Translator: Nox

Chapter 14

14. You're Sick Too

Minho followed Jiho's lead, picking up a piece of yellow or red bell pepper and putting it in his mouth. Watching this quietly,

"I've never tried giving it to him like that...."

Gyeonghye observed Minho enjoying the colorful vegetables in a childlike way, finding it unfamiliar as she spoke softly.

Naeun smiled at Gyeonghye's words, pleased to see Minho gradually changing his eating habits.

"Minho usually eats rice and side dishes together, right? With the adults' meals."

Gyeonghye nodded at Naeun's words.

"Yes, that's right."

She had seated him with the adults for neat, formal meals, but it might have been boring for the child.

Naeun watched Minho chew the bell pepper happily and added calmly.

"It's best to eat like this if possible."

She felt that meal order was important according to the child's development.

Gyeonghye fell silent in thought for a moment, then furrowed her brows slightly as she looked at Naeun.

"So, you've been doing it this way ever since moving in?"

Naeun nodded with a gentle smile.

"Yes. I often gave it to him this way when eating with Jiho too."

Once the children had eaten enough vegetables, Naeun immediately brought thinly sliced, grilled beef. The table was filled with the savory aroma of meat.

"Oh, I didn't realize. Well, it's been 30 years."

Gyeonghye frowned slightly, struck anew by the fact that her familiar child-rearing methods no longer applied.

Kangwoo spoke up at Gyeonghye's words.

"We decided to leave the children's upbringing to the teacher."

His tone carried a nuance hoping his mother would no longer interfere.

Gyeonghye narrowed her eyes at Kangwoo's words and glared at him sharply.

"I'm learning too."

Her voice was firmly laced with maternal authority. She framed it not as interference, but as learning.

But Kangwoo didn't avoid his mother's gaze, letting out a light sigh and replying playfully.

"What good is learning now? Are you planning to raise another child?"

His voice subtly warned her not to get too involved.

Gyeonghye was momentarily speechless in subtle surprise.

She watched him intently.

A savory meat scent filled the air. Seeing the children eat the meat well, Gyeonghye finally seemed relieved, her lips curving up.

She chewed slowly.

At her daughter's words, Kangwoo pressed his lips firmly together.

"Anyway, the way you talk...."

After glaring at Kangwoo for a moment, she seemed to back off and asked,

"Have you eaten?"

Kangwoo shook his head slightly and answered shortly.

"No."

Gyeonghye stared at Kangwoo sharply and said firmly in an authoritative voice.

"Come to the main house."

"Understood."

Kangwoo actually wanted to stay by Naeun's side and chew on that bell pepper like the children. He didn't know why such an impulse arose. Meals with his parents at the main house were stiff and formal. He wanted to eat the meat Naeun had just grilled too.

Seated at the main house table, Kangwoo unusually asked for side dishes.

"Is there beef?"

Gyeonghye asked with a surprised look.

"Why? Craving meat? We have braised beef here."

"Steak, please."

"What a whale. You used to eat whatever was given, and now you're demanding meat."

A moment later, Kangwoo bit into a large piece of steak from the kitchen, feeling satisfied. It seemed that just being around her world was influencing him. He found it amusing that watching Naeun care for Jiho and Minho affected him too. And come to think of it, his own return home time had gotten earlier.

Realizing this, Kangwoo let out a small sigh unwittingly. His father, Chairman Choi's sharp gaze fixed on him.

"What's with the sigh? Something wrong at the company?"

Kangwoo looked at his father briefly and shook his head.

Chairman Choi asked in a firm tone, still scrutinizing Kangwoo's expression.

"What would be wrong at the company? I always report to you."

His words were calm, but hinted at not wanting more nagging.

Chairman Choi furrowed his brows and said,

"Right. Don't sigh at the dinner table."

His voice carried a heavy warning.

Kangwoo bowed his head and answered quietly.

"I know."

Kangwoo nodded silently at his father's words, but his expression had already stiffened slightly.

"Both Minho and Jiho caught colds?"

Kangwoo looked up and answered his father's question.

"Yes. Kids catch colds while growing up. Their fevers seem pretty high. They won't go to kindergarten tomorrow."

His tone seemed relaxed, but concern for the children's health was evident.

"Right. Two sick kids."

Chairman Choi nodded and muttered.

Kangwoo added quietly with a sigh,

"It's highly contagious."

At that, Chairman Choi waved a hand dismissively and looked at Gyeonghye.

"You stay out of the annex too."

Gyeonghye blinked in confusion at her husband's words.

"Why?"

Chairman Choi added indifferently,

"You might catch it from the kids. I can't get sick right now. Golf appointment next week."

His words clearly emphasized his own importance.

Gyeonghye frowned at her husband's words and let out a bitter sound.

"As expected, you're not worried about me—you're worried about yourself?"

Chairman Choi ignored her reaction and picked up his food. Kangwoo quietly watched their exchange, swallowing a sigh. Selfishness and indifference to others still lingered at this table. Even for their own blood grandson.

Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed, Chairman Choi cleared his throat.

Walking through the garden toward the annex after dinner, Kangwoo suddenly stopped. Changes were definitely happening. Naeun's half-moon smiling eyes flashed in his mind occasionally, as did the sight of her running around with the kids to dress the naked, scampering children. That scene was sweetness itself—a sweet home.

How strange. Aren't they all unhappy people? Minho doesn't even live with his parents, that woman is an unwed mother, yet why does it feel like her place with the children is the happiest when she's there?

As Kangwoo entered, he saw Naeun leaning on the sofa, asleep. It was late, but not that late—judging by the quiet, the children must all be asleep too.

He tried to go up to the second floor without waking Naeun, but a small sound reached his ears. A groan. Kangwoo paused on the stairs. Turning back, he went to Naeun on the sofa and touched her forehead. High fever. So it wasn't just the kids who caught colds. This woman had caught it too.

Kangwoo gently shook Naeun.

"Teacher, Teacher."

Naeun barely lifted her eyelids. Her thin eyelids formed double folds.

"Ah. I must have fallen asleep here."

Kangwoo fetched the thermometer and measured her temperature right away. It beeped, showing the number immediately.

"39.1 degrees—are you an idiot? How do you not know you have a fever?"

"Ah."

She had felt chills since sorting the colored paper. But with Jiho's high fever, she hadn't noticed her own condition since then.

"Just take one fever reducer."

As Naeun spoke with her feverish face, Kangwoo made a low sound.

"The kids already got shots—think a fever reducer will cut it?"

"I'm an adult."

"Adult my foot!"

Kangwoo blurted out unwittingly.

To him, she looked much younger. At just 27, managing as a child's mom and teacher with that small body seemed remarkable.

He didn't know why such a thought crossed his mind.

"Stay put. I'll get the medicine."

Kangwoo brought a fever reducer and water cup from the drawer and approached Naeun.

"Take it."

Naeun looked at the fever reducer Kangwoo offered, then raised her eyes. Their gazes met in the air.

"What? I said take the medicine."

Kangwoo said, seeing she didn't take it right away.

The situation felt a bit awkward to Naeun. Kindness from others wasn't familiar to her. It reminded her of when her father was alive. If she fell asleep at her desk studying, he'd tell her to sleep comfortably in bed, and if she had a fever, he'd bring medicine and watch her take it.

That was so long ago. After her father passed, the time living between her stepmother and sister, and raising the baby alone while crying lonely tears. Suddenly, all those memories flooded back at once, making her eyes well up unwittingly.