Secret Baby (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Min Jun huffed, his face turning red and then pale with anger. Do Hoon glanced around nervously and started crying even louder.
The homeroom teacher of Pulkkot Class, the five-year-olds’ class, handed Do Hoon a tissue for his nose.
“Why are Do Hoon and Min Jun fighting again?”
“Well….”
Min Jun fidgeted and chewed on his fingernails. Do Hoon proudly pointed at himself and shouted.
“Min Jun hit me first!”
“That’s right! I saw it!”
“I saw Min Jun hit him too!”
Encouraged by Do Hoon’s words, the other children nearby chimed in as well. Min Jun’s face grew increasingly flushed.
Tae Kyung watched the whole scene coldly and silently.
Though the situation wasn’t pleasant, he disliked that kid too and had no desire to get involved.
After all, Seo Ha had told him not to interfere in their matters.
Min Jun, sniffling, protested.
“Do Hoon provoked me first!”
“You said my character looked weird!”
Do Hoon kept talking only about Min Jun’s wrongdoing, cornering the boy.
Min Jun couldn’t utter a word at first, then mumbled almost inaudibly, clearly reluctant to say it out loud.
“You said my game looked strange because I don’t have a dad, so I’d never played stuff like this before.”
At Min Jun’s words, Tae Kyung felt a sudden surge of anger.
He stomped over with a frightening air and stood directly in front of Do Hoon.
Do Hoon, now completely overshadowed by Tae Kyung’s large figure, was thoroughly frightened.
“Did you really say he couldn’t do it properly because he doesn’t have a dad?”
“Well….”
All of Do Hoon’s earlier arrogance vanished, and he couldn’t finish his sentence. Tae Kyung repeated coldly, his voice flat and emotionless.
“Did you say it, or didn’t you?”
“I… I did.”
Do Hoon looked on the verge of bursting into tears again. Tae Kyung ignored him and turned toward the homeroom teacher.
“I’d like to request a private discussion with you regarding this situation.”
“Me?”
Tae Kyung looked straight at the teacher, who appeared clearly nervous.
“The children are watching here—let’s step outside briefly and talk.”
“Oh? Ah, yes.”
Tae Kyung walked out of the classroom with elegant, upright posture, and the teacher followed behind him.
Once in the hallway, Tae Kyung closed the classroom door and stood facing the teacher.
His tall, solid build radiated an intimidating aura that made the teacher’s hairs stand on end.
“What area do you consider most important in education? Isn’t it character development? Making fun of another child’s pain is cowardly, and such behavior must be corrected immediately—don’t you agree? What’s your opinion, teacher?”
“Yes, teacher….”
Tae Kyung pressed the flustered teacher further.
“Were you planning to simply overlook this situation?”
“No, of course not.”
“Min Jun reacted defensively, so shouldn’t you first speak with the child who instigated this?”
“I understand.”
“Then I’ll leave it in your hands.”
Tae Kyung maintained his polite demeanor to the end but never softened his sharp gaze.
Intimidated by Tae Kyung’s fierce presence, the teacher’s knees nearly buckled. Although Do Hoon’s parents were eccentric themselves, Tae Kyung seemed far more frightening now—so the teacher reluctantly led Do Hoon out of the classroom.
After confirming this, Tae Kyung returned to the classroom and closed the door behind him. He walked straight up to Min Jun, who kept his head down.
“Hitting your friend was wrong.”
“Yes… I was wrong…”
“You’ll also meet with the teacher after class. Apologize to your friend for hitting him.”
“Yes…”
Min Jun replied in a barely audible whisper.
Kyu Won quickly smoothed over the atmosphere and resumed the lesson. For the rest of class, Tae Kyung watched Min Jun from a corner of the room.
Once class ended, all the children from Pulip Class left. While tidying up the classroom with Kyu Won, Tae Kyung’s eyes automatically followed a familiar figure passing by in the hallway.
It was Min Seob.
And he saw Min Jun nestled in Min Seob’s arms. Min Jun, looking utterly heartbroken, clung tightly to Min Seob’s neck and sobbed.
An inexplicable desolation filled Tae Kyung’s chest.
What had he expected?
Hadn’t he already warned them not to show him pity?
Tae Kyung directed a bitter, self-mocking sneer inward.
Yet the moment he stepped into the hallway with his belongings, the sight before him made his fingertips feel as if all his blood was being sucked down to the floor.
Seo Ha was speaking to Min Seob with eyes full of apology and warmth.
Min Seob gently stopped Seo Ha from taking Min Jun, and Min Jun himself refused to let go of Min Seob’s embrace.
The sight of the three together made Tae Kyung’s heart ache sharply.
They looked like a perfectly happy family—the very last scene he ever wanted to witness.
Tae Kyung swiftly walked past them. Seo Ha looked startled upon seeing him but quickly regained her composure.
Tae Kyung bit down hard on his lip, trying to suppress the turmoil rising inside him.
He tasted blood in his mouth, but the storm raging within his chest drowned out even that pain.
[This is the timeline separator]Seo Ha was working her third consecutive overtime shift due to an upcoming audit next week.
For the first day or two, she’d brought Min Jun along to work, but it proved far too distracting.
Though only five, Min Jun played well on his own without bothering her.
Still, seeing him curled up in a corner, dozing off while watching her, made her uncomfortable.
Moreover, with her grandfather working night security, leaving Min Jun with him wasn’t feasible either.
Deep in paperwork, she was startled when Min Seob walked into the kindergarten.
“You must be exhausted. Please eat this before continuing.”
“Oh! Teacher Min Seob, what brings you here?”
Min Seob shyly handed two large bags to Chae Eun. She took them and peeked inside.
Freshly packaged, the bags contained steaming-hot tteokbokki, sundae, and fried snacks.
“I was worried about Min Jun, so I came by briefly. Please eat before it gets cold.”
“Oh my! That looks delicious! I was just getting hungry—thank you.”
“It’s nothing much. Min Jun!”
“Teacher Tteun Tteun!”
Min Jun’s face lit up at the sight of Min Seob, and he ran over to hug him tightly.
Min Seob lifted Min Jun up high with a smile.
“Min Jun loves hot dogs, right? I bought one just for you.”
“Wow! Teacher Tteun Tteun is the best!”
Min Jun clung tightly to Min Seob’s neck. Seo Ha watched him with an uneasy expression.
She felt uneasy and afraid about how close Min Jun and Min Seob were becoming.
What would happen later if Min Jun grew so attached now?
“Teacher Seo Ha, come eat quickly! This place’s rose tteokbokki is amazing! Teacher Min Seob really has great taste!”
Joo Ri eagerly unwrapped the tteokbokki package. Min Seob gestured toward Seo Ha to come and eat.
Seo Ha had no choice but to sit down at the table.
Min Seob took out a hot dog and began feeding it to Min Jun.
He looked just like a caring father.
As Seo Ha watched them with a heavy heart, Chae Eun handed her chopsticks and nudged her lightly.
“Teacher Seo Ha, Min Jun really adores Teacher Min Seob, doesn’t he?”
“Oh… yes.”
“What do you think of Teacher Min Seob?”
“What?”
Chae Eun’s sudden question made Seo Ha’s pupils widen in shock.
Joo Ri, chewing tteokbokki with her mouth full, added casually,
“Honestly, Teacher Seo Ha, where else will you find a man like Teacher Min Seob? He’s thoughtful, single, great with Min Jun, and runs his own business diligently. Just give him a chance.”
Struck by Joo Ri’s offhand remark, Seo Ha held her chopsticks but couldn’t bring herself to eat.
“Teacher Seo Ha, Joo Ri’s right. Everyone who knows can see Teacher Min Seob likes you. You can’t seriously deny it, can you?”
Seo Ha remained silent at Chae Eun’s words. Chae Eun studied her expression and continued.
“Min Jun seems to really miss having a father’s embrace. Last week in coding class, Do Hoon hit him because he mocked Min Jun about not having a dad. Do you still keep in touch with Min Jun’s biological father?”
“No.”
Seo Ha shook her head weakly with a bitter smile. Chae Eun’s eyes widened as she asked again.
“Does his biological father never visit Min Jun at all?”
“No.”
“In that case, considering your age, maybe it’s not a bad idea to start fresh before Min Jun gets much older.”
“Thank you for worrying about me, but I’m still not quite…”
Seo Ha replied with a tinge of bitterness.
Tae Kyung’s image flashed into her mind.
Ever since meeting him again, she kept thinking about him—so much so that she’d sigh in the middle of work.
And now he’d even offered them tickets to the robot theme park. She felt foolish for being swayed by mere passing sympathy.
What was the point of pining over a man who already had a family?
If Min Jun’s existence became known to Tae Kyung and it ended up breaking his family, how would she be any different from her mother’s affair partner, Hyeong Jin?
That simply couldn’t happen.
But neither could she open her heart to Min Seob. Forcing herself to develop feelings toward him solely for Min Jun’s sake would be dishonest to Min Seob.
Now wasn’t the time to let anyone into her heart.
Seo Ha sighed deeply and just kept pressing down hard on a piece of tteokbokki with her chopsticks.
“Teacher Kim, you look so gloomy. Why are you all saying such unnecessary things?”
Yoon Hee, who had just entered the staff room, clicked her tongue and warned them to ease up.
“You’re here! Come have some tteokbokki—Teacher Min Seob brought it.”
“Chae Eun, are you in any position to be matchmaking for Teacher Kim? You should get married yourself first.”
“Principal Yoon! I’m a firm believer in staying single.”
Chae Eun pouted. Yoon Hee shook her head and sat beside Seo Ha.
Min Seob bowed politely to Yoon Heee, who nodded in acknowledgment.
“Teacher Kim, don’t pay attention to what others say. It’s your life—only you should decide. I don’t mean to be unfair to Teacher Min Seob, but it doesn’t seem like you’d go along with anyone’s pressure anyway.”
Yoon Hee gently advised Seo Ha, who replied with a barely audible “Yes.”
Even if it hurt Min Seob’s feelings, there was nothing she could do.
Nobody mentioned Min Seob and Seo Ha again, but their words settled heavily in Seo Ha’s heart like stones.
By around nine, Min Jun began dozing off. Seeing him half-asleep, Yoon Hee started gathering her documents.
“Let’s all head home now. Almost everything’s done—I can finish the rest by myself.”
“Yes!”
Joo Ri enthusiastically agreed, rubbing her shoulders in anticipation of leaving. Seo Ha also quickly organized her papers, turning her neck stiffly. As she tried to call a taxi because it was late, Min Seob approached.
Seeing this, Chae Eun quickly spoke up.
“Teacher Min Seob, could you please drive Min Jun home?”
“Yes! Don’t worry about it.”
When Min Seob answered brightly, Seo Ha hesitated and declined.
“It’s fine—I’ll call a taxi, and we’ll get home quickly.”
“Nobody asked you—we told Teacher Min Seob to take Min Jun home. You can take a taxi if you want.”
Joo Ri teased playfully, leaving Seo Ha flustered. Min Seob immediately supported Chae Eun.
“That’s right. I’m giving Min Jun a ride—just come along with us.”
“Teacher Kim, for Min Jun’s sake, why not accept Teacher Kwak’s kindness today?”
With Yoon Hee also chiming in, Seo Ha reluctantly gave a small nod. Min Seob couldn’t hide his pleased smile.
Min Seob and Seo Ha rode home in complete silence. When they arrived at Seo Ha’s villa, Min Seob glanced at her hesitantly.
Then, carefully, he spoke.
“Teacher Seo Ha, I’ll try harder. Please let me become at least an uncle to Min Jun. I’m not asking you to open your heart to me right now—I can wait as long as it takes.”
“Teacher Min Seob, if you keep acting like this, it only makes me more uncomfortable.”
“Could you please not feel burdened and just think of me casually?”
“I’m sorry. Thank you for the ride today.”
Seo Ha bit her lip tightly. As she opened the car door, Min Seob quickly got out first and lifted Min Jun into his arms.
When Seo Ha reached for Min Jun, Min Seob held him tighter and shook his head.
“Min Jun has gotten really heavy—I’ll carry him all the way to your front door.”
Just as Min Seob began walking toward the entrance, a mocking, low voice came from behind.
“So now you’re bringing men inside your home right in front of your child?”
Tae Kyung leaned against his car with one hip cocked, arms crossed, glaring fiercely at them.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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