Perfect Possession - Episode 15

Seo-yeon listened to Tae-yul watching outside without blinking, and then she heard a short breath. A small ‘Phew’ sound came from his little lips, and she felt relieved. To Seo-yeon, the sound felt like a sigh of relief.

Seo-yeon wanted to hold Tae-yul tightly and reassure him loudly that everything was okay now. But she didn’t want to do anything drastic that might upset Tae-yul. She just fiddled with his little hand, waiting for him to look at her.

After a long while, Tae-yul looked at Seo-yeon. She smiled gently to reassure him, but Seo-yeon wasn’t sure how her smile looked. It took superhuman strength not to cry.

“What’s out there?”

The expressionless eyes of Tae-yul, who had been staring blankly, suddenly rolled around and sparkled. Why? What did he want to say? Seo-yeon thought and thought, her head aching.

Tae-yul’s eyes and expressions were too subtle, and she was still lacking in understanding them. But Seo-yeon stared at Tae-yul with aching eyes, trying to understand his heart.

“If you go straight down this road, you’ll find a very big road. That road is for cars, ‘Beep beep’ cars. If you go straight down that road, you can go to the house where Tae-yul will live. There are lots of wonderful trees and a beautiful garden with soft, fluffy grass.”

Feeling like she couldn’t just stare, Seo-yeon described the house where Tae-yul would live. She imagined Tae-yul running around on the lawn, giggling. Just thinking about it, her smile, which had been strained, gradually came to life.

“If Tae-yul wants to ride one, let’s ask them to make a swing too. Jae-hoon, you’ll make one, right?”

“Of course. I’ll do anything.”

Seo-yeon was happy with Jae-hoon’s words and held Tae-yul’s hand tightly.

“Tae-yul, Dad will make it ‘Chop chop’ for you. Just a moment.”

Seo-yeon searched for swings installed in gardens on her phone and showed them to Tae-yul.

“Isn’t it wonderful? We’ll make this in the garden. Tae-yul can ride it whenever he wants.”

Tae-yul stared intently at the phone. Seo-yeon wondered if a 16-month-old could stare at a phone picture for so long, and she lowered her head, wondering if he had fallen asleep.

At that moment, Tae-yul, who had been just looking without any reaction, pressed the swing picture with his adorable little finger. Then he looked up at Seo-yeon.

It had only been a little over an hour since Seo-yeon met Tae-yul, but she could tell. She could feel Tae-yul’s desire to speak. Thinking about how frustrated he must have been, Seo-yeon couldn’t help but let tears run down her cheeks. She nodded and said in a trembling voice.

“Yes, that’s a swing. A swing.”

Her voice was a mess mixed with tears, so she quickly wiped away her tears and said again, “Swing.”

“If Tae-yul wants to ride it, we can make it today.”

Jae-hoon, who had been listening quietly, said instead of Seo-yeon. Tae-yul tapped the picture again and blinked.

“Jae-hoon…”

Seo-yeon called him when Tae-yul tapped the phone.

“I saw it.”

Jae-hoon’s voice was also husky. He immediately made a phone call.

“Sung-joon, I need a swing for children to play on in the garden, get it installed today.”

He hung up the phone and turned around.

“Besides the swing, anything Tae-yul wants, I… Dad will buy it for you.”

Jae-hoon didn’t expect the word ‘Dad’ to come out of his mouth so quickly. It was a slightly awkward word.

But he said the word to convey that he was his dad, that he was someone who could do anything for him, and that he would be a perfect shield for him.

Perhaps Jae-hoon’s heart was conveyed, as Tae-yul yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“Tae-yul sleepy? You can sleep if you want to. Mom will hold your hand.”

Seo-yeon never thought that seeing her son yawning because he was sleepy would be so touching. She felt like her heart would burst with love, he was so adorable she wanted to put him in her eyes.

Tae-yul slowly closed his sleepy eyes in front of the adults he had just met, and she thought, ‘He’s feeling safe.’ Seo-yeon didn’t let go of Tae-yul’s hand.

“I’ll wake you up when we get home.”

She watched Tae-yul blink several times and fall asleep. It was amazing and touching to watch.

“He’s asleep.”

Seo-yeon whispered to Jae-hoon.

“He’ll probably sleep for 30 minutes.”

“It’s like a dream.”

“It’s not a dream. The hand you’re holding now is reality.”

Seo-yeon nodded silently.

“Butler Park and Mrs. Kim are hastily preparing the room for Tae-yul right now. There’s a lot to prepare, like children’s furniture, so it probably won’t be ready today.”

“I want to sleep with him.”

Seo-yeon looked at Jae-hoon with pleading eyes. He nodded silently and looked ahead.

She brought her face close to Tae-yul and listened to the child’s regular breathing. Then, being careful not to wake Tae-yul, she placed her hand on his small chest.

Feeling the beating of his heart through her palm, Seo-yeon couldn’t contain her overwhelming emotions and closed her eyes. The thought that she almost let him grow up in someone else’s hands without even feeling his heart beating so well sent shivers down her spine.

‘Thank you, Tae-yul. Thank you for coming back to Mom like this. And I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for not protecting you and hurting you.’

After Tae-yul fell asleep, Seo-yeon cried silently with a sense of relief washing over her. Transparent tears flowed endlessly, washing away the anxiety and nervousness she had experienced.

She thought she hadn’t been caught by anyone, but she didn’t know that Jae-hoon, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was watching her.

***

A little after lunchtime, the car arrived at the residence. As the car entered the parking lot, Butler Park and Mrs. Kim, who looked somewhat nervous, were standing there.

To them, Tae-yul was the new master of the Do-young family. The two people’s feelings about welcoming the new master were extraordinary.

Seo-yeon, looking at Tae-yul, wondering how to wake him up, had a smile on her face. Tae-yul was looking around, his moist eyes shining. He had woken up without needing to be woken up.

“Tae-yul woke up? This is Tae-yul’s house.”

Tae-yul blinked as if he wasn’t fully awake yet, looked outside, and then turned his head to look at Seo-yeon. When a light of relief settled in his small eyes, her heart felt touched and scratched by something sharp.

He must have been momentarily nervous in the unfamiliar environment. Then, he found the person who called herself Mom and felt relieved.

From the time he was a newborn, when people were discouraged from visiting for the first three weeks, until now, Tae-yul had been passed around from person to person, so even if he seemed indifferent to the unfamiliar environment, his little heart wasn’t.

Seo-yeon’s gentle smile crumbled with pain. Her heart ached so much that she wanted to hit it hard.

But Seo-yeon pulled herself together, seeing Tae-yul’s relief, and smiled brightly. She just smiled big, not caring if her smile looked distorted or sad.

“Come here, Tae-yul. Mom will hold you.”

She moved her hand to undo the seat belt. Then the car door opened and Jae-hoon released Tae-yul’s seat belt.

“I’ll hold him.”

“It’s hard to hold him and get out.”

Jae-hoon was right. It would be a disaster if she fell while holding Tae-yul. Seo-yeon watched Jae-hoon reach out to Tae-yul with a somewhat nervous face.

“Tae-yul, is it okay if Dad holds you?”

Again, Jae-hoon didn’t hesitate to say the word to let Tae-yul know that he was his dad.

“You might get hurt if you get out with Mom.”

Jae-hoon experienced a pain he had never felt before in the gaze of Tae-yul, who was staring blankly. He didn’t know that the suspicious gaze of his young son would be so painful and agonizing. But he hid his emotions and reached out his hand again.

After a while, Tae-yul looked back at Seo-yeon once and gently placed his hand on Jae-hoon’s outstretched hand. It wasn’t a firm grip, just the tips of his fingers touching, but even that was touching to both of them.

Jae-hoon supported Tae-yul’s head and held him so he wouldn’t be surprised. Seo-yeon, who was watching, quickly got out of the car.

“Welcome.”

Butler Park came forward first and bowed his head.

“Tae-yul, this is the person who lives with us in this house.”

Jae-hoon introduced him simply because he was someone he had to see every day.

“Welcome, young master.”

Mrs. Kim, who had learned emotional control first while being in a chaebol family for decades, couldn’t help but have her eyes turn red.

“You heard what I said, right? Take your time getting to know each other.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Mrs. Kim answered quietly.

“I heard that people will be coming to install the swing in two hours. I will keep them as quiet as possible.”

“Tell them to come within an hour.”

“Yes.”

As Butler Park left to make a call, Mrs. Kim went inside to prepare lunch.

“Hyun-shik, don’t go back yet and take care of the swing installers when they come.”

“Yes, I understand. Teacher Kim is almost here. Then I think I should help Madam a little.”

Even Hyun-shik left to help Mrs. Kim, who would be busy preparing lunch for several people, leaving only three people behind. Seo-yeon thought it was a great relief that Tae-yul didn’t seem anxious even though he was in Jae-hoon’s arms.

She looked up at the unusually clear sky and then shifted her gaze to Tae-yul.

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