TO 26

Chapter 26

“W-What do you…”

Junghyun’s brow furrowed tightly. Watching his father’s reaction, Taehyuk let out a hollow laugh. From that subtle flinch alone, it was clear that Junghyun knew everything—confirming beyond a doubt that Seo-ah had given birth to his child and was raising them on her own.

“So you really knew all along, Father.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Junghyun attempted to deny it late in the game, but there was no fooling Taehyuk.

“Don’t try to hide it from me. For you to know about the child’s existence and still let Seo-ah go means there was definitely some kind of deal between the two of you. What was it?”

Junghyun offered no response.

To say there wasn’t would be a lie. Although Seunghi hadn’t physically pushed Seo-ah herself, having the truth exposed to the outside world would have brought nothing but scandal. But that was secondary; his main motive had been consideration for Seo-ah.

“Regardless, I cannot allow this. Do not disturb that child.”

“No. I’m bringing them back,” Taehyuk replied firmly. “I don’t know what deal you made with her, but my arrangement comes first. She agreed to divorce me on the condition that she bore my child.”

“It wasn’t a deal. It was consideration,” Junghyun retorted.

Yet Taehyuk didn’t back down for a second, his expression completely resolute.

“Consideration, you say? Then please show me some consideration as well. I have no intention of ever marrying anyone again. But I still need an heir. I was even seriously considering adoption—until I found out I have a child of my own.”

The only reason Taehyuk had surrendered Seo-ah back then was because he believed the baby was gone. With the child’s passing, he felt he had lost any right to hold onto her. But if Seo-ah had deceived him and raised his child behind his back, that changed everything. Taehyuk was fully determined to track her down.

Making up his mind was the hard part; everything after that happened in the blink of an eye. He immediately ordered a search into Seo-ah’s whereabouts, and as expected, the report he received contained more than just details about her.

‘If you wish, I can look into the child’s personal details as well.’

‘How old did you say the child was?’

‘They appeared to be around six or seven years old. As for the gender…’

‘That’s enough. I’ll confirm the rest myself. Just send me the home address.’

Moments later, Seo-ah’s new residential address was transmitted straight to Taehyuk’s phone.

“You’re acting out of spite,” Junghyun dismissed coldly.

“I’ve already done far worse to that woman,” Taehyuk shot back icily before turning to leave.

Is this the neighborhood?

Taehyuk parked his car near a children’s park and stepped out. It was a suburb not far from Seoul, exuding a peaceful, idyllic charm with plenty of young children running around. Right in the middle of a park blanketed in lush greenery sat a playground. There, a group of boys and girls around six or seven years old were playing so hard that the hair around their temples was soaked with sweat.

Encircling the children were ginkgo trees with leaves fully dyed in brilliant gold.

“Lee Su-bin! Stop lying!”

“I’m not lying!”

At the sudden rise in the children’s voices, Taehyuk turned his head.

Gathered in the center of the playground, a group of kids had surrounded a little girl wearing denim overalls.

“Su-bin, you don’t even have a dad! Everyone knows that!” a boy boasted smugly to her face.

Su-bin’s face crumpled.

Looking as though she might burst into tears at any second, Su-bin suddenly gripped her overalls straps tightly and held her chin up high.

There was something strangely familiar about her face that caught and held Taehyuk’s gaze.

“My dad is overseas! He’s working really hard making money abroad!”

“Liar! Then why does he never visit? He doesn’t come on Children’s Day, and he doesn’t come on Christmas either!”

“He sends me presents! He gave me a doll and a robot that are way, way bigger than anything your dad ever bought you!”

Her crisp, high-pitched voice refused to back down for a single second.

“Liar! I heard your mom actually bought all those things!”

“Who said that?!”

Under the relentless attack, tears welled up in Su-bin’s eyes. It was a truth she already knew deep down, but hearing it blurted out by someone else hurt far more.

Claiming her dad was overseas was actually a lie Su-bin had made up herself. She just couldn’t bring herself to admit out loud that she didn’t have a father.

Even a dumb dummy like Choi Min-soo had a dad. She simply couldn’t accept that she didn’t have one too.

“Everyone knows except you~!” Min-soo stuck out his tongue playfully.

Completely infuriated, Su-bin swung her fist right then and there.

“Choi Min-soo! Stop acting so cocky! You’re not even as good at soccer as I am!”

“Ouch!”

When Min-soo tumbled over from her punch, Su-bin didn’t miss her chance—she immediately scrambled on top of his stomach.

“Woah—they’re fighting, they’re fighting!”

The surrounding kids broke into a commotion. Taehyuk knit his brows and looked around the area. Not far away, a few young mothers were gathered in small groups chatting away, seemingly so absorbed in their own conversations that they hadn’t noticed the commotion at all.

Not wanting to get dragged into a meaningless squabble, Taehyuk was about to walk past when…

“My dad really exists!!”

Perhaps it was the tear-laced desperation in Su-bin’s voice. Or perhaps it was the thought of his own child, whom he had never seen, being around her age.

Taehyuk’s steps ground to a halt.

Su-bin, who had been fiercely standing her ground against a crowd of boys, was now hidden from view behind the huddle of kids.

Is she getting beaten up?

Before he even realized it, Taehyuk was walking across the park toward the children’s brawl. As he drew closer, sure enough, he saw Su-bin pinned to the ground.

“Hey now. You shouldn’t be fighting.”

At Taehyuk’s sudden appearance, the children’s eyes went wide. Standing at nearly 190 centimeters with a stern tone, he was more than intimidating enough to scare a group of kids.

“Is it right to pick on a girl?”

Min-soo, who had scrambled onto Su-bin’s stomach, huffed crossly. “She punched me twice first! Who are you anyway, mister?!”

Right under the mouth of the yelling boy were faint red traces of a nosebleed. In contrast, Su-bin was merely covered in dust without a single scratch on her.

“Who are you?!”

Only then noticing the commotion, the mothers came rushing over.

“Min-soo! Are you okay? Oh my goodness, sweetie! What happened to your face?!”

Seeing her son’s nosebleed, Min-soo’s mother looked deeply upset and shot a sharp glare at Su-bin, as if it were painfully obvious who was responsible.

“It’s you again! Lee Su-bin! How many times do I have to tell you not to hit our Min-soo?!”

“Choi Min-soo teased me first!” Su-bin sat up and snapped back stubbornly.

“Even so! A little girl shouldn’t be beating up a boy every couple of days!” Min-soo’s mother raised her voice sharply.

Taehyuk’s brow creased. “I’ve been watching for a moment, and your boy was the one picking on her first.”

Taehyuk quietly took Su-bin’s side. In truth, he was simply stating what he had witnessed.

Only then did the mothers’ gazes properly take in Taehyuk.

His tall, commanding height and well-proportioned physique, a suit that practically screamed luxury at a single glance, combined with flawlessly striking features…

The mothers’ cheeks flushed red like autumn leaves.

“O-Oh, well… Who are you to butt into other people’s children’s business?” Though her tone had softened considerably, Min-soo’s mother still defended her son.

“Yeah! Mister, who even are you?!” Min-soo chimed in aggressively.

Taehyuk’s forehead creased.

Being put on the spot left him momentarily at a loss. What was he supposed to say? Just as Taehyuk was beginning to regret getting involved in something so trivial…

“He’s my dad!”

It was Su-bin, sitting on the ground, who shouted the words.

Every single eye from the mothers and children locked onto Taehyuk, the atmosphere shifting entirely from a moment ago.

Taehyuk looked down at Su-bin with an awkward, flustered face. Jumping straight to her feet, Su-bin scrambled over to stand right beside him.

“He’s my dad! Choi Min-soo, you’re so dead!”

“A-Are you really Su-bin’s father?” Min-soo’s mother asked hesitantly.

Taehyuk stared down at Su-bin with a conflicted expression. Without missing a beat or changing color, Su-bin declared with utter confidence, “I told you he is! Look, he looks just like me! Right, Dad?”

Su-bin looked straight up at Taehyuk. Then, hidden from the crowd’s view, she gave him a deliberate, frantic wink—silently begging him to play along and save her.

“Well…” Taehyuk spoke slowly, still torn inside.

Under normal circumstances, he would have firmly corrected the misunderstanding. Besides, a childish lie like this obviously wouldn’t hold up for long. But right at that moment, Su-bin’s tiny, trembling hand slipped into his palm.

Perhaps it was the sheer desperation in her touch, but Taehyuk simply couldn’t bring himself to shake the child’s hand away.

“That’s right. I’m Su-bin’s dad.”