My favorite woman in this world

Hyun-u looked at his mother, smiled, and hugged her. She smiled back but held back her emotions, still a bit upset with him. She had not seen him in a long time, and he had not bothered to visit her or even call on her birthday. She had spent many birthdays alone.

Reluctantly, she pushed him away and scolded him for the mess he m had made in such a short time. There was an unfinished bowl of ramyeon and an open packet of snacks.

"What are you doing in my house without my permission?" she asked sternly.

Hyun-u wore a confused expression. He assumed his mother would be happy to see him. "I miss you, Mom. Do I still need permission to come see you?" he replied with a hopeful smile.

Mrs. Kim's expression shifted from scolding to a mix of emotions. She had seen her son talk about another woman in the media as if she were his mother, and it hurt her deeply. She had felt replaced and neglected. "Oh, so you still remember that I am your mother?" she said, her tone a mixture of sarcasm and pain. "I thought you enjoyed living in Seoul, regarding that woman as your mother. I mean, the many times you've talked about her in shows and magazines, I honestly thought she was your mother."

Hyun-u understood the confusion now. He had always meant his real mother when he spoke about her in interviews, hoping she would decode the message. But instead, it had hurt her deeply. He felt like a failure as a son.

Hyun-u hugged his mother tightly, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort that he rarely experienced in his busy life. He had different roles to play in his life, the daunting stern director, the cold uncaring rich dude, but in his mother's presence, he could be himself, a loving son who cherished every moment with her.

"Mom, you're my favorite woman in this world," he said sincerely, going in for another hug. His mother's presence had a way of bringing out his more vulnerable and affectionate side. He knelt down in front of her, playfully groveling like a child. "If I've been very naughty and disregarded you, please punish me. Please, please, Mother. I love you, Mom. I love you," he repeated over and over again, his sincerity shining through.

His mother eventually smiled and pulled him up, giving him a warm hug. She became like any other mother, fussing over her son's appearance, weight, and well-being. She wondered why he looked so drained and skinny.

"Why didn't you tell me you were on your way? I would have prepared you dinner and been here to receive you," she scolded, her mood lightening up.

" Because I wanted to see if you were hiding my step father or maybe my step sibling."

But then, Hyun-u teased her, suggesting that maybe she had a secret stepfather or step-sibling. Mrs. Kim was taken aback by her son's words, wondering what had gotten into his head. She felt mortified.

However, Hyun-u's laughter broke the tension, and he tried to reassure her. "Mom, it's okay. We can talk about this if you have someone special in your life. I'll be totally okay with it..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Mrs. Kim started hitting him with the umbrella, emphasizing each word. "You. Stupid. Little. Thing!"

Hyun-u realized he had touched a sensitive nerve and quickly tried to apologize, but his mother was too furious and mortified to listen. She even took his slippers and his half-eaten ramyeon away from him.

"Get your own slippers, since you're so smart and rich with a smart mouth," she scolded, "and get your own food, okay?" 

Despite the scolding, there was an underlying warmth in their interaction that only a mother and son could share.