AOA 74

“Th-then there’s no helping it.”

For a moment, my stepmother’s face stiffened, but only for a second. She quickly laughed it off and smoothed things over like it was no big deal.

Even if she was my stepmother, she couldn’t push things in front of Baek Mugyeong. When she heard that neither Baek Jinseok nor Baek Jaehan had come, my father clicked his tongue lightly, showing his displeasure. But most of all, the one who held absolute power at this event was Baek Mugyeong. Since he had openly said no, that was the end of it.

After that, only normal, safe conversations were exchanged.

The sixtieth birthday banquet proceeded without any issues. First, we took photos–family, friends, and important people stood next to my father.

After the opening meal, a short video played showing moments from my father’s life. Then came family introductions, followed by congratulatory speeches and blessings from his friends and associates. Thanks to the experienced emcee, who kept the mood upbeat and smoothly drew out audience responses, the atmosphere never dragged.

Once the meal ended, the talent show and celebration events began. The event company had sent a list in advance of possible performances for immediate family. I’d chosen to read a letter, one about expressing love for my father.

It didn’t make my skin crawl or anything. I just felt stifled and annoyed. Still, since the event company had written the letter for me, it was manageable.

Before the regression, I had read it in a dull, mumbling voice, but today was different. I read it aloud in a calm, clear voice. The content the event staff wrote was fairly touching, and with the background music, the atmosphere felt convincingly emotional.

“Good job.”

Surprisingly, when I returned to my seat after the reading, Baek Mugyeong, who was sitting next to me, offered me a word of encouragement. The world looked beautiful for a moment, so I just nodded without saying anything.

After my reading, Jeong Guhyeon came out in a glittery outfit with his friends and sang an old trot song, earning a round of applause.

Next was the prize raffle. The first-place prize was a gold toad, so the mood got pretty heated.

To top it all off, a famous trot singer—someone who’d been on TV a lot lately, performed. They sang three songs, and when they returned for an encore, the entire banquet hall erupted in cheers.

The final part of the program was the cake cutting and a toast. Everyone shouted out wishes for long life. And just like that, the sixtieth birthday celebration ended amid cheers and applause.

Unlike before the regression, there was no nagging or criticism from my father. Jeong Guhyeon didn’t trip me or pour beer over my head, either.

I just pretended not to see my father buttering up to Baek Mugyeong. I felt drained, but at least everything wrapped up peacefully.

Or so I thought.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

Suddenly, Jeong Guhyeon came up to me, acting all friendly, and spoke.

“What is it?”

“This isn’t really the place. Let’s go over there. Executive Director Baek, I’m going to borrow Minchae for a bit. I’ve got something to say just to him. We won’t go far. Just over there, we’ll talk for a bit. You’re not going to say no to even that, are you?”

He asked Baek Mugyeong in a snappy tone, nodding his chin toward one side of the banquet hall.

Before I could say anything, Baek Mugyeong opened his mouth first.

“Is it something I shouldn’t hear?”

“Well, yeah? It’s a family matter. If you’re curious, you can ask Minchae about it later. Let’s go.”

Baek Mugyeong questioned him lightly, but Jeong Guhyeon dodged with a vague answer. Still, I couldn’t follow him that easily. Jeong Guhyeon wasn’t the kind of guy who cared about people watching. Who knew what he might try to pull?

Before the regression, since Baek Mugyeong hadn’t even attended the sixtieth birthday party, Jeong Guhyeon had bullied me without fear. He even poured beer on my head after pretending to trip.

Even if he was watching Baek Mugyeong now, I couldn’t be sure what he’d do. If something set him off, he’d have no problem slapping me across the face right in front of everyone. Then he’d wave it off as just a brotherly fight and move on.

“What is it, seriously?”

“Tch, damn it. I told you, I can’t talk here. I’m trying to be nice, okay? Huh?”

Shockingly, Jeong Guhyeon held back his temper and tried to coax me. At this point, I was honestly curious what he wanted to say.

“I’ll be right back.”

I glanced at Baek Mugyeong, silently asking him to keep an eye on things, then followed Jeong Guhyeon to one side of the banquet hall.

The event was basically over. Some people were still sitting and snacking with drinks, while others were putting on their coats, ready to leave.

It was a bit chaotic, so even after only a few steps, we kept bumping into people. At one point, Jeong Guhyeon even yelled at a kid who accidentally stepped on his foot.

And then, when the two of us finally stood face to face, what Jeong Guhyeon said was nothing special.

“You’re really not going to host a housewarming? Who does that? Do you know how humiliating this is for Mother? If Baek Mugyeong doesn’t like it, then either convince him or invite people when he’s not around. Can’t you even manage that? Did you seriously get married just to have a baby?”

It wasn’t persuasion, it was pure blame. Still, I held firm and kept repeating the same thing: that there was nothing I could do because Baek Mugyeong didn’t like it.

I could feel Baek Mugyeong’s gaze from a short distance away. Maybe that’s why, even as Jeong Guhyeon kept getting annoyed, he also kept checking himself, choosing his words more carefully. I could see him flinch and stop himself from raising his hand. In that moment, the fact that Baek Mugyeong was on my side gave me a deep sense of comfort and joy.

“Ha. You’re impossible to talk to.”

“Sorry.”

I wasn’t sorry in the slightest, but I could manage a hollow apology.

“Whatever. Fuck it. Do what you want. Hey, is that a bracelet you’re wearing?”

Instinctively, I raised my right hand. The two bracelets I’d received from Baek Mugyeong sparkled on my wrist.

“I got them from Executive Director Baek.”

“Do you even know how much those cost?”

“No idea. I heard it was a wedding gift from one of his buyers.”

The unexpected question made me defensive. I knew how much the bracelet was worth, but I had no intention of telling Jeong Guhyeon.

For a second, greed flashed in his eyes. It was only natural, before the regression, he’d stolen my wedding watch. Of course he’d be eyeing these expensive luxury bracelets now.

“That’s what you call putting pearls on a pig. You don’t even know their value and you’re just parading around wearing them. Tsk tsk.”

His nagging sounded just like my father. I barely held back a laugh and nodded seriously.

“I don’t know much about luxury brands. But they’re pretty, aren’t they?”

I raised my hand a little higher so the bracelets would be more visible. They really were pretty.

Eventually, Jeong Guhyeon cursed under his breath and walked away in frustration, telling me to fuck off. Relieved to have swatted away the mosquito-like buzz of his whining, I quietly smiled and went back to Baek Mugyeong.

Naturally, Baek Mugyeong was curious about what had been said.

“What did he want to talk about?”

“He asked if we were really not going to have a housewarming. I told him we weren’t, because you didn’t want one.”

“You did well.”

Even when I said I’d used his name to refuse, Baek Mugyeong didn’t get angry. Instead, he told me I’d done well. In moments like this, a man who doesn’t ask unnecessary questions felt incredibly dependable.

The call came just as I was leaving the banquet hall and saying goodbye to the family elders. The number wasn’t saved in my contacts, but it didn’t start with a known spam prefix, so I picked up.

—Mr. Jeong Minchae? Is this Mr. Jeong Minchae?

An unfamiliar man said he’d found my wallet in the underground parking lot. There was no cash inside, but there was an ID and a business card with the same name, so he’d decided to call. He added that he was too tired to bother leaving it at the front desk and asked me to come pick it up from his room, right now.

I checked my pockets and really couldn’t find my wallet. I didn’t think long. The idea of having to reissue my ID card was too much of a hassle, so I decided to go to the room myself.

After ending the call, I turned to Baek Mugyeong.

“Hey, I’m going to step away for a moment.”

“Is something wrong?”

“I just got a call from someone who says they found my wallet. They told me to come to their room, Room 1021. I’ll be back soon.”

“Let’s call a staff member.”

Naturally, Baek Mugyeong started to call for a hotel employee. But that would’ve been too much.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. It’s just a wallet. And… honestly, I kind of want to step away for a bit.”

“Understood.”

I nodded toward my father, and Baek Mugyeong gave me a knowing nod. In moments like this, a man with good intuition was a real blessing.

After telling him, I quickly made my way out. Waiting for the elevator took a while, so getting up to the 10th floor took some time.

Just as I stepped out of the elevator, my phone rang again. I thought it might be the person who found the wallet, but it was Baek Mugyeong.

“Yes?”

—Have you found your wallet?

“Not yet. I just got off the elevator. I had to wait a bit because the timing didn’t line up.”

—Are you in the hallway now?

“Yeah.”

—Don’t hang up until you’ve got the wallet.

His insistence felt a bit overprotective. This wasn’t some dark alleyway, this was one of the most upscale hotels in Korea. There were CCTV cameras in the hallway, people walking around. Still, it wasn’t like I couldn’t humor him.

“Okay. Got it. The room’s just ahead. Hang on.”