Chapter 5

Kim Min-seok stared at the young child who had entered the café. It was because the woman who had confessed to him was also staring at the child.

The child who entered the café looked as cute as a fairy from a movie. Their skin was so fair and white that it made one think of a foreigner.

The child had a face so striking it seemed like they had stepped out of a manga.

“Mommyyy!”

But the child was looking for their mother. Kim Min-seok looked around, but there was no one in the café who could be called a mother. It was empty. Except for the staff, no one else was in the café.

‘No way…’

Kim Min-seok glanced at the woman who had just rejected his confession with a doubtful look. The woman looked at the child and spoke.

“Ha-yeon! Weren’t you supposed to be at kindergarten?”

“I missed Mommy, so I came early!”

The little girl ran to the woman. Seeing this, Kim Min-seok thought, ‘So she really is a married woman with a child…’ He wasn’t the kind of man with no manners to cause family trouble. Watching the mother-daughter reunion, he felt like applauding in his heart. The two looked so perfect together.

Of course, he quietly left the café. His first love ended just like that. Confessing to a married woman with a child was something people would point fingers at.

—

I stepped out from behind the counter with a surprised expression. I hadn’t expected Ha-yeon to come here. Kindergarten usually ended around 3 PM.

So my work hours also ended around 3 PM. I had negotiated with the boss to work about 6 hours a day, from 9 AM to 3 PM. The café closed a little after 6 PM, but thankfully, the boss was understanding and allowed me to adjust my hours flexibly.

And afternoons were usually slow. The peak hours were from 11 AM to 2 PM, when housewives and office workers often stopped by. After that, the number of customers dropped significantly.

“Ha-yeon! If kindergarten ends early, you should go home!”

“But…”

It would take quite a while for a child to walk from kindergarten to here. So, looking at Ha-yeon, I said, “Next time, promise to go home? You don’t have to come pick me up!”

“Okay…”

Seeing Ha-yeon avoiding my gaze, it seemed like she would come to the café again. I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It felt a bit wrong to leave her alone at home. I thought I should talk to the kindergarten teacher and ask if Ha-yeon could stay until after 3 PM. Even if kindergarten ended early, it would be better to leave her with the teacher.

I finished work after 3 PM, so I couldn’t leave a child alone. Who knows what might happen? Did Ha-yeon understand my feelings?

As I was talking with Ha-yeon, Chae So-young and Yoo A-rin approached me with surprised expressions.

“Ha-yul…!”

“Is she really your daughter?”

I didn’t say anything, just nodded. What would the sisters think of me? Of course, I didn’t give birth to her, but in my heart, she was as good as my own. I couldn’t imagine a world without Ha-yeon anymore. It wasn’t just because she was like a protagonist in a novel. After living together for five years, I had grown deeply attached to her.

Even if she wasn’t the protagonist, I didn’t want to part with Ha-yeon. Seeing her cute antics melted away all my fatigue.

“So cute!”

“Kyaa! She’s like a doll!”

Thankfully, the sisters’ reactions were positive. They pinched Ha-yeon’s cheeks and pulled them playfully. Ha-yeon laughed and showed off her charms to them. It was a relief. If Ha-yeon had shown dislike, I wouldn’t have known what to say to the sisters.

Thankfully, Ha-yeon saved my face. If she had acted grumpy or childish in front of the sisters, I wouldn’t have had much to say. After all, they were kind of like my workplace superiors.

“Ha-yul, can you wait?”

There was still some time left before my shift ended. I could have asked the boss to let me leave early, but I had only been working for two weeks. Leaving early would make a bad impression. Attendance was crucial.

“Yep! I can wait even ten hours!”

I glanced at the sisters. They nodded and said to me, “We’ll handle the counter. Go play with Ha-yeon. We’ll take responsibility.”

“Yeah, yeah~ Raising a kid must be tough, Ha-yul.”

With the sisters’ help, I managed to seat Ha-yeon at a corner table on the first floor.

“Ha-yeon, do you want something to drink? Should I get you some milk?”

“Yep!”

Leaving her alone at the table wasn’t ideal, but I had no choice. My shift wasn’t over yet. Thankfully, with the sisters’ help, time passed smoothly. Occasionally, customers would ask if it was okay for the child to be sitting alone, but other than that, there were no issues.

Soon, it was time to leave. I quickly changed in the dressing room and came out. The sisters had to work until 6 PM, so they couldn’t come out to see me off. I bowed my head and said, “Thank you, sisters.”

“What’s there to thank? I just found out today that Ha-yul is a mom! If I had such a pretty daughter, I’d hide her too!”

“Right. If I had such a cute and pretty daughter, I wouldn’t tell anyone either!”

Chae So-young and Yoo A-rin laughed as they spoke to me. Seeing their smiles, I felt glad I had come to work at this café.

“Thank you~”

Ha-yeon also gave a cute bow to the sisters. They squealed in delight. Kids were truly lovable.

—

Kim Ha-yeon quickly left kindergarten. She had to escape before the teacher caught her. Ha-yeon walked to where her mom was. For a child, it was a bit of a distance, but to see her mom even a second earlier, she could endure it. If she waited quietly at home, her mom would come back after work, but even that waiting time was unbearable.

So, Ha-yeon, still in her kindergarten uniform, arrived at the café where her mom worked. She then slightly opened the door. She quietly entered so her mom wouldn’t notice her coming in.

“Hah!”

But the other staff sisters caught her. Ha-yeon gestured silently. Thankfully, the sisters seemed to understand and didn’t say much. Ha-yeon sat in a suitable spot and watched her mom work.

Ha-yeon knew better than anyone that her mom was the most beautiful. She was her mom’s daughter, after all! She took great pride in being her mom’s child. That’s why Ha-yeon hated the flies buzzing around her mom.

Like the man loitering around her mom now. Even as a kindergartener, Ha-yeon could tell the man was there to confess.

“Uh… um!”

Just as Ha-yeon thought, the man confessed to her mom. Her mom looked flustered and was about to refuse. Of course, she had to refuse. The only one who could be by her mom’s side was Ha-yeon. She would never yield that spot to anyone else.

But this time, the man seemed a bit pushy. When her mom refused, he looked like he might cause a scene. Ha-yeon realized it was time for her to step in.

“Mommyyy!”

Ha-yeon shouted with all her might. The man froze upon seeing her. Ha-yul rushed out from behind the counter upon seeing Ha-yeon.

“Ha-yeon! I told you to wait at home.”

“I missed you, Mommy!”

“But still…”

Ha-yeon glared at the man. The man, seeing her, hesitated and then slowly backed away before fleeing the café. Her mom couldn’t just be left alone. The saying that beautiful flowers attract all sorts of bugs was true.

It was only natural that her mom was popular with men. Her mom was the most beautiful in the world! But Ha-yeon couldn’t stand the thought of another man entering her mom’s life. Of course, if her mom wanted it, Ha-yeon thought she might have to let her go, even if it made her cry. But thankfully, her mom didn’t seem interested in men so far.