MHD - 26

Chapter 26. I Must Be Strong

“Eat more. You should have a full stomach in the morning.”

Kim Po-dae, carrying bowls of rice and several side dishes, set the table and looked at Hee-soo. Their eyes met, and the redness in both their gazes seemed to bridge an unspoken understanding.

The sight of Kim Po-dae’s teary eyes pierced Hee-soo’s heart. It was hard to endure her pitiful gaze for too long—Hee-soo feared that her carefully composed mask of indifference would shatter completely.

“Yes.”

Hee-soo managed a short reply before lowering her head.

“Wait a moment—I’ll grill some seaweed for you. I brought some premium laver, and it still tastes great.”

After watching Hee-soo pick up her spoon, Kim Po-dae disappeared back into the kitchen. The sound of rustling and the aroma of sesame oil soon filled the air.

Hee-soo scooped a spoonful of the perfectly cooked rice and blew on it gently before putting it in her mouth. Just then, her phone buzzed incessantly from her pocket.

Vibrate.

Vibrate.

She pulled it out slightly to check—it was filled with unread messages and missed calls.

“Did you see my message? Are you ignoring me now?”

It was Cha Joo-won.

Reality continued to press down on Hee-soo, refusing to let her forget where she stood. She chewed slowly, swallowing the rice that felt heavy in her mouth.

“Aigoo, look how dry your hands are. Didn’t you quit ballet?”

Kim Po-dae scolded Hee-soo as she brought out freshly grilled seaweed, neatly cut into squares, half brushed with sesame oil.

“Dip this one in soy sauce with shepherd’s purse, and wrap this one with rice since it has sesame oil. Why aren’t you eating this?”

“I just ate it.”

“Really? Then try this too. The Vice President doesn’t eat much of this. These dried yellow croakers are ridiculously expensive, but one or two missing won’t be noticed.”

Watching Hee-soo’s chopsticks move, Kim Po-dae picked up untouched side dishes and placed them in front of her.

Kimchi, shepherd’s purse salad, spring greens, seaweed, fish—the plates shifted positions repeatedly, crowding around Hee-soo as if competing for her attention.

“Ah, I’ll eat everything slowly.”

“Don’t break my heart by being skinnier than when you were a student. You can’t keep eating like a bird. You’re not a kid anymore.”

“...Yes.”

Hee-soo’s eyes fell on Kim Po-dae’s hand resting on the table as she picked up another side dish. The tendons stood out prominently, and her hands were much rougher than Hee-soo remembered.

If she had a real mother, would it feel something like this?

Hee-soo swallowed her lump of emotion along with the rice.

“Do you want some scorched rice soup?”

Just as Hee-soo finished her bowl of rice, Kim Po-dae reappeared with a tray.

“You used to love this. Though you only drank the broth because you were worried about gaining weight.”

The savory aroma was exactly as Hee-soo remembered.

During her ballet years, she had been meticulous about managing her weight, so proper meals were rare. But whenever she did eat well, it was usually for a day or two after performances ended.

Kim Po-dae always seemed to know the timing and would prepare a hearty breakfast filled with Hee-soo’s favorite foods.

Back then, sitting together at the table for breakfast, the people in the annex had been like family to Hee-soo.

As Kim Po-dae piled side dishes in front of Hee-soo, others nearby would jokingly tease her out of envy or lightly scold Kim Po-dae.

Taking a spoonful of the scorched rice soup, memories flooded back.

“...Have you been well?”

Finally asking after Kim Po-dae, Hee-soo watched as the older woman waved her off dismissively.

“It’s fine, Hee-soo. We’ve all been fine. You need to be fine too.”

“...I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say anything. It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

For Hee-soo, who never had a stable place to belong, the ten years spent at Jaehyuk’s house were like living with a family—people like Mr. Choi, the driver, Kim Po-dae, and Mrs. Cheongsong, whom she called “Uncle” and “Auntie” with affection.

She had deliberately avoided reminiscing about those days after leaving the house, burying even the memories of her time there because of how much she resented its owners.

But perhaps what she truly lost wasn’t just the connection with the household’s masters—it was the relationships with those who had been like family to her.

Hee-soo finally asked about the people she had wondered about for so long.

“How is Mr. Kim, the driver?”

“Tsk, Mr. Kim quit a long time ago, right after Chairman Lee passed away. Mrs. Cheongsong is still here. She recently went to the countryside because her daughter-in-law gave birth...”

With each spoonful of scorched rice soup, Kim Po-dae’s chatter flowed effortlessly.

How many years had it been since she had eaten a full breakfast like this? Having someone sit across from her and chat so casually over a meal felt like something from another lifetime. Perhaps it was the first time since she left Jaehyuk’s house.

Hee-soo gave a faint smile at Kim Po-dae’s words and scooped another spoonful of scorched rice soup. Meanwhile, Kim Po-dae’s chatter showed no signs of stopping.

“Ugh, our Vice President lives alone in such an obvious way, doesn’t he? Right, Hee-soo? There’s barely anything in this house.”

Kim Po-dae stretched lazily as she stood up, arching her back.

“He hasn’t lived here long after moving in, but the place still doesn’t feel like a home. He’s young, yet he doesn’t seem to have anyone close to him.”

After refilling Hee-soo’s empty glass with water, Kim Po-dae subtly began talking about Jaehyuk.

“To be honest, I don’t think there’s anyone as pitiful as our Vice President. He’s handsome, but he has no time for himself. When he first moved into this house, I found him asleep on the couch one morning, still holding documents after getting ready for work.”

Hee-soo’s gaze instinctively drifted toward the distant living room sofa.

The image of Jaehyuk sitting there perfectly composed, eyes closed, came vividly to mind. His silhouette seemed to flicker faintly against the large window before disappearing. A sudden pang in her chest made her rise from her seat.

“Um, should I take these dishes to the kitchen?”

“Oh no, I’ll do it.”

“No, really, I should help—it’s the least I can do for the meal.”

Hee-soo picked up the dishes and headed to the kitchen, placing them in the sink. As she rolled up her sleeves to wash them, Kim Po-dae hurriedly followed her inside.

“Don’t wash the dishes. You’re a guest—I can’t let your hands get wet.”

“I’m not a guest.”

“How are you not? I’ve missed seeing you so much.”

Kim Po-dae’s unfiltered expression of affection caused Hee-soo’s eyes to redden instantly. Taking Hee-soo’s hand and patting her back gently, Kim Po-dae said:

“Come visit sometimes. It makes me happy just to see your face.”

“If possible… I will.”

Hee-soo made an empty promise she knew she couldn’t keep. If their connection remained tied to Jaehyuk, any relationship—even with people like Kim Po-dae—would eventually need to be severed again. Starting anew wasn’t the right choice.

“Well then, leave those dishes. I’ll clean them.”

“No, really, I’ll—”

After a brief tug-of-war over washing the dishes, Hee-soo finally relented. After tidying up her clothes and packing her bag, she stepped out to find that Kim Po-dae had already finished cleaning and was now tidying the living room.

“I’ll be going now, Ajumma.”

When Hee-soo bid farewell, Kim Po-dae followed her all the way to the shoe cabinet.

“I’ve thought about you so much while watching TV. I wondered if you were eating well somewhere, if you were doing okay after quitting ballet. Then one day, I saw you on TV and thought, ‘Of course, our Hee-soo is shining wherever she goes.’”

The phrase “our Hee-soo” brought another wave of emotion crashing down on her. It was as though Kim Po-dae held the button that triggered Hee-soo’s tears. Feeling emotionally starved, Hee-soo quickly put on her shoes, fearing that her carefully constructed facade would crumble if she stayed any longer.

“Take care.”

She smiled and waved casually, trying to appear unfazed.

“Yes, see you again.”

But Kim Po-dae followed her outside and watched as Hee-soo walked away. After exchanging several nods of farewell, Hee-soo finally managed to step outside the gate.

Whirr.

As she closed the gate behind her, she heard Kim Po-dae locking it from the other side. Only after walking a few steps away did Hee-soo exhale a deep sigh.

Now it was time to deal with the incessantly ringing phone in her bag.

Hee-soo sat down on a nearby bench and pulled out the vibrating phone. Opening the message app, she saw a red circle indicating over a dozen unread messages. Skimming through them, most urged her to meet Baek Donghwan.

After reading through the accumulated messages, she called Cha Joo-won. As soon as she addressed him as “President Cha,” his voice erupted in anger.

“What the hell! Are you reading my messages and ignoring me? Do you even know how rude that is? Where did your manners go?”

Hee-soo started to explain that she had been sick yesterday but stopped herself. Explaining her situation to someone who wouldn’t care felt futile.

“I wasn’t in a position to answer the call. I’m sorry.”

After offering a clear apology, Hee-soo spoke with determination.

“I’ll go meet him tomorrow, as you suggested. If apologizing is what he wants from me, I’ll take responsibility.”

At her words, Cha Joo-won’s tone finally softened slightly.

“Hmph. Finally showing some sense, huh?”

“I don’t want the agency or anyone else to suffer because of me. I’ll handle this myself.”

[You better not make excuses later.]

Cha Joo-won repeatedly emphasized and checked this point before hanging up, and Hee-soo responded with a series of “yes, yes” before ending the call.

With the phone still in her hand, Hee-soo sat motionless for a while.

The morning in the alley where Jaehyuk’s house was located was tranquil. Behind the tall walls lining the streets, each home likely harbored meticulously tended gardens. The only sounds breaking the silence were the peaceful chirping of birds.

Just beyond this neighborhood, the streets would be bustling with office workers rushing to work, but here, it felt like a world apart—calm and serene.

As is often the case within the fences of wealth, everything appeared peaceful. Like a lake trapped behind a dam of money, its surface undisturbed by even the slightest ripple.

“It’s okay, Hee-soo. We’re all doing well. You need to do well too.”

The warm, comforting face of Kim Po-dae lingered in her mind.

In truth, I’m not doing well at all, Ajumma.

The tears she had been holding back suddenly spilled over.

After finishing work, Jaehyuk arrived at his family home for dinner with Yoon Ji-seon.

“Vice President, welcome.”

As he entered the dining room, Kim Po-dae greeted him with a smile while taking out side dishes.

“The Chairman is on his way home but will be a little late.”

Jaehyuk loosened his tie slightly and pulled out a chair to sit down.

“Ah, I see. Then we should start heating things up a bit later.”

As Kim Po-dae turned to bring in more side dishes, she hesitated for a moment before speaking to Jaehyuk.

“This morning, Hee…”

“There’s no need to say anything further.”

Interrupting her, Jaehyuk wore an expression that said he already knew what she was going to say.