Ji Hyo almost cries. Almost.

How can he control her life and dictate who should be with her and who should be friends with her? How can he say that she’s still his when she can’t even shout to the whole world that he’s her husband? How can he say that she’s his when he’s holding another woman’s hand?

Tears almost fall from her eyes. But she doesn’t let it happen. Not in front of an acquaintance. Not in front of her daughter.

Ji Hyo clears . “Joesonghaeyo, Kwang Soo-yah. That was unaccounted for. Please continue eating.”

“Noona, gwaenchanayo?” Kwang Soo watches her with worry. “If you need an outsider's ear, that won’t judge you, I’m here.”

“Gomawoyo, Kwang Soo-yah, but I think I’m gonna work things out with my husband first.” Ji Hyo smiles. “Sorry, you had to watch that.” She signals to the moment that happened earlier.

“Aniyo. There’s nothing you should be sorry for.” Kwang Soo smiles politely.

Why can’t she have a husband like Kwang Soo, that’s funny and a great father figure and caring and understanding and everything? Why does she have to love a man that keeps hurting her over and over?

-

“Daumido eolleun noran mojareul beoseo deonjyeosseoyo. ‘Paranga, nae noran mojado julge. Ppalli nawa.’ Ppalgan oseul ibgo noran mojareul, sseun Parangiega boyeoyo. Ije badaeseodo Parangiereul jal chajeul su isseoyo*.” Ji Hyo finishes reading the story and closes the book. She’s sitting on Jin Joo’s bed with her daughter’s arm sprawls around her waist. She looks at her daughter who’s not sleeping yet and looking at her curiously. “Jin Joo-yah, still not sleeping? Are you feeling okay? Not cold? Not dizzy?”

Jin Joo shakes her head.

“Then, do you want me to read you another story?”

“Aniyo, Eomma.” Jin Joo looks straight into her Eomma’s eyes. “Fighting with Appa?”

Ji Hyo’s heart skips a bit. What kind of four-year-old notices their parents’ behavior? “Ani. Wae?”

“Eomma fight with Appa at lunch.” Jin Joo answers quietly.

“Did you see us fighting earlier?” Ji Hyo is sure that they did argue but they weren’t fighting. Yes, they were not on the same page, but how can her little girl come up with that conclusion? How can her little girl notice her surroundings?

This time, Jin Joo nods firmly.

“We weren’t fighting, Jin Joo-yah.” Ji Hyo hugs her little body to assure her.

Jin Joo hugs her back. “Jinjja? Then, Appa eodieyo? Why Appa’s not eating with us?”

Honestly, Ji Hyo also doesn’t know where he is. He might still at work, or he might stay the night at his mistress’ apartment. She doesn’t know and she doesn’t really want to know.

“Appa has a late-night meeting, so he eats dinner with his colleagues.” Again and again, Ji Hyo has to lie. She feels bad, lying to her four-year-old daughter. But she is not going to break her heart.

“Ahhh.” Jin Joo nods like she understands. “Dangyeonhaji.”

Ji Hyo laughs. What a complicated word for a little girl. “Where did you learn that word, Jin Joo-yah?”

“I heard Appa say that to his friend.” Jin Joo grins.

“His friend?” Ji Hyo wonders. Jong Kook used to say that word when he was teasing her. He would playfully close her ears with his hands and say that word with a grin that made his eyes looked swallowed by his cheeks.

Jin Joo nods again. “Appa's friend that’s eating lunch with us, Eomma.”

Eun Hye?

“Jinjja?” Ji Hyo smiles bitterly. So, it’s not a special thing that he does with her. He does that to every woman.

“Dangyeonhaji.” Jin Joo laughs. She somehow finds the word funny and since her mother is amazed, she’s going to keep repeating it, even though she’s not sure what the word means.

Ji Hyo chuckles again. She won’t let the thought of that woman ruins her and her daughter’s night. “Do you even know what that means?”

“Dangyeonhaji.” Jin Joo giggles.

“Well, you’re using it at the right moment, so I’m not going to tell you what that actually means.” Ji Hyo sticks her tongue out.