Episode 6
Seong-hyeok and Yeong-in stopped by the house briefly to drop off the car, then headed out again.
This time, they arrived at a nearby park on foot.
“I didn’t know this place existed.”
“Me neither.”
As Seong-hyeok lightly brushed the back of Yeong-in’s hair, his tone sounded almost as if he were talking about someone else.
Contrary to their expectation that it would be empty on a weekday, the park was quite lively.
If they exaggerated a little, it felt like half of the people there were children and the other half were their mothers. From babies sleeping soundly in strollers to toddlers waddling on tiny feet, there was a wide range of ages.
The common thread was how peaceful and heartwarming the entire scene felt—enough to bring an involuntary smile to their faces.
The two of them took a slow stroll around the park before sitting down side by side on a bench in the shade.
Turning to Seong-hyeok, Yeong-in finally voiced the thought that had been circling her mind.
“I think it’s time for us to have a serious talk about children.”
Yesterday’s events had made vague thoughts more concrete, and seeing so many kids here today convinced her it was best to share her concerns with him.
“Let’s hear what you’re thinking first.”
Yeong-in wasn’t unaware that Seong-hyeok refrained from sharing his own opinion first to avoid putting pressure on her.
“Honestly… I don’t know. Part of me wants to have a child who’s half you and half me. But…”
“But?”
She fidgeted with her hands for a long moment before finally speaking again.
“I don’t think I have any maternal instinct.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You’ve probably noticed by now, but I’m not really fond of kids. When I see a baby smiling on the street, I might think they’re cute or pretty—that’s about it.”
“Isn’t that how most people are? I don’t think I’ve even had that much reaction. When kids are running around in front of me, I barely even register their presence.”
Until recently, children hadn’t been in Seong-hyeok’s scope of interest at all. Even when kids had been bustling right before his eyes, he hadn’t paid them any mind.
“But I’ve never once thought I lacked paternal instinct.”
His tone was calm yet firm, carrying quiet conviction. The reason was simple.
The mother of his child would be Chae Yeong-in.
There was no way he wouldn’t love a child born from the woman he loved so deeply.
“If it’s our child—your child—it’s bound to be just as lovable as you. How could a little version of you not be adorable?”
“…”
Yeong-in silently listened, every word that fell from his lips sounding impossibly sweet.
“I can’t promise I’ll be the world’s best father… but I *can* promise I’ll do everything I can to try.”
As he spoke, he gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.
“That’s how I feel. But I’m not going to push my thoughts on you.”
Yeong-in hid the lump rising in her throat by sticking out her lips in a slight pout.
“Funny… you were the one who first brought up having kids and made it seem like it was just a natural next step.”
Her small grumble made Seong-hyeok chuckle.
“I didn’t mean to pressure you. It’s just… in the future I pictured with you, there happened to be a child. But if you don’t want that, then we’ll erase it. That’s all.”
Yeong-in shook her head quickly.
“Don’t erase it just yet.”
“Don’t erase it?”
“I’m just worried whether someone like me, who doesn’t have that motherly instinct, is fit to be a mom. It’s not that I don’t want to have a child.”
“Got it. Then let’s take our time thinking about it.”
Then, as if to make sure, he added:
“While you’re thinking, don’t factor in anything else—my parents, your brother and sister-in-law, even me. Just think about what *you* want. Only you.”
“Whatever decision I make… you’ll go along with it?”
“Yes.”
“Even if it’s not the outcome you’d prefer?”
“There is no outcome I wouldn’t prefer. Whatever you want is what I want.”
“…”
Yeong-in gave him a faint smile.
Having a husband who would understand and support her no matter what choice she made—that alone felt deeply reassuring.
He was already the perfect husband. And if they ever did have children, she had no doubt he’d be the perfect father too.
Something told her it wouldn’t take her long to come to a decision.
***
The next morning, Seong-hyeok headed to the headquarters for his first day as head of the Strategic Planning Division.
Since his inauguration ceremony and Myung-gyu’s departure ceremony were held together, his first day marked the last for his brother in that position.
As planned, Myung-gyu was moving on to head SL Hotel as its new CEO.
The brothers crossed paths outside the chairman’s office.
The moment Myung-gyu saw Seong-hyeok, he couldn’t hide his irritation.
“You turned down Strategic Planning and ran off to the entertainment division over some woman, and now you come running back the moment Father calls? Don’t you think that looks pathetic?”
Seong-hyeok found such provocations more laughable than irritating at this point.
“I didn’t beg to come back—Father himself told me to. Doesn’t that make me look good rather than pathetic?”
“…”
Unable to counter, Myung-gyu clenched his jaw tight, his eyes bloodshot with anger.
“To you, your wife might just be ‘some woman.’ But to me, Yeong-in isn’t just anyone. So you’d better be careful with your words from now on.”
A faint smile curled on Seong-hyeok’s lips, softening his previously sharp gaze.
“But you know, brother… You’re the one who looks desperate here. I don’t even care that much about this position, but you act like you’re dying without it.”
“Shut your mouth.”
Myung-gyu spat the words out, glaring daggers at him.
“It’s embarrassing enough for Yeong-in that her husband and brother-in-law can’t even get along. Let’s not make this worse.”
“Then don’t act like a jerk, and there won’t be a problem.”
“No—you just stay out of my way. Think about it: Have I *ever* picked a fight with you first?”
“…”
His brother’s silence was as good as an admission.
“Father’s waiting. If you’ve got nothing more to say, I’ll go in now.”
Only after Myung-gyu stomped off did Seong-hyeok calmly push open the door to the chairman’s office.
***
The CEO position Seong-hyeok left behind at SL Entertainment was filled by the former deputy CEO.
This was entirely thanks to Seong-hyeok’s recommendation, which erased any lingering resentment the man had toward him.
At the new CEO’s suggestion, the two met for lunch.
“Director—ah, I mean, Division Head now.”
Correcting himself mid-sentence, the new CEO chuckled as he gestured toward the elegant Korean set meal on the table.
“Lunch is on me today. Please eat up.”
Seong-hyeok responded with a slight nod and a polite smile as they began their meal.
Out of courtesy to his predecessor, the new CEO briefly updated him on ongoing projects. Then, he offered his gratitude openly.
“You really took the heat for us before leaving. Thanks to you, my workload feels much lighter.”
Even though his stint had been short, Seong-hyeok had stayed true to every word he had said during strategy meetings.
“I only kept my word. That’s all.”
The new CEO barely stifled a laugh. At first, he had thought Seong-hyeok’s confident demeanor was arrogance. Now, he found himself almost envious of it.
“I won’t be overturning any of the long-term plans you put in place. Rest assured.”
“Thank you.”
Then, with a slightly more subtle tone, the CEO added:
“I’ll also make sure to look after Team Leader Chae Yeong-in. So don’t worry about her.”
“That won’t be necessary. She’s fully capable of taking care of herself. Neither I nor my wife needs you to concern yourself with us.”
The firmness in Seong-hyeok’s tone made the CEO flinch slightly.
“…I see. Understood.”
“Let’s enjoy our meal.”
It wasn’t a sense of fairness that made Seong-hyeok so quick to shut down the man’s offer.
He simply didn’t like anyone else paying special attention to his wife.
His jealousy spared no one.
***
Meanwhile, Yeong-in also knew Seong-hyeok was having lunch with the CEO.
What she didn’t know was that after lunch, he would stop by her office.
“Oh! Director Cha!”
Everyone’s eyes went wide at the unexpected visit from their former CEO.
Yeong-in’s reaction was no different. She jumped up from her seat and hurried over to him, a flustered expression on her face.
“What are you doing here?”
“Supporting my wife.”
“…Supporting?”
Before she could ask further, her gaze landed on the shopping bag in his hand.
“What’s this?”
“A bribe.”
“…A bribe?”
A bribe and *support*—what on earth was he talking about?
As if to answer her question, Seong-hyeok strode to the table in the middle of the office and set the bag down.
“I’m Team Leader Chae Yeong-in’s husband. Please take good care of my wife.”
Of all the titles he carried—Head of Strategic Planning, former CEO of SL Entertainment, second son of Chairman Cha Hyun-woong—the one he currently liked best was *Chae Yeong-in’s husband*.
Yeong-in couldn’t help but laugh as she joined him by the table. Then she noticed the logo on the bag and her eyes widened even more.
“How did you even get these donuts?”
The donuts Seong-hyeok had brought were so popular lately that they were almost impossible to get. With limited daily stock, there wasn’t a crumb left by the time most people got off work.
“I stood in line for thirty minutes.”
He shrugged nonchalantly.
“This was my first time waiting in line to buy anything.”
“You didn’t have to go through all that trouble. You could’ve just bought something else.”
“The donut shop happened to be right next to the restaurant where I had lunch with the CEO. I remembered you saying you wanted to try them.”
“Still, thirty minutes…?”
“I wasn’t bored. I chatted with the CEO while we waited.”
“You two stood in line together?”
“I bought two boxes for him to take home to his kids. He was over the moon about it.”
Yeong-in pictured the two men in their sharp suits standing in line outside a donut shop and let out a small laugh. A smile spread across Seong-hyeok’s face too.
The staff in Team 5, watching the scene unfold, couldn’t help but realize something once again.
Just how completely Cha Seong-hyeok was smitten with his wife.
Even the most diehard singles in the office felt a pang of longing as they thought, *Maybe marriage wouldn’t be so bad if it’s like this.
(Continued…)
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