TDR6B 06

Chapter 06…

Lee Hyun-woo stammered.

“Th-that’s because I only found out recently that I had a child!”

Kang Tae-jun spoke with a firm expression.

“I’ll spare no expense in providing Haru with everything she needs to make up for the time I lost with her.”

Gong Dae-in also bowed his head.

“I will become a father she can truly rely on.”

The grandmother clicked her tongue disapprovingly as she fried some seaweed rolls.

The food arrived, and Haru picked up her fork with practiced ease.

“Haru can do things all by herself! Mommy said I should become an independent child!”

After taking a bite of tteokbokki, Haru blew on it with a series of little puffs.

All three men simultaneously held out their cups of water to her.

While chewing her tteokbokki, Haru observed the men’s hands.

The hands holding chopsticks.

Kang Tae-jun—right hand.

Lee Hyun-woo—right hand.

Gong Dae-in—

Left hand.

Without realizing it, Haru lowered her gaze to the fork in her own left hand.

Haru was left-handed, too.

‘Is that man Haru’s daddy?’

Haru recalled something she had read in a picture book.

‘Only ten percent of the population is left-handed. The book said genetics play a big role! Then could this man really be…?’

As Haru stared intently at Gong Dae-in, he wiped the sauce around her mouth with an expressionless face.

He simply and efficiently carried out whatever needed to be done without changing his expression, just like the robot in the baby pig picture book.

Lee Hyun-woo’s sharp gaze caught Haru looking back and forth between her own left hand and Gong Dae-in’s left hand.

“I’m left-handed, too!”

Lee Hyun-woo tried using his chopsticks with his left hand, only to drop a piece of tteokbokki.

“Stop forcing it.”

Kang Tae-jun gave him a look of utter exasperation.

Haru thought carefully.

Being left-handed alone wasn’t enough. She needed more clues.

‘Suspicious! Dodo also said that the real answer is never easy to find! I have to observe them more!’

“Haru is still investigating. I need to find out whether you uncles are really my daddies or not, so please help me.”

“Wasn’t I already your daddy?”

Kang Tae-jun said this with an oddly dejected expression.

Lee Hyun-woo suddenly looked as if he were about to cry.

“Wait, Uncle?”

“Since Haru still doesn’t know who her real daddy is, if I call just anyone Daddy, my real daddy will be sad.”

Haru pressed her lips into a firm line and widened her eyes.

“Mommy said family is really precious. So I can’t just call anyone Daddy.”

Each of the three men thought to himself.

‘She’s so firm and logical. She must have taken after me.’

‘She’s adorable. I want to destroy the world!’

‘There is a 99% probability that she is my daughter. Objectively speaking, she resembles me the most.’

“Okay! Once we confirm who your real daddy is, you’ll call him Daddy then, right?”

At Lee Hyun-woo’s words, Haru smiled brightly. Holding a fork with a piece of tteokbokki in one hand, she used her other hand to draw a big circle in the air.

“Of course! If you’re Haru’s real daddy, Haru will love you thiiiiis much!”

All three men clutched their chests at the same time.

Haru had been the one who wanted to eat tteokbokki, but she was too full to eat much of it.

As they left the tteokbokki restaurant, Lee Hyun-woo spoke in a coaxing voice.

“Haru, you know, if you come to Daddy’s house, there’s a game console and even a movie theater! There are tons of fun things to do! I even decorated a pretty room just for you. Aren’t you curious?”

Kang Tae-jun, standing beside him, immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

“A house with a game console and a movie theater can hardly be considered a good environment for raising a child.”

“Haru needs to run around and play happily!”

“Nonsense.”

Kang Tae-jun scoffed.

“Obviously, I’m the most suitable person to raise her because I can provide the ideal environment for her. And don’t forget. Haru chose me.”

“You’re too busy to even have time to take care of Haru.”

“I’ve already found a kindergarten for Haru. They normally don’t accept midyear transfers, but they said they would gladly make an exception for my daughter.”

“You workaholic! You practically live at the office! Can you even pick Haru up in time when kindergarten lets out? Do you have any idea how important the age of five is for a child’s development?”

“I can make time. Besides, aren’t you just as busy?”

“I have capable employees!”

“That’s an irresponsible statement, both as a company representative and as a father.”

Gong Dae-in interrupted their argument.

“I’m prepared to raise her. I can provide both a stable environment and educational stimulation.”

Haru promptly squeezed herself between the three men.

“Haru already made her decision earlier!”

Haru toddled over to Kang Tae-jun and held out her hand.

“?”

“Please hold Haru’s hand.”

Kang Tae-jun froze awkwardly.

“You want me to… hold your hand?”

Haru nodded.

Then she extended her gloved hand toward Kang Tae-jun again.

When Kang Tae-jun awkwardly held out his hand, Haru firmly wrapped her tiny fingers around his pinky.

Then she turned toward the other two men, whose shoulders had drooped, and spoke.

“It’s okay. If you wait, Haru will investigate the other uncles, too.”

Lee Hyun-woo crouched down, looking as though he might burst into tears.

“Haru-yaaa. Hold Daddy’s hand, toooo! Daddy’s hand is probably warmer!”

Kang Tae-jun pushed Lee Hyun-woo’s forehead away as he tried to cozy up to Haru.

“Wait! But Haru, what’s with those gloves?”

All three men’s gazes shifted to Haru’s gloves.

“The weather’s gotten warmer. Aren’t your hands hot?”

Just as Lee Hyun-woo was about to remove Haru’s gloves, Haru hurriedly hid her hands behind her back.

“No!”

The three men froze at Haru’s reaction.

Haru, who had been giggling cheerfully at every opportunity, was now completely stiff.

As the air grew tense, Gong Dae-in pushed up his glasses.

“It’s fine. If Haru wants to wear her gloves, she can keep them on.”

Only then did Haru’s tense shoulders relax slightly.

“Haru mustn’t take her gloves off.”

Lee Hyun-woo also returned to his usual smooth-talking self and began trying to comfort her.

“Haru, Daddy’s sorry. I didn’t know you disliked it that much.”

Only then did Haru slowly bring her hands back from behind her back, wiggling her fingers as she did so.

The three men exchanged glances.

They had no idea how Oh Jang-mi had raised her child, but something seemed strange.

Without letting their suspicions show in front of Haru, Kang Tae-jun calmly spoke.

“For now, I’ll take the child with me. We’ll arrange a meeting soon.”

The penthouse on the top floor of a luxurious officetel.

“Wow!”

Haru ran around from one place to another, repeatedly exclaiming in amazement.

Remembering the shabby studio apartment building where Haru had been living, Kang Tae-jun clicked his tongue.

‘Young children have weak immune systems and get sick easily. I wonder if she’s been ill at all.’

As he watched Haru begin rolling around on the floor rug, Kang Tae-jun’s gaze settled on her grimy teddy bear.

His eyebrows twitched.

Without warning, Kang Tae-jun snatched the teddy bear away.

Haru jumped up and tried to get it back, but she couldn’t reach it easily.

“Gomi is mine!”

“It’s dirty.”

Gomi was dirty?!

Crash!

Haru’s expression crumpled like a blade of grass struck by lightning.

“Gomi isn’t dirty!”

“It is. I’ll give it back after washing it.”

Haru glared at Kang Tae-jun with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Gomi doesn’t like baths! Haru hates you, Uncle!”

Kang Tae-jun’s face stiffened in shock.

He had managed to make a child hate him in less than a day.

He knew absolutely nothing about raising children, but even he had heard a few things about parenting.

They said that if you wanted to guide a child onto the right path, you must never lose a battle of wills.

Steeling himself for Haru’s sake, he spoke firmly.

“If something isn’t allowed, then it isn’t allowed.”

Just as Kang Tae-jun put Gomi into the washing machine and reached for the button, Haru burst into tears.

“Waaah! Nooo!”

Kang Tae-jun froze in alarm.

A baby crying? How was he supposed to deal with something like this?

“…Then should I throw Gomi away and buy you a new one?”

“No! A new one won’t smell like Mommy! Uncle, you’re really mean! You’re a villain!”

Kang Tae-jun fell silent.

He had forgotten that it hadn’t even been a full day since this child had been separated from her mother.