WWBU - 40

Hyun-soo stood up and placed his luggage on the table. The only things he had brought into the mansion were these two bags. Inside, they contained just a few essentials: clothes to wear immediately, basic skincare products, a phone charger, and other minimal necessities.

As expected, it didn’t take long to unpack since he hadn’t brought much with him in the first place. With so little to organize, it was natural that the task would be completed quickly.

After finishing, Hyun-soo stood in the middle of the room, hands resting on his hips, and took a slow look around. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached into his pocket. What he pulled out was none other than his phone.

Given how well-prepared the room was and the fact that a driver had been sent early in the morning, it seemed Guk had put considerable thought into his arrival. Hyun-soo couldn’t help but hope that maybe—just maybe—Guk had sent him a text message.

But no matter how many times he checked, there wasn’t a single notification from Guk. Feeling disheartened, Hyun-soo let out a long sigh. What were you expecting?

With a wry smile, he ruffled his hair and shook his head. He felt strange and almost brazen for constantly hoping for something. How dare I expect anything from anyone?

Checking the time, he realized he still had a while before work. Thinking about taking a short nap, he decided instead to grab a cup of tea and stepped out of the room.

“Huh? Who’s this?”

“Hi, Noona.”

It was an unexpected call. Lost in thought as he crossed the living room, Hyun-soo turned toward the voice that had grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“It’s nice running into you here.”

“Yeah, pretty fresh, isn’t it?”

Descending from the second-floor staircase were two familiar faces: Choi Gi-young and Moon Si-joon, friends who often hung out with Yoon Han.

“Why are you coming out of there?”

And at this hour, no less. Though Hyun-soo didn’t finish his sentence, the implication of his question was clear to everyone.

Judging by their untucked shirts, wrinkled jackets, and messy hair, it was obvious they had spent the night in Han’s room. But Hyun-soo was curious about the circumstances of their sleepover.

“It’s obvious, why even ask? This, this,” Gi-young mimicked tipping a glass and laughed, implying they had gotten drunk and crashed there.

“Did Han drink too?”

“Of course! Why even ask? Do you think that guy would just sit back and watch us have fun?”

Si-joon’s response made Hyun-soo frown. When she left for work last night, Han showed no signs of going out. Yet after the bathroom incident, they had gone ahead and partied anyway. She had nothing to say to that.

“By the way, I heard you’re staying here now—is it true?”

“Uh… yeah, it looks like it.”

“Han must really like you.”

“What?”

Confused, Hyun-soo watched as Gi-young and Si-joon exchanged glances and giggled.

“Never mind. Go upstairs and see for yourself. He’s awake now.”

“This early?”

“He has plans this morning.”

“Plans? What kind of plans?”

“We’re just freeloaders who eat and play around. Anyway, we’ll see you later, Noona.”

The two approached her with grins, calling her “Noona” as if it were second nature. Feeling uncomfortable, Hyun-soo took a small step back, which only made them chuckle more.

“We’ll head out first. See you later.”

“Don’t skip out this time—join us, okay?”

Hyun-soo had zero intention of joining these kids in their carefree mingling. Rather than arguing, though, she simply nodded to get rid of them quickly.

Gi-young and Si-joon seemed satisfied with her response, cheering with exaggerated “Oohs” as they praised her decision.

“That’s enough chatter. Hurry up and go.”

“You’re practically one of the family now.”

“We’re leaving, leaving, alright.”

The two snickered as they teased Hyun-soo into ushering them out. Pretending not to hear their subtle jabs, she let them leave without further fuss.

Finally, when Gi-young and Si-joon were gone and the mansion fell silent again, Hyun-soo couldn’t suppress a deep sigh. A nagging question surfaced in her mind: Were these people truly good influences on Han? She suspected Han himself might already know the answer.

Putting her tea plans on hold, Hyun-soo decided to check on Han first. Between the bathroom incident yesterday and the news of his drinking binge, she was worried about his condition.

Climbing to the second floor, Hyun-soo naturally knocked on Han’s door before opening it. As luck would have it, Han had just finished showering. Shirtless, wearing only pants, he was drying his wet hair with a towel. Even though the door opened unexpectedly, he didn’t seem startled and instead gave her a nonchalant glance.

“Oh, sorry. I’ll come back later.”

Ironically, it was Hyun-soo who was surprised. As she turned to close the door and leave, Han’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“You came all this way—why leave now?”

“Well, your outfit…”

At her words, Han glanced down at himself and blinked innocently, as if to say, What’s wrong with this?

“Are we strangers now?”

“No, but…”

“If not, then come in.”

“But still…”

“You worry over the smallest things.”

Tossing the towel onto a chair, Han walked over and pulled Hyun-soo inside by her arm. Caught off guard, she stumbled into the room, muttering, “Hey, hey, alright, let go.”

“I mean it.”

“Okay, okay, I got it.”

When Hyun-soo finally nodded obediently, Han seemed reassured and began getting dressed. Meanwhile, Hyun-soo looked around the room. That’s when something caught her eye.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“That.”

Hyun-soo pointed to something, and Han followed her gaze. On his desk sat a round, glittering object—or rather, that’s how it could best be described.

“Yes, what about it?”

“Is that… mine?”

“Yes, Noona gave it to me.”

“You still have it?”

“Yes, I still have it.”

“Why?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Instead of answering directly, Han gave her a look as if she were the one saying something odd.

“What?”

“Hmm?”

They stared blankly at each other until Hyun-soo cleared her throat awkwardly and stood up to approach the desk. Picking up the item, she held it in her hand—the crude yet precious snow globe that had once captured young Han’s heart entirely.

“Why am I only noticing this now?”

“Right? After coming in and out of my room so many times, you’re just seeing it now. You’re such a detail-oriented person, Noona.”

Hyun-soo shot him a glare, but Han smiled brightly, unfazed.

“Just kidding. Actually, the base was broken, so I sent it for repairs. Just got it back recently. Makes sense you noticed it now.”

By now, Han had moved closer behind her, leaning over the desk with both hands braced on either side, trapping her in his embrace. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he whispered softly. This sudden proximity flustered Hyun-soo, but she hesitated to show it, fearing it might make things awkward.

In the end, she bit her lip and maintained a calm facade.

“Right, I guess. It feels strange seeing it again after so long. But it hasn’t changed.”

“Of course not. I’ve taken good care of it.”

“…”

Somehow, his voice seemed to penetrate deeper into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Unable to bear it any longer, Hyun-soo squirmed and turned around.

“I said I took care of it!”

Before she could say anything else, he beat her to it, his gaze dark and intense as he looked down at her.

“So… want something to drink? I’ll bring it.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, now.”

Her trembling voice made him slowly close and reopen his eyes, clearly aware of her tension.

He gently released the arm he had been holding and stepped back, shaking his head.

“Never mind. Actually, I wanted to ask you something.”

As Han created some distance, Hyun-soo let out a relieved breath. Gesturing toward a chair, he invited her to sit. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly took a seat, and Han positioned himself across from her.

“Do you know what day next Friday is?”

The abrupt question left a bitter taste in Hyun-soo’s mouth. How could she forget? It was an unforgettable day.

That day marked the anniversary of her mother’s death—and the death of Han’s mother.

“I know.”

“Are you going to Damyang?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Then let’s go together.”

“Together?”

“My brother and I visit every year.”

“Oh, I see.”

Hyun-soo and her brother, Hyun-seo, also visited Damyang annually unless something came up. How had they never crossed paths before?

Perhaps fate—or heaven—had intentionally kept their paths separate.

“We’re heading in the same direction anyway. Why go separately? It’ll be easier if we go together.”

“But still…”

“Are you worried my brother won’t like it?”

His question pierced straight through her thoughts, and she looked at him.

“He probably wouldn’t say no.”

“How do you know? He might definitely…”

“I know. Trust me, don’t worry about it. Let’s go together.”

Trust me. Easier said than done. As the saying goes, you can see ten feet underwater but never truly understand another person’s heart. Only Guk knew what Guk truly felt.

If she were in Guk’s shoes, she’d likely feel uncomfortable around Hyun-soo or Hyun-seo too. After all, weren’t they the children of Kim Hyun-sung, the man who had prevented him from saving his own mother?

It might be an exaggeration, but they were technically the offspring of the person indirectly responsible for his mother’s death. Naturally, resentment and discomfort would follow. Hatred and aversion were inevitable.

Yoon Han’s friendliness was an exception; Guk’s reaction was the norm. Expecting otherwise would be foolish.

Just then, Han snapped his fingers in front of her face, pulling her back to reality. Hyun-soo looked up.

“You were lost in thought for a while.”

“Sorry.”

“Anyway, consider it settled—we’re going together. My brother and I will take turns driving, so don’t worry.”

So they were driving themselves. Hyun-soo had assumed they’d use public transportation or hire a driver, making her feel even more uneasy.