By Zephyria At that moment, Yu-jin felt his heart sink. While realizing that his expression was terribly distorted, he couldn’t easily recover and only opened and closed his mouth before finally making a sound.
“No, what… that can’t be.”
He severely blamed himself for only being able to say that much, but embarrassingly, no other words came to mind. Seeing Angela glancing at Yu-jin’s face with a cowering expression, Yu-jin felt his heart break. Yu-jin urgently hugged Angela and opened his mouth.
“Angie, that’s not true. That will never happen.”
He tried to soothe his daughter’s hurt feelings as he continued.
“I know, and Winston knows, that you’re not that kind of child. What he said is true. I was just in the hospital for a while because I wasn’t feeling well.”
It was absurd that he was in a position to defend Winston. But right now, it was more important than anything that Angela wasn’t hurt. Yu-jin calmed his mind and coaxed the child in the softest voice possible.
“Everyone knows how much Angie cares about her younger sibling. Winston too. That’s why he’s being more careful. So don’t think like that, okay?”I thought he would nod and say yes, but the child remained silently unresponsive. I was racking my brains, wondering what else to say, when Angela, who had been silent with her lips tightly shut, hesitated and finally spoke.
“…That’s not true.”
“What?”
Yu-jin asked, puzzled, and Angela was silent again before squeezing her eyes shut and finally confessing.
“I actually, I didn’t want a sibling.”
At the unexpected words, Yu-jin was momentarily stunned. He just blinked and stared at her, and Angela stammered, struggling to continue.
“I thought if a baby was born, Daddy might like that baby more… Mr. Campbell would only be interested in that baby, right? That’s okay, because it’s Mr. Campbell’s baby. But Daddy, Daddy is my Daddy…”
Angela couldn’t finish her sentence and shut her mouth. Only then did Yu-jin realize for the first time how anxious the child had been.
Why hadn’t he thought of it?
He hadn’t realized it because the child was usually so mature. But Angela was still just a four-year-old child.
“Angie, don’t think like that.”
Yu-jin felt a pang in his heart and hugged the child tightly, kissing her hair and cheeks alternately.
“You’re the most precious thing to Daddy. No one can ever replace you.”
“…But.”
Angela, who had been silent, muttered in an insecure voice.
“Mr. Campbell is nice to me because he’s worried I’ll do something bad to the baby, isn’t he…?”
“Absolutely not.”
Yu-jin denied the child’s words in a firm tone. There is no baby, so you don’t have to think like that. He barely swallowed the words that rose to the tip of his tongue. The truth should be postponed a little longer. Winston probably knows that she is not pregnant.
Thinking about how he even smoked in front of me, maybe he was testing me.
With a bitter taste, he mulled it over. Come to think of it, he had said she was pregnant when he was drunk, so it had been sloppy from the start.
Anyway, if Winston wants to keep playing this game, it’s better to play along. Yu-jin made up his mind and soothed the child in a different way.
“Winston genuinely wants to be friends with you. It has nothing to do with a baby.”
The child’s eyes visibly wavered. Yu-jin smiled at his daughter as if to tell her to trust him. As if encouraged by the smile, Angela blinked cautiously and asked.
“Really…?”
“Really, of course.”
Yu-jin answered without hesitation, then rubbed his forehead against the child’s and smiled.
“Who in the world wouldn’t love you? Have confidence, Angie. You’re the most lovable child in the world.”
At those words, Angela’s face gradually brightened. Fortunately, his earnest wish was conveyed, and the child smiled brightly, hugged Yu-jin’s neck, and rubbed her cheek against his.
“Daddy, I love you.”
Yu-jin smiled and hugged the child back, kissing her repeatedly.
“I love you too, Angie. I love you the most in the world.”
As he deeply inhaled the scent of the child he had missed, the tension eased and peace settled in. As he kissed the child again with a smile on his face, something suddenly flashed through his mind like lightning.
Yes, that’s how I should write it.
The solution to the scene he had been agonizing over suddenly came to him like a revelation. Angela tilted her head and asked, seeing Yu-jin startled and widening his eyes without realizing it.
“Daddy, what’s wrong?”
“Uh, uh?”
Soon regaining his senses, he quickly blinked and then gave the child a bright smile.
“No, nothing. I just thought of a funny story.”
“Another new story?”
Angela quickly showed curiosity and her eyes sparkled. Yu-jin answered yes and hugged the child tightly.
“It’s all thanks to you, Angie. Thank you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Yu-jin lightly pinched and released the child’s nose before saying.
“Angie is my guardian angel.”
At those words, Angela giggled and snuggled into Yu-jin’s arms. Yu-jin patted her back as he held the child with a light heart.
I shouldn’t put it off any longer.
He was busily thinking. He could move around to some extent now. Running was difficult, but walking wasn’t. It was still a bit early, but he had to hurry for Angela’s sake. Yu-jin made up his mind.
* * *
Yu-jin put the child to bed early and waited for Winston, but he, who usually came home at a similar time every day, was three hours late that day. Yu-jin, who had been preparing what to say with constant tension, was exhausted by the time Winston returned.
“…You’re late.”
That was all he could manage to say, and Winston casually replied that he was busy. But the waiting didn’t end there. Yu-jin had to wait for Winston again until he went into the bathroom, washed up, and was ready to talk.
He must have fallen asleep at some point, because when he felt a presence and opened his eyes, Winston was standing by the window, pouring alcohol into a glass.
“…Are you drinking again?”
Yu-jin asked unintentionally, and Winston turned his head. Seeing him widen his eyes as if surprised made him feel strange.
“Sorry, did I startle you?”
Winston didn’t answer for a moment at Yu-jin’s words, then muttered no. Yu-jin waited for a moment before opening his mouth.
“I waited because I have something to talk about.”
“Talk?”
“Yes.”
Yu-jin took a deep breath and finally spoke.
“I want to go out.”
Did his voice tremble? Did he sound nervous? Did he notice anything suspicious or different from usual…?
“Go out? Suddenly?”
As expected, Winston frowned and asked. Yu-jin nodded, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
“I made a promise with Georgina before. To go shopping together.”
To say this, he had deliberately called Georgina during the day. Of course, the appointment was made then. At first, Georgina was visibly flustered and tried to refuse, but Yu-jin persistently persuaded her. He didn’t even hesitate to switch the phone to Angela to embarrass Georgina.
In the end, Georgina couldn’t resist and made an appointment with Yu-jin. He felt sorry for using a teenage girl, but Yu-jin tried to bury his guilt. The most important thing now was Angela. His daughter had been hurt so much, what else was there to hide?
“…With Georgina?”
Winston frowned and repeated his words. Yu-jin deliberately raised his voice exaggeratedly and replied.
“I’ve been stuck here all this time. I’m suffocating, I want to go out and pick things out myself while shopping. It’s been too long since I spent money.”
Will he be fooled at this point?
Winston thinks of Yu-jin as a money-grubbing snob. So there couldn’t be a more appropriate excuse than this. As he watched Winston’s serious expression, he inwardly became convinced that his prediction was correct.
“Why are you trying to meet that girl?”
At the sudden words, Yu-jin blinked in confusion. This was not the question he had expected.