Chapter 19
19. Capable Boyfriend?
Gyeonghye turned toward Kangwoo with an excited face and opened her mouth.
"Kangwoo, do you know who just greeted me?"
Gyeonghye tried to hide her smile, but it showed plainly in front of her son. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Kangwoo chuckled lightly and replied casually.
"Minho?"
Gyeonghye clasped her hands together in感動 and said,
"How did you know? Minho looked at me and spoke. 'Hello'—how is this so miraculous?"
Her tone was filled with thrill and unbelievable joy.
Kangwoo shrugged at his mother's words and teased playfully.
"I heard he was growing up well too."
Kangwoo took a sip of burdock tea and smiled calmly.
Gyeonghye's eyes widened at his words.
"What? Does that mean Minho's all better now?"
Gyeonghye looked at him with expectant eyes, unable to hide her excitement as she awaited his response.
Kangwoo shook his head slightly and answered realistically.
"Nah, not quite. But he copies greetings when he's with Jiho. He's definitely improved a lot."
Kangwoo added calmly, as if to calm his mother's excitement.
Gyeonghye frowned and asked again.
"He makes eye contact too?"
Her voice carried the worries of the past.
Kangwoo lowered his head thoughtfully for a moment before replying.
"Sometimes."
It was a short answer, but it vividly conveyed that Minho was getting better little by little. Gyeonghye let out a sigh at Kangwoo's response.
"He's really improved a lot."
"Yeah."
Gyeonghye and Kangwoo had a rather distant mother-son relationship, but in front of Minho's changes, a brief moment of warm empathy flowed between them.
"Please have some tea, Chairwoman."
At Naeun's words, Gyeonghye took a sip of tea and her eyes widened.
The savory aroma from the burdock tea in front of them grew stronger.
"Right? When you make it at home, the flavor is richer than store-bought."
Naeun spoke calmly, and Gyeonghye lifted her teacup and asked,
"Teacher Han, when do you find time to make things like this?"
As expected between mother and son, both Choi Kangwoo and Jo Gyeonghye asked the same question upon receiving burdock tea. Recalling when Kangwoo had once asked if she got enough sleep, Naeun smiled faintly.
"It doesn't take as much time as you think."
"Yeah. I came because I wanted to see if the child had improved a lot."
Truthfully, it was a bit embarrassing. When the kids had colds, Chairman Choi had told her not to even go near the annex, so she hadn't visited once. When he said he couldn't catch a cold because of his golf appointment, she wanted to crawl into a mouse hole. But having come only after the kids recovered made her have nothing to say.
"I heard Teacher Han had a cold too... Are you okay?"
Gyeonghye lifted her cup and looked at Naeun. Her tone was indifferent and stiff. Even in expressing concern, it felt awkward.
Naeun smiled faintly and replied.
"Yes, I'm fine. I recovered in a day. The kids took about two or three days."
Naeun added with grateful eyes toward Gyeonghye, unperturbed by her somewhat arrogant tone.
"Still, the food you sent helped a lot."
Gyeonghye raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded.
"Of course. It's for our eldest grandson."
Gyeonghye said it as if it were the most natural thing, brushing it off casually. But Naeun could read the affection for her grandson in those words. Naeun nodded.
As they sipped tea quietly, Gyeonghye glanced curiously at Kangwoo, who sat silently beside her drinking his tea. He rarely lingered around her like this.
"You have some free time today? You always went to work even on weekends or holed up in your room working. What's this leisurely tea time?"
A hint of suspicion mixed into Gyeonghye's tone.
Kangwoo set down his cup and looked at her briefly.
"It's been a while. I wanted to have tea with you, Mother."
He gazed at Gyeonghye in a calm tone without emotion. Gyeonghye looked at him with puzzled eyes and placed one hand on her knee.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
As if sensing he might have something important to discuss, a slight tension laced her voice.
In truth, Gyeonghye and Kangwoo rarely sat face-to-face sipping tea and talking. Unless it was business or family matters, their time together was short. Thus, sitting like this without purpose felt awkward.
Kangwoo smiled with a hint of playfulness and looked at Gyeonghye.
"Why? You think I'm slacking off drinking tea like this leisurely—wondering when I do work?"
"What kind of talk is that? I've trusted your work ethic for quite a while now. That's why you're in that position."
Her words conveyed deep pride not just in her son, but in herself too.
Kangwoo quietly looked at such a Gyeonghye. An unbridgeable distance still remained between them.
- 3 -
At those words, Gyeonghye set her teacup down quietly.
"Not much contact. But I get updates from the secretaries that he's doing well."
Gyeonghye answered simply and took another sip of tea, when Kangwoo tossed in a remark like a jab.
"He must have been hurt a lot back then."
"Let's not talk about that now."
It was about Kang Hyuk's divorce. Though neither stated it explicitly, they both knew. Naeun quietly sipped her tea amid the exchange between mother and son. And at Gyeonghye's words, Kangwoo immediately changed the subject.
"Teacher Han seems very capable. With the kids' meals and education."
As Kangwoo turned the topic to Naeun, Gyeonghye continued right away.
"Right. Teacher Han works so hard. Is there anything else I can do for you? Anything you want?"
At those words, Naeun paused quietly before speaking softly.
"Well... I'd like a car too. A small one is fine. The kindergarten's a bit farther now, and it would be better for taking the kids around."
At Naeun's words, Gyeonghye said firmly.
"You driving with two kids? No. Our eldest grandson riding in a car you drive?"
It was as if it were out of the question. Naeun explained reasonably.
"But everyone puts kids in car seats and moms drive them around."
"We can't do that with our eldest grandson. But I'll give you a car."
At that, Naeun waved her hand.
"Pardon?"
"I'll assign a driver with the car. Use that."
"No. That's too burdensome. We can already use the driver's car."
At her words about it being burdensome, Gyeonghye said as if it were strange.
"You said you need a car, though. Wouldn't it be more convenient with a driver?"
"No, no. That's not it."
Naeun regretted bringing it up and declined. But just two days later, a car arrived for Naeun. Fortunately, since she had firmly refused, there was no driver. She said she could drive the car, but not with Minho. However, it was for Naeun and Jiho to get around easily.
"Oh my gosh!"
Naeun's mouth dropped open at the car in front of her. Driving this to the kindergarten would turn the place upside down. It was even better than the director's car. And she lacked confidence to drive such a large vehicle. Standing in front of the car with her mouth agape, Kangwoo, who was heading out from work, saw it and said,
"What's wrong? Don't like the car?"
"Yes. I don't like it."
Naeun looked deflated.
"I can't even imagine driving something this big. And how can I go to and from the kindergarten in such a nice car? A smaller one would have been better..."
-4 -
"Just a decent domestic brand. But not too shabby since Jiho's there too..."
"So picky and difficult. To me, this car seems fine, but okay."
And the very next day, another car was sent to Naeun. It was still a luxury car like yesterday's, but much smaller and cuter in design, adorable just to look at.
"Is this size okay?"
"Yes! I like it. The problem is that it's too nice."
"You can drive this around. Are kindergarten teachers that sensitive about car brands? Just say you got it as a gift."
"Who gifts a car like this?"
"Your boyfriend."
"Pardon?"
Naeun jumped in surprise at his words.
"Just say you got a capable boyfriend."
"But I don't have one."
