Husband Role - Episode 33

Eun-seol refused Jung-hyuk’s offer to go with him.

It was clear that even if she went to Ulsan, she would end up guarding the empty house alone.

Then Jung-hyuk would worry about her, and in the end, she would only be a hindrance to her busy husband.

She didn’t want to be a nuisance, even if she couldn’t be of help.

Her husband could only make time on the weekends anyway. So, it seemed better for both of them to spend the weekdays with his family.

Of course, a corner of her heart would ache, but at least the everyday loneliness would be greatly offset.

Like today, for example.

“Why don’t you go with Mom today?”

Gyeongha suggested to Eun-seol. The destination didn’t matter. Eun-seol immediately replied that she would love to.

And so, they headed to <Garam Orphanage>.

As soon as they arrived, Gyeongha opened the trunk. A male teacher who had been waiting busily carried many shopping bags and boxes. They were food and children’s clothes.

“When did you prepare all this?”

Eun-seol asked with a surprised face.

“I bought them one by one while passing by. I asked Driver Kim to buy the food yesterday.”

Gyeongha didn’t just donate money, she often visited the orphanage. She was so enthusiastic that there was even a separate group meeting she attended.

“Mother, you’re so wonderful.”

“I’m just lucky enough to be able to help.”

Then Gyeongha added that it wasn’t anything grand. Eun-seol deeply respected her mother-in-law.

If Eun-seol hadn’t had Bong-cheol, she might have ended up growing up in an institution as well.

Eun-seol quietly took in the children who didn’t even have ‘Bong-cheol’. She finally realized.

Like Gyeongha said, she was also a lucky person.

She spent the morning cleaning and was taking a break when a little girl approached. It was the child who had been hiding and following her since earlier.

Eun-seol called the pouting child over and handed her a drink. The child glanced around cautiously, mumbled thank you, and drank it sweetly.

It was a peach-flavored ion drink, but the child seemed very happy with just that.

“I want to have lunch with Eun-seol Mom…”

The children here called the volunteers ‘Mom’ followed by their names. Even though she knew it was just a title, Eun-seol’s heart felt heavy for some reason.

Stroking the little girl’s hair,

“Would you like that?”

She asked back.

“…Yes.”

The child mustered up the courage to add.

“Eun-seol Mom is pretty. I want to see you a little longer.      ”

Looking at the child who kept looking around, her heart felt as hot as if it had been burned. So Eun-seol hugged the child.

“Okay. I will. Let’s definitely eat together.”

“Oh, Eun-seol!”

A caregiver teacher who rushed over, panting, continued.

“You’ll get paint on your clothes. Jian just came from playing with paint.”

“Clothes can be washed.”

Eun-seol answered quietly, still holding Jian.

“Still…”

The embarrassed teacher scratched his head.

That’s because when people from the privileged class came to volunteer, it was often just a show.

Donations were advantageous for tax deductions, and volunteering was easily used for image making for prominent people.

The orphanage had no choice but to condone the fact, even though they knew it.

If they gave them medals, the children’s living conditions would improve noticeably.

But innocent children approached adults without calculation. And they got hurt.

Even if those people were a minority, the teacher wanted to prevent it in advance.

“Jian, after we eat, do you want to go see the puppet show in the gym together?”

Leaving behind the teacher’s worries, Eun-seol asked the child.

“Yes!”

“Then Mom has to pull out the weeds.”

“I want to do that too.”

The child said with a slightly brighter face.

“No. Your fairy-like hands will get dirty.”

Eun-seol held the small hand tightly and made a face as if she was dying of regret, and Jian laughed, as if it was fun.

Then a handsome man approached. The man with a camera around his neck introduced himself as being from the <Hope Merry-Go-Round> volunteer group.

“I heard you’re becoming the daughter-in-law of the Hocheon Foundation.”

“And?”

Eun-seol looked at the man with slightly wary eyes.

“Let’s take a picture together.”

“The picture…” the teacher interjected, but the man gave a scary look as a warning and continued to speak.

“Today’s photo is scheduled to be on the main page of the society section.”

The man continued with incomprehensible words.

“You know that a child from <Garam Orphanage> entered a prestigious university last year, right? That child’s sibling is also taking the college entrance exam this year…”

“No.”

Eun-seol refused before the man’s words could get any longer.

“Hey, the article will be of great help to the academy. Isn’t that why Hocheon Hospital goes on overseas volunteer work every year? I’m giving you a good opportunity.”

“It’s okay.”

“…You should be good at calculating if you’re the foundation’s daughter-in-law.”

The man said with a frustrated expression. Eun-seol stared at the man with cold eyes.

“That kind of recording…”

And she said firmly.

“It might be a lifelong tag for the children. Have you ever thought about that?”

“…You’re a young person who’s so stubborn.”

“Anyway, I’ve made my position clear.”

It was when Eun-seol was about to retort.

“What are you doing here?”

A familiar voice was heard from behind. It was Gyeongha. The man bowed with a startled expression and stepped back.

“…Mother.”

Unlike when she had confidently refused, Eun-seol was inwardly concerned.

Because it might be of some benefit to the Hocheon Foundation, as the man had said.

It was at the moment when she bit her lip with that thought.

“You did well.”

Gyeongha said in a soft but firm voice.

As if those words had touched Eun-seol’s heart, the tip of her nose tingled and felt spicy.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who had finished volunteering, sat side by side in the back seat of the sedan. Gyeongha patted Eun-seol’s hand and said she had worked hard.

“It’s nothing.”

Eun-seol replied, sniffling.

She didn’t know why her heart was so sore. Compassion and pity were only a hair’s breadth apart. Since she knew that better than anyone, she was sorry even for this heart that pitied the children.

“It seems like our Eun-seol felt a lot. Wasn’t it hard?”

Eun-seol shook her head. She was rather comforted. She forgot her tired heart and became absorbed in the children. Later, she found herself genuinely smiling before she knew it.

“Then will you tell me now?”

“Yes?”

“What’s been so hard on you these days.”

“Ah…”

“You seemed out of energy all weekend.”

Not only that.

This morning, Jung-hyuk, who was leaving for Ulsan, had made a rare request.

Please take care of Eun-seol.

‘Did something happen?’

‘…’

‘Or did you guys even fight?’

‘It’s definitely not that.’

So that meant that Eun-seol had something difficult going on, separate from Jung-hyuk.

Gyeongha had a vague feeling. That it was related to Eun-seol’s maternal uncle’s family.

“Are you not on good terms with your family? Since when?”

With that, she asked a question that pierced the core. Eun-seol opened her eyes wide like a rabbit for a moment, as if surprised, and then smiled faintly.

Gyeongha held Eun-seol’s hand tightly once again.

“I told you. Mom is lucky. So, I can help you anytime. It’s okay. It’s okay, Eun-seol.”

How could Jung-hyuk and Gyeongha be so warm?

Eun-seol’s shoulders, who had her head bowed, gradually trembled. Gyeongha instructed the driver to stop the car. And asked him to leave the seat.

Had she cried for about 30 minutes like that?

Eun-seol opened her mouth with difficulty to Gyeongha, who had been waiting silently.

“Actually…”

She began to tell the story of how she had lived.

If she had told a history that she could tell anyone in the past, now it was a story much closer to her inner self.

She poured out all the years she had lived like baggage after losing her mother and father in turn.

What Bong-cheol meant to Eun-seol.

And what the Mok Dae-hyuk family meant.

Why Eun-seol had to silently endure.

Gyeongha, who had been listening quietly, finally wiped away tears.

“I’m sorry.”

Eun-seol couldn’t understand why she was apologizing. As if reading Eun-seol’s mind, Gyeongha wiped away her tears again and elaborated.

“The adults are sorry.”

Eun-seol, whose heart had collapsed, burst into tears again.

Gyeongha carefully hugged Eun-seol.

Just like Eun-seol had done to Jian.

Truly, an adult’s embrace was so warm.

Seol-gi, who had learned most of her cooking from YouTube, recently wanted to receive professional education. So, she visited a cooking academy. After consulting about the regular course, she attended a seminar on the entrepreneurial experiences of graduates and returned home.

Her career path became clear. So, her heart swelled.

She wanted to tell her mom quickly, but the big house was as quiet as if there wasn’t a single ant.

“Where did everyone go?”

It was quite late, so she tiptoed around the house. Then she heard a small murmuring sound from Ilseong’s study. Seol-gi quietly approached that side. And very gently lowered the silver doorknob.

“I didn’t see him as that kind of person…”

It was Gwang-min’s voice.

“That’s right. My aunt gave me a hint first, so I was wondering if it was possible. This… really isn’t right, is it?”

Gyeongha said in a distressed voice.

“Hmm… Director Mok is so wonderful.”

“If Director Mok was still alive, he wouldn’t have left his son like that.”

Gyeongha continued, persuading.

“Even if it’s not his own child, but still his flesh and blood. How could he do that?”

“But it’s already in the past.”

“Is it also in the past for the wounded child? Will it naturally be forgotten over time?”

“…”

“A doctor who has to practice medicine. How can we entrust such a person with the big tasks of our hospital? Please reconsider, Father.”

Gyeongha said repeatedly, and Gwang-min added that he felt the same way.

Seol-gi continued to listen out of curiosity.

The story that continued for a long time was about Eun-seol’s shocking story.

Suddenly, Eun-seol, who was always smiling neatly, came to mind.

Hot anger surged from within Seol-gi.

…Aren’t they crazy people?

Seol-gi clenched her fist tightly.

Support