Taek Kyung’s fierce gaze made Min Seop flinch for a moment. But he soon frowned back, not wanting to lose to Taek Kyung.

“Don’t touch? Are you saying I’m some kind of pervert? That’s insulting to me.”

“Insulting? The child is in pain getting tests, and you’re just trying to satisfy your own selfish desires. I didn’t expect much, but this is below even that.”

“You’re the one being jealous when the child is sick.”

Min Seop was no pushover in responding to Taek Kyung’s sarcasm.

Seo Ha was irritated by the two men’s petty bickering.

Especially Taek Kyung’s attitude was incomprehensible. She was grateful he had driven her this far. However, she didn’t want to get closer to Taek Kyung.

The attitude Taek Kyung was showing now was crossing a line.

Why does he keep trying to interfere in her life now?

We are not in a relationship that benefits from facing each other.

Seo Ha’s mind was filled only with Min Joon now. Whatever the two men were saying wasn’t important to her.

“I’ll go wait in front of the exam room.”

Seo Ha said in a tired voice and left the emergency room.

Taek Kyung threw off Min Seop’s arm. Putting his hands in his pants pockets, he followed after Seo Ha with long strides.

Just as Min Seop was about to follow them, his phone rang. He sighed and disappeared in the opposite direction from Seo Ha and Taek Kyung.

Seo Ha was bothered by the sound of footsteps following her. She stopped on the hospital stairs leading to the exam room. The footsteps also stopped. Seo Ha let out a long sigh and said in a weary voice.

“Thank you for driving me this far. You can go now.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just concerned about the child.”

“Don’t worry about Min Joon. He’s a child who has nothing to do with you, elder brother.”

Taek Kyung’s heart ached at Seo Ha’s sharp tone.

A child with no connection to him. But that wasn’t true.

That child was connected to him because he was Seo Ha’s child.

“I am connected. He’s a child I teach.”

“Please leave.”

Seo Ha said with a choked voice. She couldn’t understand why Taek Kyung cared about Min Joon, whom he had said was not his own child.

Or was blood an irresistible pull? That’s why it was even more frightening.

In case Taek Kyung found out about Min Joon.

In case he tried to take the child away.

Taek Kyung ignored Seo Ha’s concerns and walked past her.

Seo Ha’s nerves were frayed to the breaking point. She wanted to push him away, but Taek Kyung kept appearing before her eyes, and Min Seop kept approaching though she couldn’t accept him, and Min Joon who was more precious than life. Everything was making things difficult for Seo Ha.

Should she run away somewhere when Min Joon wakes up?

But she couldn’t run away forever.

She wanted to cut off these tiresome connections.

“Please leave! Why won’t you listen to me?”

Seo Ha’s angry voice echoed in the stairwell. Taek Kyung stopped and turned around. He approached, asking in a cynical voice.

“Why are you overreacting like this? Is Kwak Min Seop okay but I’m not? Why?”

“You’re asking because you don’t know? We’re already over. Don’t you know I ran away because I was sick of you?”

Seo Ha deliberately spat out harsh words.

Taek Kyung’s straight brow furrowed mercilessly.

Then he stepped closer to Seo Ha, backing her against the wall.

Taek Kyung placed both hands on the wall, trapping her between the wall and his body, and spoke coldly.

“Already over? You think it’s all over just because you ran away? No. It’s not over for me yet. If you wanted it to end, you should have ended it properly. I’m going to end it properly this time. We’re not over until I end it. Bear with it even if you don’t like it. I waited for 5 years.”

Taek Kyung’s dark, sunken eyes clung tightly to Seo Ha’s face.

Seo Ha resisted the urge to turn her head away and put strength in her eyes.

“Don’t be clingy. It’s not like you, Han Tae Kyung.”

“Like me? Is there such a thing? You made me this way.”

“Me? You’re the one who made me like this. Don’t try to insert me between you and Jin Yoo Na.”

Taek Kyung said in a low voice, as if incredulous.

“Why are you bringing up Jin Yoo Na now?”

“Why? Because Jin Yoo Na is your woman! I don’t want to be misunderstood by Jin Yoo Na!”

Seo Ha spoke with all her strength.

She looked like she could barely stand, but she was shouting with all the strength she could muster from within.

Taek Kyung gave a hollow laugh.

“Now you’re even making ridiculous excuses. Since you say that, I don’t want to end it even more. Let’s see if you can end it yourself. You can’t end it until I do.”

Taek Kyung lowered his arms and stepped away from Seo Ha. Her hands, which had been tightly clenched in tension, fell limply.

Taek Kyung turned and headed to the exam room, leaving Seo Ha behind. Seo Ha leaned against the wall, staggering as the tension left her body.

What should she do?

If this somehow reached Hyun Young’s ears and she tried to harm Min Joon again, where should she run away to this time?

Would Taek Kyung give up on her if she met someone else?

The CT scan didn’t take as long as expected.

“Mother, Father. Min Joon will be going back down to the emergency room. We’ll do some simple tests for admission procedures.”

The nurse naturally assumed Taek Kyung and Seo Ha were a married couple. Seo Ha was flustered and tried to deny it, but Taek Kyung quickly intercepted.

“Alright. Start the admission process. I’ll stay by Min Joon’s side.”

Taek Kyung stood next to Min Joon’s stretcher, watching over him.

Min Joon was asleep. They had said they would let him sleep for 30 minutes, but he still hadn’t woken up. The sleeping Min Joon looked like an angel.

Taek Kyung stared intently at the child’s strangely familiar face.

Seo Ha had no choice but to go handle the admission procedures.

Surprisingly, Taek Kyung was attentive and skilled at caring for Min Joon, as if he had raised children before.

“Oh my, the father is so good with the child.”

An old lady sitting next to them gave what wasn’t quite a compliment while waiting for an EKG test. Taek Kyung responded with a faint smile and turned his head away.

He didn’t mind that everyone they met at the hospital assumed he was Min Joon’s father.

On the other hand, it was bittersweet.

If Seo Ha hadn’t had another man’s child like this, no, if she hadn’t left his side, they might have had a child like Min Joon between them.

The sound of a cell phone ringing broke his reverie.

Yoo Na’s name appeared on the screen.

Taek Kyung furrowed his brow. If he didn’t answer now, she would persistently keep calling. Yoo Na was always like that. It was easier to just answer once.

But honestly, he didn’t want to answer right now.

He didn’t know how to explain his relationship with Yoo Na to Seo Ha.

Would she understand that it was formed against his will, by corporate and political strategy?

It might be difficult to explain the relationship between HY Group and Congressman Jin Chul Wook, and for Seo Ha to understand it.

If she found out about that relationship, wouldn’t it make her leave him even more?

What use would there be in explaining now?

He lost confidence.

Just then, Seo Ha approached and said with an annoyed expression at Taek Kyung’s loudly ringing phone.

“Answer the call and come back. I can look after Min Joon by myself now.”

“Then excuse me for a moment.”

Taek Kyung passed by Seo Ha’s side as he answered the phone.

− Taek Kyung! Are you still in Yangpyeong? I had dinner with your mother today…

“What is it?”

A woman’s voice leaked from Taek Kyung’s phone into Seo Ha’s ears. It was Yoo Na.

She couldn’t forget. That voice.

‘Did you receive the photo well? Taek Kyung is sleeping next to me right now. I called to show Seo Ha the reality.’

One side of Seo Ha’s chest ached as if cut by a knife.

It reopened a wound that seemed to be healing.

Right. She needed to distance herself from Taek Kyung even more.

Seo Ha clenched her fist so tightly that her fingertips turned white.

[This is the timeline separator]

Taek Kyung, who had gone to the emergency stairwell, spoke in a chilly voice with his face deeply furrowed.

“I don’t think you have any business to call about.”

− Father keeps asking when we’ll set a date. You know well, Taek Kyung. For people like us, marriage is business. Honestly, marrying me isn’t a losing deal for you either, is it?

“People like us?”

Taek Kyung was very displeased that Yoo Na referred to him as the same kind.

− Yes. Shouldn’t we at least announce the marriage timing? That alone would help not only T&K but also HY Group.

“Just because I didn’t say anything about the rumors of our engagement doesn’t mean I agreed to marry you. Don’t misunderstand.”

− Taek Kyung!

Yoo Na shouted at Taek Kyung’s words.

Taek Kyung, who never let anyone close except Kim Seo Ha.

Yoo Na’s pride wouldn’t allow her to beg for a place by Taek Kyung’s side. She had to make a deal at least.

Couldn’t he have felt even a little pity for her who only looked at him like this and let her stay by his side?

It was frustrating that Taek Kyung didn’t budge despite her desperation.

“I’m not the type to do business with marriage, so I can’t be the kind of people you’re talking about. You should meet people like yourselves.”

− T-Taek Kyung! Did you forget our promise? How can you do this to me? I’m the person who carried your child!

“Promise? Carried my child? When did you carry my child? I know that all the pregnancy test photos and ultrasound images you gave me were fake. I don’t want to be entangled with you anymore.”

− Taek Kyung!

Yoo Na tried to desperately hold onto Taek Kyung, but he coldly hung up the phone. He leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh.

Five years ago, a photo Yoo Na had handed him. That was the root of the problem.

It was when Seo Ha had suddenly disappeared and he was living drowning in alcohol.

Of all times, he happened to run into Yoo Na at a bar that day. Yoo Na sat next to him and poured him drinks.

He was hardly in his right mind, having not slept properly for days and drinking alcohol.

When he staggered, Yoo Na supported him.

And she even got a hotel room and took him there.

“Haa. I’m fine now so you can go.”

“Are you really okay, Taek Kyung?”

“Yeah. I think I can finally sleep now…”

Taek Kyung flopped onto the bed without even properly taking off his clothes.

“Taek Kyung, then I’ll just use the bathroom quickly before I go. I spilled some alcohol earlier.”

“Okay…”

Taek Kyung couldn’t remember after that.

In the dream he barely fell into that night, he met Seo Ha. Seo Ha looked at Taek Kyung with sorrowful eyes without saying anything, then turned and walked away.

No matter how much Taek Kyung shouted and tried to grab her, he couldn’t catch Seo Ha.

When he opened his eyes in the morning, he was wearing only his underwear. He barely sat up, holding his pounding head. There was a note left on the bedside table.

[Last night was good. I sent photos of our memory to your phone. Look at them and call me. Yoo Na.]

What on earth had happened? He couldn’t remember at all.

Taek Kyung shook his head and gulped down some water.

Photos. The moment he checked Yoo Na’s message, Taek Kyung froze.

He couldn’t verify the authenticity of the photos, but it was clearly him and Yoo Na.

How could he and Yoo Na be lying in the same bed together?