Side Story 1 – The Man Who Wants to Get Married (Part 1)

“Thank you to all the distinguished guests for gracing this occasion…”

Soo-yeon stifled a yawn as she listened to the formal greetings. These events, which prioritized decorum and propriety, were all tediously similar, differing only slightly in their order of proceedings.

She took her eyes off the podium and turned her head, spotting Hee-tae entering the hall belatedly.

A man whose mere presence drew attention, his striking features and build set him apart. It wasn’t easy to look like a divine creation without having exceptional genes.

Soo-yeon recalled a brief conversation they had about his family.

“I have no family left. They’re all dead. I’ve been cut off by my relatives.”

“…”

“When you’re poor, it’s always like that. With nothing to enjoy but chewing each other out, they keep having kids, and when someone gets sick, all the money goes to hospital bills.”

He had said it lightly, as if he was the only one left after everyone else had died.

Hee-tae had comforted her, saying it was an old story and he felt nothing about it. Soo-yeon had no similar misfortune to share with him, so offering her embrace was all she could do.

That was the first time she thought of wanting to become his family. She started having vague thoughts about having children.

Next to Hee-tae, a little boy who seemed somewhat out of place was timidly walking. Soo-yeon asked, seeing the child with him,

“Whose child is this?”

“He’s not my hidden kid. I picked him up on the way here. Say hello.”

Hee-tae responded and nodded to prompt the child to greet her. The boy hiccuped and bowed deeply, looking as if he had been taken hostage and was filled with fear.

Soo-yeon examined the child, who didn’t resemble or seem close to Hee-tae at all, and asked,

“Where did you bring him from?”

“He’s Chairman Seong’s youngest grandson. They left him with me because he was being too rowdy. Not sure why they trust a thug like me to babysit.”

The boy, despite being left for being rowdy, seemed quite quiet. Soo-yeon bent down and beckoned him over. The child immediately ran to her side, clinging to her skirt. Although he wasn’t familiar with Soo-yeon either, he seemed to think being next to her was better than being with Hee-tae.

Hee-tae clicked his tongue and laughed at the sight.

“This kid’s got no sense. Your parents left you with me, so why are you clinging to Chae Soo-yeon?”

“Don’t scare him.”

“How can I not scare him with my face? Should I try smiling?”

Hee-tae responded incredulously to Soo-yeon’s scolding. When he forced a smile, the boy’s face turned pale. Hiccuping again, he clung tightly to Soo-yeon’s skirt and completely hid behind her.

Worried that the boy might tear her skirt, Hee-tae lowered himself and gently lifted the child, saying,

“Your baby brother is just a newborn, and you got scolded for pinching his butt. Why didn’t you just ask your mom and dad for a hug instead of bothering your brother?”

Hee-tae, who had just scared the child with a forced smile, now spoke gently, as if coaxing him.

Seeing Hee-tae hold the six-year-old boy so steadily gave Soo-yeon a strange feeling. It was as if she had glimpsed a fragment of the future he desired, making her fingers tingle.

The boy, whether scared or sad, finally opened his tightly shut mouth, blinking his tearful eyes.

“Mom and Dad don’t like me. They sold me to the scary man and left.”

“They didn’t sell you. That’s ridiculous. This little guy says the most outrageous things. Chae Soo-yeon, are you laughing?”

Hee-tae let out a sigh and lightly pinched the boy’s nose. Turning to Soo-yeon, he seemed to expect her to explain, but she was shaking with laughter, her head lowered. Even though he was a scoundrel, he found it absurd that his girlfriend wasn’t helping him explain but was laughing instead.

Soo-yeon finally stifled her laughter and looked at the boy, saying,

“Your mom and dad don’t dislike you. They trusted the man and left you with him. They’ll be back soon.”

Soo-yeon couldn’t know what the boy’s parents truly thought of him. But she spoke gently, hoping he wouldn’t carry the sorrow of thinking his parents had abandoned him with a stranger.

When the boy asked again, “Really?” she answered, “Really.”

Hee-tae frowned, feeling left out.

“He never listens to me.”

Despite this, he couldn’t take his eyes off the chatting boy and Soo-yeon. Finally, Soo-yeon looked at him and asked,

“What is it?”

“Can’t I just look at your face? Keep talking.”

Hee-tae replied brazenly. It was odd that he was just watching without saying anything, as if he had something to say.

But seeing his affectionate gaze on the boy, Soo-yeon had a vague idea of what he might be thinking. He was probably imagining their own child together.

Thinking about that made her feel warm under his gaze.

“Oh, Director Jang. Thank you. I owe you again. I’m deeply indebted.”

Just as Soo-yeon had said, it wasn’t long before the boy’s parents came to pick him up, looking embarrassed.

The boy, still in Hee-tae’s arms, turned his head away but showed clear signs of joy. It seemed he would soon be in tears once in his father’s arms.

Hee-tae put the boy down and pointed to Soo-yeon with a nod, jokingly saying,

“You owe Chae Soo-yeon too. If I had taken care of him alone, he would have cried his eyes out.”

“Yes, Soo-yeon. I’m sorry to interrupt your time with your husband. Let’s meet again next time.”

Soo-yeon stiffened as the boy’s parents naturally referred to Hee-tae as her husband. Everyone seemed to know about their relationship, and Soo-yeon neither confirmed nor denied it. But it was awkward to be assumed to be married.

However, Hee-tae shamelessly turned to her and asked,

“Shall we, darling?”

He was delighted. Whenever someone assumed they were married, he couldn’t hide his smile. Seeing him like that made Soo-yeon’s heart flutter.

While she nodded slightly, the boy’s parents said they had to leave and bid their final goodbyes. The boy, holding his parents’ hands, turned back to wave at Soo-yeon. She waved back at his small, chubby hand.

“Come again and behave like that, and we can have another date.”

Hee-tae, standing next to Soo-yeon, waved his hand and said. The boy turned his head away immediately, clinging to his father’s leg. Seeing him treated coldly to the end, Soo-yeon let out a sigh and laughed softly. Hee-tae shook his head in disbelief and said,

“That kid’s got no manners… He’s going to be something big. Oh, did I mention this?”

As if something had just come to mind, Soo-yeon naturally looked at him. Hee-tae leaned in as if to share a secret, and she leaned in as well.

But what reached her ear was a typical, frivolous confession.

“I thought I’d die from missing you.”

Having shown up with a child, he was finally getting around to his usual flattery. Normally, Soo-yeon would have responded with a casual “I know,” but the unexpected confession left her uncharacteristically flustered.

She glared at him as he teased her for being shy and took a drink from a passing waiter. Her mouth felt dry, thanks to Hee-tae.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Oh, I can’t drink too much or I can’t get it erect.”

The waiter tried to hand Hee-tae a glass, but he shook his head. It was surprising that someone who usually spewed vulgar jokes managed to refrain from saying anything inappropriate in front of the child. The waiter, seemingly unfazed as if he had heard worse, just nodded and disappeared.

Soo-yeon moistened her throat with a drink and asked,

“Did the work go well?”

“I think I’ll be called again. Even when I’m on my honeymoon, they’ll probably call me.”

Soo-yeon choked on her drink and coughed at Hee-tae’s words. Hee-tae naturally took the glass from her hand and patted her back. His gesture, as if wondering why she was still surprised by his vulgar language, was irksome.

Recently, Hee-tae had been subtly mentioning marriage more often. She couldn’t tell if it was because he was thinking about marrying her or if he was sending her some sort of signal. Either way, Soo-yeon found it difficult to bring up the topic of marriage easily.

“Give it back.”

Once her coughing subsided, she tried to take the glass back from him. However, Hee-tae held it high, out of her reach, making her grasp at the air.

As she raised her hand to follow his, she stumbled and almost hit her head against his chest, so she pulled back. If she had embraced him in this formal setting, it would have been quite a spectacle.

She lowered her voice and scolded him,

“Why are you playing around again?”

“I’m worried you’d be disappointed if I didn’t joke around even for a day, Chae Soo-yeon.”

In front of her, Hee-tae deliberately placed his lips on the spot where her lipstick had stained the glass and took a sip. Soo-yeon realized that he had aimed for her lipstick mark on the glass. Even in such a refined setting, he was signaling his desire to kiss her.