Mom.
If it hadn’t been for her daughter, who affectionately called her “Mom” and followed her around like a devoted older niece, even though Jungok was a bad woman who had ruined her son with her own greed, Jungok might have really become a ghost.
“Mom. Mom didn’t do anything wrong. That bastard half-breed did wrong. Once Kyungwoo gets properly treated in America and finds stability, he’ll know it wasn’t Mom’s fault. So Mom, cheer up too.”
All the while, Kyungrok constantly led Jungok outside. She showed off Jungok to friends who knew about the stepmother situation, saying, “Isn’t my mom young and pretty?”
The day before Kyungrok, the first daughter in the Taeryoung family to join an affiliate company, reported for her first day of work, she went with Jungok to buy an understated two-piece suit befitting a new employee.
After changing and standing in front of the mirror, Kyungrok spun around and smiled brightly.
“Mom. I grew up so well thanks to you. You know? I’ll succeed and repay you with filial piety.”
At those words, Jungok couldn’t hold back her overwhelming tears. She cried so hard that even the department store staff was flustered.
As Kyungrok worked, Jungok began her outside activities again.
Kyungrok had said:
“When Kyungwoo comes back someday, wouldn’t it be better if Mom is cool and confident? All the American ladies are like that. Mom should have hobbies now too. Why are you acting like you’re some criminal?”
Kyungrok, whose voice had grown stronger as the eldest daughter of Taeho, who had just become vice chairman at the time, praised Jungok in front of the elders within Taeryoung.
“How many people could raise a stepdaughter who shares no blood like this? Mom is truly an amazing person.”
Those words magically lightened Jungok’s shoulders. Kyungrok also blocked the occasional criticism that poured from Taeho.
The broken family slowly began to take shape with Kyungrok at the center. The dining table where they sat facing Taeho was still tense, but at least something that could be called conversation gradually started to flow.
Kyungrok married Professor Kim Chungkyu through an arranged marriage set up by the elders, even though she wasn’t particularly pleased with him, in order not to fall out of favor with the elders. After welcoming the new family member, the breakfast table of Taeho and Jungok occasionally heard warm laughter.
Just when news of a grandchild was desperately needed, Taeho called Kyungwoo back after hearing from the doctor that he was close to a complete recovery. It was also around the time his studies were ending.
“Hello, Mother, Father.”
The son she had only seen in photos bowed politely with a perfectly normal appearance. Kyungrok squeezed her trembling hand tightly.
“So, you’re here?”
“Yes.”
That was all the conversation with the son she faced after more than ten years. Her mind went completely blank on what to say and how to say it.
After that, Kyungwoo became a member of the household. Although he was a son more distant than even a son-in-law. And his temperament of disliking people, especially Koreans and Japanese, remained the same.
He had never dated anyone, not even friends, let alone a woman he disliked less.
“Just accept it. Be thankful he’s at least functioning as a person.”
Taeho spoke indifferently, but Jungok couldn’t give up hope.
The child who used to have seizures like a beast was now attending work at the company normally. Wouldn’t he get even better someday?
A grandchild was born, and as Kyungrok often called him over, talking about her only uncle, the meal gatherings became not entirely awkward.
Even if he disliked people, babies seemed okay, as Kyungwoo occasionally patted his nephew’s head.
“Yes. He’s gotten even better now.”
At the fact that Kyungwoo had made a friend, and that it was a man at that, Jungok’s heart ached. Emotion, guilt, and pity for her son mixed with the apology of not having done anything for him as a mother.
Tears kept flowing.
“Our Kyungwoo is all better now. Our Kyungwoo.”
In the quiet detached cottage at the resort where she had come looking for traces of her son, Jungok sobbed quietly.
The next day early, Jungok returned to Seoul. And as soon as she arrived home, she looked for the housekeeper.
“Ahjumma. When is the day we’re going to Kyungwoo’s house this time?”
Since Jungok personally prepared side dishes that Kyungwoo ate well whenever she had time, asking about the date was frequent.
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Let’s change up the side dishes this time. Do we have braised beef in soy sauce and abalone in soy sauce?”
“There’s a little left from before.”
“We should make fresh ones. And since Kyungwoo likes braised short ribs, make plenty of that too. Let’s go look at ingredients first.”
“I was going to the department store later, shall we go together?”
“Mm. I’m planning to go to Kyungwoo’s house together this time.”
“What?”
The startled housekeeper asked back.
“Our Kyungwoo made a friend. If they’re close enough to go on a trip to Jeju Island together, he might bring them home. I need to go see. He’s such a blunt and cold-hearted kid, you see.”
“Oh my. The Executive Director made a friend?”
“I’m not sure yet. There seems to be a woman too.”
“Oh my. Madam, congratulations.”
The housekeeper, who knew the family affairs well, clapped and laughed as if she was very pleased.
“Don’t make a fuss. It’s natural since he’s at that age.”
Even while scolding, Jungok couldn’t hide the smile that quietly spread across her face.
“If he has a girlfriend, we need to nourish our Executive Director’s body.”
“Right. Since Ahjumma knows Kyungwoo’s tastes well, look over the ingredients we have carefully.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The housekeeper headed excitedly toward the food storage room attached to the kitchen as if it were her own business. Watching her, Jungok headed to the room she used as her office and study.
How much her pride had been hurt at the wives’ gatherings all this time. Everyone pretended to be dying from headaches over their sons’ woman problems, but underneath that was the implicit boast that our son is this manly.
Jungok cursed inwardly every time she heard such talk.
‘Vulgar. What’s the difference between men and women anyway? Shameless about their dirty private lives. Tsk tsk.’
The custom of arranged political marriages as directed by the family still remained, but in a country flowing with romantic supremacy in this century, it was also a great source of pride that one’s child was a decent kid who knew how to date properly.
Such-and-such actress was clinging because she liked their son, such-and-such family’s daughter threw a fit saying she’d die without their son, their son would have already become an entertainer if it weren’t for the family—they boasted with boasts that weren’t even boasts.
Especially when they deliberately brought their son with a pleasant temperament to the gathering to introduce him, they scratched Jungok’s pride, who was sitting quietly, by asking, “No news from Kyungwoo?” That was the most infuriating.
Holding her cell phone, Jungok called the wife who had been the most peculiar among them.
“Mm, honey? It’s me, Taeryoung. Mm, are you busy? I want to ask something. Yes, nothing else. You said you mainly put things in your son’s house, right? You know, things that are good for stamina.”
Then, as expected, the anticipated question came.
“Not my son-in-law, our Kyungwoo. Oh my. What’s wrong with our Kyungwoo? He just didn’t date just any woman because his standards were high. Well, I’m asking because I’ve confirmed something, right?”
The other person was suspicious of Jungok’s words. This woman. Would I lie about my own son? She wanted to grab her hair, but couldn’t because it was a phone call.
“His workload has been heavy lately anyway. Since the new businesses are hitting jackpots one after another, he’s busy with work and has to take care of a girlfriend too, so how exhausted must his body be? Mom needs to take care of him. I called you first because you’re so well-versed in that area.”
Then the other person gave some pathetic advice.
“Oh my. Why dig into your son’s girlfriend’s details? Putting people on your son and such, I couldn’t say before but. You know, doing background checks and stuff is tacky, right?”
That damn son’s woman digging. It was a game and competitive sport that wives enjoyed when they had nothing to do.
She couldn’t get rid of the idiots who couldn’t keep up with the times because of company and family issues, and every time they occasionally showed their faces, she couldn’t help but feel disgusted.
She would rather go to gatherings of wives with only daughters, and she had seriously considered it. However, she couldn’t bring herself to do that because it was obvious there would be talk behind her back about treating Kyungwoo like an invisible person.
How much she had been counting down to a day like today.
“What kind of kid is our Kyungwoo? He’ll introduce her on his own. Tell me what food you made. I’ll do the preparation. Yes.”
Jungok wrote down the food names the other person told her with a satisfied smile on her face.
“Thanks. I’ll buy you tea next time. Mm. Bye.”
After the call ended, Jungok tossed her cell phone onto the desk.
“She was asking if something was wrong with our Kyungwoo, but she must be curious, right? I’m not going to that gathering for a while from now on. For whose benefit? Hmph.”
The wives’ group chat would probably be exploding from now on.
Jung Kyungwoo.
Taeryoung’s eldest son. Outstanding appearance. Fluent in foreign languages. Possesses management skills honed in America. However, rumors that there’s a defect in that area.
The information written in the old notebook of the damned matchmaker used only by chaebol families would soon be revised.
*
Drrrrrr.
The vibration sound echoed through the car. Long fingers rested on the spot where the head and neck that reflexively moved were connected.
“Wait…”
The lips of the man who was saying “wait a moment” were crushed by the lips of the man who pulled his nape.
Chuup. Chuk.
It was a kiss that had been going on for several minutes. The passenger seat reclined 180 degrees admirably bore the weight of two robust men. What was screaming that it was dying was the luxury leather covering the seat.
Creak creak.
The leather kept screaming while they found comfortable positions to quickly dissipate the heat.
Hot breath and wet friction sounds. With the cell phone vibration added to that, it was very noisy.
“Keu… lift your waist more…”
“This… huu… is the limit…”
Hot energy touched each other. Heart and waist shook simultaneously, and the bursting ecstasy came quickly.
“Huuu.”
“Heo-eok heo-eok.”
Kyungwoo caught his breath while feeling the weight of Jaeha sprawled on top of him.
Drrrrrr. Drrrrrr.
“The phone keeps coming.”
“Ignore it.”
“It’s your phone.”
Kyungwoo felt slightly annoyed at Jaeha’s attitude of paying more attention to the phone than himself since earlier.
“If it’s important, they’ll text.”
Then, as if waiting, short vibrations followed in succession. Dreuk dreuk.
“Seems important.”
It hadn’t been long since they got off work. They had leisure and were on their way to a place with a nice atmosphere on the outskirts when they couldn’t hold back and parked the car under a secluded underpass.
The lights of cars passing in the distance occasionally lit up the interior. Jaeha’s sharp nose bridge, showing only a yellow silhouette, brushed against Kyungwoo’s cheekbone. The large hand that had just comforted each other reached toward the back seat.
Kyungwoo’s cell phone was between the two tops they had carelessly stripped off and tossed. Jaeha, who picked it up, pressed a random button.
On the screen that suddenly lit up, messages appeared indicating missed calls and texts. The content wasn’t visible, but he could tell who sent them.
“It’s Choi Dohyun.”
“What?”
Kyungwoo raised his head slightly. It was a reaction of surprise. It seemed he had finally become interested in his cell phone.
