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chapter 36
“Your first love?”
“Ah—forget what you just heard! If I say too much, I might get cursed by Mr. Tae-kyung.”
Soo-jung quickly waved her hands, looking embarrassed.
“I actually heard something about that from the executive director himself.”
“What kind of story?”
“About that first love you just mentioned. All I was told was that they knew each other when they were young…”
“Then you’ve basically heard everything already. Sounds like Tae-kyung must have trusted you quite a bit if he told you even that much. He’s usually very tight-lipped.”
Soo-jung smiled softly and lifted her right hand slightly. As a staff member came by to place dessert and coffee on the table, she continued speaking in a calm, gentle tone.
“That’s right. He used to mention wanting to find his first love again. So I figured one day he’d eventually return to Korea.”
All Soo-jung knew was that Tae-kyung and his first love had grown up in the same neighborhood when they were little. She never knew that the girl was Da-in—Tae-kyung had never shared a name or a description.
She only knew the girl had been pure-hearted, kind, and timid—but would always raise her voice for Tae-kyung’s sake. Perhaps that was what made her his first love.
“He wanted to… meet her again?”
“I’m not sure how far he intended to go, but I suppose so.”
Tilting her head thoughtfully, Soo-jung lowered her voice slightly.
“Madam Woo—Mr. Go Tae-kyung’s mother—kept trying to introduce him to nice women, but he refused every single time. She couldn’t understand why.”
“I see…”
“And then one day, he suddenly decided to move back to Korea. I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he was trying to find that first love of his.”
Soo-jung grinned playfully.
“What if he finds her and confesses his feelings again… wouldn’t that be straight out of a drama?”
“Haha, I guess it would.”
Da-in laughed along, though her heart wasn’t laughing at all. She had never even considered that possibility before.
But if it’s someone he loved so much that he still can’t forget her… maybe he really could do that.
For a brief moment, she felt a little smug that she had received Tae-kyung’s confession first. But if that first love were to suddenly reappear… would he still look at her the same way?
Why does this make me feel so uneasy?
Da-in suddenly realized she was feeling jealous of a woman she didn’t even know, and as soon as she noticed it, her cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment.
“Well, it could also be because of his nephew… Oh! You know about his nephew, right?”
Thankfully, Soo-jung didn’t notice Da-in’s expression. She was busy stirring her coffee as she chattered on. Da-in eagerly nodded, relieved the topic had shifted.
“Yes, I know.”
“How so? Did Mr. Tae-kyung tell you himself?”
“Our nephews go to the same kindergarten. That’s how I found out by chance.”
“Oh my, really? What an amazing coincidence!”
Da-in looked at Soo-jung’s innocent smile with a kind of fascination. Even after bringing up Han-ul, she didn’t flinch or show the slightest hint of discomfort.
“So then, you must already know about our broken engagement. No wonder you didn’t look surprised earlier.”
As she’d mentioned before, Soo-jung had originally been Tae-jin’s fiancée. If Han-ul hadn’t been born, they might have gone through with the wedding.
Even if she hadn’t truly loved him, hearing that he’d had a child with another woman had to sting a little. Yet here she was, speaking about it as if it were someone else’s story, smiling all the while. Da-in couldn’t help but admire her composure.
Maybe it’s because she comes from a family where even breaking off an engagement isn’t a big deal.
Inevitably, Da-in’s thoughts drifted to her own past. If her family had been wealthy—or at least ordinary—maybe she wouldn’t have had to hear those cruel words from Seo In-hyuk’s mother.
“The engagement’s long over, but I still found myself curious about the woman.”
“Yes.”
“I wondered… if it were you, Da-in, would you have been curious too?”
Soo-jung laughed lightly as she took a sip of coffee. Da-in fiddled awkwardly with her cup, unsure how to respond.
“But when I heard that the woman ran away, my parents were shocked.”
“I see.”
“After that, I completely let it go. I mean, for a woman to abandon even her newborn baby and run away…”
Soo-jung set her cup down and leaned in, whispering in a low voice.
“I even wondered if maybe Tae-jin had some kind of hidden flaw. Honestly, I’m still curious.”
Da-in couldn’t bring herself to deny it. From one woman’s perspective, it was an understandable thought.
She’d heard similar questions many times before—people often wondered about Yeoreum’s birth mother, Da-young. Whenever Da-in explained the circumstances, people would look guilty and drop the subject.
“Anyway, I’m still curious. Who on earth was that first love…?”
Soo-jung murmured to herself as she took another sip of coffee.
Da-in nodded automatically, though unlike her, she couldn’t bring herself to drink.
Ever since the topic of Tae-kyung’s first love had come up, her chest kept tightening painfully.
That evening, Tae-kyung offered to drive her home, but Da-in politely declined.
She brought Yeoreum home instead and made dinner. Since the child said she wanted noodles, Da-in made soy-sauce noodles, and she ate them happily.
After dinner, Da-in bathed her, dried her hair, and tucked her into bed. Yeoreum quickly fell asleep.
It was a quiet night. The only sound in the living room was the faint hiss of the kettle as it boiled.
Da-in opened a drawer to pick a tea bag but froze when she heard the faint vibration of her phone.
She walked over and saw the name glowing on the screen:
[Go Tae-kyung]
He must have been thinking about what happened earlier that day. He had clearly been unsettled by Soo-jung’s presence, and after she refused his offer to take her home, perhaps he couldn’t sleep.
“Hello?”
After a moment of hesitation, Da-in answered the call. Tae-kyung’s urgent voice immediately came through the receiver.
“Da-in, sorry for calling so late.”
“It’s fine. I actually felt bad for refusing earlier… You called for the same reason, didn’t you?”
“You guessed it. Can you come out for a moment?”
“Huh? Right now?”
Her eyes widened. It was late—much too late for Tae-kyung to show up at her place without warning.
“Tae-kyung, don’t tell me… you’re here?”
“I’m at the apartment entrance. There’s a park nearby—we could walk a bit.”
Da-in checked the clock with a troubled look. It wasn’t impossible to step out, but it was definitely late.
“If it’s uncomfortable, you can say no. I was prepared for that.”
“And if I did refuse?”
“Then I’d go home and ask to see you tomorrow instead. Maybe lunch?”
He sounded so determined, as if even a night’s sleep was too long to wait. Da-in couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Even though they’d grown close, she wasn’t sure if meeting him alone this late at night was appropriate. But before she could think twice, her heart answered for her.
“I’ll come down. Let’s meet at the entrance.”
“Take your time. There’s no rush.”
Da-in hurriedly changed clothes, grabbed her phone and wallet, and slipped out the door. Luckily, Yeoreum had fallen asleep early.
Under the dim night sky, she jogged toward the apartment gate. A familiar car was parked by the curb—it was Go Tae-kyung’s.
“Da-in.”
He was leaning against the car, and when he saw her, he smiled faintly. She walked over, still catching her breath.
“I told you not to rush. What if you tripped?”
“I’m not a kid—I can manage a short jog.”
“You never know.”
He teased lightly, then reached out. His fingers brushed her damp hair and gently tucked it behind her ear.
The gesture was tender, yet Da-in’s shoulders stiffened. Maybe because of what Soo-jung had said earlier, she suddenly found herself feeling uneasy around him.
“I was surprised you came by without calling first. You could’ve asked me earlier.”
“If I had, you would’ve told me it was too late and sent me home.”
“Well… you’re probably right.”
Hopeless man, she thought, smiling despite herself.
Standing beneath the streetlight, her lips curved into a soft, radiant smile that made her face glow.
“Do you want to sit in the car for a bit? I have something to give you.”
Tae-kyung dangled his car keys and gave her a playful look. The car chirped as it unlocked.
“It’s nothing big, but…”
His eyes said please, just this once.
