TO 27

Chapter 27

“Whoa. Mom told me Su-bin didn’t have a dad!”

Min-soo yelled at his mother at the top of his lungs. His mother hurriedly clamped a hand over his mouth. Taehyuk spoke up, his voice dripping with icy gravity.

“Just a moment ago, your son was teasing my daughter, telling her she doesn’t have a father. Judging by his attitude, it doesn’t sound like the first time. I find this extremely offensive.”

Though his tone was polite, it carried an unmistakable weight of authority.

“Oh, it’s—it’s not that… We just… well, we never saw you around…”

“Is there any reason I ought to make myself visible to you?” Taehyuk shot back, cold and indifferent.

“Well, we do live in the same neighborhood…”

“That doesn’t mean we live under the same roof. And if a child is this rude, I’d prefer my daughter didn’t play with him at all.”

Min-soo’s mother flushed a deep, embarrassed red.

“Whoa, Su-bin’s dad is so cool. He’s insanely handsome. He looks totally like a movie star!”

The outburst slipped out from one of the gathered kids, voicing the very thought everyone else had been holding in.

“Seriously.”

“Mister, have you ever been on TV?”

The kids crowded around Taehyuk. Su-bin lifted her chin triumphantly. At first, she had lied purely out of desperation. But looking closely now, her friends were right. He had a sharp, impeccably groomed look, wearing a suit that easily appeared ten times sharper than the ones Choi Min-soo’s dad wore to work. On top of that, his tall frame was built completely differently from Min-soo’s short dad.

I wish he was my real dad, Su-bin thought to herself, if only for a fleeting second.

“I trust you’ll pay closer attention to this in the future,” Taehyuk said clearly to Min-soo’s mother, completely unfazed by the stares around him.

“Goodness, it’s just a kids’ fight…”

Min-soo’s mother roughly yanked her son toward her.

“I’m telling you this because a kids’ fight won’t end as just a kids’ fight,” Taehyuk warned.

Min-soo’s mother quickly scanned him up and down. Details that had been hidden behind his striking handsome face began coming into focus one by one.

His crisp, sophisticated suit looked remarkably expensive even at a glance. Then there were his sleek dress shoes—and the gleaming luxury watch on his wrist, the kind she had only ever marveled at in high-end magazines.

She had always wondered what kind of people actually wore those things, and here he was.

Min-soo’s mother swallowed hard. Taehyuk’s clothes and accessories practically announced his immense wealth.

“All right. Let me take you home, Su-bin.”

Calling the girl’s name naturally after overhearing it earlier, Taehyuk scooped her up in his arms. Her feather-light body lifted effortlessly into the air. Su-bin’s eyes went wide before instantly lighting up with pure delight, as if she were riding an amusement park attraction. Without showing an ounce of effort, Taehyuk carried Su-bin in one arm and casually strolled away.

“Whoa… I’m so jealous of Su-bin.”

Hearing one of the kids murmur behind them, Su-bin grinned ear to ear. She felt like she was floating on air. It was as if the wish she had made on her last birthday was finally coming true.

Once they reached a quiet spot with fewer people around, Taehyuk set Su-bin gently back down on the ground.

“I’m sorry. And thank you!”

Taehyuk dropped down on one knee, lowering himself to Su-bin’s eye level.

“You don’t need to apologize, but you shouldn’t do that again,” Taehyuk said gently.

“But Choi Min-soo kept making me so mad!” Su-bin pouted, her face falling.

“Even so, no matter how much the other kids tease you, you shouldn’t call a total stranger your dad. This mister could have been someone scary—or a bad person.”

Hearing that, Su-bin flinched and took a cautious step back, looking genuinely startled for the first time.

“Are you a bad person, Mister?”

Taehyuk let out a dry chuckle. “I’m certainly not a good one.”

Su-bin’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Then…”

She began stepping back slowly. Just then—

“Su-bin!”

Someone came running toward the park, calling out her name.

“Uncle Jin-won!!”

Recognizing Jin-won, who had arrived just in time, Su-bin started running toward him before suddenly coming to a dead halt. She turned back around to face Taehyuk.

Folding her little hands over her belly, she bowed politely.

“I know you’re not a bad person, Mister. Thank you so much. Goodbye!”

Taehyuk’s brows twitched slightly. But Su-bin had already turned back around and rushed toward the man running her way.

“Sorry, sorry! Did Uncle keep you waiting? You told me you’d be playing here with your friends until three o’clock, right?”

Jin-won checked his watch. It was barely 2:30—he had definitely rushed over as fast as he could.

“Yep! And guess what? I beat up Min-soo again today!” Su-bin announced proudly.

“What?! You know your mom is gonna scold you if you keep hitting Min-soo.” Jin-won pulled a mournful face, looking far more terrified of Seo-ah’s scolding than the child was.

“It’s okay. As long as you keep it a secret, Uncle!”

“Gosh, of course it’s a secret with me! But do you really think Min-soo’s mom is gonna let this slide? She probably already called your mom.”

“Oh no, what do I do? I don’t care, I don’t care! It’s all Choi Min-soo’s fault anyway!”

Taehyuk couldn’t tear his eyes away from Su-bin’s small back as she walked away, chattering non-stop to the young man.

Is she about six years old now?

Suddenly, Taehyuk’s thoughts drifted to his own child—the one born in the season when the world was dyed in brilliant gold.

Had my own child been living under the same harsh pointing fingers, labeled as a fatherless kid just like her?

Taehyuk clenched his fist tightly.

He silently swore to himself that he would never leave his child neglected like that ever again.

“Lee Su-bin!”

The moment Su-bin stepped into the bakery, Seo-ah’s sharp scolding rang out. Su-bin, who had been happily eating ice cream alongside Jin-won, shot a quick glance at him. Jin-won offered a subtle wink that clearly meant, ‘Looks like Min-soo’s mom already called.’ Su-bin crinkled her nose right back, silently replying, ‘I hate Choi Min-soo, and I hate his mom too.’

“Did you hit Min-soo again?”

Seo-ah approached Su-bin, carrying the warm, comforting scent of freshly baked bread. Whenever she smelled that, Su-bin always wanted to bury herself in her mother’s arms—it felt like being snuggled inside a warm piece of freshly baked bread.

Not today, though.

“Choi Min-soo teased me first!”

“Even so, that doesn’t mean you can hit people!” Seo-ah’s voice softened slightly, but her sternness didn’t budge.

“Then is it okay for Choi Min-soo to tease people like that?”

“You should use your words.”

“He doesn’t listen to words! How else am I supposed to talk to him?”

Glaring softly at Su-bin, who was talking back without missing a beat, Seo-ah shifted the topic.

“And you… Did you really call some stranger your dad?!”

At those words, Jin-won looked down at Seo-ah in total surprise. Su-bin hadn’t mentioned a word of that on their ice cream walk over. He felt a tiny pang of betrayal.

I thought we didn’t have any secrets…

“That was…” Su-bin’s eyes dropped to the tips of her shoes.

“Why do you keep upsetting Mommy like this? What if he had been a bad person?!”

Seo-ah grabbed Su-bin by the shoulders. Flustered, Su-bin snapped her head up, her cheeks twitching as if she were on the verge of tears. Her flushed, teary eyes struck a heavy blow straight to Seo-ah’s heart.

“He wasn’t a bad person! He was super handsome and really nice! He was so nice that I wished he was my real dad…!”

“What? Lee Su-bin, you…”

“Choi Min-soo is the bad one! He teased me first! He said I don’t have a dad! Just because I’m faster than him and better at soccer, he always teases me about not having a dad! Why don’t I have a dad?! Even a dummy like Choi Min-soo has one!”

“You have a dad too. Nobody in this world comes without a dad,” Seo-ah soothed gently.

“Then where is he?!” Su-bin glared at her, tears threatening to spill over any second.

“How many times do I have to tell you? He passed away,” Seo-ah said.

Every time she uttered those words, Taehyuk’s face flickered clearly in her mind, but Seo-ah forced herself to erase it.

“Then why isn’t there even a single picture of him?! Stop lying! When I went to Yeong-ji’s house, her mom and dad had a wedding photo on the wall! Why don’t you have anything like that?!”

Seo-ah pressed a hand to her forehead. “I told you so many times… I lost everything when we moved…”

“Liar!”

“It’s not a lie. Su-bin, please…”

Before Seo-ah could finish, Su-bin shook off her mother’s hand and bolted out the door. As Seo-ah hurriedly moved to chase after her, Jin-won stepped in to stop her.

“She really is…”

“Let her be. She probably headed straight for my workshop. I’ll go calm her down,” Jin-won said with a warm, gentle smile.

Embarrassed, Seo-ah brushed a hand through her hair. “I’m so sorry. I keep putting you in awkward spots.”

“Don’t say that! I genuinely love spending time with Su-bin.”

“Phew…”

Seo-ah wrapped her arms around herself and let out a long, weary sigh.