Yun-woo, I'll Raise Him Myself
Regret gnawed at me. Resentment toward myself. No, the entire situation I found myself in was simply heartbreaking.
One day I cried until my mother called my name and I finally fell asleep from exhaustion. The next morning I woke up in disbelief.
The reflection in the mirror showed a swollen-eyed monster. The damage from a failed love felt less shocking than the puffiness of my eyes. My mouth fell open.
Even if I had said yesterday that Choi Hyun-seo had hurt me, seeing this face meant he would hurt me again today. No matter how human someone is, how could their eyes swell like this?
“Ugh, please go down already.”
I splashed cold water on them repeatedly and still stared into the mirror, but the puffy eyes were beyond recognition as human eyes. I had no choice but to tiptoe downstairs. I needed to grab some ice from the fridge and press it to my eyes or no one would be able to stand looking at me.
I had just taken the ice from the refrigerator and placed it on my eyes when Choi Hyun-seo came downstairs.
Was it really just me who had cried all night, flailing in the depths of emotion? The man standing there in a spotless suit on his perfectly groomed face looked as refreshing as the white shirt. I quickly turned away, not wanting him to see my swollen eyes.
But in that brief moment, he must have noticed my puffy eyes.
“Your eyes are pretty swollen.”
“No, just a bit hot. They’re burning from fever.”
“Fever? You must have cried a lot.”
What exactly did this man think of me? Why did he say it so casually? That only made me more annoyed. Even if I knew that, I wished he would pretend not to notice.
But Choi Hyun-seo was not the type to let something like that go unnoticed.
He always poked just a little harder to get one more remark.
“What do you mean ‘crying’? If we just tune ourselves carefully, we can work things out.”
“I was the one who got stood up.”
At my words, Hyun-seo lifted his chin.
“Oh? Is that so? Because you got stood up and your eyes are this swollen, you’re not going to admit it, right? You’re saying a woman who got stood up by me shouldn’t cry like that?”
I glared at him with my swollen eyes. They were too puffy to move. Hyun-seo said, “That’s too swollen. No effect even if you glare. So, Director Min, keep your eyes open.”
Even the title “Director” remained unchanged.
Still glaring at Hyun-seo, I opened my eyes fully, closed them again, and placed the ice on top. Then Hyun-seo stepped closer.
“Should I hold it for you? The ice might slip.”
He either asked for permission or simply took it. This man’s hands moved faster than his words. The hand that grabbed the ice held it steadily on my eyes.
“No, I can take care of it myself. Just let me do this quickly.”
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel it immediately. At my words, Hyun-seo paused.
“Let’s think about that again. As you know, we……”
“I know, I know. You’re talking about the contract. So, don’t knock on the door at night.”
“When did I knock?”
“Where did the person who knocked every night go?”
At my words, Hyun-seo closed his mouth. Even if it was just a joke, the meaning behind it was clear.
Is it something I can never undo now?
Hyun-seo was still holding the ice on my eyes, silent. I stood there for a moment before replying.
“I’ll think about it. This. I’ll look into everything. Until Yun-woo grows up, I’ll raise him.”
“Daddy.”
Both of us were lost in each other’s gaze when the first sound came from Yun-woo. Yun-woo raised his arms and called out to Daddy as he wanted to be hugged.
“Daddy. Hug me.”
At those words, Hyun-seo climbed the stairs, set the briefcase down beside me, and picked up Yun-woo. I accepted the briefcase he had placed on the floor.
“Yun-woo has grown so much.”
After six months, a father would look unfamiliar, yet Yun-woo hugged his neck without hesitation as if he had seen him the day before. I felt strange looking at a child who was too welcoming. After six months, I too would feel strange seeing a child, but this one didn’t feel that way at all. Hyun-seo hugged Yun-woo tightly and patted his back.
“Daddy, I like Daddy.”
Those words caused Hyun-seo’s heart to melt inexplicably. The six months he had spent walking around outside without being able to do anything for Yun-woo felt like nothing. Yun-woo said he liked Daddy.
“Do you like Daddy, Yun-woo?”
“Yes. I like him.”
“Yes. Do you like Daddy, Yun-woo?”
“I like Mommy too.”
“He’s talking too much.”
Hyun-seo turned his eyes. Looking up at Yun-woo who was held high in his arms, I smiled.
“You’ve raised him well. Director Min.”
“Yes. I was a capable employee, Director.”
My chest, which had turned yellow like dry grass, withered at the words from Tae-yeon. There was nothing between us anymore besides the contract. I had loved her for a long time, but a wall that I could not cross remained clearly in place.
Every day we exchanged messages. Tae-yeon sent me detailed reports on Yun-woo through casual emails. But now that I was seeing her face like this, it felt strangely awkward. So I smiled more brightly. Compared to the first time I saw her, I said with a brighter smile, “Come in. You arrived earlier than planned.”
“Yes. The work ended quickly.”
I had pushed myself too hard just to finish it sooner. Even so, I threw myself into work to avoid thinking about anything else. But I still couldn’t live like that alone. In the end, I had no choice but to come here even though it was awkward.
Inside, a herbal medicine box caught my eye. Had he really been taking it for over six months without fail?
“This is probably medicine for children, right?”
“Yes. It’s from Madam. She sent it. I haven’t been taking it for six months. I ate it for the first month, and she sent more a few days ago, so I’m taking it again now. It’s fine, Director.”
The professional smile and polite words only made the distance between us feel greater. Hyun-seo felt despair at Tae-yeon’s smile.