Ch#46
46. Now That I Know the Cause
At Kyung-hye's words telling him not to go, Kang-hyeok looked at her.
"Mother."
Chairman Choi looked at Kyung-hye and said.
"Just let him go."
"No. Something's off. Min-ho doesn't usually act like that. He greets us and everything. But seeing him suddenly go berserk at the sight of his dad... Honey, don't go right now. Stay and at least meet Teacher Han."
"Mother."
Kang-hyeok let out a hollow voice, as if pleading to let him leave just like that. But Kyung-hye was firm.
"You're the child's father. No matter what, now that he's born, you have to help him grow up right, to stand on his own two feet in this world as a proper member of society. I don't know what happened, but I won't allow you to just walk away like this. Min-ho is your son, but he's my grandson too. And he's the eldest of our family line. You going to leave him like that? Make him someone who barely speaks to anyone his whole life, only talking to his tutor? What are you going to do about his future? School, middle school, high school, college, a job..."
"Enough. I get it. I'll go rest in the room on the second floor for now. And depending on the situation, I'll meet with Teacher Min-ho or something. I'm not hungry."
Kang-hyeok said that and headed up to the second floor. The family dinner, which they had hoped would be harmonious, had turned into a disaster.
Kang-woo carried the child and hurried to the annex. By the time they arrived, Min-ho was exhausted from all the crying and could only sob. When Kang-woo opened the door and went inside, Na-eun looked startled.
"Min-ho. What's wrong with Min-ho?"
"Min-ho cried a lot."
Seeing Na-eun, Min-ho cried even more pitifully. Na-eun took Min-ho from him and went into Min-ho's room. Alone together in the room with no one else around, Min-ho finally seemed a bit relieved and began to stop crying. Na-eun just held him tightly without a word. A while later, Min-ho said, "Water..."
"Is Min-ho thirsty? Want some water?"
Min-ho nodded.
"Okay. Teacher will go get some water."
Na-eun hurried back with water, and Min-ho downed a whole cup in one go.
"Is our Min-ho hungry? Teacher made fried rice. Want me to squirt some ketchup on it prettily?"
At Na-eun's words, Min-ho nodded.
"Aigoo, our Min-ho is so good. Let's go out together."
Na-eun took Min-ho's hand and came out of the room, and Ji-ho and Kang-woo approached together.
"Min-ho, does it hurt?"
At Ji-ho's words, Min-ho said.
"No."
"Okay."
Ji-ho didn't say much else and went to his mom's side. Na-eun quickly plated some fried rice and squirted ketchup on it in a smiley face shape.
"This is really yummy. I ate some a little while ago."
Ji-ho said with a smile, and only then did Min-ho grin. Even with tears welling in his eyes, seeing his friend and teacher made him smile. Kang-woo let out a sigh of relief at the sight. Just moments ago, when the child had cried so desperately, his heart had sunk.
"Our Min-ho, let's eat fried rice with Teacher. Teacher hasn't eaten hers yet either."
"I'll do the ketchup."
"Okay. Min-ho, squirt ketchup on Teacher's."
Ketchup was squirted on in squiggly lines by the child's small hand. Kang-woo sat quietly, watching Na-eun.
What on earth was so different about her? What made this woman so special that the child trusted her more than his own father?
Just then, Na-eun's phone rang.
"Yes, Director."
Na-eun stroked Min-ho's head once and got up from the table, walking to the living room window to answer the call.
-Min-ho went crazy when he saw his dad. Cried hysterically and hit him. I've never seen anything like it. So I think it might be good if Teacher Han meets with Min-ho's dad.
Na-eun thought for a moment at Kyung-hye's words.
"Yes. I'd like to meet him too. I have questions about Min-ho."
-Min-ho's dad insists on only talking to Teacher Han, but if he comes to the annex, Min-ho might freak out again, so is it okay to meet outside?
"Yes, that's fine. If Min-ho has a hard time seeing his dad, it would be better to meet without him."
After listening to the other person for a bit, she said "Yes, yes" and hung up. Kang-woo, curious about the call, asked.
"You agreed to meet my brother?"
"Yes."
"He's coming here?"
"No. He suggested meeting outside."
"Outside?"
Kang-woo's expression wasn't great. Na-eun looked at his face and answered calmly.
"Yes. We decided on a café."
"What could be so secretive that it has to be such a big deal? Meeting alone at a café? I'll go too."
"No. It's better if you don't."
Na-eun said.
"Even a brother might have things he doesn't want to tell his younger sibling. Family matters are delicate and subtle, so it's possible. Maybe we can find a clue to why Min-ho is like this."
At her words, Kang-woo reluctantly nodded. Why did this woman speak so beautifully and gently?
"Yeah. That could be."
Na-eun agreed to meet Kang-hyeok at a café not far from the house a little later. As she entered the café, Kang-hyeok, who had been waiting, greeted her first.
"Teacher Han Na-eun."
"Yes. Hello, Min-ho's father."
Na-eun recognized Kang-hyeok at a glance. He resembled Kang-woo enough that it was obvious they were brothers. Kang-hyeok was just a bit smaller in build and had a more melancholic air.
"Thank you for taking such good care of our Min-ho."
Na-eun shook her head at his words.
"No. I'm grateful that Min-ho follows me so well."
"I heard Min-ho talks with you."
"Yes. He does well. He expresses himself, and when playing with Ji-ho, he's almost like any other kid."
Then Na-eun cautiously looked at Kang-hyeok and asked.
"I heard Min-ho wasn't always like this."
Kang-hyeok closed his eyes for a moment and slowly opened them. The winter scenery outside the window made his expression look even darker. Tree branches swaying in the wind cast subtle shadows on the café window. He took a deep breath, pressed his lips together firmly, and continued.
"Min-ho was a very bright and cheerful child. Always full of smiles. But at some point, those smiles disappeared."
Na-eun looked at his face with her head slightly lowered. His eyes held unhealed sadness. The warm air in the café eased the tension between them a little, but Kang-hyeok's voice still carried a chill like the winter wind.
"At that time..."
Kang-hyeok trailed off, his fingers trembling slightly. The hand holding the cup shook faintly. Na-eun's gaze went to that small tremor.
"If I know what happened, I can help Min-ho more."
Na-eun said carefully. Her voice was filled with genuine concern for Min-ho.
Kang-hyeok lowered his head and sighed.
"I gave the child a huge scar. That day... something big happened at home, and Min-ho saw it all."
Na-eun nodded heavily, looking at Kang-hyeok silently. She could feel how much he worried about Min-ho from the regret and guilt flashing in his eyes. The white snow outside the window softly enveloped the silence between them as it fluttered down.
"Could you tell me what happened? I think it would help Min-ho if I knew."
At that, Kang-hyeok hesitated and repeated the same words.
"It's because of me."
Na-eun spoke calmly to Kang-hyeok, who kept saying the same thing.
"I don't quite understand what you mean."
"My wife cheated with my junior. My mother and I witnessed it."
"I see..."
"Honestly, if she had begged when I said divorce, maybe I would've felt a bit better. But she took the alimony like she'd been waiting and divorced. I really loved that woman, though."
As soon as Kang-hyeok finished speaking, the air between them grew heavy. Outside, the winter wind blew bleakly, shaking the branches, and in the brief silence, it felt like their heartbeats could be heard. Na-eun looked at his face, steadied her breathing calmly, and replied.
"I understand how painful that must have been for you, sir. But Min-ho would have had a hard time understanding the adults' problems."
Kang-hyeok dropped his gaze and fiddled with his coffee cup. A tremor was felt in the way his fingers circled the rim. After hesitating as if it wasn't easy to say, he opened his mouth again.
"That day, Min-ho happened to come into the room and... saw me trying to kill myself. He wailed and held onto me, and I... had no choice but to stop."
