So Long For Now, Summer

So Long For Now, Summer

Chapter 19

Would Have Been

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(T/N: lines said by housekeeper will denoted like this: HK)

“But Hee-joo. We can’t break up.” [J] (T/N: This Woo-Jinha is so Sus, what is he scheming!?)

The thought in her head seemed to be sucked back in the car when she was returning from the hospital. However, before the sense of loss became too vivid, like a fugitive, she ran away from her memory.

“… Jin-ha think about it again. I had regret right now, so I won’t even calculate it. ” (S)

“…….” (J)

“The troublesome kid is gone, and your wife just said she was willing to leave without taking even a penny like stated in the prenuptial contract. This was a really great opportunity.” (S)

“That’s not going to happen.” (J)

“Tomorrow will probably be different.” (S)

“There’ll be no difference.” (J)

“…….” (S) 

“I’ve never agreed to divorce from the beginning.” (J)

At that moment, the phone rang. Woo Jin-ha then gently helped her lay down on the bed properly before walking out of the bedroom.

After receiving a doctor’s treatment, she slept like dead. It was well past noon when she woke up. She felt much better than before she fell asleep.

There was a housekeeper in the living room. She then said that Woo Jin-ha stayed home until lunch before going back to work when he saw her (Note: The housekeeper). It’s only been less than 20 minutes ago.

She looked around everywhere. But unlike what she remembered, yesterday’s mess was already nowhere to be seen. The house has been cleaned neatly and tidy in the hands of a helper instantly.

“The house was a mess, wasn’t it?” (S)

“No? It was clean previously too.” (HK)

She couldn’t believe Woo Jin-ha really organized it as he said, nonetheless, she still felt like it was not a big deal after all.

She headed for the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee. Drinking coffee wouldn’t be better for a messed-up body, but she wanted her mind to be clearer than it is now. It could be a minor psychological compensation since she couldn’t drink it while she was pregnant.

She turned on the espresso machine that she had seen every day but never used before. Woo Jin-ha stood in front of her every morning and drank coffee. It’s one of the few memories she could recall in our daily lives.

She opened her mouth thinking of him for a moment as if she were looking at a picture that was beautiful, but she didn’t want to have it at the same time.

She recalled that beautiful scene that she didn’t wish to see, thinking about him then opened her mouth.

“Madam, would you like a cup of coffee?” (HK)

“Thank you, ma’am.” (S)

She gave her a cup of coffee, laughed gracefully and kindly as if she was genuinely happy working in this house, and felt truly grateful.

She has a daughter and son who are about my age and got a similar salary the same as me – maybe if my own mother was still alive, she would’ve also grown old and look as good as this elderly person.  

Nonetheless, this housekeeper was just one of those genuinely friendly people. Unlike how most of the time it was embarrassing to see different kinds of people that they had hired before then, like one who was overly familiar to their employer or who acted completely polite to her— acting as if both of them were from a different status — like a woman who was born from money.

(T/N: Like a person who’s family is already rich)

Would I also have taken all this for granted if I had lived in this house for ten more years? Will I be able to leave all of this then, just as my luggage has never been mixed up in this house? 

Either way, it’s ridiculous, so she smirked.

The coffee she hadn’t had in a long time tasted bitter, and it was so bitter that I started to wonder why she once liked it. But still, it helped her wake up.

“…Well, I heard you just went through a miscarriage.” (HK)

That dreadful question came so suddenly. I almost forgot about being pregnant for a moment, then instantly remembered what happened yesterday as if she got thrown in cold water.

She was stunned for a moment. It wasn’t because of anything else, but because she didn’t know what expression to make when she heard such a question. Her usual emotional reaction seemed to be broken.

“It’s too bad… I think I even saw a glimpse of the baby’s face in the ultrasound last time.” (HK)

Not long ago, she showed her the ultrasound picture. The day after she came back from the hospital, she happened to see her fiddling with the picture and asked if it was a baby picture. 

She almost cried that day without realizing it because her(HK) face was so pure and bright. So touching was similar to a beggar who didn’t get any coins all day and was finally able to eat bread late in the evening.

She didn’t know why, but her little interest felt so sweet. Maybe it’s because there’s no one else who would care. 

There was no one to wonder about that little picture, or maybe it was just because she had thought about her mom…

She was a little shocked to realize that the only person to whom she had ever shown the picture was this housekeeper in front of her. But strangely, she felt calm again.

“It doesn’t matter.” (S)

“How did you… Oh, it’s fine. I shouldn’t have asked you that. Make a fool of myself…” (HK)

“You have been paying a lot of attention to the baby. Thank you.” (S)

“What am I… I did something. Wasn’t that the reason you called that day? If it had been the day I went to work, I would’ve been able to help somehow.” (HK)

“You said you’d come right back then.  It already helped me.” (S)

“…How did you endure all these things by yourself…? How scared you would have been without anyone….” (HK)

It felt like that was someone else’s story. As she simply continued to take a sip of coffee.

“How uncomfortable your body must’ve been… Just like giving birth… The baby is so old. If it had stayed a few more weeks… just a week more… Recently, the world has changed for the better, and many premature babies are living. That child could’ve been born if it was a little longer… ” (HK)

“…….” (S)

“……The baby must have been very pretty.” (HK)

She know that was what she couldn’t bear to say out loud. 

And the baby really would’ve been if that was the case. The child would have certainly grown up having almost all of Woo Jin-ha’s features. That’s why the baby was so pretty.