‘But who is that woman?’
I thought Ki Yoon-jae knew her because she smiled at me with her arms on the table and her chin propped up, but I couldn’t remember, so I just kept quiet. After scrutinising my face, she opened her mouth and began to speak.
“Wow… You look a lot like Sunwoo. It’s your first time seeing me, right? I’m Jung Hye-yeon.”
Just when I thought I should be relieved that I didn’t recognize her, Jung Hye-yeon spoke up.
“What is stepmother in Korean? Stepmom? You can call me mom because it might happen soon…”
I couldn’t help but be puzzled when she suddenly referred to herself as my stepmom. No, why all of a sudden? Why was she introducing herself as a new family member out of nowhere?
‘This kind of thing… I should be careful with what I say. He seems to be seeing someone… I won’t try my luck on the first meeting.’
Ki Sun-woo called me and said, ‘Let’s grab a meal.’ So, here I am, and ta-da! Surprise! This person here is your new stepmother! That’s how it turned out. I couldn’t fathom what Ki Sun-woo was thinking when he set up this situation.
I did not know Ki Sun-woo’s personality, but he was an attractive man, considering his looks and his wealth. He had a son, but it wasn’t a big deal because he would be an adult soon and he wouldn’t have to raise the son himself. So he could always have a new start, but not with a surprise like this…
‘Does Ki Sun-woo not know Ki Yoon-jae’s age?’
A fierce teenager, and at such a sensitive age, receiving this kind of announcement? I don’t care if Ki Sun-woo remarries or does the samba dance. But if it was the real Ki Yoon-jae, it would have hurt his heart.
‘Or maybe not? Perhaps he didn’t care whether Ki Sun-woo got married or not because he disliked him?’
Ah… I couldn’t figure this father and son relationship. It gave me a headache.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
It wasn’t me who said it; it was Ki Sun-woo, who sat next to her, who clicked his tongue and retorted to her words. As I looked at her, I realised she didn’t look hurt as she was used to his attitude. She just pouted her lips and grumbled lightly.
“Hmm, isn’t it almost a de facto marriage? Then I’m not much different from being a mom.”
“Tsk.”
However, when Ki Sun-woo kicked his tongue again with a disapproving expression, she shut her mouth. Instead of feeling any embarrassment, her nonchalant attitude made me feel more perplexed.
“Don’t worry, there’s no one else to succeed me except you.”
Ki Sun-woo’s absurd comment left me speechless. I reflexively looked at Jung Hye-yeon, but she was sipping her wine as if it had nothing to do with her. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mess this was.
‘No, what is going on? I thought my father had a close relationship with someone else out of the blue, but that wasn’t the case…’
So why was she brought here? I couldn’t help but show my displeasure in the end.
“Yes. Thank you very much for that.”
I spit out my words with a sour expression, and the atmosphere became unbearably awkward. No, calling it awkward would be an understatement; it turned so gloomy that the air seemed to rest heavily on our shoulders. In the meantime, only Jung Hye-yeon looked at me with her eyes shining.
“Oh, you have a good personality.”
After saying that she burst out laughing, and I glanced around, wondering who she was teasing, but I didn’t anticipate the joyful expression on her face. Soon after, as if it had been preordered, the food was laid out on the table.
“Eat a lot.”
“Yes.”
As she smiled, I was about to reflexively say, “You, too,” but I closed my mouth because the formality felt ambiguous. She only smiled at my awkward behaviour.
As I ate my food in silence, Ki Sun-woo suddenly asked—
“Your body…”
“…”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes?”
“I heard there were some issues during your work in America…”
Ki Sun-woo slurred his words and didn’t look at me. Huh? He didn’t seem as uninterested in me as I thought. Was it just my imagination that he looked a little nervous?
“Something happened, but nothing major.”
“I see.”
I said casually, and the conversation came to an end. Jung Hye-yeon frowned as she watched the two of us fall silent again.
“Ugh, tsk tsk tsk.”
At the sound of her tongue-clicking, Ki Sun-woo’s glare turned fierce, but Jung Hye-yeon seemed unfazed. Rather, she spoke to me with a friendly smile.
“What kind of work did you do in the United States? Can you tell me if it’s not confidential?”
“Umm… it’s not like that.”
I fell into distress. Could I talk about it? Of course the operation was carried out in secret, but I was also told that the U.S. didn’t plan to keep it completely confidential and would announce it to the press and other countries once it was organised.
‘Wouldn’t it be okay to just tell the two of them without posting it on the internet or anything?’
I glanced at Ki Sun-woo and Jung Hye-yeon. Technically, they were my guardians and family. Thinking it through, I opened my mouth.
“If it’s difficult to talk about, you don’t have to.”
“No, it’s just… It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Really?”
Responding lightly to Jung Hye-yeon, who was dissuading me, I continued.
“I just got into a little trouble when a powerful monster showed up, and I almost got killed.”
With my casual remark, their movements froze. Seeing them both looking at me with surprised expressions, I hastily added—
“But, well, I’m still alive.”
Their expressions changed strangely at my implication that it was no big deal because I was alive and not dead. Ki Sun-woo, who was looking at me with a mix of disbelief and slight anger, touched his forehead.
“You… Do you think that makes sense?”
“….”
“Well… that’s…”
Jung Hye-yeon, who had been smiling gently, also furrowed her eyebrows, and didn’t intervene as Ki Sun-woo spoke.
She just sipped her wine with her eyes averted, if she would remain silent.
“It’s fine as long as you’re alive?’
“That’s…”
“This… Are you stupid? Is there something wrong in your head?”
Ki Sun-woo glanced at me as he might have felt sorry while spitting out his honest feelings. In his words, I could only make a dumbfounded expression.
‘I thought… They don’t get along…?’
This reaction can’t be a bad reaction even if we don’t get along well, right? Ki Sun-woo seemed even more upset by my stupid expression. His face was red, he took a deep breath as if trying to control his anger, and asked me in a slightly sharp tone.
“Who taught you that?”
“Huh?”
“As long as you’re not dead, everything’s fine.”
I didn’t say ‘everything’s fine as long as I’m not dead…’
I quickly shook my head. But, Ki Sun-woo continued to question me, as if his anger had not dissipated or he was unconvinced.
“If someone didn’t teach you, then why do you think that?”
“Well, it’s just… It’s not like this is the first time my life has been threatened…”
“…What?”
Ki Sun-woo and Jung Hye-yeon’s jaws dropped at my words. Of the two, Ki Sun-woo finally spoke up. As if making excuses for him, I kept repeating that it was really an accident, but their jaws continued to drop.
Wondering why they were so surprised, I hesitated. Ki Sun-woo asked me again.
“This isn’t your first time being threatened?”
“Uh… Um…”
“What does that mean?”
“Are you not going to answer?” Ki Sun-woo urged, and I felt perplexed. Could it be that he didn’t know I was being attacked? His reaction seemed like he was hearing about it for the first time.
“It’s been a little less recently… But I was attacked by a bomb before…”
“Bomb attack?”
“Wait a minute? Isn’t Korea supposed to be a safe place?”
Their jaws kept hanging as I answered. Jung Hye-yeon, looking bewildered, touched her forehead, and Ki Sun-woo mumbled the word ‘bombing’ like a fool.
After a moment of disbelief, they looked back at me with serious faces.
“You… Does the chairman know that you are being threatened?”
“…He probably couldn’t be unaware of it, right?”
I never told him otherwise, but there was little chance that Ki Jae Mu didn’t know about the assault. However, the probability that the attacker was Ki Yoon-jae’s relative, and that was Ki Young-woo, was 99%, so I thought I would just keep quiet to avoid causing a disturbance in the house.
Upon hearing my response, the two remained stunned for a moment, then their faces stiffened.
“He knew?”
“Your father is truly something.”
Jung Hye-yeon blamed Ki Sun-woo in an irritated tone. Up until earlier, Ki Sun-woo seemed to have the upper hand, but after my confession Jung Hye-yeon changed her demeanour, and unlike before, Ki Sun-woo could not come up with any retort.
‘But who is that woman?’
I thought Ki Yoon-jae knew her because she smiled at me with her arms on the table and her chin propped up, but I couldn’t remember, so I just kept quiet. After scrutinising my face, she opened her mouth and began to speak.
“Wow… You look a lot like Sunwoo. It’s your first time seeing me, right? I’m Jung Hye-yeon.”
Just when I thought I should be relieved that I didn’t recognize her, Jung Hye-yeon spoke up.
“What is stepmother in Korean? Stepmom? You can call me mom because it might happen soon…”
I couldn’t help but be puzzled when she suddenly referred to herself as my stepmom. No, why all of a sudden? Why was she introducing herself as a new family member out of nowhere?
‘This kind of thing… I should be careful with what I say. He seems to be seeing someone… I won’t try my luck on the first meeting.’
Ki Sun-woo called me and said, ‘Let’s grab a meal.’ So, here I am, and ta-da! Surprise! This person here is your new stepmother! That’s how it turned out. I couldn’t fathom what Ki Sun-woo was thinking when he set up this situation.
I did not know Ki Sun-woo’s personality, but he was an attractive man, considering his looks and his wealth. He had a son, but it wasn’t a big deal because he would be an adult soon and he wouldn’t have to raise the son himself. So he could always have a new start, but not with a surprise like this…
‘Does Ki Sun-woo not know Ki Yoon-jae’s age?’
A fierce teenager, and at such a sensitive age, receiving this kind of announcement? I don’t care if Ki Sun-woo remarries or does the samba dance. But if it was the real Ki Yoon-jae, it would have hurt his heart.
‘Or maybe not? Perhaps he didn’t care whether Ki Sun-woo got married or not because he disliked him?’
Ah… I couldn’t figure this father and son relationship. It gave me a headache.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
It wasn’t me who said it; it was Ki Sun-woo, who sat next to her, who clicked his tongue and retorted to her words. As I looked at her, I realised she didn’t look hurt as she was used to his attitude. She just pouted her lips and grumbled lightly.
“Hmm, isn’t it almost a de facto marriage? Then I’m not much different from being a mom.”
“Tsk.”
However, when Ki Sun-woo kicked his tongue again with a disapproving expression, she shut her mouth. Instead of feeling any embarrassment, her nonchalant attitude made me feel more perplexed.
“Don’t worry, there’s no one else to succeed me except you.”
Ki Sun-woo’s absurd comment left me speechless. I reflexively looked at Jung Hye-yeon, but she was sipping her wine as if it had nothing to do with her. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mess this was.
‘No, what is going on? I thought my father had a close relationship with someone else out of the blue, but that wasn’t the case…’
So why was she brought here? I couldn’t help but show my displeasure in the end.
“Yes. Thank you very much for that.”
I spit out my words with a sour expression, and the atmosphere became unbearably awkward. No, calling it awkward would be an understatement; it turned so gloomy that the air seemed to rest heavily on our shoulders. In the meantime, only Jung Hye-yeon looked at me with her eyes shining.
“Oh, you have a good personality.”
After saying that she burst out laughing, and I glanced around, wondering who she was teasing, but I didn’t anticipate the joyful expression on her face. Soon after, as if it had been preordered, the food was laid out on the table.
“Eat a lot.”
“Yes.”
As she smiled, I was about to reflexively say, “You, too,” but I closed my mouth because the formality felt ambiguous. She only smiled at my awkward behaviour.
As I ate my food in silence, Ki Sun-woo suddenly asked—
“Your body…”
“…”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes?”
“I heard there were some issues during your work in America…”
Ki Sun-woo slurred his words and didn’t look at me. Huh? He didn’t seem as uninterested in me as I thought. Was it just my imagination that he looked a little nervous?
“Something happened, but nothing major.”
“I see.”
I said casually, and the conversation came to an end. Jung Hye-yeon frowned as she watched the two of us fall silent again.
“Ugh, tsk tsk tsk.”
At the sound of her tongue-clicking, Ki Sun-woo’s glare turned fierce, but Jung Hye-yeon seemed unfazed. Rather, she spoke to me with a friendly smile.
“What kind of work did you do in the United States? Can you tell me if it’s not confidential?”
“Umm… it’s not like that.”
I fell into distress. Could I talk about it? Of course the operation was carried out in secret, but I was also told that the U.S. didn’t plan to keep it completely confidential and would announce it to the press and other countries once it was organised.
‘Wouldn’t it be okay to just tell the two of them without posting it on the internet or anything?’
I glanced at Ki Sun-woo and Jung Hye-yeon. Technically, they were my guardians and family. Thinking it through, I opened my mouth.
“If it’s difficult to talk about, you don’t have to.”
“No, it’s just… It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Really?”
Responding lightly to Jung Hye-yeon, who was dissuading me, I continued.
“I just got into a little trouble when a powerful monster showed up, and I almost got killed.”
With my casual remark, their movements froze. Seeing them both looking at me with surprised expressions, I hastily added—
“But, well, I’m still alive.”
Their expressions changed strangely at my implication that it was no big deal because I was alive and not dead. Ki Sun-woo, who was looking at me with a mix of disbelief and slight anger, touched his forehead.
“You… Do you think that makes sense?”
“….”
“Well… that’s…”
Jung Hye-yeon, who had been smiling gently, also furrowed her eyebrows, and didn’t intervene as Ki Sun-woo spoke.
She just sipped her wine with her eyes averted, if she would remain silent.
“It’s fine as long as you’re alive?’
“That’s…”
“This… Are you stupid? Is there something wrong in your head?”
Ki Sun-woo glanced at me as he might have felt sorry while spitting out his honest feelings. In his words, I could only make a dumbfounded expression.
‘I thought… They don’t get along…?’
This reaction can’t be a bad reaction even if we don’t get along well, right? Ki Sun-woo seemed even more upset by my stupid expression. His face was red, he took a deep breath as if trying to control his anger, and asked me in a slightly sharp tone.
“Who taught you that?”
“Huh?”
“As long as you’re not dead, everything’s fine.”
I didn’t say ‘everything’s fine as long as I’m not dead…’
I quickly shook my head. But, Ki Sun-woo continued to question me, as if his anger had not dissipated or he was unconvinced.
“If someone didn’t teach you, then why do you think that?”
“Well, it’s just… It’s not like this is the first time my life has been threatened…”
“…What?”
Ki Sun-woo and Jung Hye-yeon’s jaws dropped at my words. Of the two, Ki Sun-woo finally spoke up. As if making excuses for him, I kept repeating that it was really an accident, but their jaws continued to drop.
Wondering why they were so surprised, I hesitated. Ki Sun-woo asked me again.
“This isn’t your first time being threatened?”
“Uh… Um…”
“What does that mean?”
“Are you not going to answer?” Ki Sun-woo urged, and I felt perplexed. Could it be that he didn’t know I was being attacked? His reaction seemed like he was hearing about it for the first time.
“It’s been a little less recently… But I was attacked by a bomb before…”
“Bomb attack?”
“Wait a minute? Isn’t Korea supposed to be a safe place?”
Their jaws kept hanging as I answered. Jung Hye-yeon, looking bewildered, touched her forehead, and Ki Sun-woo mumbled the word ‘bombing’ like a fool.
After a moment of disbelief, they looked back at me with serious faces.
“You… Does the chairman know that you are being threatened?”
“…He probably couldn’t be unaware of it, right?”
I never told him otherwise, but there was little chance that Ki Jae Mu didn’t know about the assault. However, the probability that the attacker was Ki Yoon-jae’s relative, and that was Ki Young-woo, was 99%, so I thought I would just keep quiet to avoid causing a disturbance in the house.
Upon hearing my response, the two remained stunned for a moment, then their faces stiffened.
“He knew?”
“Your father is truly something.”
Jung Hye-yeon blamed Ki Sun-woo in an irritated tone. Up until earlier, Ki Sun-woo seemed to have the upper hand, but after my confession Jung Hye-yeon changed her demeanour, and unlike before, Ki Sun-woo could not come up with any retort.
