Tae Jo heard a faint voice from the taxi driver, and then the call was abruptly disconnected. He stared at his phone that had been cut off absentmindedly.
“Hmm.”
Tae Jo cleared his throat and tapped his desk.
He couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. He had thought they had grown closer since they started dating.
“Is it still not the right time to introduce me to your mother?”
He understood Se Kyung’s position, but it felt like she was preparing to take a step back in their relationship.
Well, they had been dating for quite some time, but it hadn’t been long since they officially became a couple.
However, even so. Wouldn’t it be a bit strange not to introduce him as the father when her mother found out about her pregnancy?
Her daughter, who was not yet married, was pregnant. Moreover, she was a public figure.
It was easy to predict that Se Kyung’s mother would be shocked and worried about whether her daughter would raise the child alone or what would happen with the baby’s father.
In addition to not being able to greet her this time, the situation was frustrating because Tae Jo couldn’t leave his position for a while.
After all, Se Kyung’s mother was staying on Jeju Island.
“So, if I can’t greet her this time, I’ll have to go down to Jeju Island myself…”
Going to Jeju Island for a break wouldn’t be a bad idea, but the problem was that he couldn’t vacate his position for a while.
He was also worried about leaving Se Kyung, who was still in the early stages of pregnancy, alone for an extended period.
“Indeed, I should at least say hello this time.”
Since you’ve come now, I suppose you won’t be going down tomorrow morning.
Tae Jo, holding the car keys, left the office.
Click.
As he opened the front door, the sensor light brightly illuminated. Se Kyung hurriedly entered the house and threw her bag onto the sofa.
If Mom had known you were coming today, she would have cleaned up yesterday. It was a sudden visit, so nothing was properly prepared.
Se Kyung cleared away the scattered items and turned on the vacuum cleaner. When she sent a message asking Mom where she was, she received a reply that she would be arriving soon.
She picked up the bag that had been left on the sofa and headed towards the bedroom, connected to the dressing room.
Instead of a jacket, she grabbed a cardigan. Suddenly, her gaze stopped at the bedside table.
“Should I move them separately…?”
In the first drawer of the bedside table, there were maternity notes and Anko’s ultrasound photos.
She had planned to reveal her pregnancy to Mom today or tomorrow at the latest. At that time, she had also intended to show her the ultrasound photos.
It’s only been a few hours, but what if Mom finds the maternity notes in there?
“Well, just in case.”
Se Kyung opened the drawer of the bedside table and placed the maternity notes that were on top underneath some books.
After taking a quick look around the room, she went out to the front door. Not far away, she saw the headlights of a taxi approaching.
The taxi, which slid to a stop, was in front of Se Kyung. Click. As the rear door opened, a familiar face came into view.
“Why did you come out? It’s still cold.”
“I was waiting, Mom. And there isn’t much luggage.”
“This child… She says there’s hardly anything to bring.”
Saying so, Jung Ran took out two bulky bags from the taxi’s back seat.
One of them was a box of tangerine juice that looked like a lot, and the other was wrapped in Styrofoam.
“What’s this?”
Se Kyung took the tangerine juice box from her mother’s hand. She had intended to take the other luggage as well, but Jung Ran lightly slapped her hand, saying it was heavy.
“This? Jeju black pork. The owner of the nearby restaurant specially prepared it because you said you were coming today.”
“Oh, really? I should say hello when I go next time.”
“Yes, you should. I don’t know how famous it is now. There’s a long waiting list. You said you wanted to eat pork ribs last time. Mom is planning to make pork ribs. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, I like it.”
Se Kyung, who had arrived at the entrance, opened the door.
Jung Ran went into the kitchen and unpacked the luggage, while Se Kyung grabbed the tangerine juice from the box.
“What about dinner, Mom?”
“Haven’t eaten yet. How about you?”
“I haven’t either. Should we go out for dinner? Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Well, it’s a bit late now. I do want something with a warm broth.”
“Soup? Alright, soup it is.”
Se Kyung nodded as she sipped the tangerine juice from the plastic pouch.
Now that she thought about it, the beef rib soup Tae Jo had bought last time was clean and delicious.
Se Kyung moistened her throat and added tangerine juice.
Come to think of it, the beef rib soup broth that Tae Jo bought last time was clean and delicious.
Se Kyung, recalling the restaurant’s name, searched for its location and closing time on her phone.
“Shall we have beef rib soup?”
“Beef rib soup? I was planning to make braised short ribs tomorrow. Do you want to eat that?”
“No, well… I’m not ordering meat. I want to have the soup.”
“Well, okay, but…”
Jung Ran looked at Se Kyung with surprise in her eyes. Her gaze traveled from Se Kyung’s toes to the top of her head and back down.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
Feeling like she was being scrutinized, Se Kyung stammered.
“Oh, no. I just wondered if you liked meat this much.”
It’s not that she disliked it, but… she definitely didn’t enjoy it enough to eat it every day.
“Maybe you thought I couldn’t eat well because I was busy. But now that I look at you, it seems like you’ve gained a bit of weight.”
“Have I… gained weight?”
Could her pregnancy already be noticeable? Worried, Se Kyung pressed her cheeks with both hands.
“Just enough to look good? Do you remember how skinny you were before? Do you know how worried I was? I was so worried that your bones would break if you fell while dancing.”
“Oh. I see. I… gained more weight than the last time you saw me.”
“It’s okay for you to gain a little more. It’s not like you have a body that easily puts on weight. But Mom is relieved that you’re eating well and taking care of yourself.”
“I’ll probably get busier, so I should eat well now. Let’s go. Let’s go out for dinner before it gets too late.”
Se Kyung, who had taken the car keys from the room, left the house with Jung Ran. When she started the car, Jung Ran reached over and pulled the seatbelt tightly.
“But why beef rib soup?”
“Well, I had it last time, and the soup was clear and delicious. Mom will love it.”
“Hmm. You haven’t been here long since you moved, but you know it so well. Who recommended it to you?”
“It’s not so much a recommendation… more like… stumbled upon it.”
Se Kyung hesitated, her lips pressed together.
“By the CEO.”
“The CEO of your agency?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh my, did he treat you to a meal? Even though we’ve received nice gifts for the holidays, I wanted to thank him too.”
Jung Ran clasped Se Kyung’s hands with a bright smile.
“Dear, can I meet the CEO while you’re in Seoul?”
No.
Se Kyung swallowed her silent response.
It felt a bit too soon. She didn’t know what the CEO might say, and she wasn’t sure how things would turn out in the future.
“He’s probably busy, so it might be hard to meet him.”
Se Kyung increased the car’s speed, attempting to keep Tae Jo occupied.
It still felt a bit early. She wasn’t sure what would happen later, but she had a feeling that CEO Jin would have something to say to her mother.
“He’s busy, so it’ll be hard to meet him.”
Se Kyung, who had deliberately kept Tae Jo busy, accelerated the car.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
