episode_0238

“Ah… Dad… ?”

“Yeah! Dad!”

And the child who heard the words I was mumbling in a panic nodded his head. Then he looked up at me, stretched out both arms, and jumped.

“Sua, hug me!”

And the atmosphere around them changes as a result of the voice of a child who appears out of nowhere.

Even at a low level, more than a hundred pairs of eyes were staring at me intently.

After checking the faces of the onlookers, I couldn’t help but sigh. Some of the people I knew were also among the crowd.

Chief of the Seondo Team Choi I-re, who looks like he’s looking at some kind of waste that can’t be recycled, Kwon Yu-ri bursting into laughter, Choi Woo-jin and Ryu Seung-heon with their eyes wide open in a daze, etc…

And… even Jin Ye-seo, who was staring at me with empty pupils for some reason.

“… ”

Sweat poured down like rain and my spine stood on end. I’ve been to countless battlefields, but I’ve never felt this sense of crisis before.

And then someone came walking with a clicking step.

Yeon-i pursed her lips as if she had made a firm resolution. Her trembling fingers clearly showed signs of tension.

She suddenly locked eyes with me and lowered her head in embarrassment.

“Okay, let me talk for a minute… ”

Then he muttered in a small voice.

“… Sua’s dad.”

And then a loud noise echoed from behind.

Yeonmin-ha, who was staggering while holding the back of her neck, was on the verge of collapsing as she could no longer hold on.

***

“Hehehe… ”

Back of the square.

I was sitting on a quiet bench in the cradle garden. The space above my knees was completely occupied by a girl who looked like Yeon-i.

The child who had been jumping up and rubbing his whole body smiled brightly as if he was filled with happiness.

“Kong… Suah likes her dad’s lap the best!”

“… ”

The way it rolls around reminds me of a cat. It may feel that way more because it is small.

I never really felt like stopping that kid. I don’t really know why.

I didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable. Somehow, this child’s presence felt familiar and somewhat familiar.

When I see myself unconsciously combing my child’s hair with my fingers…

“Gyah…! Daddy’s fingers are ticklish…!”

Above all, my thoughts were not well organized because my head was dizzy. Is this what happens when a person is faced with a crisis too suddenly?

And in front of me, a fierce war of nerves was taking place. To be exact, it was more like a situation where Yeon-i was trying hard to let go of Yeon-min-ha’s one-sided anger.

The only good thing is that the onlookers who were tired of Yeonminha’s cold-blooded gaze were chased away a few dozen meters away.

There were not many people in this cradle who could bear the brunt of Yeonminha’s genuine anger. Those who failed to overcome their curiosity would probably end up roasted in an instant.

“… Now, should I explain?”

The first person to speak was also pitiful. Her anger was clearly felt in her tightly suppressed voice.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Yeonmin-ha get this angry. It’s not something that happens often, and it seems like she’s trying to suppress her temper a bit when she’s next to me.

But why is that?

Am I mistaken? Rather than the dead look from before, Yeonmin-ha’s current appearance seems more lively…?

“… It’s a family affair.”

And Yeon-i, who was standing quietly while holding hands, glanced at me and answered.

“It’s a bit too much to tell to outsiders… ”

“Huh? An outsider? You bitch… No, are you really out of your mind?”

Yeonmin-ha, who heard Yeon-i’s words, let out a hollow laugh as if she was dumbfounded.

“I’m her fiance right now. Family? That’s not even funny… Who the hell is calling whom an outsider… ”

“Ugh… ”

Yeon-i couldn’t hide her lonely expression, as if she had been stabbed in the sore spot, but that only lasted for a moment. Soon, she looked at me as if nothing had happened and opened her mouth.

“… My daughter. She’s two years old, and her name is Su-ah, as you’ve heard. Do you remember what we promised before? If the first is a girl… We’ll name her Su-ah… So that’s why… ”

“Sua… ”

“Um? Are you calling Suah?”

As I repeated the name, the child raised his head and put his finger on the corner of his mouth. When I stroked his hair for no reason, he snickered and rubbed my cheek again.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a cute and harmless creature.

Two years old. He’s younger than I thought. Well, judging from his small stature and his lisp, he seems to be his age…

“… Originally, I was going to raise it by myself somehow.”

And Yeon-i, with her gaze turned to the floor, muttered in a lonely voice.

“But… Su-ah really… misses her dad… ”

“Oh my! I missed Su-ah’s dad!”

As if keeping pace with her, Soo-ah in her arms nods her head fiercely. It was an enthusiastic response that anyone could sense was sincere.

But sincerity can actually be a factor that causes even more extreme anger in some people.

“Hey!! Baek Seo-yeon!!”

Finally, Yeonmin-ha’s anger, which she could no longer contain, exploded in all directions.

“Take it easy. Now, are you going to just go out like that? What are you talking about! Even if you’re lying, you have to make sense… !”

Yeon-i doesn’t care about the fierce anger that is being poured on her. Instead, she just looks at Yeon-min-ha calmly and asks back.

“… What doesn’t make sense?”

“Everything. Wasn’t that two years ago when you were 16?”

“… But?”

“But then, uh, uh, how…!”

“… ?”

“Uh, how… ”

And Yeonminha’s anger, which had spread like wildfire, suddenly died down. The blush on her face was closer to shame than anger. As the voice gradually became quieter, I could barely make out the meaning.

“That, that kind of thing… ”

“… ”

With those words, she bowed her head in pity. Just by looking at her reddened earlobes, I could clearly see her doubts.

On the one hand, it was something I too was very curious about.

As I watched the conversation, my senses gradually returned to me, so I cautiously opened my mouth while looking at Yeon-i.

“… That’s right.”

Then Yeon-i lightly flinched the hand she was holding. There was no way to express this thrilling feeling in words.

The last time I saw Yeon-i was just a few days ago. I resolved my old grudge, but I left there with my past memories and future tied up.

It wasn’t easy for me either. I just thought it was the best for everyone.

So, no one could have imagined that our first conversation after meeting again would be about such an embarrassing and shameful topic.

“That… In order to have a baby… there has to be something between a man and a woman.”

“… Yeah.”

Yeon-i nodded slightly. You could clearly see the tension in her trembling eyes.

“But we… not to that extent… ”

Even the heaviest of the interactions I shared with Yeon-i was just a light kiss on the cheek.

Of course, the desire to go beyond that was also obvious. However, it was just postponed indefinitely because of the insignificant sense of self-worth and the desire to cherish the most precious thing until the very end.

Looking back now, it was clearly a mistake.

“… ”

“Yes, as expected… !”

And Yeon-i’s face seems to be overflowing with regret and disappointment. On the contrary, she has a proud expression on her face, as if she has gained a strong support group that feels pity for her.

Since she didn’t say anything, I thought her excuse was lame. However, when I looked back, Yeon-i’s face was as red as the pity she had just shown me.

Only after it reached the tip of her forehead did Yeon-i lower her head. And after wiggling her fingers for a while, she managed to mutter.

“… Uh.”

“What did you say…?”

It was such a small voice that it was hard to even hear it. After hearing the question, Yeon-i closed her eyes tightly and only then spoke in a loud voice.

“While you were sleeping… I did it secretly… ”

“… ”

And I reflexively covered Suah’s ears.

“Sua, I’m so frustrated!”

Then, Su-ah, who had been looking at the fluttering butterfly with wonder, started to squirm. Yeon-min-ha’s reaction was even more dramatic. She was in despair, as if she had lost her love for her country.

“Huh, what the heck, what the heck…!!”

After a moment of silence had swept over us, Yeonmin-ha, who had barely regained focus in her eyes, opened her trembling lips.

“Baek, Baek Seo-yeon!! I told you not to lie!!”

She was projecting her intense anger through her teeth.

“They are the illegitimate children of the fallen angels, spread out like radishes pulled out from a field!! Everyone who knows knows this! Do you think I don’t know that I’m looking for someone similar to them and making a fuss about them…!”

“That’s not it.”

And this time, Yeon-i shook her head calmly again.

“You’ll know when you see it for yourself.”

“You saw it in person… What the…!”

Instead of speaking, Yeon-i pointed to Su-ah, who was sitting on her lap. Su-ah, who had the attention of two people, tilted her head in confusion.

“Those eyes and gaze. Doesn’t it look exactly like Hyun?”

“… !”

And she couldn’t utter any more pitiful objections. I could feel her venom, which had been so fierce that it seemed like it would burn the surroundings, gradually disappearing.

What was welling up in her eyes was the extreme despair that came from loss. Also, the arrow was clearly aimed at me, not Yeon-i.

Tears flashed in Yeonminha’s eyes as she glared at me. On the other hand, she was also filled with resentment.

“Me, I haven’t done it yet… ”