I Became a Mother (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
“Baby, are you okay?”
Seung Yul, who hadn’t uttered a single word the entire ride back to Sangrimwon, abruptly shrugged off Hyo Jin’s hand from his shoulder as they stepped out of the car.
“Don’t talk to me.”
His eyes locked onto Hyo Jin, fists clenched tightly, sharp as blades.
“Baby, what are you worried about? I already told the moms.”
That if they dare harass my son one more time in that group chat, I’ll take legal action!
“Do you really think the moms will just sit back and do nothing?”
“And if they don’t sit back, then what?”
Among S University, K University, and Y University graduates nationwide—
from a law firm employing only the top 5% of attorneys—we’re threatening legal action.
How dare they recklessly run their mouths?
They’ll face severe disgrace for invasion of privacy and defamation through false statements.
“That’s only if Dad hears about it.”
What good is fixing the barn after the horse has bolted?
“Then should I go tell Dad the truth right now?”
“No! You absolutely must not tell Dad!”
“Frankly, we didn’t even do anything seriously wrong—we actually did something good. Is it really that terrifying? I’m starting to get confused.”
“But Dad will think we lied.”
“Not speaking isn’t the same as lying. You know the saying—good deeds should be done in secret. Your right hand shouldn’t know what your left hand is doing. Or is it the other way around?”
“Then why did you make sure the teacher found out everything?”
If we’d just followed the plan—met the chairperson and homeroom teacher and donated the funds—Dad wouldn’t have found out, and we wouldn’t be worrying like this.
“Seung Yul, want me to teach you how to get hit with a switch without it hurting? I’ve got firsthand expertise from experience…!”
Ugh, after all that effort to band together and find a solution, this is what he says.
“I won’t say a word to you ever again.”
Seung Yul turned his head sharply, as if to say he wouldn’t even pee in that direction anymore, and quickened his pace.
“Baby, are we really ending things like this?”
Even if she’d only promised to be his mom for a day—
“Wait—Roy just texted. Big trouble. What should I reply? I can’t even ask Baby.”
Seung Yul snatched her phone before she knew it.
“It’s a lie.”
“Aaah!”
Furious, Seung Yul bent his arms like the Hulk and let out a growling roar.
He probably meant to look intimidating, but to Hyo Jin, he only appeared even more adorable.
“I’m sorry, Baby. I don’t know if your moms are too refined for this, but my mom—she’d grab a laundry bat and chase down anyone who bullied or teased me.”
“Enough. From now on, don’t answer any calls from Roy. And don’t call first either.”
Handing back the phone, Seung Yul spoke as if exhausted from fighting.
“Why not? If I tell him to contact me first and then don’t reply, won’t he think it’s weird?”
“Then why did you give him your number in the first place?”
Seung Yul was utterly exasperated.
“What else was I supposed to do? It’s obvious who your dad is. It’s better he contacts me than risk his mom calling your dad and exposing everything, right?”
Now that she thought about it, his point wasn’t exactly wrong.
“From now on, if you get a text, check with me before replying.”
“Yeah, that’s probably best.”
Hyo Jin’s steps grew lighter as she hurried after him.
“Are you done being mad now?”
His silence clearly meant he was still upset.
“I’m really sorry. Truth is, my mom passed away too—I’ve lived with my grandmother since middle school.”
“…….”
“I guess I got overly emotional because I related to it. After my mom died, I always missed her—especially when things got tough, I wished I had a mom on my side.”
Baby’s pace seemed to slow, then he stopped abruptly.
“Teacher… your mom passed away too?”
“Yeah, back when I was in middle school.”
My mom went out to pick mugwort for my bad period cramps, collapsed from low blood pressure, and never woke up.
“Then why are you crying?”
Seeing Hyo Jin suddenly well up with tears, Seung Yul panicked, his eyes wide.
“It’s just… you mentioned your mom out of nowhere, and now I really miss her.”
Why did I have to complain about my stomach hurting right then?
If only I’d known it would cost her life, I’d have just endured it.
“Do you miss her that much?”
Even I, at nine years old, have been holding it in.
“If it’s somewhere I can reach by plane ticket, I’d go see her in a heartbeat—no matter how expensive the fare.”
“Don’t cry. Someone might see and think I made you cry.”
As her sobs grew louder, Seung Yul pulled out a tissue from his bag and handed it to her with a firm “Stop.”
“Oh, you’re such a good kid.”
Receiving the tissue, Hyo Jin couldn’t help but smile, as if she’d never cried at all.
“Don’t tell anyone else that I cried.”
“Why not?”
“It’s embarrassing. A teacher should comfort crying students, not the other way around. Adults would mock me—say I can’t even act my age.”
“Fine, just stop crying then.”
Just as Seung Yul grumbled the words, a heavy iron gate groaned open in the distance.
Seung Yul quickly grabbed Hyo Jin’s wrist and ducked them both behind a bench.
“What’s going on?”
Shh! Seung Yul shoved Hyo Jin’s head down like a mole popping up.
“You said not to tell anyone.”
As a black sedan glided past, Seung Yul clutched Hyo Jin’s jacket tightly out of nervousness.
Grateful that this child was protecting her secret, Hyo Jin gently warmed his hand with hers.
“Baby, shall we hold hands and go?”
Seung Yul, who’d been stretching his neck to watch the car disappear in the distance, turned toward Hyo Jin, feeling the comforting warmth on his hand.
“I don’t want to.”
Typical as always.
But isn’t that exact aloofness part of our Baby’s charm?
“Baby, come with me.”
Chasing after him as if saying “Catch me if you can,” Hyo Jin arrived at the parking lot just as Choi Kyo Hwan stepped out of the car through the door opened by Driver Seo.
Wait—hasn’t he gone in yet?
His tablet was still on; apparently, he’d been reading documents in the car and got out late.
Guilt-stricken, Hyo Jin bowed deeply, her nose nearly touching the ground.
Surely he didn’t see us hiding together earlier?
Expecting to be ignored like a ghost, Hyo Jin was startled when Choi Kyo Hwan’s polished shoes stopped right before her eyes.
“Been out somewhere?”
“Huh?”
He’d merely commented on her unusually polished outfit, but Hyo Jin’s heart pounded as if under interrogation.
“Oh—Madam bought this for Seung Yul to wear to school from now on. Said I shouldn’t let other parents outshine me.”
“Outshine me.” He murmured the phrase in that gothic-script-like tone and let out a soft chuckle.
What? Did he just mock me?
As she pouted, her eyes met his—his gaze had just shifted from the tablet.
“What, do you have a problem with me?”
“No.”
“You looked like you were about to say something.”
“No, nothing like that.”
Seeing his brow furrow into a desert ravine, Hyo Jin lowered her head to avoid further questioning.
“Director, shall we go?”
Hyo Jin stole a glance as he strode toward Sarangchae under Team Leader Nam’s escort—
broad shoulders like a swimmer’s, towering height,
his jacket and trousers always impeccably creaseless,
his confident gait exuding the commanding dignity befitting the managing partner who ruled over fifteen hundred attorneys worldwide—
until—
Thud. Choi Kyo Hwan, eyes fixed on his tablet, nearly tripped over a stone.
Pffft. As Team Leader Nam steadied him, a giggle reached his ears.
Could that voice possibly be…?
Oh no! Hyo Jin slapped a hand over her mouth and ducked behind a tree.
“Director, are you alright?”
Scowling, Choi Kyo Hwan scanned the surroundings with a spotlight-like glare—but finding no one, he turned and headed toward Sarangchae as if nothing happened.
Phew. That was close.
Relieved, Hyo Jin watched his retreating back—and giggled again.
Heh. Thought he was flawless, but turns out he’s got his clumsy moments too.
Turning toward Haengrangchae, where her quarters were, Hyo Jin’s hair stood on end at a sticky, tugging sensation at the back of her head.
What is it? Could it be Lord Father?
Feeling as if her ankles were pinned, she turned—and saw Butler Pyo and Lady Min Ja Hyun staring intently at her beside a golden ginkgo tree.
Oh no. How long have they been watching? Could they have seen me secretly spying on Lord Father?
Trying to cool her burning cheeks with her palms, Hyo Jin quickly bowed in a deep fold under Butler Pyo’s reproachful gaze.
“Good afternoon, Madam.”
Lady Min Ja Hyun, who’d previously instructed her not to greet her even if they met by chance, parted her tightly pressed lips and spoke in her usual graceful voice.
“Come here for a moment.”
Don’t freeze. Don’t chicken out. It’s probably nothing.
Arriving at the anchae guided by Butler Pyo, Hyo Jin took a deep breath. Upon opening the door, the faint scent of jasmine tea filled the air, where Ja Hyun sat sipping quietly.
“You received my gift well, I hope?”
“Yes. As you can clearly see.”
“It suits you beautifully. They say clothes make the person.”
Today, even Ja Hyun’s discerning eyes found nothing to fault in Hyo Jin’s appearance.
“Would you like some tea?”
“No, thank you.”
Despite the gentle tone, Hyo Jin sensed the piercing scrutiny beneath—clearly just a formality.
“The reason I called you here, Teacher Bong, is because I have something important to ask.”
“…?”
Setting down her teacup, Lady Min Ja Hyun lifted the corner of her crimson-painted lips and looked directly at Hyo Jin.
“It’s good that you’re taking good care of Yul—but don’t let things go too deep emotionally.”
“…Yes?”
“If you grow too attached, won’t it be hard for you later when it’s time to part?”
Telling her not to give affection to a child who could never receive enough love—even if she poured her heart into it. Was this really out of love for Seung Yul?
Utterly baffled by the reasoning behind such a request, Hyo Jin felt lost.
“As you know, Yul will be moving to England next year. All his peers have already left—this is quite late as it is.”
“…….”
“Don’t let personal attachments burden him further while he’s already struggling to adjust to a foreign country. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
Having glimpsed the two of them through the window—so affectionate, like siblings—Ja Hyun sensed danger.
It was an instinct honed through over thirty-five years as mistress of Sangrimwon.
She would have dismissed anyone she’d hired herself on the spot, but the problem was—this teacher had been recommended by Professor Kim Yong Hoon and personally brought in by her son.
To oppose her son’s wishes would be to undermine the very dignity of Sangrimwon—the legal dynasty she herself had built and cherished above all.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Seeing Hyo Jin remain completely silent, Ja Hyun grew certain her worries weren’t unfounded and snapped irritably.
“I’m sorry. Nothing like what you’re concerned about will happen.”
How long have Baby and I even known each other?
“Everyone says that.”
Just like Yul’s mother used to.
After the chaos caused by Kyo Hwan rejecting his family-arranged fiancée, Ja Hyun was determined to prevent any repetition this time.
“Yul may act like a little old man on the outside, but he’s tender-hearted and easily forms deep attachments.”
“Yes, I know that well.”
“Then you must also understand it’s not unusual for Yul to grow fond of you—it’s simply that the affection he once gave his tropical fish and puppy has now shifted to you.”
“I’ll make sure you receive a generous bonus once he enrolls in the royal boarding school as per our contract.”
Normally, Hyo Jin would’ve squealed with glee internally, but thinking of the child living alone in a foreign country, her heart felt strangely heavy.
Why am I even worrying like this? We’ve barely spent time together. She felt more disappointed by Ja Hyun’s boundary-setting than she could understand.
“Then, I have a class—I’ll excuse myself now.”
“Wait…!”
Lady Min Ja Hyun called out, stopping Hyo Jin as she turned to leave, clearly not finished yet.
“A very important guest is coming to the house tomorrow—I’d like you to assist.”
“A guest?”
“Someone who will soon become part of our family—naturally, they’re an important guest.”
“Oh—if they’re joining the family…”
Hyo Jin lifted her gaze from the floor and blinked slowly with her large, double-lidded eyes.
“They’ll be Yul’s new mother. Wouldn’t it be best if you, Teacher Bong, were the one to receive her?”
“Me?”
There were staff specifically assigned to protocol—why assign it to a tutor?
“The staff member in charge isn’t feeling well. And considering she’ll be Yul’s new mother, I can’t just entrust this to anyone.”
Ja Hyun had already taken it for granted that Hyo Jin would accept.
“Once she arrives at Sangrimwon, please ensure she’s comfortable until Yul’s father comes home from work. Show her how Yul lives and everything.”
“But if I’m assigned to the guest, then Seung Yul—”
“Seung Yul?”
Her eyes, which had been elegantly upturned like a peacock’s tail the whole time, instantly turned sharp and fierce.
“Ah…!”
Meeting Butler Pyo’s eyes, Hyo Jin belatedly remembered the proper title—“Young Master”—but the damage was already done.
“Butler Pyo, didn’t I explicitly instruct you to properly teach her address protocol before I entered? It’s only because I happened to be the only one here—if Mother had been present, what would you have done?”
She likely would’ve grabbed her by the hair, calling her an impudent brat right then and there.
“I’m sorry. Butler Pyo did explain, but I made a mistake.”
Only now did Hyo Jin understand.
Why Ja Hyun had assigned *her*, the tutor, to welcome the future stepmother.
It was to firmly remind her of the class distinction between them…
“Yul will be at school anyway, so don’t even try using class as an excuse for interference.”
Lady Min Ja Hyun’s sharp command confirmed Hyo Jin’s suspicion.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Teacher Bong.”
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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Took back his own words real fast, funny man. Wonder what her message is
He really is a bad father. Kinda sad how he just left his son alone.