TEOTW - 11

A traditional Korean house in Oksu-dong.

Preparations for a cooking class were in full swing at the large-scale house, which had been passed down for generations. Beyond the long windows above the kitchen counter, a peaceful courtyard unfolded. One corner of the meticulously cared-for garden was filled with vegetables grown by the teacher, Ms. Im.

In the space bathed in afternoon sunlight, Yiseo stood in front of the counter, wearing an apron. It was 10 minutes before 5 o’clock. She was relieved to have arrived on time for class. Just then, she heard someone entering the room.

Ms. Im’s cooking classes were usually for one or two people, and never more than three students at a time. Most of them were people about to get married or newlyweds.

Ms. Im of Oksu-dong was a famous culinary master.

Raised in a strict head family, Ms. Im was a culinary researcher who taught cooking for brides-to-be in political and business circles. Her cooking was based on the traditional, clean recipes passed down from her great-grandmother, who was a royal court chef. Her main clients were daughters-in-law of chaebol families and presidents, as well as famous celebrities. Yiseo was, of course, one of them.

As she calmly finished her preparations and waited for Ms. Im, a short woman approached Yiseo.

“You’re Yoon Yiseo, right?”

The woman who greeted her first had a familiar face.

Round eyes, a moderately high nose, an adorable mouth, and a bright smile. She had a small build like a small animal, but Yiseo remembered her from a charity concert, where she had kindly greeted and looked after people. Her face, smiling as brightly as a person whose life was filled with happiness, was exactly the same as it was then.

It was Joo Seo-eun, Ryu Tae-han’s wife and Ryu Tae-jo’s sister-in-law.

“Oh, hello.”

Yiseo gave a slight bow to the woman, who looked happy to see her. The woman smiled brightly again, as if she had met a kindred spirit.

“It’s nice to see you here.”

When the long cooking class was over, the room was noisy with sounds of people tidying up.

Throughout the class, Yiseo had been receiving Ms. Im’s teachings with familiar and precise movements, as if she had been learning to cook for a long time. She was different from Seo-eun, who was already exhausted after only three hours of chopping ingredients together. Watching Yiseo calmly stay in her place and quickly handle the tasks she had to do, Seo-eun could only assume that she must have spent a considerable amount of time building her patience to become so skilled with a knife, like a professional chef.

Even with Seo-eun’s eyes constantly on her, Yiseo’s face was well-composed and orderly as she finished tidying up. Seo-eun knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help but glance at Yiseo. It was because the conversation she had with her mother-in-law, Seo Jeong-ju, a little while ago kept replaying in her mind.

‘It must be time now.’

The clock on the classroom wall had passed 8 o’clock in the evening. Yiseo put her bag on, said, “I’ll be going now,” in a gentle voice, bowed her head, and left the classroom.

“I need to get there on time...”

Only then did Seo-eun, who had been deliberately stalling, stop what she was doing and anxiously look out the window.

Smoke rose from beyond the traditional tiled wall. It was a charming scene, like an old country village. In the alley where the leisurely scenery of a traditional Korean house in the city was spread out like a painting, Jin-han checked his watch again.

“She said 8 o’clock, right?”

Before leaving, he had confirmed the destination multiple times, and he confirmed it again after arriving. Jin-han, a thorough and meticulous person, stared at the nameplate that read “Culinary Researcher Im Soon-hyang.”

As Seo-eun had instructed, he arrived at the traditional house in Oksu-dong on time. It had been a long time since he had received a direct call from Seo-eun. Even though Seo-eun was now his brother’s wife, they were still good friends.

After marrying Tae-han, Seo-eun seemed to be careful with her actions, conscious of public attention and social order, but that wasn’t a reason to cut ties. Even putting aside their family hierarchy and status, they had maintained a deep connection since before she became Tae-han’s wife.

Perhaps because of that, Seo-eun would occasionally contact him when she needed a favor, even after getting married. But not all of her calls were for favors. Sometimes she would call just to say hello after stopping by a hotel to buy a cake, and other times she would subtly help her husband as a supportive wife by trying to smooth things over between Tae-han and Jin-han.

‘What could it be this time?’

‘Is it for her husband again? Or is it to check in on a friend? Perhaps it’s a concern for her father, the CEO of HSDC Investment and Development Duty-Free Business Division.’ She was a very affectionate woman by nature. That’s why no one in the rumor-filled, troublesome family opposed her marriage to Tae-han.

For these reasons, Jin-han couldn’t refuse the unexpected calls and favors that came from Seo-eun.

For the sake of his cousin, Tae-han, and for the Haeshin family, who lived under the same roof, it was beneficial to maintain a good relationship with Seo-eun.

‘Is it over soon?’ He peeked through the slightly ajar gate, and then someone came out.

The thought of getting out of the way passed him by, and Jin-han bumped into the woman who was walking out absentmindedly. He felt a light impact. He thought he should have been more careful, and the moment he stopped, the things in the woman’s hands fell to the floor with a loud crash.

Thud.

Along with the sound, food spilled out. The golden silk wrapping cloth with a tightly tied handle was stained. It was undoubtedly the food that had been made here today.

Yiseo stared blankly at the mess of food on the floor. Today’s menu was eoseon, which was a steamed, rolled dish made with filleted pollack, various vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, and egg garnish, and imjasutang, a summer health food from the royal court.

It was a representative summer health food where chicken, torn into pieces, was rolled with colorful garnishes and eaten with a chilled broth made from boiled young chicken mixed with ground stir-fried sesame seeds. The carefully made dish was instantly made inedible.

Jin-han, with a troubled face, quickly took out a handkerchief and gathered the scattered food with his bare hands.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

Yiseo, flustered by his unexpected actions, tried to stop him. From the woman, who had her hand stretched out in the air, came the familiar scent of a body wash.

‘It’s a product from our hotel.’

And it was the highest-grade amenity, different from the one used in the regular rooms. Jin-han, who had personally been involved in the selection of the amenities, knew the scent well. Their eyes met for a moment, and the woman’s gaze wavered. Seeing her embarrassed, flushed face, Jin-han tried to remember where he had seen the woman before.

Her brown hair was long, and her face, without any makeup, was transparent. She had a glamorous face but also an elegant feeling at the same time.

He was drawn by a strange feeling that he couldn’t break away from, and he stared at her face, forgetting that it was rude. ‘What is it?’ He couldn’t even guess the source of the sudden wave of emotions. The more he looked at her, the more mysterious her transparent eyes seemed.

It was as if time had stopped between them for a moment.

Suddenly, he felt a breeze blow by, scratching his neck. He ignored the somewhat ticklish feeling and stood up. In his hand was the food, which was a mess but had been picked up, still in the wrapping cloth.

“I’m sorry. I will compensate you for the food.”

However, his face, which had been quietly tidying up the spilled food on the floor as if it was his only job, was polite. In the end, the three-hour class had been for nothing, but it was already done. Yiseo shook her head, thinking, ‘What can I do now?’

“It’s alright. No one was going to eat it anyway.”

She knew that the food she brought home after cooking class always ended up in the food waste bin. Since no one was going to eat it, it didn’t matter how it was thrown away.

“Don’t worry about it too much. I’m really fine.”

Yiseo, who had answered in a low voice as if talking to herself, then bowed her head and walked away.

Jin-han couldn’t take his eyes off the woman until she had completely disappeared from his sight. He should have stopped her and given her his number, but for some reason, he just stared at her face and couldn’t do anything. Just as a hollow laugh was spreading across his lips, as if he had been bewitched,

“Over here!”

Seo-eun, who had appeared a little late, announced her presence with a friendly voice.

“Do I look that unlikable?”

“What are you talking about?”

Seo-eun stared at Jin-han with a dumbfounded expression, as if she had heard something out of the blue. Jin-han glanced at the empty alley and shook his head. The composed face of the woman strangely stuck in his mind.

“Who said you’re unlikable? Now, eat this and cheer up, my dear brother-in-law. Here, health food.”

“Tae-han will be upset.”

“I’m going to make a fresh, warm one for him.”

Seo-eun passed the entire silk wrapping cloth to Jin-han.

“As expected from the goddess of supportive wives.”

Hadn’t she said that she had never once fed Tae-han cold food after they got married? Without anyone telling her, Seo-eun personally took care of his meals, and it was her job to lay out his shirt, tie, and cufflinks every morning.

It was something that couldn’t be done without truly loving her husband. In this day and age, was it possible to move according to her husband’s schedule, who left for work at dawn every day, if it wasn’t for love? Still thinking of them as a well-matched couple, Jin-han looked at the wrapping cloth he had received from Seo-eun and smiled.

“Jin-han, I have a favor to ask. Please keep it a secret that you came here today.”

“Isn’t it more strange for a sister-in-law and brother-in-law to meet in secret?”

“You know that’s not what I mean. Just do it. Thank you for coming today.”

“How can I disobey the words of my heavenly sister-in-law?”

Seo-eun smiled kindly at Jin-han, who had willingly rushed over after her call asking for some of his time, and recalled the worried look on her mother-in-law, Seo Jeong-ju, a little while ago.

The old lady, who wasn’t usually like that, was sitting blankly in the garden of the Haeseungwon, lost in thought as she stared at the lush greenery. Seo-eun lingered around her for a long time, as she seemed to be filled with worries. It was after the Haeseungwon had mentioned Tae-jo and Jin-han’s marriage.

When she tried to talk to her mother-in-law, whose mind seemed to be heavy after a few sleepless nights, Seo Jeong-ju, uncharacteristically, let out a deep sigh. Ryu Jung-hwan was thinking of becoming in-laws with Yoon Dae-myeong’s family. She didn’t know which of the two unmarried sons in the family would be chosen, but one of them would definitely be tied to the Yoon family.

Yoon Sang-baek, Yoon Dae-myeong’s father, who had served as a prime minister, was a man who grew up in a family that had been a local maintainer for generations, and he finally succeeded a powerful family. Ryu Jung-hwan and such a man, who showed off their prestige even as the government changed, were old friends.

When they occasionally talked about old times, they would open up and chat for hours about how they had helped each other through the Korean War, and through those times when their lives and companies were in danger.

There was a deep trust and a strong bond between the two families.

So, how could anyone disobey the words of the Chairman, who still held absolute power in the Haeshin family? Seo Jeong-ju was anxious that her most beloved youngest son might become the son-in-law of Yoon Dae-myeong’s family.

When her mother-in-law, who was like that, subtly called Seo-eun, who attended a cooking class, into her room, Seo-eun understood her mother-in-law’s thoughts after hearing only a few words.

“Yoon Dae-myeong’s daughter attends Ms. Im’s class. Have you heard of her? Yoon Yiseo?”

Lately, she had been hearing that name more often. Seo Jeong-ju, who mentioned the name of the woman who was also a subordinate at the art center, seemed to want her to be tied to her nephew, not her son.

Seo-eun, who was quick-witted, eventually adjusted her schedule to take a class at the same time as Yiseo. And she finally managed to bring Jin-han here as if by coincidence.

But when she came out, it wasn’t the picture she had in her mind. Seeing Jin-han ask if he had an unlikable impression, it was clear that something had already happened between the two of them.

“Was there something that happened before I came out?”

“Oh, I was about to ask about that.”

Jin-han’s brow furrowed as if something was bothering him. When his straight, dark eyebrows rose slightly, his face, which had been boyish until now, instantly sharpened.

“Among the people in the same class, who has straight hair that comes down to here and a pretty face?”

“Oh, Yiseo?”

“Yiseo?”

‘So her name is Yiseo.’ As he mulled over the name, Seo-eun added,

“She’s an employee at my mother’s art center. A curator.”

“The Haeshin Art Center?”

“Why? Are you interested? My mother was saying she’s a really great and smart person. She said she would be a good match for you, brother-in-law. Oh, her father is Assemblyman Yoon Dae-myeong.”

“My aunt-in-law?”

Jin-han recalled Seo Jeong-ju, a kind but inscrutable woman. She was a person as calm as a deep well, no matter what happened to the family. Her unshakeable composure, even in happy and sad times, was different from his own mother, who would get excited or depressed like a young girl depending on her mood. She was like an abyss so deep that even if you threw a stone into it, you wouldn’t hear it hit the bottom.

In a way, she was a little scary. He was curious about his aunt-in-law Seo Jeong-ju’s plan, but at the same time, Yoon Yiseo, who had passed him by, was etched in his mind.

A woman who was composed even when the food she had carefully made for a long time was ruined.

In that moment, he felt refreshed, as if he had found a transparent stream of water on a hot day that washed away the heat. Jin-han didn’t know why he felt that way. That’s probably why he kept thinking about her even after she was gone.

A woman who remained in his mind because she was composed instead of resentful after his mistake. Thinking of her, Jin-han lowered his gaze to Seo-eun.

“Her workplace is the Haeshin Art Center?”

________________________________________

The moving car was quiet. The car, on its way to Jangchung-dong, was smoothly driving down the road. Inside, Choi Sung-hee and Yiseo were sitting side by side. In the heavy silence, Choi Sung-hee opened her lips, which were coated with a glossy lip gloss, without even looking at Yiseo.

“You need to be especially careful today. Your grandfather will also be attending.”

Ryu Jung-hwan, the founder of the Haeshin Group, was a long-time friend of Yoon Dae-myeong. As politics and business were an inseparable relationship, their friendship, which had gone through a path of thorns, was still strong even as they reached eighty.

Yoon Dae-myeong personally went to pick up his father, Yoon Sang-baek, who had expressed his intention to attend his old friend’s 80th birthday party, and Yiheon was to join them at the Haeshin Hotel, where the party was being held.

And so the whole family was on their way to attend the event. If Yiseo’s grandfather, Yoon Sang-baek, was attending, she couldn’t say she had other plans. It was better for Yiseo to quietly go with them for a day and not oppose the family’s efforts to maintain their relationship with the Haeshin Group.

Yiseo quietly clutched the clutch she was holding.

A long arm emerged from under the puffed short sleeves that were swollen at the shoulders. A glossy organza ribbon was tied around her half-high neckline, fluttering, and her ivory silk dress, which wrapped around her torso, flared out below her knees.

Without any accessories, Yiseo was simply elegant, like a pristine white lily. She was the complete opposite of Choi Sung-hee, who had ostentatiously hung large, flashy jewelry on herself.

“By the way, aren’t you a bit too plain?”

“I’m not the one who’s supposed to be getting attention.”

“Still.”

Choi Sung-hee, who was about to add something, eventually shut her mouth as if everything was an annoyance.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Choi Sung-hee got out of the car and pulled Yiseo to her side. It was a place where people’s eyes would be on them. When Choi Sung-hee’s hand touched her, Yiseo flinched in surprise. But she quickly composed her expression and walked next to her, matching her stride like a close mother and daughter.

People started to recognize them and approach them. As Choi Sung-hee smiled brightly at them, Yiseo’s expression was composed and proper.

She only hoped that today would also pass without incident.

________________________________________

The Haeshin Hotel Yeongbingwan in Jangchung-dong was crowded with the most people since its opening. It was the 80th birthday of Ryu Jung-hwan, the founder of the Haeshin Group. Inside the hotel, where the birthday party was being held, the rectangular traditional Korean house-style building was truly a magnificent sight.

The event, grander and more luxurious than any she had ever seen, was filled with lush, fragrant flowers everywhere, and everywhere her eyes landed, there were political and business figures and people she had seen in the media.

In the middle of it all, the protagonist of the day, Ryu Jung-hwan, dressed in a beautiful hanbok, was smiling happily in front of his grand birthday feast.

The man, whose kind face belied his age of 80, had a great presence that commanded the room, with his eyes sparkling as if they held gold. He had long since retired as chairman, but Yiseo felt this familiar world was once again strange as she saw the long line of people who were still trying to get in touch with him.

As she was being careful about her posture, deeply engraving Choi Sung-hee’s words to be especially careful today, she noticed many people taking pictures, observing who was here and what they were doing as if to record it. Just then, her father and brother appeared, accompanying her grandfather, Yoon Sang-baek.

When their eyes met, Yoon Sang-baek suddenly pulled Yiseo by the hand, led her past the crowd, and took her to Ryu Jung-hwan. He introduced Yiseo as his own bloodline and his cherished granddaughter.

Yiseo was not the only one who was taken aback by Yoon Sang-baek’s unexpected actions. Yoon Dae-myeong and Yiheon were secretly surprised but didn’t show it, and Choi Sung-hee bit her trembling lip, desperately trying to maintain her composure. The people from the Haeshin family in the room were also visibly shaken by Yoon Sang-baek’s words. But it only lasted for a moment.

“You’ve grown up beautifully.”

Ryu Jung-hwan’s eyes crinkled with laughter as he looked at Yiseo, asking if she was that girl. Her legs were shaking as she returned after being inspected for a long time. It was only after Yoon Sang-baek and Yiseo’s family had offered their congratulations and good wishes and left that Yiseo was able to calm her pounding heart.

“That’s a good thing.”

After they had moved away, Yiheon smiled and patted Yiseo on the shoulder.

“Mother...”

“I’ll go see her.”

It was the first time Yoon Sang-baek had acknowledged Yiseo’s existence in a formal setting. The fact that this had happened so abruptly and without any discussion, especially in a place with so many people, seemed to have angered Choi Sung-hee. As Yiheon disappeared to soothe her, Yiseo was once again left alone.

I must have been nervous without realizing it, as the tips of my fingers were trembling. My heart felt both happy and sad. Then, when I suddenly lifted my head, my eyes met with Taejo’s, who, along with his two other brothers, was still silently standing by Ryu Joong-hwan’s side.

Just as they had when I greeted Ryu Joong-hwan, his gaze, of which I could not discern the meaning, cut across the space between us. However, Yiseo ultimately pretended not to notice him.

It had started like a joke, and it had ended like a joke.

It had been nearly a month since I had cut off contact with him.

It wasn’t even a proper ending since nothing had ever truly begun. Nevertheless, seeing his face again after so long made my heart ache a little.

Yiseo chose to ignore the embers of emotion flickering in her heart and turned away. After Yoon Sang-baek had publicly stamped his seal of approval, announcing, “She is my blood,” to dispel the rumors, it felt as though people at the banquet were giving her sidelong glances. Was it just my imagination? The curious gazes clinging to me made me want to escape this place, even though the main characters of the day were elsewhere.

Of course, the biggest reason I wanted to get away was probably Ryu Taejo.

The moment I thought of his name, all the time I had spent trying to ignore him felt meaningless, and my heart soured. The more I tried to suppress the uncomfortable feeling rising within me, the more my cheeks burned from an uncontrollable surge of emotion.

“Taejo is not the one.”

A while ago, Yiheon’s words, as he had cautiously called me over to give me advice, came to mind.

“He is not the one.”

Yiseo’s eyes turned cold as she recalled that day when Yiheon’s bombshell confession, which had erupted after she had asked what he knew, had not just scratched but shattered her heart. It felt as if a cold wind was blowing over her aching heart. Despite the hot weather, a chill ran through her body as if her very flesh were being cut.

He had made a bet.

A bet about you.

He had heard it from a junior he knew and was concerned for her. Even as he conveyed the news, his face suggested that he would never forgive those who would play such a cruel joke with his sister.

This feeling will probably persist as long as I remain here. Thinking it would be best to avoid him, I turned my body.

Just then, I met the eyes of a handsome man who was making his way through the crowd. Thanks to Yiheon, who had clued me in, I finally knew that he was Managing Director Ryu Jin-han of Haesin Hotel. He was the man I had encountered at the hanok in Oksu-dong.

The man walked straight up to Yiseo and stopped in front of her.

“We meet again here. I’m Ryu Jin-han.”

The man’s voice, as he smiled and introduced himself, revealing his white teeth, was gentle. His demeanor was as confident as his refreshing smile.

“I’m Yoon Yiseo.”

“Why did I not recognize you last time?”

The fact that she was the bloodline acknowledged by Yoon Sang-baek and the younger sister of DK Group’s Yoon Yiheon came together in Jin-han’s mind like a puzzle piece today. He had heard that Yiheon had a younger sister but had only just put two and two together.

Jin-han was not a man who enjoyed gossip, unless it was related to company matters. Especially since he had broken off his engagement with the heiress of Jin-song Trading the previous year, such matters had been put on the back burner. His mind was always focused on goals like increasing company sales, prosperity, and achievement, leaving him no time to meticulously follow such scandals.

Although he later learned that she was the protagonist of the loud rumors, nothing had changed for him since the day he had been attracted to her at first sight.

“Did you get home all right that day?”

“What did you do with the handkerchief?”

However, Yiseo’s face showed more concern for the handkerchief of Jin-han’s that had been ruined by the spilled food than for the pleasantries. It was an unexpected question, and the innocent expression on Yiseo’s face as she asked it made a smile unexpectedly appear on Jin-han’s lips.

“I had it laundered and have kept it.”

“It can’t be used again, can it?”

“Probably not.”

He had sent it to be dry-cleaned several times, but each time he was told that it would be more cost-effective to just throw it away and buy a new one.

For some reason, however, Jin-han couldn’t bring himself to throw away the handkerchief that could no longer be used. It wasn’t because he was attached to that one handkerchief, but because it was an object that was ingrained with his first meeting with Yoon Yiseo. It had gained another value worth keeping, even if it could no longer serve its original purpose.

But seeing Yiseo bite her lip and look regretful over the handkerchief, he felt that his decision had been the right one. Jin-han looked down at Yiseo with a more generous gaze than before.

Yiseo, neatly dressed in an ivory dress, exuded a simple yet elegant atmosphere. That day, she had been wearing a sky-blue two-piece suit and had seemed a little standoffish. Her impression had been a little cold at first glance. But today, she was brighter and more gentle.

The soft image she gave off didn’t seem to be just a difference in style. The woman was clearly paying more attention to her appearance than before. It seemed to be a change that had occurred since Yoon Sang-baek had declared, “She is my blood.” For Jin-han, the kindness that came her way, disguised as a favor for whatever reason, wasn’t a bad thing.

“I feel bad that it was ruined because of me.”

“No, it was my carelessness. On that note, may I treat you to dinner sometime, Ms. Yiseo? The hotel chef is excellent.”

Deciding that meeting outside might be burdensome, Jin-han deliberately mentioned the hotel grandly laid out behind them. The hotel’s three-star Michelin restaurant was also a source of his pride.

“I hope you don’t feel burdened.”

“Yes, let’s meet.”

After a moment of contemplation, Yiseo readily accepted his offer.

Since they had both made a mistake at that meeting, if he felt sorry, then Yiseo also had some responsibility for her own carelessness. Besides, it would be rude to ignore someone who was making such a polite request.

“Have you had dinner?”

Since arriving here, the champagne she held in her hand was the first thing she had had to drink, let alone eat. Jin-han’s gaze, which had taken even that into consideration, became tinged with a deeper interest.

“I plan to eat later.”

Yiseo smiled as she wet her throat with champagne, but her expression, when the smile disappeared, looked as uncomfortable as if she were sitting on a bed of nails. Jin-han’s gaze lingered for a longer time on the woman, who was being as careful and quiet as possible, as if trying to appear unfazed.

The easiest way to understand a person was through their eyes. Her gaze, which was unable to settle anywhere, showed constant signs of anxiety.

“It’s okay. No one eats them anyway.”

He didn’t know why that particular memory of that day and those words came to Jin-han’s mind now. The image of her in Oksu-dong overlapped with the Yiseo in front of him.

“If you need a quiet place to rest, go to the end of the corridor as soon as you enter the detached building you see over there. If you go down one flight of stairs, there’s a small lounge. Not many people know about it, so people don’t go there. You can use it if you need to.”

It was a gut feeling that the woman needed a break. Jin-han subtly pointed his chin toward the traditional hanok building in front of them and quietly gave her the tip.

“You’re very kind.”

“I hope I’m not overstepping.”

“Not at all.”

His eyes, which were making a subtle secret between the two of them, skillfully lowered as they met hers.

Everyone has a secret they can’t talk about, and sometimes people’s guards are let down by unexpected things. This was one of those moments when the unexpected consideration from the other person was recognized as protection.

“I hope it helps.”

A small, silent smile, understood only by the two of them, was exchanged between them. Her indifferent face softened, and for the first time, she smiled with her eyes. She was a different person from just a moment ago, when her expression was almost nonexistent. She can smile like this, too. The face with her guard down was clear and beautiful. Jin-han, still lost in thought, let his lips droop and added.

“If I didn’t have such an important schedule, I would show you around the hotel myself.”

“I appreciate the offer, but you shouldn’t do that for me. It’s an important event. You have to be here.”

“Unfortunately.”

He emphasized once more, as if genuinely disappointed that he couldn’t spend time with Yiseo.

A man like a gentle breeze.

It was only the second time he had met him, but he was the kind of person who approached her as gently as a pleasant breeze and made the atmosphere comfortably relaxed. He was honest and polite, and had a sense of humor that wasn’t too light. My first impression was that Ryu Jin-han was a good person, and it still held.

“Contact me later.”

When Yiseo handed him her business card, Jin-han’s gaze quickly scanned the rectangular card before rising to meet her eyes.

“I’ll come visit you at the art center sometime.”

A gust of wind blew through her chest as she looked at the man who promised that they would meet again soon.

“Goodbye then.”

“I hope you have a good time.”

Ryu Jin-han’s gaze lingered for a long time on Yiseo’s back as she bowed and disappeared toward the detached building.

________________________________________

Taejo had been by his grandfather’s side all day, like one of the chairman’s figurines. From the moment he opened his eyes and went to Haeseungwon to escort his grandfather to the hotel, he had not left Ryu Joong-hwan’s side. The same was true for Taejo’s other brothers.

It was not an everyday occurrence, so this display of filial piety was appropriate. Nevertheless, the integrity of his duty to stand by his grandfather’s side like a shadow began to crack. First, when Yoon Yiseo appeared as a guest; second, when Yiseo appeared with his grandfather and ignored him at the end of their greetings; and third, when Jin-han approached Yiseo.

For a moment, he resented his seat, which overlooked the banquet hall, as he watched Yiseo awkwardly wander the hall like a speck of floating dust.

Taejo watched them as they talked. Everything from Jin-han approaching the standing Yiseo, to them talking and laughing, exchanging business cards, and turning away.

It was the first time he had seen Yoon Yiseo smile since they had arrived here.

And of all people, it had to be with Jin-han. Something churned inside him when he saw them looking into each other’s eyes and whispering. When Yiseo finally walked toward the detached building, he found it difficult to stay in his seat. He was about to break ranks and leave when Tae-han, who had noticed his intention to leave, grabbed his arm.

“Where are you going?”

“For a cigarette.”

The look in his eyes, as he glared at Tae-han with annoyance, was anxious. Tae-han stared intently at his brother’s face.

“You haven’t had a single one since you got here.”

Instead of asking him if he could hold on a little longer, he checked his watch.

“A guest is coming. Go after this.”

The person who came to greet them with his family was Seo Kang-wook, the second son of Daehan Group. He was Seo Jeong-joo’s nephew and their maternal cousin, and he had become a reliable family man.

There was no sense of incongruity in the way he was dressed in a stylish suit and holding his child, who had just passed his first birthday. His eyes behind the round silver-rimmed glasses were still sharp, and his face was still smooth, but his demeanor was very stable.

His wife and a girl who looked to be around kindergarten age were with them.

Kang-wook’s wife was a rare beauty. Even after giving birth to three children, she had a slim figure and a clear, intelligent face that exuded a soft charisma.

And yet, the other child she held in her arms did not make a single sound and smiled docilely amidst the commotion. The couple held a boy and a girl in their arms, so the second and third children must have been twins.

“Is this the first one?”

“Yes, she’s the first.”

For some reason, the chairman was unusually interested in other people’s children today. He had a hobby of setting up people who were not married, but his gaze toward the child was deeper than usual. This was probably because he still had no grandchildren to continue his lineage.

Ryu Joong-hwan looked down at the child, who was wearing the same style of dress as her mother, and asked kindly.

“What’s your name?”

“Dabi, Seo Dabi.”

“Dabi?”

“Yes, it’s pretty, right? Mom and Dad met me when they were in Abu Dhabi.”

The child, though shyly smiling, said everything she wanted to. The clear, ringing voice made the chairman’s face break into a wide smile.

“How old are you?”

“I’m seven. I’m going to school next year.”

“When you go to school, is there anything you want?”

“Um, can I say it?”

Dabi’s eyes, as she talked to the chairman as if she had met a genie from a lamp, widened as if under a spell. The child said she wanted a small pony, and Ryu Joong-hwan asked if she knew how to ride a horse.

When asked where she would keep it, the child replied that she would sleep with it, feed it, and brush its hair, which made Ryu Joong-hwan smile with satisfaction. He then instructed someone to contact a horse owner who raised famous horses in Jeju Island to give the child a horse that would suit her.

“A white one. I like white.”

A burst of laughter erupted from the audience, including Ryu Joong-hwan, at the child’s response, which showed she was serious but also had a clear preference. When the chairman said he understood and held out his finger to make a promise, the child pecked the wrinkled back of the old man’s hand and told him to live a long, healthy life.

“Managing Director Seo is doing well.”

Everyone there, including him, couldn’t take their eyes off the child. She was a beautiful child who had been raised with a lot of love. Seo Kang-wook, who was now a reliable head of the family, bowed his head while holding his sleeping second child in his arms.

“Thank you. Please continue to give me guidance. I hope you stay healthy for a long time and lead us to a better future, just as you have until now.”

“Haha, this guy.”

“May you live a long life.”

Ryu Joong-hwan laughed for a long time as he watched Kang-wook’s family, who had greeted him respectfully with a sense of admiration, leave.

Seven years ago, the man who had his wedding in Abu Dhabi fell in love with an ordinary woman who was not from a family of his social standing. The man who ultimately won his love despite strong opposition from his family was at ease.

Didn’t Kang-wook have his wedding at the hotel resort he had personally built in Abu Dhabi and then returned to Seoul to give his greetings? At the time, Taejo was studying abroad, so he only heard the news of his cousin’s marriage over the phone. Therefore, it was the first time he had met his sister-in-law and nephew.

“He has three kids?”

The way he was patting the child’s back in his arms was very natural, as if he was involved in childcare on a regular basis. The man who was holding the sleeping child quietly in his arms didn’t move. The face behind the glasses still looked as though not even a single needle could pierce it, so how could he be so gentle?

The Kang-wook he had known since childhood was far from such things. If you were to choose a person who was the furthest from marriage and children, you would think of Kang-wook even more than his work-obsessed older brothers. He was a man who was always cold and meticulous to the point that you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He was a man who was rigid, strong, and sometimes seemed to be without a drop of blood or tears. It was so bad that even his maternal family would click their tongues at his coldness and persistence.

“Kang-wook married well.”

Seo Jeong-joo, who had approached, said as she stroked her nephew’s shoulder.

“Can I hold him for a bit?”

At Seo Jeong-joo’s words, Kang-wook handed over the sleeping child. The child did not wake up even though he was passed from one person to another.

“Oh, he’s so gentle. My goodness, he’s so pretty. This is the second one, right? How old is he?”

“He just passed his first birthday.”

“The son looks just like you. He’s so handsome.”

“He got it from his mother’s side.”

Kang-wook unhesitatingly said that his son’s excellent looks all came from his wife and then went to his wife, who was walking around the room holding their daughter’s hand. He was a doting husband who stayed close to his wife and would check on her, even for a moment, in case she disappeared from his sight.

“It’s a good thing he got to live so well. I don’t know why he was like that back then. People’s destinies are all set.”

Seo Jeong-joo, who knew about the difficult process Kang-wook went through to get married, smiled faintly, unable to take her eyes off the grandnephew nestled in her arms like a blessing.

“I hope our sons also become fathers soon and get to know the joy you know.”

It had been a long-awaited piece of news, but after several years of marriage, Tae-joon and Tae-han’s families still had no news of a second generation. Seo Jeong-joo said, stroking the grandnephew in her arms.

“Building a family comes with great responsibility. Becoming a parent is like becoming an adult again. But you also get a great deal of happiness that is worth all the trouble, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I hope this boy gets to know that feeling someday, too. Not now, of course, but later.”

In contrast to Kang-wook, who agreed, Seo Jeong-joo smiled as she looked at Taejo, who stood next to them with one hand in his pocket and listened to the conversation as if it were a story from another world.

In fact, the other conversations did not even enter my ears. A baby around a year old. The existence of the nephew, whom I was seeing for the first time, was small and cute, but I didn’t feel the desire to hold the child or envy him. I just desperately wanted to get out of here and check out the detached building.

“Congratulations again, auntie. You’ve worked hard, Taejo.”

Kang-wook soon returned to his family. He handed the sleeping child to his wife, and when he lifted the other lively child up, the sound of the child’s laughter rang out affectionately.