Hansol recognised her immediately. She was the same woman from the old photograph inside Minjun's wallet. Still, he could not help wondering why the professor had referred to her as his only family.
Feeling slightly nervous, Hansol introduced himself politely. He hesitated over what title he should use for himself, but Minjun answered for him.
"This is my boyfriend," he said proudly. "The person I love more than anyone."
He admitted that he had never expected someone as wonderful as Hansol to enter his life. Unlike himself, Hansol was cheerful, energetic and overflowing with warmth. Hearing those words, Hansol immediately declared that Professor Minjun was now in his hands. He promised to take care of him for the rest of his life.
Later, the two of them sat together in a nearby park. Minjun thanked Hansol again for accompanying him. Hansol smiled. He was the one who felt grateful for having had the chance to meet the woman who had raised the man he loved.
Curious to know more, he gently asked why Minjun always referred to his mother as his only family.
The professor finally shared the story he had kept hidden for so long.
His mother had become pregnant while she was still very young. At the time, she was dating a boy only a year older than herself. When she discovered she was expecting a child, she was terrified. After talking things through with his father, they initially decided to keep the baby.
However, his father's family strongly opposed the relationship. They even offered her money if she agreed to give up the child. Worst of all, the man who had once promised to stand beside her eventually abandoned her as well.
Although Minjun's mother ended the relationship, she never gave up on her son. She secretly gave birth to him and raised him entirely on her own.
When Minjun was in elementary school, he experienced the absence of a father for the first time. That was when he realised his family was different from everyone else's — but it never bothered him. His mother was all the family he needed. The two of them lived happily together, and he never once felt the need to search for his father.
As he devoted himself to his studies, Minjun dreamed of becoming successful enough that his mother would never have to work another day in her life. He believed studying hard was the only way to make that dream come true.
Sadly, she never lived long enough to see it happen.
Before she passed away, she left him a letter asking him to seek out his father. Although she had once resented the man who abandoned her, she wrote that she had never regretted giving birth to Minjun. Because of him, she had lived a happy and meaningful life.
Those words only fuelled Minjun's anger. He could not stop asking himself who had made his mother's life so miserable.
When he finally searched for his father, he discovered that the man was Bae Ganmo, the chairman of Baecha Construction. Only after his mother's death did he finally meet him. His father was shocked to learn that Minjun's mother had been An Yeonwoo.
At that very moment, a younger woman entered the room carrying a small child. His father had remarried and started a new family. That little boy, thirteen years younger than Minjun, was none other than Bae Dogyun.
From that day on, Minjun made a promise to himself. He would take everything Bae Ganmo cherished — even Baecha Construction. He knew that as an illegitimate son, reaching the top would be incredibly difficult. Even so, he continued working tirelessly towards that goal.
As Hansol listened, everything finally made sense. The younger brother who had caused Minjun so much pain was Dogyun.
Still, Hansol chose not to dwell on the past. What mattered now was the present.
There were fifteen years between them. Hansol was around twenty-five years old, while Professor Minjun was approaching forty.
To end the day, Hansol gave the professor one final healing treatment. By the time they were finished, poor Hansol was completely exhausted and could barely move. Even so, he was happy, if it helped Minjun recover from everything he had been carrying inside. From now on, Hansol vowed to protect him, so that no one would ever hurt him again.
The next day at the university, an announcement informed the architecture students that they had all been invited to a presentation hosted by Baecha Construction. The company would also be accepting applications for a limited number of internship positions, and interested students could submit their applications.
Although it sounded like an incredible opportunity, everyone knew how competitive it was. The previous year, only a single student had been selected. Applicants needed outstanding grades, an impeccable academic record, and a recommendation from their professor. Naturally, nearly every student dreamed of earning a place at Baecha Construction.
As the announcement ended, Hansol noticed Joyun staring at him without looking away. He guessed Joyun believed Professor Bae would recommend Hansol instead of him.
Hansol simply smiled. He was not interested in joining Baecha Construction. Having Professor Minjun by his side was already more than enough.
That evening, Professor Bae stayed up late preparing materials for his upcoming presentation. When he finally entered the bedroom, he found Hansol fast asleep. He leaned down and gently kissed him goodnight.
The kiss woke Hansol. Minjun apologised for disturbing his sleep, but Hansol did not mind. Once the presentation was over, they would make up for every date they had missed. For now, they simply shared another warm goodnight kiss.