“I don’t want a happy ending with you, I want a happy eternity because I can’t let this end…”

Song inserted in this chap: You and I by Lena Park (credit to owner)

“Appa, will make people’s hands and legs couldn’t move?” Park So Won asked as she turned around looking at her father who was watching television with her mother. She was doing her homework on the coffee table.

Min Ho narrowed his eyes at her as he peeked on her workbook. “You need to study biology already at this age?”

“Meo?” So Won asked in confusion.

He took another look at the books and confirmed it was not a science subject. “Hmmm… it depend what kind of and which part of the brain that affected. It usually will make people half paralyse at the right or left side. Wae? Why do you want to know about ?”

So Won stood up and sit in between her parents. She looked up at Min Ho. “I saw an ahjuhsi in the hospital the other day when we went to the hospital. He said he had a and his left hand seems no energy. So I’m curious. Is harabeoji paralyse too?”

Shin Hye took a look at Min Ho before turning to So Won. “So Won-ah, harabeoji is getting better already. He is having a therapy in the hospital so he is recovering.”

So Won nodded before looking at her father again. “Appa, maybe you should get metal balls for harabeoji too.”

Min Ho’s eyes widened slightly. “Metal balls?”

“Yes. I saw that ahjuhsi playing the metal balls using his left hand. He said it could help his don’t know what circulation.” So Won said.

“Blood circulation.” Min Ho corrected her as he held onto his daughter’s arms. “When did you saw that ahjuhsi? What did he talk to you?” He asked in a worried tone.

Shin Hye sensed something wasn’t right but didn’t say anything. She just sat there and waited for her daughter’s reply.

“That day when we had lunch with appa and halmeoni in the hospital. I went to the garden to see Hae Won. And then the ahjuhsi dropped the metal ball on the ground so I picked it up for him. I asked him about the metal balls and he told me his son bought it for him. He also said his son hates him.” So Won replied.

Min Ho loosened his grip on So Won’s arms as he turned back to face the television, looking at it mindlessly.

Shin Hye her daughter’s hair with a smile. “Continue with your homework.”

So Won nodded as she walked back to the coffee table.

“Are you alright?” Shin Hye asked, holding on Min Ho’s hand tightly.

“It was my father.” He muttered.

Shin Hye tilted her head. “How do you know?”

“I bought him that metal balls.” He replied.

She sighed as she squeezed his hand softly. “I don’t think he know So Won is your daughter. It was just a coincidence.” Shin Hye lifted her hand up and caressed his cheek when he remained silent. “He thought you hate him.”

“I do.” He uttered.

“You don’t. You love him and worried about him.” Shin Hye sighed deeply as she forced him to look at her by cupping his face in between her hands. “Talk to him. You told me not to avoid my father. You shouldn’t avoid him either. Even though he doesn’t like us, but you are his son. Let him know you don’t hate him.”

Min Ho nodded his head weakly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. He kissed her hair and inhaled deeply in her sweet scent.

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Min Ho read the medical file hanging at the end of the bed when he came into his father’s room the next morning.

“Doctor Jang said everything is okay. His response on the therapy looked optimistic and he started to regain more energy on his left side. He can probably discharge by end of this week.” Kim Mi Kyung told her son.

He nodded as he hanged the file back at the bed. He looked at Lee Ho Jin who was reading a book, without looking at him. He slowly walked towards his father and stopped beside him. “I’m glad you are feeling better now. You should rest more when you go home later. Continue to do the exercise the therapist teaches you even when you are at home. It can help you to recover faster.”

Lee Ho Jin cleared his throat without looking at him. “I-I’m glad you moved out too. I’ll definitely r-recover faster without you at home fighting with me. I don’t w-want to get another .”

Min Ho sighed deeply before he turned to his mother. “I still have a surgery to do later. I’ll go now. Call me if there is anything.” He took a last look at his father before he walked to the door. He then stopped without turning around. “I knew you saw So Won in the garden the other day.”

Lee Ho Jin looked up at Min Ho when he heard So Won’s name.

“She doesn’t know you are her grandfather. She told me she saw an ahjuhsi in the garden who had , exercising his hand with metal balls. She asked me to get a pair for you because that ahjuhsi told her it was good for blood circulation.” Min Ho looked down as he chuckled softly. “I don’t know how you feel about it but it really touched my heart when a little girl who doesn’t even see her grandfather before can have such a loving thought. This was how my daughter was educated by the woman you said she is a bad influence to me.” He opened the door and stepped out of the room.

Kim Mi Kyung sat down on the chair beside her husband. “You saw So Won? You didn’t tell me.”

Lee Ho Jin put the book down and looked at her. “Y-You didn’t tell me either that I have a granddaughter all t-these while.”

She smiled. “Isn’t she a lovely girl? She has a very pure and beautiful heart just like her parents.” She said as she looked at him. “I know you still feel very reluctant to accept the fact that your son goes against your arrangement but we have to agree that what he said was right. Everything we did, everything that we thought it was for their better future, it was actually not. They felt suffocated and unhappy. That was how we lost Seo Yeon.”

Lee Ho Jin exhaled sharply without saying a word. He felt a sharp pain in his heart when she mention about his daughter.

“When I first saw Shin Hye, I understand straight away why Min Ho loves her so much. She was not an ordinary girl. She was so strong and willing to do anything just to protect Min Ho.” Kim Mi Kyung said.

“If s-she really wants to protect Min Ho, she won’t get herself p-pregnant with his b-baby at that age. She even called you to help her.”

Kim Mi Kyung looked down. “Do you think getting pregnant at that age was easy for her? I witness it myself that night when she called me. Her whole body was soaked in rain and the fear in her eyes. I thought she wanted to beg me to let her see Min Ho but the first thing she told me was she wanted me to help her to save her baby.” She looked back at her husband. “She haven’t even graduate from high school yet. She gave up everything, her future, her life, just because she wanted to protect her baby, protect Min Ho’s baby, and protect our grandchild.”

Lee Ho Jin averted his gaze. “K-Keeping the baby is the best way to have Min Ho back.”

Kim Mi Kyung shook her head. “If she really thinks like that, she won’t run away with So Won. Why she want to run away when she can stay in a big beautiful house with everything she need that I prepared for her? She can just wait there until Min Ho comes back. But she didn’t. She ran away to Busan with So Won when she was only 1 year old. She didn’t use a single penny from the money I gave her every month. Can you imagine a young girl’s life being alone, taking care of a sick baby, no money, no job? But she survived. She came back stronger, with a well taken care, well-educated and well-mannered So Won.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sure Chae Won couldn’t do that.”

She sat closer as she held his husband’s hand. “We always said we want the best for our children. But we know it very clearly what kind of person Chae Won is. We know her since she was a kid. Her attitude and her personality, do you think she is the right choice for your son?” She let out a sigh. “If not because of her, everything won’t happen 9 years ago.”

Lee Ho Jin looked at her with a confusing gaze. “What do y-you mean?”

“That night……”

Lee Ho Jin widened his eyes. “A-Are you sure?”

“I heard it myself. I’m very sure. That was also one of the reasons why I want to help Shin Hye when she first told me about how she got pregnant. I was so shocked.” Kim Mi Kyung sighed again. “I never told anybody about this before. I thought since Shin Hye already went missing for so long, it doesn’t matter anymore. But now she is back and Min Ho already made himself clear that he wants her, I think you should know the truth.”

There was a long silence before Lee Ho Jin looked at his wife again. “Y-You go home now and bring over the bangle that my m-mother gave you last time.” He sighed. “I want to s-see them. Help me to arrange.”

Kim Mi Kyung smiled as she nodded.

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 Shin Hye took a deep breath as her grip on So Won’s hand tightened.

“Eomma, why are you so nervous? Your hand is sweating.” So Won asked, looking up at her mother. “Halmeoni called you yesterday said harabeoji want to see us. Why didn’t you tell appa?”

Shin Hye looked at So Won and sighed. “Your appa will jump and won’t let us come here today if he knows about it.” She kneeled down in front of her daughter and adjusted her dress. “Later when you see harabeoji, you have to greet him politely. Even if he is rude to us, you have to keep quiet and be nice to him. Arasso?” She said as she tugged the strands of hair behind So Won’s ear.

“Arasso.” So Won nodded.

Shin Hye stood up and walked towards the room and stopped in front the door. She took a last look on herself before she knocked on the door softly. She let out a soft smile when Kim Mi Kyung opened the door for them.

“You are here.” She smiled before looking at So Won. “Hi, So Won. You looked so beautiful today in that pink dress.”

So Won flashed her a sweet smile. “Halmeoni, eomma said I look lovely in pink.”

Kim Mi Kyung laughed softly. “You look lovely in any colour.” She turned back to Shin Hye and assured her with a warm smile. “Relax. He just wants to see you and So Won. Don’t worry. Come in.” She moved to the side and let them to step inside.

Shin Hye gasped silently when her eyes met Lee Ho Jin’s gaze. She quickly bowed politely at him. “A-Annyeonghaseyo. Park Shin Hye imnida.” Her voice quaked.

“Eo? Ahjuhsi.” So Won let go of her mother’s hand and ran towards the bed with her surprised expression. She stopped right beside him.

“Park So Won.” Shin Hye was shocked and wanted to pull her back but she was too fast.

Lee Ho Jin laughed softly as he looked at So Won. “Hi So Won.”

So Won widened her eyes. “You are not ahjuhsi. You are appa’s appa. You are my harabeoji?”

Lee Ho Jin smiled as he caressed her cheek. “Yes, I’m your h-harabeoji. Your appa is my bad son.”

“Bad son? No, appa is a good son. He was so worried about you when you are sick.” She tilted her head and looked at him confusingly. “You told me your son hate you the other day. You mean appa hate you?” She walked closer to him and held onto his hand. “Harabeoji, you are wrong. Appa doesn’t hate you.”

Shin Hye bit her lip, looking nervous. “So Won-ah. Have you forgotten what I told you just now? How can you be so rude?”

Kim Mi Kyung smiled as she walked to Shin Hye. “Don’t be so nervous. Just let them talk.”

Shin Hye nodded with an awkward smile, still looking worried.

“How do you know your a-appa doesn’t hate me?” He asked.

So Won slowly climbed up to the bed and sat beside her grandfather. She took his left hand and gently massaged it. “If appa hate you, he won’t be so worried about you. There was one night when I came out from the toilet, appa still busy with his work. He told me he was looking for any new method which can help harabeoji to recover faster.”

Lee Ho Jin smiled. “Do you h-hate harabeoji then?”

So Won looked at him with another confused expression. “Of course not. We all love harabeoji. Although you don’t like me and eomma, we still love you because you are appa’s appa. You are my harabeoji, my family.”

“So Won.” Shin Hye inhaled sharply. Her daughter was getting out of control.

Lee Ho Jin caressed the maple leave pendant on her neck. “I heard you w-were born in the autumn. Which mean your birthday is c-coming soon?”

So Won nodded happily. “Appa said he will get me a big present because it’s his first time celebrate my birthday. I’m very excited too. Last time only eomma celebrate my birthday with me. But this year I have appa, eomma, two harabeoji and two halmeoni. I’m very happy.” She said with a wide smile.

Lee Ho Jin laughed before turning to Kim Mi Kyung and looked at her meaningfully. She nodded before walking towards them. She carried So Won down of the bed. “Halmeoni need to buy something to eat in the cafeteria. Can So Won come with me?”

So Won smiled. “Of course.” She then turned to her mother. “Eomma, you stay here and take care of harabeoji.”

Shin Hye tensed up as she looked at Kim Mi Kyung nervously. “Let me help you to buy instead. You should stay here with Mr Lee.”

“Let t-them go. I have something to talk to you.” Lee Ho Jin cut in, looking at her.

Shin Hye’s heart almost stopped when her eyes met his gaze. She nodded as she averted her eyes.

Kim Mi Kyung gently squeezed her shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry.”

“Come here and sit down.” Lee Ho Jin said after his wife and So Won were out of the room.

Shin Hye slowly made her way towards the chair and sat down beside his bed. She can feel her body started to tremble and she can even hear her loud and fast pounding heart.

“Thank you.”

She looked up at him in shocked and suspected something was wrong with her ears. She couldn’t believe what she just heard.

Lee Ho Jin cleared his throat before looking at her. “I think t-this is the first time we officially met a-although I have already heard about you since 9 y-years ago. Thank you for e-everything you did for So Won and M-Min Ho. His mother told me everything.”

Shin Hye bit her lip as she looked down. “I just do what I think it was right. Without eomeonim’s help, I don’t think I will have So Won with me now.” She slowly looked up at him. “Please don’t be angry with Min Ho. He felt very bad and sorry because he thinks he was the one who make you become like this. I know you don’t like me, but Min Ho is your son. I can keep myself transparent if you don’t want to see me.”

Lee Ho Jin smiled. “How can I be a-angry with my son when he just wanted to be a responsible m-man and a good father?” He let out a deep sigh. “So Won was right. I shouldn’t h-have force him to do something he doesn’t like. I s-should have asked him. Everything is p-pointless if he doesn’t like it.” He chuckled at himself. “An old man l-like me need to be reminded by an 8 years old kid. How pathetic.”

“I’m sorry if So Won said anything rude to you. She is still young and a lot of thing she still don’t understand.” Shin Hye apologized.

Lee Ho Jin shook his head. “You are wrong. S-She understood everything even clearer than anyone of us. Her thoughts were p-pure and direct. Not as complicated as a-an adult. She is very m-matured and understanding.” He looked back at her. “It was all because of you. You educate her very w-well. Nobody could have s-such a lovely kid if that person didn’t t-teach her with a kind and beautiful heart like yours.” He turned to the side cabinet and took a small box out from the drawer. He then passed it to Shin Hye.

Her eyes were widened in surprised when she opened the box. She took the jade bangle out before looking at Lee Ho Jin.

“This bangle was p-passed down from my great grandmother t-to all Lee’s family first son’s wife. I was planning t-to give it to Chae Won when t-they get married in the future. But I guess this b-bangle should belong to you now.” He said.

Shin Hye’s lips parted but she couldn’t find her voice to say a word. She was too shocked and even her hands were trembling.

“Please continue to take g-good care of my son and my granddaughter. I know you w-will d