Translator: Nox

Chapter 8

8. Another World

A pure smile without any calculation. It was a smile he never saw from the people usually around him. Unaware of Kangwoo's thoughts, Naeun said,

"Jiho, this is the apple pie Uncle bought. Did you say thank you like I told you?"

"No."

Then the child set down his fork, placed both hands at his navel, bowed his head, and said, "Thank you."

"Good. Eat a lot, Jiho. Our Jiho is so bright and polite."

"Minho greets people like that too."

"Pardon?"

It was something Kangwoo had never heard. Minho wouldn't even make eye contact with people—at drop-off in the morning or pickup in the evening.

"Minho greets people?"

"Yes. When he arrives at kindergarten, he puts both hands at his navel and says, 'Hello.' And when leaving, 'Goodbye.'"

"Yes. It doesn't happen at home."

"Ah...."

Naeun felt awkward for bringing it up unnecessarily.

"Thank you for telling me. To think he's that close with her—we'd pay even more to have her as our live-in tutor no matter what."

At that moment, Jiho stabbed a piece of apple pie with his fork and held it to Naeun's mouth, saying,

"Mommy, ahh."

Naeun opened her mouth wide with a bright smile. As the piece of apple pie entered, she squinted her eyes into crescents and said to Jiho,

"Wow. Apple pie from Jiho. So delicious."

At those words, Jiho shrugged his shoulders as if he owned the world, stuffed the remaining pie into his mouth, and chewed hard.

What is this atmosphere? Come to think of it, he'd never experienced anything like this in his life.

He always ate food and snacks prepared by the nanny, raised under the family tradition of fixed schedules.

But was there a life like this?

"Want some, Uncle?"

Then Jiho, without regret, stabbed the last remaining piece with his fork and said to Kangwoo,

"Uncle, ahh."

But Kangwoo couldn't bring himself to open his mouth.

"Ah. Uncle doesn't like sweets."

It was such a ridiculous excuse. But the words were already out, and the child reacted immediately.

Not bad. Uncomfortable yet pleasant. Unfamiliar and awkward, yet warm and bright. Spreading a subtle warmth. The child's greeting was so polite it made him burst into laughter.

Even when going out, he ignores people. The nanny always said so. Minho doesn't make eye contact well.

Yet he greets like that. Didn't you know?

I want to enshrine her like a goddess.

Smiling at Minho.

Eats. It seems like nothing special, but why does being in this moment make him feel such warmth? For some reason.

The child widened his eyes in surprise.

"How delicious are sweets? Have you never tried them?"

"Yeah. Never."

Kangwoo didn't know how to respond to the child's question and paused before answering.

Then the child pulled something from his pocket.

"This is my favorite candy. The most delicious in the world. Grape candy. I'll give Uncle one. Try it, and you'll know how good sweets are."

"You're giving Uncle your favorite candy?"

As Naeun spoke from the side, Jiho nodded vigorously.

"Uncle bought apple pie, so I'm giving candy. Uncle, eat it."

Kangwoo accepted the candy in a daze.

"I'm all done!"

As Jiho spoke, Naeun stood up and said,

"All done? Then let's go. Uncle Minho has to leave too."

Kangwoo, enchanted by the woman and child, pocketed the candy, stood, and said,

"Let me give you a ride."

"No, it's that apartment right there."

It was called an apartment, but it looked more like a small multi-family housing building with just one block.

"I'll take you."

"No. It's the path we walk every day."

"Okay."

Insisting further might seem odd, so Kangwoo went out and stood still.

"Uncle, thank you for the apple pie. Goodbye."

The child, bowing again with hands at his navel, was adorably cute just to look at.

His eyes, full of expectation, grew as big as the candy he'd given.

"Yeah. See you later."

"Later? Will Uncle buy apple pie again?"

"Next time, with Minho."

"Wow! Exciting. Apple pie with Minho!"

As Jiho ran off excitedly, Naeun hurriedly greeted beside him.

"Goodbye. Jiho, come with Mommy. Don't run like that."

The child, toddling on short legs, was soon caught by his mom's hand. Kangwoo watched them enter the house from behind.

So Minho must feel something at that woman's place that he can't feel in our home.

It was Saturday. Naeun got up early, did her makeup, fixed her hair, and sighed deeply in front of the mirror. After much deliberation, she'd decided to accept the live-in tutor position for Minho. She needed to earn money while she could.

Her kindergarten teacher salary was barely enough to get by, and Jiho's education costs would only increase. Hayoung was supposed to cover child support and tuition, but she'd sent almost nothing so far. As she thought about such things,

her phone rang from Misuk.

"Yes, Mom."

-Yeah, I'm your mom. Do you have any money saved up?

She was dumbfounded by the shameless words without even a greeting.

"Why do you need money?"

-Why? I need money to spend. Hayoung hasn't been bringing in much lately. Is it because she's getting older? She's still in her twenties—why no work? Do you think supporting a celebrity is easy?

"Mom, Jiho's child support hasn't come consistently."

This was too much. She was raising Hayoung's child Jiho on her own registry. They'd promised support, but nothing had come.

-Listen to you. Hey, I'm asking you for money because I have none right now, and you bring up child support?

"From the start, Unnie was supposed to cover Jiho's support."

-I'd cover if I had it. I can't if there's none. Do you think I'd hold back if I had money? It's her own child.

"Don't say that. Jiho is my son. You promised forever—don't misspeak."

-Right. Since he's yours forever, you raise him. You earn money. Kindergarten teacher pay isn't much, but it's livable raising a kid. So, can you send me 400,000 won?

Naeun hung up. The phone rang again, but she didn't answer. People should have some shame. When Hayoung and Misuk left her and young Jiho for a nice house, she'd cried a lot.

They said living with a nephew would raise suspicions that it was Hayoung's child, so better to move preemptively. Later, seeing their nice villa, Naeun was deeply hurt. But such betrayals were only once or twice; she wouldn't take it anymore.

Anyway, Jiho is my son, so I have to earn and raise him. Thus, becoming Minho's live-in tutor was best for now. Kangwoo said three years, but she asked for more— at least four for stable savings.

She worried about the current house too. What if problems arose and she had to leave suddenly? But even then, she'd keep the deposit and save. As she thought that,

Kangwoo called.

-I've arrived.

"No, Uncle Minho came himself?"

-Yes. It's the weekend.

He could have just sent the driver. Even after arriving at Naeun's place, Kangwoo couldn't fully understand why he'd come personally. But it was Han Naeun's first day moving to the Myeongseong Group main house for greetings—he wanted to escort her.

Obviously, a Chihuahua trembling before a fierce beast. Plus a baby Chihuahua. He made up a plausible excuse for himself.

"Uncle!"

"Hi, Jiho."

"Where are we going?"

"Minho's house."

Jiho cheered excitedly.

"Really? I love playing with Minho."

Jiho was simply thrilled, but Naeun was tense. She had to face the strict director again—at the director's house no less. It was a meeting with Minho's grandmother, that man's mother. Like interviewing to enter the Myeongseong Group main house.