Jeong Taeui paused. He didn’t know if it was because they were born into a good family, eating well and playing happily all day, but every child looked beautiful and bright. The children sat in a semicircle, while Christoph leaned on the table above, looking at him.

“This scene should belong in an artwork or a painting.”

“Ah, no, this is already an artwork.” 

Jeong Taeui mumbled as he looked around the room, then handed the books to Christoph.

The children seemed very curious about the stranger suddenly appearing, but they remained polite and silent.

Feeling awkward about just delivering the books and leaving immediately, Jeong Tae-eui decided to compliment the children. He looked at them and then turned to Christoph.

“The children look beautiful and lovely. I guess because they are well-raised.”

“Because in a wealthy family, everyone picks beautiful wives, so that’s why.”

Christoph responded without hesitation with a cold tone. Jeong Taeui frowned at him.

While his words might make sense from a certain perspective, he didn’t expect Christoph to say such things in front of these innocent children.

Christoph was indeed unusual. Both in his thoughts and understanding of the world, he was abnormal.

Jeong Taeui turned back, frowned at Christoph, and raised his voice: “Ya!!!”

“Saying such things in front of the children, what are you thinking?”

Hearing this, Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui with a puzzled expression. He sighed and replied calmly, as if tired of explaining about these children.

“Jeong Taei. You have a serious misunderstanding about these children. Look, how old are they? They are twelve or thirteen years old. At this age, children trained early in such special fields, are they still ‘children’ as you think?”

Christoph calmly said as if fed up with explaining about these children. It sounded reasonable, but even so, Jeong Taeui glanced at the kids and signaled him to keep quiet.

However, when Jeong Taeui looked at their cute faces smiling at each other behind him, he realized Christoph was right. Though these children might have slight differences, they were extremely intelligent. They knew how to make themselves acceptable to others, and even when the other party realized the truth, they knew how to smooth things over without any problem.

Maybe that was the survival technique of children who could only live when receiving adult love.

“Are you Christoph’s friend?”

A girl with a sweet voice spoke up after observing Jeong Taeui closely.

Her voice was as sweet as a delicious butter cake. Jeong Taeui nodded. Then Christoph next to him looked at him strangely. Jeong Taeui responded with a question mark. Christoph turned back with a blank expression after receiving the question ‘What’s up?’ from him.

“It’s the first time I’ve met Christoph’s friend.”

“Me too, me too.”

“If it’s someone who doesn’t get along with Christoph, I know a lot.”

“I know too! Oliver’s dad!”

“Oliver’s dad? It’s Richard.”

Like fireworks exploding, the children who had been silent and staring at Jeong Taeui with bright eyes all chattered.

“Don’t pretend to be curious. No matter what, your study time won’t decrease. Play as much as you want, but study just as much.”

As soon as Christoph spoke in a low voice, the children immediately fell silent.

Jeong Taeui once again looked around the children with an unpleasant feeling. Suddenly, his eyes stopped at the face of a child with a vaguely familiar feeling. That face looked exactly like someone?

Ah, right. Oliver’s father, Richard. Oliver. The boy was Richard’s son.

The boy who looked just like Richard was sitting there obediently.

It might have been the expression or the atmosphere around the boy, or even the personality that made even the hand holding the book look the same. Jeong Taeui thought Richard might have looked like this at that age.

“Wow…”

Jeong Taeui unintentionally exclaimed.

Indeed, sharing the same bloodline was unmistakable, but if the boy looked so much like Richard, he wondered where the mother’s blood had gone.

The child seemed to understand why Jeong Taeui was surprised and smiled calmly. At that moment, his face looked just like his father’s.

“Their personalities are completely different. That kid is unfortunate, but still better.”

Christoph probably also realized why Jeong Taeui exclaimed. He said indifferently. Those indifferent words were quite surprising.

Because the boy looked just like Richard, was he scolded? What Christoph said sounded a bit different, but the meaning was the same. But since Christoph was the one who said it, it seemed quite mild.

If Christoph said it and Richard’s son heard it, the phrase “but still better” could be understood as the boy being ‘very kind’.

However, Jeong Taeui still scolded Christoph for saying such things in front of the boy and glanced at Oliver, then patted his head.

“It’s okay, I still like your dad.”

Jeong Taeui added to himself: ‘No matter how much that mean brat curses me.’

Oliver smiled lightly and responded in an adult-like tone: “Thank you.”

But Christoph, standing next to him and hearing their conversation, frowned coldly.

“Did you switch sides?”

“I’m not siding with you or Richard, I just like to keep my neutrality.”

Jeong Taeui frowned and replied to Christoph, who maintained his cold demeanor.

At that moment, the boy suddenly bowed his head and laughed loudly. Jeong Taeui didn’t know what was funny. He wondered, seeing the boy’s embarrassed image.

“What’s so funny?”

“If you like my dad, then I think you also like Christoph.”

It seemed the boy was familiar with the symmetrical structure of his father and Christoph.

Jeong Taeui fell silent when the boy spoke softly. Christoph next to him was also silent.

Jeong Taeui glanced at Christoph.

“Of course, I do.”

Though it was a bit unfair to say those words, Jeong Taeui could only respond gently to the boy.

Then Christoph suddenly frowned and lightly patted Jeong Taeui on the shoulder.

“I don’t like you. Stop hanging around here. You’re wasting my time. Get lost.”

Replying to the cold words with no room for discussion, Jeong Taeui muttered: “What a grumpy man…”, and walked out. However, his mood quickly improved when he received the children’s gentle farewells.

Oliver. The boy was quite well-behaved.

Jeong Taeui liked children. Whenever he met kids, whether visiting friends’ or acquaintances’ houses or accidentally encountering them at a playground while on a walk, Jeong Taeui always enjoyed playing with them. Watching children laugh, cry, play, and even argue brought him joy.

Despite this, Jeong Taeui had never thought about wanting to have a child of his own. But now, thinking about it seriously, he thought it would be great to have one or two or three children. However, it wasn’t something he wanted so much that he felt he had to have it. Moreover, it had now become an unrealistic notion.

Nevertheless, seeing those adorable children together made Jeong Taeui feel happy and content.

Above all, if there was a child who looked exactly like him, it would be truly adorable.

“It must be nice.”

Jeong Taeui unconsciously stared at Richard’s face and muttered. Richard smiled and spoke like a true father: “Yes, it is. He’s a good and healthy child. Even though we are divorced now, I am always grateful to my ex-wife…… Come to think of it, you aren’t married yet, are you?”

Jeong Taeui suddenly felt the urge to hiccup. He rubbed his chest and replied: “Yes…”, then sneaked a glance at Ilay, who was behind Richard.

Noticing his gaze, Ilay raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, a vague smile appeared on his lips. It was clearly a mocking smile directed at him.

Ha? He dared to mock him. Jeong Taeui could only swallow his anger silently.

Although Jeong Taeui knew he had entered a situation where he would never experience marriage again, he still felt angry when Ilay openly ridiculed him.

“The person behind you isn’t married either, right?”

When Jeong Taeui asked this roundabout question, Richard widened his eyes in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected it. Then he turned to look at Ilay with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Oh, he has a lover.”

“…….. Oh, really?”

Jeong Taeui almost blurted out: ‘Really??’, but he managed to hold back. Then he turned his gaze to Ilay with a look of disbelief. Although Ilay was not someone easily affected by others’ looks, he now frowned with a face that seemed to ask: ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’

Ilay had a lover.

For a moment, Jeong Taeui couldn’t help but wonder if there was someone like that at home. He wondered how someone who stayed home except for going out for work could suddenly have a lover. Right. A lover. If he got married to his lover, what would happen to him? For a second, Jeong Taeui seriously thought about planning his future and what he would do with his life.

Ilay had been staring down at Jeong Taeui while Taeui was lost in thought, suddenly narrowed his eyes when he saw Taeui’s head nodding alone. After three seconds of staring at Jeong Taeui’s strange expression, he seemed to understand something. 

Jeong Taeui saw Ilay open his mouth to say something.

‘Ah. Wait. Don’t say it. No need to say it. I don’t want to hear it either.’

“I don’t know if we are lovers or not, but since we are living together, you don’t need to worry about my marriage.”

Ilay looked at him and spoke. Jeong Taeui quickly tried to stop him, but his desperate gaze toward Ilay was in vain.

Those words coldly echoed from Ilay’s lips.

Suddenly, Jeong Taeui wanted to jump up from the bench and run away like a storm, but he wasn’t a storm, so he could only sit still.

“Ah… y…yes. That’s something to be congratulated for.”

Jeong Taeui muttered as he lowered his head. He wasn’t sure if this was truly something to congratulate his lover on. Then, Jeong Taeui felt as though he had saved someone by sacrificing his body. But along with that initial pride, his mood quickly became empty. 

Richard, who seemed unaware of the strange silence, smiled and continued the topic of children enthusiastically.

“I was very worried because my son is the youngest among the candidates for succession this time, but fortunately, he seems to get along well with the other children. He has always been very sociable, but I am relieved.”

Indeed, he seemed to be a very kind and warm-hearted father. Jeong Taeui felt he could understand a parent’s pride in their child.

After all, to parents, their children were always the best. And for a well-behaved and intelligent child, that was even better.

But then Jeong Taeui shook his head as he suddenly thought of Christoph.

Because he was so beautiful and intelligent, he must have been a proud son to his parents – or at least a son who made his parents proud when he was young – though his personality made him somewhat doubtful of that. But if Christoph had children in the future, they would surely be unbearably adorable.

Even so.

Even so, he always seemed lonely.

Always expressionless, everything around him seemed empty and boring.

“….If he had children….”

Would it be different? Thinking about that, a vague feeling of anticipation and unease emerged in his mind.

However, Jeong Taeui did not think that would happen. He felt that the difference lay somewhere deeper, though he wasn’t sure where or how.

Jeong Taeui quietly looked down at his feet.

“Do you want to have children?”

Then, suddenly, a low voice came from not far away.

Jeong Taeui was lost in thought for a moment, suddenly became alert and looked up.

A few steps ahead, Ilay was silently looking down at him.

Jeong Taeui quickly waved his hand, saying no. He had been thinking about Christoph for a while and it seemed his thoughts had wandered far away.

“No, I don’t dislike children but—”

“Although everyone has different perspectives, I still want to advise you to consider it.”

Richard interjected. He looked very happy thinking about his son, with a smile on his face.

“And you, surely you don’t think about it either, do you?”

After asking Ilay, Richard emphasized a bit with a curious face. It seemed even he couldn’t imagine Ilay becoming a father.

Yes, I couldn’t imagine it either. Jeong Taeui thought as he glanced at Ilay.

He shook his head and replied: “No.”

“I’ve never thought about it, so I don’t have any preference for it.”

“Hmm. Does the person living with you think the same? If you have different views on children, it will be difficult.”

While Richard was talking to Ilay, Jeong Taeui felt extremely emotional.

He wondered when he had ever seen Ilay talk normally to someone like this.

Based on what he knew about Ilay, most of his conversations with others were either about work issues or political and social matters. Those were always bleak and dry conversations.

However, this conversation connected to everyday life made him feel so fresh and interested that he was almost moved to tears.

So, for a moment, Jeong Taeui did not realize that Ilay’s gaze was sweeping across his face after hearing Richard’s question.

“About having children… Well, even if the person wants it, it’s not possible…”

“Haha, in that case, why not adopt a child from someone else? Among my friends, there are some who have done that.”

“Adopt a child from someone else? … I don’t like that.”

Ilay slowly said.

Only then did Jeong Taeui gradually understand the conversation’s content.

Oh my. What?

Jeong Taeui thought that if there was no special relationship binding them, whether they got married or had children wouldn’t matter. Talking about marriage, if it was necessary, they could go to a country that allows same-sex marriage – although the thought of Ilay marrying someone made him feel incredibly uncomfortable – but wanting children from the start was impossible unless they decided to adopt.

And in reality, even though Jeong Taeui liked children, he didn’t necessarily have to have one of his own.

‘Anyway, it’s good.’ – Jeong Taeui scratched his head upon hearing Ilay’s answer, but he decided to swallow those words because it seemed ridiculous to say them out loud.

“Instead of finding someone else to have a child with, I’d rather…”

Ilay deliberately dragged out the last word without finishing the sentence and then immersed himself in thought. His gaze, hovering in midair, once again fell on Jeong Taeui’s face. Jeong Taeui unconsciously rubbed his arm, which had suddenly turned cold.

“I don’t know how long it will take, but it’s better to try until the child is born.”

Ilay concluded seriously. The moment Jeong Taeui heard those words, he froze in place.

Try what???

No matter how much they tried, having a child was impossible!

Suddenly, Jeong Taeui imagined a horrifying scenario where this man cornered him and said they should try until they had a child.

For a moment, he turned pale.

“No, but—first, those things should be discussed with the other person. Who knows, maybe the other person doesn’t want children.”

Jeong Taeui hurriedly interjected into their conversation.

Richard seemed slightly confused as he listened to Jeong Taeui, who had been silent but then suddenly joined in enthusiastically, but he quickly nodded in agreement. Ilay stared at him and then smiled with a vague, satisfied expression.

Jeong Taeui stroked his heart, which was pounding with anxiety and fear, and nodded repeatedly to Richard: ‘Yes, indeed.’

Richard looked at Jeong Taeui with a puzzled expression and then turned to Ilay and said,

“But I’m surprised to hear you’re living with someone. I never thought you would find such a person.”

“Coincidentally, neither did I.”

“Come to think of it, I forgot to mention the other day we met. Introduce them to me next time.”

“Sure.”

While listening to their conversation, which sounded like real friends, Jeong Taeui somehow felt as if needles were growing on the seat under him. More than anything, the worry about when a scary topic might arise made him finally unable to bear it anymore. He slowly stood up.

“Then I’ll take my leave now… Please send my regards to your lovely son.”

“Ah, sure. I’ll tell him. Oh, come to think of it, I might have asked this a few times already. Your name is…?”

Only after hearing Richard’s words did Jeong Taeui remember that he had never properly introduced himself to Richard or told him his name. Though they had talked a few times, he didn’t recall ever introducing himself properly.

“Dad!”

Ah, yes, this is why he couldn’t say anything. Whenever he tried to say his name, he always got interrupted like this.