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chapter 32
After finishing work, Dain drove straight to the kindergarten. The car, which had just been repaired, seemed to run particularly well today, and she arrived quickly.
“Hello!”
The children were already lined up at the entrance, holding hands. Their tiny hands looked almost like doll’s hands.
“Hello, Hanul.”
Dain greeted with a warm smile, and Hanul returned a polite little bow.
“Please take care of us today!”
“All right, let’s go by car first.”
The teachers who were watching quietly from behind chuckled softly. The occasional overly serious manners of children at that age often seemed irresistibly cute to adults.
Holding Hanul and Yeoreum’s hands with both of hers, Dain hurried toward the car. Once they were inside, she handed them the drinks she had brought along, and both children beamed with delight.
“This is for you, Hanul. Do you like apple flavor?”
“Yes, I do!”
“Good to hear.”
“Wow, thank you! My uncle never lets me drink this. He says it will ruin my teeth.”
Taekyung, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for raising Hanul in place of Taejin, was always more concerned about Hanul’s health than anyone else. He even made rules to prevent late-night sweets or sugary drinks.
“Have you ever had dental treatment? If it hurts, you shouldn’t drink this.”
Since she hadn’t heard anything special from Woo-hyun, Dain asked with a slightly awkward expression. Reading the mood, Hanul shook his head vigorously.
“No, I haven’t. Uncle is just worried for no reason. Really!”
Not only that, he even hid the drink behind his back while explaining desperately. His earnestness was so intense that Yeoreum, sitting beside him, couldn’t help but shine her eyes in excitement too.
“It’s just because Dain is worried about you. I’m not taking the drink away.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Here, give it to me. I’ll even open the lid for you.”
Dain opened the drinks for them and inserted the straws with a flourish. Hanul drank the sweet juice eagerly, smiling all the while.
After waiting for the children to finish their drinks and cleaning up the trash, Dain returned to the driver’s seat and played a song. It was a children’s song that Yeoreum liked.
“Yeoreum, what did you do today?”
Yeoreum shrugged along to the familiar tune, humming, while eagerly answering.
“I played hide-and-seek outside with the kids, played house, and sang songs with the teacher.”
“What songs?”
Dain asked. Yeoreum, excited by her interest, was about to start singing when Hanul panicked and covered her mouth with his tiny hands. His serious little expression made the action all the more comical.
“The teacher said it’s a secret, Yeoreum!”
“Oh… okay.”
Ah, that’s right. Yeoreum murmured with wide-eyed surprise, and Hanul finally let go. The two children exhaled in simultaneous relief, which Dain found amusing. She quietly swallowed her laughter and asked casually,
“Why is it a secret? I’m curious.”
“No, Dain! I’ll tell you later.”
“Really? Then I’ll remember and wait.”
“Yes, yes. You must remember.”
During a brief stop, Yeoreum leaned close from the back seat, trying to hook her little pinky with Dain’s. Though hesitant and warning her it might be dangerous, Dain managed to link her pinky with Yeoreum’s.
Hanul watched them closely and, for no reason, wiggled his finger. Dain noticed just before gripping the steering wheel again and commented brightly,
“The kindergarten teacher must be pleased! Thanks to Hanul, the secret was kept so well.”
Hanul blushed at the unexpected compliment. A broad smile spread across his face.
“Secrets are important! Do you have any secrets, Dain?”
“Secrets? Hmm… I don’t really have any.”
“I have one! And so does my uncle!”
“Really? What’s Uncle’s secret?”
Hanul suddenly closed his mouth tight, clearly not expecting Dain to ask in detail. Though Dain’s question had been playful, the child’s reaction made her even more curious about the secret.
“I promised to keep it a secret… so I can’t tell you.”
Hanul pouted and shook his head. Dain laughed softly and reassured him, but Yeoreum, listening, chimed in,
“What kind of secret? You can’t tell me either?”
“Yes, it’s about Uncle’s first love.”
Hanul had inadvertently revealed the secret, though he seemed unaware of it.
‘First love?’
Dain’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, fully attentive. But Hanul was tight-lipped and didn’t seem inclined to share more. Just as Dain was feeling a little disappointed, he mumbled quietly,
“Later, you can ask Uncle Woo-hyun too! I might not have kept it a secret from him.”
“Manager Jeong?”
“Yes, he’s friends with my uncle. He knows everything.”
It was surprising that Woo-hyun and Taekyung were friends. Indeed, Taekyung seemed more relaxed whenever Woo-hyun was around, despite his usual stoic expression.
“Dain…”
Hanul wanted to ask Woo-hyun a question… Dain gripped the steering wheel tightly in thought. Hanul leaned close, and a gentle soap-like scent wafted toward her.
“Hmm?”
“You know…”
Hanul suddenly grinned mischievously and whispered secretly,
“Are you dating my uncle?”
“What? No!”
Startled, Dain lifted her foot off the brake pedal she nearly pressed. She checked if Yeoreum heard, but thankfully, she had fallen asleep. Hanul seemed to lower his voice for the same reason.
“Really not?”
“Y-yes. Uncle would be surprised if he heard that.”
Dain denied it firmly with a bright red face. The more she denied it, the brighter Hanul’s eyes shone with curiosity and expectation.
“I thought Uncle liked you. He smiles more around you.”
Children’s innocence often pierced through adult emotions. Dain, trying to maintain a calm exterior, asked,
“Why did you think that?”
“Because Uncle smiles every time he meets you. At home, he never smiles, always frowning and working…”
Hanul pressed his finger to his forehead and mimicked a frown.
“So I like you. Uncle smiles more around you.”
Dain felt a bit embarrassed. Though it was just a child’s praise, she shifted the topic lightly,
“I like Hanul too. Thanks to you, Yeoreum smiles more often.”
“Really?”
Hanul leaned back, satisfied, glancing at Yeoreum who had fallen asleep. He even smiled at her peaceful face.
“Yeoreum… sometimes feels like a little sister.”
“A little sister?”
“She can do everything alone, but it feels like I just need to be with her…”
Hanul’s voice gradually quieted, until he fell completely silent. His steady breathing showed he had fallen asleep.
Dain checked the two sleeping children in the rearview mirror and refocused on driving.
At that same time, when Dain had gone to pick up the children from kindergarten…
Taekyung left the company and arrived at a high-end restaurant in Cheongdam-dong. Approaching through the private back entrance, the staff quickly opened the door when they recognized him.
“Right this way, sir.”
The staff guided Taekyung to the innermost room. Ornate doors swung open, revealing the room and the guest who had arrived earlier.
“Oh, I’m a bit late.”
Taekyung murmured casually, raising the corners of his mouth. The guest, holding a teacup, only moved his eyes to glance at him. Behind long strands of hair, his sharp black eyes glimmered intensely.
“I roughly guessed, since Seosan Construction set up this meeting.”
“……”
“I didn’t expect you would actually show up, Seoin-hyuk.”
On the surface, it was presented as a meeting for an important client, but in reality, it was almost purely for personal reasons. Both In-hyuk and Taekyung understood this clearly.
“Please, sit.”
In-hyuk put down his untouched tea. Taekyung walked leisurely to take a seat. In-hyuk’s gaze, sharp as a well-honed blade, scrutinized Taekyung’s face.
After a moment, staff brought in dishes one by one and left. Neither of them touched the food. The unused meal proved that the meeting was just a pretense.
“Thank you for last time,” Taekyung began. In-hyuk narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Dain was very surprised. I heard you two had some connection when she worked at Seosan Construction.”
The moment Dain’s name was mentioned, In-hyuk felt a snapping tension, not just from the already suffocating atmosphere.
“There must have been something more important you didn’t say deliberately?”
To be precise, it felt like watching something valuable being deliberately taken away from him.
