KTS 210

“What?”

Yu-jin blinked in surprise. Angela also looked at Winston with the same expression. Winston felt embarrassed for some reason and awkwardly avoided their gaze as he replied.

“No, I was just wondering if it would be okay for once… If you don’t want me to, I don’t have to…”

The longer he spoke, the more pathetic he felt. The two pairs of eyes looking at him were so piercing, and he could guess what kind of expressions they were making, so he suddenly felt regret. Yu-jin must be frowning.

Angela…

“Yes!”

Winston turned his head involuntarily at the child’s bright voice. The expressions on their faces that came into his view at that moment were completely different from what he had imagined. Winston was momentarily flustered by Angela, who was shining her eyes with a bright face, and also by Yu-jin’s face, who was looking at him indifferently. On top of that, Yu-jin went even further and said to him in a calm voice.

“Sit here.”

Yu-jin, who willingly gave up the seat he had been sitting in, put the fairy tale book on the bed. Winston hesitated, then belatedly moved and sat in the chair Yu-jin had been sitting in. The hand that opened the fairy tale book trembled slightly. Feeling his heart pounding as if it would jump out of his mouth, he opened his mouth. A hoarse voice came out for a moment, and Angela laughed out loud as he quickly cleared his throat. When he glanced at Yu-jin, he was surprised to see that he was also smiling. Winston was stunned.

This could have been everyday life.Suddenly, his throat tightened, and he coughed again, laboriously opening the page. As he slowly traced the words, his daughter lay quietly, listening intently. And beside him stood Yu-jin, following the book Winston was reading with his eyes, occasionally smiling at the child.

The child soon fell asleep, but Winston had to stop reading and take deep breaths several times until then, endlessly reproaching himself for what he had been missing out on.

* * *

After turning off the light in the room and stepping into the hallway, Yu-jin headed to the bedroom first. Watching his back, Winston spoke up.

“Thank you, for giving me a chance.”

Yu-jin paused, then turned around. A look of surprise was evident on his face. Winston felt a pang of guilt as he was reminded of how harsh he had been to Yu-jin.

“I only did it because Angie wanted it.”

Yu-jin said in a stiff tone, then hesitated for a moment. Sensing that he was searching for something to say, Winston waited in silence. He let out a meaningless “Um,” and finally spoke.

“About Angie’s kindergarten… the one you looked into before, they said there’s a parent interview before admission, when can you make time?”

“Anytime is fine.”

He realized he had answered too quickly after saying it. Winston felt embarrassed, but instead of changing his words, he added with conviction.

“I can make time anytime, so let me know when it’s scheduled. I can adjust my schedule.”

Then, unable to control the way his lips were involuntarily curving upward, he said,

“Thank you for telling me to go with you.”

“I, I only said it because we have to go together.”

Yu-jin stammered, flustered, then quickly turned and went into his room. But Winston clearly saw it: his earlobes were flushed red.

Maybe there’s still a chance.

A corner of his heart began to beat secretly. Winston barely suppressed his excited breath and desperately prayed.

If I could just have one more chance.

If that were to happen, he would cling to it with all his might. He could do anything. If Yu-jin would just take him back, if that could happen again.

I’d give you everything I have.

He prayed sincerely, realizing that he had never wished for anything so desperately in his life.

But God seemed unwilling to grant his prayer. The moment Winston saw the headline of the article on the front page of the newspaper at work the next day, everything went black before his eyes.

Underneath the enormous title was a large photo of him. The photo of him and Evelyn embracing in the garden filled all kinds of media throughout the morning, and the rumor had already spread throughout the entire country before lunchtime.

* * *

Yu-jin frowned and stared at the screen. He hadn’t even tried to look for it, but the unwelcome article was plastered on the main news screen, making it impossible to avoid. He didn’t even need to read the article to know who the other person was.

Evelyn.

He chuckled dryly as he looked at the two of them embracing affectionately. There was a time when he had been jealous of her, but now it felt like a distant dream. He even wondered if Mrs. Campbell had released the photo on purpose to show it to Yu-jin. Of course, she probably did. Evelyn would be the most perfect Campbell match in her eyes.

Just as he was thinking that, he suddenly heard the sound of a car outside the window. Yu-jin paused as he glanced down at the garden. A familiar car was driving across the garden. It was definitely the same car that Winston had taken to work a few hours earlier.

The door burst open just a few minutes later. Winston, who seemed to have run up the stairs in one breath, his chest heaving, looked at Yu-jin, who was sitting alone in the breakfast room, having breakfast with coffee. His face was as white as if there wasn’t a drop of blood in his body. He panted and stared at Yu-jin for a while, then lowered his head.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

Winston raised his upper body again and opened his mouth. He swallowed hard, still breathing irregularly, and continued.

“I’ll explain. I can clear everything up.”

Winston said hastily as he took steps into the breakfast room.

“What happened was—”

“No, it’s okay.”

Yu-jin cut him off without listening any further. Winston stopped moving, as if startled for a moment. Yu-jin stared straight at the man’s face, who was still panting, and continued.

“There’s no need to explain. I don’t really need to hear it.”

“…What?”

Winston blinked. Yu-jin repeated the same words clearly, with a blank expression, to him, who looked somewhat dazed.

“I don’t really need to hear it. You don’t have to explain, it’s none of my business.”

Winston just stared blankly at Yu-jin, as if he didn’t understand what he had just heard. But Yu-jin had no intention of repeating the same words three times. Instead, he added something else.

“When the contract period is over, we can live our own lives. You can marry Evelyn, or someone else, or not at all, it’s your business. It’s your life.”

Winston’s breathing had calmed down to normal. Maybe he had forgotten to breathe. Leaving Winston, who was just staring at him without a word, Yu-jin readily got up from his chair. As Yu-jin walked straight across the breakfast room and past him, Winston belatedly came to his senses and said,

“You said we’d go to kindergarten together.”

Yu-jin frowned and looked back at him at the words that seemed to be squeezed out from behind.

“That’s because they said both parents should come.”

Winston paused before opening his mouth.

“Is that… the only reason?”

“What else would it be?”

Yu-jin replied casually, his tone slower than usual. A smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

“You and I are nothing to each other.”

Leaving those words behind, Yu-jin turned away again. This time, he didn’t look back as he walked away. Away from Winston, far away.

If I could just have one more chance.

Just the day before, he had desperately prayed. He had poured out his whole heart to a god whose very existence he didn’t even know, begging and begging so desperately.

There’s no such thing.

Winston realized with difficulty. He shouldn’t have prayed to God. The one he should have been begging was not God, but Yu-jin.

He should have been begging Yu-jin, who would never listen and would never look back, to please forgive him, to give him just one more chance.

Even if it took a lifetime.

Damn it, he realized too late. Every time, and this time too.