By Zephyria 
”…I see.”
Yu-jin muttered. Indeed, his life was different from that of most ordinary people. If he were to cause trouble for Angina Winston for no reason…
“Mr. Seol.”
At the sound of his name, Yu-jin snapped back to attention. The secretary sitting across the table was looking at him with a serious expression.
“Is something wrong? You’ve been looking pale for a while now.”
Yu-jin hesitated, searching for an excuse, and seeing him like that, the secretary continued.
“Actually, I heard you’re not very positive about holding the party.”
At those words, Yu-jin froze completely. Seeing Yu-jin stiffen like that, the secretary seemed to ponder his words for a moment before speaking.
“I came to hear what’s bothering you, and if necessary, I’ll do my best to accommodate it. So, if you could tell me the reason…”
“Why should I tell you that?”
Yu-jin spat out sharply. Unlike the timid and docile demeanor he had shown until now, the sharp and sensitive reaction made the secretary widen his eyes in surprise. Realizing belatedly that he had overreacted, Yu-jin hurriedly tried to make amends with a hasty apology.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“No, it’s fine. I was out of line. I apologize.”
The secretary, who had politely apologized instead, continued with a bitter smile.
“It’s just such a great opportunity, and I got carried away wanting to invite the author by any means. Please understand.”
“That’s…”
Just as Yu-jin was about to say ‘No,’ the secretary opened his briefcase and pulled something out. Holding his breath, Yu-jin watched as the secretary placed two beautifully wrapped boxes on the table and continued.
“I heard Mr. Seol has two daughters, so I prepared some gifts. These are Daenggi, ribbons used in Korea to braid and tie up girls’ hair.”
Then, he sighed regretfully and muttered as if to himself.
“I’m really envious that you have two daughters. I wanted a daughter too…”
Yu-jin belatedly noticed the ring on his fourth finger. So this person has a child too. Thinking that, his heart wavered. The secretary then continued.
“Spence is a really kind and cute child, but I still wish I had one more. We’re trying, but…”
Is something not going well? The wariness and displeasure he had shown earlier quickly vanished, replaced by a feeling of sympathy.
“…It’ll happen soon.”
It was embarrassing that he could only offer such a cliché consolation, but he gave a thoughtful smile. Seeing that expression, he felt even more ashamed of having acted so sensitive for no reason.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t been feeling well lately.”
At his excuse-like words, the secretary said it was fine.
“That’s understandable. If the party is one of the causes of stress, I feel apologetic…”
“No, that’s not it, well, it is, but no, what I mean…”
Flustered and rambling, Yu-jin soon gave up and sighed. At this point, it was hopeless. A sudden wave of fatigue washed over him, and he felt like letting things take their course.
“How old is your child, by the way?”
At his tired voice, the secretary readily answered.
“He’s in kindergarten. It hasn’t been long, but…”
“My daughter goes to kindergarten too.”
For a moment, Yu-jin’s mood brightened at the rare sense of shared understanding, but soon worry crept in.
“Is your child adjusting well to kindergarten? How does he seem?”
At Yu-jin’s question, the secretary hummed, seeming to think for a moment before answering.
“He seems to be doing alright. Actually, Spence is always a positive child, so I don’t have any major worries. That’s just my opinion, though.”
“I see, that’s good…”
Having said that much, Yu-jin finally let out a deep sigh. Why? Even though this was someone he just met, he felt like he could tell him everything. Knowing it was baseless trust, he impulsively opened his mouth.
“Angie… was bullied at kindergarten.”
“Bullied?”
Surprised by the unexpected words, the secretary asked. Nodding, Yu-jin buried his face in his hands. After voicing the worry he had been carrying, a sudden sense of reality washed over him, and tears welled up. Seeing this, the secretary quickly moved to his side, patting his arm and asking with concern.
“Bullied? What do you mean? Did the child say something? Or were there any signs of injury?”
“I didn’t hear it directly.”
Yu-jin shook his head and sighed.
“But her behavior was unusual. Once, she came home with a scratch on her cheek, and she said she fell, but… I kept worrying about it, so I looked into it a bit.”
“Oh no… How could that happen?”
The secretary genuinely sympathized and tried to comfort Yu-jin.
“How is she now? Is she better? Does Mr. Campbell know? If the problem persists, you should strongly protest…”
At the secretary’s suggestion of active measures, Yu-jin belatedly flustered and shook his head.
“No, no. The one who hit was Angie. The other kids got hit…”
Suddenly, the secretary fell silent. The hand that had been patting Yu-jin’s arm in comfort stopped, and an awkward silence fell.
“…What?”
After what felt like a long time, but was actually only 3 or 4 seconds, the secretary asked. Though it was a short question, Yu-jin couldn’t hide his embarrassment, and his face flushed red.
“My daughter hit the kids. She even pulled out a handful of their hair. Fortunately, the CCTV showed that the other kids had bullied Angie first, so it ended with mutual apologies, but…”
“That’s a relief.”
Only then did the secretary let out a sigh of relief and managed a smile.
“If she won, that’s fine. Bullying first, that’s very bad behavior. I hope your daughter’s righteous fist taught those kids a lesson…”
Having said that, he glanced at Yu-jin’s expression, then quietly erased his smile and awkwardly added.
“That wasn’t the reaction you wanted, was it? I’m sorry.”
Averting his gaze from the embarrassed secretary, Yu-jin muttered softly.
“Winston also praised her, saying she did very well. But I…”
“Are you against violence, is that your stance?”
When the secretary casually asked, he shook his head again.
“No, sometimes violence is necessary too. I’m not absolutely against it. I think evil people must be punished, and bad actions need to be retaliated against in some way. I think that…”