“You can go now.”

Hearing the voice, Seung Jun turned around and saw Seol Ah standing there.

He knew it took quite a while to get here from the company.

Her hair was disheveled, as if she had run, and rough breaths were coming out of her mouth.

Seung Jun grasped Yu Min’s sweaty hand.

“What are you trying to do? Don’t you have the evaluation tomorrow? Are you planning to stay here all night?”

“Yes.”

Seol Ah answered without hesitation.

Seung Jun frowned. Staying up all night and then going to the evaluation. It was already a position that made one nervous and tired.

Whether Seol Ah was here or not, it wouldn’t change anything anyway. The medical staff would handle the medical treatment, and the caregiver would take care of nursing.

From Seung Jun’s perspective, he couldn’t understand why Seol Ah had to come all the way here and suffer.

“You can’t do that.”

Seung Jun took big strides towards Seol Ah.

“I hired a caregiver. You’ve seen the kid’s face, isn’t that enough?”

“He’s still a young child. When a child is sick, their mother needs to be there.”

“Then I’ll be here.”

At Seung Jun’s words, Seol Ah narrowed her eyes.

“What?”

“I’m the child’s father.”

Seung Jun spoke in an unyielding manner.

Jin Cheol’s eyes widened as he stood next to them.

“I asked for a chance before. I think now is the time. Just go back. Leave the rest to me.”

Seol Ah stared at Seung Jun with blank eyes for a moment as if it was absurd, then shook her head.

“Don’t say such nonsense. Don’t you remember Yu Min pushing you away before? It will only stress the sick child more.”

Seol Ah’s words weren’t wrong, so Seung Jun let out a light sigh without answering.

He moved his hand that was covered in sticky sweat. Seeing the sick Yu Min, even Seung Jun found it difficult to leave.

Was this what bloodline meant?

“I was too harsh before. I admit that. I’ll apologize properly and treat him well. So go back with peace of mind.”

“Children can’t sort out their emotions quickly just because you apologize like that. Even if you apologize, do it after the child recovers their health first.”

Seol Ah also stood her ground tightly.

Neither side seemed willing to concede first.

“Then I’ll stay.”

But then, an unexpected person spoke up. It was Jin Cheol. When Seung Jun glared at Jin Cheol with sharp eyes, he averted his gaze and looked away.

However, his two feet were still firmly planted on the floor.

“I want to take responsibility since it’s my fault.”

“No, it’s not. You didn’t know.”

Seol Ah said. Who was she defending now? Seung Jun looked at Seol Ah with dissatisfaction, but she continued speaking regardless.

“Jin Cheol, you must be busy too, but you fed Yu Min and looked after him. I don’t want to shift the responsibility. I’m grateful that you came all the way here too. Please go back now. Your mother will be worried.”

“No, I won’t be able to sleep even if I go home anyway. So please let me take care of him. Yu Min won’t reject me either.”

Jin Cheol’s words weren’t wrong.

Yu Min liked and followed Jin Cheol well. Above all, it would be better for Yu Min to have Jin Cheol by his side rather than Seung Jun.

The biggest problem was that Seol Ah had to go to work tomorrow. But with Yu Min’s current condition, someone needed to stay by his side to care for him tomorrow too.

“Then, I’ll be here tonight, so could you watch him for a bit after I go to work?”

When Seol Ah spoke to Jin Cheol, Seung Jun opened his mouth.

“Are you determined to stay up all night?”

“I’m not staying up. I’m going to sleep next to Yu Min. He can’t fall asleep if I’m not there.”

Since the environment had changed, Yu Min might wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time. Seol Ah turned her head to Jin Cheol and continued.

“I’ll contact you tomorrow, so please go back and rest for now. You’ll probably have to go to work early tomorrow morning for the evaluation too. So please come a bit early tomorrow and watch him. I’ll be counting on you.”

At Seol Ah’s words, Jin Cheol nodded.

“Yes, thank you so much.”

“What do you mean thank you? I should be the one thanking you. It’s okay, I made a lot of mistakes while raising my child too. If you remember each and every one of those, you can’t raise a child.”

Seol Ah gave Jin Cheol a bright smile. Seung Jun turned his head away from Seol Ah as if he had seen something he couldn’t bear to watch.

*

Jin Cheol came to the hospital early in the morning.

Just as he was about to enter the hospital room, it happened.

“Wait a moment.”

A low-pitched male voice with a nice resonance. Seung Jun was striding towards where Jin Cheol turned his head.

As always, he had an overwhelming presence, but he seemed to have lost some energy compared to yesterday.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“Pardon?”

Jin Cheol slightly shrugged his shoulders. Due to his timid personality, he couldn’t endure men with this kind of personality well. He hoped Seung Jun would say what he had to say and leave quickly.

“I’ll go in instead, saying you were here.”

Jin Cheol shrugged his shoulders again.

Reading the resistance in his eyes, Seung Jun reached towards the side where his wallet was, out of habit.

“How much do you need?”

Jin Cheol silently shook his head.

“Speak up. As much as you need.”

When Seung Jun spoke arrogantly with squinted eyes, Jin Cheol lifted his head.

“No. Even if you give me a hundred million won, I can’t.”

Although his body was trembling with fear, Jin Cheol spoke while looking down to avoid Seung Jun’s gaze.

“No, I can’t. I’m grateful for your help yesterday, but I’ll be by Yu Min’s side. That’s what I promised.”

Seung Jun laughed as if it was absurd.

“As you heard next to us, I’m the child’s father.”

Jin Cheol was also quite shocked when he heard that yesterday. He thought it was a bit strange, but that’s what it was.

Now that he knew Seung Jun’s identity, he felt he should let go of the feelings he had for Seol Ah.

But he had to say what needed to be said.

“The heart is more important than blood ties. Yu Min doesn’t seem to like you at all.”

Jin Cheol recalled Yu Min shouting to be put down. And how Seung Jun and Yu Min had confronted each other the first time they met that day.

“Whether he likes me or not, I’m his father. You have no relationship with him whatsoever.”

“Yu Min follows and likes me more. So I’ll be by his side.”

Seung Jun turned his head to the other side, suppressing his anger.

He also didn’t want to have this kind of squabble. He wanted to eat, rest, and sleep comfortably. But yesterday, after returning home like that, he couldn’t sleep a wink.

The child who was wheezing in pain, the child who showed his dislike for Seung Jun blatantly, and the child’s wet forehead, the sensation of the sweat from that forehead sticking to his hand.

All those sensations seemed to be tearing Seung Jun apart.

He closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, speaking in a calmer voice than before.

“As a father, I haven’t been able to fulfill my role until now. Because I didn’t even know the child existed. I just met him, and the child is afraid of me and dislikes me. What am I supposed to do?”

“You, you didn’t know? How can that be?”

Jin Cheol shook his head.

“I can’t really go into the details, but it’s true. Do I seem like I’m lying?”

Faint tears swirled in Seung Jun’s eyes.

Jin Cheol kept biting and releasing his innocent lips, at a loss for words.

“If you’re that worried, let’s stay together.”

Seung Jun said.

Jin Cheol lowered his head without answering.

He also didn’t know who his father was.

Because of that, he had many painful experiences since his school days.

– Your father? Did he pass away or did they get divorced?

The question they always asked during homeroom counseling at the beginning of the semester. He said he never had one from the beginning. Saying those words, he kept being conscious of his surroundings.

– Ah, your mother gave birth to you alone without a father?

He remembered the homeroom teacher’s gaze. A gaze mixed with contempt, disgust, and pity. As if saying, you’re not the same as the other students.

But if that was the end, it would have been fortunate. Some homeroom teachers leaked Jin Cheol’s situation to other students during counseling. It was a student who had narrowly missed being first place because of Jin Cheol.

– I heard you never had a dad from the beginning, is that right?

The crooked smile. The gazes of the students who gathered around scratched at Jin Cheol.

– Is your mom a mistress or something like that?

Amidst the sneering students, Jin Cheol stood there unable to cry despite his shriveling heart.

After that, Jin Cheol was bullied in groups for no fault of his own.

Endlessly demeaning days.

Just what was a father that he had to be treated like this for something that wasn’t even his fault?

The reason his heart went out to Yu Min was also because they were in the same situation. Because Yu Min was also in the same position. But his so-called father appeared. And he was pleading to let them be together.

“Alright.”

Although he didn’t know why he was unaware of Yu Min’s existence or what happened with Seol Ah, Jin Cheol thought that at least he shouldn’t stop them.

Seung Jun lifted the corners of his mouth. Sighing lowly, he nodded and spoke.

“Then, hand things over with Seol Ah for now, and call me when you have time. I’ll give you my number.”

Seung Jun gave Jin Cheol his number and left. Jin Cheol, who was blankly watching his back, quickly moved his steps to the hospital room.

Entering the room, Jin Cheol saw that Seol Ah was already up and getting ready.

“You’re here? Thank you.”

She laid out the things she had hastily purchased from the convenience store.

“Here’s Yu Min’s toothbrush and toothpaste. The wet wipes are here. I sent you the address of the videos Yu Min likes via messenger. If you click the link, it will connect right away, so show it to him if he whines or fusses.”

Jin Cheol couldn’t remember a single thing from her efficient explanation. Seol Ah smiled softly at him who looked confused and spoke.

“I’ll send everything in a message, so check it if there’s anything you don’t know. And contact me anytime if you have any questions in between. I’ll reply as soon as I see it.”

“No, you must be busy.”

“Yu Min comes first. It just had to be the evaluation today of all days. Otherwise, I could have just taken a day off. I’ll come as quickly as possible, so please bear with it for a day.”

Seol Ah said goodbye and left the hospital room.

Jin Cheol sat next to Yu Min who was in a deep sleep. Yu Min’s face seemed to have a bit more color compared to yesterday.

“I’m sorry, Yu Min.”

Jin Cheol bowed his head deeply in front of Yu Min.

That’s when it happened.

Jin Cheol’s cell phone rang loudly.

He was so startled that he answered the phone, and a low voice resonated in his eardrum.

Jin Cheol couldn’t answer. Yu Min had woken up because of the ringtone.

“Mmm, mommy, mommy.”

“Yu Min, it’s uncle. Your mom went to work, so uncle is here.”

Jin Cheol gently patted Yu Min’s shoulder, but Yu Min soon began to whimper.

Seven years old, a child was still a child. His body ached and his mother disappeared in the morning without saying goodbye, so he was heartbroken.

“Mommy, where’s mommy? Wahhh, mommy.”

“Yu Min, it’s okay. Your mom said she’s coming. She’ll be here if you wait a bit.”

Jin Cheol hugged and comforted Yu Min. Then the hospital room door swung open. Jin Cheol looked at the door and shook his head.

‘You shouldn’t come in yet.’

But Seung Jun entered without hesitation. At the sound of his heavy footsteps, Yu Min turned his head that way.