47 : Way More Worth I

When Eun Young came home that night, Min Jae had already left. He had informed her of his meeting earlier but because of prior appointments, Eun Young arrived home later than expected. Upon entering the threshold, she was surprised to see her eldest child waiting for her in the living room. Little Jung Hyun was watching TV but as soon as he saw his mother, he ran up to her and welcomed her with a wide grin.

"Mommy!" Little Jung Hyun stood on the tip of his toes and gave Eun Young a soft kiss on her cheeks. "Did you eat already? Do you want water? I helped Daddy cook our dinner and it's really yummy--"

"Woah! Slow down sweetheart!" Eun Young exclaimed as she was suddenly overwhelmed. However, little Jung Hyun continued to relentlessly tug her hand, leading her towards the dining room.

Eun Young began to grow suspicious of the child's actions. He had always been a sweet kid but his actions were a bit unusual today. Nevertheless, Eun Young allowed him to drag her along until they finally reached the table. Atop the furniture were some of their favorite dishes. And as if on cue, her stomach started to grumble.

Little Jung Hyun pulled out one of the chairs for her to sit on. "Here, Mommy! Hold on, I'll get you a plate." He hastily said. The little one then ran into the kitchen in search of the utensils.

Eun Young reddened as she couldn't help but smile at little Jung Hyun. In the back of her mind, she wondered if there was a special occasion today that she forgot. Eun Young was relieved when she confirmed countless of times that there really wasn't any. At least... that saved her from the guilt of unintentionally forgetting.

After a while of waiting, little Jung Hyun still hasn't returned. Worried that he might not be able to find them, she decided to go and follow him. She was just about to stand up when unexpectedly, another little child came to ambush her.

Little Hye Soo giggled when she saw her mother. She just took a bath so she was confident in approaching her mother. "Aww, did little Hye Soo miss Mommy too?" Eun Young cooed upon picking the toddler up. But instead of responding, little Hye Soo clung to her neck like a koala. Recharge!

Jung Hyun returned with a plate and a pair of chopsticks on hand. Propping himself up using another chair, he carefully placed the utensils in front of Eun Young. "Here you go, Mommy! Please eat a lot and enjoy your meal." He encouraged.

"Thanks dear." Eun Young gently replied. "Why don't the both of you join me as I eat? Would you like some ice cream?" She offered.

Little Hye Soo and her brother locked eyes at the sound of the creamy goodness. Of course they wouldn't say no to that! The two kids nodded vigorously and in a blink of an eye, they were already seated on either side of the table. Eun Young on the other hand, still needed to assist little Hye Soo as she climbed up her high chair.

"You're back, Mrs. Lee." Mrs. Bong said from behind. "I believe I heard someone craving for ice cream? For a while, I'll get them for you." She said with a sincere smile.

The three of them ate merrily together. After dinner, little Jung Hyun was still determined to look after Eun Young that he even helped her remove her shoes and massage her back after a long tiring day. Eun Young didn't protest any further. She simply thought that even though she wasn't getting anything expensive or any material thing, the love and care of her children was way more worth it.

Nevertheless, she still couldn't avoid feeling that something wasn't right--that something was off. But she didn't want her children to worry anymore so she simply dismissed the negative thoughts. "Thank you for all your help today, little Jung Hyun. Mommy appreciates it very much!" Eun Young lovingly said to her son. Soon after, the little boy was grinning from ear to ear.

As the night went deeper, Eun Young tucked the kids to bed. Even she was beginning to feel sleepy so after seeing the children to their bedroom, she made her way down to her own room as well. She did her usual skin care routine, drank a warm glass of milk and finally, she slid under the covers and turned off the lamp to sleep. However, as ironic as it was, the sleepiness she felt earlier disappeared. Eun Young was left wide awake in the dark room.

She closed her eyes in hopes of losing her consciousness soon. But then minutes passed and even after an hour, she was still awake. Because of this, she couldn't help but recall the things sweet little Jung Hyun had done today. Surely, he couldn't have done that instantly. There must've been something or someone who at least encouraged him to do so.

In that moment, Eun Young immediately thought of him. It wasn't impossible. Besides, he was with the children all day long. Who could've possibly talked to little Jung Hyun about it if not him? Eun Young suddenly wanted to ask him. But he's at work right now and she didn't want to intervene so she went to ask Secretary Yoo instead.

Eun Young: Secretary Yoo, is Min Jae's schedule free right now? Please let me know as soon as you can. Thanks!

For some reason, Eun Young waited nervously. What would she do if he wasn't? What would she do if he was? Anyway, she was just going to ask if he said something to little Jung Hyun that might've encouraged him to be so caring all of a sudden. What's the big deal?

Out of nowhere, Eun Young recalled his words from before. "Eun Young, if you're really that worried, you should've just asked me." Min Jae once said. Eun Young shook her head. Of course she wouldn't ask him! She couldn't bring herself to! Eun Young's phone chimed.

Secretary Yoo: Mrs. Lee, I'm afraid boss' is quite busy right now. He just finished his meeting and according to the sudden changes in his schedule, he's about to take a flight to France tonight. Apparently, the new French investors wanted to meet with him personally.

Eun Young read the message again to make sure that she read it right. Wait... he's leaving? Tonight? Eun Young's fingers trembled as she sent another message to Secretary Yoo. She inquired about the details of his flight but she grew restless just by waiting for Secretary Yoo's reply.

One second... two seconds... three seconds had already passed. Without further thinking about it anymore, Eun Young quickly grabbed her coat and car keys.