Reboot the heyday

"Forehead"

Wang Taika visibly froze, unsure how to respond.

Turning his head, Han Chae-young's face was inches away, and Wang Tai-ka could see the slight tremor in her eyes beneath the forced composure.

Han Chae-young's arms, clinging to Wang Taika's neck, were not strong, even somewhat weak, yet they carried a stubbornness born of desperation.

This posture was strikingly similar to when she first truly submitted to Wang Taika, filled with resigned despair and a final, tentative unwillingness. The carefully maintained facade of dignity had been torn open by her own hands.

Wang Taika didn't push her away immediately, nor did he make any hasty promises. He raised his hand, not to hug her, but to gently grasp her wrist, which was resting on his shoulder; it was slightly cool to the touch.

“Chaeyoung, I’ll call you by your name, it feels more intimate.” Wang Taika’s voice was lower than usual and unusually serious: “Please sit down first, let’s talk.”

Han Chae-young's eyelashes trembled. She obediently released her hand, sat back in her original position, straightened her back, and placed her hands folded on her knees, regaining her elegant posture. However, her fingertips were white from the force of her grip. Those words had exhausted all her courage, leaving only the tense anticipation of her fate.

Wang Taika didn't sit back down at his desk. Instead, he stood up and walked to the window. This action made Han Chae-young's heart sink. Usually, this meant he was about to say something that needed to be carefully considered, or something that wasn't very pleasant.

“Children.” Wang Taika pondered, “We will have children sooner or later, but it’s not something we should be thinking about now.”

As expected! Han Chae-young's heart sank lower and lower. She thought to herself with self-mockery that she had indeed been too greedy, or rather, she had overestimated the affection they had built up over the years. What he gave her had always been within a clear boundary, and she had tried to cross that line.

"I understand," Han Chae-young replied in a calm, almost rigid voice. "I was being presumptuous. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

Actually, Han Chae-young tried to force a polite smile, but she failed.

“You don’t understand.” Wang Taika interrupted her, turned around, and looked directly at her. “I’m not rejecting you. No matter who asks me that, I will give the same answer. Now is not the time. It’s not that I lack material things, but there are many other things that I don’t know how to say.”

Han Chae-young was taken aback, looked up at Wang Tai-ka, her eyes filled with confusion and a hint of sting.

Wang Taika walked back to the sofa, but this time he didn't sit down. Instead, he squatted down, bringing his gaze to her level. This upward-looking posture lessened Wang Taika's usual oppressive aura and revealed a rare sincerity in his attempt to communicate.

“You want a child, not because you love children, but because you’re afraid I’ll leave,” Wang Taika said. “You feel that everything you have now exists because of me. But that’s not secure, because my relationships are complicated, so I can’t help but have other thoughts. So your comfortable life now, your seemingly stable position, is like duckweed, without roots. You want to tie yourself to a child, so you’ll have a bond, you’ll have security. That way, I won’t let you leave easily, or… you’ll have a home that truly belongs to you, a home that won’t disappear, right?”

Han Chae-young's face paled, her lips moved as if she wanted to deny it, but she found that under Wang Tai-ka's overly clear gaze, all her pretense was exposed.

Yes, Wang Taika was absolutely right. She was indeed afraid. Afraid of this distant feeling of "treating each other with polite formality," afraid that one day this relationship, maintained by guilt and practical interests, would fade away silently, afraid that she would eventually be alone again.

If it really comes to that, she'll probably have no way out. Everyone knows she was with Wang Taika, so no one dares to get close, fearing retaliation. As everyone knows, Wang Taika's reputation is terrible!
Therefore, her child was the most reliable anchor she could think of.

Han Chae-young nodded, finally admitting it, her voice soft like a sigh, carrying the embarrassment of being seen through: "I'm sorry, I..."

“I’m the one who should apologize,” Wang Taika interrupted her, his brows furrowing slightly.

Many things are not as I imagined. I thought that if I could provide a good material life, I wouldn't have to worry too much about anything else. Because what Han Chae-young had shown before was that she actually wanted to obtain a more comfortable life through marriage; she didn't really have a strong desire to be a celebrity.

But people, after all, have feelings and needs, unlike NPCs in a game who can be maintained indefinitely with just a fixed amount of resources. Thoughts are the most uncontrollable.

How can a living, breathing person never strive for progress? This cannot be called greed; it is simply human nature.

But Wang Taika seemed to have overlooked this point, which was his problem, so he said, "Don't feel sorry, it's my problem. I gave you a promise, but I didn't give you enough security. It made you feel like you needed to rely on a child to hold onto something."

Han Chae-young pursed her lips and remained silent.

Wang Taika got up and sat down next to Han Chae-young, putting his arm around her and saying, "Our beginning was indeed absurd, it was my fault, a series of unfortunate events, a whole mess. I don't want to recall that unpleasant origin, but the one who truly caused the harm was you."

"So, initially, aside from that damn guilt, I didn't really have any deep feelings for you. Giving you a good life and respecting you as much as possible was partly compensation, and partly because you deserved to be treated that way. You're smart, sensible, and don't cause me any trouble. In fact, at times, being with you makes me feel very relaxed, without having to be on edge all the time."

Han Chae-young listened quietly, her clasped fingers loosening slightly.

Wang Taika sighed: "I admit that I'm wary of you. There's nothing I can do, after all, some things were just too absurd. So I've always felt that you harbor resentment, or at least feel wronged. Being with me, for someone like you who once wholeheartedly wanted a stable marriage, is ultimately a compromise, or even a last resort."

Han Chae-young's eyes dimmed slightly. These were the truths; she had hated them many times before.

But things are different now. Would Wang Taika believe that?
"I'm so tired," Han Chae-young thought, "I don't even have the energy to explain anymore. Whatever, believe it or not."

Wang Taika said, "What I was thinking was to give you as much space as possible, not to force you anything, to keep your distance, and to avoid making you feel uncomfortable. Now it seems that I did a terrible job. I only gave you a safe zone materially, but closed the door to your emotions, and I thought that was respect."

Han Chae-young shook her head and said half-jokingly, "It's not that serious. If you only give me feelings and not material things, I can't accept it. So I guess I'm being greedy."

Wang Taika was amused. Since Han Chae-young had already expressed this attitude, he decided to give her a more formal promise.

"I owe you a wedding, I'll make it up to you!" (End of Chapter)