chapter 4:sleepless Realities
771 Words
Mirae didn’t sleep that night.
She lay in bed, eyes open, watching the ceiling fan turn slowly, like her thoughts — round and endless. Jihan’s face kept flashing through her mind. The way he looked when she said “He’s three.” Like the world tilted beneath him.
A quiet rustle beside her made her turn. Minjun had crawled into her bed at some point, thumb in his mouth, his small hand wrapped around her arm.
Her son.
Their son.
Her throat ached. How had she kept this secret for three years? She hadn’t even realized how much guilt she’d buried until it stood at the dinner table, asking to meet his child.
---
Morning came too soon.
The scent of fried eggs drifted from the kitchen where Hana was humming. Minjun sat at the table, swinging his legs and watching cartoons on a tablet. Mirae kissed his forehead and walked past like a ghost.
Hana followed her into the hallway. “You didn’t sleep.”
“Nope.”
“He took it well?”
“As well as a man finding out he has a three-year-old could.”
Hana nodded slowly. “What now?”
“He wants to see him.”
“Of course he does.”
Mirae leaned her head against the wall. “How do I explain to Minjun who he is? He’ll be confused. Angry. He might not even accept him.”
“He’s three. He just wants love.”
Mirae closed her eyes. “But what if Jihan changes his mind? What if he disappears? Or worse... what if he fights for custody someday?”
“You’re spiraling.”
“I’m being realistic.”
“You’re being scared,” Hana corrected softly. “And that’s okay. But you owe Minjun the truth. And Jihan... he has the right to know his son.”
Mirae stayed silent, tears threatening again.
Hana reached out, squeezing her hand. “You’re not alone in this.”
---
Later that day, her phone buzzed.
Jihan:
I want to see him. Not today. But soon.
Let’s meet first. Just you and me. Talk. Plan.
She typed back quickly:
Okay. Tomorrow?
His response came instantly.
Yes. 7PM. I’ll send the address.
Her heart pounded. This was really happening.
---
The Next Evening – Café Yuna, 7:03PM
It wasn’t a restaurant this time. No penthouse. Just a quiet café tucked between bookstores downtown. Familiar. Warm. A place that made things feel... manageable.
Jihan was already seated when she walked in — no suit, just a simple black sweater and jeans. He looked up the moment she entered, and she could swear his entire face softened.
“Mirae.”
She sat down across from him, nervous fingers wrapping around the coffee cup. “Thanks for choosing somewhere normal.”
“I figured you’d prefer something... neutral.”
They sat in silence for a few seconds. Mirae finally sighed. “I didn’t come to argue.”
“Neither did I.”
“I just want what’s best for Minjun.”
“So do I.”
She looked at him seriously. “This is going to take time.”
“I’m not rushing.”
“I mean — emotional time. Mental time. You can’t just show up one day and say, ‘I’m your dad.’”
“I know.”
“You’ll have to earn his trust.”
He nodded. “And yours too, I guess.”
She looked away. “This isn’t about us anymore.”
Jihan leaned forward. “But it could be.”
She froze.
He continued gently. “You think I’m just here because of responsibility? I’m not. I came to that dinner hoping to find closure. And instead, I found a son. And the woman I never stopped thinking about.”
Mirae’s chest tightened. “It’s not that simple.”
“It never was.”
She blinked away the sting in her eyes. “If you hurt him, I swear—”
“I won’t,” he said firmly. “He’s my blood, Mirae. I want to know him. I want to know you.”
Silence again. But this time, not angry — just heavy with things they both didn’t know how to say.
Finally, she whispered, “We’ll start slow. One step.”
“I’ll take a thousand, if it means I get to know him.”
---
Later That Night
Mirae tucked Minjun into bed and stared at his sleeping face.
Everything was going to change now.
She didn’t know if it would get better or worse, but she knew one thing for sure:
There was no turning back.
- Writer
