SIDE STORY 1.8

As Moonkyeong had said, it was a simple meal, but both Seojun and Inyoung finished their plates without a single complaint.  

Afterward, they brought out the cake Seojun had bought the day before and shared it.  

Seeing how much Inyoung enjoyed it, Moonkyeong kissed her daughter’s cheek.  

“Our little girl eats so well. Is it good?”  

“Mm! It’s yummy.”  

While doing the dishes, Moonkyeong glanced at Seojun, who was washing dishes with gloves on, and stroked Inyoung’s hair.  

“Daddy’s going to work late today.”  

“Really?”  

“Yes, he said he’d play with you until he leaves.”  

“Wow! Yay!”  

“What are you going to play with Daddy?”  

“Dolls.”  

“That sounds fun! Should Mommy join you?”  

Inyoung shook her head apologetically. It was her way of asking Mommy to sit this one out.  

Moonkyeong laughed.  

“Alright, I won’t get in your way. Have fun, just the two of you.”  

“Okay!” 

When Seojun finished the dishes, he lifted Inyoung onto his shoulders. Despite Moonkyeong’s protests that it was dangerous, Seojun carried Inyoung around the spacious living room, running and playing.  

Inyoung, fearless like her dad, squealed with delight.  

“Wow! Wow!”  

“Isn’t this fun?”  

While the father and daughter played, Moonkyeong stepped into the garden, bundled in a thick coat.  

Thinking about the pointe shoes Seojun had given her last night, her heart fluttered.  

The thought of returning to ballet, which she had once dreaded so much, filled her with excitement. For the first time, she felt confident she could do ballet the way she wanted.  

Though she worried about her now-stiff body, she stood on her toes and assumed the basic position.  

Choreography from the day she was promoted to principal dancer in Germany vividly replayed in her mind.  

She thought she had forgotten it all, but her body moved instinctively.  

She leaped gracefully like a butterfly and spun around more than ten times without faltering.  

Feeling beads of sweat forming on her forehead, she took off her coat.  

Reaching out with her long arms, she jumped high into the air.  

Seojun and Inyoung, watching from inside, clapped their hands together in celebration.  

Encouraged by their cheers, Moonkyeong leaped even higher.  

Inyoung, who had been playing with her dolls, widened her eyes like a rabbit, mesmerized by the most beautiful sight she had ever seen—her mom.  

Seojun lifted Inyoung onto his lap.  

“Isn’t Mommy amazing?”  

“Mm-hmm!”  

“There were so many times Daddy fell in love with Mommy, but every time she soared like that, my heart would race.”  

“Really?”  

“Yes. It’s racing now. Want to feel it?”  

When he placed her ear near his chest, Inyoung listened quietly.  

“Can you hear it?”  

“Yes.”  

“What does it sound like? Is it thump-thump?”  

“No. Boom, boom, boom.”  

“Yeah, boom-boom-boom.”  

Unable to resist, Seojun kissed Inyoung’s lips, finding her utterly adorable.  

Inyoung laughed loudly and snuggled into her dad’s arms.  

When Moonkyeong returned from her impromptu performance, both Seojun and Inyoung ran to her.  

Seojun gave her a thumbs-up, while Inyoung clung to her legs, unable to hide her love.  

After tirelessly playing with Inyoung until it was time for work, Seojun finally stood up.  

“What should I do? Daddy has to go to work now.”  

“……”  

“I’ll play with you a lot next time.”  

Seeing Inyoung’s disappointed expression, Seojun hesitated, but when he caught Moonkyeong shaking her head from afar, he knew he had to leave.  

Reluctantly, he got up and prepared for work, leaving Moonkyeong to take his place.  

“Did you have fun playing dolls?”  

As she hugged her daughter, tears welled up in Inyoung’s eyes.  

“Are you sad because Daddy went to work?”  

Inyoung nodded silently, trying hard to hold back her tears.  

Moonkyeong patted her back and whispered gently, 

“It’s okay to cry, Inyoung. If you want to cry, you can cry. You don’t have to hold it in. Mommy feels sad when Daddy goes to work too. I miss him and wish he’d come home soon. That’s normal.”  

Hearing that it was okay to cry, Inyoung finally let her tears flow like rain.

When Seojun came out into the living room, dressed neatly, Inyoung was still crying. He didn’t ask her anything but simply held her warmly. Just as he had promised Moonkyeong before, he prioritized comforting his child whenever she cried.  

After crying her heart out for a long time, Inyoung finally stopped. Seojun leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, 

“You know Daddy loves you very much, right? I’ll go to work and come back quickly. Play well with Mommy, okay?”  

Inyoung nodded bravely, holding tightly onto the Barbie doll Seojun had bought her.  

“Inyoung, Daddy’s leaving now.”  

Standing by the front door, Moonkyeong watched as Inyoung clung to her father’s coat, refusing to let go. When Seojun bent down to put on his shoes, Inyoung wiggled her fingers at him, signaling him to come closer.  

“Hm?”  

When she gestured for him to bring his ear closer, Seojun willingly knelt to match her eye level.  

In a tiny whisper, Inyoung said, 

“I like Daddy better.”  

With a triumphant smile, Seojun walked out lightheartedly, leaving Moonkyeong laughing at his retreating figure.  

After he disappeared, Moonkyeong gently stroked Inyoung’s hair. 

“You did well, my girl.” 

Then, she hugged her daughter tightly again.  

* * *

After the morning briefing, Chief Secretary Yoon reported something troubling to Seojun.  

“What’s the view count?”  

“It hasn’t gained much exposure yet, so it’s around 200. But since there are already comments mentioning Madam’s name, this could escalate if left unchecked. I thought it’d be better to address it early, so I’m reporting it now.”  

“They mentioned my wife on a broadcast and even made threats?”  

“Yes.”  

Park Bora—or rather, Park Hanju—had been quiet for a while, but she couldn’t resist her nature and had started uploading videos on her YouTube channel again.  

She shamelessly continued her broadcasts, using sensational content like “The Truth About Leehan Group Chairman’s Wife, Seo Moonkyeong.” She even demanded that the Chairman contact her directly before she revealed anything bigger.  

After a moment of thought, Seojun called Moonkyeong. When he explained everything in detail, her reaction was exactly as he had expected.  

• Handle it legally. To me, Hanju is no longer a friend.

“Alright, I’ll take care of it on my end.”  

• Thank you.

After ending the call, Seojun turned to Chief Secretary Yoon, who was still standing by.  

“Coordinate with the legal team and keep me updated on the outcome. Whether it’s defamation or something else, it wouldn’t be bad to have her locked up so she can’t pull this again. Let’s see your skills at work, Chief Secretary Yoon.”  

Yoon smiled leisurely. 

“Leave it to me.”  

“Alright, good work.”  

Since taking the throne at Leehan, Seojun occasionally had to deal with pests like this.  

There was Shin Jueun and Kim Seouk, who had been released from prison, and Lee Heejin, who had remarried another man. Despite the years passing, their personalities remained as rotten as ever.  

Lee Heejin had even posted an old photo of herself with Moonkyeong, taken on Ibiza Island, on her social media as if to flaunt their past friendship. She used it to show off her connections and prove she was still active in high society.  

However, the photo was quickly taken down within an hour, thanks to the efforts of Leehan Group’s secretary office. Rumor had it that the team worked tirelessly to ensure all traces of the photo were removed from the internet.  

Her new husband was twelve years older than her. After her divorce from Kim Seouk, she had enjoyed a period of dating younger men, but in the end, her second marriage was to a man her father had chosen for her.  

When she accidentally ran into Moonkyeong at a social gathering, she hurriedly fled, as though she didn’t want her husband’s face to be recognized.  

And then there was another time. Seojun and Moonkyeong had gone to a hotel for a romantic getaway when they encountered Lee Heejin in the lobby.  

This time, she was with a man who looked at least twenty years younger than her. Startled, Lee Heejin dropped her wallet, which Moonkyeong bent down to pick up for her.  

Their eyes met as Moonkyeong handed it back. While Lee Heejin glared at her with disdain, Moonkyeong looked at her with a mixture of pity and amusement.  

[It’s been a while. You haven’t changed a bit, have you?]  

[Shut up. Don’t act like you know me, Seo Moonkyeong.]  

[Oh, you don’t want to be associated with me, but you flaunt our past friendship on social media? Like we were best friends?] 

[……]  

[Live long. Live long so we can keep running into each other. You’re brainless, but I find you entertaining sometimes.]  

[What?] 

In the past, Lee Heejin might have slapped her on the spot. But now, she couldn’t. Moonkyeong had risen to a status so high that Lee Heejin couldn’t dare touch her.  

And it was all thanks to Seojun. He had ensured that no one could treat Moonkyeong disrespectfully.  

Shin Jueun and Kim Seouk occasionally tried to call Seojun, but he never answered. Eventually, he blocked their numbers, so he no longer even knew when they tried to contact him.  

Reports from Chief Secretary Yoon confirmed that their attempts to reach him had ceased entirely.  

For the past two years, it seemed both had finally accepted that Seojun was now beyond their reach.  

Whatever life Shin Jueun lived after her release, Seojun no longer cared. The lingering feelings he once had were completely severed when he built a family with Moonkyeong.  

His days were now filled with giving and receiving love from Moonkyeong and their daughter. That alone filled his heart so completely that there was no longer any room for emptiness.