Chapter 76
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 76
“Where did you say you were going?”
Yeon-ju stared at Han-byeol, her eyes wide with surprise. They had just finished dinner and were sharing a bowl of strawberries when Han-byeol dropped the news: he had been invited to Eun-seong’s house.
“To the actor’s house. I told you, he invited me! He said he’s going to throw me a birthday party.”
“A birthday party? The actor?”
Han-byeol, his face already flushed with excitement as he popped a strawberry into his mouth, nodded eagerly. Speechless, Yeon-ju slowly blinked. She couldn’t make sense of what she was hearing, and a heavy feeling settled in her chest.
“Did he really say that? That you should come to his house?”
“Yes! He even gave me the address. Look.”
Han-byeol pulled out his phone and showed her the message from Eun-seong. Yeon-ju’s lips parted slightly. The number was definitely his.
“Han-byeol, did you happen to ask him if you could visit?”
“No. I didn’t say anything. He invited me first.”
“What in the world…”
She tilted her head, unable to comprehend it. Wasn’t he the one who had drawn a firm line between them, who was just waiting for the final day of filming to be over?
For a man like that to invite her son to his home… Was this his way of ending things on a good note?
“Mom, I can go, right? I already told him I would.”
Munching on another strawberry, Han-byeol wasn't asking for permission so much as informing her of his plans. He was so excited that he likely wouldn't listen even if she said no, and she couldn't find a good reason to object anyway.
Yeon-ju managed a faint smile and nodded.
“Of course you can. Have fun, Han-byeol.”
What is he thinking? She couldn’t begin to fathom the thoughts hidden behind his unreadable expression.
It felt like she was experiencing something new for the first time several times a day, and the unanswered questions just kept piling up. She thought she was a grown-up, but moments like these made her feel utterly lost.
“But Mom, what’s wrong with your lip? It’s cut.”
“Ah, Mom’s just a little tired. That’s why it’s chapped.”
“That must hurt a lot. You should put some medicine on it.”
“Okay, I will.”
…And what about you?
Unlike me, have you found our answer?
“Mom, I’m so excited I don’t think I can sleep tonight.”
“You’re that happy? To go to his house?”
“Yeah, I’m super happy. Really.”
If you have, won’t you tell me? Can’t you let me know?
Where I should go.
Where I have to go to stay away from you.
* * *
The next day, Yeon-ju called Hae-young and suggested they meet for lunch near Chang-rok Agency.
Seeing how utterly drained Yeon-ju looked, Hae-young took her to a restaurant specializing in eel rice bowls. With thick, tender eel piled high, each bowl cost seventy thousand won—less a simple meal and more a medicinal feast.
“You… you got hit?”
Hae-young set her spoon down mid-bite. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
“You got hit? By CEO Min?”
“Shh. Unni, you’re being too loud.”
“What in the absolute fuck. You got hit? Where did he hit you?!”
Ignoring Yeon-ju’s plea, Hae-young’s eyes blazed with fury. Yeon-ju frowned slightly and pointed to her cheek.
Haaah. Only then did Hae-young notice the swelling on Yeon-ju’s lip.
“He laid a hand on you? Is that bastard CEO out of his mind?”
“He slapped me pretty hard. Honestly, the shock of it cleared my head.”
“You should have called the police! Why did you just leave? You should’ve called me! This is unacceptable. We can’t just sit here; we need to go tear that bastard apart right now—”
“Unni. Unni, sit down.”
Yeon-ju forced Hae-young, who was already grabbing her bag to storm out, back into her seat and played the recording. Hae-young listened, her expression shifting from confusion to shock. By the end, her eyes were wide, and she shot Yeon-ju a big thumbs-up.
“Oh my god. That bastard was so shocked he couldn’t even speak, right? He sounds like he practically pissed himself when you said you recorded it.”
“Yeah. He completely froze.”
“He just let you go after that? How did you get out of his office?”
“His secretary came in with tea, so I made a run for it. It’s a good thing he has so many secretaries around. With that many witnesses, he had no choice but to let me go.”
“My goodness, you clever girl. How did you even think to record it?” Hae-young asked, her expression finally softening.
Yeon-ju scrunched up her nose in a small smile.
“I suddenly remembered the past. Back then, when he tore us apart, CEO Min threatened me. He said if I didn’t break up with Eun-seong, he’d ruin him.”
“……”
“I was so terrified of those words. I was scared he would actually do it. That’s why I broke up with him without a second thought, but now I realize that was my mistake.”
You can’t entrust someone’s future to a man who’s always threatening to destroy it.
“This recording isn’t for me; it’s an insurance policy for him. It’s to make sure CEO Min can never hurt him again, even if it has nothing to do with me.”
Since CEO Min was so confident he could bring Eun-seong down at any moment, she felt she needed to hold at least one of his dirty secrets. It was leverage to ensure he would never dare to touch Eun-seong again.
Hae-young furrowed her brow and spoke in a low voice.
“Still, shouldn’t you meet the child’s father at least once? You must have things to discuss, and you need to give him the recording.”
“He actually invited Han-byeol to his house today. I’m dropping him off, so I’ll probably see him then.”
“Really? I guess he wants to throw him a birthday party himself. He must care, deep down. They share the same blood, after all.”
Hae-young, who knew the whole story, feigned ignorance and went back to her meal.
“When you see him, make sure you talk things through properly. Don’t just say things you’ll regret. Have a sincere conversation, okay? Don’t live with regrets.”
Instead of answering, Yeon-ju just gave a small, weary smile.
* * *
After lunch, Yeon-ju went to pick up Han-byeol from school. Once he came out, they hailed a taxi and headed for Eun-seong’s address.
“But Mom, what’s this?” Han-byeol asked, pointing to the gift bag.
“It’s a gift for the actor. We can’t show up at someone’s house for the first time empty-handed.”
“Ah, a present for him? It’s my birthday, but he gets a present too?”
Han-byeol’s voice was bright and clear. Watching her son, who was so excited he was humming to himself, Yeon-ju spoke cautiously.
“Han-byeol. When you get inside, you must not touch anything without permission.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t open the refrigerator, and don’t open any doors, even if you’re curious. A guest sits where they’re told and behaves politely until the very end. Got it?”
“Got it. Okay.”
Now that they were actually on their way, her anxiety began to grow. She felt as if she were being put to the test. Though she had no doubt she’d raised a wonderful child, a part of her worried that Han-byeol wouldn’t measure up in Eun-seong’s eyes.
Yeon-ju caressed Han-byeol’s face and murmured, “In Mom’s eyes, Han-byeol is the most handsome boy in the world. You know that, right?”
“And in my eyes, Mom is the prettiest. You know that, right?”
Yeon-ju couldn’t help but chuckle at him mimicking her words. When had he grown up so much? He felt more like a friend now. It seemed like just yesterday she was surviving the days by talking to herself while he could do little more than cry.
While she was lost in thought, the taxi arrived at his apartment building. Due to the high security, they had to register at the front desk before they could use the elevator.
72nd floor. They pressed the button for the penthouse and waited as the elevator shot upward. Finally arriving at his front door, Yeon-ju checked Han-byeol’s outfit one last time.
“You must not be rude to the actor. Make sure you thank him for inviting you.”
“I know, Mom. Stop nagging.”
Oblivious to his mother’s anxious heart, Han-byeol was already swinging his legs in anticipation. She rang the doorbell. After a short pause, the lock clicked, and the door opened to reveal Eun-seong.
“Hello!” Han-byeol greeted him, his voice louder and more cheerful than ever.
Eun-seong smiled faintly. “Hey there, Han-byeol. You’re right on time.”
“Can I come in?”
“Of course. Come on.”
As Eun-seong opened the door wider, Han-byeol dashed inside. The living room ceiling towered over five meters high, and his gasp of awe echoed all the way to the entryway.
For a moment, Yeon-ju and Eun-seong just looked at each other. After parting as if they would never see each other again, this reunion felt strangely anticlimactic.
“I didn’t expect you to bring him yourself.”
His words dug into her chest like a thorn. As Eun-seong’s dry voice washed over her, Yeon-ju held out the shopping bag.
“I didn’t have anyone else to ask. Director Jin is busy, too. Here, take this.”
“What is it?”
“I didn’t want to come empty-handed. It’s nothing much.”
Eun-seong peeked inside the bag.
“You’re right. It really is nothing much.”
“...Sorry it’s nothing much,” Yeon-ju muttered, clearing her throat after he spotted the generic room diffuser inside.
The conversation died, and an awkward silence stretched between them. Standing face-to-face like this, her mind flashed back to another time.
To that day, in that room—to the last time they stood opposite each other, their voices raised in a bitter argument over Han-byeol’s existence.
Time seemed to have frozen back then, refusing to move forward.
“I hope nothing like this happens again, but since it has, please make some good memories for him.”
“……”
“And I hope it becomes a good memory for you, too, Actor.”
She knew all too well that they weren’t in a position to stand here and reminisce.
Yeon-ju shifted her gaze anxiously, ready to say goodbye, but just then, Eun-seong spoke.
“Come pick him up in four hours.”
“Pardon?”
“You have to take him home. I said, come back in four hours.”
“Ah… Yes. Understood.”
As Yeon-ju nodded in a daze, Eun-seong began to close the door. Just as it was about to shut, it opened again, and he poked his head out.
Han-byeol’s excited squeals echoed from deeper inside the apartment.
“And don’t call in the meantime. I don’t want to be disturbed.”
“Oh, yes. I understand. I won’t.”
He gave her one last distrustful look before the door slammed shut with a definitive thud. Yeon-ju stared blankly at the closed door, her mouth slightly agape.
‘When you see him, make sure you talk things through properly. Don’t just say things you’ll regret. Have a sincere conversation, okay? Don’t live with regrets.’
Hae-young’s advice from lunch echoed in her mind, and Yeon-ju let out a soft groan.
“He really did just take Han-byeol.”
His gaze, once so full of affection, was now completely different. It rooted her to the spot. Her chest ached, and she rubbed the area over her heart in slow circles before finally turning to leave.
Perhaps it was from ascending to such a high floor so quickly. A wave of dizziness washed over her, a motion sickness that felt like it would never subside.