MCMRH 07

Chapter 07…

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

In Sua’s hand was the key to the villa. It must have been Mia who gave it to her, Sojung thought. For her, it wasn’t particularly surprising, but Kangchan’s expression—since he hadn’t known Sua was coming—was certainly something to see.

“…How much did you hear?”

“From the part about the child. But don’t worry. I don’t intend to say anything either.”

Sua gave a small smile, as if to reassure Sojung. Her eyes, however, soon wandered to the clothes Sojung was wearing.

“By the way, did you sleep here?”

“…”

“Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it. It just looks like the same outfit you wore yesterday. I was curious, that’s all.”

Not wanting to dig further into the previous subject, Sua smoothly shifted the conversation to Sojung’s clothes. At that, Sojung gave a small nod. Meanwhile, Sua also greeted Kangchan.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“…Hello.”

“What’s this? After all this time, why so stiff? You can speak comfortably with me.”

“No, not while I’m on duty.”

Even in response to Sua’s casual greeting, Kangchan remained polite. Perhaps their conversation was a bit loud, because the villa door opened again.

“What’s going on? Why are you still—”

“Hyun!”

Hyun stepped outside with a face full of irritation, but the moment he saw Sua, his gaze froze. Sua, meanwhile, lit up with a bright smile and ran toward him.

“It’s been so long! How have you been?”

Even at her cheerful greeting, Hyun still looked bewildered. As if struggling to figure out whether this was a dream or reality, he simply stared at her face. Finally, he managed to move his lips.

“…Han Sua?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Really… it’s you?”

“Of course. Who else would it be? I thought I hadn’t changed all that much, even with time passing, but… do I look that different?”

It was as though Kangchan and Sojung no longer existed to the two of them. Watching them focus only on each other, Sojung turned and began walking away, but Kangchan quickly stopped her.

“Are you leaving, Madam?”

“Of course. There’s no reason for me to stay here any longer.”

“But…”

“You should have told me Sua would be coming, but I fell asleep right away, so I couldn’t warn you. Since she’s promised to help with recovering his memory, it’s better for the two of them to talk directly from now on.”

“…Understood. Please get home safely.”

Realizing he couldn’t stop her, Kangchan simply saw Sojung off as she got into her car. Hearing the engine start, Hyun turned to look in Sojung’s direction, but Sua tugged on his arm.

“Why don’t we go inside and talk? Looks like you came out in the middle of a meal—you should eat properly.”

“Oh… right.”

At Sua’s words, Hyun obediently followed her back inside. Looking around the villa, Sua spoke again.

“So this is where you’re staying now? A villa, right?”

“…”

“It’s nice—quiet, clean air, hardly anyone nearby. Perfect for resting. Do you remember? We used to talk about how, when we lived together someday, we’d grow a vegetable garden in the yard.”

Her tone, her gestures, her smile—every little thing was exactly as Hyun remembered her. Though her appearance had changed slightly, that awkwardness vanished in a heartbeat. Even so, before he could rejoice in their reunion, there was something he had to ask.

“…Why did you do it?”

“…What?”

“You got married. After breaking up with me.”

When Hyun first heard that she had married another man, he had found it almost unbearable. Even if she was divorced now, he wanted to hear the truth from Sua herself about their parting.

“For that… I’m really sorry, Hyun.”

Tears welled in Sua’s eyes at his pressing question.

“The company was in terrible shape back then. And at that moment, a proposal for a political marriage came to me.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. But… back then, the only thing I could do for my family was that. So I had no choice but to break up with you so suddenly.”

The living room fell into a heavy silence. Hyun said nothing, while Sua wiped away her tears.

“Once the company stabilized, I divorced him right away. It was a loveless marriage from the start. Now we’re complete strangers—someone I’ll never see again.”

“…So who was this man you married?”

Hyun was holding back his anger with the last of his patience—and only because the person in front of him was Sua. If he found out who that man was, he was prepared to track him down immediately to vent his rage. Seeing his eyes darken, Sua hesitated, then spoke.

“You know him too, Hyun.”

At her words, the room fell into absolute silence.

Back home, after showering and changing, Sojung drove straight to a café. Checking her watch and pushing the speed just a little, she barely made it on time.

“This way!”

The moment she stepped inside, a group of women waved eagerly. Smiling, Sojung approached them.

“Sorry I’m late. Traffic was terrible. You’re all here already.”

“Oh no, don’t worry. We just came early. Please, sit here.”

Today’s meeting was the regular gathering of the kindergarten mothers. Officially, it was for camaraderie among the moms, but since their children attended an elite kindergarten where the children of powerful companies went, it was essentially a small social circle for business families.

“We heard the news. I was told something unfortunate happened recently. Are you doing all right now?”

“Yes, I’ve recovered. And thank you for the flowers you sent—I should have reached out to thank you properly, but things have been so busy I haven’t had the chance.”

“Oh, think nothing of it. It’s just what we do in this group.”

At her words, the women all smiled. Then one spoke more carefully.

“By the way, how is your husband? I heard he’s convalescing at a villa right now.”

“Yes. His body has fully healed, but lingering aftereffects from the accident are possible. So he’s resting for now, just to recover properly.”

“I see. We wish him a speedy recovery.”

Though they acted as if they weren’t very interested, their ears were tuned closely to every word. Sojung forced a light smile, pretending it was nothing.

Don’t show any weakness.

Even if they spoke with concern on the surface, behind her back she had no idea what they might say. That was why she had to conceal Hyun’s condition thoroughly.

“Anyway, the desserts here are delicious. Who recommended this café?”

“Oh, I did. I found it when we acquired this building recently. The coffee is great too, isn’t it?”

With Sojung’s smooth redirection, the women began chatting among themselves again. Sojung merely sipped her coffee, responding occasionally.

“Have you heard? Apparently a new child is joining the class.”

“Really?”

Since the kindergarten was filled with the children of the most prestigious families, any new addition was bound to stir curiosity.

“Yes, I heard yesterday. I don’t know the details, just that they’ll be coming soon.”

“Joining midway through the year? That’s unusual. I didn’t even know that was possible.”

“Exactly. Who knows what strings they pulled… but I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.”

Admission itself was nearly impossible without great influence. If a child could transfer in, it meant their family’s power was considerable. Naturally, the mothers’ interest was piqued.

But soon, the topic shifted again.

“I just bought a beautiful tea set. I’d been searching everywhere for it, and finally tracked it down in Japan.”

“I’ve been eyeing a necklace myself…”

The chatter continued endlessly. Still fatigued, Sojung only kept smiling and refilled her coffee.

“It’s almost time for the kids to get out of kindergarten, isn’t it?”

At one woman’s words, the gathering finally came to a close after several hours.

“You’re right. If we leave now, we’ll be right on time.”

“See, that’s why I like this café—it’s right across from the kindergarten. Let’s come here more often.”

“I’d be happy with that.”

Relieved that the marathon conversation was finally over, Sojung concealed her sigh with a smile. Outside, a line of cars had already formed, signaling the end of the school day.

“Mommy!”

Among dozens of children, Harim’s voice stood out. Spotting her mother among the crowd, Harim came running with bright energy, followed by other kids rushing to their mothers.

“My Harim, did you have fun today?”

“Yep! I made a plane this big, and I went on the slide too!”

Waving her little arms to demonstrate, Harim eagerly shared her adventures.

“And I saw a new friend.”

“…A new friend?”

“Yeah, over there!”

Harim pointed happily toward a little girl. Unlike the other children, she wasn’t wearing the kindergarten uniform, making her stand out even more. And Sojung recognized her immediately.

Choi Ji-hye.

She was Sua’s daughter.