LIGHTNOVELWORLD Ch58 - Why Did You Do That?
“Hello!”
Yena greeted cheerfully. Then she pointed to Jeong-oh, who was still a bit hesitant to approach.
“Uncle, this is my mom. My mom is a copywriter.”
Jeong-oh was still frozen in shock, her expression clearly showing her surprise.
Jiheon understood her reaction; he felt the same way.
He decided to be honest with Yena.
“I know, too.”
“How do you know?”
“I also work at that company.”
“Wait? Uncle, you also work at my mom’s company?”
Yena turned to Jeong-oh, asking.
“Uh…”
Jeong-oh finally managed to open her mouth to answer, but she was at a loss for words.
“Uncle, what about the gift?”
Dobin’s question quickly shifted the topic.
Jiheon opened the passenger door and took out two boxes to give to the kids.
“Wow! It’s a koala!”
One side of the box was opened, making it easy to see the contents. Dobin shouted out when he recognized the koala stuffed animal.
Jeong-oh also recognized the boxes the kids were holding.
Was it just the day before yesterday? It was when the traffic accident happened in front of Flinders Street Station in Melbourne during lunch.
After hearing about the situation from the police who had arrived at the scene, Jeong-oh found herself waiting for the road to be cleared. So, she stopped by a nearby souvenir shop.
Fortunately, the shop had the kangaroo plushie Yena had mentioned. Just as she picked up the kangaroo plushie in excitement, Jiheon walked into the store.
Thinking Jiheon was following her, Jeong-oh rushed to the counter to pay and then left using the door opposite to where Jiheon had entered.
She had managed to escape, but he was also buying a gift.
The koala plushie that had been next to the kangaroo came back to her mind, making Jeong-oh feel a bit awkward.
In any case, it was fortunate that she hadn’t run into him back then. If she had suggested the kangaroo plushies for the kids, Yena would have only received two of those.
With her mouth agape, Yena tore open the box and pulled out the stuffed animal, hugging it tightly. The baby koala hanging on the back of the mother koala looked just like Yena.
“Yena, you should say thank you.”
“Thank you, Uncle!”
“Thank you, Uncle!”
Following Yena, Dobin also expressed his gratitude loudly.
“Thank you for taking care of my daughter too. … It’s time for the kids to go to their academy.”
Jeong-oh bowed slightly and mentioned their next schedule, indicating they would be leaving.
Her nose felt tingly and her eyes were hot, making it hard to look at him any longer. If tears fell, it seemed her rationality would collapse as well.
She needed to think, but it felt like her mind was temporarily paralyzed. In fact, she had already achieved her first goal: to show Yena to him. He still didn’t know that Yena was his daughter, so it was only half accomplished.
The scene she had only imagined created a wave of emotions even greater than she had anticipated. Instead of joy, it felt overwhelming, and on the other hand, her heart ached, leaving her in a daze.
Despite her boundaries, Jiheon’s feelings diverged from her intentions.
“Take care. Let’s talk a bit.”
Jeong-oh felt trapped. However, she couldn’t show her conflict in front of the children. She didn’t respond to Jiheon and instead took Yena and Dobin’s hands.
“Let’s go to the academy. Say goodbye to Uncle.”
“Goodbye, Uncle!”
“Goodbye, Uncle!”
The children waved their hands while following Jeong-oh’s words.
She led the kids to the academy.
“Today, Yena’s mom came!”
As they entered, the academy director greeted them warmly. Jeong-oh also returned the greeting.
“Yes, hello!”
“Good to see you. If you have some time, could we talk for a moment? I have something to tell you.”
She had just intended to say hello and leave, but the director guided Jeong-oh inside.
‘He must be waiting outside.’
For a moment, she felt worried about Jiheon. But her concern for Yena pushed that thought away.
What could he want to talk about? Did Yena seem very gloomy? Did someone tease her for being from a single-parent family?
Jeong-oh entered the director’s office, feeling nervous.
However, the topic the director brought up was completely different from her worries.
“Yena’s mom, do you know Yena is smart?”
“Ah…”
“She’s very smart. She’s the smartest seven-year-old I’ve taught so far. Her ability to analyze moves is exceptional.”
Jeong-oh was quite surprised by the director’s words.
It was amazing. She had never taught Yena Go (baduk) before.
Six months ago, Yena had suddenly said she wanted to go to a Go academy, and Jeong-oh had sent her there. Yena was indeed a very smart child, but it was hard for a seven-year-old to grasp the rules of Go. Jeong-oh had thought Yena would lose interest after a month or two, yet here they were, six months later.
The little girl who couldn’t even open a bottle of water on her own sparkled with excitement whenever she held a Go stone.
“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to teach her well. There are many Go competitions for kids as well. Yena has a strong competitive spirit, so I think participating in competitions would motivate her. What do you think?”
“Well, I think I need to ask Yena first.”
“To be honest, I asked Yena indirectly about it. When I mentioned the competitions, her eyes lit up. She probably wants to meet peers she can compete with.”
The child was growing up much faster than she realized.
It was fascinating how she was carving out her own path.
Mr. Jeong Jiheon, my daughter is a genius.
Hearing about her daughter made her heart race and brought her more joy than receiving praise herself.
Jeong-oh finished her conversation with the academy director and stepped outside. Jiheon was standing right outside the door.
“I was wondering why you weren’t coming out.”
Before she could ask why he was standing there, Jiheon spoke first. He seemed to think she was deliberately avoiding him by not coming out of the academy.
Before Jeong-oh could lose her train of thought, Jiheon took her hand.
“Let’s go down.”
He held her hand tightly, as if afraid she would pull away. Only when she matched her steps beside him did his grip loosen.
They sat facing each other on a bench in front of a convenience store. Jiheon handed Jeong-oh a refreshing drink. Jeong-oh’s lips were parched, but she couldn’t bring herself to take a sip.
“Aren’t you going to work?”
“I left work early.”
“Oh.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Hello!”
Yena greeted cheerfully. She then pointed towards Jeong-o, who was standing further back.
“That’s my mom. My mom is a copywriter.”
Jeong-o was still unable to approach, her expression frozen in surprise.
Ji-heon understood her reaction. He felt the same way.
He honestly confessed to Yena, “I know.”
“How do you know?”
“I also work at that company.”
“Wait, Uncle! You also work at my mom’s company?”
Yena turned to Jeong-o and asked.
“Uh…”
Jeong-o managed to open her mouth, struggling to respond. She was at a loss for words, finding it hard to say anything more.
“Uncle, what about the gift?”
Do-bin’s question quickly shifted the topic.
Ji-heon opened the passenger door and took out two boxes to hand to the children.
“Wow! A koala!”
One side of the box had a hole, allowing the contents to be seen immediately. Do-bin shouted excitedly upon recognizing the koala plushie.
Jeong-o also recognized the boxes the children were holding.
Was it the day before yesterday during lunch? It was when the traffic accident happened in front of Flinders Street Station in Melbourne.
After hearing updates from the police who arrived at the scene and realizing they had to wait for the road to clear, Jeong-o had entered a nearby souvenir shop.
Fortunately, the shop had the kangaroo plushie Yena had mentioned. When Jeong-o joyfully picked up the kangaroo plushie, Ji-heon walked into the store.
Jeong-o thought Ji-heon was following her, so she quickly ran to the register to pay and left through a different door than the one Ji-heon entered.
In that moment, she had made her escape, but he had also been planning to buy a gift.
The koala plushie next to the kangaroo was now on her mind. Jeong-o felt a bit awkward recalling it.
In any case, it was a relief that they hadn’t run into each other at that time. If she had advised him that the kangaroo plushie would be a good gift, Yena would have ended up with two kangaroo plushies instead.
Yena’s mouth was agape as she tore open the box and pulled out the plushie, hugging it tightly. The baby koala clinging to its mother looked just like Yena.
“Yena, you should say thank you.”
“Thank you, Uncle!”
“Thank you, Uncle!”
Do-bin followed Yena’s lead, greeting him enthusiastically.
“I appreciate you taking care of my daughter. …It’s time for the kids to go to their academy now.”
Jeong-o bowed slightly and mentioned their next schedule, indicating they would be leaving.
Her nose felt tingly and her eyes were hot, making it difficult for her to face him any longer. She feared that if she let her tears fall, her emotional defenses would crumble.
She needed to think, but her mind felt temporarily paralyzed. In fact, she had achieved her first goal: to show him Yena. Since he still didn’t know that Yena was his daughter, it was only half accomplished, but still.
The scene she had imagined stirred up emotions more intense than she had expected. It was overwhelming rather than joyous, and at the same time, her heart ached, leaving her numb.
Jeong-o had drawn a line, but Ji-heon’s heart was different from her intentions.
“Take care. Let’s talk for a bit.”
Jeong-o felt stuck, as if she couldn’t move. However, it was impossible to show any conflict in front of the children. Jeong-o didn’t respond to Ji-heon and took Yena and Do-bin’s hands.
“Let’s go to the academy. Say goodbye to Uncle.”
“Goodbye, Uncle!”
“Goodbye, Uncle!”
The children waved as they followed Jeong-o’s instructions.
Jeong-o took the kids up to the academy.
“Yena’s mom came today!”
As she opened the door and entered, the academy’s headmaster greeted her warmly. Jeong-o replied.
“Yes. Hello!”
“That’s great! If you have time, could we talk for a moment? I have something to discuss.”
Jeong-o had only intended to greet him, but the headmaster guided her inside.
‘He must be waiting outside.’
For a moment, she was worried about Ji-heon. However, her concern for Yena pushed that worry aside.
What did he want to talk about? Did Yena look particularly down? Did someone tease her because she came from a single-parent family?
Jeong-o followed the headmaster into his office, feeling nervous.
However, the topic the headmaster brought up was entirely different from her worries.
“Yena’s mother, did you know that Yena is really smart?”
“Ah…”
“She’s incredibly bright. Among the seven-year-olds I’ve taught so far, she’s the smartest. Her ability to analyze moves is exceptional.”
The headmaster’s words surprised her greatly.
It was fascinating. She had never taught Yena how to play Go.
Six months ago, Yena suddenly expressed a desire to attend the Go academy, and Jeong-o had enrolled her. While she was indeed a very smart child, the rules of Go wouldn’t be easy for a seven-year-old to grasp. She thought Yena would quickly lose interest after a month or two, but six months had already passed.
That little kid who couldn’t even open a bottle of water shone brightly whenever she held a Go stone.
“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to teach her well. There are many tournaments for young Go prodigies. I think Yena would benefit from the competition because she has a strong competitive spirit. What do you think?”
“Well, I think I should ask Yena first.”
“To be honest, I hinted at it to Yena. When I mentioned the tournament, her eyes sparkled with excitement. She probably wants to meet peers she can compete with.”
The child was growing up much faster than she realized.
It was fascinating that Yena was forging her own path.
Ji-heon, huh? Our daughter is a prodigy.
Hearing about her daughter made Jeong-o’s heart race and feel happier than just hearing compliments about herself.
After finishing the conversation with the academy headmaster, Jeong-o stepped outside. Ji-heon was standing right outside the door.
“You weren’t coming out, so…”
Before Jeong-o could ask why he was standing there, Ji-heon spoke first. He seemed to think she was avoiding him by not coming out of the academy.
Just as she was about to have different thoughts, Ji-heon grabbed her hand.
“Let’s go down.”
He held her hand tightly, as if fearing she would pull away. Only after they walked side by side did his grip loosen.
They sat facing each other on a bench in front of a convenience store. Ji-heon handed Jeong-o a cold drink. Though Jeong-o’s lips were dry, she couldn’t bring herself to drink.
“Aren’t you going to work?”
“I got off early.”
“Oh.”
Ji-heon hid his smile at her blank reaction.
To me, it’s a delightful connection, but it might be a burden to you.
She must have been very surprised. Maybe she thought I was scary.
After all this time, I’ve been quite obsessed, so she might think this coincidence is all part of my plan.
Or does she feel pressure from all sides? I followed her around at work, and now I’m doing this outside of work?
Of course, I want to hold her tightly so she can never escape me.
While there is an instinctual desire for that, I want to pressure her but I’m not.
I only hope she doesn’t run away again. Though there’s nowhere left to run now.
He concealed his selfish feelings and made excuses.
“You might not believe me, but I really didn’t know. I found out while asking for your phone number to give Yena a gift.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. His plan did include giving Yena a gift.
The day before yesterday, Ji-heon had entered the souvenir shop following Jeong-o in Melbourne and failed to catch her, ending up buying a gift. Although he bought it by chance, he certainly thought of Yena while shopping with Do-bin and the other siblings.
As he began to speak, Jeong-o shook her head.
“No, I’m the one who…”
“…”
“I didn’t know. Really.”
Jeong-o couldn’t suspect his words anymore.
If she had known before his business trip abroad, she would have found a way to bring it up first. Knowing Ji-heon’s impulsive nature, Jeong-o could quickly accept it.
If he wasn’t Yena’s biological father and just a normal colleague, she might have found it a bit scary.
The thrill of that connection continued to torment her heart, but Jeong-o tried hard to calm down and asked another question.
“Have you played Go before?”
“I used to like it when I was a kid.”
“I didn’t know that either.”
“I never told you, so you couldn’t know.”
“Exactly. Why didn’t you tell me? You should have.”
This meant she hadn’t known about it even seven years ago. She was hearing for the first time that he could play Go.
Ji-heon, unaware of her feelings, found her little complaint endearing and laughed. After his laughter, a bit of an aching feeling washed over him.
Her world is much bigger than I thought.
He couldn’t surpass Yena for the rest of
his life. He had to accept that, but he felt uneasy about the child’s father.
Jeong-o had once spoken about her ex-boyfriend. She had said he was doing very well.
Now, they didn’t contact each other, but the guy could show up anytime, having a beautiful daughter.
Would Jeong-o waver? After all, he was the father of the child.
That absolutely can’t happen.
Can I win against the child’s father?
His desire to ask about the child’s father stuck in his throat, torturing him. He barely tried to part his lips when a woman’s voice called from the other side.
“Yena’s mom!”
Recognizing Jin-seo, Jeong-o jumped to her feet. Ji-heon also stood up.
Today’s meeting was a collaborative effort of Jin-seo, Seung-kyu, and Ji-heon. Ji-heon had asked Seung-kyu to introduce Yena and Jeong-o, and Jin-seo had come up with the idea.
Ji-heon’s expression stiffened as he faced Jin-seo. He wondered if Jin-seo would reveal the plan for today.
But Jin-seo was quick-witted and very understanding.
Her elongated lips held significant meaning, but Jin-seo didn’t change the subject.
“It’s nice to see you here, Ji-heon.”
“Yes. Hello. Thanks to you, I was able to deliver the gift well.”
As Ji-heon greeted, Jin-seo turned to Jeong-o.
“I heard all three of you—Do-bin’s dad, Ji-heon, and Jeong-o—work at the same company. What a coincidence!”
With Jin-seo emphasizing “coincidence,” Jeong-o’s cheeks flushed for no reason.
Jeong-o conveyed the plan she had thought about since morning.
“It must have been tough for you for a while. If you have time today, would you like to come to our house? I wanted to invite Do-bin over. I feel very sorry for all the help I’ve received until now.”
“Oh no, it’s nothing. Really. I don’t feel burdened at all when seeing Yena.”
Jin-seo waved her hand dismissively.
“I’d love to visit Yena’s house, but my parents are visiting from the countryside today.”
“Ah… you must be busy.”
“I’m not that busy. I’m pregnant, so for some reason, I want to eat something other than the food I usually make. I’m going to pick up Do-bin now; do you want to come along?”
“Yes, yes. That sounds good.”
Jeong-o followed Jin-seo as she left.
Ji-heon was left alone once again. Fortunately, this time the wait was not long. Shortly after, Jeong-o, Yena, Jin-seo, and Do-bin appeared, holding hands.
Jin-seo cautiously asked Ji-heon, who was waiting.
“I think we should leave first… Ji-heon, can you take them home?”
“Of course.”
Ji-heon’s answer came easily. Jin-seo smiled broadly, just like before.
“Yes. Well, we’ll be going first. Thank you for taking care of Do-bin today, Yena’s mom.”
“No problem. Be careful going back.”
After Jeong-o’s farewell, Do-bin cheerfully waved goodbye.
“Yena, goodbye! See you tomorrow!”
“Okay! Goodbye!”
After Jin-seo and Do-bin left, only Jeong-o, Ji-heon, and Yena remained.
As she faced Ji-heon with Yena, Jeong-o felt nervous once again. The swelling emotions were blocking her thoughts. She had never felt this jittery even during competitive presentations.
“Director, we’ll just go. It’s within walking distance.”
“I’ll give you a ride. Let’s go together.”
Ji-heon held Yena’s hand, afraid Jeong-o might refuse again.
“Yena, let’s go.”
It seemed better to get the child moving. Yena took Ji-heon’s hand and looked up at him, asking.
“Are you the director?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you’re the director who gave my mom the cookies?”
Ji-heon felt pleased at Yena’s recognition.
“Right. You remember.”
“Yes. I took some home.”
But Yena had a different purpose in mind. This time she asked Jeong-o.
“Mom, is that the director who made you work overtime?”
“Uh, that’s…”
“Then is he the director who made you work overtime on my birthday?”
The child was frighteningly sharp.
“Uncle, did you make my mom work overtime on May 27?”
Yena stopped in her tracks and questioned Ji-heon.
No longer could she see the innocent smile of the child.
In an instant, Ji-heon’s heart sank.
After making Jeong-o work overtime the day before, that was May 28.
That day, Jeong-o had said something.
“No matter what you give me, I will not trade it for my all.”
Ah, I see now.
It was Yena. Yena was Jeong-o’s everything.
Ji-heon finally understood why Jeong-o had said those words.
Yena, who had cleaned up all affection, lifted her chin defiantly and asked.
“Why did you do that?”
Ji-heon was left frozen, unable to move. A chill ran down his spine.