By Zephyria In that instant, Yu-jin felt like his heart had stopped. His reaction, which froze in an instant, was a clearer sign of affirmation than words. The child could tell that as well. So clearly.
“I see, I was right.”
To Angela, who muttered with a small sigh, Yu-jin finally regained his senses and hurriedly asked.
“H, how, how did you know?”
He was so flustered that his voice trembled, and his words were a mess. But unlike her daddy, who was close to panicking, the child replied in a very calm tone.
“Winnie’s baby pictures look just like me.”
“Huh?”
In that instant, Yu-jin realized something he hadn’t realized until now. Seeing her daddy, who was completely dumbfounded, his daughter continued to speak clearly.
“Winnie’s face looked just like mine, when he was little.”
The child’s words were correct. Why hadn’t he noticed until now? They looked so alike.
Yu-jin barely swallowed the sigh that almost escaped him at the unwavering gaze of his daughter, who was looking straight at him. The initial shock had subsided to some extent, but his heart was still complicated. With no words coming to mind, Yu-jin simply looked at his daughter’s face, then looked away for a moment before looking down again and turning his gaze back to the child, taking a deep breath in between.
“Yes, Angie.”
As he whispered, gently stroking his daughter’s cheek, Angela inhaled sharply. Even if she had expected it, it was different from acknowledging it. After confirming that her guess was true, the child seemed confused. Of course, she would be. Yu-jin bitterly agreed. Angela, whose eyes were shaking back and forth, lowered her gaze and asked, as if muttering, “Does Winnie know too? …That Winnie is my papa.”
“He knows.”
Yu-jin answered honestly. At the words that came out without hesitation, Angela looked at him with a face full of confusion.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“That’s…”
Yu-jin hesitated, then mumbled, avoiding her gaze. But what the child wanted was the truth. And now was the perfect timing.
“I thought you’d be too surprised, so I was going to tell you when you were a little older.”
“When?”
The child was persistent. Perhaps that’s how unconvinced she was. Yu-jin paused for a moment, lost in thought. Because he hadn’t decided on a specific ‘when,’ it took him some time to answer his daughter’s question.
“Well, around eighteen?”
Angela lowered her eyes without saying anything. But her pouty lips seemed to indicate that she didn’t like that answer very much. Yu-jin felt sorry for the child and also felt guilty, so he fidgeted.
“I’m sorry, Angie.”
He apologized with sincerity, but he knew that it wasn’t enough. As proof of that, the child’s lips showed no sign of going in. Unable to contain his surging emotions, he suddenly hugged the child tightly.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Angie. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
But as a result, that’s what happened. Yu-jin couldn’t even imagine how his daughter must be feeling right now. Angela, who had been silent for a while to Yu-jin, who kept apologizing, nodded. Touched by that small reaction, Yu-jin hurriedly asked.
“Really? You’re forgiving Daddy, Angie?”
“Yes.”
This time, she answered clearly. Yu-jin, who took a step back and checked the child’s face, could tell that it was sincere, but that didn’t make him feel any better. This was just the best choice Angela could make right now. If Angela had been a little older, her reaction would have been much more violent. But right now, Angela was too young, and just accepting her current confusion was overwhelming. Seeing the child just nodding, Yu-jin’s face twisted involuntarily. He and Winston should have ended their problem there. There was no excuse for it affecting the child. Angela was a complete victim, wasn’t she?
“I’ll tell Winston right away tomorrow that you know.”
When Yu-jin said with emphasis, Angela quietly looked at his face and, unexpectedly, shook her head. To Yu-jin, who was surprised, the child said quietly.
“Don’t do that.”
The reason was soon revealed. Angela immediately added.
“I’ll tell him, don’t tell Winnie.”
Yu-jin was momentarily speechless. At her daddy’s shaking eyes, the child explained firmly.
“I want to tell him myself and hear Winnie’s story. Why he didn’t tell me all this time.”
“Angie, that’s because Daddy…”
“I want to hear it from Winnie.”
Angela stubbornly cut off Yu-jin’s words and covered her ears. After confirming the child’s firm will, Yu-jin had no choice but to nod.
“Okay.”
Only then did Angela take her hands off her ears and look at Yu-jin.
“Promise me, you absolutely can’t tell Winnie. That I know.”
“Okay.”
“Really, really, really promise me.”
The child reaffirmed. Yu-jin answered that he understood each time. Actually, when you think about it, acknowledging Winston as her papa and knowing that fact are two different things. Perhaps Angela still needed time. In any case, Winston was an adult, and nothing would change even if he found out about this a little later.
“I absolutely won’t tell him.”
At her daddy’s words, who promised once more, Angela finally closed her eyes and lay down straight.
“Good night, Daddy.”
“Good night, Angie.”
After saying good night to the child and kissing her forehead, Yu-jin looked down at Angela for a moment before turning off the lamp. Usually, Angela would ask him to read her a fairy tale or tell her a story, but today was different. Yu-jin, who silently watched the child who had quietly closed her mouth and closed her eyes, had no choice but to get up. He quietly left the room, closed the door behind him, and a deep sigh flowed out involuntarily. Yu-jin closed his eyes and stood there for a moment before moving his feet. He was completely out of his mind due to the sudden incident. Angela found out about it. When he thought that she had noticed it from Winston’s childhood photos, he didn’t know whether to admire the child’s intelligence or feel pathetic for not noticing it himself sooner.
“Haa.”
He took another deep sigh, then forced his listless hand to open the door and enter the room. The moment he turned around and raised his head without thinking, he gasped like a scream at the unexpected situation.
“Eek!”
Surprised, he screamed and unknowingly stepped back, and Winston, who was sitting alone in the room, looked at him with a blank face.
“W, what is it?”
To Yu-jin, who stroked his pounding heart and asked reproachfully, he slowly got up from his chair and replied.
“I was waiting because I had something to say. Is Angie asleep?”
“Y, yes.”
The moment Angela’s name came out of his mouth, his shoulders shrank in tension. The conversation he had just had with his daughter naturally came back to life. Because he was not proud in many ways, he couldn’t look Winston in the face properly, but he opened his mouth first.
“I was waiting because I had something to say.”
“P, please make it quick. I’m very tired…”
Fortunately, Winston didn’t seem to find Yu-jin’s words very strange and confessed.
“Thank you for today.”Yu-jin, who had been avoiding eye contact until then, paused. He slowly turned his head, and his eyes met Winston’s. He flinched for a moment but couldn’t look away. Winston continued in a quiet voice to Yu-jin, who was awkwardly facing him.
“I know you didn’t want to, but thank you for helping. I was able to handle things thanks to you.”
His calm and polite tone never became familiar, no matter how many times he heard it. Was he the kind of man who could speak with such courtesy? And he had never heard it until now.
Of course, was he even in a position to expect such treatment?
Thinking that made him feel bad.
“You don’t have to say that, it was for Angie.”
As he spoke, implying ‘don’t misunderstand,’ Winston chuckled briefly. He wasn’t bitter or awkward. Rather, it was a comfortable smile that made Yu-jin pause, and Winston quietly opened his mouth.
“Yeah, I know.”
Suddenly, silence fell. Feeling awkward for some reason, he aimlessly wandered his gaze, and Winston muttered in a low voice.
“I’m sorry.”
“…For what?”
This time, he had to ask. Yu-jin frowned, and Winston gave a bitter smile this time. His distorted brow clearly revealed his mood.
“For everything. Everything.”
Winston continued quietly.
“I should have let you go free back then, so you wouldn’t be tied to our family for life.”
And from me too.
Yu-jin stared at Winston, who was muttering inwardly, and replied.
“I don’t want to talk about the past anymore.”
He said coldly and immediately added.
“I hope we break up as soon as possible, so I never have to see you again. If what you just said was sincere, you won’t change your mind, right?”
As he provocatively asked, Winston quietly smiled.
“I’ll keep my promise, of course.”
His voice was calm, but his tone was as firm as a vow. As if the business was over, he took a step. As he watched him walk away, he turned around as he opened the door. Winston spoke to Yu-jin, who reflexively tensed up.
“Thank you, for leaving me with good memories.”
…Huh?
Suddenly, Yu-jin wondered if that was what he really wanted to say. But before he could say anything more, Winston went out into the hallway first, and then the door closed. In the end, Yu-jin was left alone in that spot, unable to say anything.