NoveLight ™
Seok-won is Han Da-eun's father.
He has known Han Sang-woon for quite a long time.
Their connection dates back before Seok-won began his path as an educator in the world of Kendo.
They’ve known each other since the time Seok-won was an athlete, so the bond was far from short.
In times of hardship, Seok-won had received a lot of practical help, so he could be considered, in many ways, a benefactor.
On the other hand, Han Sang-woon was a rather upright and rigid person.
He was a self-made man who walked the path of an elite through his own strength.
His academic drive was also strong, and he took up research and development as his profession, marrying a woman who walked the same path.
He had lived a life that inevitably made him stubborn.
On the day his son, after struggling with infertility, was born safely,
Sang-woon was overjoyed and secretly hoped his son would follow the same path he did.
It was on that day that Seok-won had to tell him, “I want to raise your son to be a Kendo athlete.”
Although Seok-won didn’t explicitly state the matter, Sang-woon likely guessed.
At that time, Seok-won had only recently started teaching Kendo, and it was through this that he began teaching Da-eun, so it must have been clear to Sang-woon what was coming.
He, being wise, must have immediately understood Seok-won’s intentions.
So, Seok-won braced himself.
If Sang-woon rejected the conversation, Seok-won had planned to contact him repeatedly.
If he didn’t pick up the phone, he was prepared to beg the lady of the house.
The talent Da-eun had shown at the time was worth such effort.
Maybe a rather sharp answer would come back, he thought.
And so, he closed his eyes tightly, but after the silence, Sang-woon’s response was quite unexpected.
College Days.
Seok-won and Sang-woon used to frequent a pork belly restaurant near the university.
This was before the two men had made their marks on society.
Now, both men had somewhat established themselves.
Sang-woon had set up a small company and was working on research and development, while Seok-won had officially become an instructor.
Even though their wallets had become a bit more comfortable, the two still insisted on visiting the same pork belly restaurant.
Whenever they met, Sang-woon would always grill the meat.
This had been his habit for a long time.
The proper respect that juniors should show,
And the reason seniors are respected, is because they give and help their juniors.
Anyone can do the menial tasks, so it’s just best if the person who does it well takes care of it.
The person who says, “I grill the meat better,” and serves it with sincerity—
He was quite rigid and patriarchal, but he knew how to distinguish between fake authority and real authority.
"I’ve told you this before, haven’t I? Our son... He was a child we had to work hard to get. You know how much my wife wanted to have a child, right? She’d always light up when she saw children, even back in our early days of marriage."
"Yes, I know."
"He’ll surely do well, no matter what he tries. He takes after my wife more than me. It’s a relief. He’ll be smarter and a better person than I ever was."
It was difficult.
Seok-won had a hard time speaking.
Sang-woon and his wife were extremely devoted to their son.
To have a child, they had completely given up on drinking and smoking, and even started exercising, asking Seok-won for advice along the way.
Seok-won had also heard that his wife’s efforts were just as great.
And still, after repeated infertility, they even considered adopting a child.
One day, their son, the child they had longed for, came to them as if he were a gift from God.
It was unimaginable how special this child was to them.
Seok-won couldn’t even begin to fathom the depth of love and sacrifice that must have been poured into him.
"But lately, I think maybe we had too smart a child. Hmm, was I too much of a fool for saying that? Forget it."
"No, I do think he’s definitely more intelligent and mature than kids his age."
"Really? Anyway, that maturity is a bit of a problem. He’s grown up too fast. I can’t say I dislike it as a parent, but... You know."
"Isn't there a certain cuteness missing?"
"Hmph. Not exactly, but you’re not wrong."
To the adults, Da-eun was quite mature for her age.
From a very young age, she never threw tantrums, and she didn’t show any particular greed.
She grew up being quite quiet, obedient, and not causing trouble.
Because of that, Sang-woon and his wife were often envied by others.
"Wouldn't it be nice if our child turned out a little like yours?"
They didn’t mind that.
As parents, it’s always easier to have a well-behaved child rather than one who causes trouble.
But... it wouldn’t be truthful to say they didn’t worry.
"Childhood is important. It’s the time to focus on studies to prepare for the future. If you build memories, they become treasures you can take out and cherish when life gets tough."
Sometimes, there are cases like this.
A child who was forbidden from eating chocolate by their parents grows up and becomes obsessed with it.
The experiences a child goes through during their growth process have a profound impact on their entire life.
If the child is walking the right path, that’s a good thing.
But... what if the child is suppressing their own desires?
What if the parents are unknowingly pressuring the child, and the day will come when it all explodes?
Maturity is good, but a child should still be allowed to be a child.
Parents have the right and duty to make their children happy.
Sang-woon, who had been cutting the meat, smiled rarely.
"I know why you’re here today. And I guess you’ve already predicted what answer I’ll give."
"Teenage years are an important time. Especially in a country like Korea, where academic elitism runs rampant."
Just as expected.
Seok-won was momentarily at a loss for words.
Da-eun’s parents both graduated from top-tier universities.
They must have already planned various paths for their child.
Even if the results don’t come out as expected, there must be a few alternate routes.
They were individuals who had benefited from both elitism and meritocracy.
Seok-won didn’t expect an easy approval.
But then the next words were a bit strange.
"What, this is the answer you were expecting?"
"...?"
"I guess you didn’t hear. We never forced our son to study. If he wants to, he can. If he doesn’t, we let him be. But it’s my job to make sure he tries his best."
Sang-woon’s lips curled into a grin.
"Let’s listen to it first. My wife’s been talking excitedly, saying she thinks our son might be a genius. But it’s hard to believe. She’s been saying that ever since he started walking. Is he really that remarkable?"
"I can guarantee you he’s far beyond that comparison."
"Better than a hundred words. Alright, then."
Seok-won was stunned.
He’d received approval so easily?
If the opposition had been strong, Seok-won was prepared to bow and beg at this very restaurant.
He even wore clothes that wouldn’t get too soiled, just in case he had to hold onto Sang-woon’s pant legs.
But all those preparations were in vain.
"The thing is, whether he has talent or not never mattered. What’s that even matter?"
"Excuse me?"
"That kid’s been looking really happy lately. He’s been immersed in something all day, enjoying it. Our son, who grew up too quickly, has become a child again. What could be more joyful for a parent than that?"
Sang-woon ate the meat happily, even cutting some for Seok-won’s plate.
Seok-won couldn’t taste anything from the meat.
"A child must grow up as a child. They should cause trouble, fail, and throw tantrums. When my son falls, I want to be the one to reach out and help him back up."
"I will do my best to teach him. So that his precious talent will never fade."
"I’m relieved now that we’ve found a good teacher."
"I really... will do my best."
The only thing Seok-won could say was that.
"I will do my best."
Not some empty phrase, but he truly would do his best.
That was the promise he made and would keep.
At that time, Sang-woon likely didn’t even realize it.
He was the one who grumbled about how his wife was so naive while proudly keeping the trophies his son had won.
He was the father who would make sacrifices happily for his son, even if it meant going beyond his limits.
He was the father who, even near death, silently kept his family safe.
Then one day, the night everyone feared arrived.
The dark night swallowed the two, and their precious son was thrown into despair and screamed.
He had fallen so hard that it seemed like he would never rise again.
The father had kept his promise made long ago.
It was the experimental access device left by the parents that became Da-eun’s hope.
Their research is still being carried on by Sigma, helping Da-eun.
That device allowed Da-eun to rise again, and with good people, she spread her wings once more.
The son, who had wanted to be loved so much—and had received so much love—grabbed the outstretched hand and stood up again.
Han Sang-woon’s junior.
And Han Da-eun’s instructor, patted his weeping disciple on the back.
"Don’t cry so much. You’ll ruin your face before you go and greet them. You won yesterday, so you should go and greet them with a smile."