Seo Ha gathered her crumbling heart and returned home with Min Joon.

Unable to stay at Tae Kyung’s villa any longer, she had to bring Min Joon back to her cold house.

Fortunately, the boiler had been fixed, but the house, vacant for days, was still chilly enough to make one shiver.

“Mom, it’s cold.”

“Wait a little. I’ve turned up the boiler, so it’ll be warm soon. And I’ve turned on the electric blanket. I’ll hug you.”

At Seo Ha’s words, Min Joon clung to her like a baby bird nestling into its mother’s embrace.

He was still a baby with the sweet, milky scent lingering.

Her heart ached, feeling torn, thinking that Min Joon was suffering because of his incompetent mother.

Not long after, Myung Hoon arrived home.

“Whew. The house is still quite cold. Is Min Joon alright?”

“Grandfather!”

As soon as he entered, Myung Hoon looked for Min Joon. Min Joon sprang up from Seo Ha’s arms and ran to Myung Hoon.

“I’ve turned on the boiler. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”

“Yes. That’s right. Min Joon must be hungry. Grandfather brought some fish-shaped bread, want to eat?”

“Yes!”

Min Joon’s face brightened at the warm fish-shaped bread Myung Hoon pulled out from inside his coat.

“You need to eat dinner, so have just one fish bread now and the rest later.”

“Yes! Grandfather!”

Min Joon answered cheerfully to Myung Hoon’s words.

Seo Ha hurriedly boiled soup and set the table with a few side dishes.

The three ate as usual, but they couldn’t shake off the empty feeling.

Tae Kyung, who used to sit across from Min Joon, flickered in her mind. Seo Ha’s heart ached.

She had to let him go. Her presence wouldn’t help Tae Kyung, and it would only hurt Min Joon.

They had lived well without Tae Kyung until now, and Min Joon had lived well without a father, so they could just go back to how it was before.

This brief reunion with Tae Kyung would be like a fleeting dream of spring.

As Seo Ha barely ate, just picking at her food with her chopsticks, concern shadowed Myung Hoon’s face.

After dinner, as the late hour approached, warmth slowly began to spread throughout the house.

After clearing the table, Seo Ha put Min Joon to bed and came out to the living room.

Myung Hoon was flipping through TV channels in the living room.

Seo Ha sat on the floor, leaning her back against the sofa where Myung Hoon sat.

Without taking his eyes off the TV, Myung Hoon casually spoke.

“What’s wrong? Don’t hide it, tell me.”

“Dad. I’m thinking of taking Min Joon to Seoul.”

“Seoul? Is Teacher Han going to Seoul with you?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

Myung Hoon already knew about the rumors surrounding Seo Ha and Min Joon.

Secretly, he had hoped this incident would bring Tae Kyung and Seo Ha together. For Min Joon’s sake too.

“Then? Is there something else? Are people bothering you?”

“No, it’s just that I feel like I’m causing trouble at the kindergarten, and it’ll be hard to go to another kindergarten in Yangpyeong. So I was thinking of just moving to Seoul. I think Seoul would be better than Yangpyeong for raising Min Joon.”

“Is that so? Alright. Let’s do that. Let’s wrap things up here in Yangpyeong and go to Seoul. I was getting a bit tired of this place anyway.”

“Dad?”

Seo Ha looked at Myung Hoon with wide eyes. She hadn’t expected Myung Hoon to suggest leaving Yangpyeong first.

“What? Were you thinking of leaving this old father behind?”

“No, of course not. But you liked Yangpyeong, didn’t you?”

“Do you think I’d be at ease if you and Min Joon went alone? You’ll need someone to look after Min Joon in emergencies, and we can always come back to Yangpyeong when Min Joon is a bit older. Besides, Yangpyeong isn’t my hometown anyway, so it’s fine.”

“Because of me…”

“Actually, I was thinking of asking you to move somewhere else. I thought I saw your mother recently. No, I’m sure it was your mother. That man was with her too. I don’t know what they’re planning. I was worried they might try to harm you.”

Seo Ha turned pale at Myung Hoon’s words.

How did Seung Ae find out about this place?

Hyun Young was scary, but Seung Ae was even more terrifying than Hyun Young.

She could still feel the grip of those strong hands that had once held her.

As Seo Ha trembled unconsciously, Myung Hoon grabbed her shoulders.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from your mother. You and our Min Joon. Even if this father doesn’t have much strength, I can at least keep your mother away. But it’s better not to run into her if possible, so let’s go to Seoul.”

“Dad. Thank you.”

Seo Ha felt a lump in her throat as she looked at Myung Hoon, who said he would protect her.

She had always thought she was protecting Min Joon, but perhaps she was the one being protected by Myung Hoon.

Seo Ha leaned against Myung Hoon’s knee.

“Dad, thank you so much and I’m sorry.”

“If you know that, don’t push Teacher Han away.”

Seo Ha sprang up and looked at Myung Hoon with wide eyes at his words.

“Teacher Han seems sincere about you. And you don’t dislike him either, do you? What are you so afraid of?”

“Dad, that’s…”

“And what grandmother would harm a grandson who looks exactly like her son? Even if she did, I’d stop her. What’s HY Group to us? No parent can beat their child. If Teacher Han’s heart is firm, just follow your heart.”

Seo Ha lowered her gaze at Myung Hoon’s words.

She couldn’t respond, feeling as if her deeply hidden desire had been exposed.

Was he saying this knowing that she was still trying to run away from Tae Kyung?

“So you don’t regret it, follow your heart. That’s the natural way.”

Myung Hoon slowly stroked Seo Ha’s head.

Seo Ha hugged her knees and stared blankly at the television.

“But, will it be okay?”

“Of course. Absolutely. Life is short. So live as you want. Live loving to your heart’s content.”

Seo Ha’s heart fluttered at Myung Hoon’s words.

Was it okay to run away from Tae Kyung? Would she regret it if she ran away?

Had she loved to her heart’s content without regrets? Yet she still had lingering feelings, still felt her heart flutter when she saw him.

Why was she only thinking of running away?

Was it okay to keep Min Joon away from Tae Kyung?

As Seo Ha was hesitating, a message arrived on her phone.

It was from Tae Kyung.

[I’ll arrive in Yangpyeong in an hour. Is Min Joon asleep?]

Seo Ha stared at the message for a while, then slowly typed each letter.

[Min Joon is asleep. I’m at Somang Villa now.]

No sooner had Seo Ha sent the text message than her phone rang again.

[Okay. Let me see your face for a moment. I miss you.]

Seo Ha’s heart pounded at Tae Kyung’s words saying he missed her. She resented her heart for racing on its own, but it was futile.

Not long after, when her phone rang loudly, she answered thinking it was Tae Kyung.

“Hello?”

− Teacher Seo Ha. This is Kwak Min Seop.

“Oh… Teacher Min Seop. What’s the matter?”

− Can we talk for a moment? I’m in front of your house now.

Seo Ha hesitated. But she decided she should say goodbye properly.

After all, Min Seop had helped her a lot.

“Okay. I’ll be out soon.”

Seo Ha put on her coat and went outside.

[This is the timeline separator]

Meanwhile, Tae Kyung could no longer stand Yoo Na. He decided to clarify his relationship with Yoo Na precisely. And he needed to clear up the misunderstanding about Seo Ha and Min Joon.

He wanted to protect them both.

Tae Kyung called his middle school classmate and friend, Ko Si Yul.

− Hey, Han Tae Kyung! It’s been a while! You jerk, not a word to me! Just getting your picture taken like that!

“Sorry. That’s why I’m calling to tell you. Write a good article. Make sure that person doesn’t get any unnecessary misunderstandings.”

Tae Kyung’s voice was much softer. Thinking of Seo Ha and Min Joon naturally made Tae Kyung’s heart mellow and gentle.

Si Yul keenly noticed this change in Tae Kyung through the phone and picked up his car keys with a wide grin.

“You bastard. I’m coming right over. Han Tae Kyung. Get ready. I’m going to grill you thoroughly.”

Si Yul rushed to the CEO’s office of T&K Corporation as soon as he hung up the phone.

No, it would be more appropriate to say he flew there, given how fast he arrived.

Bursting open the door of the CEO’s office, a man with shaggy hair carrying a camera entered along with a boyish-looking woman with short hair.

“Oh! Friend! My friend! Good to see you, good to see you! I almost felt hurt, you jerk!”

“You must have worked hard to get here. Did you use some kind of teleportation?”

Si Yul hugged Tae Kyung without hesitation. Tae Kyung didn’t seem to mind and hugged him back. Somehow, Tae Kyung seemed calmer than usual.

“For a scoop, I’d use teleportation if I could! Reporter Son, this rotten guy here is my friend.”

Si Yul introduced Tae Kyung to the female reporter who came with him, joking around.

The woman called Reporter Son bowed politely.

“I’m Son Jae Young from Nuri Daily. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too. I look forward to working with you.”

“Then let’s start by taking a photo or two first. We’ll be taking pictures throughout the interview, but just ignore it and keep talking.”

“Alright.”

Since Tae Kyung rarely gave interviews, the fact that he was giving one was already big news.

Moreover, Tae Kyung was currently embroiled in a huge controversy. Although all articles related to Seo Ha had been blocked, it was impossible to erase everything from people’s minds.

Tae Kyung obediently complied with Jae Young’s request and had his picture taken. After taking photos for quite a while, Si Yul finally took out a voice recorder and started the interview.

“Shall we get to the main point now?”

Tae Kyung gestured for Si Yul and Jae Young to sit on the sofa while he took a seat himself. Si Yul skillfully placed the voice recorder on the table. He also opened his reporter’s notebook, ready to take notes.

“From now on, I’ll be asking questions not as your friend Ko Si Yul, but as the capable reporter Ko Si Yul. CEO Han Tae Kyung, what is your relationship with the woman in question? Please answer honestly.”

“The woman currently being accused of being a gold digger is the person I love. And first, I want to correct the distorted facts. I am not engaged to Jin Yoo Na, the daughter of Assemblyman Jin Chul Wook.”

“For the past 5 years, you didn’t deny the engagement as if it were an established fact. Could you explain in more detail why you’re now denying that you were engaged?”

Si Yul asked for further explanation with a puzzled look.

“Five years ago, and even now, the person I love is not Jin Yoo Na, but the person who’s being misunderstood as a gold digger. I first met her six years ago and I fell for her first. We were even planning to get married, but we suddenly broke up. And we recently reunited.”

Tae Kyung’s answer was so calm that it sounded sad. Si Yul felt a surge of sympathy. However, he was a reporter and couldn’t just advocate for his friend.

“Then why did the rumors about you and Jin Yoo Na spread so far?”

“With Jin Yoo Na, there was a time when the adults around us encouraged us to meet. I refused, but this incident was distorted into an engagement. When that person disappeared and I was in despair, I didn’t feel the need to correct the rumor at the time, so I didn’t make any statement. I think my silence was taken as confirmation.”

“Still, didn’t you ever think about correcting it if it wasn’t true?”

“Nothing had any meaning to me. If it wasn’t that person, it didn’t matter who I was engaged to or married to. She was the only one for me. Then and now, I’m still clinging to her.”

Throughout Tae Kyung’s answer, Si Yul’s heart ached at the faint smile that appeared sporadically.

However, he asked Tae Kyung the most sensitive question.

“There’s also a child involved. Who is that child? Is it possibly your child, CEO Han Tae Kyung?”

“That child… is my child.”

Tae Kyung’s eyes were deep and calm.