The Returned Father of My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
“Department Head. That statement you just made…”
“It means exactly what it sounds like. I’m interested.”
Jae Kyung seemed to have finally reached a conclusion about his previously unsettled feelings.
“…”
Bo Mi opened her mouth as if to say something awkward, then closed it again.
“Not yet.”
“Not yet…”
Jae Kyung realized that Bo Mi was always tense around him—like a deer being chased by a hunter—even though she smiled easily around CEO Ha Su Young and others.
He suddenly wanted to see Bo Mi smile.
Jae Kyung took a light breath and turned the doorknob.
“Na Rae…”
“…?”
Bo Mi looked up, surprised by Jae Kyung’s sudden, seemingly random remark.
“Tori.”
“Heh…”
Realizing what he meant within the serious atmosphere, Bo Mi burst into laughter.
When Bo Mi looked at Jae Kyung, he covered the corner of his mouth and averted his eyes this time.
Seeing him embarrassed by his own comment—his face flushed—made her laugh again. He didn’t seem like Nak Won’s lookalike anymore; Do Jae Kyung simply felt… adorable.
“Let’s go. I’ll buy you coffee.”
“Not that.”
Jae Kyung glanced sideways at Bo Mi, who was beaming widely. She really was prettier when she smiled.
Why did he suddenly understand how men like Yeon Ga Jin and Ha Su Young must feel, hovering around this woman? He had an ominous premonition that Do Jae Kyung himself might become one of them—and it left him speechless.
“I’ll buy you coffee, and in return, just say this.”
Bo Mi noticed Jae Kyung’s ears turning red, and her own cheeks flushed for no reason.
“Just have coffee with me.”
“But last time, you were the one who ended up paying for the meal anyway…”
“Please turn a blind eye whenever I cross the line.”
“Is that a declaration of war?”
Bo Mi narrowed her brows and pouted her lips.
“I’ll treat you many more times from now on.”
If Do Jae Kyung—who used to consider even sleeping or eating time a waste, dedicating every moment to work—now wanted to add time for coffee with someone to his schedule, what hesitation could there possibly be?
Jae Kyung didn’t want to overcomplicate the interest he was developing toward Bo Mi.
He wasn’t officially engaged to Ga Young yet—only in talks—and he hadn’t heard Bo Mi was married. Yeon Ga Jin had said she wasn’t his lover… or had he actually received a clear confirmation?
“Somehow, I feel like I’m at a disadvantage here.”
It wasn’t unpleasant for Jae Kyung to show interest in her as a woman—so much so that he almost forgot he was supposed to have someone else to marry.
It hadn’t even been half a day since he swore to himself that Yeo Reum was all he needed, yet the human heart truly was fickle.
“I’ll just buy you coffee instead.”
Bo Mi thought she shouldn’t get any more entangled with Jae Kyung.
“If you don’t like coffee, how about a meal instead?”
This man clearly had no intention of backing down.
Their last meal together had been nothing but tense, so it wasn’t exactly a fond memory.
“Coffee’s fine. Let’s go drink coffee.”
Jae Kyung walked out first and pressed the elevator button.
“Let’s go.”
Su Young, emerging from the restroom, spotted Bo Mi and waved.
“Han Bo Mi! Where are you headed?”
Apparently not noticing Jae Kyung, who had already stepped into the elevator, Su Young approached and spoke only to Bo Mi.
Just as Bo Mi turned to reply, Jae Kyung grabbed her arm and pulled her in.
Swept along, Bo Mi stumbled into the elevator and collapsed into Jae Kyung’s chest.
“Sorry—the doors looked like they were about to close.”
Jae Kyung shamelessly lied.
Ah… how could she possibly stay mad at this man who looked exactly like Nak Won?
Bo Mi tucked her hair behind her ears and stood in the corner of the elevator.
The moment the doors closed, Jae Kyung was relieved that Han Bo Mi hadn’t seen Ha Su Young’s expression.
People like her—claiming friendship while constantly hovering nearby—were the most annoying.
Through the closing elevator doors, Su Young swallowed her frustration at Jae Kyung’s warning glare, sharp as a predator’s. Department Head Do Jae Kyung—the man who resembled Nak Won—was shaking the heart of Bo Mi, who had only just started leaning on Su Young for support.
She had an ominous feeling that Bo Mi might be stolen away by yet another man.
[This is the timeline separator]Jae Kyung was attending a library book donation event, part of Dowon Group’s cultural support initiative. As reporters began flashing cameras to start their coverage, Jae Kyung frowned and stepped back. Secretary Kim, sensing his discomfort, quietly guided him.
“Today’s photos are supposed to focus on the library. If it bothers you, the emergency stairs are over there.”
Jae Kyung understood that journalists were necessary for the company’s image at such events, but he never got used to being photographed. Instead, the head of public relations from the Strategy Planning Department took the podium and basked in the spotlight.
The relentless flashes from countless cameras churned his stomach.
His father’s death had caused an enormous, sensationalized uproar at the time, and reporters had relentlessly chased after Yeon Hee and him day after day.
Although Dowon Group had the power to suppress media coverage, it had left Yeon Hee and Jae Kyung entirely exposed—because at the time, Do Won Il had become a discarded pawn.
Only later did he learn it was a deliberate move: to divert public attention from the moral responsibility of Hwangdo Construction and Dowon Group regarding a building collapse caused by shoddy construction, by shifting focus onto Won Il’s scandal instead.
It was a chilling glimpse into Chairman Do Jun Seok’s ruthlessness—sweet when useful, discarded when not—even among blood relatives.
Because of this, Jae Kyung developed a deep aversion to media and photographs.
He avoided being photographed entirely, except for the ID photo required for his passport.
Stepping outside via the emergency stairs, he felt relief as the noisy event faded into distant quiet.
Jae Kyung splashed some water on his face and took a deep breath.
The fresh air brought her to mind.
Several days had passed since their coffee date—his busy schedule had kept them from crossing paths again.
“Director Han Bo Mi.”
“Yes…?”
She lifted her head from the straw of the coffee Jae Kyung had bought her. Her lips, still glistening and slightly damp, were oddly complemented by the mascara that hadn’t quite faded. He thought there was no need for her to be any more beautiful than this.
“You never answered my question—do you have someone you’re seeing?”
“Department Head, you’re surprisingly persistent about this sort of thing.”
“I just want to be sure.”
“No comment.”
Such a stubborn woman—refusing to give a straight answer to the end. Why couldn’t she just answer honestly for once?
He never assumed Bo Mi would reciprocate his feelings with equal intensity…
But he’d never given his heart to any woman this way before, so his own emotions felt completely unfamiliar.
He wasn’t even entirely sure what he wanted to do or how to go about it.
One thing was clear, though: he wanted to know Director Han Bo Mi better.
He walked toward the park attached to the library, often used as a walking route and playground for nearby daycare centers.
Seeing the noisy crowd of children gathered in the park, Jae Kyung decided it was better to wait by his car.
Just then, he felt a gentle tug on his coat.
“Mister.”
A child with a round face and big eyes looked up at him.
For some reason, the child reminded him of Han Bo Mi. Had he really missed her this much?
He couldn’t tell the child’s age, but since they likely came from a nearby daycare, they were probably not yet in elementary school.
The child stood there in socks, clutching a shoe to their chest.
Looking up at Jae Kyung, they blinked hesitantly.
“What is it?”
Annoyed but unable to ignore a barefoot child, Jae Kyung asked.
“Mister, do you have kids?”
“No.”
The child’s face fell briefly, then they stretched their neck and rose onto their tiptoes.
“Mister, you’re really tall.”
“Yeah. Is it hard to look up at me?”
Jae Kyung, nearly 190 cm tall, bent down to meet the child’s eyes.
“No, that’s not it—it’s this.”
The child pointed to where their shoe dangled high above.
It wasn’t extremely high, but clearly unreachable even on tiptoes for someone so small.
“Why’d you put your shoe up there?”
It couldn’t possibly be a new game. He understood why the child was barefoot, yet something still felt off.
“Could you please get it down? If my socks get dirty, Mom will have a hard time washing them.”
“If you know that, why’d you put your shoe up there?”
“Ugh…”
The child looked on the verge of tears, a tiny mole beside their eye trembling slightly. Even the way they held back tears reminded him of her.
Was he going crazy? Was the whole world starting to look like Han Bo Mi?
“Please help me.”
Jae Kyung easily retrieved the shoe and handed it to the child.
“Thank you.”
When the child grinned, revealing deep dimples, Jae Kyung felt a strange sense of familiarity. Where had he seen that before?
The child lifted a foot to shake off dirt but wobbled, losing balance. Jae Kyung swiftly caught and lifted them up.
“Woohoo!”
Delighted by the sudden lift, the child shouted with joy. As Jae Kyung carried them, the child asked with slight unease,
“Mister, where are we going?”
“Sit here.”
He placed the child on a bench and gently brushed off their bare soles. The child giggled, ticklish. How cute.
Watching the child wriggle their toes and laugh widely made Jae Kyung’s heart flutter.
Maybe it really was time to get married—if even kids seemed adorable now…
But the thought of marriage gave him a headache.
He first needed to resolve the engagement with Yeon Ga Young somehow. He had to find a way to cancel an arrangement he never wanted in the first place.
“Mister.”
The child reached out and pressed Jae Kyung’s furrowed brow firmly with their thumb. A sweet, peach-like scent rose from them—just like Han Bo Mi’s…
“You’ll get wrinkles.”
The face of the woman who’d once worriedly smoothed his brow flashed through his mind.
The child hopped down from the bench and bowed deeply from the waist.
“Thank you, Mister.”
“Your shoe… you didn’t put it up there yourself, right?”
Seeing the red scrape on the child’s knee made him suspect bullying.
“Mister, do you know how to kick shoes up there?”
“If you just got hurt playing, that’s fine.”
“Thank you, Mister. But… you really don’t have any kids, right?”
“Yeah. None.”
“I see. I guess you must have your reasons.”
The child smiled softly and ran off toward a group of other children.
Jae Kyung watched their retreating figure. Just as the child seemed about to join the group, a larger child rushed over and shoved them. The smaller one tumbled to the ground but didn’t cry—just glared fiercely back at the bigger kid.
Even among children, there were the strong and the weak.
Jae Kyung hesitated—should he step in and help? But just as he started walking over, a woman who appeared to be a teacher came, scolded the larger child, and helped the smaller one up.
Jae Kyung chuckled softly at his own momentary impulse to interfere.
That wasn’t like Do Jae Kyung at all.
As he headed toward the parking lot, he spotted Yeon Ga Jin, who’d attended the event as Hwangdo Construction’s representative. He hadn’t seen a trace of Ga Jin during the actual event, so he’d assumed he was slacking off—and sure enough, here he was.
Ga Jin was on the phone.
“Yeah. Han Bo Mi. I know she can’t hold her liquor.”
Hearing Bo Mi’s name, Jae Kyung instinctively hid himself where Ga Jin couldn’t see him.
“I’ll handle it myself—just you take care of that bastard Ha Su Young. Has he really been hanging around Han Bo Mi since college? Tsk.”
Ga Jin, hands in pockets, tapped his foot impatiently and spoke in an irritated tone.
“Got it. He owes me anyway, so he won’t be able to resist. Just get him drunk—though he’ll definitely refuse at first. Yeon Ga Young, you better do your part well.”
Ga Jin hung up and whistled a tune as he walked back into the building.
Was this good luck? To overhear Yeon Ga Young and Yeon Ga Jin plotting to harass Bo Mi.
He didn’t know when or where they’d carry it out—but now, thanks to this annoying complication, he might just have a reason to have a meal with Yeon Ga Young after all.
Jae Kyung got into his car.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
Ga Jin is such an interesting character. If FL had been friends with him, she might have had an even more terrible childhood because of Mrs. Hwang. But he’s exactly the type of person who could be a friend or family member.