Chapter 9.1 – A Heart for One Person

「Mom, I’m so cold. Can you hold me, please?」

Young Seojun stood on tiptoes, holding an umbrella in the rain, looking up at Shin Jueun with pleading eyes.  

Though she wore a disapproving expression, upon seeing Seojun’s lips turning blue, she begrudgingly pulled him into her arms.  

「Did Seouk kick you out again?」  

Seojun nodded. This time, it was about the Lego set their father had given them as a gift. Both had received identical sets, and Seojun had simply enjoyed playing with his. But when Seouk saw the completed model, he had thrown a tantrum.  

Even though Seojun understood that he had to always yield to his sickly older brother and cater to his every whim, today’s outburst—being slapped and kicked out—felt unbearably unfair.  

In the end, Seojun burst into tears in Shin Jueun’s arms.  

「You’re freezing. Let’s get you inside and cleaned up. I’ll have a stern talk with Seouk. I’ll make sure he never throws you out again, no matter what. Alright?」  

When Seojun woke up, he was on a flight back to Korea. For once, he had dreamt a good dream instead of the usual nightmares.  

It was the only warm memory Shin Jueun had ever given him as a child. Even her cunning attempts to coax him into staying by Seouk’s side were a fragment of memory Seojun longed to hold onto.  

No matter how much love he gave, the coldness he received in return left Seojun’s childhood steeped in loneliness.  

His mother, his father, his brother, even the staff at Do Hyowon—all treated him with indifference.  

It was as if they all knew the truth about his birth.  

What had been too complex for him to understand as a child now stood painfully clear.  

It was around that time that a harsh winter settled in the heart of young, innocent Seojun.  

After the Japanese woman’s visit, he carried a small blade of resentment in his chest. He grew to resent and hate the whole world.  

There was no longer any need to strive for his parents’ love or to try to understand his brother.  

As time went on, Seojun became emotionally desolate. He didn’t resist when his father ordered him to leave for Russia and left Do Hyowon immediately.  

But he remained curious. He wanted to know the identity of the Japanese woman he had seen that day.  

The first thing he did as a young adult was to search for her.  

Traveling to Japan, he followed the traces of the woman who had pleaded, “Give me back my child.” There, he coincidentally met Jeon Taepyeong, now a National Assembly Member.  

At the age of twenty, Jeon Taepyeong had been studying abroad in Japan. There, he met a Japanese woman two years his senior, and the two fell in love at first sight.  

Their love didn’t last long. After only six months, Jeon Taepyeong’s father intervened, offering the woman a large sum of money and using threats to separate them.  

When the woman claimed she was pregnant by another man, Jeon Taepyeong felt betrayed and returned to Korea, dedicating himself to his studies. Later, he entered into an arranged marriage with Lee Hyesook.  

Years later, on his father’s deathbed, he learned the truth.  

Driven by a desire to apologize, he searched all over Japan for her. But the news he received was shocking.  

A year after giving birth, she had taken her own life. Her child had been placed in an orphanage, where they endured years of loneliness.  

That child was Kimura Miyu.  

Miyu, inspired by her mother’s note mentioning a Korean father, always dreamed of visiting Korea.  

This was why she had readily accepted an offer to become a surrogate mother in Korea, despite it being arranged through an illegal broker. She simply wanted to set foot on Korean soil, no matter what.  

At the orphanage in Japan where Miyu had lived until adulthood, Seojun and Jeon Taepyeong finally met.  

Both were pursuing Miyu for their own reasons, and they instantly recognized each other.  

Jeon Taepyeong also learned there, for the first time, that Miyu had given birth to a child in Korea.  

But the moment he saw Seojun, he knew immediately that he was her child.  

The orphanage director sat the two men down and recounted Miyu’s final days.  

「It was a car accident. She passed away just two days after returning to Japan. According to the police, Miyu ran directly into oncoming traffic, but I don’t believe that. She came to me, shared her story, and asked for my help. Miyu planned to return to Korea with assistance from Japan. She wanted to find her child. She said she no longer needed to search for her Korean father but was determined to reclaim the child she had given birth to. She cried throughout the night.」  

The case had been hastily closed. Despite the lack of CCTV footage at the scene, someone’s testimony had been the decisive factor in concluding the investigation.  

For years, Jeon Taepyeong had been investigating Miyu’s death. The person who had testified had mysteriously disappeared and remained missing to this day.  

He believed finding that person was the key to uncovering the truth about Miyu’s death and continued his search.  

Even Jeon Taepyeong’s wife, Lee Hyesook, was aware of all this. She consoled him, saying, “The children are not at fault.”  

Unlike Jeon Taepyeong, who was consumed by Miyu’s death, Seojun remained largely unaffected.  

Their relationship, tied only by the fact that she had given birth to him, lacked any emotional connection.  

For Seojun, the memories left by Shin Jueun were far more deeply ingrained, even the night she had pointed a gun at his head.  

Until that cruel night, seven-year-old Seojun had seen her as his entire world and universe.  

This was why, even now, Seojun couldn’t completely let go of his hatred and resentment toward Shin Jueun.  

Just as Hyeran was a painful thorn for Moonkyeong, Shin Jueun was one for Seojun.  

She was someone he would have to ruthlessly sever, just as he had on that night.  

Seojun gazed blankly at Moonkyeong’s face as she slept beside him. The thought of her being dragged to Do Hyowon as soon as they returned to the country made his forehead throb. He repeatedly touched her lips while she slept.

***

Moonkyeong, who returned at dawn, headed straight to Do Hyowon after sending Seojun off to work early in the morning. The fatigue from the trip hadn’t yet worn off, and even standing still made her yawn. While shaking off her drowsiness and walking past the central building of Do Hyowon, Lee Heejin, who had arrived late, hurried after her.

As soon as Heejin saw Moonkyeong, her eyes flared up.  

“You flirted with the senior again, didn’t you? Can’t you stop? Do you think the world revolves around you just because I’ve been tolerating you?”  

Moonkyeong ignored Heejin, who followed her with a fiery gaze. Already physically and mentally exhausted, she didn’t have the energy to listen to Heejin’s complaints.  

“……”  

“Hey! Are you ignoring me? Hey!”  

Moonkyeong, who was entering the annex, bowed her head deeply toward Shin Jueun, who was dressed unusually modestly.  

“Director, you called for me?”  

“Yes, come in. Today, we’re going to the temple. Oh, I forgot to tell you to wear pants. Oh dear, you’re wearing a skirt.”  

Only then did Moonkyeong notice Heejin’s attire as she entered the annex. Heejin was also wearing black pants. It was clear that the two women intended to tease her. They probably wanted revenge for her skipping Heejin’s party and running off to Vietnam.  

Moonkyeong sighed but resolved to endure it. The escapade in Vietnam had been a sweet, sticky happiness, like biting into a rich macaron. Because of that, she felt she could endure anything. Good memories make people strong enough to forget bad realities.  

Moonkyeong forced a smile.  

After climbing a narrow road just wide enough for one car, the entrance to the temple came into view. It was a place Shin Jueun occasionally visited under the guidance of Fortune Teller Yeonhwa and where the spirit of her deceased first child was enshrined.  

Today, her purpose in coming here was to accumulate merit and quickly conceive a child between Heejin and Seouk. Fortune Teller Yeonhwa had instructed her to perform three thousand bows at the temple, but she couldn’t imagine doing it alone for over ten hours.  

So, she devised a plan. She would split the task, having Moonkyeong and Heejin each do a thousand bows.  

“Ugh, my legs hurt.”  

Heejin, unable to last even an hour, sat down. She had agreed to this because it was supposed to help her conceive, but it was unbearable. She thought it would be better to visit the urology clinic again. Her husband, Seouk, had issues eight out of ten times, causing trouble.  

If she had known it would be like this, she would have annulled the marriage. Heejin whined as she sat down.  

“Mother, I really can’t do this anymore.”  

Shin Jueun, who was also exhausted and massaging her knees, snapped irritably.  

“Do you think I’m doing this for fun?”  

“It’s too hard! Just make her do it all.”  

Heejin pointed at Moonkyeong, and Shin Jueun’s gaze followed. Perhaps because of her ballet training, Moonkyeong’s posture remained steady even after an hour. Despite the repetitive pain, she seemed to have reached a state of enlightenment.  

Her legs should have been trembling, and her body twisted in agony, but she appeared calm.  

“Fine. It’s better for one person to do it all than to split it.”  

Shin Jueun thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to punish Moonkyeong, who had upset her. In the end, she ordered Moonkyeong to complete all three thousand bows.  

Although Moonkyeong suffered the most, watching her was equally painful for Heejin and Shin Jueun. They felt cramps in their legs, dehydration, and a sense of their organs twisting.  

“Mother, how much longer do we have to stay here?”  

“Just wait a bit. But seriously, is she insane?”  

As Moonkyeong surpassed two thousand bows, her face grew pale. Despite her struggle, she didn’t slow down, which only fueled Shin Jueun and Heejin’s determination. How could they break Moonkyeong to the point of tears and collapse?  

When Moonkyeong finally finished all three thousand bows, she stood up without complaint, holding onto her trembling body as she left the temple. Heejin clicked her tongue.  

“Crazy woman.”  

Shin Jueun also shook her head.