Chapter 86
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86
A single, fragile beam of light pierced through a gap in the partially drawn curtains. Yeon-ju slowly blinked, her gaze fixed on Eun-seong’s sleeping face.
His eyelids, heavy with exhaustion, remained tightly shut, showing no sign of opening. His thick, neat eyelashes cast faint shadows, a testament to how deeply he slept.
It was fascinating how much he looked like her child. With his eyes closed, the resemblance was even more striking.
“Mom, you know what? I like Mister Eun-seong.”
That day. That morning.
“I wish Mister was my real dad.”
The innocent wish Han-byeol had so casually uttered had made her heart ache.
It was a pure desire, one that didn't connect the dots that for him to get a "dad," she would have to get a "husband." The child's voice, so bright and clear despite the weight of his words, lingered in her mind, causing Yeon-ju to break down in silent tears.
Eventually, she realized it was no longer possible to fight their natural bond with mere human effort.
Recalling the memory, she carefully pulled the blanket higher. Not wanting to disturb his sweet slumber, she was cautious with even the smallest movement. Exhausted from the long hours of filming, Eun-seong slept soundly, not stirring as he usually would. Yeon-ju was simply grateful for his peaceful rest.
For some, watching a loved one sleep was a source of profound joy and happiness. It was as overwhelming as admiring a masterpiece one could never tire of looking at.
She wasn't sure how long she had been staring at his face, her eyes tracing his features with a mix of complex emotions. Eun-seong stirred, and his hand fell lightly onto her body.
The unfamiliar touch finally roused him, and Eun-seong’s eyes fluttered open. A soft laugh escaped Yeon-ju, her face showing a hint of an "oops."
"It's me. Don't open your eyes. Go back to sleep."
Still half-asleep and slow to grasp reality, Eun-seong looked at her with unfocused eyes. Then, closing them again, he spoke in a raspy voice.
"When did you wake up?"
"Just now."
"You should've woken me up."
"Why? You should sleep more. I'm going to sleep a bit more, too."
Worried he might force himself to get up, Yeon-ju tucked the blanket snugly around him, urging him to rest. Eun-seong shifted into a more comfortable position and began to drift off again.
"Having you next to me makes me so sleepy."
"That's good. Sleep well."
Yeon-ju placed her hand on his arm with a small smile. The lazy morning sunlight signaled the start of a bright day, but what did it matter? She needed this time to cleanse her weary mind and body.
After watching him for a long time, holding him in her heart, Yeon-ju finally closed her eyes as well. Holding each other comfortably like children clutching their favorite stuffed animals, they continued to rest.
Reason gave way to instinct. The soft sound of each other's breathing and the gentle rustle of their movements lulled them into a deeper, more peaceful sleep.
…My beloved is sleeping soundly.
Completely unprepared to ward off anything harmful. So defenseless that immediate retaliation would be impossible.
It was a peaceful moment.
* * *
"Hello? Mom. Are you home?"
It was 1:00 PM when Yeon-ju opened her eyes again.
Leaving Eun-seong, who was still sleeping like the dead, Yeon-ju slipped out of the bedroom and called her mother. To get as far away from the bedroom as possible, she stepped into the dressing room and began to pace.
— No. I'm at the market. Why?
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to see if everything's okay at home."
— What do you mean, okay? Han-byeol's at school. Is everything okay with you? When are you coming back?
"Me? Oh, I… well, I still have a lot of work to do."
Her voice trembled whenever she lied. It was a chronic habit she could never seem to fix. She could have just said she was on a business trip, but regret washed over her only after she had clumsily glossed over the truth.
— Alright. Make sure you eat. And, what was it… I was thinking of buying some pomfret, but my goodness, they want forty thousand won for just one fish. Who could possibly eat that? Sigh.
"Just buy it. If you buy two, we can eat our fill… Ah!"
Just then, Eun-seong approached from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist.
— What is it? What's wrong?
"No! No! It's just… the pomfret is so expensive!"
Startled, Yeon-ju blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Turning her head slightly, she saw Eun-seong smiling, clearly eavesdropping on her call.
"Mom, even if it's expensive, you should eat it if you want to. Go ahead and buy it. Buy two."
— For that kind of money, I'd rather pay for Han-byeol's Taekwondo lessons. Anyway, alright. The pomfret did look plump, though. I'm hanging up.
"Alright. Just buy it. Don't hesitate."
— My hands are shaking too much to buy it! Eighty thousand won would get me so many salted mackerels. Though the pomfret is plump, so it would be nice to steam… Oh, just hang up!
Her mind still wavering over the expensive fish, Mrs. Na abruptly ended the call, saying she was too flustered to keep talking.
Yeon-ju lowered her hand after making sure the call had disconnected. She tried to turn, but Eun-seong held her waist tightly, refusing to let go, so she gave up.
"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that when I'm on the phone with my mom."
"Pomfret sounds delicious. I like pomfret, too."
"She said she can't bring herself to buy it because it's forty thousand won a fish."
"I'll send her a whole box soon."
When Eun-seong offered to send a whole box, Yeon-ju let out a sleepy laugh. She managed to turn around in his arms to face him. With messy hair and drowsy eyes, the two of them, looking a bit disheveled after just waking up, exchanged late morning greetings.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Extremely well. I don't even know how I got home yesterday. My memory is a blur."
"Me too. I think I just collapsed onto the bed and passed out."
As Yeon-ju spoke with a smile, Eun-seong smiled back. Brushing her tangled hair away from her face, he took her hand.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat."
"I want to wash up first."
"Then go wash up. I'll whip up something simple."
Their movements were as natural as if they had lived together in this house for years. Eun-seong poured himself a glass of water while Yeon-ju tied her hair back and opened a window to let in the breeze.
"I guess your obsession with ventilation isn't just a workplace thing."
"When you raise a child, you can't help but obsess over it. You worry about everything they take in, even the invisible things. Try raising a kid sometime."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Eun-seong chuckled and drank his water. Turning back from the window, Yeon-ju smiled with him.
The bright sunlight wrapped around her as she stood by the window. She was so dazzlingly bright that Eun-seong could only watch her in silence.
* * *
After their meal, Yeon-ju sat on the living room sofa with a cup of coffee Eun-seong had brewed. As the warmth fogged up the mug, she held it with both hands, blew gently, and took a sip.
She scrunched her eyes in a silent expression of how good it tasted. Eun-seong let out a small laugh and sat down beside her. Seeing scripts scattered everywhere within arm's reach, Yeon-ju quietly sipped her coffee.
They had been read so many times that the pages were swollen and fanned out, like popular comic books from a rental shop. They chatted about various things from the film set, but the conversation soon died down.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable like it used to be, but they both knew it was time to address the real topic.
"I don't know how to tell Han-byeol," Yeon-ju began. "I'm worried he'll be too shocked once he knows the whole truth, and I don't know what he'll think… I have so many worries. He's still so young."
There was a vast gulf between wishing Eun-seong was his dad and the reality that Eun-seong was his real dad. It was impossible to know how young Han-byeol, who would one day have to navigate puberty, would accept this truth.
"I think so too. Especially since Han-byeol is still so young."
Taking a sip of his coffee, Eun-seong agreed with her. When it came to the child, he trusted her judgment completely. He lacked experience with children and the knowledge that came with it; seeing things only from an adult's perspective meant every decision was a difficult problem to solve.
"But if we talk to him honestly, over a long period of time, don't you think he'll be able to accept it?"
"I hope so."
"It's hard."
"Very. There hasn't been a single moment raising Han-byeol that wasn't hard. Because my choices inevitably shape his life."
Eun-seong nodded slowly. Her mother had a "do it on your own" attitude toward parenting, so Yeon-ju had no choice but to trust her own decisions every time.
She frequented parenting forums day and night. She carefully studied the advice of experienced parents and tried to apply it. But the advice differed from place to place, and every case was unique; if anything, the flood of information only added to her confusion.
In the end, parenting was something you just had to figure out by doing it yourself.
"By the way, are you going to stay with Yeonildam?"
"No. I'm sorting things out," Eun-seong answered quickly. This time, it was Yeon-ju who nodded slowly.
Sensing she had more to say but was holding back, Eun-seong glanced at her. After a moment, he asked in a low voice, "What do you want me to do?"
"Pardon? About what?"
"CEO Min."
Eun-seong tapped his cheek with his finger, as if he couldn't even be bothered to say the name. Ah. He was talking about being slapped. Yeon-ju smiled, her face completely clear of resentment.
"What about him? From his perspective, it was infuriating. I was nothing but a liability to you. His methods were wrong, but honestly, I understood where he was coming from. If I were in his shoes, I would have hated someone like me, too."
"I hear your Buddha-like sentiments loud and clear. Though they sound incredibly contrived and fake."
"I'm serious!"
"Alright. So you're saying that since you're fine, I—who am not fine—should handle it as I see fit. Is that it?"
When Eun-seong raised his hand slightly, as if to drop the subject, Yeon-ju's lips twitched. She took a sip of coffee and spoke in a tiny voice.
"Still, it did make me mad. It hurt a lot. Anyway, what should we do now?"
Changing the subject, Yeon-ju asked what they should do next. Eun-seong pointed toward the TV with his chin, and Yeon-ju followed his gaze.
When he turned on the TV, a video of Han-byeol's childhood, which was already queued up, filled the screen.
"Ah," Yeon-ju gasped softly. Eun-seong stared at the child's face on the screen and spoke.
"I had so many questions trying to watch this alone. I've been wanting to ask you about it."
"Yes. I thought it would be nice to watch it together, too."
Eun-seong sat closer and stretched out his arm. Yeon-ju lowered her head to lean against his shoulder. As if afraid someone might force them apart, they sat pressed tightly against each other.
Time wound backward, and a video from Han-byeol's 50th-day celebration began to play. Looking at the incredibly fragile and lovely baby on the screen, they squeezed each other's hands tightly.
Both of them smiled warmly at the same time.
A movie of their own, one that would never end, had just begun.