It was a bright, crisp autumn afternoon at the Kang family mansion. The sprawling estate, with its manicured gardens and grandiose architecture, buzzed with the energy of a family gathering. Yura, Min-jae and Seo-jin's 15-year-old daughter, was exploring the attic—a treasure trove of memories and forgotten belongings—when she stumbled upon an old leather-bound photo album.
"Mom! Dad! What is this?" Yura burst into the living room, clutching the album tightly. Min-jae, now the chairman of both Kang Group and Yoo Group, sat on a sleek armchair, reading reports. Despite being in his early 40s, he looked almost the same as he had in his wedding photos—tall, lean, and strikingly handsome, his ageless appearance a stark contrast to the more mature Seo-jin sitting beside him.
Seo-jin, radiant in her quiet contentment, was sipping tea. She nearly choked when she saw the album in Yura's hands. "Oh no…"
Yura opened the album and pointed to an old photo of Min-jae from years ago, back when he was an unremarkable, overweight young man lounging on a couch, with Seo-jin sitting beside him, visibly annoyed.
"Is this Dad?!" Yura exclaimed, her voice a mixture of disbelief and curiosity.
Min-jae smirked, glancing at the photo. "Ah, yes. That's me… before your mom decided to ruin my life," he teased, his tone light but laced with layers of meaning.
Seo-jin shot him a warning look. "Min-jae…"
Yura flipped to their wedding photos, taken years later. Min-jae, with his perfect physique and jaw-dropping looks, stood proudly next to Seo-jin, who looked equally stunning but slightly overshadowed by her husband's transformation. In some of the photos, the couple looked happy, but in others, there was an unease in their expressions, subtle but present.
"How did this happen?" Yura pressed, her eyes darting between the photos. "You two look so… different. And this wedding—wasn't this after you got engaged twice?"
Seo-jin stiffened. Min-jae leaned back, clearly amused. "Ah, Yura. Some stories are better left untold," he said, his voice smooth and evasive.
"Come on!" Yura whined. "You always say you're the perfect love story. How did you even end up married? You hated each other in this one," she said, pointing to an older photo.
Seo-jin glanced at Min-jae, searching for support. He only chuckled softly, leaving her to answer. "It's… a boring story, really," Seo-jin said, waving her hand dismissively. "We were young, and we just… grew up together."
"Lies," Yura muttered, narrowing her eyes.
Later that evening, after dinner, Yura cornered her aunt, Soobin, in the study. "Aunt Soobin, you're the only one who'll tell me the truth. What really happened between Mom and Dad?"
Soobin hesitated, her usual sharp-tongued demeanor softening. She glanced at the door, making sure no one was listening. "Yura," she began, her voice low, "you have to understand, your parents love each other deeply now. But… how they got here? It's not something anyone should ever go through."
Yura's eyes widened. "Why? What happened?"
Soobin sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Your father… he was a completely different person back then. And your mother—well, let's just say they were forced into a situation neither of them was ready for. Your dad… he loved your mom so much that he changed himself entirely. But the way he did it…" She trailed off, shaking her head.
"It wasn't healthy?" Yura guessed.
Soobin nodded. "That's an understatement. Let's just say your dad was determined to make sure your mom never left him again. And your mom… she went through a lot before she realized just how much she loved him back. It wasn't easy for either of them."
Yura frowned, trying to piece it together. "But they're happy now, right? They love each other."
"They do," Soobin said firmly. "But their story… it's not a fairy tale, Yura. It's a lesson. Love can be beautiful, but it can also be messy and painful. What matters is that they worked through it and came out stronger."
That night, Yura sat with the photo album, staring at the images of her parents. Despite the gaps in the story, she could feel the depth of their bond. Whatever had happened, whatever darkness had once lingered between them, it was clear they had found their way to a place of love and happiness.
As she closed the album, she made a mental note to learn from their story—not just the love, but the mistakes, too.