Sponsorship Stigma
Chapter 32
The Two Who Resembled Each Other
Hyekyung chattered excitedly about how similar they were, from their jet-black hair to their eyes as dark as ink.
Having tossed back a few glasses of wine, her energy was soaring as if she were tipsy.
“Right, Seoha?”
“Huh? Yeah. They do look alike!”
With Seoha agreeing, Hyekyung showed no sign of stopping.
The only ones keeping silent were Yeonjae, Jeheon, and Jiwoo.
Yeonjae pressed a hand over her thumping, wildly pounding chest.
Her heart raced so violently it felt as if it might leap out at any second.
To the point she worried Jeheon beside her might hear it.
She stole a sideways glance at him.
He was drinking water, silently lifting his glass.
Beyond the rim of the round glass, his darkened gaze was fixed on Hyekyung.
Don’t tell me he thinks so too.
No. It can’t be. Even as she muttered it to herself, anxiety crept up from under her feet.
That Jiwoo was Jeheon’s child was a secret she wanted desperately to keep buried.
Jeheon must never harbor the slightest doubt about Jiwoo’s birth.
‘If he did….’
A horrific future flashed before her eyes, and Yeonjae’s hand dropped limply onto her lap.
“But mister is way more handsome than Jiwoo! They look similar, but mister looks like an actor.”
“My, Seoha. You’ve got an eye for good looks, haven’t you? But in Mom’s eyes, Jiwoo’s going to grow up just as handsome as him.”
Oblivious to Yeonjae’s inner turmoil, Hyekyung still seemed thoroughly entertained.
As if she regarded it merely as lighthearted chatter to laugh off.
Yeonjae had been deeply grateful to Hyekyung for taking charge of picking up the kids for the recital.
She had thought Hyekyung was warmhearted despite being outspoken.
Yet at this moment, she couldn’t help feeling a flicker of resentment toward her.
“Seoha’s mother, please stop.”
“Huh?”
Hyekyung’s face registered confusion at Yeonjae’s uncharacteristically sharp cutoff.
Catching the displeasure evident on Yeonjae’s face, her eyes rounded.
“Jiwoo’s mom, did I offend you? Oh, come on. I just said it because Jiwoo’s as striking as the CEO.”
Hyekyung waved her hand dismissively through the air, rushing to explain herself.
“It’s not like I meant anything serious by it. Did you say Jiwoo’s dad was abroad?”
“Pardon?”
The topic of conversation sparked and leaped toward the child’s father like flying embers.
Yeonjae clenched her hands beneath the table.
The fabric of her skirt crumpled tightly in her grasp.
“Jiwoo said his dad was far away.”
Shortly after entering kindergarten, the boy had asked about his father.
“Mom, where is our dad? Doesn’t Jiwoo have a dad?”
Something she knew would come one day.
Though she had braced herself for it, when faced with Jiwoo asking the question, Yeonjae hadn’t been able to bring herself to speak easily.
“Jiwoo. Dad is very far away.”
“Far away? How far? Do we have to take a vroom-vroom car to go?”
When Yeonjae shook her head, the boy began listing every mode of transportation he knew.
“Then a train? An airplane?”
“You can’t go see Dad with those. He’s somewhere very far away.”
Jeheon was under the very same sky, on the very same ground.
Yet would a day ever come when Jiwoo could go see him?
That man was meant to live his entire life never knowing Jiwoo existed.
And so, she had indirectly conveyed to Jiwoo that there was no father in their home.
“Where did you say it was? Southeast Asia? He was dispatched overseas, right?”
“…….”
“Does he come back to Korea sometimes? It must be tough on Jiwoo’s mom, taking care of Jiwoo all by yourself.”
It seemed what Jiwoo had said had been misinterpreted as an overseas dispatch.
She felt Jeheon’s gaze on her from the side.
Even knowing he was looking, Yeonjae deliberately avoided meeting his eyes.
Countless conflicting thoughts rushed through her head in an instant.
Wrestling with whether she should clarify, Yeonjae parted her lips.
“The child’s father and I aren’t on speaking terms. I think there was a misunderstanding.”
“Oh? Ah? Oh, I see.”
Hyekyung looked between Yeonjae and Jeheon, then held her tongue, deciding this wasn’t the place for such a conversation.
“And raising a child alone… yes, it gets tough sometimes.”
“R-right? Tell me whenever it’s hard. I’ll help. Raising kids is supposed to be a community effort anyway.”
Hyekyung looked lost in thought, but…
Still, Yeonjae swallowed a sigh of relief that the subject of the child’s father had shifted away.
Right on cue, the server entered and served dessert.
They seemed to be explaining something, but the words didn’t register with Yeonjae.
It was while she was poking at the sorbet set before her.
“Are you still single, CEO?”
As if trying to divert the awkward atmosphere, Hyekyung shifted her attention to Jeheon.
Yeonjae’s spoon stirring the sorbet came to an abrupt stop.
Once again, she felt a gaze directed at her from the side.
Hyekyung is the one who asked—why do you keep looking over here?
Yeonjae swallowed hard. And just as she began moving her spoon again—
“Yes.”
At the sound of his voice echoing in the quiet private room, Yeonjae lifted her head.
Articles of his engagement filled her mind.
Having seen the article about his engagement ceremony five years ago, she had naturally assumed he would be married by now.
“Really? But you’re seeing someone, right? Someone so tall and handsome couldn’t possibly not have a girlfriend.”
“I have no comment on that.”
Yeonjae’s body tensed up without her realizing it.
Whether he was married or engaged, what did that have to do with her?
Thinking how foolish she was, Yeonjae set down her dessert spoon.
Perhaps the clatter of the spoon sounded loud in the awkward air, as several pairs of eyes turned toward Yeonjae.
“I’ll be right back from the restroom.”
Unable to bear the scrutiny in the end, Yeonjae stood up from her seat and left the private room.
Having fled to the restroom, Yeonjae let out a long breath only after shutting the door.
“I’d believe it even if you said Jiwoo was the CEO’s son.”
After Hyekyung’s bombshell remark, the rest of the conversation had passed in a blur.
She had been fraught with worry that Jiwoo’s parentage might be exposed,
and then the talk about the child’s father had left her mind in complete turmoil.
Recalling that dizzying moment, Yeonjae raised a hand and wiped her face.
“I can’t… let it show.”
Whatever else happened, Jeheon must never suspect anything regarding Jiwoo.
Telling herself she had to be careful from now on, Yeonjae reined in her emotions and exited the restroom.
Walking down the long corridor, she saw Jeheon paying at the counter.
Seeing him alone, the others seemed to still be in the room.
Should she speak to him, or simply walk past?
A tangle of hesitation crossed her mind in that split second. She decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed and head back to the room.
“Jung Yeonjae.”
The voice calling her name stopped her in her tracks.
Though he had merely called her name, her heart sank.
When she turned around, Jeheon was already standing right before her.
“Yes?”
Looking up at Jeheon, Yeonjae’s eyes wavered uncertainly.
“Is there… something you wanted to say?”
Yeonjae’s mouth grew parched as she waited for his reply.
Don’t tell me he noticed something.
Even in that brief moment, countless thoughts tangled together.
Just as her heart constricted tightly while waiting for his answer—
“Come down to the parking lot.”
“W-why?”
Yeonjae stammered at his words.
Of all places, telling her to come to the parking lot made her anxiety spike.
Facing her, Jeheon let out a faint scoff.
As if asking why she was questioning something so obvious, he directed an exasperated look at her.
“Aren’t you going home? It’s time for your train. Pack your things and everyone come down.”
And here I thought he was going to interrogate me in some secluded corner.
With those final words, Jeheon stepped into the elevator.
Only after the doors closed did Yeonjae finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“…Home, right.”
A glance down at her wristwatch confirmed it was indeed time to head home.
When they came down to the parking lot, a large sedan was waiting for Yeonjae’s group.
With Yeonjae, Jiwoo, Seoha, and Hyekyung on board, Jeheon’s sedan drove for a good while.
Past ten o’clock at night, the car was quiet as Seoha and Jiwoo slept.
The children showed no signs of waking until they arrived, their heads lolling endlessly side to side in the air.
When they finally reached the train station, Seoha was the first to wake.
“CEO, thank you so much for treating us to a delicious dinner and even driving us to the station today.”
“Thank you, mister.”
Hyekyung led Seoha, who was still rubbing her sleepy eyes.
Saying they needed to stop by the restroom before boarding the train, the two got out of the car first and headed toward the station.
Yeonjae watched the two walk away before turning to the back seat.
Jiwoo was still fast asleep inside.
He was a heavy sleeper by nature, so deeply out that someone could carry him away and he wouldn’t notice.
“Jiwoo.”
Yeonjae leaned in toward Jiwoo and shook his shoulder.
She shook him gently, but Jiwoo didn’t budge in the slightest.
He remained in a deep slumber, mouth wide open.
“Jiwoo? We’re here. We have to go catch the train.”
She gave the boy’s shoulder a slightly firmer shake.
“Mmm, nooo.”
Whining, Jiwoo turned his body the other way.
Looking down at her wristwatch, Yeonjae saw that less than ten minutes remained until the train’s departure.
Just as she was about to try waking him again—
“Jung Yeonjae.”
She felt Jeheon’s presence behind her.
Turning around, she saw him standing by the door. He seemed to have returned after stepping away for a brief phone call.
“Step aside.”
“Just a moment, Jiwoo hasn’t woken up yet.”
“I’ll take care of it, so come on out.”
Yeonjae stepped back and got out of the car.
Jeheon then unbuckled the seatbelt fastened around Jiwoo and lifted the child into his arms in one smooth motion.
Watching this, Yeonjae’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You close the car door.”
Yeonjae, who had been staring blankly, snapped back to her senses and approached him.
“What about the car keys?”
Supporting the boy’s bottom with both hands, Jeheon gestured with his eyes toward the car key dangling from his finger.
As she tried to slip the key off his finger, Yeonjae’s fingers brushed against his.
Even at that slight touch, she flinched involuntarily.
Taking the key, Yeonjae shut the door.
Turning around, she saw Jeheon already walking ahead, with Jiwoo cradled in his arms.
The unfamiliar sight of the two of them made Yeonjae freeze in her tracks.
“What are you doing, Jung Yeonjae?”
Sensing she wasn’t following, Jeheon stopped in his long strides.
He looked back at Yeonjae and—
“That thing won’t wait for you.”
With a sly grin, he jutted his chin toward the train station.
