The moment everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived, the Hwan family dinner. The atmosphere at the table was tense, every clink of cutlery carrying unspoken anticipation. Even Ye-seul, who usually tried to lighten the mood, sat quietly, clearly intrigued. All eyes were on Chairman Hwan.
He finally set his cutlery down and exhaled. "About what happened at the meeting today—"
"Before you continue," Nam-joon interrupted firmly, "I'd like to make it clear that I regret none of my choices, and I'm not sorry for anything I said."
The table went still. Chairman Hwan looked at him for a moment, then asked quietly, "Do you hate me?"
Nam-joon didn't hesitate. "Hate? Professionally, as my boss, I did. But as my father… it's inevitable to have at least a speck of love for you."
Chairman Hwan exhaled slowly. "Is that how much of a monster I've become to you?"
"A monster? No. But you've always been a constant reminder of how incompetent and how much of a failure I felt," Nam-joon replied.
Silence settled heavily over the table before Chairman Hwan spoke again, his voice lower. "I know I haven't been the best father to any of you. I've been too hard on you, especially you, Nam-joon, and you, Min-jae. I just didn't want any of you to end up the way I did. But I see now… what worked for me doesn't work for everyone."
No one spoke.
"And Nam-joon," he continued, "you were right. What makes a father successful is being a great one. I failed at that. I know I did." He paused briefly. "But you… you did something I couldn't. You broke a pattern I never could. You did well. I'm proud of you."
The words lingered in the air before he added, looking at all of them, "All of you… you're doing well."
For a moment, no one reacted. Even Mrs. Hwan sat quietly, stunned. Chairman Hwan cleared his throat, stood up, and said, "Since no one has anything to say, I'll be in my study. From now on, I'll try to be a better father, but I'll need you all to meet me halfway. Goodnight."
He left the table, Mrs. Hwan following behind him.
The moment the door closed, Ji-uk spoke first. "Did our father get replaced or something?"
Ye-seul hit his arm lightly. "Hey, Dad is actually sweet, you know. I believe him. But we have to try too, let's be more open with each other."
"I'm still in shock," Min-jae admitted, leaning back slightly.
"Oppa," Ye-seul said, turning to Nam-joon, "since you're free now, should we go shopping with Kira this weekend?"
Nam-joon nodded. "That sounds good."
Ji-uk let out a short laugh. "I can't believe this, we're actually talking after dinner like a normal family." He paused, then added, "Since we're all on good terms, how about a cruise next summer?"
"You get excited too quickly," Nam-joon replied calmly. "Don't forget the company will soon be on your shoulders, Chairman Hwan Ji-uk."
Ji-uk dragged his face with his hands. "I can't even deny it, I'm in a love-hate relationship with that right now."
Ye-seul grabbed his arm. "It's getting late. You promised to drop me off."
"Since when did I become your chauffeur?" he muttered, though he let her pull him along.
"Bye!" she called as they left.
Soon, only Nam-joon and Min-jae remained. The silence that followed wasn't tense, just unfamiliar. Neither spoke at first until Min-jae finally broke it.
"What you did today… was exceptional. I respect it," he said, taking a sip of his drink.
"I had some encouragement," Nam-joon replied with a small smile.
"You're seeing someone?" Min-jae asked, surprised.
"No, not like that. She's more like a mother to me," Nam-joon said.
That caught Min-jae's attention. "I've never seen you like this before."
"I'm surprised myself," Nam-joon admitted. "Mrs. Choi is a really kind person. You should be a good son-in-law."
Min-jae froze, setting his glass down. "Mrs. Choi? You've met her?"
Nam-joon nodded. "I can't lie… I envy you. Just being around her, I felt what a mother's love is supposed to feel like."
Min-jae smiled softly. "I'm glad you feel that way, but I'm not letting you have her all to yourself."
Nam-joon smirked. "She said I'm like the son she always wanted."
"I'm her son-in-law," Min-jae countered.
"And I'm her son," Nam-joon replied.
They stared at each other for a second before both burst into laughter.
"I'm glad to have you as my older brother, hyung. I really am," Min-jae said sincerely.
Nam-joon nodded. "Maybe that cruise idea wasn't so bad after all."
And as they continued talking, the distance between them faded, the night growing quieter while something new slowly formed, a family that was finally beginning to understand each other.