Chapter 69
69. Back to You (2) 2021.12.25.
Inside Ji-heon's car. To Ji-heon's question of how they broke up, Jeong-o told him everything that happened to them on November 2nd, seven years ago, and the situation she faced immediately after the hit-and-run the next day. Even what 'Ji-heon' had said to her when he contacted her two weeks after the hit-and-run. Jeong-o was anxious that he might not believe her, but it was an unnecessary worry. Ji-heon quickly understood Jeong-o's situation and harbored the same suspicions as her. It was a fact that could be inferred.
“I never made that call. It must have been my mother's doing. She seemed to be hiding something.”
“……”
“She probably hired someone or manipulated something.”
Jeong-o carefully nodded and added her opinion.
“When I think about it, Oppa’s mother doesn't seem to know about Yena. If she did, she would have prevented me from joining Max Planning. Or maybe she would have stopped Oppa.”
The title 'Oppa' came out naturally. Even in the midst of the seriousness, Ji-heon kept getting distracted by that title. The natural use of informal speech felt awkward yet also fascinating and lovely. So, this is what we were like. He was late to respond a few times because he wanted to hug her and kiss her.
“That makes sense.”
“I think she thought she had completely cut me off with that phone call back then.”
Ji-heon also nodded. Jeong-o regretted it a little. If she had known that they could communicate so well, she would have told him sooner. But the fact that he figured it out on his own was meaningful. Jeong-o decided that everything was for the best. Without any time to dwell on her feelings, Jeong-o spurred on with the stories she had to tell. Jeong Ji-heon was a man who needed orientation right now. She had to quickly update him on everything that had happened and make him a man who could handle any situation. Jeong-o diligently moved on to the next topic.
“And there's someone Oppa needs to be careful of.”
At Jeong-o's serious expression, Ji-heon immediately focused.
“Actually, I was going to meet a lawyer. I was worried that if I told Oppa the truth, I might lose Yena.”
“Lee Jeong-o, you're so thorough…”
“That kind of anxiety is natural. After what I've been through, how can I be at ease?”
Jeong-o retorted sullenly as Ji-heon sighed and nagged her. Jeong-o's reaction was truly natural. Ji-heon could understand it a hundred, a thousand times over. Understanding it and feeling hurt were separate matters. Jeong-o continued to speak.
“But when I went to the law firm for a consultation, I met lawyer Chae Eun-yeop.”
“Chae Eun-bi’s Oppa, Chae Eun-yeop?”
“Yeah. That person hid his name and approached me, setting a trap.”
“……”
“Chae Eun-yeop seemed to know that Yena is Oppa’s child.”
Jeong-o explained step by step how she found the law firm and what kind of conversations took place in that office. Ji-heon frowned deeply, his brow furrowed, and leaned back in his seat, looking confused.
“Eun-yeop is my friend. That's how I knew Chae Eun-bi too.”
“……”
“Of course, I don't trust him deeply. But it's shocking that he would go this far.”
After his mother, now his friend. Jeong-o was worried that the facts she knew might shake his foundation. But for his sake, it was a truth that had to be addressed. After a moment, he seemed to have sorted out his thoughts and nodded.
“Thank you. For telling me.”
“There's more.”
“There's more?”
Ji-heon's voice rose. It wasn't because he didn't want to hear it, nor was he complaining because he had so much more to say. It was because he felt sorry for her, having to live with these secrets alone until now. Jeong-o continued calmly.
“About two months ago, Yena was almost kidnapped in front of her academy.”
Ji-heon's eyes widened. At the same time, Jeong-o saw his fists clench tightly, and she felt overwhelmed as if she had returned to that time. She told Ji-heon everything that happened that day and showed him the CCTV footage she had received from the police. After telling him about the note in Yena's bag, she felt a little relieved and quite reassured. Now she had an ally to fight with her. Her nose tingled.
“That's why I couldn't tell Oppa earlier. I was worried that Oppa might have known about Yena's existence beforehand and was trying to scare me.”
Ji-heon looked at her with tearful eyes, his jaw clenched as if he felt wronged. He looked quite cute, but Jeong-o was a little dumbfounded.
“Think about my past! How could I just trust Oppa completely! Besides, Jeong Ji-heon was a jerk back then!”
At Jeong-o's appeal, Ji-heon lowered his head and sighed. She thought he was reflecting, but the answer he gave at the end of that sigh was:
“Let's get married first.”
It was so like Jeong Ji-heon. Joy, sadness, happiness, regret, anticipation, and remorse. Many emotions and thoughts surged like waves, and just when the emotions were about to run out, another emotion would come. It was an incredible night. The ending was so clean and cheerful. Jeong-o laughed, but Ji-heon didn't.
“I'm not joking.”
“Let's take it slow.”
“What are you talking about? We should do it right away.”
“Yena is the most important thing.”
“……”
“Becoming a family, it has to be after Yena accepts it. Got it?”
Seeing his face go blank as if he had realized something great, Jeong-o laughed again and again. Jeong Ji-heon. When you become a parent, the center of your life shifts. It's something I can't help. Like the earth rotates, like the seasons change, like light refracts underwater. Like the wind blows from the sea to the land during the day and from the land to the sea at night. That's how naturally life changes. The child keeps becoming the master of my life. But I think it's okay. Because I keep getting stronger to protect my child. Now that you know there's a child, you'll understand my heart.
“When Yena acknowledges Oppa, you can prepare then.”
The man, whose eyes were still moist with tears, nodded with a pitiful expression, but obediently.
“First, I want to figure out how much lawyer Chae Eun-yeop knows. And who the woman who tried to kidnap our Yena was.”
“I'll look into it.”
“Oppa, act normal so you don't get suspected. I'll think about it for now. What's the best way to handle it.”
Jeong-o clearly organized her plans. Her heart was warm, but she knew that she had to stay sharp at times like this.
“I'll talk to Mom around dinner time tomorrow. It's a bit much today. It's late too.”
“……”
“And Mom had a hard day today.”
In fact, she wanted to tell him everything, even about Chae Eun-bi visiting her mother's restaurant today, but she held back. He seemed confused enough as it was.
“Okay. Go in quickly.”
“Can you let go of my hand?”
Jeong-o asked teasingly. He was telling her to go in quickly as if everything was settled, but he was holding Jeong-o's hand tightly. So tightly that her fingertips were tingling. How cold-hearted. Ji-heon grumbled inwardly and slowly let go of her hand. He didn't remember their relationship from seven years ago, but there were a few things he could guess. He must have been sad every time he had to part with her. That's why it must have taken him quite a while to let go of her hand. Let's never break up again. He couldn't bring himself to say it, fearing she might cry again, and let Jeong-o go. She got out of the car and waved her hand. Ji-heon looked at her and smiled.
“Oppa.”
Jeong-o called him just before opening the entrance door to the villa.
“Now, don't forget me.”
The warm plea that flowed through the summer night air brushed against his heart. Ji-heon immediately ran over and hugged her. Jeong-o, who was completely enveloped in his broad embrace, also reached out and hugged him. The memory was gone, but one burning emotion remained. The heart that used to call out, "Jeong-o," was still beating hotly for the same person. Let's never break up again. * It was a night when so many things happened that it seemed impossible to fall asleep. After a few hours of sleep, Jeong-o woke up to the sound of clattering in the kitchen. Jeong-o got up and went straight to the kitchen.
“Why are you up already? You could have slept more.”
Guk-soon said as she saw Jeong-o approaching.
“Didn't you work overtime yesterday too? You seemed to come home late.”
Jeong-o could guess her mother's sadness, who had quietly sobbed in her room and couldn't even come out when her daughter came home.
“I didn't work much overtime, I just met someone.”
“You're such a hard worker.”
Guk-soon said as she added soybean paste to the pot. Soon, the savory smell of soybean paste stew filled the kitchen. It had been seven years of mornings with her mother. How could she ever express all her gratitude to her mother, who had consistently been in this place for seven years?
“Mom.”
Jeong-o went behind Guk-soon and quietly hugged her mother.
“Mom, shall we hang out today?”
“Aren't you going to work?”
“I'll just take a day off.”
“How long has it been since you took a day off? You'll get fired if you keep doing that.”
“Even if I get kicked out, Mom will take care of me, right?”
“How can I take care of you? You eat as much as an elephant.”
“Hey, an elephant is too much.”
“Right. Not an elephant. I have to bring you meat too.”
There was no moisture in her mother’s voice. A strong mother who always tried not to show her weak side to her daughter. Lee Jung-oh, born as Ms. Lee Guk-soon's daughter, was the happiest person in the world.
“Let’s be happy. And healthy.”
“Why? Are you quitting your job to become a singer now?”
“Oh, geez. My mom has no sense of atmosphere.”
“Who has time for atmosphere? I don’t even have time to set the table.”
Jeong-o sighed and released her arms at her mother’s cynical reply. She felt a pang in her heart and gained strength from her mother’s nonchalant appearance. Jeong-o, energized by a hearty breakfast, headed to work. Yena and Jeong-o greeted each other cheerfully.
“Grandma, I’m off!”
“Mom, I’m off. See you in the evening.”
Guk-soon waved at the adorable mother and daughter.
“Have a good day. Be careful of cars, my puppy.”
“Okay!”
Jeong-o held Yena’s hand and went down the stairs. The daycare bus didn’t come into the alley in front of their house, so Jeong-o took Yena to the main road every morning on her way to work.
“You’re out early today.”
Jeong-o said, checking the time on her phone as she came down the stairs and opened the entrance door of the villa. Yena pointed in front of her.
“Mom, look over there.”
Jeong-o also raised her head and looked straight ahead. Ji-heon was walking towards them. While Jeong-o was frozen in surprise, Ji-heon, who had strode closer, greeted Yena first.
“Hello, Yena?”
“Hello.”
Instead of greeting him, Jeong-o asked a question.
“……Did you get any sleep?”
“Thanks to you.”
Was he saying he slept well, or that he didn’t sleep at all? Jeong-o frowned at his ambiguous answer. Ji-heon pretended not to notice Jeong-o’s reaction and stared at Yena for a long time. There was no way he could have slept. Ji-heon, who arrived home late at night, tossed and turned all night, then woke up at dawn, washed up, and guarded Jeong-o’s house again. He felt fluttery, hurt, and overwhelmed. He tried to recall what had happened seven years ago, but he couldn’t remember anything anymore. Instead, Ji-heon carefully recalled the day he met Jeong-o again after seven years, and the day he first met Yena. As expected, he had many regrets about the past. He hadn’t even thought about Yena’s birthday and had tormented Jeong-o, and he hadn’t said a kind word to Jeong-o and Yena properly. In particular, the memory of not hugging Yena right away when she asked for a hug was etched in his heart like a nail. Seeing Yena again, the desire to hug her just once tormented him. Yena, who had no idea what Ji-heon was feeling, asked firmly.
“Why did you come, mister?”
“I came to see Yena.”
“……”
“I’m going to come every day now.”
Although she asked with a pout, the corners of the child’s lips lifted slightly as if she didn’t dislike Ji-heon’s answer. Still, Yena replied without losing her primness.
“I still can’t play with you, mister. I have to go to daycare.”
“Okay. Let’s play with me on a day you don’t go to daycare.”
Instead of hugging the child, Ji-heon held out his hand. Unlike before, Yena took his hand right away. The ticklish power of the child’s cute fingers was quickly transmitted to his chest. The moment his nose became hot again. Jeong-o. Our child will be so beautiful. Forgotten memories were revived as if stretching. ……At that time, I was going to propose, and when I thought of the child, my heart kept tickling as if fingers had grown for the first time in my life.
‘Ah…….’
Ji-heon quietly sighed without letting the two of them notice. His head didn’t throb anymore. To the baby who will be born someday. I’ll let you be the first to step on the snow that fell overnight. I’ll let you see the stars rising. I’ll teach you how to ride a bike. I’ll hold your hand. I’ll protect you. I’ll make eye contact and tell you I love you.
