“Min Joon? He’s 5 years old. The child has grown a lot, hasn’t he? Sometimes people even think he’s 7 years old.”

“Ah…..”

Tae Kyung was surprised at himself for asking such a question.

Was it because he didn’t want to believe the child was Seo Ha’s?

All sorts of possibilities were forming in Tae Kyung’s mind.

If he’s 5 years old, she must have gotten pregnant while we were dating or after she disappeared. Could he possibly be my child?

No, if he were my child, she wouldn’t have disappeared like that.

Then is he really that man’s child? Did she not contact me again because she had that man’s child?

Tae Kyung felt like he was falling into an abyss.

He doubted if she was the Seo Ha he knew.

When did she have another man’s child?

Tae Kyung revealed his despairing face, unaware that Yoon Hee was watching him.

But soon, grasping his falling heart, he downed the honey water in one gulp and stood up.

“Thank you for the honey water.”

“You’re welcome. Next time, don’t wait outside all night. Come during the day. I won’t tell you not to come.”

Tae Kyung bowed deeply and left the principal’s office.

Yoon Hee just watched him go.

Tae Kyung glanced around the kindergarten, soothing his sore stomach. He had visited many kindergartens, but none were as old as this one. Though old, it was full of warmth.

What Tae Kyung had felt while doing business was that the atmosphere of a kindergarten directly follows the feeling of its principal.

Perhaps that’s why Tae Kyung felt the warmth he received from Yoon Hee throughout the kindergarten building.

While walking down the kindergarten corridor, Tae Kyung’s gaze lingered on Seo Ha’s photo hung next to a classroom door.

Her smile, which was like sunshine, remained the same.

There were days when she smiled at me like that.

Tae Kyung unconsciously raised his hand and slowly stroked Seo Ha’s photo.

“Teacher Chae Eun. Teacher Seo Ha said she’ll be a bit late today. Min Joon had a fever last night, so she’s stopping by the hospital.”

“Oh my, I hope Min Joon is okay. Teacher Seo Ha must not have slept all night.”

Hearing the voices of the kindergarten teachers, Tae Kyung flinched and quickly hid, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. Joo Ri and Chae Eun, not noticing Tae Kyung, continued their conversation.

“I’m sure. Raising a child alone. I heard her father is working night shifts these days too. By the way, isn’t Teacher Min Seop being too obvious about liking Teacher Seo Ha?”

“Why? Are you jealous?”

“Yes, I am jealous. If I were Teacher Min Seop’s mother, I might have gone ballistic. Even if they work out, it’s not easy raising someone else’s child.”

“That’s too much. In your head, are they already married?”

Tae Kyung doubted his ears.

So the man they called the child’s father isn’t her husband?

A single mother? What’s going on? Did she lie to me?

Why did she become a single mother after abandoning me?

Tae Kyung’s mind was in chaos, but he listened intently to Chae Eun and Joo Ri’s conversation to find answers to his questions.

“Joo Ri, that’s harsh. Everyone has their circumstances. Why do you care if Teacher Min Seop likes her? Were you interested in Teacher Min Seop?”

“Me? No way! No matter how much I like him, it’s too conspicuous at work. Honestly, he jumps at anything related to Teacher Seo Ha, it’s awkward for the kids and parents to see.”

Joo Ri denied it vehemently. Chae Eun waved her hands, trying to calm Joo Ri down.

“He doesn’t do that in front of the kids. It’s only when he’s with us. Love can’t be hidden, you know.”

“Still. Teacher Seo Ha is lucky. Even with a child, there’s a man who likes her. Where’s my love…”

As Joo Ri mumbled, Chae Eun chuckled and comforted her.

“Your soulmate must be out there somewhere.”

“Aren’t you dating, Teacher Chae Eun?”

“I’m against marriage. I like kids, but I don’t want a husband.”

The two went up to the second floor where the staff room was. Tae Kyung secretly slipped out of the kindergarten building.

A single mother, they said.

Not a divorcee, but a single mother.

Does that mean she was never married in the first place?

Then could that child really be mine?

Tae Kyung tried to recall Min Joon again, but no matter how much he thought about it, the child didn’t seem like his.

It wasn’t a time when Seo Ha and he could have had a child.

Tae Kyung had been especially careful because Seo Ha was preparing for employment.

Finally, after concluding that Min Joon wasn’t his child, his feelings for Seo Ha became even more complicated. Seo Ha, who had abandoned him and disappeared, only to become a single mother.

It was too sad to be anger towards her, and it hurt his heart.

Why become a single mother if she couldn’t even live well enough to be out of his reach?

If she was going to live as a single mother, why not come back to him?

Foolish woman.

Tae Kyung gritted his teeth.

He found himself ridiculous for thinking this way.

Why can’t I forget her even though she betrayed me so miserably?

Tae Kyung felt a sharp rise of hatred towards Min Joon.

If it weren’t for that child, Seo Ha wouldn’t have had to live such a hard life.

She might not have left me either.

How irresponsible and pathetic must the biological father be?

How despicable must that biological father be, disappearing and leaving his child behind, just like his own father?

He wanted to drag that so-called biological father back himself and make him take responsibility for his child.

“Mom.”

“Yes, Min Joon?”

Min Joon called out to Seo Ha in a weak voice.

The needle stuck in the small back of his hand felt like it was piercing Seo Ha’s heart.

“Why don’t I have a dad?”

Seo Ha’s pupils shook violently at Min Joon’s question.

He was a child who had never asked about his father before.

“Why are you suddenly curious about that?”

“Just because. All the other kids have dads, but I only have a fake dad, not a real one.”

“Fake dad?”

“Yeah. Teacher Tun Tun said he’d be my dad, but Teacher Tun Tun isn’t really Min Joon’s dad, right?”

Min Joon spoke articulately, unlike a typical 5-year-old. Seo Ha had tried several times harder not to make Min Joon feel the absence of a father.

However, perhaps a boy still needed a father, and Seo Ha felt Min Joon’s words weighing heavily on her heart.

Moreover, she worried that Min Seop’s frequent playing and caring for Min Joon lately might have only made him feel the absence of a father more.

“Not everyone has a dad. Everyone has their own family. You can have a dad, or you might not. Would Min Joon like to have a dad like other children?”

At Seo Ha’s question, the child’s black, sparkling eyes wavered for a moment. But soon, the child shook his head.

“I’m fine with just mom and grandpa.”

Seo Ha hugged Min Joon tightly.

Will there ever come a day when she can tell him the truth?

The image of Tae Kyung, emanating a cold and sharp aura, flashed before Seo Ha’s eyes.

How would he accept this child? Could he give Min Joon the same affectionate gaze he gave to his daughter?

Seo Ha hated herself for not being able to let go of a sliver of hope, even while thinking it was a vain thought.

That person is already married, what am I thinking about breaking up that family?

Seo Ha once thought about going back to Tae Kyung. She thought that if it was Tae Kyung, he might be able to protect her, and that once the child was born, they wouldn’t be able to do anything about the child that was born.

However, the news that reached Seo Ha was like a bolt from the blue.

‘I heard Tae Kyung sunbae got engaged to Jin Yoo Na? They even set a wedding date. When did Tae Kyung sunbae, who was chasing after you like crazy saying he loved you so much, get engaged just a year after breaking up with you?’

At the story told by Hyo Jae, her high school classmate and college friend, Seo Ha almost dropped her phone.

Jin Yoo Na was Tae Kyung’s classmate who had been constantly flirting with him even while Seo Ha was dating Tae Kyung.

She was the second daughter of Congressman Jin Chul Wook and was famous at school as a perfect daughter.

Jin Yoo Na and Han Tae Kyung were indeed the perfect match in terms of external conditions, but Tae Kyung chose Seo Ha, not Yoo Na.

Seo Ha let out a small sigh as she thought about those times.

She snapped out of her reminiscence and quietly shed tears while stroking the face of Min Joon, who was sleeping soundly beside her.

Looking at her son, who still smelled of milk, she resolved to erase Tae Kyung from her heart.

The sight of him and his daughter that she had seen recently drove a wedge into Seo Ha’s heart.

Meanwhile, Min Joon had regained some strength thanks to the IV drip.

“Seo Ha! Min Joon!”

“Dad. Did you just get off work?”

“Yes. I came here right after work. Is Min Joon okay?”

“Grandpa!”

Myung Hoon, Seo Ha’s father and Min Joon’s grandfather, stroked Min Joon’s head.

“Oh, my puppy. Did it hurt a lot?”

“No. I’m all better now.”

Min Joon smiled brightly.

A nurse came in and put a thermometer in Min Joon’s ear.

“Guardian, Min Joon’s IV is all done, and his fever has gone down. You can pay and be discharged. If his fever comes back in the meantime, please come to the emergency room right away.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The nurse removed the needle from Min Joon’s small hand. Min Joon had his eyes tightly shut, seemingly scared of the sight.

Seo Ha felt Min Joon’s forehead. The small forehead, which had been damp with cold sweat, had now cooled down as if nothing had happened.

“Min Joon. Stay at home with grandpa. I’ll try to come home early.”

“Okay, mom. Don’t worry and go.”

“Yes. Don’t worry about Min Joon and go. I’ll take good care of Min Joon.”

Myung Hoon patted Seo Ha’s back.

“But Dad, you need to sleep too.”

“I took a day off, so don’t worry.”

Seo Ha bit her lip as she watched Myung Hoon pick up Min Joon.

She turned her reluctant feet towards the kindergarten.

Upon hearing that Seo Ha was a single mother, Tae Kyung’s resentment towards her transformed into a desire to be by her side.

Not once in the past five years had he forgotten Seo Ha. More accurately, he couldn’t forget her.

Life without Seo Ha held no meaning for Tae Kyung. It was merely a mechanical repetition of eating, working, and sleeping.

At times driven by desperation for her, at times by longing for her, at times by anger and resentment towards her, he had rushed forward to forget everything.

Tae Kyung paid no attention to any rumors surrounding him.

Even when false rumors of his engagement to Jin Yoo Na spread, he saw no reason to correct them or make a statement.

If it wasn’t Seo Ha, it didn’t matter who he married. It didn’t matter if he didn’t marry at all.

Before returning to Seoul, Tae Kyung wanted to see Seo Ha’s face just one more time.

A yellow van came and went several times in front of the kindergarten gate, ferrying children. The children’s chatter was like birdsong.

Even after the kindergarten doors closed again, Seo Ha didn’t appear.

‘Is the child very sick? Is Seo Ha okay?’

Tae Kyung felt pathetic at the naturally arising concern for Seo Ha. He found himself pitiful for still worrying about her after being hurt so much by her.

As Tae Kyung lingered around the kindergarten, his phone kept ringing incessantly.

He didn’t want to answer work calls, but he had no choice.

“Hello. This is Han Tae Kyung.”

− Where on earth did you disappear to! Jung Hoo said he sent you home, but you’re not at home either! Where are you now?

Tae Kyung held the phone away from his ear. Kyu Won, his high school classmate and co-CEO, was yelling and nagging at the top of his voice.

− How can you disappear without a word? And what’s with this unexcused absence?

“Sorry. My ear hurts. Stop yelling.”

− Han Tae Kyung, you bastard. Do you know or not that the chairman of HY Group is coming this afternoon?

“Mother?”

Tae Kyung’s brow furrowed severely.

Why would his mother, whom he thought he had cut ties with, choose this moment to come looking for him?