A Story Only I Don't Know
I cautiously approached the direction of the loud noise. A crowd had gathered in a circle. At the center stood two people—a man and a woman—glaring at each other and raising their voices.
I edged a little closer. Only then did their conversation come into clear focus.
“Delete it.”
“Delete my picture.”
The woman’s voice trembled, but it was laced with unmistakable anger.
The man shrugged nonchalantly. “What picture?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
His attitude was brazen.
The woman let out a disbelieving laugh. “The pictures you took of me with your phone.”
“Delete them.”
“You took them secretly.”
The man sneered. “Ha. Got any proof I did that?”
The crowd murmured uneasily in response.
I watched for a moment longer, then decided I couldn’t just stand by. I stepped forward.
“Excuse me.”
Both their gazes snapped to me. I spoke as calmly as I could. “There are a lot of people here… Let’s all just calm down first.”
I turned to the woman. “If what you’re saying is true…”
“This guy took pictures of you without permission, right?”
She nodded immediately. “Yes. …I saw him do it myself.”
I thought for a second, then nodded. “Got it.”
I shifted my gaze to the man. “Then it’s simple.”
I said evenly, “Let me see your phone for a sec.”
“It’ll just take a quick check, and we’re done.”
The man’s face hardened. “…Why the hell should I show you?”
I took another step closer, not breaking eye contact. “No reason not to, right?”
“If there’s really nothing there, one look and it’s over.”
The man clamped his mouth shut. He gripped his phone tightly. His eyes flickered subtly.
Seeing that, I said quietly, “…Acting like that just makes you look more suspicious.”
The murmurs from the crowd grew. “Yeah, just show it already…”
“What’s his deal…”
The man’s expression darkened further. And then—
Thud!
“Guh!”
He suddenly shoved me and bolted backward, trying to flee.
“Hey!”
I lunged after him on instinct, closing the gap in an instant and grabbing his shoulder.
“Don’t run!”
In that moment—flash.
A knife in the man’s hand slashed past.
“…!”
Sharp pain lanced across the back of my hand. Blood welled up thin and red.
But I didn’t let go. I gripped his shoulder harder, pinning him down.
“Can’t let you get away…!”
The man struggled, but it was too late. I twisted and slammed him to the ground.
Thump!
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
“Oh my god!”
“He got him…!”
Breathing hard, I pinned him completely. Soon after, the police arrived on a call and took him into custody.
His phone was checked, and the results were clear. The gallery was filled with dozens of photos—all secretly taken shots of women.
“…Hah.”
I let out a small breath. At least I’d caught him.
That’s when the air on either side of me turned icy cold. It was Psi and Dmol.
They’d been watching from a short distance away, glaring at the man like they were ready to pounce any second.
“…Girls.”
I tried to call them softly, but it was too late. They rushed right over to me.
Quickly. They stopped right in front of me.
“Daddy…”
Psi grabbed my hand. Dmol peered cautiously at the back of it too.
Blood was beading up. Their faces hardened.
“…Don’t get hurt.”
“…It hurts, doesn’t it…”
I was at a loss for words. “…I’m fine.”
I tried to smile lightly, but neither of them smiled back.
Psi pouted and rummaged in her bag, pulling out a bandage and carefully applying it to the back of my hand. Dmol gently held my hand from the side. Her small fingers trembled.
“…Sorry.”
I murmured softly.
Then, a tentative voice came from behind. “Um…”
I turned. It was the woman from earlier. She hesitated, then bowed her head. “Really… thank you so much.”
Her voice was full of sincerity. She stepped closer slowly.
“…Are you okay?”
She glanced naturally at my hand and started helping with the bandage.
I was a bit flustered but stayed still. She said carefully, “I’m… Lee Hye-jin.”
In that instant, the air on both sides chilled again. Psi and Dmol.
They both looked up at the same time. And said coldly, “…We don’t care.”
“…Go away.”
I froze. They glared at her and added, “Because of you…”
“…Daddy got hurt.”
The atmosphere turned frigid in a heartbeat. Lee Hye-jin faltered for a moment but shook her head.
“No…”
“…It’s my fault.”
She hesitated, then spoke again. “So…”
“…Let me buy you a meal.”
It was a cautious but firm offer. She wasn’t backing down easily.
After a brief silence, Lee Hye-jin spoke first. “…I know a good place nearby.”
Her voice was steady. She didn’t seem like she’d yield.
In the end, we moved to a restaurant.
Inside the restaurant. I sat in the middle, with Psi and Dmol pressed right up against me on either side. They showed no sign of giving any space.
Lee Hye-jin sat across from us. She ordered from the menu, and after a moment, she spoke quietly. “…First off, thank you again.”
She bowed her head slightly. “Thank you so much for helping.”
Her voice rang with genuine gratitude. But the gazes on either side remained icy. Psi and Dmol.
They glared at Lee Hye-jin without relaxing their guard even a fraction.
Even in that atmosphere, Lee Hye-jin didn’t waver. She continued naturally. “The kids next to you…”
“…Are they your daughters?”
She looked at me. “You seem too young to be called ‘Daddy’…”
“How old are you, if you don’t mind?”
The moment I opened my mouth to answer—
Pfft. Psi cut in first. “…Don’t be nosy.”
Short and firm. Dmol nodded quietly and added, “…Yeah.”
“Just pay for the meal and go.”
“Nothing more, nothing less.”
The air grew heavy again. I sighed softly and said, “Girls…”
“Don’t be like that.”
I glanced at Lee Hye-jin and added, “She’s just treating us to thank you.”
Psi’s eyes narrowed slightly at that. “…Hah.”
She let out a small sigh. “Daddy.”
“If it’s thanks, you end it with a greeting…”
“You don’t buy a whole meal.”
Dmol continued quietly. “…Yeah.”
“This isn’t gratitude.”
She paused, then said more deliberately, word by word. “…It’s interest.”
I was speechless. Dmol went on. “So she buys the meal…”
“And tries to talk.”
Silence. Then Lee Hye-jin chuckled softly. “…You got me.”
She said it plainly. And looked straight at me, without averting her eyes.
“I’m interested.”
Psi and Dmol’s faces hardened simultaneously. Lee Hye-jin continued casually. “So.”
“Your name and age.”
“…You’re not gonna tell me?”
A direct question. No dodging.
The air at the table froze solid. I hesitated, then finally spoke. “…I’m Park Sung-jun.”
I met her gaze steadily. “I’m… 17.”
Lee Hye-jin’s eyes widened slightly. I gestured to the sides. “This is Psi.”
“And this is Dmol.”
Psi and Dmol were still glued to me, not dropping their guard at all.
Lee Hye-jin watched them for a moment, then smiled faintly. “17…”
“You really are young.”
She slowly shifted her gaze to the two girls. “And… the kids beside you.”
“The age gap’s too small for them to be your real daughters.”
She chose her words carefully, then added, “More than that… they don’t look like ordinary kids.”
I listened quietly, then said shortly, “…Even so.”
My gaze didn’t waver. “They’re precious family to me.”
I lightly stroked Psi and Dmol’s heads. “Doesn’t matter if they’re blood or not.”
“They’re family I truly cherish and love.”
A brief silence fell. Lee Hye-jin listened without a word. Then she smiled softly.
“…I figured.”
She said quietly. “You.”
“You seem like a really kind person.”
With those words, her hand moved carefully. Toward the back of my hand. She gently placed her fingers over the earlier cut.
“…Does it hurt a little?”
Softly, slowly. She brushed lightly around the wound.
In that instant, the air chilled. Psi and Dmol.
Their faces hardened at once. “…Take your hand off.”
Psi’s voice sank low. Dmol continued quietly. “…Don’t touch him.”
Their eyes had completely changed.
I couldn’t find words. The tension at the table pulled taut again.
At that moment, “Here’s your order.”
The server’s voice broke through as the food arrived. The strained atmosphere eased, just a bit.
“…Let’s eat first.”
I said quietly, and the three of us started eating in silence.
A quiet time. No one spoke first. Psi and Dmol kept their guard up, hyper-aware of Lee Hye-jin, while she ate without a word too.
It was a strangely heavy meal.
Soon after, it ended. Lee Hye-jin stood first. She handed me a small piece of paper.
“…My number.”
I hesitated but took it. She smiled lightly. “Let’s meet again sometime.”
And added, “…Probably.”
“I have a feeling we will.”
Her tone carried near-certainty. The words stuck with me a little, but I couldn’t respond.
Then, her gaze shifted sideways. To Psi and Dmol. She looked at them in turn and said, “And.”
She paused, then smiled meaningfully. “How about dropping the act?”
“And stop hiding how you really feel?”
The air halted. I stared at her, confused. “…Huh?”
But Psi and Dmol were different. They glanced at each other for a split second.
And sighed. “…Hah.”
Psi spoke first, a hint of irritation in her voice. “We know.”
“This clueless dad has no idea what we’re talking about right now.”
Dmol nodded quietly. “…Yeah.”
“He’s totally oblivious.”
I froze. “…Wait, what?”
I looked back and forth between them. “Girls?”
“What are you even talking about?”
They said nothing. Just looked at me.
Lee Hye-jin watched and smiled faintly. “…As expected.”
With that, she turned and left. “See you next time.”
All that remained was the strangely heavy air… and me, still in the dark.
I stood there blankly.
…For some reason, it felt like there was something everyone knew but me.