Meanwhile, somewhere in Seoul, Mrs. Choi stood in her kitchen, gently stirring a pot of richly garnished soup. A soft, contented smile rested on her lips with every slow turn she made.
It had been a long time since the house had felt this alive… this full.
Now, she had company, two little souls who had unknowingly filled the quiet spaces she had grown used to.
In the sitting room, Ha-eun and Kira lay fast asleep, small hands still clutching their toys, their bodies tucked into soft blankets. Their gentle breathing blended into the calm of the house.
Mrs. Choi paused for a moment, leaning slightly to take in the sight.
Her smile softened.
Just as she was admiring the peaceful moment...
A sharp knock echoed through the house.
Her hands stilled.
The smile on her lips faltered almost instantly.
She had been expecting it… and yet, she had hoped it wouldn't come.
Not tonight.
Not so soon.
She exhaled quietly, steadying herself before taking slow, deliberate steps toward the door, careful not to wake the children.
Her fingers wrapped around the handle.
She opened the door gently.
And there he stood.
Hwan Nam-joon.
The one person she had hoped wouldn't come so quickly.
She wasn't ready to let the children go, not even for a minute.
Her expression softened into a polite smile, though her eyes betrayed the hesitation she tried to hide.
"Good evening, ma'am," he greeted with a respectful bow. "I'm here to pick up Kira… Hwan Nam-joon."
"Oh, I know who you are," she replied with a small smile, stepping aside. "Please, come in. It's cold outside."
Nam-joon hesitated for a brief second, but something about her warmth, something gentle and grounding, pulled him in.
"Please, sit," she said, gesturing toward the dining table. "I know you would like to leave immediately, but… if you could stay for dinner?"
"No, it's fine," he replied politely.
"I knew you'd refuse," she said with a knowing smile. "But at least for the children, they haven't had dinner yet."
Nam-joon paused.
There was no room for argument in her tone.
He gave a small nod.
She smiled, quietly satisfied, before turning back toward the kitchen.
"I hope Kira wasn't much of a hassle," he asked after a moment, his voice softer now.
Mrs. Choi shook her head immediately.
"No, not at all. The children these days are more mature than most teenagers," she said with a light chuckle. "She reminds me of my little Ga-young."
"Ms. Choi must be lucky to have you as her mother," Nam-joon said sincerely.
Mrs. Choi laughed softly, shaking her head.
"No… it's actually the other way around," she admitted, her voice growing quieter. "If there's anyone lucky, it would be me."
She paused briefly, her gaze distant.
"Ga-young practically raised herself. She was always independent… always smart."
Nam-joon listened more intently now.
"Most times, I feel like I didn't do enough for her," she continued, her voice laced with quiet regret. "Like I don't deserve her. All I did was place her in difficult situations…"
She exhaled slowly.
"I'm proud of how far she has come. But… I still wish I had been there more. I wish she had enjoyed her childhood like other children did."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then, almost unconsciously...
"I'm scared too," Nam-joon said.
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Mrs. Choi looked at him, her expression softening even more.
"I'm sure you're a great father," she said gently. "And Kira… she loves you so much, more than you probably realize. She kept talking about you all night. About how amazing you are."
"Really?" he asked, a hint of surprise breaking through his usual composure.
She nodded with a warm smile.
"She's such a sweetheart. You're both lucky to have each other," she said, placing a bowl of hot soup in front of him. "You just need to decide what your greatest priority is… and keep her above it."
She pushed the bowl slightly closer.
"You look cold. Have this first before I serve dinner, okay?"
"Thank you, ma'am," he said, bowing his head slightly, this time, not just out of respect, but genuine gratitude.
---
A few minutes later, dinner was over.
The children were awake now, quietly finishing their meals, and soon, they were ready to leave.
Mrs. Choi stepped out of the room, returning shortly after with a winter coat draped over her arm.
"It's cold outside," she said gently, holding it out to Nam-joon. "You should remember to always have a coat with you."
Still slightly stunned by her kindness, he accepted it and bowed.
"Thank you."
Mrs. Choi smiled before crouching down to Kira's level.
"Grandma is going to miss you so much," she said softly.
"I'm going to miss you too, Grandma," Kira replied, wrapping her arms around her.
Ha-eun quickly joined in, hugging both of them.
"I hope to see you again… I wish you could sleep over," she said with a small pout.
Kira cupped her face gently.
"I promise I will, one day. Okay?"
Ha-eun nodded.
"Thank you very much, ma'am. For everything," Nam-joon said sincerely.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" Mrs. Choi replied.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Bye!" Kira called out, waving excitedly.
Mrs. Choi and Ha-eun waved back, smiling as the door closed.
The house slowly returned to silence.
---
The next morning, the Hwans sat at the dining table, eating breakfast in a fragile, suffocating silence.
The faint clinking of cutlery was the only sound.
Until—
"How is the preparation going?" Mr. Hwan asked, his gaze fixed on Nam-joon.
Nam-joon looked up from his plate.
"We are working on it."
Mr. Hwan's brow lifted slightly.
"Then why does it feel like you're not?"
No response.
"I trusted you to be someone who wouldn't entangle his personal life with work," he continued coldly. "I suppose I was wrong."
"Father—" Nam-joon began.
"I don't want to hear it," Mr. Hwan cut in sharply. "Hand the project over to Mr. Gu-won immediately."
A pause.
"Since you cannot be a good father… at least be a successful one."
The words landed heavily.
Nam-joon let out a quiet scoff, shaking his head.
"Now I understand," he said slowly. "That's what you tried to be… since you could never be a good father."
"Nam-joon!" Mrs. Hwan finally spoke, alarmed.
He turned to her.
"And you? What do you think?"
She hesitated.
"You know your father cares," she said.
Nam-joon let out a hollow laugh.
"You're just like him… maybe worse," he said. "You make me wonder why I was even born."
He stood up abruptly.
"Nam-joon!" she called after him.
He paused briefly.
"I'm only human, you know," he said, his voice tightening slightly before he walked out.
Silence swallowed the room once again.
Almost immediately, Ye-seul pushed her chair back and stood.
"He's right, you know," she said simply before walking out.
---
Almost immediately, she found herself standing in front of his study.
She didn't bother knocking.
She pushed the door open and stepped in.
Nam-joon didn't look up.
"What do you want?" he asked flatly.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice softer than he had ever heard it.
That made him look up.
"Why would you care?"
She exhaled quietly.
"I know we're not the best of siblings… but we're still family," she said. "Seeing you hurt… hurts me too."
He looked away.
"You don't have to," he replied bluntly. "I don't want to be someone begging for empathy from a family that only understands success."
She held her ground.
"Believe it or not… I understand."
He let out a dry laugh.
"You don't, Ye-seul. You have no idea," he said. "You've always had it easy. You were never the one constantly trying to prove yourself… and still failing."
Silence.
Ye-seul didn't respond immediately.
She just stood there, letting his words settle.
Then—
"You're right," she said quietly. "I don't know… and maybe I never will."
She gave a small bow.
"I can't help you."
And with that, she turned and walked out, leaving Nam-joon alone once again, with nothing but his thoughts.