Chapter 28: Father and Son

I stood in front of the living room window, gazing outside.

The heavy snow was still falling thickly.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the backs of Mother and Father, who sat side by side on the garden bench.

Snowflakes gently fluttered down atop my parents’ heads.

It looked just like a painting.

‘They must be cold.’

I wanted to bring them a scarf to wrap around.

I wanted to at least bring a shawl and cover them.

But I couldn’t bring myself to break into that beautiful scene.

‘They must have a lot to talk about after being apart for so long.’

My parents needed time to share all the words left unspoken.

I watched Mother’s laughter and Father’s eyes through the glass.

Just looking at them made me smile.

They were a beautiful couple.

‘Mother really does love Father.’

I’d guessed at Mother’s feelings from how dearly she treasured Father’s Watch, but seeing her face light up in front of Father, I could feel her love completely. She would always smile softly, but rarely laughed out loud.

Yet, in front of Father, she burst into laughter like a rose in full bloom.

She looked as happy as if she possessed the entire world.

‘I guess it’s the same for my father.’

How did Father look at Mother?

A man who almost never smiled couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Despite his cold, stern, reticent, and grave demeanor, so at odds with this scene.

Father gazed at Mother with eyes dripping with warmth.

As if only one person existed in the world.

‘They’re a perfect pair.’

I was content.

It was enough to watch from afar.

‘Mother was twenty-seven, or maybe twenty-eight, when she had me. Such a beautiful time to have a child.’

To give birth and raise me as a young woman, all alone.

She must have suffered so much.

Mother devoted her most radiant twenties to me.

So I was grateful, and so I was sorry.

Mother, who left me with so many warm and beautiful memories until the day I died.

For forty-five years, I longed to see her again, even if only in a dream.

I wished for Mother’s happiness.

‘Come to think of it, how old is Father?’

It dawned on me—I knew nothing about Father.

All I knew was his name, Cha Seongjun, and that he was the youngest son of the Taeseong Group chairman.

And that he was supposed to take over Taeseong Construction, but died young in a plane crash.

As soon as I realized that, something welled up inside me.

‘That man is my father.’

Even from behind, he was somehow a striking man.

He was tall, handsome, came from a good family, and looked smart.

From the way he walked to the way he carried himself.

There was nothing to criticize.

He exuded the grace and dignity of someone raised with proper education.

‘No wonder Mother could never forget him.’

I stared quietly down at Father’s Watch.

‘Would he be happy if I returned this to him? If I said it was the item Mother cherished so dearly…’

That’s why I quietly took it from the master bedroom.

But I shook my head.

‘Even if it’s to be returned, it should be Mother, not me, who gives it back. That’s how it should be.’

I gazed down at the watch.

‘Come to think of it, it was relying on this one watch that brought me all the way here.’

Just a poor little seven-year-old.

My last hope was this watch of Father’s.

To save Mother’s life.

I’d wondered if I should give it to Jaeho’s Father and borrow a truck to get to the hospital.

Or maybe use it as a bribe for the doctor to finish the oxygen treatment quickly.

I’d even taken it to a pawnshop as collateral, hoping to buy this house.

When Mother offered to do dishes for a living, I’d thought of exchanging it for living expenses.

‘I’m glad I never sold it.’

I knew it was just a thing.

But this watch held all of Father and Mother’s memories, and all of Mother’s feelings, intact.

‘They really are beautiful, my parents.’

I wiped away the condensation fogging up the glass with my palm.

“Hey, kid. Stop standing around here looking all gloomy and just go join them. You’re family, aren’t you.”

“It’s fine.”

Rather than run out into the yard and leave crisp footprints in the snow, I chose to keep watching them through the foggy window, wiping away the steam as it blurred.

Cheolgu’s Father stood beside me at the window, resting his hand on my shoulder.

“Didn’t you want to see your dad?”

“I did.”

“Then go on, run over and just hug him.”

“How could I?”

I let out a bitter laugh.

“I grew up imagining my father was somewhere out there. But maybe… maybe my father never even knew I existed.”

If that wasn’t the case, there’s no way not a single person would’ve come when I became an orphan at seven.

“So if a kid he’s never seen before suddenly runs up yelling ‘Dad, I missed you!’—wouldn’t that be overwhelming?”

I gently traced Father’s figure beyond the glass with my fingertip.

The chill of winter, the damp of condensation clung to my skin.

“You think too much for a kid.”

Cheolgu’s Father messed up my hair.

“A seven-year-old doesn’t need to worry about adult problems. That’s a kid’s privilege.”

He handed me a lollipop.

“Want one?”

Somehow, I couldn’t help but smile.

The man who drank only black coffee and wrinkled his face at the taste of chocolate—

Why did he buy something like a lollipop, so unfitting for him?

I took the candy and grinned.

“I never refuse kindness.”

“If you’re a man, just go for it. Run up and hug him—simple as that.”

I sucked on the lollipop, pretending not to hear.

“So what if your dad’s a little taken aback? You’re his son, aren’t you? Are you planning to just watch from afar your whole life?”

Just then, my parents stood up from the garden bench.

They started walking this way, side by side.

Step by step.

As they got closer to the front door, my heart beat faster and faster.

Click.

The front door opened.

“Come in, sunbae.”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Father strode in with confidence.

The moment our eyes met, he smiled warmly.

“Jeonghyeok.”

My pounding heart felt like it dropped straight down.

It was the first time Father called my name.

A dizzying feeling, as if only the two of us existed in the world.

I couldn’t move, like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web.

Father knelt down on one knee to meet my gaze.

“My name is Cha Seongjun.”

My mind went blank.

Cheolgu’s Father’s words, all my worries, even the Taeseong Group bodyguards’ cheers—

Like fresh-fallen snow, my mind was white and empty.

“You may have heard from your mother, but I am your…”

“Dad!”

I was already running, arms open, toward him.

“That’s right.”

Father opened his arms.

I dove straight into his embrace.

I hugged his neck tightly.

“Dad, I missed you!”

“Yes.”

A heavy, refined, luxurious cologne filled the air.

As if that scent itself was my father’s.

I breathed it in deeply and pressed my face against his neck.

“I missed you, too.”

Father hugged me tight and laughed softly.

It was such a pleasant laugh.

I’d wanted to smile at him like that, but—

For some reason, my eyes filled with tears first.

“Dad, Dad…!”

From the day I opened my eyes in this world to the moment I closed them.

No—even in the afterlife, whenever I met Father, there was always something I wanted to say.

“I’m your son. I’m Cha Jeonghyeok.”

Honestly, there were so many things I wanted to ask Father.

Who he was, how he found out about me, why he left Mother and me alone.

So many questions I wanted to ask, so much resentment I wanted to bury.

But for now, not a single one came to mind.

“I love you.”

The words I’d promised myself I’d say if Father ever came for me.

Words I’d never spoken, just painted in my heart.

Unlike with Mother, I was meeting Father for the first time, so I believed I’d never be able to say them out loud.

The words I thought would remain stuck in my heart for a lifetime—I blurted them out before I knew it.

Suddenly, tears welled up.

“Dad, I love you.”

Crying and sobbing wasn’t my style.

“My son…”

I just loved that strong, warm embrace of Father’s.

“Jeonghyeok.”

I just loved hearing him call my name.

“Thank you.”

Held in Father’s arms, I sobbed and sniffled.

Damn this child’s body.

Throughout the meal, the table was filled with laughter.

Mother poured water for Father and asked,

“Do you like the food?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your favorite?”

“All of it.”

Luckily, today’s breakfast was made by Owner Granny.

Owner Granny’s cooking was so famous, even in the Kuro-dong Shanty House.

If she opened a restaurant, people said, it would be a big hit.

‘This is my first time. Eating with both Father and Mother.’

Father was a taciturn man.

But Mother was so excited, she chattered on about this and that.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mother talk this excitedly before.’

Mother barely ate, turning her body completely toward Father.

Father listened quietly, nodding as Mother spoke.

Just as he’d always done.

As if they were lovers reuniting not after seven years, but after seven hours.

As if they’d never stopped loving each other, not even for a day in those seven years.

“Jeonghyeok, do you like galbi?”

“Yes.”

Father placed some galbi on my rice bowl.

I smiled brightly and accepted his kindness.

“It’s delicious.”

“Do you not like japchae?”

“No. I like everything. I’m not picky.”

“You’re a good kid.”

Father kept picking out side dishes that kids would like and putting them on my spoon.

Seeing this, Mother smiled gently.

“Jeonghyeok has a small appetite, but he’s eating so well today.”

Mother, it’s not that I have a small appetite—I just never got to eat your food properly.

“Jeonghyeok, after we finish eating, should we build a snowman together?”

“A snowman? I’d love that!”

I answered eagerly, thrilled.

It felt like a dream.

I wanted to hurry and finish so we could play outside together.

I wanted to hold Father and Mother’s hands and leave clear footprints in the fresh snow in the garden.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong ding-dong!

It was the doorbell.

The sharp-eyed Taeseong Group bodyguard, self-proclaimed number two, hurried over and whispered in my ear.

“Kim Secretary brought the bribe.”

Already?

He said it would take three days to prepare the bribe.

Back then, I’d demanded four things.

An apology to Mother for their rudeness, permission for their marriage, bringing Father here, and Taeseong stock worth one hundred million won.

“President Cha is here, too.”

That’s when I realized why the impossible bribe was being prepared so quickly.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the front door burst open.

“Jeonghyeok, your Grandfather is here!”

A booming but clearly affectionate voice.

It was President Cha.

“Father?”

Father sprang up from his seat, visibly flustered.