Tae Kyung, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn’t bring himself to say “Let’s go” even after watching Seo Ha disappear.

Kyu Won, seeing Tae Kyung’s fierce expression, didn’t dare speak and just waited.

In Tae Kyung’s eyes, complex emotions were swirling.

How should he understand Seo Ha, who was keeping her mouth tightly shut without explaining anything to him?

What was she so afraid of that she wouldn’t even tell him the reason she ran away from him?

The more Seo Ha pushed Tae Kyung away and built walls, the more Tae Kyung couldn’t let go of his feelings for her.

Gradually, frustration and anger welled up at her silence.

After a long while, he spoke in a low voice as if nothing had happened.

“Kyu Won. Let’s go.”

“Oh, okay. But are you alright? Your temperature swings are beyond hot and cold, more like going from Siberian plains to the Sahara desert and back. Is that woman Kim Seo Ha? The one you dated?”

Kyu Won followed her with curious eyes until she disappeared. But Tae Kyung leaned back in his seat.

The story was too complicated to explain everything to Kyu Won.

And there were parts Tae Kyung couldn’t explain, so he didn’t want to bother.

He spoke indifferently, avoiding Kyu Won’s gaze.

“Shut up. I’m going to get some sleep, wake me when we get to Seoul.”

“You jerk, would it kill you to give some explanation?”

At Kyu Won’s grumbling, Tae Kyung closed his eyes and turned slightly with his arms folded.

Kyu Won muttered as he started driving.

Until they arrived in Seoul, Tae Kyung never opened his eyes. For someone sleeping, his posture was remarkably neat and unruffled.

As soon as Tae Kyung parked the car in the company lot, he opened his eyes and got out of the car with a calm demeanor.

“Han Tae Kyung! We’re short on instructors, so how are you suddenly deciding to support Onnuri Kindergarten?”

“I’ll be the instructor.”

“What?”

“Then it’s resolved, right?”

Kyu Won couldn’t understand Tae Kyung’s unpredictable behavior today.

“Do you think it makes sense for a company CEO to be a coding instructor? Do you think classes just happen on their own?”

“What doesn’t make sense about it? Even if there’s an instructor, I’ll be observing classes every week. So it’s fine if I teach too.”

“What? This is clearly a decision full of your personal motives.”

“You’re right. It’s a decision full of my personal motives. So just pretend you don’t know.”

At Tae Kyung’s subdued voice, Kyu Won couldn’t push further. He just sighed, giving silent approval.

For the past 5 years, Tae Kyung had been more planned and cold-headed than anyone when it came to work.

He had never rushed into things like this before. No matter how he thought about it, this seemed to be because of Kim Seo Ha.

He could guess something had happened between them, but couldn’t ask for details. Tae Kyung reacted sharply at the mere mention of Seo Ha.

When they went up to the CEO’s office, Secretary Yoon greeted them with a troubled expression.

“CEO Han, the chairwoman is waiting.”

Tae Kyung’s face twisted grimly.

“CEO Lee, what’s going on?”

Tae Kyung growled at Kyu Won.

Kyu Won felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He muttered to himself without realizing.

“Scary bastard…”

“CEO Lee?”

As Tae Kyung raised one eyebrow and glared at Kyu Won, Kyu Won gave an awkward smile.

“Well, that’s how it is. Anyway, have your talk. I’ll just…”

“See you later.”

Sensing killing intent in Tae Kyung’s words, Kyu Won fled to his own office. Secretary Yoon was also fidgeting uncomfortably.

“Please prepare some tea. I’ll have coffee.”

“Yes!”

Secretary Yoon quickly moved away.

When Tae Kyung opened the door to the CEO’s office, his mother Hyun Young, chairwoman of the major domestic conglomerate HY Group, was sitting on the sofa.

Wearing a neat and elegant navy two-piece suit with her hair tidily arranged, she exuded dignity.

However, her eyes shone very sharply, unlike her benevolent appearance.

“Why did you come?”

“Isn’t it cold to treat your mother you haven’t seen in a long time like this? I came because you never visit home no matter how much I ask.”

Hyun Young was composed despite her son’s sensitive reaction.

She looked like a skilled mother dealing with a teenage son.

“I have nothing to say to you, Chairwoman. Didn’t I tell you 5 years ago?”

“I heard you met Seo Ha?”

“What does Seo Ha have to do with you, Chairwoman? Are you monitoring every move of your grown son? This isn’t like you.”

Hyun Young was silent for a moment. Meanwhile, Secretary Yoon came in and quietly set down teacups in front of Hyun Young and Tae Kyung before leaving. Hyun Young took a sip of tea and spoke.

“What are you trying to do, stirring up a child who’s been living well?”

Tae Kyung was infuriated by Hyun Young’s words.

Did Hyun Young already know everything about Seo Ha but didn’t tell him?

How much does she know?

“How do you know whether Seo Ha is living well or not, Chairwoman?”

Hyun Young didn’t answer Tae Kyung’s resentful question. Tae Kyung finally burst out at Hyun Young.

“You knew about Seo Ha but didn’t tell me? What were you so afraid of?”

Tae Kyung’s eyes flashed fiercely. Hyun Young calmly set down her teacup and quietly advised.

“If you care for Seo Ha, just let her go. It’s too much for you to resolve, you’ll both get hurt.”

“I see, you’re thinking of not leaving Seo Ha alone if I meet her again.”

Tae Kyung gritted his teeth. Hyun Young’s voice, which hadn’t been shaken until now, turned sharp.

“Do you think you can sever the bonds of blood? No matter how unlike parents they may be, the parent-child relationship can’t be carelessly cut off.”

Tae Kyung was disgusted by Hyun Young’s incomprehensible advice.

Did she use the same method to threaten and drive Seo Ha away 5 years ago?

What insulting things did she say to Seo Ha?

Tae Kyung suppressed the resentment welling up inside him. There was nothing he could change by arguing with Hyun Young.

Now that he had found Seo Ha again, he had to protect her from Hyun Young.

“No. I will get Seo Ha back. I’ve already cut ties with you, Mother. I will protect Seo Ha.”

Thursday, the day of the first coding class.

Tae Kyung appeared as gruff as usual, but he was actually somewhat nervous.

Tae Kyung, who didn’t particularly like children, had given business presentations at numerous kindergartens before, but had never taught.

The education part was solely Kyu Won’s domain, and Kyu Won had always handled it.

Kyu Won, worried about Tae Kyung, came down to Yangpyeong with him on Thursday.

“Did you get the lesson plan from Manager Yoon?”

“Yes.”

Kyu Won seemed more nervous than Tae Kyung.

Kyu Won still looked at Tae Kyung with anxious eyes.

“Really, even a child left by the water would be less worrying than you.”

Tae Kyung snorted and headed towards the kindergarten building with a confident posture. Kyu Won shouted after Tae Kyung.

“Hey! You need to take the teaching aids and materials with you!”

Tae Kyung pretended not to hear and left, so Kyu Won sighed and started moving the luggage with Manager Yoon.

Tae Kyung entered the creative room first and looked around the classroom. Kyu Won and Manager Yoon followed and began setting up for class.

Since it was for young children, they started with very simple algorithms. The main activities involved manipulating programs with cute characters on tablets.

Manager Yoon and Tae Kyung each took charge of one class, but Kyu Won volunteered as an assistant teacher, still uneasy about Tae Kyung.

Tae Kyung’s class was the Sky Class, which Chae Eun and Seo Ha were in charge of.

Seo Ha’s expression hardened as she entered the creative room with the children. But soon she started carefully tending to the children.

It was Tae Kyung’s first time seeing Seo Ha work up close.

Seo Ha was a much kinder and more caring teacher than he had imagined. Seeing how well the children followed her made him feel strange.

She didn’t seem like the Seo Ha he knew.

The Seo Ha he knew was a warm person, but she seemed fragile, like someone he needed to protect.

However, the Seo Ha he saw now was a strong woman who steadily and capably took care of the children.

“Ahem. Hello, children.”

Thinking of his nephew Ji An, Tae Kyung spoke in a gentle voice he had never used before. Kyu Won got goosebumps as soon as he heard that voice.

How could Han Tae Kyung make such a kind and gentle voice?

Throughout the class, Seo Ha avoided Tae Kyung’s eyes and kept her gaze fixed on the children. On the other hand, Tae Kyung couldn’t take his eyes off Seo Ha during the class.

Tae Kyung successfully completed his first class. As the class ended, Kyu Won let out a sigh of relief.

It was a bit awkward, but it was more decent than Kyu Won had worried.

The children’s reaction was good too.

“Teacher! Will we have coding class next week too?”

“Come again next week!”

“Sure. I’ll teach you well next week too.”

As the class ended and they were leaving, some of the girls even clung to Tae Kyung.

Tae Kyung indulged their childish behavior too.

Kyu Won looked at Tae Kyung with a surprised expression.

Seo Ha just gave a small bow and left the classroom following the children.

Tae Kyung followed her retreating figure with a strange look in his eyes.

“Han Tae Kyung, you’ve changed a lot, haven’t you?”

“What?”

“You used to hate kids. I was puzzled when such a guy said he was going into the education business.”

“I don’t hate them.”

Tae Kyung gathered up the teaching aids. Just then, Yoon Hee entered the creative room.

“Good work. The children seem to really like it.”

“Director. We tried to match the children’s level, how was it? Any feedback you can give on the program would be a great help in our program development.”

Tae Kyung had already returned to his company CEO persona, as if he had never made cute baby talk to the children.

“It’s certainly a popular program at many kindergartens for good reason. It was much more fun and better than I expected. If you’re not busy, would you like to have some tea?”

“We have to go back to the com…”

“Then shall we? CEO Lee, Manager Yoon. If you’re done cleaning up, let’s go have some tea with the director.”

Before Kyu Won could finish refusing Yoon Hee’s offer, Tae Kyung quickly intercepted, smiling as he escorted Yoon Hee. Yoon Hee headed to the director’s office with a warm smile.

Manager Yoon awkwardly followed behind them, while Kyu Won looked thoroughly displeased.

But soon he let out his breath in a “whatever happens, happens” manner and followed them into the director’s office.

Yoon Hee personally boiled water and steeped green tea. Her movements were graceful and dignified.

“It’s not a very expensive tea, but it shouldn’t taste bad.”

“Thank you.”

“We should be the ones thanking you. Thank you for giving the children this opportunity.”

“As a businessman myself, it’s not for free. Haha. You’ll have to give us feedback on the program.”

Tae Kyung joked as he took a sip of tea.

Kyu Won and Manager Yoon just quietly drank their tea while listening to the two’s conversation.

Worried about the meeting time in Seoul, Kyu Won kept poking Tae Kyung’s side, but for some reason, Tae Kyung kept lingering here.

Just then, the door to the director’s office burst open.

“Director! It’s unfair! Waaah!”

The one who entered making a loud noise was Min Joon. Min Joon paused when he saw Tae Kyung’s group in the director’s office.

Then he looked at Tae Kyung, his expression twisting before glaring fiercely.

Tae Kyung was irritated by Min Joon staring at him with angry eyes.