The Cruel Beast’s Desire - Chapter 27
Being with Tae Yoonjae was suffocating enough, but with Secretary Kim on top of that?
It was a horrifying combination even in imagination.
How should I explain to the child that it would benefit everyone if the two people who were already friends played together, instead of needing to make new friends?
While Hayeon’s shoulders flinched, Madam Lee, skilled in childcare, lightly patted the child’s back.
“Our little miss, so thoughtful of her father. Talking too much is tiring. Let’s stop and drink juice. Teacher Kang must be thirsty from talking so much too. Drink juice and cool your head.”
“Teacher, are you getting a fever again?”
The child placed her hand on Hayeon’s forehead. I was surprised by how cold the hand that touched my forehead was, more than by the action itself. Come to think of it, Lee-eum’s lips were less red than before.
“Huh? Teacher’s forehead is cold?”
The child must have thought Hayeon was getting a fever and was sick again when she was told to cool her head.
“It’s not a fever, adults sometimes say ‘cool your head’ when they mean to rest.”
I took the child’s hand that was on my forehead and pulled it down. I didn’t let go right away, but gently massaged it, sharing my body heat with the child.
“Talking must have been tiring. Lee-eum really needs to rest now.”
“I’m not sick.”
My heart ached at the child’s answer.
Madam Lee said that Lee-eum rarely says she’s sick unless it’s really bad, and it was true.
“Teacher, are you sick?”
And another thing, the child was very sensitive to other people’s pain.
“Not sick… Teacher is just sleepy.”
All that came to Hayeon’s mind was that she was sleepy.
“Teacher took medicine this morning, that’s why. It’s not that she’s sick.”
Madam Lee added an explanation, and only then did Lee-eum seem relieved and drink her juice.
Only after Chief Jang took the child away did Hayeon take a deep breath.
“Madam Lee, next time I’ll bring two tubs of Monaka ice cream. Thank you for saving me.”
I meant it sincerely.
“I could tell just by looking that Teacher Kang was struggling. You seem awkward talking to children… Is this the first time you’ve taught a child?”
“Yes… Lee-eum is my first. I didn’t know talking to children was this difficult.”
What on earth was Yoonjae thinking, entrusting the child to me? No matter how much the paper said that there would be fewer side effects if the blood was received from someone with a good bond, it seemed a bit reckless.
“It’ll be several times harder than teaching adults. There’s an old saying, ‘Would you rather babysit or farm?’ and everyone says they’d rather farm.”
“Yes, I think I’d rather farm too.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do with the young lady?”
The biggest hurdle remained to decide that.
Parent-teacher conference.
Since there’s no mother, I have to consult with the father, and I sighed just thinking about it.
I’d rather choose between babysitting and farming. But I couldn’t just not have the consultation, so Hayeon’s head throbbed.
Hayeon’s worries continued until late afternoon.
Tae Lee-eum’s father, Tae Yoonjae.
It was a strange and unfamiliar name.
Being able to choose something was something only people with good fortune could do.
Just because you hate your parents doesn’t mean you can treat your children that way. No one in the world can choose their parents.
I was also involved with Yoonjae again because of what my parents had done. If I could, I would cut off even the ties of kinship. That’s why Hayeon is in this house now.
Originally, Hayeon was supposed to give a blood transfusion to Yoonjae’s daughter, but she didn’t know she would be given another mission.
I had to get along well with the child, who had a big crisis due to blood transfusion side effects, so that she wouldn’t feel too much resistance.
Under the guise of a tutor.
I was at a loss because I didn’t know what to do with the child starting tomorrow. In times like this, it was good for each other to do what the employer wanted.
“I wonder what time he’ll get off work…”
Hayeon picked up her cell phone and put it down again.
We weren’t close enough to ask about his return time in a friendly way, and I didn’t even know his phone number.
I thought about asking Madam Lee, but I couldn’t think of a good reason.
I wasn’t trying to meet him with bad intentions like last time, but I was still reluctant.
“Teacher!”
Lee-eum came running over, having finished her online class.
“Madam Lee told me to ask you what kind of soup to have for dinner tonight.”
“Huh?”
It was the first time this had happened while Hayeon was in this house.
Certainly, having a child changed the atmosphere in the house. The silence, as if people still didn’t live there, was still great, but there was a slight warmth during the time the child was running around.
“We have to decide between bean sprout soup and miso soup.”
“Did you ask anyone else besides me?”
“Chief Jang wants bean sprout soup, and I want miso soup.”
The current score was tied at 1 to 1.
“What about Madam Lee?”
“She’ll decide last.”
“Are the four of us eating dinner tonight?”
“No. Five people.”
The child spread her fingers wide.
“Including Dad.”
“Ah…”
“Dad always eats dinner at home.”
Hayeon had never seen Yoonjae eat dinner at home. It seemed that he only ate dinner at home when Lee-eum was there.
“Did you ask your dad?”
“Not yet. You first, Teacher.”
“I’ll have miso soup. Bean sprout soup is bland and not very good.”
“Wow! I don’t like bean sprout soup because it’s bland either. We’re the same.”
I think I knew why the soup for dinner was put to a vote. Someone who didn’t like bean sprout soup had put their mind to it.
“Teacher, can I borrow your cell phone?”
“Why do you need a cell phone?”
“To call Dad.”
It was an opportunity to find out Yoonjae’s phone number without going through Madam Lee or Secretary Kim. Hayeon quickly handed her cell phone to Lee-eum.
The small hands diligently pressed the numbers. After a few rings, a familiar voice rang out in a low tone.
[What’s up?]
Judging by his reaction, he seemed to know Hayeon’s number.
“Dad!”
[Oh, it was Lee-eum.]
The stiff voice quickly turned affectionate.
“We’re having miso soup for dinner tonight.”
He told me to choose, but he was just informing his dad.
Hayeon chuckled, realizing why she was calling here instead of in front of Madam Lee or Chief Jang.
[Really? Dad wants to eat bean sprout soup… Can you tell Madam Lee to make what Dad wants?]
Yoonjae saw right through the child.
“No! We decided to have what Teacher wants today.”
[Teacher?]
“Teacher also doesn’t like bean sprout soup because it’s bland.”
Suddenly the cell phone went silent. The child didn’t wait for Yoonjae’s silence to last long.
“Dad, are you listening to me?”
[Yeah, I’m listening. Dad also wants miso soup.]
“Okay!”
As if the business was over, the child ran to the front door. She waved her hand at Hayeon and ran out wearing her shoes.
Not knowing that Lee-eum had left, Yoonjae’s voice rang out through the cell phone speaker.
[Tae Lee-eum, I’m only letting you off the hook this once. Bean sprouts aren’t bland, they’re good for you.]
The hand reaching for the cell phone stopped.
A terrible memory that I thought I had forgotten came to mind.
‘You didn’t eat the soup again?’
‘Yeah, I don’t like bean sprout soup because it’s bland.’
‘An athlete being picky… Bean sprouts aren’t bland, they’re good for you.’
‘I just don’t eat the soup, I like seasoned bean sprouts.’
‘Are you going to be like this in front of our baby later?’
‘It’s okay. Tantan will be like me and like seasoned bean sprouts more than soup.’
‘No, she’ll be like me and like soup. Just you wait.’
A pain like my heart was being shattered by something that cost a few thousand won per bag washed over me.
[I guess the side dish today will be Lee-eum’s favorite seasoned bean sprouts.]
His voice was affectionate then, just like now.
If he knew that the person he was talking to now was Hayeon, not Lee-eum, he wouldn’t be so affectionate.
Hayeon took a deep breath, wanting to get rid of the throbbing pain that started from deep inside her chest.
[Lee-eum?]
I didn’t want his voice to ring out affectionately in the house any longer. Hayeon turned off the speaker and put the cell phone to her ear.
“Lee-eum… left.”
[Oh… okay.]
As if confirming Hayeon’s voice, the voice coming from the other side of the cell phone was cold.
The fact that he was coming home for dinner meant he was coming home early, so there was no need to ask what time he was coming home.
“It’s not that I have other intentions… When do you have time?”
[If you have other intentions.]
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
[I don’t think I started it first.]
I didn’t want to get caught up in this kind of thing. Hayeon quickly brought up the matter.
“I had an orientation with Lee-eum today.”
[You did what?]
He heard it, but he tried to confirm it every time.
“Orientation, she asked a lot of questions… There wasn’t much I could answer without consulting with the guardian. So, we need to discuss it.”
[Discuss?]
“Yeah, not negotiate, discuss.”
I could hear a long sigh over the phone. I could picture him narrowing his brows and frowning as if he were right in front of me.
I didn’t want to fight with him anymore. No, it would be more accurate to say that I didn’t have the strength to do so.
I ran away because I wanted to get out, but I was back where I started. Rather than continuing to waste energy on something useless, Hayeon decided to comply.
That’s why I needed a discussion, not a negotiation.
[Let’s talk when I get home.]
I would see him at dinner anyway, so I didn’t need to make an appointment to meet separately, but I was careful about bringing up the issue of the child.
I wanted to end everything quickly by meeting Yoonjae at a set time. So instead of an ambiguous answer of talking when he got home, I needed a set appointment.
“No, just decide now and let me know.”
[Is there a reason?]
There was.
I didn’t want to look like I was waiting for him. I didn’t want to peek around the inner quarters and wag my tail when I saw him again.
[Why? Are you afraid you’ll end up sleeping with me again?]
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