Meanwhile, in the freezing weather, Nam-joon found himself standing in front of Mrs. Choi's house. He hadn't planned to come, it just happened naturally. Even though they had only met once, she had made more impact on his life than his parents ever had. For the first time in a long while, he felt… like a child.
He stood by the door, hesitating. Just as he turned around to leave, Mrs. Choi appeared in front of him, holding a bag of groceries.
"It's you?" she said, her face lighting up immediately.
"Good afternoon, ma'am," Nam-joon greeted, a small smile forming on his lips.
"Oh dear, I hope you haven't been waiting long. I just went to get groceries," she said apologetically.
"No, it's fine, ma'am," he replied quickly.
"You came at the perfect time," she continued warmly. "I was just about to make a full-course dinner. And you—" she looked at him closely, "you don't look like you've been eating well."
Nam-joon let out a soft laugh. "No, I'm fine. I actually just came to return your coat."
"I insist," she said firmly, already turning toward the door.
Nam-joon didn't argue. Truthfully, he couldn't. He had missed her cooking more than he realized. Smiling, he nodded.
"Then let me help you with that," he said, taking the groceries from her hands as he followed her inside.
"You seem to be in a good mood today," she said as she washed her hands.
"Really?" Nam-joon smiled faintly. "Maybe it's because I took your advice."
"Me?" she asked, pointing at herself in surprise.
He nodded. "You told me to find something I truly value… and to put Kira above it."
Mrs. Choi nodded slowly. "Yes, I did."
"I quit my job."
She paused mid-motion, turning to look at him fully. "You did?"
"Yes," he said calmly. "I thought about it carefully. I have a seven-year-old daughter. Being a CEO while chasing the chairman position… it would only take me further away from her."
His voice softened.
"I just want to grow with her. Be there for her. Let her actually feel her childhood. I don't want her to grow up with only pieces of love… I want her to feel all of it."
Mrs. Choi stared at him, visibly moved. "Wow… I told you, you're a great father."
Nam-joon smiled, a quiet confidence in his expression. "I know what you're thinking, a jobless father sounds irresponsible. But I'm not planning to stay that way forever. Just until Kira has a stronger foundation. And…" he added lightly, "I do have a lot investments, so you don't have to worry."
Mrs. Choi smiled warmly, shaking her head. "I wasn't worried. I knew you'd make the right decision." She paused, her voice softening. "I'm proud of you. You did well."
The words hit him harder than he expected.
"I'm proud of you."
"You did well."
For a moment, he couldn't speak. His eyes filled with tears almost instantly, but he smiled, wide and genuine.
"You look much better when you smile," she said gently, turning back to unpack the groceries.
He cleared his throat slightly. "Can I help?"
"Of course," she replied. "Do you know how to chop onions?"
Nam-joon nodded, almost eagerly.
She chuckled. "Alright then, let's get to work."
---
Meanwhile, Min-jae and Ga-young sat in a café, each with a cup of coffee in hand, the atmosphere around them calm, completely different from the chaos of earlier.
"After everything that happened today," Ga-young exhaled, "soju would have been perfect."
"I know, right?" Min-jae replied, leaning back slightly. "Do you really think Nam-joon can actually go through with it?"
Ga-young nodded slowly. "I think he can. He seemed serious… especially when it comes to Kira."
Min-jae hummed. "Guess Ye-seul was worried for nothing."
She glanced at him. "How do you feel?"
"Me?" he paused briefly before nodding. "Good… actually."
Ga-young smiled, studying his face. "You seem more relieved than I expected."
"You have no idea," he exhaled deeply. "It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off me."
She nodded, but her expression shifted slightly. "I don't know… I'm a little worried about the chairman."
"My father?" Min-jae shrugged lightly. "He'll be fine. Eventually, he has to be."
"Hey," she frowned slightly, "he's still your father."
"Alright, alright," he sighed. "I'll check on him. There's probably going to be a family dinner anyway." He paused, then smiled. "Do you want to come with me?"
Ga-young let out a small laugh. "Are you crazy? I'm not stepping into your family house while everything is on fire."
"But it'll be fun," he said, amused. "Imagine if Nam-joon doesn't even show up."
She raised a brow. "You sound way too excited about this."
"I'm just happy for him," Min-jae said, more seriously now. "He finally stood up to our father. He's not chasing power anymore."
Ga-young nodded. "That's true… but still, you can't ignore the fact that—"
"He's still my father," Min-jae finished for her. He paused, then added quietly, "I get it. But he also has to act like one."
He exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "Let's drop it. Just talking about him is already draining me."
His expression softened as he reached for her hand.
"So," he said, a small smile returning, "what do you want to do for Christmas this year?"
"Christmas?" she tilted her head slightly. "I don't know… you decide."
He squeezed her hand gently. "We'll figure it out."
And just like that, the tension eased, their conversation drifting into something lighter as they continued talking.