Ha Jun’s smile was quite sad as she talked about her parents.

Lee Ha Jun. The name her father, who didn’t even know of her existence, had mentioned lightly as if in passing while dreaming of an uncertain future during his blissfully happy dating days.

He had said later that if they had a son, they should name him Ha Jun.

When asked, “What if it’s a daughter?” he had laughed and said he would agonize over a daughter’s name a thousand times more before deciding… However, after that, the passionately loving couple broke up, and the mother who gave birth to a daughter alone gave her the name the biological father had chosen for a son.

The name Lee Ha Jun.

“The pretty name for a daughter was taken by someone else. But you know what, I actually like the name Ha Jun better. This is a secret, but~ the kid with that other name is really mean.”

“Ha Jun, yes. Ha Jun is pretty too. It’s a pretty name for a well-behaved child.”

Bok Seon nodded and laughed. But at that moment, blood suddenly flowed from the nose of Ha Jun, who was sitting there.

The moment Ha Jun’s gaze turned downward, startled by the feeling of the warm liquid flowing from her nose, a bright red drop of blood fell with a splat onto the floor.

“Huh?”

“Oh my! Oh dear!”

Startled by the sudden nosebleed, Bok Seon looked around hurriedly, and when she didn’t see any tissues, she urgently used her own sleeve to block Ha Jun’s nose.

“Tilt your head back, okay? Let’s go to the kitchen.”

Bok Seon took Ha Jun and headed to the kitchen. Ha Jun, who had once again poured blood into the sink, made a pitiful face upon seeing Bok Seon’s now ruined long-sleeved floral shirt.

“Your clothes are all ruined, what should we do, Grandmother.”

“I bought this for 6,000 won on market day. It’s so cheap that it’s okay to throw away. But are you tired, Ha Jun?”

“No.”

Ha Jun shook her head.

“Then do you usually get nosebleeds often?”

“No. This is the first time. And it happened twice just today.”

As she slowly spoke while shaking her head and showing her fingers, Bok Seon, who had been watching closely, nodded.

“Really? This is the first time you’ve ever had a nosebleed?”

“Yes.”

When Ha Jun nodded, Bok Seon seemed to be thinking about something and silently stared at Ha Jun’s stomach for a while.

“In all my years, I’ve learned this, my child. When a woman suddenly starts doing something she’s never done before in her life, it means she’s conceived a child.”

“What?”

Ha Jun blinked slowly, startled by the unexpected words. Conceived a child… She means pregnancy, but me?

That can’t be. Yi Hyun was quite enthusiastic in that regard. But… when I was out of it, when he was relentlessly pushing me in a daze, can I be confident he was still perfect then?

Come to think of it… when was my last period?

“Baby…”

Trembling fingertips stroked her flat lower abdomen that had no feeling. After carefully caressing her warm stomach for a while, Ha Jun suddenly thought of something and looked for her cell phone.

Searching for early pregnancy symptoms and nosebleeds in the search box brought up a flood of information about related symptoms.

“When you become pregnant, the hormone balance changes, increasing blood flow in the capillaries… Even slight stimulation can cause nosebleeds…”

Her hand quickly flipped through the search pages. Surprisingly, many pregnant women were worried about nosebleeds.

“Folic acid… iron supplements…”

I need to make sure to take nutritional supplements…

A strange excitement appeared on Ha Jun’s face as she searched for early pregnancy symptoms.

Missed periods, feeling unwell lately, suddenly having an appetite, and even nosebleeds.

They all matched the early pregnancy symptoms that came up in the search.

Although it would only be certain after taking a pregnancy test or going to the hospital, just the uncertain fact that there might be a baby in her belly made Ha Jun’s heart race.

If it was true that she was pregnant, as Bok Seon said, at the very moment she had abandoned the only love she had held in her heart, having no real family… A new love, a family she had never even imagined had come to her.

Although there would be no father, Ha Jun vowed that if it turned out to be true that a miraculous new life had come to her womb, she would gladly love the baby and do her best to raise it.

Bok Seon, who had been looking at Ha Jun’s phone with her, saw Ha Jun’s expression and smiled.

Having raised five children of her own, she could certainly recognize the excited look of a first-time mother-to-be. And regardless of Ha Jun’s current situation, the mother was welcoming the child so.

A new life ought to be blessed.

“Congratulations Ha Jun. Congratulations. Oh my~ How much prettier will the baby be, snugly housed in the belly of a pretty mother. Hehe~ Thanks to you, this grandmother surely won’t be bored now.”

Ha Jun’s eyes reddened at the unexpected congratulations. Bok Seon just laughed and held Ha Jun’s hand.

“Yes, let’s push all the worries and troubles far behind and just celebrate today. Once a person is born from their mother’s belly, that’s when the crying starts in life. So for now, let’s just be happy. Okay?”

“Yes. I’ll do that. I know I can do really well. But before that, I need to confirm if I’m really pregnant.”

“Of course, of course~ You will be a good mother. Don’t you know how well this grandmother reads people? I’m the fortune-teller of this neighborhood~ Hehe~”

“Grandmother. Let’s go to the market together tomorrow. We’ll stop by the pharmacy and I’ll buy you lots of your favorite rice puffs.”

[Timeline Separator]

The next morning, Ha Jun opened the search box again after searching a map on her phone to find the location of the pharmacy. As she scrolled here and there to find nearby obstetrics hospitals and pharmacies, an article about the Jaein Group caught her eye and she unconsciously tapped on it.

[ Exclusive. Jaein Group’s Director Kim Yi Hyun and Han Kyung Financial’s second daughter Jin Yu Ha to marry next year. Engagement next month… ]

“Ah…”

The cell phone she was holding fell with a thud to the floor.

He must have known I disappeared yesterday. And an article like this the next morning…

“Was he waiting for me to disappear…?”

Tears fell without her realizing it, plop plop, wetting the phone screen. Ha Jun hurriedly wiped away the tears.

Now… he’s someone who has nothing to do with me.

Her finely trembling hand wrapped around her flat lower abdomen. Ha Jun gently caressed her belly that felt particularly warm.

“Are you really in there? I hope you are. I may be a lacking mother but I’ll do my best to love you. So… please be there. Okay? Got it?”

[Timeline Separator]

“What the hell is this!!”

Yi Hyun, agitated, gripped his phone tightly after almost throwing it.

“Jin Yu Ha, this is really…! Ugh, as if I wasn’t annoyed enough already!”

Startled by Yi Hyun’s furious yelling, In Hwa, who was talking to the doctor outside, ran into the hospital room.

“What’s going on?”

“You haven’t seen the article yet? Take a look.”

“What article?”

In Hwa immediately took out her own phone, searched the news, and her eyes widened.

“Oh my god…”

“This article wasn’t agreed upon with you, right Mother?”

“I agreed with you yesterday to postpone the engagement.”

“Sigh… Will you handle it? Or should Mother take care of it?”

“…I’ll do it.”

In Hwa clutched her head. Jin Yu Ha was fast not only in her speech. Her ability to cause trouble was also tremendous.

Meanwhile, Yi Hyun called Ji Won.

“It’s me. Bring a laptop to the hospital.”

− You’re going to work there? Bro, are you okay?

“I only hurt my leg. My fingers are fine and my mouth is fine. Just think of it as working from home. No reason I can’t do it here.”

− I guess that’s true… Okay, got it. I’ll stop by the office, get some work done and head over.

“Yeah. When you come, stop by my studio apartment and bring the envelope on the bed.”

“I need to go. Trouble on the first day of playing hooky, geez. Oh, my head~”

“This is the daughter-in-law you chose, Mother.”

“…You insolent brat.”

Glaring at Yi Hyun with an indignant expression, In Hwa spun around to leave but turned back again.

“Oh right, the doctor said it will take at least six months for your shattered bones to mend. And by then, your muscles will have atrophied and you’ll have trouble walking? It’ll take a few more months to rebuild muscle and walk properly again, so keep that in mind. Hoho~”

“…You’re definitely my mom alright.”

In Hwa left, giggling. Yi Hyun’s gaze sank low toward his own leg.

“At least six months… I feel like I’ll die from missing Ha Jun before my leg heals… What do you think, Ha Jun-ah? Hm? I miss you already…”

Do you not miss me?

[Timeline Separator]

The market was not as far as she thought. It happened to be the day of the five-day market, so Ha Jun’s eyes sparkled with excitement like a seven-year-old child as she looked around the bustling small rural market.

“Oh my~ Sister Bok Seon~ Who is that pretty young lady next to you?”

A vegetable vendor grandmother who recognized Bok Seon gestured toward Ha Jun. At that, Bok Seon smiled proudly and pushed Ha Jun forward.

“Hm? She’s my granddaughter~ She’s been living far away overseas since she was little and came to visit~ Don’t you think she’s pretty too?”

“Hello.”

“My goodness~ She really is pretty~ Even the way she greets is pretty~ Here, take this and eat it with your grandmother.”

She handed over a black plastic bag with a few cucumbers in it. As Ha Jun hesitated whether to take it or not, Bok Seon swiftly snatched the bag beside her.

“Oh, five is enough for a tasty meal. Give me a few of those chili peppers and eggplants too.”

“Just give me 5,000 won. But seriously, the more I look at her the prettier she is. Does your granddaughter have a boyfriend? If not, should I introduce her to my oldest grandson?”

“When she’s this pretty, you think she wouldn’t have someone? She has a husband~ He works overseas~”

Before Ha Jun could say anything, Bok Seon cut her off definitively, making the woman smack her lips regretfully.

“Is that so, too bad then!”

“Even if she didn’t have someone, that kid wouldn’t do. Hm? How could you try to set up my pretty and lively granddaughter with a guy pushing forty the day after tomorrow. Even if the youngest son from a wealthy family in Gunsan city came, my Ha Jun would be too good for him. This child is so precious.”

“No, I… I just said that because she’s so pretty… Since she has a husband! I won’t say such things anymore~ I won’t~”

“Right. Don’t.”

“Yes~ Sister.”

“Let’s go.”

“Goodbye.”

“Anyway, that sister’s ears only work well at times like this. Tsk.”

Ha Jun burst out laughing at the grumbling from behind.