Side Story 17

Ijun met her the year Chayoon turned three. From the moment he found out that Siyeon was pregnant with their third child, he referred to the baby in her belly as Riyeon—Jeong Riyeon, meaning Little Siyeon.

First child, Jeong Simoon; Second child, Jeong Chayoon; and Third child, Jeong Riyeon. While waiting for the baby to be born, his heart always fluttered with excitement, but this time it was extra special. Riyeon was the first girl to be born in the Jeong family in over a century. This single fact made her special even before her birth.

“…She really looks like a doll.”

Riyeon was a beautiful baby. Unlike Simoon and Chayoon, who had elongated eyes without double eyelids, Riyeon had round eyes with prominent double eyelids. Her skin was flawless and transparent, a stark contrast to her darker-skinned brothers.

Even Ijun’s father, who had maintained a relatively calm demeanor when Simoon and Chayoon were born, couldn’t hide his excitement and couldn’t take his eyes off his granddaughter upon seeing her for the first time.

The birth of a girl in the Jeong family, where there had been none for generations, was a miracle in itself but Riyeon was born with such beauty that anyone, even those not associated with the Jeong family, couldn’t help but fall in love with her at first sight.

The baby who had been called Riyeon until her birth was given the official name of “Jeong Yooni” after she came into the world. Ijun named her “Yooni,” deriving from ‘unique’, to signify that she was the one and only. Thus, Ijun’s plan to defy his grandfather’s desire for a traditional, difficult-to-pronounce Korean name was thwarted.

“Unique.”

Ijun often called her “unique.” He liked the way the “k” sound clung briefly in the mouth when he emphasized “Yooni.” 

When he called her name, Yooni slowly turned around. Her long eyelashes blinked slowly. While Simoon and Chayoon would immediately extend their arms, asking to be picked up when he called their names, Yooni was different. She always stood still, waiting for the other person to approach her. 

“Where are your brothers?”

“They went to check on the jars.”

“They left you alone?”

“They asked me to come with them, but I told them I didn’t want to.”

Despite being only four years old, Yooni had a rich vocabulary and could communicate well with adults. While her two brothers always went to see the jars with their names on them whenever they visited the Suwon family estate, Yooni showed little interest in this. Not just the jars, but she generally had a detached personality and was indifferent to her surroundings. 

Since their grandfather’s health began to decline, Ijun and Siyeon started bringing the children to visit the Suwon estate. Today, too, they had come straight to Suwon after breakfast. They knew that seeing his great-grandchildren was their grandfather’s greatest joy, so they tried to visit often. The children also loved coming to the Suwon house. 

“Why didn’t you go, Yooni?” 

Ijun asked gently as he approached Yooni. Although the children, who were each born two years apart, usually played well together, Simoon and Chayoon were naturally closer due to being the same gender. The two brothers were always together, while Yooni was often alone, preferring quiet activities.

“I didn’t go because I wanted to go fishing.” 

“Fishing?”

“Yes. I’m going to catch fish with this.” 

As she spoke, Yooni showed Ijun the long, thin branch she was holding. It seemed she intended to use it to catch fish in the pond.

Ijun’s expression briefly hardened at Yooni’s response as he looked around. His expression softened when he saw Yooni’s babysitter nearby. Thankfully, Yooni wasn’t left alone. If she had been, someone would have had to take responsibility. 

Ijun picked up Yooni and walked toward the pond, holding the branch she had given him in one hand. 

“To catch fish, you need a fishing rod or a net. It’s hard to catch fish with this.” 

“You can catch them for me, Daddy.”

“I gave up pond fishing a long time ago. Your mom didn’t like it.” 

“Then let’s just watch.”

“Alright, let’s just see if the fish are doing well.”

Holding Yooni, Ijun stood by the pond, gazing at the red and white koi swimming gracefully. As he looked at his reflection in the water, he suddenly recalled a moment from long ago when his father-in-law held Siyeon by this very pond. He felt like he was mirroring his father-in-law’s actions. Back then, it was surely love. 

“Yooni, which fish do you like the most?” 

“That one. The red one.” 

Yooni pointed at a red koi, and Ijun smiled. The women he loved all shared a fondness for the color red. Yooni was similar to Siyeon in some ways but different in others. While young Siyeon was curious about her surroundings yet wary of new things, Yooni seemed generally indifferent to everything. She wasn’t cautious; she simply found things bothersome. 

“Shall we build a pond at our house and keep some fish?” 

“No.” 

“Why not? You just said you liked the red fish.” 

Ijun spoke in a disappointed tone. He was so pleased to see Yooni show interest that he was already planning to hire someone to dig a pond as soon as they got home. But Yooni’s expression had already turned uninterested. 

“I don’t want to see them every day.” 

“Then what do you want to see every day, Yooni?” 

“Nothing.” 

Her tone was so indifferent that it felt almost cold. The babysitters often mentioned how difficult Yooni could be, and in moments like these, Ijun fully understood their feelings. Yooni wasn’t a fussy or sensitive child; she was just a difficult one. 

“Then, what is it that you would like to see occasionally?” 

At Ijun’s follow-up question, Yooni rarely paused, a sign she was pondering something with her little mind. 

“…It’s a secret.” 

As she answered, she looked over Ijun’s shoulder and made eye contact with someone. A boy who had been watching her from behind a tree quickly turned around as soon as their eyes met.

By the time Ijun sensed something and turned around, there was no one there.

“Was someone there?”

“No, no one was there.” 

When her father asked gently, Yooni quickly looked away from the direction where the boy had disappeared and answered nonchalantly.

* * *

It was a hot summer afternoon. The sun had begun to set in the west some time ago, but the scorching heat still lingered. 

When Siyeon returned home from a book signing event for her new release at a large bookstore in Seoul, Simoon and Chayoon, both skilled swimmers, were in the midst of a swimming race.

The grandparents, who had come to see their grandchildren, were sitting at a large parasol table by the pool, taking turns feeding Yooni fruit and juice. They watched their grandsons swim with affectionate eyes.

This summer, both sides of the family had aligned their vacations to spend time together at Ijun’s house. The guesthouse was bustling with visitors for the first time in a while. 

“I’m back. Are you here?”

“Yes, welcome back. You must be tired.” 

The grandfather, whose vitality had previously dwindled and worried the family, had fortunately regained his health. His face was a little gaunt, but his gaze was still sharp and clear. When that steely, lucid gaze fell upon Yooni, it would softly crumble. 

“…Yooni.”

“Yes, great-grandfather.”

When he called his great-granddaughter tenderly, Yooni would respond in a clear voice. And each time, he would marvel anew at the beauty of his great-granddaughter’s face. 

“How could such a beautiful angel come to our family?”

Yooni, who was like a unicorn in the Seorae Jeong family, also had a remarkable amount of assets. She ranked higher than her brothers, Simoon and Chayoon, on the list of wealthy minors with stocks and real estate. While Simoon held the most shares in Baekya Foods, Yooni dominated in real estate.

Not long after Yooni was born, her great-grandfather had gifted her all the real estate he personally owned, in addition to the family’s ancestral assets. As Ijun occasionally joked, Yooni was the richest person among those with the Jeong surname. Baekya Foods’ great-granddaughter, Jeong Yooni, was already a famous figure in the conglomerate circles. Many people were eyeing her from a young age.

“Ijun.” 

Siyeon called as she entered the master bedroom. Ijun, who had returned from overseas at dawn, was fast asleep with a sleep mask on. This morning, right after coming out of the bathroom, he had used his beastly strength to pull Siyeon, who had woken up early to prepare for her book signing, back into bed. Now, he was deeply asleep, unaware of her presence.

After changing clothes and quickly freshening up in the dressing room, Siyeon sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Time to get up.” 

As she gently tousled Ijun’s hair, his strong arm emerged from under the blanket and pulled her towards him. 

“…Siyeon, you’re here.” 

Holding her waist with both arms, Ijun buried his face in her lower abdomen, mumbling sleepily. The way he nuzzled his cheek against the thin fabric was reminiscent of a large dog being affectionate. 

“It’s going to be evening soon. If you keep sleeping, you won’t be able to sleep at night.” 

“…Then I won’t sleep at night.” 

“But I’ll be busy in the evening, I won’t be able to play with you.” 

At Siyeon’s playful response, Ijun chuckled, removed his sleep mask, and sat up, wrapping one arm around her and resting his head on her shoulder, starting to complain. 

“I’ve been harassed by the Jeongs all morning.”

“You should have told them you were tired.”

“I couldn’t help it.” 

It was a scene Siyeon could vividly imagine. The two sons must have bounced on the bed excitedly, waking Ijun up, until he emerged from the master bedroom. Fortunately, Yooni’s temperament was different from her brothers.

“If our parents hadn’t come, I’d still be outside swimming. I’d probably be endlessly swimming back and forth like a broken robot.” 

It was Ijun’s grandfather and the parents from both sides who saved Ijun from the intense play with his two sons. As soon as they arrived home and saw Ijun’s tired face, they quickly took the energetic Jeong family members outside.

“Do you want to rest more?” 

“Just stay with me.” 

In the end, Siyeon lay down beside Ijun, her head resting on his arm. Gently patting his bare chest, as if lulling him to sleep, she soon dozed off as well. She had also been quite exhausted, having been held captive by Ijun since dawn and then dealing with the signing event all morning. 

“…”

Lifting his upper body slightly, Ijun looked at Siyeon’s face with affectionate eyes, gently brushing her bangs. As his lips lightly touched her forehead, Siyeon faintly smiled in her sleep. A faint smile also appeared on his face. 

Carefully pulling the covers up to Siyeon’s shoulders, Ijun slowly laid back down, making sure not to disturb her. It was just an ordinary summer afternoon, one of countless such everyday moments. 

Even in moments when they thought as if love doesn’t exist, love was there, never leaving their side. Now, their love carried the weight of “forever” in their hearts.

End of the Side Story.

(See you next week, hopefully, for the Extra Stories)