Mom? A test to become a mom?

Ha Yeon wiped off the spilled yogurt residue hastily, doubting her own ears.

“You… Don’t you have a mom?”

She asked cautiously, afraid of hurting the child’s feelings.

“Ji Hoo doesn’t have a mom. So can’t elder sister be my mom?”

Ha Yeon forcibly crammed thoughts into her suddenly blank mind. So that’s why the child kept coming to buy cola. Because there was no one to correct his living habits…

Once she understood what had been happening, she couldn’t bear how pitiful the child was. But even so, how could she become his mom!

Ha Yeon frowned, pondering how to explain it in a way the child could easily understand.

“Um, Ji Hoo. Being a mom isn’t something elder sister can just do as she pleases.”

“You don’t dislike the idea, do you?”

Huh? Why is he asking that? That’s not the point of what I’m saying.

“No, it’s not that I dislike it, but that I can’t do it. To become a mom, I’d have to marry dad, and dad would have to like me too.”

Is, is this the right way to explain it? Ha Yeon smiled awkwardly, feeling cold sweat trickle down.

“If you don’t dislike it, that’s fine.”

That’s fine? He accepts it so quickly? Ha Yeon gaped for a moment. She had worried Ji Hoo might cry and throw a tantrum, but the child was more mature than expected. That made her heart ache even more.

“Then let’s go to my house and play together instead.”

Looking into the child’s clear eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“Ah, u-um, okay.”

Stuttering her agreement with a nod, the child finally smiled brightly.

“Then, you’ll definitely come to our house to play on the weekend?”

Ha Yeon stared blankly at the little pinky finger the child held out, realizing something was going wrong but that it was already too late to turn back.

“Y-yes. Promise.”

In the end, she linked pinkies. Even though she knew a pinky promise was the highest form of promise for children.

The weekend of her promise with Ji Hoo arrived.

Ha Yeon let out a deep sigh as she looked at the clock. Had she grown so attached to the child? Ever since hearing he had no mother, it felt like a heavy rock had settled in one corner of her heart.

‘It’s not like there’s anything I can actually do.’

Even knowing that, she couldn’t help but sigh whenever she thought of the child.

Perhaps she was overlapping her own image of being all alone in this world with the child.

‘Will he really come?’

Ha Yeon finished up her convenience store work, wondering if the child would really remember their promise.

She worked the morning shift on weekends, so she had told the child her finishing time in advance, but it was uncertain whether he would remember.

‘If he comes to pick me up…’

I should go. After coming to that conclusion, she opened the convenience store door and stepped outside.

Her father had always emphasized something. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. And if you make a promise for whatever reason, you must take responsibility for your words.

If the child remembered the time and came to pick her up, it would mean he had been waiting for this moment, so she didn’t want to disappoint him.

Ding-a-ling, as she opened the convenience store door and stepped outside, someone greeted her cheerfully.

“Elder sister!”

Ha Yeon waved at the child smiling brightly like the sunny weather.

“Ji Hoo, you came?”

A smile naturally rose to her lips at the thought that the child had been looking forward to their promise.

“I kept waiting, counting one night, two nights on my fingers until today came.”

How can he speak so adorably? Ha Yeon stroked Ji Hoo’s head once.

“Now, let’s go.”

Ji Hoo pulled her hand towards a glossy black sedan.

Huh? We’re riding in that? Whether or not he noticed her eyes shaking like an earthquake, Ji Hoo opened the door and said,

“We have to ride this to get to our house.”

“O-okay, I got it.”

Led by that hand, Ha Yeon got in the car in a daze, not at all anticipating what would happen next or who she would meet.

“This is our house.”

Ha Yeon’s jaw dropped as they passed through the gate after getting out of the car.

“Th-this is really your house?”

She had her suspicions when riding in the chauffeur-driven sedan, but she didn’t expect it to be this scale.

The vast lawn was decorated with eye-catching, unique sculptures. Ha Yeon gaped like a fool at the yard that was so well-decorated it could be mistaken for a small art museum, before hastily composing her expression when she realized.

“There’s lots more like this inside, want to see?”

Ji Hoo asked excitedly, seeing her show interest in the artwork.

“Ah, um, sure.”

When Ha Yeon nodded, a tiny hand grabbed hers and pulled.

Click, as the front door closed, Ha Yeon covered her mouth at the scene that unfolded. The sunlight pouring in through the high-ceilinged living room windows was so beautiful.

The exposed concrete walls decorated in a modern gray, dark brown bookshelves, and sofa made it feel like being in a cafe.

Wow, living in a house like this, I’d never want to leave. Ha Yeon thought as she looked around the interior.

“Is… no one else home?”

Ha Yeon asked carefully. Ji Hoo sighed in a very un-childlike manner and said,

“Dad was supposed to come… Let’s just have fun by ourselves for now.”

Seeing the expectation crumbling on the child’s face, Ha Yeon deliberately raised her voice in agreement.

“Y-yeah, we can just have fun.”

She followed Ji Hoo’s lead in viewing the framed artwork and pottery displayed on the first floor. Even to Ha Yeon who knew nothing, the art pieces exhibited in the house looked incredibly expensive.

‘Just what kind of family…’

Ha Yeon couldn’t bring herself to pry and just rolled her eyes around.

“There’s even cooler stuff on the second floor.”

As Ji Hoo climbed the stairs, Ha Yeon followed. The sunlight pouring in from the huge glass window connecting the first and second floors sparkled more brightly as they ascended.

“My room is on the second floor. Want to see my room too?”

Ha Yeon carefully asked the child who was raising his voice in excitement.

“Do you sleep with your dad on the second floor?”

“No, Dad’s room is on the first floor. The lady who used to take care of me had the room next to mine, but she quit now so it’s empty. But Ji Hoo is fine. I’m all grown up now.”

Though he was trying hard to sound brave, how could that be okay? What’s the use of living in such a rich house? To neglect a child like this!

Ha Yeon took a deep breath, feeling unreasonably angry. At six years old, he still desperately needs parental care. Yet the child was handling everything on his own like an adult.

“This way leads to my room.”

It was when they turned the corner from the stairs to the hallway.

“Oh?”

Ha Yeon stopped in her tracks. It was because of the huge portrait of a man filling an entire wall.

The man in the black and white drawing, so detailed it could be mistaken for a photograph, had such a powerful presence it took her breath away just looking at him.

Thick eyebrows, a sharply protruding nose bridge that looked like it could cut, sensual lips, and above all, piercing eyes that seemed to see through a person’s inner self…

And the clearly visible muscles through the unbuttoned shirt were so vivid, as if Michelangelo’s David had come to life, instantly captivating the gaze.

But Ha Yeon’s surprised halt wasn’t just because the man in the picture was handsome. It was because an indescribable, strange premonition shook her entire body.

‘I never imagined I’d see him here.’

She tilted her head, thinking it was truly a strange coincidence.

“Our dad is cool, right?”

Ji Hoo said, seeing Ha Yeon lost in the picture.

“Huh? Your dad?”

She should have stopped talking there. So no one would notice he was her favorite.

“Ah! Aack! Ka-Kang, Min Je the director is y-your dad?”

“Oh? You know our dad?”

Do I ever. I have several scrapbooks about him in my room.

Kang Min Je is the director of Liam Art Museum and a major player in the Korean art world, owning several galleries. He was famous for discovering unknown new artists and inviting them to art fairs. Later, when those artists were invited to the “Artist of the Year” exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and rose to fame as renowned painters, his eye for talent was recognized.

The Midas touch of the art world, the millionaire who paints, the walking David… There were countless phrases describing him. That’s how much attention he garnered in the art world.

“H-how can this b-be…”

As Ha Yeon pointed a trembling finger at the portrait,

“Shall we stop pointing at other people’s faces?”

Ha Yeon gasped at the deep male voice that came from somewhere.

“Dad!”

Ji Hoo greeted happily, confirming the owner of the voice.

“Where’s the housekeeper and why are you alone like this?”

“The lady is busy preparing lunch. And I’m not alone. This is the elder sister I told you about.”

Damn it, Ha Yeon cursed inwardly. Her face flushed hot, feeling caught by the word “elder sister” from Ji Hoo’s mouth.

Min Je watched Ha Yeon silently moving her lips, then smirked and offered a handshake.

“Well, nice to meet you, elder sister.”

He was clearly teasing her. Damn it, but he’s so handsome!

Ha Yeon pressed her lips together and glanced at his outstretched hand. This is just a handshake. It’s just a greeting. Only after chanting this to herself several times was Ha Yeon able to lightly grasp his fingertips and greet him.

“Hello. I’m Jang Ha Yeon.”

She deliberately emphasized her name in greeting, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

To think she’d meet like this the person she had wished to see in person just once.

Ha Yeon had fallen for Min Je at first sight when she saw him in a magazine interview and gotten excited all on her own. She collected and kept all the articles featuring him, and attended pretty much all the exhibitions he held.

Her heart was pounding, but her mind went cold. To think he was Ji Hoo’s father…

“Our Ji Hoo has been bragging a lot.”

He looked at Ji Hoo once and her once with an unreadable expression.

“O-oh, is that so? I’m glad there was something to brag about.”

She wanted to slap her lips that were babbling nonsense a few times, but Ha Yeon just smiled as naturally as possible, hiding such thoughts.

Her mouth corners trembled as she forced a smile, but there was nothing else she could do in this situation except smile.

“Well, it’s lunchtime now, so let’s eat first.”

“What? E-eat?”

If she ate face to face with him in this state, she would surely get indigestion.

“I ate breakfast late, so I’m fine.”

As Ha Yeon waved her hands in refusal, Ji Hoo looked up at her and said,

“But elder sister’s stomach is making sounds.”

“I-it was?”

Damn it, why does this belly clock have to be so accurate…

“We’ve never sent away a guest who came to our house hungry.”

He jerked his chin and went down the stairs first.

Watching his back, Ha Yeon wanted to pinch her cheek. Argh, is this really happening!

“Please let me know if you need anything.”

The kind-looking housekeeper greeted and showed them to their seats.

Wow, what is all this? Ha Yeon looked at the food laid out on the table with wide eyes.

There was so much food set out, as if for a feast, that it couldn’t all be taken in at a glance.

“Ji Hoo made a special request for this meal.”

Min Je explained, seeing her expression.

So I meant this much to you. Ha Yeon was touched and about to hug Ji Hoo, but flinched. She was suddenly conscious of Min Je’s gaze.

“Thank you, Ji Hoo. I’ll enjoy it.”

When she spoke in the sweetest voice she could manage, Ji Hoo’s expression became strange for a moment.

She regretted not using this tone of voice sooner, but Ha Yeon set a goal of feasting and going home since things had come to this.

‘Mm, this housekeeper is an excellent cook.’

Her eyes widened at how delicious everything she tasted was. It was then, as Ha Yeon was focused on eating.

“Dad, you said before. That I could choose whatever I wanted for my birthday gift.”

Min Je raised one eyebrow at the child’s expression that looked almost resolute.

“I did.”

“So I’m saying this, but for my birthday gift, I’d like elder sister to become my mom.”

“!”

Cough, Ha Yeon looked at Ji Hoo with a creaking neck, choking.

‘Ji Hoo, what in the world are you saying?’