Yu Min’s number had been saved long ago. It’s just that he had never called directly. Yu Min had never received a direct call from him either.

What on earth could it be?

[Uncle.]

A small, delicate voice came through.

“Yes.”

As he answered, his voice trembled a little without him realizing it.

[I have something to confess.]

Yu Min’s voice also sounded somewhat tense.

What could it be? That he actually knew I was his father all along? Is that what he’s going to say? Then what do I say? That even though I’m his father, why I couldn’t meet him, why we couldn’t live together.

Do I have to explain all of that?

Touching his aching head with one hand, Seung Jun said,

“Go ahead.”

[Um, the book got torn.]

“What?”

Seung Jun let out a chuckle at the absurd confession he hadn’t expected at all.

[The book got torn, I said. At the birthday party that time.]

It didn’t matter if it was torn or not. It’s okay even if he tore it all up to play ball with. Those are all Yu Min’s anyway.

It was a house he had bought hoping Seol Ah and Yu Min would live together anyway.

The bookshelves, desks, and books he had put there were things Seung Jun had personally selected with Yu Min in mind. The best things, recommended from here and there.

“And so?”

[I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.]

The child’s voice sounded more dejected than usual.

The child who had agonized over a mistake he hadn’t even thought of.

Thinking that made him laugh.

“What are you so sorry for……”

Seung Jun tried to speak but bit his lip.

He was about to say it’s okay, that it’s all yours so it doesn’t matter, but he suddenly thought that if he did, the phone call with his son might end just like that.

“Well, it’s a relief that you know you did something wrong for now.”

Seung Jun slowly inhaled and then said,

“But it doesn’t end there. When you do something wrong, you have to pay the price, that’s the rule.”

[What?]

Yu Min let out a small, startled breath.

“Do you still have that torn picture book?”

At Seung Jun’s words, Yu Min answered.

[No. I had put it aside separately there.]

“Do you remember the title?”

[Yes.]

When Yu Min said the title, Seung Jun replied.

“Then I’ll send that book to you, so read it all and then summarize it and send it to my email. Do you happen to know how to send emails?”

Suddenly, he remembered carefully teaching Seol Ah how to send emails from the beginning. He didn’t know he would end up receiving emails from that son as well.

[I don’t really know.]

“Learn from your mother. You’ll learn it in no time. The deadline is by next week.”

[Yes, yes?]

Yu Min seemed startled as Seung Jun showed an unexpected attitude.

“What, did you think I would forgive you easily by saying it’s okay? Sorry, but I’m different from the other adults you know. I’m not generous. In any relationship, you have to receive what you should and give what you should.”

Because you’re a precious person to me.

I have no choice but to keep meeting you somehow. Even through such underhanded methods.

[Yes, I understand, Uncle.]

“You did well confessing your wrongdoing today. Be confident in any situation. Don’t give in easily, and if you’re wrong, confess and correct it.”

[Yes.]

Yu Min suddenly hiccupped.

Wondering why, Seung Jun waited, and Yu Min opened his mouth again.

[Uncle.]

“Why?”

[About me deceiving my friends? Saying it was our house when it wasn’t.]

Ah, that’s been bothering you too.

Seung Jun laughed.

“That?”

[Yes.]

“It is your house. You’re just not living there right now.”

[What?]

“Still, if deceiving them keeps bothering you, tell them honestly. No one will be able to hurt you even if you do that.”

I will protect you so that doesn’t happen.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do as you feel comfortable. Don’t worry.”

Yu Min hiccupped again.

Seung Jun felt his heart getting wet.

He remembered talking to Seol Ah seven years ago, when she got off work first. Talking about work, then about daily life. The days he had leaned deep into his chair listening to her breathing.

The child resembled Seol Ah, resembled Seung Jun, and resembled no one. He was another being. A piece of Seung Jun, yet completely independent.

[Uncle.]

Seung Jun answered, thinking he’d listen to whatever he had to say.

“Yes.”

[What’s your name, Uncle?]

Seung Jun laughed. He still doesn’t know my name.

“Me, Han Seung Jun.”

[Uncle Han Seung Jun.]

What an uncool way to call me. Seung Jun laughed lightly and answered.

“Yeah.”

[I’m Yu Yu Min.]

Your name is weird. What’s Yu Yu Min?

“Your name is fine, but your surname really doesn’t suit you.”

[I like it though. Your surname doesn’t suit you either, Uncle.]

“It does suit me. How does it not suit me?”

[I have to go now.]

When you have nothing to say, you change the subject. Seung Jun looked at his watch. He also had to move to the next schedule location right away.

“I’m busy too.”

[Oh, I had something to ask.]

“Later. I usually have time after eleven o’clock.”

[I’m asleep by then.]

At that moment, Manager Nam approached Seung Jun.

“You were here. We need to move now.”

Seung Jun lightly nodded his head and replied.

“Or leave a message. I’m hanging up.”

Seung Jun, who had put his cell phone away, followed the secretary down the corridor with large strides. His footsteps seemed somehow lighter than before.

*

“Yu Min’s mother is here.”

The kindergarten mothers who had gathered first gestured to Seol Ah.

A few kindergarten mothers had gathered to make kimchi and send it to a nearby orphanage.

Although Seol Ah was busy with work, she thought it was a good cause and also an opportunity to get closer to the kindergarten mothers she hadn’t had much chance to be close with because of work, so today, as soon as she could get off work, she joined them.

“I’m sorry, I’m very late, aren’t I?”

“No. What matters is that we’re doing it together.”

The gathered mothers made room for Seol Ah as well.

The place they gathered was Yoon Sung’s mother’s house. Yoon Sung’s mother had been consistently volunteering at the orphanage and originally made kimchi alone and sent it, but this time, she brought the kindergarten mothers to her house to become friends while doing it together.

While the mothers were making kimchi, the children were playing in Yoon Sung’s room.

“Oh right, I heard Yu Min’s house is amazing. Su Ah came home and kept saying we should get those things too, bouncy castles and toys, every other day.”

At Su Ah’s mother’s words, Seol Ah’s face reddened.

Now it seemed she shouldn’t let this misunderstanding continue anymore. It seemed Yu Min and I were also being put in an awkward situation by continuing to neglect it.

As she was contemplating an answer, Shin Young’s mother next to her wrinkled her nose and said,

“But Yu Min’s mom, you didn’t win the lottery or something, did you? That apartment is quite expensive, I’ve been eyeing it too, when did you buy it and move there? You used to live down in that neighborhood before, didn’t you?”

Yoon Sung’s mother next to her lightly hit Shin Young’s mother on the back.

“Oh my, you’re talking like this again. What lottery? She must have earned it diligently. Yu Min’s mom is capable. These days, people who are good at making investments easily save up hundreds of millions. My husband is a money-eating ghost though.”

At Yoon Sung’s mother’s words, Do Young’s mother, who was boiling pork to eat with the kimchi in the distance, laughed and said,

“It would be nice if he only ate money. I don’t know where and how my husband is wandering around. The other night, there was a receipt for some massage he went to.”

Do Young’s mother bit her lip. She must have thought it was gossip to say in front of many people. Seol Ah pretended not to hear and evenly julienned the radish to put inside the cabbage.

“Oh what’s wrong with that? All men do that. At least he only goes for massages. They go to karaoke rooms too, anyway, you have to forgive all that. We don’t know if they have another wife somewhere without us knowing, right?”

Shin Young’s mother laughed out loud, but no one responded to that laughter.

“All men do that. Men like that should have their thing cut off. Hmph.”

Yoon Sung’s mother said as she fiercely julienned the radish.

“No, how can you say that? You have to acknowledge men doing that, otherwise some of us might not be able to live well. Can’t even move to an apartment.”

At Shin Young’s mother’s next words, Seol Ah turned her head.

When Shin Young’s mother’s eyes met Seol Ah’s, she quickly turned her head somewhere else. As if she was targeting her with her words.

“What do you mean can’t move to an apartment?”

At Do Young’s mother’s question, Yoon Sung’s mother poked her in the side.

“Shin Young’s mother has been talking nonsense for more than a day or two. Shin Young’s mother, please watch what you say. Sometimes it’s unpleasant to hear. We gathered here to do good things, right? Then let’s only say good things.”

“Did I say anything wrong?”

When Yoon Sung’s mother confronted her, Shin Young’s mother mumbled and poured fish sauce into the radish. Seol Ah, who was watching it, snatched the fish sauce in surprise.

“Oh my, if you pour this much it will be too salty. I’ll quickly rinse it off.”

“Rinse?”

Then the corner of Shin Young’s mother’s mouth curled up strangely.

“Haha, you think the pickled radish will be okay if you rinse it off? Just throw it away.”

“No, it’s still a waste.”

“What’s a waste? You can’t do anything about a radish that’s ruined once. Just like a man who’s fallen into that habit doesn’t come back. Well, they say a man’s infidelity is a habit.”

Seol Ah was displeased with Shin Young’s mother who kept talking nonsense. It sounded like she was talking about her, so she didn’t want to hear it.

Seol Ah was thinking of somehow smoothing out her relationship with Shin Young’s mother. Although they had argued last time, it seemed Yu Min and Shin Young were getting along well again, and it was less than a year before kindergarten graduation.

She wanted to get along without friction at least until graduation.

But she kept being like this, so Seol Ah also thought she should help quickly and leave.

“Um, I’m going to the restroom for a bit.”

Just as Seol Ah was about to leave her seat to cool her rising heat,

The door opened with a loud crying sound. The person who came out huffing was Shin Young.

“Yu Min broke all my toys! He broke them all!”

“That’s not it. I just touched them once.”

Yu Min followed, and the other friends also came out of the room.

Shin Young’s mother threw the radish and ran to Shin Young. Shin Young’s mother hugged Shin Young, whose face was red from crying.

“He broke your toys? Yu Min did?”

“That’s not it, they were already broken.”

Yoon Sung, who was next to him, said, but Shin Young’s mother didn’t seem to hear anything. She soon confronted Yu Min with a scary face.

“Why are you so rude? Breaking other people’s things carelessly! Really like mother, like son, growing up without any manners!”

At Shin Young’s mother’s words, Seol Ah approached, holding back her absurd feeling.

“No, how can you say that to a child? First, let’s find out what the situation is…”

“Ha, what are you, a second from a rich family? Before saying anything to others, live properly yourself. You dirty bitch!”

As Shin Young’s mother shouted, pointing her finger, the atmosphere froze rapidly.