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Chapter 11
Sohye looked at Junhyeok, doubting her own ears. In response, he just shrugged nonchalantly and smiled.
“Are you really sure you’ll be alright?”
As Chairman Ha’s gaze, holding Hajun, turned toward her, Sohye nodded repeatedly.
“Let’s go to your mom, Hajun-ah.”
As if bestowing a favor, Chairman Ha held Hajun out toward Sohye.
“Hajun… Hajun-ah.”
When she had been practically driven out of Hagahaen, when she stood on Yongbawi Daesan, and when she woke up in the hospital, there was only one thing she had longed for: to hold Hajun in her arms again.
How desperately she had wished for this moment.
Just as she reached out her arms into the air to receive the child—
“Father! What are you doing?!”
Hajayoung’s voice rang out sharply. Walking quickly from the entrance hall, Hajayoung approached the living room.
“You’ll startle him. Why are you shouting and scaring our grandson?”
Chairman Ha securely held Hajun back in his arms.
“Darling, I thought you had work at the gallery.”
Hajayoung, who had been glaring sharply at Sohye, smiled softly at Yongchan and Chairman Ha.
“My work finished early today.”
Truthfully, she couldn’t focus on work because Sohye, whose true intentions were unknowable, kept bothering her.
“But what are you doing, Father?”
“What do you mean? Hajun’s mother said she wanted to hold him—”
“Handing him over to someone whose mind isn’t even fully sound… That doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
Watching Hajayoung try to prevent her from holding the child, Sohye gritted the flesh inside her mouth.
“Anseong-daek. What are you doing? You need to take care of Hajun’s meal.”
Anseong-daek immediately took Hajun from Chairman Ha.
It was clearly intentional. This was the same Hajayoung who had driven her out to prevent her from approaching Hajun, even lying to other family members that she would be staying abroad for a while to help with work at Art Center H.
“Mo… ther.”
Sohye’s voice, coming out as if broken into syllables, drew everyone’s attention.
“What do you mean my mind isn’t sound? People might misunderstand. I appreciate your concern, but I think you’re worrying too excessively. Your words seem a bit excessive too. Anyway, since he’s my son, shouldn’t I be the one to hold him?”
She added an innocent smile with her eyes as she looked at Hajayoung.
Sohye had always been obedient, answering only ‘Yes.’ Hajayoung looked at Sohye as if seeing something unfamiliar.
Seizing the moment, Yongchan chimed in, “Then you should let her hold him.” Taking the cue, Anseong-daek, who had been standing by watching the situation, came to Sohye and handed Hajun over.
Finally, she held the child in her arms. Sohye’s heart began to race.
“Hajun-ah, hello.”
*It’s Mom, Hajun-ah.*
“Mama mama.”
Although it had been a while since she’d seen him, Hajun smiled brightly as if recognizing his mother and being happy to see her. Perhaps because his teeth were growing and itchy, Hajun closed his mouth and then babbled again with a radiant smile.
“It seems Hajun missed his mother too.”
Yongchan looked at Hajun in Sohye’s arms with a satisfied expression. Hajayoung’s face twisted grotesquely, but Sohye deliberately avoided looking at her. Suddenly, Junhyeok rested his face on Sohye’s shoulder and looked down at Hajun.
“You missed Daddy too, didn’t you?”
The weight of his face on her shoulder felt like it was pressing directly on her heart.
The child in her arms and the husband by her side—it all felt like a dream. Until she made eye contact with Hajayoung, who was staring intently at her.
“Now, that’s enough. Hand him over to Anseong-daek. Hajun needs to eat.”
Hajayoung gestured with her chin, urging Anseong-daek.
“I’ll feed him.”
Hajayoung’s gaze toward Sohye grew increasingly sharp. Meeting those eyes directly without losing her smile, Sohye continued.
“So, if his meal is ready, could you bring it to me? Mo… ther.”
She maintained an innocent expression while watching Hajayoung’s pupils dilate enormously. Although there were easily over ten staff working at Hagahaen, she deliberately asked Hajayoung.
“You, what did you just say?”
“You said it’s time for Hajun to eat. I asked Mother to bring his meal if it’s ready?”
She shrugged as if she had no idea what the problem was. Yongchan looked embarrassed, and Junhyeok had his jaw tightly clenched, as if holding something back. Then, laughter spilled from Chairman Ha’s lips.
“Hahaha, well, even if it’s not a meal cooked by Grandma herself, you should at least try the food she brings.”
“Father.”
Hajayoung’s neck turned red, but she couldn’t raise her voice and instead gritted her teeth. The only “work” Hajayoung did in this house was carrying around her cherished dog, Minky. She had even once called Sohye, who lived in the next building, in the middle of the night to bring her water when she was thirsty.
“It’s not a difficult request. Why don’t you do it for her once?”
At Yongchan’s words, Hajayoung forced a gentle smile, but her reddened neck and noticeably dilated pupils made it clear she was suppressing her anger.
“Mother, I wasn’t being rude, was I?”
Sohye, who had been quietly observing Hajayoung, now put on a concerned expression. As if conscious of the others, Hajayoung stood up without answering and headed toward the kitchen.
Watching Hajayoung’s retreating back, Sohye subtly lifted the corner of her mouth. Then she looked at Hajun in her arms. From his eye-rubbing and burying his head against her chest, she could tell he was getting sleepy.
She also knew exactly how to put him to sleep at times like this. If she gently rubbed his shoulder while holding him, Hajun would fall asleep quickly.
Sohye began softly massaging Hajun’s shoulder.
***
Hot breath escaped Hajayoung’s nostrils as she entered the kitchen.
“Ma’am, what brings you here…”
The staff in the kitchen looked puzzled, as if she had come somewhere she shouldn’t be.
“If Hajun’s food is ready, give it to me.”
“Pardon?”
“His mother wants to feed him herself.”
“But still, for you to—”
“Why so much talk? Just give it to me.”
Hajayoung cut him off with a displeased expression, as if she couldn’t be bothered to argue further. The live-in employee handed over the prepared baby food and bib. Hajayoung took the items, which looked incongruous with her long red nails, and wiped the dissatisfied look from her face just before returning to the living room. In front of Yongchan, she always had to pretend to be elegant.
As Hajayoung walked proudly back into the living room, Sohye spoke in a whisper-like voice.
“Oh dear, what should I do? The child must have been sleepy; he’s fallen asleep.”
Chairman Ha and Yongchan marveled that the child fell asleep so quickly because his mother’s embrace was comfortable, while Hajayoung briefly bit her subtly trembling lower lip.
“Young Madam, I’ll put Hajun to sleep.”
Anseong-daek carefully took the child and headed toward Hajun’s room. Watching this, Sohye casually asked,
“But… does Hajun live here?”
It was a question asked with Chairman Ha in mind.
According to Hajayoung’s design, when Sohye left Hagahaen, Hajun’s residence was fixed here, at Hydrangea. But now that she had returned, Hajun should be brought to Lilac with her.
“Are you asking the obvious? It’s already been discussed that it would be best that way until your memory returns.”
As Hajayoung explained with feigned kindness, Yongchan added,
“Dr. Kim said sudden environmental changes could be burdensome for both you and the child. So we all agreed it would be better to maintain the current arrangement for now, and that was our decision.”
Just as Sohye was nodding reluctantly, hiding her disappointment—
“That works out well.”
At Junhyeok’s response, delivered with an indifferent expression, Sohye’s brow furrowed slightly.
*What exactly “works out well”?*
Were the H&N Group people banding together to separate Hajun from her?
Sohye forced her furrowed brow to relax and looked at Junhyeok. Without changing his expression, Junhyeok reached out and covered the back of her hand with his.
“This will be a good chance for us to feel like newlyweds again.”
