Chapter 72
72. First Greeting 2022.01.05.
Yena, having arrived at the academy, neatly re-tied her disheveled hair. Though her hair was well-arranged, Yena felt uneasy throughout the class. As usual, Yena posed a question to Do-bin, who was merely playing with the Go stones.
“If you could have as much money as you wanted, how much would you want?”
“One thousand won.”
Yena had thought it would be a difficult question to answer, but Do-bin replied immediately. It seemed like an answer that came without going through any thought process.
“Why?”
“If I get more than a thousand won, Mom will take it away.”
Do-bin’s answer seemed plausible, so Yena nodded quietly. Why do people keep giving me fifty thousand won? I can’t even keep that much money anyway. And why do I feel bad about receiving money? If I had money, I could pester Mom to buy me the toys I like.
“Why do people give me fifty thousand won?”
“Fifty thousand won? Who gave it to you?”
“A stranger.”
“Then you should tell your mom about it.”
“Even if I didn’t receive it?”
“If I were you, I would. Fifty thousand won is five thousand one-wons. That’s a lot of money.”
“It’s not five thousand, it’s fifty, right?”
Do-bin, who had been showing off, immediately backed down at Yena’s correction.
“……Still, fifty thousand won is a lot of money, so I’d tell her.”
Yena nodded as well.
“Yeah. I should tell her.”
\ Eun-bi couldn’t even go to work and was bedridden.
‘That little girl is Jeong Ji-heon’s biological daughter.’
Please, let Oppa be mistaken. Let it be a lie. But the more she thought about the past, the more desperate she felt. Lee Jung-oh and Jeong Ji-heon had been strange from the start. Ji-heon was instinctively obsessed with Lee Jung-oh like an animal with Lee Jung-oh’s name engraved in its genes, and Jung-oh seemed to avoid Ji-heon, yet was confident and brazen as if she had something to rely on. And.
“The director didn’t look like my dad, but like my ex-boyfriend.”
She even said that in front of her and Jeong Ji-heon. It was a hint appealing to Ji-heon, who had lost his memory. So that’s what it meant.
‘Lee Jung-oh. Is she using the child as a hostage to approach Jeong Ji-heon?’
Realizing that all of this was Lee Jung-oh’s scheme, Lee Jung-oh’s scenario, Chae Eun-bi felt goosebumps all over her body. Yet, the reality that she couldn’t expose her slyness was frustrating and sad, and all she could do was cry. As she was crying under the blanket, she heard the sound of the front door opening.
“You’ve been like this all this time?”
Last night. Eun-bi cried in the man’s arms. It was a truly miserable day. Having her lover stolen, being treated like she didn’t exist at work, and even getting hit by her own Oppa, she felt like she was all alone in the world. The only person she could rely on was this man. As she cried and complained to the man, he even came to her house to comfort her. And in the morning, he made her breakfast, went to work during the day, and then returned to Eun-bi’s house.
“Honey, I’m so tired, I feel like I’m going to die.”
Eun-bi got up with swollen eyes and reached out her arms to the man like a spoiled child. The man came over and hugged Eun-bi.
“That girl took everything from me. I have no future now, and I’ll be kicked out of the company. There’s no one by my side anymore.”
“What are you talking about? I’m here.”
The man held Eun-bi tightly and comforted her with kind words.
“Everything will be alright. In the end, everything will turn out the way you want it to.”
Sniff, sniff.
“They say heaven helps those who help themselves. The more it’s like this, the stronger you have to be and cheer up. Okay?”
Sniff, sniff.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”
Still, hearing the man say good things made her feel better as if by magic. The man had a talent for counseling. Just as she had barely wiped away her tears, her phone vibrated. It was Eun-yeop’s call.
“It’s Oppa’s call. What should I do?”
“Answer it. Maybe he’s trying to apologize.”
The man, who knew that Eun-yeop had hit Eun-bi, said to Eun-bi. With a trembling heart, Eun-bi answered the phone.
“Hello.”
[What. Why did you take so long to answer the phone.]
Hearing her Oppa’s tone, she despaired, realizing there would be no apology. As she secretly sighed, Eun-yeop’s question followed.
[You didn’t cause any trouble today, did you?]
“What are you talking about? I couldn’t even go to work.”
[Yeah. It’s better if you don’t go to work.]
The tears that had been lingering in her eyes disappeared completely at her Oppa’s harsh words.
[Listen carefully. Just don’t do anything. That’s what’s best for you. Got it?]
The call, which was nothing but one-sided advice, ended abruptly. She was momentarily stunned, but Eun-bi soon regained her senses. It seemed like her Oppa was preparing something. His voice was very confident. Surely, Eun-yeop had a plan. Come to think of it, Ms. Jang is definitely not someone who would accept Lee Jung-oh. Maybe Lee Yena. So, if Eun-yeop used his tricks to tie up Lee Yena’s parental rights and custody, making it impossible for Lee Jung-oh to approach… Somehow, Chae Eun-yeop seemed capable of doing that.
“I… I think I can put my hopes on Oppa.”
Thinking that, she slowly regained her strength. She thought it was a good thing she answered the phone. \
“Ah, ah, ah.”
Ji-heon cleared his throat a few times.
“Hello, Mother. Yena, are you doing well?”
This is the director’s office, where you can see the once so arrogant Jeong Ji-heon being polite to the air. After practicing his greetings a few times, Ji-heon stood in front of the mirror, reflecting on his body and face. His tense face looked a bit fierce. He couldn’t relax, no matter how hard he tried.
Knock, knock.
“Yes.”
Ji-heon answered at the sound of the knock, and the door opened. Seung-gyu peeked his face through the opened door. Ji-heon recognized Seung-gyu’s face but didn’t leave the mirror.
“What are you doing?”
Seung-gyu, unfamiliar with Ji-heon looking at his face in the mirror, asked bluntly. Ji-heon asked Seung-gyu with a faint smile.
“What’s my impression like?”
“Why are you doing something you never do? Did someone tell you that you’re scary again?”
“No. It’s not that.”
“……”
“I’ll tell you after today.”
“What……”
Seung-gyu muttered quietly and sat on the sofa. Actually, Seung-gyu had come to talk about something as well.
“Did you hear about it? There was a fight in your department the day before yesterday.”
“What fight?”
“You haven’t heard?”
“……”
“Lee Jung-oh and Chae Eun-bi fought in the bathroom. They said they heard Lee Jung-oh slapping Chae Eun-bi.”
Ji-heon’s neatly crafted smile faded, and his face hardened. He had never heard such a thing from Jung-oh. The day before yesterday was the day Ji-heon found out that Yena was his daughter. He had visited Jung-oh at night and stayed with her for a long time, but there was no mention of a fight. Come to think of it, just before Ji-heon first asked about Yena, Jung-oh had said that she had a hard day today.
“Didn’t you hear anything from Lee Jung-oh?”
“Not at all. Do you know what happened?”
“Chae Eun-bi apparently said terrible things to Lee Jung-oh. She insulted her for being a single mother. She talked about Lee Jung-oh’s mother and child. It seems the insults were quite severe. Everyone was surprised that Chae Eun-bi was that kind of person.”
Ji-heon clenched his fist tightly below his waist.
“If Lee Jung-oh doesn’t bring it up, don’t pretend you know first. It must be hard for her.”
“I can’t pretend I don’t know if I’ve already heard it.”
“……Then don’t say I told you.”
Ji-heon smiled slightly at Seung-gyu’s timid request. He was glad to be working at the same company as his friend. If it weren’t for Seung-gyu, he would have foolishly gone on without knowing anything again.
“Thanks for telling me.”
“It’s nothing.”
“And you.”
“Yeah?”
“You really married well. Do you know that?”
“I know that, but I don’t want to hear that from you?”
“Okay. Sorry for saying something presumptuous.”
“What’s up, Director Jeong Ji-heon, what’s with you today?”
Ji-heon's expression and behavior seemed different, so Seung-gyu frowned and asked.
“What?”
“Is something going on today? I feel a strange aura of scheming.”
At Seung-gyu's question, Ji-heon finally answered briefly.
“I’m meeting Lee Jeong-o’s mother today.”
Seung-gyu's mouth dropped open.
“What? That’s too fast.”
“There’s a reason. I’ll tell you after today.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“……”
“Did you get her pregnant or something?”
“……”
“Really? Huh!”
Now Seung-gyu's eyes widened as if they would pop out, and he stared at Ji-heon. He did get a child, but what should he say about this?
“It’s not what you think.”
“Then what is it!”
“Anyway, I’ll tell you after today.”
“Hey! Are you trying to die? How can you say that and stop there! I can’t wait until tomorrow!”
Seung-gyu demanded with an excited face. Ji-heon left the office first, leaving Seung-gyu behind. Off work time. Jeong-o tidied up her clothes and makeup in the bathroom and came out. Eun-ju, who she encountered when she returned to the team, stared at Jeong-o indifferently, but after a moment, and then sat down. Similarly, Jeong-o approached Mi-ran, who was blankly staring at her, following Jeong-o's movements.
“Team Leader, I’m leaving work early today.”
“Oh, oh, okay, okay. Okay.”
She had been watching so intently, as if wondering what was going on, but when Jeong-o spoke to her, she looked surprised. Since the day before yesterday, Mi-ran had been blankly staring at Jeong-o for no reason, and then getting startled. She seemed to be very shocked by the commotion in the bathroom.
“Ms. Lee, I’ll give you a ride. I’m leaving work too.”
Gi-hoon was no different. Gi-hoon seemed to feel sorry for Jeong-o. Yesterday morning, he handed Jeong-o a calming pill, and this morning he gave her chocolate. When Jeong-o was assigned difficult tasks, he offered to do them himself, and he didn't forget to encourage her to cheer up. It was nice of him to be so kind, but he shouldn't feel pity for me. If he knew all the facts, he would feel betrayed instead. Jeong-o refused Gi-hoon's offer with a slightly guilty heart.
“No. It’s okay. I have somewhere to stop by.”
“Where are you stopping by? I’ll give you a ride there too.”
“No, really, it’s okay. I’ll go alone.”
Pfft, Assistant Manager Go Eun-ju quietly laughed from her seat. As if she knew everything. Go Eun-ju seemed to be the only one whose attitude hadn't changed since the bathroom incident the day before yesterday. Eun-ju had handed over the recording containing Chae Eun-bi's terrible remarks with the same attitude as usual. Now, Jeong-o really liked Go Eun-ju, who was moderately cynical and moderately loyal. Except for when she smiled meaningfully to herself, as if she knew something.
“Anyway, thank you. See you tomorrow. I’ll leave work first.”
Jeong-o quickly greeted them and went outside. Ji-heon was waiting across the street from the company. Jeong-o spotted Ji-heon's car and ran to it, getting in.
“Is anyone watching? Is anyone watching?”
“No one was.”
Ji-heon calmly replied to Jeong-o's exaggerated head movements. A fragrant and sour smell filled the car. When she turned her head to where the scent was coming from, she saw that the back seat was full. One was a large bouquet of flowers, and the other was an even larger fruit basket. Jeong-o's mouth dropped open at the size of the fruit basket, which seemed big enough for Yena to fit inside.
“Why did you buy something so big?”
“You said Yena and your mother would like it.”
Ji-heon asked Jeong-o, who nodded with a guilty feeling.
“What happened with Chae Eun-bi the day before yesterday?”
“Ah……”
She felt guilty again. She didn't want to tell him. But she judged that if she hid this, he might be even more upset, so Jeong-o told him the truth.
“Chae Eun-bi went to Mom’s restaurant with her friends, I guess.”
“……”
The car started, and the story continued for a long time. Ji-heon hardly changed his expression while listening to the story, but he occasionally turned his head to the other side and sighed deeply.
“Chae Eun-bi didn’t come to work today either. I wonder if she’s going to quit.”
“She wouldn’t want to face her colleagues. Her true colors have been revealed.”
“Anyway, Oppa, just stay still.”
“Stay still again?”
“Yeah. Just stay still for now. Let’s just think about my mom and Yena today.”
Jeong-o quickly changed the subject, worried that he might get unnecessarily upset about Chae Eun-bi.
“Today, if my mom says harsh things to you, don’t be too hurt.”
“……”
“My mom has suffered a lot because of me. But still, my mom isn’t really a scary person.”
This time, Ji-heon swallowed hard. The tension he had briefly forgotten while talking about Chae Eun-bi resurfaced. Despite Jeong-o's request and comfort, his shoulders stiffened. \ Guk-soon was busy all along. She closed the restaurant early today and came home to prepare food diligently, but she was too greedy, so she was running out of time.
“Oh dear. What should I do? I didn’t pick up the rice cakes. It’s almost time for them to arrive, what should I do?”
“Grandma, who’s coming?”
“Should I tell them to stop by on the way? Or should we just eat what we have?”
“Grandma, who’s coming?”
“You’ll know when you see them.”
Guk-soon smiled brightly at Yena, even though she was half out of her mind from all the fussing and preparation. But Yena was upset that Guk-soon didn't give her a proper answer. She also had to talk about the 50,000 won. It was obvious that her grandmother wouldn't listen to her story. Pouting, Yena went out to the living room and thought hard. Who could the guest be? She had a feeling it would be a man, but maybe not. She would know soon if she just waited a little longer. Who the guest was. Yena quietly waited for the guest. And after a while, she heard the sound of the front door keypad being pressed. Her mom came first, before the guest. Yena got up from her seat.
“Princess Yena!”
“Mom……”
But Yena, who was about to run out calling for her mom, was soon stopped in her tracks. There was one more person behind her mom. Her mom came home with the guest. The guest was indeed a man. Her prediction was spot on, but strangely, Yena didn't feel good about the two of them coming home together. Much more than she had imagined. Mom's partner is me. I'm Mom's partner. She had an ominous feeling that she was going to be robbed of her partner. Ji-heon greeted Yena, who was standing still, first.
“Hello, Yena.”
Ji-heon's heart fluttered every time he saw Yena. He had briefly stopped by to see Yena off to the daycare bus in the morning, and now he was seeing her again after a few hours. The child seemed even prettier in those few hours. Ji-heon, who suppressed his churning heart, also greeted Guk-soon, who came out of the kitchen, politely.
“Hello, Mother. My name is Jeong Ji-heon.”
And, at that very moment when Guk-soon was about to greet Ji-heon as well.
“Mister, is our grandma your mom?”
Yena, who had been carefully watching this scene, widened her eyes and demanded fiercely.
“Why are you calling our grandma ‘Mother’?”
