade Seon-yeong, but the fact that Do-hyun is the one who is persuading her.”

“Me…?”

No matter how much I listen to it, I still don’t understand.

However, before I could ask anything, the other person’s voice was heard first.

“I’m sorry. I have an obligation to carry out later, so I don’t think I can talk to you any further. I know you’re having a lot to worry about, but I hope you trust yourself, Do-Hyeon. Well, that’s all for me. See you next time.”

—

The next day, I was heading somewhere with a nervous face.

The purpose is to make contact with Cha Seon-yeong.

After talking to the goddess yesterday, I thought about it for a while and then decided to give it a try.

Because the goddess said that what matters is not the method but my belief in myself.

I made the appointment by calling directly on the phone.

Thanks to the day she came to my studio and suggested (actually, it was semi-forced) that we exchange numbers.

He probably intended to spy on me, but he probably didn’t expect me to contact him first.

The cafe, which was the meeting place, was a small shop hidden in an alley. It was a quiet place that would be hard to find unless you were a regular.

As I waited in a corner deep inside the cafe, someone walked toward me.

A wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, a mask covering the mouth, and a long coat.

It was a suspicious visual at first glance, but I wasn’t surprised because I had already seen it in my studio apartment.

“What’s going on?”

She asked that while sitting across from me and taking off her sunglasses.

There weren’t many people in the cafe and it was in a corner, so I thought it would be okay to take off my mask, but I was quite cautious.

“Are you trying to threaten me later because of what you did with me?”

It also gets on people’s nerves as soon as they see it.

Still, I tried not to waver and answered while looking straight into the other person’s eyes.

“I have a question.”

“What is it? I’m busy, so tell me quickly.”

“Do you have a hidden daughter??”

Her eyes wavered for a moment, but she soon regained her composure and stopped acting silly.

“What the hell are you talking about? Don’t you know who I am?”

I spoke firmly because I thought that if I left it like this, he would continue to pretend not to know.

“I heard it from the goddess.”

Although she couldn’t reveal the relationship between her and Jia, Cha Seon-yeong’s eyes widened as if the name Goddess had an effect.

“… What?”

“I know everything and I’m asking, so don’t try to avoid it.”

“What’s your purpose? Are you really trying to blackmail me?”

Honestly, it’s not like I’ve never thought about that.

But there’s no use in forcing the other person to accept my demands.

Because what Jia wants is not the forced daughter treatment, but her mother’s sincere affection.

“No. I’m not here to threaten you. I’m here to ask you a favor.”

“Please… .”

“I heard the whole story from the goddess. And why you are being so cold to my daughter. Please. Don’t distance yourself from my daughter anymore.”

Her face darkened at my words, and she paused for a moment before speaking.

“… Don’t you know my situation right now? If I reveal that I have a daughter, there will be chaos everywhere. I’m sorry, but I can’t do that favor.”

“I don’t mean to make it public. Just be a normal mom to your daughter.”

“Why me? Who are you to meddle in other people’s business?”

“My daughter is so pitiful. She has never been treated as a daughter.”

“What, this kind of kid… .”

She looks at me as if she can’t understand.

He returned the gaze with an unwavering gaze, sighing inside his mask.

“Haa… How much did you hear from the goddess?”

“Everything. Starting with what happened to you in middle school.”

“Then you heard the story about the kid’s father running away? And that I hate that guy to death.”

I nodded in agreement, but the other person continued speaking as if he was frustrated.

“And then you tell me to treat my daughter well?”

“The daughter is innocent.”

“Yeah, no. So at least I made sure she lived. Even though I didn’t act as a mother, I didn’t let her starve until she was in college. I’m still secretly sending her living expenses. Do you know that?”

I also felt frustrated by his stubborn attitude and responded without hesitation.

“You shouldn’t take out your negative feelings on your daughter, but rather go to that man and take it out on him.”

“How do I get there? He’s dead.”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t hear that story, did you? I heard he ran away and died while riding a motorcycle not long after. I’m crazy for being with that piece of trash… .”

“But you can’t solve it with your daughter just because you can’t solve it with your dad.”

Cha Seon-yeong’s eyes glared at me fiercely.

“Don’t call me Nam-il. Do you know what I feel every time I see that kid? I feel so angry that my insides are torn apart. I’m so angry that I can’t stand it.”

“Why to that extent… .”

“That child’s father is a beastly piece of trash beyond words. He couldn’t control his desires, so he slept with an innocent girl, and when she got pregnant, he got scared and ran away. Just thinking about my daughter having the blood of that beast flowing through her veins makes me shiver.”

“Dad is dad and daughter is daughter. The daughter didn’t do anything.”

“How do you know? She might be like her father, pretending to be nice in front of you but playing around with guys behind your back. Yeah, that human’s daughter would be fine. It would be good if she got a job quickly and found her own way to live.”

How can you say something like that without even knowing how hard Jia is working?

I almost got up from my seat because of the anger that was building up in me, but I managed to hold it in by clenching my fists.

“… If you’re a college student, you can have a girlfriend. Is that a bad thing?”

Even though she spoke with as much rationality as possible, Cha Seon-yeong’s attitude was stubborn.

“Age doesn’t matter. The problem is that you can’t control your desires and play with men.”

“You did the same thing.”

“I’m different. I was fooled back then, and since then I’ve never once taken my eyes off my studies or work.”

“… What’s the difference? Not only did I get tired of it, I even fainted. ”

“That’s you…! What are you arguing about?”

She looked around briefly as she was about to raise her voice, then coughed in vain.

“Ahem. Anyway, that child will inherit his father’s blood, so it’s obvious that he’ll end up living like an animal. And I’m different from people who can’t deny such desires.”

I kept my mouth shut in silence.

It’s not that I had nothing to say, it’s that I felt like I’d swear if I opened my mouth.

“Do you know what this means? That child is not a daughter to me, but a beast’s child. I have no reason to laugh with that child, so don’t bother me anymore.”

I don’t think there’s any point in talking any further.

As I was getting up from my seat without saying a word, I heard her voice.

“What are you doing? Where are you going? Where are you going! You promised to keep it a secret-.”

Kuung!

Unable to bear it any longer, I slammed my fist on the desk.

Cha Seon-yeong was surprised and lost for words, so I continued speaking instead.

“Don’t worry about anything else, I won’t tell anyone.”

“… .”

“If you need a memorandum, I’ll write it for you, so contact me later. For now, I’ll go back for today.”

I feel like my reason will break if I keep talking, so I need to get out of here quickly.

Leaving her dazed face behind, I hurriedly walked out of the cafe with angry steps.

—

A few days later, we met again in the goddess’s pure white space.

During this time, there was no request for a memorandum from Cha Seon-yeong.

I guess I felt sincerity in what you said to me as I left the cafe.

It was the right decision because there was no way I would have done something like that without Gia’s permission in the first place.

“You really kept the secret.”

Cha Seon-yeong’s words heard from the side.

The goddess listened quietly, and I answered in a voice that still had the emotions of that time.

“Yes.”

“… Thank you. I guess you understand my situation since we haven’t talked since then. I understand wanting to help others, but sometimes you have to know how to just let it go. That’s what it means to be an adult. ”

I guess she took my silence of the past few days as a warning to me to stop nagging her.

But in fact, the opposite was true.

“I don’t understand you.”

“What?”

“I said it last time. You’re different from beastly humans.”

“… Yeah. Why is that?”

“Then I’ll turn you into a beast too. So you can become friends with your beastly daughter.”