part 33

"Mina!"

Jisun Sunbae spotted me at the airport and waved enthusiastically.

She happened to be in Seoul for an event she couldn't miss.

So Sunbae came to pick me up. 

Jisun Sunbae had retired to Jeju Island after her divorce.

I was also staying in Jeju, teaching children. 

Naturally, we often met there.

Since I'm from Jeju, I didn't think it was worth the trouble to travel to Seoul to see her.

Unlike me, who was always holed up in Jeju playing golf with the kids, Jisun Sunbae frequently had various engagements in Seoul.

Still, Seoul was a special city.

Seeing Jisun Sunbae in Seoul felt refreshing.

"It's nice to see you in Seoul, Sunbae. Please take me to the hotel."

"Sure, Intercontinental, right?"

Without me having to say a word, Jisun Sunbae accurately guessed my destination and started driving.

"How did you know where I'm staying?"

As usual, Jisun Sunbae connected her phone to the car's Bluetooth and played music from 'The ZERO.'

She replied. 

"Huh? Didn't you hear? Seung-rok contacted me directly. He even booked a room for us to stay together. I thought you knew."

She spoke in a casual tone, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Really?"

But what she said was quite surprising to me.

Seung-rok had mentioned covering my accommodation costs, but I assumed it meant staying at a modest motel and getting reimbursed later. 

I never imagined I'd be staying at the same hotel as his family.

I knew how expensive that place was. 

I certainly didn't expect him to book a separate room for me in advance, let alone invite a friend to stay with me. 

This must be the 'gift' Seung-rok had mentioned in passing yesterday. 

Somehow, I felt this trip might be more enjoyable than I had anticipated.

That night, I caught up with Jisun Sunbae over Samgyeopsal. 

Meanwhile, Hayeon headed to the concert hall with her grandfather for the most important event of their Seoul trip: watching a musical performance.

***

"It was so much fun!"

As soon as Hayeon saw me coming to pick her up, she ran into my arms, shouting with excitement.

"I'm glad. Wasn't it worth coming to Seoul?"

I asked her, trying to check on her feelings. 

Hayeon's usual bright, carefree smile lit up her face as she answered with enthusiasm.

"Yes!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. 

Hayeon hadn't been keen on coming to Seoul. 

Convincing her had been the hardest part.

It was surprising. 

Born and raised in Jeju, I had always wanted to go to Seoul. 

One of the reasons I played golf was that it allowed me to leave Jeju for tournaments. 

But Hayeon was not like her. 

She especially disliked the idea of missing her play practice. 

Even though it was just once, she was really stubborn about it

Watching her father struggle to persuade her, I had to step in with my secret weapon.

"Hayeon, if we go to Seoul, we can watch 'The Lion King' musical."

The effect was immediate.

"Then I'll go!"

Hayeon quickly changed her stance. 

She managed to convince everyone to reschedule her practice. 

Thanks to that, I could proceed with my interview.

And as soon as we arrived in Seoul, Hayeon watched 'The Lion King' musical, which was the condition of our deal. 

Fortunately, she seemed satisfied with the performance. 

I felt relieved and put Hayeon and her grandfather in the car. 

Then, I casually asked a question to Seung-rok's grandpa.

"Where would you like to eat?"

We could eat at the hotel, but I had a feeling this family wouldn't like fancy food.

Seung-rok typically fed them food like you'd get in a hotel.

Sure enough.

"I want ramen! Tonkotsu ramen!"

Hayeon started to whine.

"Ah… that's a bit…"

Ramen? 

Last time, it was homemade, so it was okay. 

But what if I gave her store-bought ramen? 

Seung-rok hated instant food. 

He might really get mad.

"Ah, Grandpa. Maybe…"

I looked at Grandfather, hoping he would help. 

I couldn't scold Hayeon like Seung-rok. 

So, I sent a message asking Grandfather to do it.

But,

"Ramen sounds good!"

Grandfather was unpredictable too. 

He said he wanted light soy sauce ramen and supported Hayeon. 

With an adult on her side, Hayeon's voice got louder.

"See? Ramen! Ramen!"

I sighed, feeling defeated. 

In this situation, I had no choice.

"Alright. But don't tell Dad, okay?"

I drove to my favorite ramen shop near Hongdae.

***

The next day.

Finally, it was the day of the interview.

"I want ramen again!"

Hayeon, being a child, talked about ramen in front of Seung-rok without any sense. 

I wished she could use her acting skills to fool her dad sometimes. 

Hayeon was good at acting, but she wasn't good at lying.

She only acted when she was on stage, playing a character. 

As a teacher, I was glad. 

Teaching a child who lies is very tiring. 

But at times like this, it was a bit unfortunate.

"Tell me after it's over."

Seung-rok gently patted Hayeon's head and spoke softly. 

His touch was warm, and his voice was gentle. 

But his eyes, when he glanced at me, were as cold as ice.

"We need to finish quickly so we can eat. Got it?"

"Okay…"

Hayeon shrank back at his words. 

I understood her feelings.

I froze when I saw Seung-rok's cold eyes. 

So, how much more scared must Hayeon be? 

Watching her walk to the interview with her shoulders hunched, I felt a strange unease. 

I had a feeling this interview wouldn't go smoothly.

***

"Mmm."

Seung-rok bit his lip slightly as he watched Hayeon's interview in silence.

There was no answer at all.

"How do you usually spend time with your brother?" the host asked a simple question.

Hayeon froze. 

"Ah… oppa, treats me well."

Usually, she would find any way to get on stage, even avoiding her father's eyes. 

So, Seung-rok never thought the interview would go wrong because of her nerves. 

He had never seen her perform, but he assumed she was a natural on stage. 

He was completely wrong.

He wondered how such a child practiced acting on the stage. 

Thinking that, he turned his head to look at Mina without realizing it. 

She was dressed quite differently than usual. 

Mina always wore golf attire, but today she was neatly dressed in a suit. 

The ivory outfit made her look even more elegant.

But that aside.

Why was he looking at her now? 

It dawned on Seung-rok that he had started to rely on a woman who had been in the house for less than three months. 

Whenever there was a problem at home or he hit a wall raising the child, he found himself looking for Mina. 

I mean, how can't he?

She always found the right answer. 

And she had something more precious than the right answer.

Whenever he was stuck and asked her something, she would smile brightly and share her cheerful energy with him. 

Maybe it was all just an excuse.

He simply wanted to see her smile more. 

But now, even Mina had a stiff expression. 

Anyone would, seeing a child giving one-word answers for an hour straight.

"Have you ever heard Oppa's song?" 

"Uh… sometimes." 

Finally. The production team, tired of the tug-of-war with the frozen child who couldn't speak, declared a break. 

The overseas crew, unable to get angry at the child, just sighed deeply. 

As soon as they trudged outside, Seung-rok approached Hayeon. 

"Eek!"

Hayeon bowed her head as if she had seen a ghost. 

"Song Hayeon. Don't you want to eat dinner? We need to finish quickly to eat."

Seung-rok urged the child. 

But the more he did, the smaller Hayeon became. 

He knew his way wasn't working.

But what could he do? 

Grandpa wasn't here today. 

Mina also seemed to have no sharp solution. 

This was his problem to solve. 

Seung-rok licked his lips in anxiety. 

Just then, Mina's voice came from behind. 

"Let me talk to her for a moment." 

She took Hayeon's hand and disappeared somewhere.

Watching them, Seung-rok realized one thing.

Hayeon looked much more comfortable with Mina than with him.

Who was the real parent here? 

Seung-rok chuckled. 

The child was closer to the tutor than to her real parents. 

And it only took three months. 

He should feel defeated, but somehow he didn't feel bad. 

Would this be happening if the child's mother were still around?

Seung-rok was startled by his own thoughts. 

No way….

He kept denying it. 

Why did he take on Mina for such a ridiculous salary and working conditions?

She was just a rookie golfer. 

He rationalized that it was because his conditions of teaching the child in Jeju every day were tough. 

But maybe that wasn't the real reason.

Maybe it was because Mina resembled 'her' too much. 

The thought made him shiver. 

It couldn't be. 

Thinking that, Seung-rok sat back on the sofa. 

But even he couldn't stop his lips from trembling slightly.

After a while, Mina came back with a serious look on her face. 

She spoke to him quietly.

"Seung-rok."

"Yes."

"Please leave."

"What?"

Mina said the child was nervous because of him. 

So, he should leave. 

That was all. 

It was a simple statement. 

But it was hard to argue with. 

If it would help finish the interview quickly, why not? 

Seung-rok stepped outside for a moment.

And then, about ten minutes later, Mina sent him a text message to come back. 

As soon as he entered the studio, the foreign crew smiled at Seung-rok.

"The interview is over!"

"…What?"

"Your sister speaks so well. It's hard to believe she couldn't speak just a moment ago."

He couldn't say anything, just looked back and forth between Mina and Hayeon. 

Hayeon was laughing loudly, hugging Mina tightly, and Mina was gently pulling Hayeon's cheek with an elegant smile.

Watching them, Seung-rok couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if Mina could stay by his side forever.

And then, in the next moment, Seung-rok gave a bitter smile filled with self-loathing. 

What was I thinking? 

Asking her to be my child's new mother? 

What a disgusting request. 

Hayeon was his most precious gift, but also a burden he had to bear alone. 

The price for his past sins.