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“Are you sure?”
“About what?”
“That there wasn’t a wound here when you saw me yesterday. Are you certain?”
His question made her momentarily doubt herself. But she was confident in her memory—his face had been flawless, smooth enough for her to admire its striking beauty.
“It wasn’t there. I’m sure. I remember your face clearly—it definitely wasn’t there.”
At Hyun-soo’s firm response, Han slowly curled the corners of his lips upward. Hmm? Come to think of it...
“What about your lip?”
“Do you see it now?”
“Is this another injury?”
“Yeah. It hurts so much I might die.”
Unlike the scab on his eyebrow, the cut on his upper lip continued to bleed slightly. Every time he spoke, the movement kept reopening the wound, preventing it from healing properly.
“It keeps bleeding.”
“Yeah. So stop talking and let it heal. You’re making it worse.”
“What if I bleed to death? Will you come to my funeral?”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
His jokes were utterly senseless. Shaking her head with exasperation, Hyun-soo examined his wounds more carefully.
“Are you going to cry?”
“Hey!”
“Are you going to wail and beat the ground like that?”
“Just stay still, alright?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Hyun-soo grabbed both of Han’s cheeks firmly to immobilize him. This brought their faces dangerously close together. Han blinked belatedly as his eyes widened slightly.
“Are you always this talkative?”
“No.”
“Since when did you start using informal speech?”
“Nope.”
Han quickly corrected himself with a mischievous grin.
“I’ll treat it for you. Where’s the first aid kit?”
Hyun-soo sighed and tried to pull her hands away from his face. However, Han abruptly covered her hand with his own, preventing her from moving.
“It’s fine. Just leave it alone.”
“What?”
“If you do this, it’ll heal faster.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“I don’t need medicine.”
“Stop being stubborn and tell me where the first aid kit...”
Hyun-soo’s words trailed off suddenly. Her gaze shifted past Han’s shoulder. Sensing her slight stiffness, Han turned around belatedly.
“...”
There stood Guk, who had just returned home and was ascending the stairs.
“Brother! Long time no see!”
At Han’s loud greeting, Guk glanced up at them as he reached the second floor. His gaze lingered briefly on their intertwined hands before shifting away indifferently.
“Welcome back early.”
With those curt words, Guk opened a door and disappeared into his room without further ado.
“Aww, you could’ve at least pretended to be happy to see me after all this time. Hey, Brother! Hey!”
“...”
“He’s always so cold.”
“Let go of my hand.”
Hyun-soo forcefully pulled her hand free from Han’s grip. This time, Han didn’t resist and let her move as she pleased.
“Everyone, come down for dinner!”
Madam Jeon’s voice broke the awkward silence as she called out from downstairs. It was time to head down for dinner.
“Yes. Let’s go, Noona.”
“No, I think I should head home.”
Though her workday technically ended in the evening, Hyun-soo hadn’t planned on staying for dinner. The idea felt burdensome and intrusive.
As Hyun-soo stood up to gather her bag and phone, Han rose alongside her.
“Miss Kim Hyun-soo?”
At that moment, Madam Jeon stopped her.
“Don’t leave. Please join us for dinner. Chairman Yoon specifically asked for you to stay.”
“Chairman Yoon?”
“Yes. He probably wants to meet you.”
The added pressure made Hyun-soo even more uneasy. But given how earnestly they insisted, she couldn’t simply ignore the request... In the end, she reluctantly set her bag back down.
Just then, the door opened again, revealing Guk. Seeing him dressed casually instead of in his usual suit gave off an unfamiliar vibe.
After glancing briefly at Hyun-soo and Han, Guk silently headed downstairs.
“Hurry up and come down, okay?”
Once Madam Jeon also descended, leaving the second floor quiet, Han—who had been playful moments ago—fell silent. Hyun-soo turned to look at him.
“Let’s go down.”
“Why? Did you suddenly decide to join us?”
“What?”
Though not exactly confrontational, his tone carried a faint prickliness.
“You heard Madam Jeon. Chairman Yoon requested our presence.”
“Oh. So that’s why you decided to go?”
“Of course. Is there some other reason?”
“Who knows? That’s something only you can answer.”
Something about his demeanor confirmed it—he was definitely upset about something. His sullen expression and tilted head hinted at dissatisfaction. Unsure of the cause, Hyun-soo pressed him directly.
“What did I do?”
“Never mind. Let’s just go.”
Hyun-soo tried to untangle herself from the situation, but Han’s previously stiff face softened into a teasing smile. With an amused look, he lightly draped an arm over her shoulder and nudged her forward. Hyun-soo’s slender frame stumbled under the push.
“Let go of me...!”
“Come to think of it, isn’t this the first time we’re eating together? I’m looking forward to it. Eat a lot, Noona.”
“Yoon Han, seriously... Fine, just let go.”
Finally releasing her, Han watched as Hyun-soo hurried toward the stairs, wary of being grabbed again.
From behind, Han chuckled softly at her retreating figure. For someone who didn’t seem like the type, her actions were oddly endearing.
Still smiling, Han descended the stairs and crossed through the living room toward the dining area. Anticipating a pleasant meal, he rounded the corner—only to catch sight of someone brushing past him.
“Brother?”
It was Guk. He glanced back at Han over his shoulder.
“You went out earlier. Why are you coming in now?”
“I had some errands to run.”
“Ah.”
“What about Kim Hyun-soo?”
“She already went down to eat.”
“Alone?”
“Yeah. She left ahead of me.”
Han laughed lightly, as if joking, but Guk remained impassive as ever. Their conversation fizzled out predictably.
Both brothers, tall and imposing, strode confidently toward their destination. Finally, as they entered the dining room doorway...
“Kim Hyun-soo.”
Guk noticed Hyun-soo hesitating near the entrance.
“Oh, Yoon Guk.”
Slowing his pace, Guk stopped in front of her. His dry gaze betrayed little emotion, yet his willingness to listen conveyed consideration.
“I couldn’t bring myself to enter alone. And you weren’t here either...”
“What about Yoon Han?”
“Well, yes, but...”
Han, trailing a few steps behind Guk, paused out of sight. Only Hyun-soo’s voice reached him.
“It’s different with you.”
At that, Han smirked despite feeling a sharp sting at the back of his neck. Annoyance bubbled within him, yet he couldn’t suppress the urge to laugh.
“Go inside.”
Those were Guk’s words after observing Hyun-soo quietly. She looked up at him.
“And you?”
“I’ll go too.”
With just those words, Hyun-soo somehow found courage. Clenching her teeth briefly, she nodded in understanding.
“Noona.”
Suddenly, Han stepped forward to stand beside Guk. Hyun-soo looked up at him.
“Why are you acting so clingy?”
“What?”
“Did you butter him up or something? You could’ve gone in alone instead of waiting for someone.”
Hyun-soo’s face flushed red, her expression hardening.
“I just...”
“Our parents aren’t going to eat you alive, so why are you so nervous?”
Deep down, Hyun-soo knew they wouldn’t treat her rudely—even without Guk and Han present. Still, fear gnawed at her. What if she accidentally revealed something about the past while they weren’t around? What if she inadvertently shattered the privacy they worked so hard to protect?
But she didn’t explain all this. Instead, she turned and walked into the dining room first.
“Is she mad?”
“Don’t provoke her.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t spoil a perfectly good meal by stirring things up unnecessarily.”
With that curt remark, Guk left Han standing dumbfounded and entered the dining room. Alone, Han chuckled softly, half-understanding and half-confused by his brother’s words.
“Ah, whatever.”
Giving up on pursuing the matter, Han shook his head and followed into the dining room. Despite everything, he was looking forward to dinner.
“Can you pass that side dish?”
“Huh? Oh, sure.”
Holding up his rice bowl, Han pointed at a side dish with his chopsticks—a gesture asking her to serve him since he couldn’t reach. Hyun-soo felt dizzy watching him act so casually in front of their parents, but she complied, placing some food onto his rice.
“Delicious. Madam Jeon’s cooking never disappoints.”
While Han marveled at the taste, Hyun-soo quietly chewed her food, embarrassed.
Dinner proceeded uneventfully. Though Chairman Yoon’s commanding aura contrasted sharply with Madam Ji-young’s gentle demeanor, neither posed any difficulty. They occasionally glanced at Hyun-soo but refrained from prying questions or rude remarks. In fact, they even encouraged her to try more dishes when they noticed her eating sparingly.
“Does the food suit your taste?”
“Yes. It’s incredibly delicious.”
“I’m glad. Eat more.”
“Thank you.”
Sweating profusely as she answered Madam Ji-young’s polite inquiries, Hyun-soo fervently wished for the meal to end soon. Though she considered herself composed, today she realized anew how tense she truly was. She kept fumbling nervously and recalling memories of Mrs. Ah-san unnecessarily. How foolish.
“Ah, sorry.”
“...”
It happened again—their arms bumped. Unintentional contact prompted Hyun-soo to apologize to Guk.
Here’s what was happening: Left-handed Guk and right-handed Hyun-soo were seated next to each other, causing their arms to collide repeatedly during the meal. While Guk seemed unfazed, Hyun-soo had been quietly apologizing since earlier.
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