Perfect Possession - Episode 74

Soon, the meal prepared by the main family was served. Seo-yeon was subtly worried because there were many foods that Tae-yul could eat.

 

Although he usually stops when he’s eaten enough, he tends to eat the foods he likes until the end, so she put a little bit on his plate from the beginning. Seo-yeon got up from her seat and personally served food onto Tae-yul’s table.

 

“You could have asked a subordinate to do it.”

 

“No. I’ll do it myself just for today.”

 

Seo-yeon put a bib on Tae-yul and handed him a spoon.

 

As Seo-yeon sat down, Mi-ryung opened her mouth.

 

“Come into the main house. This house was passed down to Do-young’s mistress by your father-in-law. I was planning to do the same. We’re thinking of moving into the Samsung-dong residence.”

 

“There’s no need for that.”

 

Seo-yeon opened her mouth first, not waiting for Jaehoon’s reply. Although the house was passed down by Jaehoon’s grandfather, she didn’t want to move in yet.

 

Hoping to stay in the current house, which was full of Tae-yul’s traces, Seo-yeon unknowingly interjected first.

 

“If it’s alright with you, we’d like to stay in the house we’re living in now. Is that okay?”

 

Seo-yeon looked at Jaehoon with a worried face. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Jaehoon turned his gaze to Mi-ryung and said.

 

“It took a long time to install Tae-yul’s swing. The grass there cushions him so he doesn’t get hurt badly even if he falls. Here, it’s gravel and there are too many things for the child to run around.”

 

“I’ll tell that to your father.”

 

Since even Jaehoon said that, Mi-ryung didn’t say anything more. Frankly, it was a bitter thing to leave this house. Although he was called the honorary chairman, Chairman Han was practically pushed out of the front lines.

 

Mi-ryung reluctantly said that because she thought only the chairman of the Do-young Group could live in this house that had been passed down for generations. But it was obvious that others would see it as being kicked out, so she was concerned.

 

If Seo-yeon insisted, she would have to give up this house, but she was relieved that Seo-yeon said she didn’t want it first.

 

“You should eat too.”

 

Mi-ryung said, looking at Seo-yeon, and then picked up her spoon.

 

The meal that day was nothing special. Mi-ryung stared at Tae-yul whenever he spoke and slightly raised the corners of her lips. She seemed to be amazed by the chattering Tae-yul.

 

It was a place where the two families, who had been turning their backs on each other, took a step forward. Seo-yeon didn’t try to open her heart forcibly, as Jaehoon had said.

 

After all, it was the same as acting while forcibly suppressing and hiding her resentful feelings. She was thinking of calling Mi-ryung “Mother” when time became a medicine and she forgave her someday.

 

Seo-yeon omitted the title for Mi-ryung even when she thanked her for the delicious meal, and she didn’t say anything special about it.

 

Mi-ryung lightly touched Tae-yul’s small hand waving and sent the three off.

 

As promised, Jaehoon headed to Jeju Island as soon as he left the main house. It was just the three of them again.

 

***

 

Jaehoon covered Seo-yeon with a blanket and took Tae-yul, who had jumped up, out to the living room. The three of them, who had arrived in Jeju Island late in the evening, had dinner, took a walk, and then lay down side by side by the window where the moonlight came in, instead of in the bedroom.

 

The three of them fell into conversation with Tae-yul, who didn’t fall asleep until late because he liked sleeping with his mom and dad.

 

Most of the time, Seo-yeon would tell old stories and Tae-yul and Jaehoon would bombard her with questions, but they didn’t go to sleep until late because they were laughing and talking.

 

Tae-yul, who they thought would sleep in, woke up first and shook Jaehoon awake. When he checked the time, it was already past 7 o’clock.

 

Jaehoon had also slept an hour later than usual. He didn’t wake Seo-yeon, who was still fast asleep, and took only Tae-yul to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

 

He sat Tae-yul on a chair and said seriously.

 

“Tae-yul, it’s going to be a little difficult to make rice this morning, how about bread?”

 

“Bwed?”

 

“Bread. There was something that dad used to make and eat at night when the cooks were all off work when he was studying in America. You get super hungry sometimes, right? You too?”

 

“Num num. Tanyu num num.”

 

Tae-yul held out his hands, asking for it.

 

Jaehoon’s heart fluttered for a moment, and he unknowingly put his hand on his chest.

 

“Our son, you’re bad for my heart. But dad will make a sandwich for Tae-yul and mom. It’ll be edible. I guess?”

 

“No?”

 

Tae-yul said as if scolding Jaehoon, who suddenly spoke without confidence. Jaehoon laughed loudly and took out the bread. Then Tae-yul made a seal sound and put his hands together again.

 

“I’ll get an earful for giving you bread from the morning, but just for today.”

 

Jaehoon gave Tae-yul half a slice of bread and recalled the sandwich he used to make when he was studying abroad. He took out fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese from the refrigerator.

 

The only dish he could make was a sandwich made by putting various vegetables in toasted bread, mixing it with sauce, and adding tomatoes, but he thought Seo-yeon would enjoy it.

 

“Son, the fried egg has to be round, right?”

 

“Dad, bwed good.”

 

“Is the bread good? But the sandwich dad makes will be even better. Wait.”

 

Jaehoon first washed the lettuce, tore it into pieces suitable for putting in bread, and stood facing the tomatoes. He had to slice this thinly, but this was the first time Jaehoon had done it. In his days studying abroad, the cook would slice it before leaving work, so he didn’t have to do much.

 

“I have to cut this in half and then slice it, right?”

 

“Wha?”

 

Tae-yul asked “Wha?” every time Jaehoon said something, as if he didn’t trust him.

 

“Wha? I mean the tomato. I’m worried about whether I should cut it in half and slice it thinly, or slice it thinly from the beginning. You don’t know either, do you?”

 

Jaehoon turned to Tae-yul and asked. Tae-yul tilted his head as if to say, “How would I know that?” and put the bread in his mouth.

 

“You’re telling me to do it myself? You’re heartless, our son. Okay, let’s cut it in half first, and then slice it into three pieces, so let’s try it.”

 

Jaehoon cut the tomato in half and then tried to slice it thinly enough to go into the sandwich, but it didn’t work out well. Maybe because the tomato didn’t have any strength, only the pulp came out when he applied force, and it wouldn’t slice.

 

“This is hard too.”

 

Jaehoon had no choice but to slice thickly for the two of them and prepare Tae-yul’s by slicing it several times like shredding it.

 

“For fried eggs, the amount of fire and oil is important.”

 

“Dad?”

 

Jaehoon smiled at the black eyes asking, “Are you talking to me?”

 

“To be a loved man, you have to be able to make at least a sandwich.”

 

Jaehoon moved the chair Tae-yul was sitting on a little further away from the fire and poured oil into the frying pan. He had only made fried eggs twice in his life.

 

It wasn’t a delicious shape with a bouncy yolk, but a fried egg that was tangled and messed up. Still, he remembered it being edible.

 

“I can do it. I’ll make it round this time, Tae-yul.”

 

“No. Ahh.”

 

Tae-yul shook his head as if telling him not to when Jaehoon held the egg in his hand.

 

“Mom. Mom?”

 

“Shh, let’s just do it ourselves this morning. I’ll make it really delicious.”

 

Jaehoon lowered his voice, covering Tae-yul’s mouth.

 

“Let’s let mom sleep. Okay?”

 

“Mom sleep?”

 

“Yeah, sleep. Just us for breakfast. Okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

Tae-yul, who was blinking his eyes and following Jaehoon, was so cute that he gave him a big kiss on the cheek and challenged himself to make a fried egg.

 

The sizzling sound was loud because he had poured too much oil. Jaehoon quickly turned down the heat when Tae-yul was startled. As a result, the bottom of the egg was burnt and the yolk was broken. Jaehoon had no choice but to mix the eggs and make a scramble.

 

“Just the egg has to go in.”

 

Jaehoon put the eggs on a plate and put the bread in the toaster. Toasting the bread was the toaster’s job, so only the bread was toasted properly.

 

When the toasted bread came up with a “ting” sound, Tae-yul widened his eyes and called out to Jaehoon.

 

“Dad, Dad? Bwed bwed?”

 

“It’ll be delicious, right? But aren’t ‘car car’ and ‘bread’ similar? Why doesn’t it work? Tae-yul, bread.”

 

“Bwed!”

 

Tae-yul, distracted by the delicious smell, answered roughly in a loud voice and held out his hand.

 

“Not yet. The real thing starts now.”

 

He cut the bread in half, spread a little sauce, and put cheese on top of the egg. He didn’t forget to add lettuce and tomatoes and made a sandwich for Tae-yul to eat.

 

He put all the remaining ingredients into the sandwiches for Seo-yeon and himself to make them look delicious and made coffee.

 

Jaehoon, who had roughly prepared breakfast, took Tae-yul off the chair.

 

“Tae-yul, bring mom here.”

 

“Mom?”

 

Jaehoon watched Tae-yul run to the living room. Fortunately, Seo-yeon didn’t wake up. He didn’t say it, but Seo-yeon must have been on edge and tense due to various things.

 

Jaehoon thought that she must be sleeping well because the tension was relieved.

 

Seo-yeon gently opened her eyes to the sensation of her cheek being tickled. Tae-yul’s smiling face filled her vision. He had bread crumbs all around his mouth and saliva was pooling at the corners of his mouth.

 

“Did you sleep well? But what did you eat to make your mouth so dirty?”

 

“Bwed.”

 

Seo-yeon wiped Tae-yul’s mouth and got up from her seat. She looked for Jaehoon first. Jaehoon, who was standing at the entrance to the living room, approached Seo-yeon and kissed her forehead.

 

“I made breakfast.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. With Tae-yul.”

 

“Mom, bwed.”

 

“Is ‘bwed’ bread?”

 

“It’s a sandwich.”

 

“Jaehoon made it?”

 

Seo-yeon said as if she couldn’t believe it.

 

“What can’t I do? Get up first.”

 

Seo-yeon got up from her seat as Jaehoon grabbed her and pulled her up. She lightly washed her face and headed straight to the kitchen. Even in that short time of brushing her teeth and washing her face, Tae-yul called out to his mom dozens of times.

 

Seo-yeon’s heart swelled as she looked at the table with only coffee and sandwiches. She was more touched than by a table full of delicacies.

 

The smell of coffee was good, but she was so in love with the image of Jaehoon busily moving around to make the shabby sandwiches that were sticking out here and there. Seo-yeon kissed Jaehoon’s lips with a grateful heart.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“It tastes amazing, unlike what it looks like.”

 

Jaehoon emphasized the taste, perhaps because it looked so shabby even to him.

 

“Mom, eat fast.”

 

“Should we eat quickly?”

 

Seo-yeon sat on the chair that Jaehoon pulled out for her. Come to think of it, a sandwich the size of half a slice of bread was on the plate.

 

“This is Tae-yul’s.”

 

“Tanyu’s.”

 

Seo-yeon put the sandwich in Tae-yul’s hand and picked up hers.

 

“Good morning. I’ll enjoy the meal.”

 

“Good morning. Enjoy your meal.”

 

“Num num?”

 

The three of them exchanged morning greetings and bit into their sandwiches. Sauce dripped out every time they ate, and pieces of egg stuck out, but the taste was the best.

 

“Mmm, it’s delicious. Jaehoon, it’s really delicious.”

 

Seo-yeon widened her eyes and said to Jaehoon sincerely.

 

“It wasn’t this good. What’s different today? It’s really delicious, even though I made it.”

 

Jaehoon also seemed surprised and took a big bite before he even finished chewing.

 

“Wow. Good good.”

 

Tae-yul, who was stomping his feet and rolling his eyes, chewed and ate deliciously. Then he swallowed and took it to his mouth again. Seo-yeon put a straw cup filled with juice in his mouth and swept up his messy hair.

 

“Tae-yul seems to like the breakfast dad made. Is dad’s breakfast on weekends a done deal from now on?”

 

“Good. Tanyu good.”

 

“What, don’t I have a say?”

 

“It’s 2 to 1, so just give in.”

 

“I’m already losing. Why don’t we make it an even number? To be fair.”

 

Jaehoon winked at Seo-yeon.

 

“So, you’re saying let’s fight after matching the numbers?”

 

“It’s a love fight. You said you liked it too, right? Right now…”

 

“Jaehoon.”

 

“Don’t worry. He’s too busy eating to notice.”

 

Seo-yeon and Jaehoon looked at Tae-yul, who had reconnected and bound their love, and held each other’s hands tightly. Seo-yeon turned her gaze to Jaehoon, wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth, and whispered.

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you.”

 

The two people who had gone through painful times became each other’s perfect possessions that no one could separate. Of course, Tae-yul’s perfect possession was the two of them.

 

“Good. Tanyu wuv you.”

 

Tae-yul, who was in a good mood with the delicious sandwich, expressed his feelings accurately, and the two laughed loudly at each other. The first day of the weekend, when they were planning to do nothing all day, had begun.

 

The End