SIDE STORY 2

He looked like he had just graduated from college.

The young man, more of a boy than a man, was wearing a suit, but it seemed he would look better in jeans and a plaid shirt.  

With a youthful, reckless expression typical of his age, this boy, who still had the fuzz of youth on him, was blatantly trying to hit on Taejun’s wife.  

The young man puffed up his chest and offered his business card. However, Minhee refused to take it. So, he leaned in closer to her ear. Whatever he whispered made Minhee blink in surprise.  

The foolish youngster grinned and this time handed his phone to her. Minhee shook her head, her eyebrows knitting together in discomfort.  

It was as if someone had poured gasoline on Taejun’s heart and thrown in a match.  

A fiery heat rose within him, burning his insides. He cracked his neck from side to side, emitting a popping sound.  

‘I gave her a big diamond ring to make it noticeable.’  

It was useless.  

A few years ago, Rose had described Minhee’s appearance as “Snow White,” and not much had changed since then.  

Her glossy, neat black hair tickled her nape, and her long, thick eyelashes shyly revealed and then quickly hid her large gray eyes that reflected her emotions.  

Her flawless, pudding-like skin, exposed by her fluttering sleeveless blouse, looked sweet enough to melt away if licked.  

But the aura surrounding her was entirely different from their first meeting when he mistook her for a high school student.  

A pure loveliness interspersed with a captivating allure. This peculiar atmosphere, where contrasting charms coexisted, had the power to capture the attention of passersby.  

Taejun marked each gaze directed at Minhee as he strode over to the table and stood behind her. He snatched the business card from the man’s hand while simultaneously pulling Minhee into his embrace by the waist.  

“Ah!”  

Startled, Minhee stiffened but soon relaxed, leaning into Taejun’s arms as if collapsing into them. He kissed the crown of her head and brought his lips to her temple.  

“Did you wait long?”  

“No, it’s only been ten minutes.”  

As Taejun’s voice softly resonated in her ear, Minhee turned her head to look up at him and smiled sweetly.  

“Wow. And yet, in that short time, that happened.”  

“…”  

Minhee turned her gaze to the man Taejun indicated with a nod. The man, who had proudly offered her his business card and asked for her contact information, stood there with his mouth agape, alternately looking at Taejun and Minhee.  

Minhee watched as the man’s expression, which had been vacant, turned to displeasure and then to shock as his gaze returned to Taejun’s face. The man’s jaw dropped.  

Minhee tilted her head.  

‘Does he know Taejun?’  

She had heard from Luca that Taejun’s company had grown to be one of the top ten in the industry over the past few years, making the co-CEO of TJH Capital somewhat of a celebrity in the field.  

Moreover, Luca had exaggerated Taejun’s exploits, which had been passed down and embellished through word of mouth to the point of resembling a Marvel movie hero.  

A series of episodes where he had helped catch criminals had coincidentally been made public, and paired with the company’s aggressive growth, his industry nickname became “WOW,” Warrior of Wall Street.  

However, Taejun detested that nickname so much that no one dared to say it in front of him.  

Yet.  

[WOW…!]  

The young man muttered dazedly.  

Taejun read aloud the business card in his hand, word by word, to the foolish face that had uttered his nickname as an exclamation.  

[Goldman Brothers. Capital Market Group. Analyst, Jason Lau.]  

[…!]  

The man’s face turned ghostly pale as his affiliation and name were revealed.  

Judging by his department and title, Taejun’s guess was correct; he was a fresh greenhorn who had only recently entered Wall Street after graduating college.  

[That’s the group where Vince Cohen is the Managing Director.]  

As soon as the distant superior’s name left Taejun’s lips, the man’s face turned ashen. He glanced around, as if seeking an escape route, and then swallowed dryly, lowering his eyes.  

[M-Mr. Baek! That is, um… I’m sorry!]  

Taejun’s cold gaze pierced Jason’s youthful face sharply.  

[A week ago, Vince Cohen came storming into my company to pitch for investment, didn’t he?]  

As Taejun’s eyebrows arched, the scar crossing his forehead and eyebrow twitched, making his already fierce expression even more menacing.  

[I’m sorry! I didn’t know, I mean… I’m really sorry!! I’ll just—]  

Apologizing in a trembling voice, the young man eventually made a clumsy retreat.  

Minhee watched his retreating figure, then gently tapped Taejun’s arm, which was squeezing her waist so tightly she could hardly breathe.  

As Taejun’s grip loosened slightly, she turned to look up at him.  

“He seems pretty young. Did you really have to scare him like that? You can be quite mischievous, Taejun.”  

Minhee murmured, cupping his cheeks with both hands and standing on tiptoe to plant a quick kiss on his lips.  

Taejun, who was about to protest Minhee’s unjust accusation, froze at the unexpected kiss and melted right there.  

His dissatisfaction from jealousy barely subsided, he opened his mouth, then closed it again. When he looked into her large eyes filled with his reflection, he often forgot what he was going to say.  

Taejun, stretching his lips into a long smile, hugged Minhee and tilted his head. Their lips met again, lingering before parting.  

“I missed you.”  

Minhee whispered, her eyes curving sweetly.  

“Ha… Who are you to say that?”  

“Let’s go. I’m hungry.”  

***  

“No.”  

Taejun firmly refused, setting down his fork and knife.  

“…Why?”  

Minhee swallowed the steak she was chewing and asked in a trembling voice.  

“You want me to go through that again?”  

Minhee, gauging Taejun’s reaction, delicately deboned the grilled sea bass and placed it on his plate.  

“We already have a son who looks like you… Don’t you want to see a daughter who looks like me this time?”  

For a moment, Taejun’s deeply furrowed brow relaxed, and his eyes wavered.  

Minhee leaned slightly toward him with a beautiful smile. Her gray eyes, radiating warmth, held his gaze captive.  

“They say the second time isn’t as hard as the first. It’ll be okay, alright?”  

As Minhee placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it soothingly, Taejun let out a sigh heavy enough to collapse the table.  

“Minhee. You almost died. Did you forget?”  

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration… I did have an emergency C-section, but it wasn’t life-threatening—”  

Taejun interrupted her.  

“No. You almost died. Not just you, but me too. If anything had happened to you…”  

Taejun closed his eyes tightly. The memory, preserved in his mind like an HD image, replayed vividly in detail.  

Her sweat-soaked hair clung to her pale forehead, her unfocused eyes blurred, her painful groans, and blood-stained lips.  

Taejun, whose face was pale from the memory, clenched his teeth. It was an event from the past, but just recalling it made cold sweat trickle down his spine.  

A large hand, cold to the touch, covered her hand.  

“Minhee, please…”  

His eyes, boiling with emotion, pleaded with her as if begging.  

“It’s not that I don’t want a second child. But I can’t, I won’t put you in that kind of danger again. Nothing is worth risking you for.”  

Minhee’s shoulders slumped.  

“But… I’d really like a daughter. I want to feel the kind of bond you and Leo share.”  

Taejun sighed deeply, watching Minhee pout.  

Leo was a son who resembled Taejun so much that it seemed like he was reborn. Now three years old, Leo exhibited a level of talent in language and math similar to Taejun’s at a young age, in addition to having a photographic memory.  

And above all, with his large, bold features and dimples identical to Taejun’s, anyone could easily see they were father and son.  

“I’ve stopped taking birth control pills. I’m not going to take them anymore!”  

Minhee declared resolutely.  

“Minhee…”  

When Taejun called her name soothingly, Minhee shook her head.  

“From now on, you handle the birth control. Do it or don’t! If I happen to get pregnant, I’m having the baby. So just know that!”  

With her declaration, Taejun dropped his head in despair, resting his forehead in his hand. 

Had I ever won against Minhee?  

His sigh deepened.