Yes, It's Real
When I said that, Ji-an beamed and rubbed her face against my stomach. Her little hands waved with delight, and for a moment I thought, Is it really that wonderful? Overcome with affection, I stroked her hair.
"Yay, yay!"
Ji-an chattered in an excited voice while Seo Ha-jun watched us with a gentle smile. Just then, a shadow fell across the table as a server approached with a tray.
"Your order is ready."
A plate of what looked like perfectly warm pork cutlet and steaming udon was neatly set before us. The savory aroma of the cutlet filled the air, and Ji-an, who had been babbling nonstop, shot up from her seat with sparkling eyes.
"Looks so yummy!"
She grabbed a fork and tried to pull the plate closer. I quickly reached out to stop her.
"Wait! It's hot, so we have to be careful, okay?"
I slid the plate slightly away from her and began cutting the cutlet into small pieces with a knife. The crisp sound of the breading breaking made Ji-an purse her lips in anticipation, which was utterly adorable.
"Here, blow on it first since it's hot."
I speared a small piece with the fork and held it out. Ji-an opened her mouth wide, clearly expecting me to feed her.
"Ah~"
Smiling, I carefully placed the piece in her mouth. She chewed with her cheeks puffed out like a little chipmunk, and the sight was so endearing that I had to fight the urge to pinch them.
"How is it? Tasty?"
"Mmm! Super yummy!"
Ji-an nodded vigorously, already eyeing the next piece. Seo Ha-jun, who had been watching from the side, smiled warmly.
"Seoyeon, you're so natural with children."
At those words, my hands paused. I turned to look at him, then quickly lowered my gaze, flustered by his kind eyes.
"...It's just that I used to take care of kids a lot in the past."
I answered vaguely. In truth, looking after the children had always fallen to me.
My wife had given birth at twenty-two—still so young. Rather than feeling the weight of responsibility, she had wanted to keep enjoying her youth. The moment she became a mother, she was constantly out with friends, traveling, coming home late, and drinking. It happened all the time.
So I started taking care of the children after work and on weekends, determined to do right by them. At first it was exhausting, but seeing their faces made it bearable. Yet as my position at the company rose and my responsibilities grew, the time I could spend with them grew shorter and shorter.
That's when I began rationalizing it—I'll earn enough money so they never lack for anything. But from then on, the distance between us widened. At some point, I had become nothing more than a machine that provided money.
"..."
My thoughts were spiraling when the crisp sound of chewing beside me snapped me back. I turned to see Ji-an with sauce smeared all over her mouth, and I couldn't help but smile.
Still... I can do better now.
Ji-an must have felt my gaze because she looked up, then held out a piece of her cutlet on her tiny fork.
"Mommy! You eat too!"
The sight of that small fork with a piece of cutlet on it made me smile without thinking.
"Mommy will eat her own. You eat a lot, Ji-an."
I patted her head and began eating my own meal. Seo Ha-jun picked up his chopsticks with a contented smile. How long has it been since I had such a peaceful meal out like this? The empty space in my chest felt as though it was being filled, just a little.
After finishing our early lunch and stepping out of the restaurant, Ji-an patted her belly with a satisfied expression.
"Hehe... my tummy's gonna burst..."
I laughed at her dramatic phrasing and stroked her hair. Seo Ha-jun, basking in the sunlight, wore a relaxed look as he turned to me.
"The weather's nice. If you don't have any plans, would you like to take a short walk in the park nearby to help with digestion?"
His suggestion delighted me. The text I'd left unanswered that morning still had no reply, and there was nothing waiting for me at home. I nodded without hesitation.
"Yes!"
The word flew out so eagerly that I immediately wondered if I'd sounded too excited. Embarrassed, I averted my eyes.
"I mean... um, I just really like walks, so..."
I tried to explain in a rush, but my bright tone gave me away completely.
When I finally looked up, Seo Ha-jun was gazing at me with a soft smile.
"Shall we go, then?"
Whether it was because his smile made me nervous or because my heart was racing, my face grew hot. I turned quickly toward Ji-an, took her hand, and started walking.
"Mommy's face is all red!"
I tried to ignore Ji-an's comment, but the quiet chuckle from beside me was impossible to escape. The distance to the park was short, yet the walk felt strangely long. Thankfully the sunlight was gentle and a cool breeze brushed my cheeks, gradually calming my flushed face.
By the time we reached the park, many families were out for strolls. Among them were quite a few children around Ji-an's age. She swung her arms back and forth as she walked, then spotted some kids her age and ran over to greet them.
"Hi!"
Was there any child with better social skills than Ji-an? At her bright greeting, the children tilted their heads.
"Hi! But who are you?"
"Me? Seo Ji-an!"
She declared her name proudly with a big smile. They clearly hadn't been asking for her name, but...
"Really? I'm Ha Do-a! This is my little brother Do-jun!"
Maybe they really had been asking for names? I was starting to get confused. A couple who appeared to be the children's parents stood nearby and bowed politely when they noticed us.
"Oh, hello."
I returned the greeting a bit awkwardly and stepped closer. Ji-an came back to my side and tugged at me.
"Mommy! Can I go on the swings with Do-a and Do-jun?"
Being called "mommy" in front of the other child's parents felt incredibly awkward. I could feel the couple's eyes on me, and my face, which had finally cooled down, grew warm again.
"...Sure, go ahead. But be careful not to swing too high, okay?"
I tried to hide the tremor in my voice. Ji-an answered with a cheerful "Okay!" and ran off with the twins. The woman beside me smiled and approached.
"Your daughter is so lively and adorable. She made friends right away."
I was still flustered, unsure how to respond, when Seo Ha-jun naturally stepped in.
"Yes, she has always been very sociable. It surprises me too."
"I see."
The man who appeared to be her husband nodded.
"I'm Ha Ju-hyun, father of Do-a and Do-jun. This is my wife, Choi Seo-hee."
"Ah! Um... my name is Seoyeon, and this is..."
I hesitated, unsure how to introduce him, but Seo Ha-jun spoke first.
"I'm Seo Ha-jun."
His calm voice made the couple nod and smile.
"How old is your child?"
The woman who had introduced herself as Seo-hee asked me with open curiosity. Before I could answer, Seo Ha-jun replied for me.
"She's six."
"Oh my, really?"
Seo-hee broke into a bright smile.
"Our Do-a and Do-jun are six too. They're twins."
Ha Ju-hyun added another question.
"Then how old is Seoyeon...?"
Seo-hee elbowed him, muttering that he shouldn't ask such things, but her own eyes were sparkling with interest.
"Ah... I'm... twenty-five."
The couple paused to think, then suddenly turned sharp gazes on Seo Ha-jun.
"Ah."
Had I made a mistake? If they assumed we were married and I was twenty-five while Ji-an was six, that would mean I had given birth at...
The moment that realization hit me, the looks they were giving Seo Ha-jun shifted from sharp to downright disgusted, as if they were staring at trash.
"No, no, that's not it at all!"
Seo Ha-jun waved his hands, hastily trying to explain, but it seemed too late.
"We're not... married. I'm the housekeeper..."
I jumped in before his image could get any worse.
"I'm the housekeeper, but Ji-an calls me mom!"
The couple clearly didn't believe us. They began muttering, their imaginations running wild.
"Ah... that kind of play..."
"Impressive..."
When I heard that and my face burned too hot to speak, Seo Ha-jun let out a small sigh.
"Actually, Ji-an's mother passed away five years ago. That's why she calls Seoyeon mom."
His calm voice seemed to change the air around us. Hearing aloud what I had vaguely sensed made my heart ache.
The couple, who had been watching us with suspicious eyes just moments ago, stiffened. Their expressions quickly turned apologetic.
"Ah... we're truly sorry."
Seo-hee kept apologizing, clearly flustered. Ha Ju-hyun gave an embarrassed smile.
"We're sorry. We were too hasty..."
Seo Ha-jun nodded gently.
"It's all right. It's been over five years now."
When he accepted their apology so graciously, the couple bowed in gratitude. An awkward silence settled over us until, from a distance, the children's bright laughter as they played on the swings broke through.
"Mommyyy!"
The children's joyful voices were enough to shatter the quiet. Seo Ha-jun and I smiled and waved back. Seo-hee and Ju-hyun waved too, then glanced at me and whispered to each other.
"...Really a housekeeper?"
"...Doesn't seem like it..."
My face grew hot again, but Seo Ha-jun either didn't hear or pretended not to as he continued waving with a gentle expression.