MCMRH 05

Chapter 06….

“Sorry, I’m a little late. I was going to leave my daughter at the playroom, but today she just wouldn’t let go of me.”

“No, not at all. Kids are like that sometimes. I just got here myself.”

Miae and Sua met at the agreed place and then moved to another spot, smiling at each other as they sat down. Beside them, Sua’s daughter, Ji-hye, quietly doodled with her hands constantly fidgeting.

“Your child is really gentle. How old is she now?”

“She’s four. Definitely calmer compared to other kids her age.”

“She really shows that she’s been raised well. That’s how children should be.”

Miae didn’t hold back her praise for Ji-hye, and Sua only smiled with her eyes in response. At the same time, Miae’s mind grew busier.

Yes. Good character, good family. A child… well, another can always be born.

The fact that Sua had once been divorced weighed a little on her, but overall, the conditions were excellent. As Miae finished her assessment, her lips curved into a natural smile.

“I honestly didn’t expect you to come all the way to the department store. If it were something urgent, I should’ve visited you first.”

“No, it’s fine. As a fellow mother, I completely understand wanting to spend time with your child. I only hope I’m not taking that time away.”

“Not at all, my daughter is quiet and plays well wherever she is. By the way, what was it you wanted to see me about?”

It was Sua who brought up the main point first. Setting down her teacup, Miae began to speak.

“The reason I wanted to meet you is because of my son.”

“Your son…?”

“Yes. As you know, my son, Choi Hyun. I heard the two of you dated when you were studying abroad. Because of that, I have a favor to ask you.”

Sua’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Do you know about the accident my son had recently?”

“…Yes, I heard. A car accident, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right. People think he recovered and was discharged safely, but there’s something others don’t know.”

“…”

“Because of the shock of the accident, he lost about ten years of his memory. He believes he’s twenty years old again… and he’s been looking for you.”

Even as she spoke, Miae brushed at her eyes as though pained.

“…He’s looking for me? Hyun is?”

“That’s right. So if you don’t mind, I’d like you to stay by his side for a while. He’s currently living in a villa with his father for convalescence. Hyun is waiting for you.”

“Hyun… Hyun is looking for me.”

Sua’s lips trembled faintly, her expression dazed as she tried to judge whether the words were true. Seeing her hesitation, Miae smiled warmly, seizing the moment.

“Of course, this request won’t be without compensation. Whatever you want, I’ll give it.”

“…”

“And it’s not just material. Through this, our families could build a bond of harmony. Don’t you think?”

Not a corporate alliance, but a union between families. It wasn’t hard to grasp Miae’s true meaning. At her hushed suggestion, Sua’s lips parted slightly before closing again.

So this is where they met.

After briefly leaving Harim with Sojin at the playroom, Sojung stepped out and sat down, recalling the scene she had just witnessed. With her child at her side, Sua had greeted the approaching Miae with a bright smile.

She really did have a beautiful smile.

Back at their first meeting, Sojung hadn’t paid it much mind. But seeing her again now, her face seemed even more radiant. With that lovely smile, it was easy to see why not just Hyun, but any man, might have called her their first love.

That woman… was her husband’s first love.

Sojung began to understand a little why Hyun was so desperate to see her. As she sank into thought, someone stepped out from the far side of the playroom.

Ah…

It was Sua, holding her child’s hand. She spotted Sojung, and unlike Sojung’s startled look, Sua’s face was calm, even smiling, as she approached.

“Hello, it’s been a while.”

Sua greeted her first. After sending her daughter off to play, she naturally sat across from Sojung.

“This kids’ café is nice and spacious, isn’t it? I come here sometimes too.”

“…Ah, yes. Hello.”

“Actually, I saw you earlier playing ball with your daughter. So I wanted to say hi.”

Though Miae hadn’t noticed, Sua had recognized Sojung from the start. And now she had come here specifically to talk to her.

“You saw me meeting with his mother earlier, didn’t you? Then you probably know why.”

“Yes, I suppose.”

Surely Miae had asked her to help Hyun. After all, the one Hyun cared about most now was Sua. But what Sua said next went beyond Sojung’s expectations.

“But I wanted to hear that request from you, not from his mother.”

“…What?”

“I understand a mother’s feelings, but the truth is, you’re his wife now. So I wanted to hear your opinion too.”

Caught off guard, Sojung’s grip on her cup tightened. Sua’s smile remained dazzling.

“I’m sure you want Hyun to regain his memory quickly, so of course you’d ask me to help.”

“…”

“But it’s a relief, really. You and Hyun had an arranged marriage. Since there aren’t any real feelings between you, it shouldn’t matter if I stay by his side.”

“…Yes. That’s true.”

No feelings…

The taste of the tea lingered bitterly on her tongue. Yet it was true—they had married by arrangement, and Sojung genuinely wanted Hyun to regain his memories. Even if the one to calm him was his old lover.

“I heard Hyun is staying at the villa right now. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so. His mother already gave me the address, asking me to visit soon.”

“…”

“But of course I can’t just barge in. So, could you go and tell him for me? Here, I wrote down the time and date.”

Though her smile was bright, her words carried weight. Handing over a slip of paper, Sua waited. Sojung silently accepted it.

“Moooom!”

Harim’s voice rang out as she came running, hair flying, with Sojin trailing behind, exhausted.

“Mom! The ball was like thiiis with that lady, and—!”

Still hyped up from play, Harim waved her arms wildly. Sojin, catching up, chimed in.

“She’s my niece, but seriously, I don’t know who she takes after to be so wild… huh?”

Only then did Sojin notice Sua sitting opposite and shot Sojung a questioning look. Sua rose gracefully.

“It was nice talking with you. See you again.”

With that, she left with her child. Watching her go, Sojin asked,

“Who was that? Do you know her?”

“…Just an acquaintance.”

“Oh, like another mom you met through a group? Her kid looks about the same age as Harim. But wow, so quiet compared to our whirlwind here…”

“Moooom!”

“…Too lively for her own good.”

Indeed, Harim had just run headfirst into a pillar while dashing about.

“There, there. You’re fine. It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

Even as Sojung comforted her daughter and walked out of the department store, her face was dazed.

“Take Harim home first. I have somewhere to stop by.”

“Where are you going?”

“…Just an errand.”

Sending Sojin and Harim ahead, Sojung headed for the parking lot. In her hand was the slip of paper.

…

It took quite some time to reach the villa from the department store. By the time Sojung arrived, night had already fallen, and lights glowed here and there in the villa.

Standing at the door, she unlocked it with her keycard and stepped inside.

Is he sleeping?

Though the living room light was on, no one was around. Checking her phone, she found no messages about Hyun having gone out. She walked through the halls until she noticed a sliver of light beneath a door.

“Are you inside?”

She knocked softly, but there was no reply. The door hadn’t been shut properly, and with a few taps, it creaked open. The room inside was empty.

Maybe he went for a walk outside.

Stepping in, she looked around—just as the bathroom door opened.

…

Steam billowed out, and through it stepped Hyun, fresh from a shower, wearing nothing but a towel.

…

Their eyes met.

The room fell into silence.