David's Husband (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
“Why, why are you looking at me like that? I said we’d start, didn’t I?”
Ha Yeon couldn’t shake the feeling that Min Je’s gaze had changed—almost as if a switch had clicked abruptly into place.
“Yeah, yeah.”
Wow, he just brushed off what I said. Ha Yeon gaped blankly, watching Min Je reply half-heartedly.
“Let’s begin.”
The instant he finished speaking, the shuttlecock shot toward her like a bullet.
Whoa—startled, Ha Yeon reflexively struck it back. Ping, ping, thwack, thwack—the frantic rally continued nonstop.
‘But we were supposed to be practicing!’
Ha Yeon wanted to protest that this rally felt more intense than an actual match, but she had no breath left to speak. Then, she instinctively glanced over at Ji Hoo—he stood frozen, racket in hand, looking utterly bewildered.
Each time the shuttlecock flew back and forth, the boy’s head swiveled left and right.
Min Je, noticing Ha Yeon’s delayed gaze, finally seemed to register Ji Hoo’s presence. He abruptly stopped swinging his racket, and the incoming shuttlecock gently tapped his head before dropping.
“At this rate, Ji Hoo won’t be able to learn badminton at all.”
You’re only realizing that now? Ha Yeon exhaled sharply in disbelief.
“Come on, Ji Hoo—you give it a try.”
Min Je handed the shuttlecock to Ji Hoo, and his expression softened noticeably whenever he addressed the boy.
“Well… I’m still not sure exactly how to do it.”
“You’ll learn gradually. For now, just practice tossing it and hitting it.”
Encouraged by Min Je’s words, Ji Hoo tossed the shuttlecock and swiftly swung his racket. With a dull *tick*, the shuttlecock veered sharply sideways mid-flight.
And then, as though Min Je’s head were its destined landing spot, the shuttlecock settled softly right on top of it.
“Oh…!”
Ha Yeon gasped before hastily biting her lip, desperately suppressing the laughter threatening to burst out.
Min Je glared at her, eyes blazing. Ha Yeon deliberately avoided his gaze, turning her eyes elsewhere.
After a brief sigh, Min Je ran a hand through his hair, lowered himself to Ji Hoo’s eye level, and explained patiently.
“The shuttlecock needs to land squarely on the racket head to fly properly. Also, when you grip the racket, choose whichever hand position feels more comfortable—forehand or backhand.”
From this angle, he actually seemed like a pretty decent dad—so was he really clueless about how to interact with his son? Ha Yeon watched Min Je with deepening curiosity.
“I’ll rest a bit for now—you two go ahead and practice.”
Ha Yeon blinked unnaturally, telling herself this was all part of paving the way to strengthen father-son bonding. Min Je stared at her with an incredulous expression—until, finally, he let out a soft chuckle.
‘Father and son alike—both possess million-dollar smiles.’
Ha Yeon plopped down onto the bench and smiled faintly, gazing at the picturesque scene. She hadn’t noticed it up close, but from afar, Min Je and Ji Hoo looked genuinely affectionate together.
Naturally, thoughts of her late father drifted into her mind. Whether learning to ride a bike, skate for the first time, or sail a boat—he had always been there beside her.
Those days when Dad took the scolding in her place whenever Mom nagged were now irrevocably gone, cherished only in memory. Ha Yeon’s nose prickled unexpectedly; she blinked up at the sky, trying to will the tears away. Usually, this trick worked instantly—but tonight, for some reason, the tears refused to recede.
“Unnie, let’s play together now!”
Ji Hoo waved excitedly, his face flushed.
“Oh—sure! Coming!”
Ha Yeon responded with deliberate vigor and sprang to her feet.
[This is the timeline separator]The day had been so hectic that Ji Hoo fell asleep slightly earlier than usual.
Instead of heading straight to her room, Ha Yeon opened the front door and stepped into the yard. The nighttime garden, dotted with intermittently lit streetlamps, held an atmosphere entirely different from the bright daylight hours.
Though noticeably cooler than the earlier heat, the crispness of the air felt pleasant. Ha Yeon sat on the bench, gazing blankly as green leaves trembled in the breeze. Lit by the yellow glow of the lamps, the foliage appeared tinged golden.
It felt less like spring and more like the heart of autumn. Ha Yeon drew her feet up onto the bench and curled into herself.
Was it because she’d thought of her parents earlier that afternoon? The hollow ache in her chest refused to ease.
“It’s okay, it’s okay…”
She kept murmuring like a mantra. Whenever she felt utterly alone in the world, paralyzing fear would overwhelm her—and repeating the same words helped her regain composure.
“I miss you.”
Yet longing surged in unbidden and showed no sign of departing. For someone as resilient as Ha Yeon—second to none in grit—days like this, so utterly deflated, were exceedingly rare.
Just then, the sound of the front gate clicking open and shut broke the silence.
‘Who could it be at this hour?’
Ha Yeon lifted her head and spotted the approaching figure: Min Je, walking toward her with a plastic bag in hand.
“Perfect timing.”
Spotting Ha Yeon on the bench, Min Je dropped down beside her and spoke.
“Going somewhere earlier?”
Ha Yeon calmed her surprise, smoothed her expression, and asked.
“Yeah—I had a hunch I’d need this today.”
Rustling through the bag, Min Je pulled out a can of beer.
Wow, mind reader. Ha Yeon smirked inwardly and let out a quiet laugh.
“Thank you—this is impeccably well-timed.”
“It’s not a gift. It’s an offering.”
At Min Je’s remark, Ha Yeon burst into a soft giggle.
“An offering, for your hard work today.”
Hearing his words, Ha Yeon’s earlier gloom instantly vanished. She popped open the can and took a sip.
“Ah—so good.”
Seeing her reaction, Min Je opened his own can and drank deeply.
She’d never imagined that beer, sipped quietly on a bench in the cool night, could feel so poetic. For a while, neither spoke—just drank.
“Honestly, though I asked, I didn’t expect you’d care this much.”
Min Je candidly confessed his thoughts. Watching Ha Yeon stirred something strange within him. He’d always believed the world ran entirely on money—yet she made it seem as if there was more to life than that.
“I inherited some nosiness, I guess.”
Ha Yeon grinned wryly, adding that nosiness, too, ran in the family. Min Je studied her expression quietly before carefully asking,
“Are your parents… no longer with you?”
He must have remembered she’d left the family section blank on her resume.
Ha Yeon had anticipated this moment someday, so she answered as calmly as possible.
“They’ve passed away—both, in a traffic accident.”
“…”
Min Je fell silent. Ha Yeon felt slightly disoriented—this reaction was entirely new to her.
Whenever she mentioned her parents, people usually followed predictable scripts:
‘So unfortunate, at such a young age.’
—The pity group.
‘Even if it’s hard, if you keep working hard, your parents will be proud of you in heaven.’
—The false-hope group.
‘That’s really sad. If there’s anything I can do, just say the word.’
—The scammer group.
After her parents’ passing, Ha Yeon had learned to carefully choose whom to trust—and never to trust blindly.
But Min Je, saying nothing at all—that was unprecedented. Unsure how to respond, she stole a glance at his face. His expression had hardened alarmingly.
“Sorry—I’m just not good at giving comfort.”
Though his face remained stern, his words seeped into Ha Yeon’s heart like gentle spring rain. Why did his simple apology feel more sincere than any polished consolation?
“Oh, no—please don’t say that.”
Ha Yeon forced a bright, carefree smile—she feared tears would spill otherwise.
“I also don’t have my parents. But since I never even knew their faces, I don’t feel much sorrow. You must’ve built so many memories with yours before adulthood—I can’t even begin to imagine that kind of grief. Especially since they passed away in an accident…!”
“You don’t have your parents either, Director?”
Ha Yeon interrupted, eyes wide with surprise.
“But…?”
Seeing the unmistakable ambiguity in Min Je’s gaze, Ha Yeon nearly wanted to clutch her head in frustration.
Magazines and articles had always spotlighted Kang Min Jae’s professional strides and achievements as director of the Liam Art Museum. Ha Yeon had only ever clipped such materials—and never thought to research his family or personal history.
And now—never even knowing his parents’ faces? Not grieving because he couldn’t remember them?
“What are you saying? The one who needs comfort here is you—not me.”
Min Je couldn’t understand her words—or why her face suddenly looked so sorrowful.
He’d never once placed himself in the role of someone needing consolation. Since he rarely expended emotional energy, life often felt dull and indifferent—but never uncomfortable.
Perhaps that’s why someone like Ha Yeon, who poured herself so fully into laughter and tears—even over matters not her own—seemed so fascinating. Her radiant joy in giving everything, even when it wasn’t about her, struck him as utterly unfamiliar—and impossible to ignore.
In some ways, she resembled a moth flying into flame; in others, a mayfly living for a day. Yet this woman—who awakened in him emotions he’d never felt—left him curious: *What else will she help me feel?*
“I’m fine—really.”
Unaware he sounded defensive, Min Je answered hastily—Ha Yeon’s tears looked perilously close to falling.
“So… you lost them when you were very young, then?”
Seeing Ha Yeon’s tightly anxious expression, Min Je regretted bringing it up. It was a story he’d assumed wouldn’t stir any reaction at all.
“Well… something like that. I was reportedly abandoned in front of an orphanage as a baby.”
*Plop, plop.* Thick tears spilled from Ha Yeon’s eyes.
“Oh—I’m sorry! I didn’t even realize…!”
Clearly startled herself, Ha Yeon hurriedly wiped her tears—but it was no use. Her cheeks were already soaked, damp patches spreading quickly across her clothes.
Damn it—Min Je muttered a quiet curse at himself for creating this situation. His fingertips twitched involuntarily.
He wanted to wipe her tears away but couldn’t bring himself to move. His head spun dizzily.
Surely, only a handful of moments in his life had ever been this mortifying. While Min Je remained paralyzed, Ha Yeon recovered first.
She briskly rubbed her face with her sleeve and offered a genuinely apologetic smile.
“I’m so sorry. Hearing your story made me feel both sad for you and strangely connected—as if I’d found a fellow traveler. That’s why I couldn’t hold back my tears. I don’t usually cry so easily in front of others…”
Her words—implying she *did* cry freely when alone—left Min Je’s face stiffening further. His mind went utterly blank, like a sheet of pure white paper.
Damn it—just as he muttered another curse under his breath, Ha Yeon smiled brightly and said,
“Please don’t take it to heart. Don’t worry about it.”
How was it possible that this woman cared for others so effortlessly—more naturally than she cared for herself? Min Je exhaled a helpless, amused sigh.
“…Actually, I’d planned to invite you to the gallery tomorrow. If you’re free, I’ll send a car—please come with Ji Hoo.”
In the end, Min Je chose evasion—diverting the conversation to avoid an awkward topic and spare himself from seeing more of Ha Yeon’s tears.
“Wow—really? I’d be honored if you’re inviting us.”
Ha Yeon beamed, eyes crinkling as if she’d never cried at all. The contrast irritated him inexplicably—why did his insides simmer like this?
“Well then, I’ll head in first. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes—I’ll come in shortly too. Sleep well.”
Min Je rose with a composed expression and entered the house. Once inside, with the front door clicking shut behind him, he stood motionless—and slowly clenched his fists,
as if trying to rein in his traitorous, trembling fingertips.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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