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chapter 31
“Dain?”
Seizing the brief pause in Dain’s words, Taekyung leaned closer to her. Perhaps stirred by buried memories, Dain’s eyes, and even the bridge of her nose, flushed instantly.
“I-I’m sorry.”
She wanted to say everything—the time Inhyuk’s mother had approached her, how she later discovered Inhyuk’s identity because of that, the time Inhyuk had suggested leaving for Shanghai together, and how she had to refuse due to Hyunjung’s threats.
“I’m not usually like this… maybe it’s because I drank…”
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and gave an awkward smile. Even a sheepish smile was better than letting the heavy atmosphere linger. She didn’t have the strength to continue with more serious confessions.
“I really… I’m sorry…”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
At that moment, a warm fingertip brushed against Dain’s eye. Startled, she let her hand fall from her face.
“You don’t need to force a smile in front of me.”
Taekyung, who usually wore a gentle smile, spoke quietly and seriously. It was uncanny how he could sense such moments perfectly and immediately switch to a serious demeanor.
“If you want to cry, you should cry. Bottling it up will make you sick.”
He took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. Dain dabbed at her eyes with it, glancing up at him. His gaze seemed to silently say that she could ask him anything.
“Is this… from experience?”
“Somewhat.”
“You’ve cried in front of others too?”
“Back when I was young, I cried often.”
Dain finally stopped crying and smiled faintly at his answer. Children often cried easily, so Taekyung probably did too. Imagining him crying felt so foreign that it made her smile.
“Every time, I had a friend by my side.”
“A friend…”
Taekyung watched her carefully and spoke meaningfully.
“I couldn’t stop crying on my own. Maybe that’s why my friend stayed until the end.”
The word “friend” struck her like a nail. Perhaps it wasn’t the first time she’d heard it. Dain’s eyes, now completely free of tears, gleamed with curiosity.
“You mean… the first love you mentioned before?”
“You remember.”
Taekyung nodded and took a sip of juice, but Dain couldn’t bring herself to drink.
“First love…”
She was consumed by curiosity about who Taekyung’s first love could be.
“Do you have a first love, Dain?”
It was a startling question. No one had ever asked her that before.
“Uh… first love…”
Her eyes trembled at the question, and her voice wavered as she spoke carefully.
“To be honest, I don’t think I do.”
“Is that so?”
“I’ve had very little experience in dating. Thinking back on the people I’ve dated… I don’t think any of them were my first love either…”
Taekyung silently observed her and swallowed a wry smile. It was his responsibility that she didn’t remember him, so there was no resentment or hurt. Moreover, if she hadn’t had a first love besides him, that was a relief.
“That’s fortunate.”
“Huh?”
“The fact that you haven’t had one yet means there’s plenty of time ahead to meet someone.”
His finger lightly brushed against the back of her hand. Just that small touch sent a tingling sensation racing to her head.
“I’d be happy if I got that chance with you too.”
Perhaps it was the dim lighting, or maybe his handsome face and captivating smile. Dain remained frozen, unable to pull her hand away.
Early the next morning, Dain stared blankly at the square monitor as soon as she arrived at work.
“Haah…”
The mouse cursor blinked beside the search she had just made. She followed it with her eyes, reading the same line over and over.
“First love [noun] – the first love felt or experienced.”
Who could Taekyung’s first love possibly be?
From when Taekyung and Hanul returned home, up until she went to sleep with Summer, this question had tormented Dain, lingering unresolved and distracting her focus.
Working inefficiently like this would surely earn her scolding from someone, but there was no way to solve it immediately, which made it frustrating.
“First love?”
“Mom!”
Dain let out a startled scream and turned her head. The sudden voice sent chills down her spine.
“J-Director Jeong? What brings you here?”
“I came down on the Executive Director’s errand. I didn’t expect you to be here so early; you’re diligent.”
She genuinely admired him. The office lights were on, and she had been alone there, which caught her off guard.
But when she realized what he had been looking at on the monitor, she felt embarrassed. It was the same topic Taekyung had brought up before, which made it slightly awkward.
“I… I was trying to remember the title of a movie I recently thought of, but I couldn’t recall it!”
“So that’s why you were searching.”
“Yes… no one else has arrived yet, so…”
It sounded like a flimsy excuse, but she forced it out, hoping he would believe her. Director Jeong merely nodded expressionlessly.
“I hope you find the movie title.”
“Th-thank you.”
The air felt awkward. Dain wished she could disappear, but the man behind her didn’t leave.
“You said you came on an errand. What kind of task is it exactly?”
Finally, Dain closed the browser and asked him. As expected, Woo-hyun hesitated before speaking.
“Well…”
He paused, then answered with a resigned expression.
“I came because Deputy Min has something to take care of.”
“Me?”
“You’re scheduled to go straight to the kindergarten after work, right?”
His tone was cautious, almost pleading.
“Could you watch Hanul for a bit then?”
The image of Hanul sleeping peacefully, clutching Summer’s hand, floated in her mind. Surprised by Woo-hyun’s serious tone, Dain asked back.
“Does the Executive Director have an urgent matter?”
She worried momentarily. He always cared meticulously for his nephew, so there must be a pressing reason. Fortunately, Woo-hyun shook his head.
“It’s an urgent appointment, but it overlaps with your schedule. I’ll cover one location, but…”
“You, Director?”
“Yes, but there’s no one to send to the kindergarten. It’s too late to find someone else, and the sudden nature of this appointment made refusal difficult.”
Woo-hyun kept glancing at his watch, speaking with a troubled expression. Once Dain agreed, he would dash out immediately. The urgent matter seemed right at the doorstep.
“Is it alright if I take him? What does the Executive Director say…”
“The Executive Director asked me to request it from you. Of course, you can refuse if it’s inconvenient or your timing doesn’t match.”
“If I refuse… who will take Hanul?”
“Probably someone from the secretarial team. Normally that’s fine, but Hanul is shy around strangers.”
Woo-hyun sighed deeply. Normally expressionless in front of Taekyung, his face crumpled easily when it came to children. Fascinating.
Thinking back, even shy Summer already called him “uncle.” It was easy to imagine how kind and gentle he was with the kids.
“I’m glad I can return the favor for what you did last time.”
“Oh, then…!”
“Yes, I’ll take him to our house and watch over him.”
Woo-hyun’s face lit up with a broad smile of joy. Dain watched as he hurriedly collected himself and left the office.
Dain sat back down in her chair. Her bag fell forward onto the floor from the armrest.
“Ah!”
She scrambled to grab it, but one item fell onto her lap—a handkerchief Taekyung had given her before. She fiddled with the corner, letting out a short, hopeful sigh.
She hoped that, while taking care of Hanul, she might get a chance to spend some private time with Taekyung, just like before.
