Ji Soo felt like a mouse in front of Joo Hyuk. Although she didn’t do anything particularly wrong, she felt like she had to beg for forgiveness unconditionally just by looking at his face.

“Ms. Han Ji Soo. I’ll get straight to the point. What on earth did you say to Seo Hoo? Did you tell him you would talk to his father?”

Ji Soo’s pupils trembled without restraint.

She definitely said those words to Seo Hoo. Could it be that he was angry after hearing them? If he was angry that she spoke to his child in a threatening manner…

She was doomed. Oh no, she was doomed. Completely doomed.

She didn’t intend to threaten Seo Hoo. She only meant to warn him as he was stubbornly insisting. It seemed she had been too rash.

“Who do you think Seo Hoo’s father is, Ms. Han Ji Soo?”

“…That’s obvious, of course.”

Ji Soo turned her palms to face the ceiling, then pointed at Joo Hyuk with her fingertips. Joo Hyuk laughed loudly in disbelief at Ji Soo’s cautious appearance.

The fact that Joo Hyuk was Seo Hoo’s father could have been a top secret. No, it was obviously a secret. She regretted her rash past actions only then.

“I absolutely will not tell the other employees! I will be careful not to let it leak out.”

“What secret are you talking about?”

“I mean, the fact that you are unmarried but have a son… sir?”

Joo Hyuk, who had been staring at Ji Soo, laughed in disbelief.

“I will consider it a company secret.”

“……”

“I’m serious, sir. You can rest assured as I’m not the type to gossip.”

Joo Hyuk quietly looked at Ji Soo, who kept babbling on in a hurry. Ji Soo apologized several times out of fear. Joo Hyuk was at a loss for words for a moment, finding her appearance somewhat amusing. Why was she acting like a weakling as if she had committed a grave sin? His face wasn’t particularly threatening. Perhaps she had a timid personality.

“Ms. Han Ji Soo, I think you have a serious misunderstanding. Seo Hoo is not my son.”

Ji Soo’s pupils shook wildly.

“He is my younger brother’s son. Min Shin Hyuk, who was the executive of the cargo division. After my younger brother died, the child’s mother raised him alone, but recently there have been issues with the child’s mother as well. She went out and her whereabouts became unknown.”

In the face of the sudden and shocking revelation, her mind seemed to malfunction, unable to figure out how to react.

“Executive Min Shin Hyuk passed away?”

“It’s still a secret to outsiders. So you must keep the secret too, Ms. Han Ji Soo.”

“Yes! Of course.”

Joo Hyuk spoke bitterly.

“Naturally, Seo Hoo’s mental state will be unstable, and he will miss his parents very much.”

“So…”

She ended up saying she would talk to Seo Hoo’s father, who was no longer in this world. Ji Soo finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

“I made a huge mistake with Seo Hoo…”

Her vision spun. So that’s how it was. The scene of Seo Hoo looking at her with expectant eyes vividly came to mind.

The child must have been surprised and happy that she could talk to his father in heaven. How much anticipation did he have? How excited was he?

“I didn’t call you here to scold you, Ms. Han Ji Soo. I thought it would be better to correct the misinformation. I wanted to tell you so that you wouldn’t make another mistake if you happen to meet Seo Hoo again.”

“Yes… I… understand… very well.”

How great would the sense of loss be for a mere 5-year-old child? He probably wasn’t even aware of his own emotions. He was too young to accept his father’s death and his mother’s absence.

A teardrop fell from Ji Soo’s eyes as she blankly stared at the floor.

“Are you crying, Ms. Han Ji Soo?”

“No… I’m not crying.”

The single teardrop eventually turned into loud sobbing.

Why is she suddenly crying?

Joo Hyuk was bewildered, but still handed her a handkerchief.

“I don’t understand why you’re crying so much, but stop crying now.”

“Sir, I… want to tell Seo Hoo something… can I meet him?”

After thinking for a moment, Joo Hyuk slowly nodded. Even while crying uncontrollably, Ji Soo smiled smoothly at Joo Hyuk’s permission. Joo Hyuk couldn’t take his eyes off Ji Soo’s reddened eyes for a long time.

The image that came to mind when he thought of her was a rabbit. Fair skin, small face, and neat features. A smile that seemed harmless to anyone. But now, a rabbit wailing loudly.

Joo Hyuk shook his head strongly, wondering why he was having such idle thoughts.

***

Ji Soo met Seo Hoo again the very next evening. Seeing Ji Soo again, Seo Hoo couldn’t hide his happy yet awkward expression.

“Hi Seo Hoo! We meet again.”

Seo Hoo slightly raised one hand and waved.

“I want to talk to you for a bit, Seo Hoo. Is that okay?”

“Yeah.”

Fortunately, Seo Hoo readily agreed to the suggestion. Seo Hoo and Ji Soo sat side by side on the sofa.

“Seo Hoo, remember when I said I would talk to your father?”

“Did you talk to my dad?”

At the mention of his father, Seo Hoo’s bright eyes sparkled.

“No, I couldn’t.”

“Why? Why couldn’t you?”

“I was mistaken. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

Tears quickly welled up in Seo Hoo’s large eyes. He was trying hard to hold back tears with his lower lip pouting. Seeing Seo Hoo’s face like that, her heart ached unbearably.

“Seo Hoo, you know what? Even if not right now… after a long time passes, you will definitely be able to talk to your father.”

“How?”

“My father is in the same place. So I know well.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. Your father and my father are in the same place. Your father will always be watching over you. My father does the same.”

“But I still want to see my dad now.”

Me too. I miss my dad, mom… and Eun Soo. So I understand your feelings very well, Seo Hoo.

Ji Soo also knew the deep sense of loss of losing family. She knew better than anyone the feeling when the sturdy fence that was her parents suddenly became beings she could never see again. So, her heart ached thinking about how much young Seo Hoo must miss his father after losing him.

For a child, parents are their whole world right now.

She felt extremely sorry for telling Seo Hoo that she would talk to his father without knowing that.

“Hey… you know what? Then when can I see my mom?”

“Your mom… you will be able to see her again soon.”

She said it as she had heard from Joo Hyuk. Only then did Seo Hoo’s stiff expression soften a bit.

“So until then, let’s listen well to your uncle and stay healthy. I heard you don’t eat well and don’t sleep well, Seo Hoo.”

“I don’t like eating. I don’t like sleeping either.”

“Your father is in a distant place, but he can continue watching over you.”

Ji Soo never thought that her parents and Eun Soo had died. They were just in a distant place for a while, a place she couldn’t meet them right away. She thought they were living the same daily life somewhere.

Starting the day, eating breakfast, going to work or school, coming home from work, having dinner with family. She thought they must be doing those things somewhere.

“Later, let’s brag to your father that Seo Hoo lived as a good child.”

“…Okay.”

“I will come play with you every weekend, Seo Hoo.”

“Really?”

Ji Soo nodded and stroked Seo Hoo’s hair.

***

“What? You’re going to work at your executive’s house every weekend?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I have doubts about whether I can do well. But I’m going to try my best.”

Young Joon downed his whiskey nervously and muttered curses under his breath. Ji Soo’s eyes widened at Young Joon’s harsh and explicit swearing.

“Han Ji Soo, I didn’t see you that way, but you’re really something else.”

“What…?”

“How are you any different from other women trying to succeed by using men?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Isn’t it obvious that you’re offering to take care of the child at the executive’s house in this situation? The intention is too transparent. I heard you act docile and nice in the secretarial office.”

As if realizing his mistake after blurting out the words, Young Joon belatedly covered his mouth.

Ji Soo put down the glass she was holding with a thud.

“Do you know someone in the secretarial office?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s just that your original personality is like that. It’s my guess.”

“Ah… I see. Anyway, oppa, I think there’s some misunderstanding, but it’s absolutely not like that. I explained it well.”

To avoid Young Joon’s misunderstanding, she explained in detail the entire process from first meeting Seo Hoo. She thought the smart Young Joon would surely understand. It seemed it was Ji Soo’s misconception.

“I absolutely can’t understand. What does your parents’ passing have to do with that kid’s father passing away? Are you sure you’re not just using the child as an excuse because you want to work at the executive’s house?”

Ji Soo’s fingers gripping the glass tightened.

“Oppa… how can you say such a thing…?”

Young Joon knew Ji Soo’s past better than anyone. She couldn’t understand how he could say this. The fact that he thought Ji Soo would use her parents’ deaths was chilling.

“Han Ji Soo, you’ve been pretending to be innocent all this time, making excuses whenever I asked you to go on a trip. In the end, this is how you reveal your true nature.”

“Oppa, it’s really a misunderstanding. I’m not going to work because I like that executive,”

“Enough, stop making excuses. I wouldn’t have dated you if I knew you were this kind of person.”

“……”

It seemed that no matter what she said now, she couldn’t clear up Young Joon’s misunderstanding. It would only backfire.

“Oppa, let’s stop here for today. Let’s talk next time.”

“Next time? When? When things don’t work out well with Executive Min?”

“Your words are too much, oppa.”

Anger boiled up, but Ji Soo decided to maintain her composure as much as possible. She didn’t want to fight by expressing negative emotions.

“I’m disgusted by your pretense of innocence until the end. Let’s end this.”

“…What?”

Was he really going to end it like this? End this 3-year relationship over a misunderstanding?

“I can’t date someone like you anymore. Don’t act pathetic and let’s end it cleanly.”

Young Joon acted like a different person. He wasn’t the type to act friendly when dating, but he wasn’t someone who spoke so rudely like this. Even though they had been dating for over 3 years, she was surprised to find there was a side of him she didn’t know.