#5
“Uncle!”
Tae-geon effortlessly lifted Jerome, who was running towards him with one arm, and embraced him. The children’s attention immediately focused on the two, and the surroundings suddenly became quiet.
Jerome didn’t mind his friends staring at his uncle, who looked ten or twenty times more impressive than usual today. In fact, he loved it. He wanted to boast about his uncle to everyone in the neighborhood.
Caught up in a feeling of pride, Jerome hugged Tae-geon’s neck tightly, as if showing off.
“Uncle! Did you come to pick up Jerome?!”
“Yes, let’s go to your dad now.”
“Okay!”
“We’ll be going now.”
“Alright, take care. See you tomorrow, Jerome~”
“Goodbye, teacher.”
Tae-geon, carrying Jerome, walked towards the car parked not far from the daycare center’s vehicle.
Jerome excitedly bounced his shoulders when he spotted the goddess-shaped ornament on the car’s hood. The coolest and most impressive car his uncle owned was waiting for him.
Thoroughly enjoying the envious gazes of his friends who couldn’t take their eyes off him, Jerome bravely climbed into the back seat as Tae-geon opened the door for him.
“Are we going to Dad’s academy now?”
“Yes.”
“Dad said he had a test today! A level test! I hope he did well!”
“Do you know what a level test is?”
“Yes! It’s where they decide your class based on your test score.”
“…This little one knows quite a bit.”
Jerome met Tae-geon’s eyes as he fastened the seatbelt and said, wiggling his bottom:
“I hope Dad comes in first place, right?”
“…He doesn’t have to be first.”
“No, he has to be first! That’s what makes him cool.”
“It’s okay even if he’s last. In my eyes, whether first or last, everyone is cool.”
“…Oh… Then me too!!”
Jerome, who had been stammering, suddenly shouted.
“Me too! Even if Dad’s last, he’s still cool!”
“Didn’t you just say he needs to be first to be cool?”
“…Um, I take that back!”
When Tae-geon lightly tapped Jerome’s cute nose, Jerome smiled brightly, showing his missing tooth.
*
-Is the level test over?
“Yeah. Just finished. Are you driving? When will you arrive?”
-I’m almost there. Take your time getting ready and come out.
“Okay.”
After ending the call, Hyeon-woo packed his bag and stood up.
He had boldly registered for the academy as soon as Tae-geon gave permission, but when he heard about the level test, he immediately felt scared. The results of the mock test he had taken at home were terrible, and he had even lost sleep last night, worried about getting an embarrassingly low score. Hyeon-woo’s eyes were sunken from lack of sleep.
As it coincided with the end of classes, there was no room to step in the stairs or elevators of the building, which was entirely occupied by the academy, with students pouring out from every floor.
Hyeon-woo barely managed to squeeze out of the crowd. As he looked around for Tae-geon’s car, Jerome’s cheerful voice reached his ears.
“Dad!!”
Surprised, he turned his head to see Jerome running towards him.
“Jerome?! What are you doing here!”
“I came to pick you up, Dad!”
Surrounding students whispered curiously, looking at the two. It was intriguing to see a young-looking student from the same academy being called “Dad” by a child who seemed to be about five years old.
Holding Jerome’s hand, Hyeon-woo looked around as if searching for someone, and finally spotted Tae-geon standing not far away.
Tae-geon, dressed impeccably in a suit he rarely wore, stood next to an equally sleek foreign car.
As Hyeon-woo approached with Jerome, the murmuring around them grew louder. He walked quickly with his head bowed. Tae-geon opened the back door as if he had been waiting and escorted Hyeon-woo.
“…You, really…”
Hyeon-woo’s face turned red up to his neck. Tae-geon pretended not to notice and grinned shamelessly.
Faced with the persistent stares of students who wouldn’t look away, Hyeon-woo quickly hid himself in the car like a crab retracting its eyes. He pulled Jerome to sit next to him, and the door closed as if on cue. Tae-geon returned to the driver’s seat, started the car, and gently pressed the accelerator.
“Tell me the truth. You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
Hyeon-woo’s earlobes were still red as he muttered, biting his lip.
“To spread rumors that I’m married.”
“Yes. Is that not okay?”
“…Ha! Unbelievable.”
The excessively honest answer left him at a loss for words. Tae-geon handed Hyeon-woo an iced Americano from the cup holder as he snorted.
“Good job.”
The clinking sound of ice cubes was refreshing just to hear. His mind and body, exhausted from the test, couldn’t resist the temptation of caffeine.
Hyeon-woo quickly snatched the cool coffee from Tae-geon and took a deep sip.
Soon, an exclamation of “Ahh!” burst from Hyeon-woo’s mouth. Tae-geon smiled, seeing clearly whose influence it was that made Jerome exclaim when eating delicious food.
“…Whew, now I feel alive.”
Hyeon-woo sank deeply into the seat.
“How was the test?”
“…I don’t know. I think I messed up. What if I get placed in the lowest class?”
Hearing the worried voice, Jerome, sitting next to him, suddenly shouted.
“It’s okay, Dad! Whether you’re first or last, you’re equally cool to me!!”
Those words brought a pleasant smile to Hyeon-woo’s face.
“Even if Dad is last, I’m cool?”
“Yes. To Jerome, Dad is cool no matter what!”
“Thank you, it’s enough if Dad is cool to Jerome.”
While Hyeon-woo gave Jerome a quick kiss on the nose, Jerome puffed up his shoulders proudly and exchanged an indecipherable look with Tae-geon in the rearview mirror. Tae-geon shifted his gaze from Jerome to Hyeon-woo.
“Anyway, if you’re applying around here, your CSAT score doesn’t matter much, right?”
“That’s true… But since I’m studying anyway, I want to do it properly once, regardless of the results.”
The car stopped smoothly at a red light.
“…If you need anything, just say so. I’ll support you in whatever way I can. If you want to go to a better school in the metropolitan area instead of around here, that’s fine too. Jerome and I can move there.”
Although Hyeon-woo appreciated Tae-geon’s consideration, he shook his head.
“I’ll just take the thought. A good school isn’t my goal.”
“…”
Hyeon-woo met Tae-geon’s eyes in the mirror and then looked away, seemingly embarrassed.
“…Actually, I saw the mansion property development and operation plan in your room recently. I couldn’t understand what it was about. I felt ashamed. That I couldn’t even review a report for a business I proposed. I don’t want to be an incompetent partner to you.”
“…”
“…So I wanted to study. Because right now, I’m too lacking to work alongside you…”
Hyeon-woo, having honestly revealed his hidden thoughts, putting his pride aside, shifted his gaze to the window. Tae-geon’s voice softly reached Hyeon-woo’s ear as he stared blankly out the window.
“You’re not lacking at all.”
“…”
“To me, you’re always more than enough. Just by being by my side, just by existing, it’s more than overflowing.”
“…”
Hyeon-woo’s cheeks turned redder than the sky as he looked at the sunset reddening beyond the car window. His heart pounded as he glanced at the back of Tae-geon’s head, who casually uttered such embarrassing words.
When suddenly confronted with Tae-geon’s sincere affection like this without warning, he never knew how to react. When would he get used to this arsonist who unexpectedly set fire to his heart? Would he ever get used to it?
As if hiding his embarrassed face, Hyeon-woo stroked his cheek with one hand and glanced sideways at Jerome. Fortunately, Jerome was nodding off and didn’t notice the strange atmosphere in the car. Hyeon-woo carefully moved Jerome’s head onto his lap to make him comfortable.
The car had already entered Neungra Mountain. The red sunset was casting a blue backlight on the mountain ridge, presenting an overwhelming spectacle. As Hyeon-woo looked at the scenery, he remembered the couple rings that had arrived recently.
Not knowing how to give them to Tae-geon, he had hidden them in the bedside table drawer for now, but looking at the beautifully sunset scene, he felt an even stronger desire to give them in a nice and romantic place. It would be even better if accompanied by a fantastic meal.
While Hyeon-woo was mentally compiling a list of restaurants with excellent views with an excited heart, he heard an unexpected sound.
“Is Jerome asleep?”
“Yes, he’s sleeping.”
As Hyeon-woo replied while stroking Jerome’s hair, he heard something unexpected.
“What do you think about inviting Jerome’s kindergarten friends to the mansion?”
“…Huh?”
“…”
“Suddenly?”
Hyeon-woo’s eyes widened in surprise at Tae-geon’s unexpected suggestion.
“…Wouldn’t it be a bit dangerous for the kids?”
“That’s why I was thinking of inviting the parents too. We have a children’s heated pool at the mansion, and the garden, and even the soon-to-be-built arboretum have all undergone safety inspections with Jerome in mind. I thought it might be good to expand the concept and develop a family program for those with young children.”
“…”
Thinking about it, as Tae-geon said, many areas of the mansion were designed with considerations for children, including designs to minimize injuries and eco-friendly materials.
It might be good to try running a family-oriented program for short periods each quarter. If they could create a program where children can enjoy playing while parents can take a brief break from childcare and relax, it would surely get a good response.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
