Chapter 70
by Gideon“Go on, tell me. Who’s going to do it?”
“What?”
“Hmm?”
The tension snapped, leaving Hyewan and Yundo staring back blankly.
“Tell me what you’re going to do,” Min-suk said, starting to rise. “If you’re just going to keep living like this without a thought, I’m leaving.”
Hyewan quickly pressed her back down. “Mom, you can’t just leave like this.”
“I’m not being thoughtless. Mother, please, just give me a moment.”
“You have a plan?”
Yundo broke into a cold sweat, but his voice remained steady. “Yes, I do.”
“You do?” Hyewan asked, surprised. She’d never heard of any plan. Yundo glanced at her sideways. I can’t tell if my Hyewan is an ally or an enemy right now.
“I know my family’s wrongs won’t disappear or be forgotten. I know that’s why I should be the one to vanish from Hyewan’s life.”
Yundo chose his words with painstaking care, each one a sincere plea.
“But I’m shameless,” he said. “I want to stay by Hyewan’s side. Mother, I will spend the rest of my life atoning for my sins. Please, just this once, forgive me.”
Hyewan turned her head away. She understood her mother’s anger, but she also hated seeing Yundo on his knees, begging for forgiveness.
“Does that mean you’ll never betray my daughter again?” Min-suk demanded. “Even if the heavens themselves were to fall?”
“Yes! Never again.”
“Fine. Then I’ll forgive you, Son-in-law Cha.”
“Are you serious?” Yundo asked, his voice trembling.
“Mom, are you for real?” Hyewan asked.
“Whether I forgive you or not, you two are already madly in love,” Min-suk said.
“Hyewan insisted she has no future without your blessing, Mother,” Yundo added.
Well, at least my daughter isn’t a complete fool, Min-suk thought. She still thought of me, just a little.
“Tell your mother-in-law we’d like to see her.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Hyewan, I’m paying this time, so book the nicest restaurant you can find.”
“No, Mom, I’ll pay.”
“I have money too. I worked my ass off to earn it. I’m getting Son-in-law Cha’s wedding gift, so just know that.”
The regret of thinking my daughter was so precious that they’d let her come with nothing but herself at her first wedding had always been a painful ache. I’d been so heartbroken, wondering if my daughter had been treated that way because I was a foolish mother who couldn’t give what needed to be given or receive what should have been received.
“I can’t match Son-in-law Cha’s level. But I’ll buy you the best wedding gift I can afford, so just accept it.”
“Yes, Mother. Thank you.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“Mom, what about dinner? Stay and eat with us.”
“Forget it. Why are you trying to wedge yourself in here? Just eat comfortably, the two of you.”
“Aw, Mom!”
Hyewan followed Min-suk, her voice thick with tears as she tried to stop her.
“Mom, let us take you home.”
“I said no! I can take a taxi just fine now.”
Back when they used to walk several stops to save on bus fare, taking a taxi had been an impossible dream. The habit had stuck, and even now, she found the idea difficult and uncomfortable. But to reassure Hyewan and Yundo, she had to pretend she was okay with it.
“You two go have a good time. Don’t come out. If you do, I’m taking back my permission!” Min-suk threatened, shaking Hyewan off before stepping into the elevator.
“Why is my mom being like this?” Hyewan whined, tears streaming down her face.
Yundo felt a pang of guilt. “I won’t let anyone hurt your mom,” he promised.
“I know. Don’t cry.”
Hyewan burst into sobs, burying her face in his chest. Yundo felt a lump form in his own throat.
Madam Park wiped away her tears when she learned that Min-suk had given Yundo her blessing to get back together. She was beyond grateful to Min-suk for giving Yundo another chance, when she could have easily treated him as her sworn enemy. Yundo felt the same way.
On Friday afternoon, he headed to Min-suk’s restaurant. He wanted to show her how grateful he was—not with words, but with actions.
“Mother-in-law, your son-in-law is here.”
It was the busy dinner rush. When Yundo walked in wearing a suit, Min-suk, who was franticly serving customers, looked up in surprise.
“Son-in-law Cha? What are you doing here?”
“I left work early to see you, Mother-in-law. You’re incredibly busy. Let me help you.”
As he started to take off his jacket, Min-suk stopped him.
“Oh, forget it. You’ll get sauce all over your clothes! If you’re off work early, you should go home or go on a date with Hyewan. Why are you even here?”
Yundo put on a charmingly thick-skinned grin. “I’m a quick learner. Trust me on this.”
“No, it’s not that…”
A customer who had been watching the mother-in-law and son-in-law’s playful bickering chimed in. “Is he your son-in-law?”
“Hello. I’m Cha Yundo, the owner’s son-in-law.”
The customer looked Yundo up and down—a man who was undeniably handsome and polished—and curled her lip. “Didn’t you say they got divorced?”
Yundo immediately sensed that this customer was one of Min-suk’s detractors.
“Me, divorced from Hyewan? Where did you hear such a rumor?” Yundo countered with a sly smile.
“Mother-in-law, does the stock market rumor mill reach the market too? You must have been so upset.”
It’s true we’re divorced, but since I’ve already been given permission to remarry, it should be fine to say this much.
“You’re telling me. Min-suk was so heartbroken. Did people say a lot about Hyewan?”
Gyeong-ae, who had just come out of the kitchen after hearing what was happening outside, came to his defense.
“Is that so? Mother-in-law, you should have called your son-in-law.”
“Why bother calling a busy man? Besides, you didn’t even have to call him for him to show up like this. Isn’t my son-in-law wonderful?”
“He certainly is. I never realized he was so handsome. I thought you’d just married him on paper because you kept him so hidden away.”
“I’ve been to the shop several times. Did you miss me?”
“I just wasn’t paying attention back then,” Yundo said. “Give me ten thousand won’s worth of pickled chili peppers.”
“Sure, just a moment.”
Yundo handled the customer with practiced ease. He remembered Hyewan telling him, before all the chaos erupted, that Yundo had always been genuinely dedicated to household chores.
Once the bustling shop quieted down, Min-suk had Yundo sit on a chair and brought him a glass of sikhye.
“What brings such a busy man here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“You don’t have to do that. Just live happily with Hyewan.”
She had no intention of holding a grudge after forgiving his mistake. The source of the trouble in the in-laws’ family was Chairwoman Kang, not the mother-in-law and her son-in-law.
“When Hyewan had her accident, I was going to take you and her aunt to Hawaii. I thought we’d live there for a few years.”
Gyeong-ae, who had been listening intently while tidying up the showcase, beamed.
“Oh, you’re including me too?”
“Of course. You and Mother are inseparable, so you have to come.”
“Oh, Min-suk, how could you? I’m truly touched.”
“I’m touched too.”
Though they shared no blood, Min-suk and Gyeong-ae were family. Min-suk felt a wave of gratitude toward Yundo for taking such good care of her family.
“Take some nabak-kimchi with you. I made it for Son-in-law Cha, so this works out perfectly.”
“Really? Thank you, we’ll enjoy it.”
Yundo’s face lit up with a bright smile. How can a grown man smile so prettily? Min-suk couldn’t help but smile back. Finally, everything felt like it was back in its proper place.
The reunion concluded with Min-suk, Gyeong-ae, Madam Park, and Yun-woo gathering for dinner and re-filing the marriage registration. Min-suk gave Madam Park a tight hug as the older woman apologized repeatedly. She understood the burden Madam Park had carried—the guilt of keeping an unspeakable secret and the pain of seeing Hyewan every day.
Hyewan and Yundo, having gone through marriage, divorce, and now reunion, were happier than ever. Every day felt like they were dating all over again.
The couple found a campsite near Seoul, known for its stunning starlit skies. Yundo set up the car for “car camping,” knowing how stifled Hyewan had felt indoors since the accident.
He insisted she sit in the back seat. He was still terrified to drive with her in the car. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, flashes of that day—that exact moment—still haunted him.
It’ll get better. Slowly, very slowly, he told himself. Like new skin growing over a wound…
At the campsite, even their usual meals tasted better. After a barbecue—though Yundo grumbled that Hyewan wasn’t eating enough—they roasted sweet potatoes in the campfire.
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