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chapter 51
Yunha pushed him gently, worried that the situation would become more complicated if Manager Jeong Seong-tae arrived.
“Leave this to me and go ahead.”
He hesitated. From his expression, it was clear he was worried about her and found it hard to take a step away.
“Hurry.”
At her urging, Dohyun reluctantly left and hurried toward Manager Jeong Seong-tae.
“Why are you coming out from there?”
Manager Jeong Seong-tae, who had been looking around at the entrance, saw him coming out from between the buildings and asked.
“I got a call from my mother, so I was just taking it and coming back.”
“Really? I thought you were running away.”
“No way.”
“Come on, everyone’s waiting. Let’s go in quickly.”
Once Dohyun and Manager Jeong Seong-tae disappeared into the building, Yunha picked up the phone that had fallen to the floor and handed it to Jinyoung.
“Surprised, aren’t you?”
Only then did Jinyoung seem to regain composure and carefully spoke.
“…Are you two dating?”
“Not yet.”
Her fingers twitched, but she quickly masked it with a calm demeanor.
“Then, what was that earlier?”
Her voice was full of confusion. She couldn’t understand why they kissed if they weren’t even dating.
Truthfully, Yunha couldn’t bring herself to admit that their relationship was even more intimate than that, which troubled her. But then Jinyoung’s eyes widened as if something had just occurred to her.
“Are you two… in the early stages of dating?”
Could it be?
Since she hadn’t confessed her feelings yet, it was hard to define what they were to each other.
“…Something like that.”
“I had my doubts, but congratulations!”
Taken aback by the unexpected reaction, Yunha was momentarily stunned.
“We’re not even officially dating yet. Congratulations for what?”
“Once you start the early dating phase, being official is just a matter of time.”
Yunha laughed in disbelief at Jinyoung’s words, then cautiously added,
“But… is it okay?”
“For what?”
“If Dohyun and I were to date.”
Jinyoung raised an eyebrow for a moment, then chuckled and waved her hand.
“Oh, I gave up on that a long time ago.”
Though she said it lightly, Yunha felt a twinge of concern.
“I saw you on the bus, blushing when you saw Dohyun.”
Jinyoung’s eyes widened, and she chuckled while waving her hands.
“Team leader, that’s just a natural reaction.”
“A natural reaction?”
“How can you look at a good-looking person and not react? Unless you’re a robot.”
Yunha laughed at her words.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. So relax your mind completely.”
Yunha had been unsure how to explain the situation to Jinyoung, but seeing her calm attitude brought her a sense of relief.
“But, since when?”
“Since when what?”
“Last time I asked, you said you weren’t involved with Dohyun at all.”
Yunha paused to think and then answered honestly.
“Not long.”
“It seems those meant to be together find their way eventually.”
Watching Jinyoung’s sincere happiness, Yunha hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking.
“So, Jinyoung, can we pretend that what you saw today… didn’t happen?”
“Of course. I’m completely trustworthy.”
As she said that, Jinyoung pretended to zip her lips.
Yunha chuckled at the sight.
“Thanks.”
“No need to thank me. But in exchange for zipping my lips, buy me something delicious.”
“Sure. Just say the word anytime.”
Yunha smiled at Jinyoung’s playful remark. Now her heart felt much lighter.
Dohyun, holding the DNA results in his hands, felt as if all the strength had drained from his body. He slumped heavily into a chair.
The letters in front of him kept blurring.
“Genetic match rate: 25% (consistent with grandfather-grandson relationship)”
His heart pounded. It was as if a cold stone had been thrown into his chest, sending a chilling shock through his entire body.
The truth he had longed to know, the familial connection he had yearned for… was now confirmed in numbers.
But the emotion that washed over him was emptiness and confusion rather than joy.
The years spent so close yet unaware of each other felt unfair and painful.
Dohyun took a deep breath and stared at the document in his hands.
Now, he had to face this truth.
With trembling hands, he lifted his phone.
The grand doors of the mansion opened, and Dohyun entered the living room, where the crystal chandelier cast a gentle glow over the space.
“I didn’t expect you to contact me first.”
“Sorry for reaching out suddenly.”
Chairman Kwon Jin-man greeted him with a bright smile. But Dohyun’s heart wasn’t as at ease as the smile suggested. The excitement and anxiety, hope and fear of finally confronting a long-sought truth weighed heavily on him.
“Nonsense! I had always intended to repay the favor someday, but you were so firm that I could only wait.”
“I came because I have something to tell you.”
Dohyun, sitting on the sofa, spoke in a firm tone. Chairman Kwon Jin-man, with a warm smile, gestured for him to continue.
“Please check this first before I explain.”
Kwon Jin-man, puzzled, took the envelope and opened it, pulling out the paper inside.
Instantly, his face hardened, and his eyes trembled.
“Genetic match rate: 25% (consistent with grandfather-grandson relationship)”
“Wh… What is this?”
His brows furrowed deeply as he slowly looked at Dohyun.
“This… is the result of a genetic test between you and me.”
“Genetic test…?”
The chairman’s voice shook.
“I… am the son of your late eldest son, Kwon Dong-hoon.”
“What?”
Kwon Jin-man’s pupils widened.
“You’re… Dong-hoon’s son?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“No… that can’t be… Dong-hoon never married!”
“Do you remember Nam Eun-young?”
“Nam Eun-young…?”
As the chairman asked, his face went pale.
He leaned back on the sofa, as if tracing his memories.
“She was the woman your eldest son loved, 29 years ago.”
“So, you’re her son?”
Dohyun nodded with unwavering eyes.
“Yes. My biological mother is Nam Eun-young.”
Chairman Kwon Jin-man looked down at the paper in his hand, pressing his lips tightly as if he couldn’t accept reality.
“How could this happen… That woman was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
He shook his head.
“No… it’s impossible. If Dong-hoon had known she was pregnant, he would never have parted with her. He even tried to end his life because of her.”
“…He tried to kill himself?”
Dohyun’s eyes widened at the revelation.
“Yes… Apparently, unbeknownst to us, he had even promised to marry her. But one day, she suddenly said another man had come into her life and ended things. From that day on, Dong-hoon couldn’t function like a normal person. He stayed in his room drinking all day, and eventually, in a drunken state, ran into the street.”
He recalled the past, his hand trembling slightly.
“A friend nearby grabbed him just in time, or he would have died that day.”
The chairman’s voice began to tremble.
“So check again. Perhaps you’re mistaken. It’s more likely he had another man’s child than your possibility.”
Dohyun shook his head firmly at his words.
“My father is indeed Kwon Dong-hoon. Because my biological mother never had another man.”
“What did you say?”
“I heard she lied to let go of your son.”
“What are you talking about? Didn’t she say it herself that another man came along?”
Dohyun took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
“That was… due to threats from your wife, my grandmother.”
“What? My wife did that?”
“Yes.”
Dohyun relayed exactly what he had heard from Kim Sun-ja.
