Chapter 47 : You Two Should Start Preparing To Move.
“Why did you call?”
– “Oh, that’s cold. Do we really need a reason to call? Weren’t you the one saying we should all go out for a meal sometime?”
“Unnie.”
Kang Bada’s voice was ice cold, and Kang Byeol swallowed her words, sensing the tension. Feeling a little hurt, she grumbled softly.
– “You’re with Kim right now, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
– “Come to the orphanage. There’s something I need to tell you both.”
“The orphanage? Wait, don’t tell me you’re there right now!?”
– “Yeah, so you’d better hurry up. Something interesting happened while you two were busy cozying up.”
Gritting her teeth—
Kang Bada bit her lip. Her hand, still holding the phone, began to tremble. Kim Ha-neul, sensing her unease, silently continued down the stairs.
“…I don’t care if you’re my sister. If you lay a hand on Yena, I won’t forgive you.”
– “Stop whining and just get here fast.”
Click—
The call ended abruptly. Kang Bada stared at her phone in disbelief.
“Was that it?”
“This isn’t the time. We need to go…”
“Hold on tight, so you don’t fall.”
“Huh? Wait— Ah!”
With Kang Bada still on his back, Kim Ha-neul suddenly bolted down the stairs. Startled by the sudden movement, she instinctively tightened her arms around his neck.
In a flash, they reached the first floor. Without missing a beat, Kim Ha-neul sprinted full speed toward the parking lot.
He carefully seated Kang Bada in the passenger seat, quickly slid into the driver’s seat, and gripped the steering wheel.
“Make sure your seatbelt’s tight.”
“Ha-neul-ssi, calm down for a second—”
“We’re leaving.”
Vroom—!
With a firm press on the gas pedal, the car roared to life and sped down the road.
.
.
.
Screech—!
With a sharp screech of the brakes, the car came to a stop. In no time, Kim Ha-neul and Kang Bada arrived at the orphanage and hurriedly got out of the car.
“You two…”
The director of the orphanage came rushing out, surprised by their sudden arrival. She gave them a slightly bewildered look.
“Director-nim! Where’s my sister… Where’s Unnie? And Yena? Is everyone okay!?”
“Bada, calm down.”
The director gently pulled Kang Bada into a hug and softly patted her back. Her comforting touch helped ease some of Bada’s tension.
“…Director-nim.”
“It seems Kang Byeol was just pulling a mischievous prank. It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry.”
“What exactly happened?”
“I’ll explain.”
At the voice from behind, everyone turned. There stood Kang Byeol, arms crossed and a sly grin on her face.
Flinch—
As she slowly met their eyes, Kang Byeol suddenly shuddered. She had locked eyes with Kim Ha-neul, whose cold gaze sent a chill down her spine.
‘What’s with his eyes…’
Kang Byeol had faced many challenges in her life and was confident she could handle most situations without flinching. But something about Kim Ha-neul was different.
His stare was that of a top predator, ready to strike at any moment if given the chance.
➤ ‘He’d make an interesting match with Kang San, that stubborn bear.’
‘강산, 그 곰탱이랑 붙여놓으면 재밌겠네.’
For a moment, an image of someone with the same intense gaze popped into Kang Byeol’s mind—the very person she hated to admit was the most suitable to inherit Daehan Group.
Kang Byeol started to wonder how the two would see each other if they ever met face to face. A hint of curiosity began to grow in her mind.
‘Well, I think I’ve teased them enough.’
When she heard her younger sister’s cold voice, she suddenly felt a wave of hurt and played a prank on them. But now it seemed like it was time to end the joke.
Through all this, she’d gotten a clear picture of how much Kim Ha-neul cared for Yena and Kang Bada, and how serious he was. So, the outcome wasn’t too bad after all.
“Alright, I give up.”
Kang Byeol raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, which left everyone looking at her with confusion.
“Unnie, what are you talking about…?”
“Sorry. I really apologize for playing a prank on you both. So can you please calm your husband down? He looks like he’s ready to kill me.”
“Huh?”
Kang Bada turned her head slightly to look at Kim Ha-neul. At the same moment, Kim Ha-neul also looked at her, and their eyes met.
They both immediately flinched and turned away, causing Kang Byeol to snicker.
‘They’re absolutely smitten with each other. That guy who seemed like a beast is acting like a puppy around her. I can see why Kang Taeyang is always defending him.’
Despite herself, Kang Byeol couldn’t help but admit her little sister had found herself a great husband.
Not many people would stand up and protect their family, even against someone stronger. But seeing Kim Ha-neul now, she knew she didn’t need to worry about that.
“Bada-ssi, you’re misunderstanding something.”
“I know! Ha-neul would never do that. If anyone knows that, it’s me.”
“Well, it’s not like I completely ruled it out…”
“What!?”
Watching the two of them bicker in front of her, Kang Byeol couldn’t help but smile. She bit down on her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud.
‘…I’m in trouble now.’
She was starting to genuinely like Kim Ha-neul as her sister’s husband. Seeing how he reacted to Yena’s drawing had already shifted her opinion, but now it was completely tipping in his favor.
Of course, she’d always hoped they’d end up together, especially for Yena’s sake. But she hadn’t expected to be this supportive of it.
Sigh.
“…?”
She let out a sigh before she even realized it.
As everyone turned to look at her, Kang Byeol shook her head and pointed behind her.
“Okay, okay. Let’s head inside and talk. Yena has a little surprise waiting for both of you.”
“…Yena does?”
“Yeah. She was just finishing it up before I came out. It should be ready by now.”
Kang Bada glanced at the director as if to ask if it was true. The director gave a small nod.
“It’s better if you see it for yourselves.”
Curiosity sparked, Kim Ha-neul and Kang Bada managed to calm themselves down and followed the director to where Yena was waiting.
As they walked, Kang Bada shot her sister a sleepy-eyed glare and spoke.
“Why did you even come here, Unnie?”
“I came to win Yena over, of course.”
“Do you really have to go this far?”
“Well, if you’re part of Daehan Group, you go after what you want, no matter what. Although, I guess today’s an exception.”
“Huh?”
Kang Bada tilted her head, confused by her sister’s strange remark. Seeing her expression, Kang Byeol gave a small smile and spoke again.
“I’ve had a change of heart.”
“You mean, you’re giving up on Yena?”
“No, it’s the opposite. I still want to heal her trauma and help her become a world-renowned artist. I’ve just realized that I’m not the one who can do that.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
As they spoke, they arrived at the break room. Kang Byeol gently pulled the door open and peeked inside.
“Looks like it’s finished. Come on in.”
It was a small art room set up for Yena. Kang Byeol opened the door wide, letting everyone inside.
The moment Kim Ha-neul and Kang Bada stepped into the room, they were left speechless. They couldn’t take their eyes off the sight in front of them.
“This is…”
“This is Yena’s gift for the two of you. It’s her first completed work as an artist.”
On a canvas far bigger than Yena herself was a massive painting.
Vibrant colors blended together in a way that truly made it a “work of art,” just as Kang Byeol had described.
Up until now, Yena’s drawings had been mostly imitations of famous paintings, but this one was entirely her own.
“No matter how many times I see it, her talent is unbelievable.”
Kang Byeol let out a soft laugh, but neither Kim Ha-neul nor Kang Bada heard her. They were too absorbed in Yena’s painting.
The painting was simple but powerful.
It showed a family spending a day out in a garden filled with blooming flowers. A child ran excitedly across the field, while the parents watched over them lovingly.
The straightforward composition delivered a clear message—an overwhelming desire for a happy family and the love that comes with it.
“…Yena.”
Kang Bada swallowed hard, struggling to speak.
Yena was lying on the floor, fast asleep from exhaustion. Covered in paint from head to toe, even her appearance seemed like part of the artwork.
“…This is us, isn’t it?”
At Kim Ha-neul’s words, everyone nodded.
The faces of the three figures in the painting weren’t detailed, but somehow, it was clear who they represented.
‘Anyone who sees this has to admit it.’
This was the reason Kang Byeol had given up on adopting Yena. She wasn’t a child who spoke much, but her paintings said everything.
Through her art, Yena had made her feelings and desires perfectly clear. After seeing something like this, there was no way Kang Byeol could claim the right to be her parent.
‘Now, it’s up to them to make the final decision…’
Kang Byeol glanced at the two, her eyes lingering on them. A soft smile curved her lips.
Before anyone realized it, the two had rushed over to check on Yena. At that moment, all of Kang Byeol’s lingering worries disappeared.
“It’s a nice sight, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. In the end, Director-nim was right.”
Kang Byeol glanced at the orphanage director standing beside her and stifled a bitter smile.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but acknowledge that the director was much tougher than she appeared. After all, she had played a big part in setting up this situation.
– “If you help me, I’ll support the orphanage for the next 20 years. Every child here will be able to live comfortably.”
– “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to respectfully decline.”
– “If you’re hoping for more support from Taeyang or Bada…”
– “That’s not it. I’m old enough to know that things won’t stay this way forever.”
– “Then why…?”
– “Because Yena doesn’t want that.”
The director had drawn a firm line, with no room for negotiation. She made it clear that the decision was no longer in her hands.
Afterward, the director had shown Kang Byeol Yena’s art studio, and that had led to the current situation.
‘I lost completely.’
Had she ever lost this badly before? Kang Byeol smiled as she thought back on it and quietly spoke.
“I’ll provide cultural support for the orphanage kids. As long as I’m alive, there will be free educational programs and cultural experiences.”
“I’ll gratefully accept.”
Even as they continued to watch Kim Ha-neul and the others, the two women kept talking with gentle smiles on their faces.
—
A little later, we gathered in the director’s office to talk. Yena was resting in the bedroom.
“Even though things have come this far, unfortunately, you can’t adopt Yena just yet.”
“It’s because of the birth registration, right?”
“Exactly.”
At the director’s words, Kim Ha-neul nodded. Since Yena’s birth wasn’t officially registered by her biological mother, she was legally classified as an “abandoned child.”
For the adoption process, a “birth registration document” is required, and it’s quite complicated to obtain if the biological mother is not involved.
“I’ll take care of that.”
At that moment, Kang Byeol stepped in, already seeming well aware of Yena’s situation. She calmly sipped her tea and added,
“You two should start preparing to move.”
“Move?”
“You’re living separately right now, right? You haven’t had the wedding yet, but if you want to give Yena a proper family, you should all live together, don’t you think?”
“Uh…”
“Um…”
Caught off guard by the idea of living together, Kim Ha-neul and Kang Bada exchanged awkward smiles.
