Tae Kyung was aghast at the scene he couldn’t believe himself. It was Yoo Na, whom he had never thought of as a woman.

It was painful that he had spent the night with her without any feelings.

For him who only had Seo Ha, he thought this should not have happened to either Yoo Na or Seo Ha.

But soon his eyes became empty.

With Seo Ha gone, it didn’t matter what happened. Nothing changed even if he slept with Yoo Na.

If it wasn’t Seo Ha, no one else could have his heart.

Tae Kyung covered his eyes with his arm and lay back down.

That afternoon, the faces of Tae Kyung and Yoo Na at the cafe were quite contrasting. Unlike Yoo Na with her rosy cheeks, Tae Kyung was dry and crisp like a withered leaf without a drop of moisture.

“Tae Kyung. If this photo gets leaked, I’ll take a bigger hit than you. And my father won’t sit still.”

“……”

Yoo Na spoke with an air of arrogance, but Tae Kyung just stared at her with a cold face.

As if he wasn’t interested in anything.

Yoo Na hid her nervousness behind a haughty expression at Tae Kyung’s reaction, which was completely different from what she had expected.

“Are you saying it’s okay for me to leak this?”

“Do you think you’ve become my fiancée just because we spent one night together?”

“Just one night?”

Yoo Na frowned her delicate brow and raised her voice.

Tae Kyung responded sarcastically to such Yoo Na.

“Yes. Just one night.”

“What if I get pregnant with your child?”

“Child?”

Tae Kyung’s eyes sharpened at Yoo Na’s mention of a child.

“Yes, a child. It’s something that could happen since we spent the night together.”

Yoo Na said arrogantly with a triumphant smile.

She had to use the child as leverage to hold onto Tae Kyung.

Nothing had happened all night, but Tae Kyung seemed to have no memory of it at all.

“Besides, it was a day when I could get pregnant.”

“…So?”

“Promise me. If I get pregnant, you’ll marry me.”

“Alright. I’ll do that.”

Yoo Na was pleased with Tae Kyung’s words about marriage.

Finally, Tae Kyung was in her hands. Even if not right now, soon Tae Kyung would be her man.

She could get pregnant anytime. It didn’t matter if it was Tae Kyung’s child or not. As long as there was a child, she could make it Tae Kyung’s.

Yoo Na pulled down her rising corners of her mouth and stood up haughtily. She waved the phone in her hand in front of Tae Kyung’s eyes.

“Don’t say otherwise later. I’ve recorded everything.”

Tae Kyung looked at the phone with empty eyes, without the slightest agitation.

For Tae Kyung, a world without Seo Ha had no meaning, so he didn’t care whether it was recorded or not.

About two weeks later, a photo of a pregnancy test with two purple lines arrived at Tae Kyung’s phone. The sender was Yoo Na.

Tae Kyung felt nothing even as he looked at the photo. It felt like someone else’s business.

He turned off the phone screen without sending a reply.

What should he do? A marriage without love, a child born without love.

He only felt pity for the child and sorry to the child.

An hour later, a call came from Yoo Na.

– Did you see the photo?

“Yeah.”

– Is that all you have to say?

“Take care of yourself.”

Yoo Na let out a scornful laugh, as if in disbelief. There was no bewilderment or joy in Tae Kyung’s expression. Yoo Na hadn’t imagined this reaction.

If she couldn’t hold him even with a child, how could she hold onto him whose heart she couldn’t understand?

But she just couldn’t give up on Tae Kyung.

– It’s your child, Tae Kyung.

“Yeah. That’s why I said take care of yourself. If you need anything, leave a message. I have to go into a meeting soon.”

Tae Kyung had recently quit his job after telling Hyun Young he would cut ties. And he was preparing for a new business.

Perhaps because of that, he was even less in contact than when they worked together at HY.

Even that made Yoo Na anxious.

Yoo Na couldn’t hide her disappointment at Tae Kyung’s nonchalant attitude, but she couldn’t back down here now.

– Need anything? Now that I’m pregnant, we should prepare for the wedding.

“Do the wedding preparations as you wish. I’ll do it your way. Skip things like engagement and go straight to marriage.”

– Then can we have the wedding next month?

“That seems difficult. Isn’t it when you need to be most careful in the early stages? How can you have a wedding in that condition? Let’s have the wedding when you enter a stable period.”

– What if you change your mind, Tae Kyung?

“I know you’re recording this too. If I don’t keep my word, you can just spread the recording to the media. It’ll be excellent bait.”

Yoo Na flinched when Tae Kyung spoke as if he knew everything.

She believed that even if Tae Kyung was cold now, time would ultimately be on her side. Things could change once the child was born.

She shouldn’t lose him by being too hasty.

Yoo Na took a deep breath and spoke in a cheerful voice.

– Okay. I’ll trust you. But it’s disappointing that you didn’t congratulate me.

“Congratulations on your pregnancy. I should have said that first.”

Tae Kyung mechanically offered congratulations as if congratulating someone else’s pregnancy that had nothing to do with him.

Yoo Na vaguely remembered hearing that men don’t feel anything about their child until it’s born. Still, she felt hurt by Tae Kyung’s indifferent attitude, but didn’t show it.

Han Tae Kyung, no matter how much you struggle, time will ultimately be on my side.

Yoo Na deliberately pulled up the corners of her mouth with all her might.

“Mom, my head hurts. And I’m dizzy.”

“You just took medicine a little while ago, so you’ll feel better soon. Our Min Joon can bear it bravely, right?”

Min Joon looked like he was about to cry. The child complained of a headache. When basic tests were done, there were no major abnormalities.

However, Seo Ha felt frustrated as the child was struggling.

“Mom will wash some grapes that our Min Joon likes. Let’s eat this and cheer up.”

“Okay.”

Min Joon answered weakly. He struggled, occasionally feeling nauseous and dizzy.

Seeing Min Joon like that, Min Seop was very distressed. He acted like a criminal to Seo Ha, saying it was his fault.

Seo Ha had too many things to think about and take care of to comfort and look after Min Seop as well.

So she asked Min Seop not to come to the hospital until Min Joon was discharged.

Myung Hoon entered the hospital room and approached Min Joon.

He felt heartbroken at the sight of his daughter worn out with fatigue.

“Seo Ha. Go home and rest a bit. I’ll stay here today.”

“Dad, you’re here? I’m okay. You just came from work, didn’t you? The guardian bed here will be uncomfortable for you.”

“It’s alright. You have to go to work.”

“I decided to take a vacation until Min Joon is discharged.”

Seo Ha smiled bravely, trying to ease Myung Hoon’s worry. However, Myung Hoon’s concerned face didn’t easily relax.

Min Joon, who had been dozing off with flickering eyes, saw Myung Hoon and called out happily.

“Grandpa!”

“Oh, my puppy. Are you in a lot of pain?”

“Yes. Min Joon is sick.”

“So what do we do? Should grandpa give you some grapes?”

Min Joon nodded towards Myung Hoon. Min Joon had become even more clingy than before the accident. Seo Ha found that sight so pitiful.

Feelings of guilt for not being able to protect her child also rushed in from time to time.

As if reading Seo Ha’s mind, Myung Hoon sincerely advised her.

“I know it’s uncomfortable here. Go home, wash up a bit, and rest before coming back.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. The guardian meals here taste awful. Go home and make some side dishes to bring back.”

Myung Hoon needlessly complained about the side dishes to make Seo Ha rest even a little more comfortably.

Seo Ha reluctantly gathered her bag. She also needed to make side dishes for Min Joon, who wasn’t eating much due to lack of appetite.

“Then I’ll be back quickly, so dad, please get some rest and sleep next to him.”

“Okay. Come back soon. But be careful, and don’t overdo it.”

Seo Ha walked out of the hospital room with heavy steps.

Not long after Seo Ha left, someone came to visit Min Joon.

It was Tae Kyung.

“Excuse me, who are you?”

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Min Joon’s coding teacher from kindergarten. I came to visit him.”

“Oh my, I’m Min Joon’s grandfather. Thank you for coming all the way here.”

As Myung Hoon greeted Tae Kyung politely, Tae Kyung also bowed his head courteously in greeting.

In Tae Kyung’s hands were snacks and toys that children were said to like.

When Min Joon saw the snacks and toys, his face immediately brightened as if he had never had a headache. However, after glancing at Tae Kyung’s face, he avoided eye contact.

To Min Joon, Tae Kyung wasn’t a very welcome presence.

It was because he had seen them clash with each other several times with his mother.

He couldn’t like someone who hurt his mother.

Someone who upsets a mother who is kinder and prettier than an angel is a bad person.

As Min Joon avoided Tae Kyung, Tae Kyung gently explained to Min Joon about the contents of the bags in his two hands.

“This is a gift for Min Joon. Other teachers also sent it together wishing for Min Joon to be discharged quickly and get healthy.”

“Still, I don’t like it. I don’t like the coding teacher.”

Min Joon turned away and lay down without even looking at Tae Kyung.

Tae Kyung felt bitter. He couldn’t say he had no resentment towards Min Joon at all. But hearing the word ‘dislike’ from the child’s mouth made him feel bitter in its own way.

Was it because he had been hearing for days that the child resembled him, that he might be the child’s father?

Or was it because of a sense of empathy and pity for a child growing up without a father like himself?

He didn’t entirely dislike the child.

“Min Joon! You can’t say such things to your teacher.”

“Hmph! Grandpa, you don’t know! The coding teacher upset mom!”

“What do you mean? Why would the teacher upset mom?”

Min Joon shut his mouth tightly to Myung Hoon, who asked in bewilderment, not understanding. Tae Kyung looked down at Min Joon with his characteristic composure.

“Nothing changes just because you dislike me. Throw your tantrums in moderation. You shouldn’t make things difficult for adults either.”

Min Joon pulled the blanket up to the top of his head. Tae Kyung looked coldly at Min Joon before turning his head towards Myung Hoon.

Seo Ha resembles her father. The kind eyes are especially similar.

“Father, I’m sorry.”

“What? Oh no, it’s fine. The child has a great attachment to his mother. He’s a praiseworthy child who thinks of his mother to an unusual degree. He seems to have a misunderstanding about you, teacher.”

“It’s not a misunderstanding. I upset Seo Ha, I mean, Ms. Kim. And I might do so again in the future.”

Tae Kyung spoke insensitively, but Myung Hoon sensed the sadness permeating those words. Myung Hoon thought that this man who looked exactly like Min Joon probably wasn’t in an ordinary colleague relationship with his daughter.

“Father, then I’ll be going now.”

Tae Kyung handed the bags in his two hands to Myung Hoon and turned to leave the hospital room.

A little while later, a nurse came in and moved Min Joon onto a stretcher.

“Grandfather, Min Joon is being moved to a new room, so please gather your belongings and come up to Special Room 2.”

“Suddenly moving Min Joon’s room? Is there some problem with Min Joon?”

Myung Hoon grabbed the nurse’s arm in surprise.