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Jae-Jun sat in his car, half-listening as Yeon-Jin talked in his ear. Growing tired, he hung up, his eyes scanning for someone. As soon as he spotted the person he was looking for, a smile spread across his face.
"Ye-Sol!" he called out, but the little girl didn't hear him. Stepping out of his car, he shut the door behind him, his grin widening. "Ye-Sol!" he repeated, this time louder, drawing her attention as she walked with her nanny.
The girl let go of her nanny's hand and ran toward the crosswalk. She stood there, hesitating at the green light, not realizing it was safe to cross. Jae-Jun frowned, noticing her confusion. When he glanced at the traffic light, the realization hit him—Ye-Sol must be colorblind.
His heart sank. Yeon-Jin had kept this a secret from him, even withholding the necessary glasses or contacts for their daughter. Without wasting time, Jae-Jun rushed across the street, crouching down to Ye-Sol's height. He pulled her into a tight hug, as if he had found something precious he had lost.
Ye-Sol blinked up at him, confused by the sudden embrace. "I'm sorry," Jae-Jun whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I was just so happy to see you."
Ye-Sol, still unsure, smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, I know how to cross the road too."
Jae-Jun chuckled, brushing a strand of her hair aside. "Where's Mommy?" she asked innocently.
"Oh, I came to visit you on my own," he replied, trying to connect. "What does Ye-Sol like? Maybe video games? Dolls?"
"Trading stocks," Ye-Sol said with a mischievous grin. "Samsung or Kakao. And Joo-Won."
Jae-Jun blinked, momentarily stunned. "Huh? How do you know about that stuff?" he asked, amused.
"I'm joking!" she giggled. "Mommy told me to say that if anyone asked."
Relieved, Jae-Jun laughed softly. "You're only eight, and already pulling jokes like that? Wow, that's... f—" He stopped himself, catching Ye-Sol's unimpressed stare at his near slip of a swear. "You're a very smart girl," he corrected quickly.
A car honked behind him, snapping him out of the moment. His smile faltered, irritation bubbling up. "This is a school zone!" he muttered under his breath, glaring at the car as it drove away. "I'll cut off their damn hands."
Ye-Sol watched him silently, her expression unreadable as he tried to calm down. Jae-Jun exhaled, refocusing on her. "I've made up my mind," he said, more to himself than to her. "From now on, I'll protect you."
He smiled gently. "I love you, Ye-Sol."
Later that evening, Eun-Ji stared at the number on the business card in her hand. She hesitated, then dialed. The phone rang briefly before someone picked up.
"Hello?" a man answered.
"Hello, Mr. Ha. Is it too late to call?" Eun-Ji asked, her voice teasing.
The man on the other end chuckled. "It's never too late to hear from someone who's beaten me at Go three times."
"I was thinking of giving you a rematch," she said playfully.
The man smiled, though she couldn't see it. "You know I built a Go area just for this?" he asked.
Eun-Ji laughed. "Yes, Joo-Won and I walked past it. She loves playing with the big stones."
After a brief exchange, they agreed to meet for the rematch at her place. When Do-Yeong arrived, Eun-Ji greeted him with a smile and invited him inside. They exchanged pleasantries, sitting down at the Go board, the familiar tension between them hanging in the air.
After several rounds, Eun-Ji won again, teasing him about his losses. Do-Yeong smiled but checked his watch. "I should go," he said, knowing he had an early morning with Ye-Sol's school event.
As he stood by the door, the air between them shifted, heavy with unspoken feelings. Eun-Ji reached up, her hand resting on the back of his neck as she pulled him closer. His hand found her waist. They lingered, their lips inches apart, but pulled away when Joo-Won appeared, asking for water.
Eun-Ji smiled at her daughter, bidding Do-Yeong a quiet goodbye as she picked Joo-Won up.
The next morning, Do-Yeong arrived at Ye-Sol's school. She waved excitedly at him, but her attention soon shifted to someone else. Do-Yeong followed her gaze and saw Jae-Jun standing at the door, leaning casually against the frame. The tension between the two men was palpable.
"Seeing each other a lot lately," Jae-Jun remarked dryly as he joined Do-Yeong near the fathers' line. "We'll be friends soon, I'm sure."
"Why are you here?" Do-Yeong asked, his voice calm but cold.
Jae-Jun shrugged. "Turns out I have two kids. One's a secret love child," he said provocatively, trying to get under Do-Yeong's skin.
"Just kidding," Jae-Jun added, glancing at him with a smirk. "I'm here for Ye-Sol."
Do-Yeong said nothing, but his jaw tightened as the two men stood side by side, watching their children.
Later, Eun-Ji arrived at Joo-Won's kindergarten, a banana milk in hand as an apology for being late. As she joined the line of fathers, one man muttered, "You're not a dad. What are you doing here?"
Eun-Ji ignored him, but when he pushed further, calling her a name under his breath, she turned, her eyes flashing with irritation. "I play both roles for my daughter," she snapped quietly. "And just because a woman doesn't want to talk to you doesn't make her a bitch."
The man, taken aback, quickly turned his head, avoiding her gaze. Eun-Ji smirked and returned her attention to Joo-Won, satisfied.
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