A weighty emotion never felt before.

A hot exhilaration of something sticky intensely permeating the blood.

A sense of responsibility and indomitable will to become stronger than now, to become a being greater than a great mountain.

At that moment when he first held his son, Seo Jun could feel those things and more.

And he realized.

That this is the strong and subtle bond felt only between father and son. That Eom So Yeon, who brought him this noble and precious gift, had done something truly incredible.

She who left suddenly, saying she would take away my pain and sorrow, seemed to have taken something important from me. So the time that followed felt even more empty. The lingering attachment to her clung to my nerves, scratching at my consciousness and emotions, but ultimately brought me great joy.

She who made me feel empty seems to have thoroughly prepared to give me a big surprise while spending time with that something she took from me.

She who turned pain into a pearl appeared like a lie before me with an overwhelmingly beautiful child.

My son Eom Hyun Woo.

But my child and my woman are now…

So, why are they sticking together just the two of them, leaving me out? Huh?

Seo Jun started feeling a strange jealousy in his heart while in the car moving to the lake park near Shonessi Heights.

The child sitting on So Yeon’s lap was clinging so desperately to his mother’s embrace, not wanting to let go at all, that for a brief moment Seo Jun barely resisted the urge to sternly warn the child that Eom So Yeon was his.

After barely suppressing the crisis of becoming uncharacteristically childish with several deep breaths, Seo Jun was currently sitting on the soft grass, watching his woman and child with hawk-like eyes.

A youthful woman and small child running around happily by the lakeside, laughing brightly and saying “Try to catch me!”

In this moment when warm sunlight poured down like glass powder, Seo Jun’s heart also felt pricked all over as if indiscriminately pierced by the sunlight. Though he was in a relaxed posture under the cool shade of a tree, his insides were experiencing a strange climate of turbulence and heat for the first time in his life.

There were ways to resolve this situation. He had even brought something from Korea for this purpose. But…

Do I really have to go that far?

They say if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it. Along with those words, if Gu Won Hoo who told me about this method were in front of me right now, I’d want to stomp him to death first.

“Son!”

Having finally made up his mind, Seo Jun called out to Hyun Woo in a loud voice.

Seo Jun smiled broadly instead of showing displeasure to So Yeon and Hyun Woo who stopped running and walked over to him.

As expected, the child clung tightly to So Yeon’s legs with wide eyes, while So Yeon looked somewhat tired from playing with the child.

Then is it my turn to step up now?

Seo Jun grasped the tiny hand tightly and pulled Hyun Woo away from So Yeon.

Looking at Eom So Yeon whose eyes were sparkling with a mix of pride and worry, Seo Jun sat Hyun Woo on his outstretched legs and asked.

“Son.”

“Mm?”

“Who am I?”

“Mommy told me. Not fake, but real daddy.”

“That’s right. I’m your real daddy. In that sense, try calling me once more.”

“Da! ddy!”

Hyun Woo pronounced that unfamiliar word boldly without hesitation, having grown up not knowing the existence of a father at all.

This thoughtful child who had learned on his own that although he wanted to have one, he shouldn’t throw tantrums for it, burst out at once all the vague longing he had only suppressed in his small chest, putting it into those two syllables of “daddy” with all his might.

“…”

How could that be displeasing? Seo Jun, who had been staring down at Hyun Woo for a while, smiled. It was a smile very different from a smirk.

The sensation of constant squirming on his thigh was quite ticklish. Along with that feeling, the inside of his chest also heaved somewhat. The heat that finally filled Seo Jun’s black pupils was because a mix of apologetic and affectionate emotions suddenly surged.

Seeing the two men who looked exactly alike facing each other, So Yeon also suddenly choked up. Accordingly, her voice trembled.

“Hyun Woo, aren’t you happy that daddy came?”

“Mm.”

Nodding once at his mother’s words, Hyun Woo said.

“Grandma said. Hyunwoo has to live in Korea with mommy. Does that mean we’ll live together with daddy too?”

“Hyun Woo, that’s…”

For a moment, So Yeon just moved her lips, not knowing what to say, when Seo Jun quickly intercepted with an answer.

“That’s right. The three of us will live together.”

“Hic!”

Revealing his large black pupils like go stones, Hyun Woo scrunched up his eyebrows and bridge of his nose at the same time. Even without hearing it in words, So Yeon was well aware of the meaning of that expression.

Something extremely good, to the point of breathlessness. It was Hyun Woo’s unique exclamation often expressed when tremendously excited. So how happy must he be?

“Promise!”

Not stopping there, Hyun Woo raised his pinky finger high, meaning to make it certain right here. Though a very young child, his thinking and judgment surpassed that of most adults.

“Kid, you’re smart.”

Suddenly swallowing hard as if his throat was blocked, Seo Jun linked his finger with the small pinky.

“Since we promised, no taking it back from now on!”

Hyun Woo said firmly while gripping the much larger finger with all his might.

Seo Jun lowered his moist gaze nobly.

“Shall daddy tell you a secret?”

“Hyunwoo likes secrets.”

The child’s rosy cheeks twitched as he looked up at Seo Jun’s face for a long time. It was an expression of great curiosity about what would be said next.

“Actually, I’m Gold Iron Man. And you’re Little Gold Iron Man.”

“Really?”

“Of course! So from now on, tell mommy to rest, and you play with daddy!”

As Hyun Woo opened his eyes wide and cutely furrowed his brows, Seo Jun brought out a large golden box from under the picnic bag and opened it wide in front of the child.

“Hee, wow! It’s Gold Iron Man clothes!”

The large black eyes fixed on the shiny suit and mask sparkled brightly. The father’s meticulous plan had instantly captivated the child’s innocence.

“If we wear this, we can transform into heroes. How about it?”

“Hehe, I like it!”

As expected, heroes were truly sincere for boys.

Soon, Seo Jun and Hyun Woo, changed into character suits, put on their masks and ran all over the lush grass and lakeside.

Seo Jun’s appearance of lifting the child high into the air as if levitating him while running was unmistakably that of a father to anyone who saw.

Flap flap!

At some point, a flock of plovers floating leisurely on the lake all flew up into the vast sky at once.

As that sight was spectacular, So Yeon, who had been resting under a tree watching the two men, quickly pressed the camera shutter. But as she captured the images of father and son, So Yeon’s breath caught. At the same time, her eyes suddenly burned hot.

Because Tae Seo Jun with Hyun Woo firmly perched on his sturdy shoulders, and Hyun Woo excitedly waving both arms as if flying in the sky relying on his father’s tall height, looked so happy.

The sad gaze in those black eyes quietly watching a child happily riding on his father’s shoulders in Jeju Island before.

So Yeon’s heart ached sharply as she couldn’t help but recall Hyun Woo from back then.

However, her lips held a soft smile that was both moving and proud.

“…”

That I… to a child and father so happy like that…

So Yeon felt very sorry towards the two men who met late due to her wrong judgment.

Hyun Woo chased after butterflies flitting from flower to flower, running around the garden like a puppy.

Even though it was getting dark in the evening and hard to see ahead.

While the kitchen staff prepared the dinner table, the three men chatted in the reception room. The three women were out on the terrace.

As So Yeon listened intently to Yeo Jin and Yeon Hee’s soft conversation, her eyes rarely left Hyun Woo. It was a worried gaze, concerned that the child might fall, or get scratched or pricked by rose thorns.

Though she well knew that a child’s energy is an endless spring, Hyun Woo was especially restless today for some reason. Perhaps the fact that he now had a father who hadn’t existed before was greatly exciting the child’s heart.

Just as a small laugh escaped So Yeon’s lips,

“The engagement date is usually set by the woman’s side. When would be good for you?”

“So Yeon, when do you think would be good?”

Yeo Jin asked Yeon Hee about the engagement date while discussing the engagement ceremony, and Yeon Hee passed that question on to So Yeon.

“I have a movie shoot starting next month. Before that would be fine, but I’ll go along with whatever date you two decide.”

Shortly after So Yeon gave her opinion, the two ladies set the engagement date for the weekend two weeks later.

“When you come to Korea, please stay at our house. We’ve been indebted to Mrs. Cho’s home all this time, haven’t we?”

“Oh my, I’d like to accept the invitation of course, but as you know, my husband likely can’t take much time off due to his university lectures.”

“Ah, that’s right. Well then, please do visit another time.”

“Oh my, thank you just for saying so. We’ll definitely do that next time.”

Ho ho ho…

As the atmosphere grew warm and lively with light jokes and small talk, it was then.

“Mommy! Grandma! Come play with Hyunwoo for a little bit!”

Hyun Woo, who had been playing well with Jessica in the garden, called out like a rabbit hopping up and down, saying he needed more people for a new game.

“Oh, alright. Hyun Woo!”

Yeo Jin answered more quickly than anyone else.

“You stay here. I’ll go.”

Pushing So Yeon back down as she was about to move too, Yeo Jin ran straight to her grandson and started playing rock-paper-scissors as Hyun Woo directed.

Ha ha ha, hee hee hee, ho ho ho…

As Yeo Jin’s uncharacteristically loud laughter filled the green garden, Yeon Hee also spoke to So Yeon with a pleased smile in the corners of her eyes.

“Things have worked out well thanks to Hyun Woo. You know that, right?”

“Of course, mom.”

“I think so, So Yeon. There’s no need to rush into marriage pushed by circumstances. Don’t I know you? The fact that you didn’t answer right away means you have a lot to think about. It’s only been a short time since you met Seo Jun again, so it may feel early too. That’s why I bought you some time.”

“I know…”

Though she loved Tae Seo Jun, she had thought of it as a passing connection, so the events leading up to today felt even more dreamlike. So Yeon had placed her love on the side of the unattainable.

She knew well through experience that the world is not so easy, and even less so for her.

But engagement and marriage…

Though it didn’t feel real yet that she could spend the second act of her life with Tae Seo Jun, So Yeon’s heart was overflowing even in this moment.

“Mom. You said before that difficult love isn’t love. Was that because you were worried I’d have a hard time?”

“So you do know. I just want my daughter to walk only on flower paths.”

“I’m sure my maternal grandmother felt the same way about you, mom.”

“She did. But can children ever be controlled? Sorin is married and living well, and you’ll soon be the same, so my worries have lessened, but Sowon still only knows work, which is a big problem.”

Yeon Hee had three daughters. As they say the more branches a tree has, the more it sways in the wind, just as one of Yeon Hee’s worries was tentatively resolved with So Yeon, she was already worried about her eldest daughter before she could even catch her breath.

Unable to not understand that heart, So Yeon felt sorry as she looked at the deepened wrinkles around her mother’s eyes caused by her.

“You never know. She might already be in love with someone who’ll become her husband.”

As she spoke, So Yeon suddenly thought of Director Yoon Ji Wan’s face. Though there was no connection between her older sister and Director Yoon, So Yeon thought they might oddly suit each other if they dated, and quickly shook her head to brush off the useless fantasy.

“I really hope so. Or even having a child first and marrying later like you would be fine.”

“Oh my, you know that expression too, mom?”

“This kid. I read romance novels sometimes, so I know at least that much.”

“…”

Our mom is a woman too before being a mother. From her mid-20s, she’s walked a not-so-easy path giving birth to and raising children…

Looking at Yeon Hee with a pretty smile, So Yeon thought.

And she resolved.

I should live diligently for my husband and child like mom. Even if my child grows up and worries me like I did, I should remember today and embrace them warmly. I should become a cozy nest for my family.

So she thought.

So Yeon’s eyes, gazing at the sun setting over the mountain ridge, held hope for tomorrow.

That the more painful and difficult, the more precious and valuable it is. Even if the result flows in an unwanted direction, it has its own worth – she learned this from her mother, through Hyun Woo.

That’s why.

So Yeon decided to love her loved ones even more diligently.