“no way… … .”
Did he disappear after hearing his conversation with Hyun Je-ha?
* * *
While everyone else was frantically looking for Haneul, Kang Ha-jun walked around slowly enough to feel relaxed. That didn’t mean I wasn’t worried about Haneul. Thinking that he needed to move more calmly at times like this, he forced himself to slow down.
The place where Kang Ha-jun went was where Haneul got off the kindergarten bus. He thought that if the child could move on his own, he would move to the place he had been to the most.
Kang Ha-jun’s gaze as he looked around his surroundings did not miss even the smallest detail. Then, as he passed by the playground, his steps stopped. He said there were no children playing on the playground. There was no sky.
“Sky… … .”
Looking at the playground, Kang Ha-jun sighed, remembering how he had once taken Haneul on a plane ride. My heart was heavy because this wouldn’t have happened if Eunyul hadn’t come to the hotel today. Kang Ha-jun, unaware that Haneul had disappeared, was only happy that she was engaged to Eun-yul.
Kang Ha-jun felt so sorry for Haneul that he clenched his fists so painfully that they trembled. But his self-blame had to stop for a moment. It is not too late to do anything after finding Haneul. So, we have to hurry and look for the sky first… … .
Kang Ha-jun, who was just about to pass by the playground, stopped again as if he realized something. And as I looked around the playground, something different from before caught my eye.
Hajun Kang entered the playground. Slowly, but without haste, he leaned towards the entrance of the cylindrical slide. It may be that his suspicions were pointless, but he couldn’t just ignore it because he had once tried to hide from someone when he was very young.
Inside the cylindrical slide, a black shadow appeared as if something was blocked. Upon closer inspection, Kang Ha-jun realized that it was a small body and that it was the sky, and heaved a sigh of relief.
Kang Ha-jun, who took out his cell phone and sent a message to Eun-yul and Namgoong-hyuk, looked at the sky again.
“Sky.”
Haneul, who was crouching, raised her head at Kang Ha-jun’s call.
“uncle.”
“Come on.”
Kang Ha-jun stretched out his hand toward the sky. It was a very careful gesture so that Haneul could feel relieved to see him. Haneul looked at the large hand held out in front of her and immediately burst into tears and held it.
I guess it was thanks to my shoes that I managed to not slip on the cylindrical slide. As soon as Haneul sat down, Kang Ha-jun caught her in his arms as she slipped down.
“three… … Korean inch.”
Haneul hugged Kang Ha-jun’s neck and called out to him.
“Yes, sky.”
“uncle… … .”
Haneul called Kang Ha-jun again and cried even louder, probably feeling sad. For some reason, Kang Ha-jun whispered as he rubbed the back of the crying child without saying anything.
“Sorry. “Sky.”
I felt like it was all my fault that Haneul was crying. I felt sorry for everything to Haneul.
“dad… … Well, my dad… … .”
Haneul made eye contact with Kang Ha-jun and said. The words came to a halt in the middle, but it was clear that he was trying to ask what Namgoonghyuk said. Am I really Haneul’s father? … .
“I was going to tell you everything.”
I should have said it sooner. If that were the case, Haneul wouldn’t have been in the slide like this.
Kang Ha-jun was about to talk to Haneul with a look of guilt in his eyes.
“You’re not going to take my dad away, are you?”
When Kang Ha-jun realized that the father Haneul mentioned was Seong Eun-yul, Kang Ha-jun was unable to answer right away.
Kang Ha-jun awkwardly held the swing he was trying on for the first time in 20 years. I was glad that his butt wasn’t caught, but I was worried that the swing might collapse under my weight. If it collapses, heaven will protect it first.
Kang Ha-jun, who thought about something useless for a while, returned to reality. I followed the squeak sound of the swing and turned my gaze to see a small head. The tears had stopped, but it seemed pitiful that she was whimpering every once in a while.
The child was more scared that he would take Eunyul away than that I was the father. So, without realizing it, he must have gone somewhere other than the restaurant and hid inside the familiar slide.
Just like my younger self… … .
Kang Ha-jun spoke as he forced himself to tell the story of his past, when his dying mother told him to run away and he left home and hid in the playground.
“Sorry.”
Haneul did not turn around, but Kang Ha-jun still kept his eyes on the child and spoke.
“I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I never meant to take your dad away from you. I happened to have an engagement ceremony first, but ah, what is an engagement? … .”
For a moment, Kang Ha-jun realized that Haneul was 5 years old and frowned slightly. It was difficult for him to explain because he didn’t know how much the child knew.
Ha-Jun Kang’s brow furrowed as he felt the same way as before when he explained that he was teaching the concept of minus.
“i know.”
“You know?”
“We are shouting that we are in love.”
It’s not exactly the same thing, but it’s not wrong either.
“how did you know?”
“easy.”
Sky blinked his swollen eyes and said with a cute smile.
“I get a lot of confessions. “I can’t get married because the kids are still young, so I’m asking them to get engaged.”
“Ah, Sky is very popular.”
The serious atmosphere from earlier became strange for a moment, and Haneul turned his head away. As if the smile she had just made was all a lie, Haneul became sullen again.
“I’m the one my dad loves the most, but now I’m an uncle.”
“That’s not it. Dad’s favorite… … “How can a person become me?”
The reason I paused for a moment was because of the pitiful feeling of not wanting to be pushed around by this small child. Kang Ha-jun sighed and comforted Haneul.
Haneul’s disappointed emotions overflowed from her small body. Even if you are engaged, you still have to tell Eun-yul that Haneul is the best. But Sky spoke quickly.
“Because my uncle is also my father.”
“… … .”
I expected to hear it through Namgoong Hyuk’s chatter, but when he actually said he was my father, I couldn’t react.
Meanwhile, Haneul made eye contact again.
“It’s natural that Dad loves you.”
Kang Ha-jun took a long breath. He only recently managed to enter the range that Haneul said was normal. It’s not natural at all, we’re not an ordinary couple like others… … .
“Aren’t you surprised to find out I’m your dad?”
First, I asked Haneul because I wanted to know his exact feelings before telling him about their situation.
“Why are you surprised?”
“Because you wouldn’t have known… … .”
“I understand.”
The end of Kang Ha-jun’s sentence disappeared at Haneul’s calm reply. Got it?
“Since when did you know?”
“They say I look like my uncle.”
When Haneul stamped his feet, the swing made a squeak and moved.
“How did you know that we looked alike?”
Kang Ha-jun turned around in disbelief, and Ha-neul also raised her head and made eye contact.
“Everyone says my uncle and I are the same.”
“that… … .”
Kang Ha-jun tried to say that wasn’t the case. However, the moment he saw Haneul’s face, he was speechless.
When I looked at it, it looked like a face from my childhood. However, it was surprising that the word ‘look alike’ could have such a direct impact on a child.
“The teacher also called my uncle dad.”
Haneul looked ahead again and stamped his foot.
Kang Ha-jun, realizing that there were opportunities everywhere for Haneul to notice, laughed helplessly. When I revealed that I was a father, I was very nervous and wondered what I should say first in case Haneul would be surprised, but there was no need to do that. Since I already knew, it was an easier environment to explain the situation. But it didn’t take long for that idea to be proven wrong.
“My dad got engaged without me.”
Because Haneul didn’t notice that the misunderstanding was growing.
Through Haneul’s self-talk, I learned why the child felt anxious.
However, Haneul was not intentionally excluded. Rather, I felt empty and regretful because there was no sky.
Kang Ha-jun got off the swing and went in front of Haneul. Kang Ha-jun bent one knee and made eye contact. He slowly stopped the swing and then looked at Haneul.
“Something complicated happened earlier, so I couldn’t call Haneul. I didn’t do that on purpose. As soon as he came, he tried to talk to Haneul.”
“… … Really?”
“of course. Eunyul says you are the best to her father. Of course, I wanted to tell you too.”
Haneul listened to Kang Ha-jun’s quiet voice.
“really?”
“okay.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know everything. and… … .”
Kang Ha-jun raised his hands as if he was surrendering.
“You don’t have to be anxious. “If you’re still worried about me, uncle, I’ll stay quiet.”
“Still?”
“huh. “I’ll stay like this without breathing or blinking.”
Kang Ha-jun blocked his nose and closed one eye, pretending to hold his breath. So, the corners of Haneul’s mouth rose and fell as if he was about to laugh.
“So, Sky, don’t go down the slide like you did today and tell your dad. Don’t hide, speak… … “Dad won’t be surprised if he thinks he lost you too.”
He said this out of concern not only for Haneul’s heart but also for Eunyul’s heart. Because I didn’t want the two of you to get hurt.
“uncle… … .”
Did Kang Ha-jun’s efforts work? Sky’s dry voice called to him.
“Your father will be very worried, right?”
“it’s fine now. “It’s coming this way.”
If he had been at the restaurant, he might have been able to get there faster, but he seemed to have gone further to look for Haneul.
Kang Ha-jun carefully stroked Haneul’s cheek with his thumb.
“When dad comes, give me a hug.”
“yes.”
As Haneul spoke with a secret smile, Kang Ha-jun smiled at the child.
After the atmosphere became more comfortable, Kang Ha-jun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“When will Dad come?”
Haneul muttered as he looked at the entrance to the playground.
“miss you.”
“me too.”
