Chapter 5
The probability of that happening was even higher than meeting him by coincidence on a dating program with an impossible chance.
What if he found out about Ye-bom’s existence and came to take the child away?
Ye-in’s breathing became faster as anxiety took over.
She clenched her fist tightly. She tried to calm herself by focusing on the pain of her fingernails digging into her palm.
Get a hold of yourself. That can’t be true.
If Mu-young knew about the child, there was no reason for him to appear on a dating program.
Mu-young also wouldn’t want the whole country to know that he had an illegitimate child.
Unlike Ye-in, he was a person who had far too much to lose.
Ye-in forced herself to raise her gaze again. But the moment she met Mu-young’s eyes, her pupils trembled uncontrollably once more.
Watching Ye-in, Mu-young’s lips curled slightly.
“Sun Ye-in, you really don’t seem to like me very much.”
“……What do you mean?”
Mu-young raised one eyebrow.
“You didn’t even tell me your name first.”
He dragged out his words.
He’s doing this on purpose.
Mu-young always enjoyed those moments when he knew exactly how the person listening to him was slowly drying up inside.
“You’re also avoiding eye contact.”
Although his tone was conscious of the camera, Ye-in could feel the sharp thorns hidden inside his words.
It felt as if he was deliberately trying to make her lose her composure.
Look. Baek Mu-young is enjoying all of this right now.
Ye-in slowly let out a breath.
She couldn’t waver.
She couldn’t show weakness in front of Mu-young.
Because he was naturally gifted at finding and attacking those weak points.
“Of course not. Why would I have bad feelings toward someone I’m meeting for the first time today?”
“Really? Then that’s a relief. I almost felt hurt.”
“Hey, Ye-in, you were like that when you saw me earlier too. Maybe you’re just shy around strangers? Don’t be too nervous.”
Si-hoon suddenly interrupted.
He was taking Ye-in’s side.
Right now, his presence was more welcome than anyone else’s.
“That’s right.”
Ye-in agreed without realizing it, grateful for his help.
“Huh? This is the first time I’ve seen you smile, Ye-in. You’re much prettier when you smile.”
“Ah……”
“Ah, you stopped smiling again. Okay. Then I’ll have to make you laugh a lot from now on. I want to see your smiling face more.”
Si-hoon chatted brightly.
Fortunately, the situation naturally changed so that Ye-in was looking at him instead of Mu-young.
“But it seems like the others aren’t coming. Do you think they all went toward the ocean?”
It was when Si-hoon asked that.
At that exact moment, the announcement rang.
The contestants’ entrances have ended.
Ah, only the three of us?
That means……
Sun Ye-in, please choose your first date partner.
Ah, seriously.
“Grandma! Aunt Jumi is coming out!”
“Okay, I’m coming!”
Jumi’s mother, Young-ran, hurried over and sat beside Ye-bom.
On the screen, Jumi was smiling brightly.
“Oh my goodness, what is she wearing? She’s practically half naked.”
Young-ran clicked her tongue.
Aunt Jumi normally dresses like that.
Ye-bom remembered Jumi’s clothes, which often showed a lot of skin because she enjoyed dressing that way.
But she decided not to say anything.
Aunt Jumi said that was loyalty.
A six-year-old knew at least that much.
On the screen, Jumi smiled.
Ye-bom slightly frowned.
Seeing a different expression and tone from the aunt she usually saw gave her goosebumps.
“Why isn’t Mom coming out?”
“I wonder.”
It had already been so long since the program started.
When would she appear?
Ye-bom had been waiting for this day ever since two days ago, when Ye-in left for filming.
Finally, she could see her mother on a huge television screen.
After coming home from kindergarten, she had stayed sitting in front of the TV the entire time.
She had even almost fallen asleep right before the program started, so it was understandable that the waiting felt even longer.
Ye-bom leaned her body against the sofa.
On the TV, Jumi had just been chosen by a male contestant.
Ugh. This is weird. Auntie doesn’t usually cover her mouth when she laughs like that. She laughs like a monkey, showing all her gums.
-Hong Jumi and In Tae-geon, please leave for your date.
-The first date couple has been decided. Since the first date has a great influence in our Couple Village……
A panelist sitting in a pink studio explained the situation.
Ye-bom yawned widely.
The screen changed to another location.
She saw swaying trees.
The blurry screen became brighter, and a woman slowly appeared while brushing back her hair.
Ye-bom suddenly stood up.
“Mom!”
When Ye-in appeared, Ye-bom felt like the screen was shining.
Her heart also began beating quickly.
I miss Mom!
[Sun Ye-in]
Her name appeared as a caption.
“As expected, my mom is the prettiest! She was already pretty, but with idol-like makeup and hair, she’s even prettier!”
“Oh my, Ye-in really is beautiful. Do you like her that much?”
Young-ran gently patted Ye-bom’s hair.
But even then, Ye-bom couldn’t take her eyes off the screen.
Ye-in walked slowly.
Sunlight filtering through the trees cast shadows across her face like a painting.
To Ye-bom, she looked exactly like a fairy that had come out of the forest.
“Come back. You look like you’re about to go inside the TV.”
Ye-bom, who had unknowingly moved right in front of the television, quickly returned and pressed her back against the sofa.
Then another male contestant appeared on the screen.
“Grandma, I think that man likes Mom.”
-Oh my, Si-hoon seems to really like her.
A female panelist sitting in the studio said the same thing Ye-bom was thinking.
-It’s not just Si-hoon. The MCs here are also completely smiling.
The male panelists in the studio scratched their heads and adjusted their sitting positions.
I was the one who asked Mom to find me a dad, but why? Why does this feel strange?
Ye-bom’s strange feeling grew stronger when another contestant appeared.
This time, the male contestant was tall and had sharp-looking eyes.
-Wow, what was that person’s name? Mu-young? Isn’t he a celebrity?
-Seriously. He looks like he walked out of a magazine photoshoot.
“He’s quite handsome.”
Following the panelists on TV, even Young-ran admired the appearance of the contestant named Mu-young.
“He’s not handsome. I don’t like that man!”
Ye-bom’s words slipped out.
Ah.
Mom always said she shouldn’t speak badly about others.
Ye-bom covered her mouth belatedly.
But for some reason, she especially disliked this person named Mu-young.
Ye-in appeared from behind the tree.
Ye-bom’s expression immediately softened.
Then Mu-young appeared afterward, and his face filled the screen in a close-up.
“Grandma, why does that man look like that? He’s scary.”
Ye-bom hugged a cushion tightly.
-Sun Ye-in, you really don’t seem to like me very much.
Ye-in’s eyes shook.
Ye-bom had never seen her make that expression before.
Maybe, just like Ye-bom, her mother was scared of that man.
Ye-bom frowned deeply.
Why is that man bothering my mom?
-……What do you mean?
-You didn’t even tell me your name first.
Ye-bom clenched her small fists.
If someone bothered her mom, she didn’t care how scary that person was.
She would hit him with her super lightning power fist.
-Sun Ye-in, please choose your first date partner.
“It looks like Ye-in is choosing now. Let’s see who our Ye-in picks between the two.”
Young-ran explained beside her.
“I hope she picks the red-haired man. I don’t like that tall man.”
“Why? He’s much more handsome.”
“Still, I don’t like him. He looks like a bad person. I absolutely, absolutely don’t want that man to become my dad.”
“Hmm, his impression is a little scary. Then let’s pray together that Ye-in chooses the red-haired one.”
Please, please, don’t let her choose that scary man!
Ye-bom prayed desperately.
But cruelly, before showing the next scene, the screen changed.
Mu-young was sitting alone on a sofa indoors, giving an interview.
Q. How did you feel when the two of them appeared?
“……Who suggested hiding?”
Q. Si-hoon did.
Mu-young nodded as if he had expected that answer.
“……”
Q. What about Ye-in?
“……”
“Was she pretty?”
Q. Ye-in?
“Still.”
