MO - 6

The hairdryer stopped. Her hair, which had been flying up into the air, settled down, holding the heat as if nothing had happened.

“Are you wavering?”

Why did that thought come back to her again?

She felt as if his dark eyes, which had hoped for that very answer, were once again piercing her mind. The soft, hot sensation that had touched her lips. The heat that carefully dampened the inside of her mouth felt like it was cooking her mind into a soft, mushy state. His secret warmth as he licked his lip after biting it, then pressed his soft lips against hers again, and finally, snatched her tongue away when she flinched, unsure of what to do.

“You’re crazy.”

Seo-eun muttered, staring at her dazed reflection in the mirror. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but the moment she recalled even a single memory of Tae-han, it was like a chain reaction, bringing all the others to mind.

A dark alley where their arms brushed as they walked.

Her wrist and the back of her neck held tightly in his large hands.

Somewhere in the darkness where she couldn’t sleep alone, pressing down on her heart that felt like it would burst from his low laughter.

Seo-eun shook her head, telling herself to get ready. The morning sun was shining so brightly and warmly; it must be a beautiful day. After finishing her makeup, she reached to spray her perfume, but then she paused.

‘Do you want to sleep with me?’

She remembered his words about how he was drawn in because the scent was so nice.

The pure white bottle, shaped like a gourd, looked like it was made of porcelain, with a pattern reminiscent of the serpent and the tree of knowledge from a myth. The small bottle made her feel strangely unsettled. It was a perfume Seung-won had bought her on a trip once. Now, even when she used the perfume she had cherished for a lifetime, he came to mind.

A laugh of disbelief escaped Seo-eun’s lips.

“What is wrong with me, seriously?”

Today was the day she had promised to give Tae-han a flower class at the shop. The day after they had kissed in front of her house, Tae-han called as if nothing had happened and asked when the earliest he could take a class was. Saturday was Hae-in’s recital. So when she said there was only one open slot on Friday after work, he said he would come without hesitation.

Seo-eun, who had been toying with the perfume bottle, changed her mind.

What could possibly happen?

It was just the perfume she always wore. As she sprayed it into the air, the room filled with a fresh, rich floral scent. The fragrant scent quickly permeated her hair, shoulders, and chest.

The days were getting longer by the day. At 7 p.m. on a weekday, the sky was still bright, a sign that summer was in full swing. As the streets began to fill with life, Seo-eun was watching a faint orange glow seeping into the western sky.

Her preparations for the class were completed early. She had neatly separated the materials for the fresh flower wreath and the conditioned flowers into vases on the table. As she stared out the window, a familiar figure came into view. It was Tae-han. He took the stairs two at a time and opened the door to the shop.

“I apologize. I meant to come with more time, but I arrived too close to the start.”

It was 5 minutes before 7 o’clock. He looked as if he had run straight from the office, crossing the shop with large strides. With every step he took, she could smell a scent like the wind full of sunlight.

“We still have 5 minutes left.”

“I thought I could come a little earlier and have some tea.”

With a sly smile, Tae-han washed his hands at the small sink by the entrance and walked over.

“Did you have dinner?”

“No. I often skip dinner. What about you, Seo-eun?”

“Me neither. Give me your jacket.”

Should I suggest we get dinner together after this? she thought, and naturally took his jacket. Tae-han, however, was watching her with a strange expression.

“Why?”

“It’s nothing.”

A somehow satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

“Today, we’re going to make a fresh flower wreath.”

“For a first class, the difficulty seems higher than I expected.”

Tae-han briefly glanced around the table and shrugged his shoulders at the unexpectedly large quantity of fresh flowers.

“It won’t be difficult. Beginners can easily complete it in a single session. I’ve already done the basic preparations for you.”

Seo-eun encouraged him, telling him not to worry.

“One session?”

“Two hours.”

“That seems short.”

He quickly undid the cufflinks on his long sleeves, rolled them up to his elbows, and added. The veins on his forearms, which had been revealed under the rolled-up shirt, bulged with his every movement. And what about the tendons on the back of his hands? This had never happened before, but just with him sitting down, the table felt full.

Seo-eun stared blankly at Tae-han, who occupied so much of the table, and then, as their eyes met, she smiled while trying to suppress her pounding heart.

“There’s plenty of time. Shall we begin?”

The fresh flower wreath they were making today was a popular class. Since it was a project that could be completed in just one session and used as a centerpiece or a wall decoration, she received many inquiries about it.

She usually asks about the client’s favorite colors or flowers, but today, she had prepared flowers in shades of blue and purple that matched Tae-han’s image.

She gave a brief explanation of the order and precautions, and quickly introduced the flowers they would be using.

The flowers for today’s class were light purple scabiosa with delicate petals, green shepherd’s purse and eucalyptus, deep purple delphinium, purple hydrangeas, light pink butterflies, and three types of roses. As she quickly explained the donut-shaped floral foam, basic materials, and flowers, Tae-han gave a flustered laugh.

“It won’t matter if you tell me the names. Just explain as we go.”

“First, would you like to try arranging the eucalyptus? This one with the coin-like leaves is the eucalyptus. You’ve seen this one before, right? We need to create the outline with the green plants.”

“Like this?”

Seriously watching Seo-eun’s movements, he used his large, clumsy hands to stick the green plant into the oasis foam.

“You did great! You’re very talented!”

It’s just one stem with a few leaves, she thought. Tae-han shrugged his shoulders at her excited voice, which praised him with a clap of her hands.

“Next, imagine the circular floral foam is divided into four sections, and arrange the larger flowers first.”

Seo-eun demonstrated by trimming a hydrangea branch short and pushing it into the oasis foam.

“When you insert them, you need to be decisive and firm so that the flowers don’t fall out.”

“Like this?”

“No, more like this.”

Seo-eun, who was watching from beside him, took Tae-han’s hand and pushed the flower in forcefully. Plop, the purple hydrangea, cleanly inserted, swayed gracefully.

“Now, fill in the spaces with the smaller flowers, however you like.”

The tips of her slender fingers that brushed against the back of his hand were cold and soft. A smile bloomed on Tae-han’s lips.

“A wreath needs to feel balanced from any angle. To maintain the shape, you need to cut the stems shorter for the inner part of the circle.”

While arranging the large flowers in the front and the small ones on the sides, it felt as if she were holding a small garden in her hands.

“This is more fun than I thought.”

“Of course. Arranging flowers is such a joyful and happy thing.”

“It’s very calming.”

He handled the flowers with a gentle touch, as if he were afraid of damaging them or that they would be uncomfortably crowded if he placed them incorrectly.

“What do you think about when you’re arranging flowers all day like this?”

“I’m just happy. I don’t think about anything else.”

“When I see you, I can feel how much you truly love flowers.”

“Well, it’s probably because they were with me during my most difficult time. I had a period after I quit ballet when I was practically living dead. At that time, it was a time that can only be described as me being dead. When I opened my eyes in the morning—no, it wasn’t even morning. I’d open my eyes late in the afternoon, just lie there and barely breathe, and then I’d stay up all night and fall asleep when the world started to get faintly bright.”

“What were you doing?”

“Just breathing. I didn’t want to think about anything back then. If I didn’t want to think, I certainly had no will to do anything. That’s when a friend introduced me to flower arrangement.”

Just as she had become fully accustomed to her reclusive life, it was Seung-won who unexpectedly dragged her out of her small home. Seung-won silently took Seo-eun and dropped her off at a nursery run by a plant expert named Yuk Song-yi.

“My friend took me to a nursery with an incredible number of plants and said, ‘It’s up to you to kill it or keep it alive.’ I wondered what he was talking about and went in, but it was strange, I felt a little calm while I was there. And on the way back that day, I received a small potted plant. The teacher said, ‘Try raising a flower once,’ and gave me a pot with a small green stem as a gift.”

“And?”

“At first, I just gave it water casually and didn’t give it much sun. But one day, I smelled a really nice scent. I wondered what it was and looked, and a flower was struggling to bloom inside the pot. I think that’s when I started to put a little care into it.”

She realized it late one afternoon as the sun was setting. The will of the fragile stem pushing a petal that had been embedded in its body out into the world.

I want to live.

I want to live.

And so, I want to bloom.

She decided to be a little kinder to that single flower, which was desperately pushing a sliver of hope through the grave-like cracks that had torn it to pieces.

She moistened the dry soil with water and poured love into the stem that was wearily drooping. One spring night, she started gathering her lost time and mending her broken days.

“So, did the flower bloom?”

“Yes, very beautifully.”

The yellow hyacinth, which symbolized courage, had bloomed.

“It was a yellow hyacinth. I realized, ‘You worked so hard for me.’ After that, all the small, mundane things started to seem precious.”

The one flower had given her hope.

“So I started learning flower arrangement officially.”

She wanted to learn how to live again. She wanted to learn how to live the remaining seasons well, waiting for a day when a new flower would bloom, even if she had to endure and bloom for a final beautiful moment before withering away.

“I’m talking too much, aren’t I?”

Her voice, as she talked about flowers as if talking to a friend, was calm. Tae-han, who was watching the round floral foam being filled with flowers, slightly lifted his head to look at Seo-eun’s expression.

He thought, ‘So that’s what people mean when they say plants don’t betray you,’ as he stared at her clear cheeks. Their gazes briefly crossed as she, too, was focused on Tae-han’s work. Seo-eun’s eyes folded into a gentle smile.

“I end up talking about all sorts of things during classes. It helps me feel more stable and can be helpful.”

Tae-han’s eyes, as he worked with the flowers with his sleeves rolled up, sharpened after some thought. She liked his focused expression as he carefully and daringly inserted the flowers. Her fear that he would be sticky like before was unfounded.

“I think you’re right.”

“Oh, this one needs to be tilted a little more.”

Seo-eun took Tae-han’s hand, pressed the side flower in, and smiled sweetly.

“You’re good at sales.”

“It’s not sales, it’s a lesson.”

Seo-eun snorted an incredulous laugh and shook her head.

“You keep standing so close and touching me throughout the class; how can I concentrate? Do a lot of men come here?”

“Of course. They often come to get presents for their girlfriends’ birthdays or anniversaries.”

Looking lost in thought, as if something wasn’t to his liking, Tae-han nodded and changed the subject.

“When is your birthday, Seo-eun?”

“Me? It’s July 11th.”

“That’s interesting. Mine is the 12th.”

He smiled and met her eyes, as if it were a welcome coincidence.

The conversation had no set direction, but the atmosphere was growing more and more comfortable.

Ridiculously, it felt like a moment of fate. If such a thing existed, wouldn’t it be something like this? That thought seemed to tickle her heart just a little.

“Do you know the meaning of the flower for July 12th?”

Tae-han tilted his head and looked at Seo-eun, who was standing beside him, and said he didn’t.

“I can’t bear it.”

At the unexpected meaning, Tae-han’s eyebrows subtly furrowed.

“Doesn’t that sound just like you, Ryu Tae-han?”

“Then what about July 11th?”

“I am yours.”

A momentary silence fell. She had just shared a fact she already knew, but it felt as if she had suddenly confessed something. A smirk appeared on Tae-han’s lips. The frown that had been there just moments before slid down, following the gentle curve of his eyes.

His eyes, which hoped so clearly that it were true, were too vivid.

“You were born on a good day.”

Her heart was pounding.

His low voice, which sounded like a murmur to himself, shook her heart. She felt a gentle, ticklish flutter in her stomach. So she just ignored the frantic beating of her heart.

However, no matter how hard she tried to compose her expression, his sharp gaze, which was examining every single one of her reactions, wouldn’t leave her. As a last resort, Seo-eun took his face in both hands and made him look at the wreath, away from her.

“Focus, student.”

Then, she took over his clumsy hands and inserted a flower herself.

Her heart kept pounding. Tae-han, who was unable to hide his pleasant feelings, smiled contentedly. She had to force herself to ignore the ticklish feeling in her heels as she saw the meaningful curve of his lips.

“It seems I have a long way to go to catch up to you, teacher. Should I come every Friday?”

“...”

Seo-eun gave Tae-han, who was making a sly pass at her, a narrow-eyed look. Their gazes met and slid away again. Just like that, without a word.

Time passed slowly between their gazes.

A woman who is so honest that she blushes so easily. Watching Seo-eun, Tae-han thought that ever since he met her, he had started to pay more attention to his surroundings. When he saw the trees lining the street and the flowers blooming on the leaves, she would always come to mind.

Looking at the wavering flower petals, he thought.

I hope you’ll waver for me like that, too.

He thought of Seo-eun, who was implicitly avoiding the memory of the moment they had kissed in the pouring rain, and how those few days had felt like an eternity.

Seo-eun was a woman who reacted instantly to his actions. Her honest emotions were all revealed on her face. So it wasn’t difficult. If she had pushed him away with all her heart, he would have backed off, but her soft tongue had been caught in his during the kiss. The thrilling moment when their tongues clumsily tangled in her hot mouth. The moment her helpless, parted lips finally bit down on his, he had actually wanted to pin her down right there.

A very brief entanglement, not a matter of hours or tens of minutes. The thought alone made the blood rush to his lower body. Tae-han unconsciously let out a shallow, ragged breath.

“Tae-han.”

“Seo-eun.”

They called each other’s names at the same time, and their eyes met.

“You go first.”

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

As if she hadn’t expected that question, Seo-eun’s face immediately looked flustered, and she let out an awkward, hearty laugh.

“Why are you laughing?”

“My calculator is overloaded.”

Overloaded? When it should be working hard on a calculation? That meant Joo Seo-eun had been thinking about him all along. Tae-han smiled gently.

“How far have you calculated?”

“Hmm.”

Seo-eun paused for a moment to think.

How far.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine the process of meeting him, falling in love, and then getting married. But then, what would happen to her father, and would he even give his permission? The end was opaque and uncertain.

She already knew from experience that a relationship couldn’t be sustained by good feelings alone. She knew that a relationship built on a one-sided choice could never last. As her face gradually grew calmer with the reality of it all, Tae-han’s gaze deepened with a hint of unease.

“I’m at the thought that I can’t be reckless anymore.”

Seo-eun cut him off with a different question before he could add anything else.

“You know you’re very skilled, Ryu Tae-han?”

“Me?”

He narrowed his eyes and smiled as if to say that couldn’t possibly be true, then asked with a slightly incredulous expression.

“How and in what way am I skilled?”

“You seem to have a lot of experience.”

“Experience?”

Does she mean experience with women? Seeing his ambiguous expression, Seo-eun didn’t miss a stray branch sticking out of his wreath and pushed it back in. At that very moment, his fingers tangled with hers.

“Something like this,” he said.

The moment Seo-eun tried to pull her finger away from his, Tae-han was a little faster. He looked at Seo-eun, who was trying to escape, with a leisurely smile.

The more she struggled, the stronger his grip would get. The surface area of their hands touching would grow larger, and he could pull her all the way into his arms. Even as she struggled, his thumb slowly began to rub the inside of her palm. It brushed her knuckles and the back of her hand, and then, in a flash, he grabbed her whole hand.

His thumb, rubbing the inside of her palm, was hot. Watching him get what he wanted while still being mindful of her feelings, Seo-eun felt herself slipping into a distant emotion. A feeling as if she wouldn’t mind being swept away like this. Swallowing this ambiguous feeling that she didn’t want to escape, Seo-eun gently pushed his hand away.

“Please don’t confuse me.”

“Then you should find the answer quickly.”

She was afraid that if she gave him any more time, she would give in.

Seo-eun avoided his gaze.

The depths of her heart were already complicated, but she tried hard not to let it get any more so.

“Do you wonder why I’m bothering you so much?”

“If it’s just for a bit of fun, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t cross the line.”

Her softly spoken words had a sharp edge. Tae-han straightened his posture and quietly watched Seo-eun, who was standing beside him.

“Did I upset you that day?”

Tae-han was serious as he mentioned the day she had hoped he wouldn’t bring up. Yet, even after she showed her rejection, he remained steadfast, as if completely unaffected.

That was what she was afraid of. She was afraid that he, who kept coming closer, would find a place in her heart. She was afraid that she might have already started liking him, who made her heart pound just by thinking about him. The idea that she had to cut off this very natural attraction at an appropriate point was what was confusing her.

Since we haven’t started anything yet, if I stop here, it might be okay. She thought, a bit too optimistically.

“That’s not it.”

Seo-eun’s answer was half-honest, half-hidden.

“Then may I ask why you thought that?”

Unlike before, the humor was gone from Tae-han’s face. His playfully cunning expression grew more serious with time. Seo-eun looked troubled under his unwavering gaze.

Her eyes, which had wavered as she told him not to confuse her, were immediately filled with confusion again. It was the face of someone about to give in, but who was also running away.

That expression clearly registered in Tae-han’s eyes.

“You’re a remarkable person, Ryu Tae-han.”

“I’m just a normal person.”

“At least you are to me.”

He understood her politely-veiled words that he was a burden and fell silent for a moment.

One can’t weigh the importance of relationships, but there’s a clear difference between the relationships one can have and the ones one shouldn’t. And she was a person who, on a basic level, knew what kind of partner was suitable for the heir to a large corporation.

So Seo-eun was drawing a line, assuming that Tae-han just considered her a temporary amusement. He now realized that this was the meaning behind her “calculations.”

“I don’t want to make a foolish choice just to have fun for a moment. If I look a little further ahead, I can guess what kind of situation would unfold. I just don’t want to start a relationship that has a predetermined ending like that.”

Even as she said those words, his handsome face kept catching her eye.

Tae-han let out a weary laugh and simply said something that wasn’t meant to persuade her or anything else.

“But what should I do? I’m reckless.”

A flicker of conflict crossed Seo-eun’s slowly blinking eyes.

“And I’m not hanging around here to mess with you, Joo Seo-eun.”

He didn’t have time for this, but he deliberately made time to come because he wanted to see her one more time. He enjoyed spending time with Seo-eun. There were more reasons to smile when he was with her. All these things left him with good memories, and good memories left a good impression.

The thought of wanting to see her again came from that feeling alone.

But Seo-eun was different. It seemed she had already considered the practical problems that would arise from a relationship with him. She was a woman who thought more deeply than he had expected.

Whether they met casually or dated seriously, if they broke up, it would become a messy scandal, which would not only tarnish their lives but also the lives of those connected to them.

But Tae-han didn’t care at all.

“So, what are you doing tomorrow?”

As if that was the only thing he was curious about, Seo-eun let out a faint sigh at his nonchalant question. She might have also let out a small, hollow laugh.

“I have plans.”

“What plans?”

“My sister’s recital.”

“Oh. The sister who plays the bandoneon.”

A bandoneon recital with the band led by Joo Seo-eun’s sister, Joo Hae-in. Tae-han had already received the tickets a few days ago through Joo Hyung-guk. As she looked at him, slightly surprised that he was already aware of her schedule, the door to the shop opened and the wind chime hanging from it made a cheerful sound.

“Welcome...”

Seo-eun, who had quickly taken a step back from Tae-han, began to greet the customer entering the shop but froze.

It was Han Young-woong.

________________________________________

A heavy silence filled the cleanly cleared table. She thought his words about visiting the shop were just an empty promise. But seeing Young-woong actually show up at the shop, Seo-eun felt her heart turn cold.

“What’s going on?”

Due to Young-woong’s sudden appearance, she had to hastily cut the class with Tae-han short.

When she asked, “I’m sorry, but could we finish a little early?” Tae-han nodded but was clearly bothered by Young-woong’s presence. Despite the strangely silent glare, Young-woong sat down without being invited and waited patiently for Seo-eun to finish.

“It’s rude to just show up like this when I didn’t ask you to.”

“I came to apologize. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I saw you at Ju-young’s wedding the other day.”

Young-woong swept his hair back and let out a shallow sigh.

“I was so young back then. I think I kept insisting that hurting you wasn’t my fault, that it was just an unavoidable accident.”

“And?”

Seo-eun, who was listening calmly, was quiet. She showed no emotion—no anger, no lingering attachment, no regret.

“I have a happy event coming up, and that thought suddenly came to me. That I was clearly wrong to you back then. I thought I should acknowledge my mistake and apologize first.”

“If you came here to ask for forgiveness, it’s already too late. I don’t feel anything for you anymore, and I have nothing to do with you.”

“Yeah, I know. But I still wanted to say this.”

Seo-eun sneered, a cynical smile on her face. Why would someone come looking for a person who is living well to offer a forced apology for something that happened years ago?

“This is forgiveness for your own peace of mind.”

“I...”

“You should have just pretended not to know me. It would have been better for both of us.”

“The fact that you’re living like this made me keep thinking about you.”

You just thought about it.

“I wanted to apologize.”

In his eyes as he offered his apology, there was a subtle hint of pity. Pity and regret. So that’s why you came. You just wanted to ease your own guilt with a simple apology.

“It’s too late, Young-woong. And I’ve forgotten all about it.”

Seo-eun looked at him with unwavering eyes and spoke clearly.

“I guess I seemed pitiful to you.”

“You loved ballet more than anyone. And you failed because of me.”

That was why she clenched her teeth and tried to get back up, crying as she crammed her feet, which didn’t fit anymore, into her pointe shoes. It was a dream she wouldn’t give up even after the doctor told her she would never be able to dance, let alone stand on a stage, again.

She would go to performances whenever she had time, hoping that someday she could dance again. Her desire blinded her, and as she withered away, the thing that ruined her was her own ambition.

It wasn’t easy to accept it, and it was even harder to live again after accepting it. Even so, she had calmed her mind and began to pour water back into her empty heart.

She sowed seeds in the turned-over soil and let the sun shine on them, until a new life slowly sprouted. It was a time that had made her stronger. So she couldn’t call this a failed life. No one could define Seo-eun’s life that way.

Seo-eun clenched her molars, took a deep breath, and spoke calmly again.

“I love something else more now. I’ve realized that as I’ve lived on. I just didn’t know because I hadn’t lived enough, but there are so many things to do in the world. Your choices can always change, and it’s a matter decided solely by my own will.”

So even if she had to change her career path due to unexpected circumstances, she had no regrets now.

The life she was living now was happy and fun enough.

“This has nothing to do with you anymore.”

“Still, I’m sorry about back then.”

“I hope we don’t see each other again.”

It’s a lie that a good ending makes everything good. For an ending to be good, someone has to lose out.

She decided to let go of everything that wasn’t good, everything that had ended in hurt.

Even though today might have been hurtful to someone else, her heart felt relieved.

The only thing that came to mind was another person’s face who would be distressed because of this.

“I’ll see you there tomorrow.”

Shaking off the voice that was floating in her complicated mind, Seo-eun decided she should go back to her tango class, which she had been taking a break from.

________________________________________

Wham, wham. In the wide gymnasium, a heavy thud on the mat was accompanied by a vicious roar like an animal’s.

“Get up.”

With a monotonous voice, the hand that reached out was Tae-han’s, who was impeccable and flawless even in the early morning. Grabbing his hand and staggering to his feet was his younger brother, Tae-jo.

“I’m gonna kill you!”

“Go on. Try it.”

Tae-jo, huffing and puffing with unrestrained anger, couldn’t contain his fury and lunged at him. But his big body was quickly sent flying again by Tae-han’s nimble movements. If it were a matter of brute force, his younger brother, who was in his early twenties and full of vigor, might have the upper hand, but martial arts is not about strength, but about technique. And sparring like this was even more so.

Tae-han’s gaze was cold as he looked at his brother, who had been a judo athlete in school but had never won a gold medal because of his terrible temper.

Tae-han, who had mercilessly taken down his brother, who reeked of alcohol, helped him back to his feet. Even though he was dizzy from the alcohol, his momentum was like a volcanic eruption.

“What the hell is going on? Why are we doing this in the morning!”

Instead of answering, Tae-jo just looked at Tae-han, who quietly held his hand out, ready to fight again, with annoyance, and then lunged at him as if to kill him. He had woken him up in the early morning and brought him to the gym, and they had been doing this for two hours now.

Tae-jo grabbed his brother’s firm waist and tried to trip him, but Tae-han quickly dodged his leg and flipped him over. The large body flew through the air and fell to the floor with a loud thud.

“Fuck!”

A furious shout echoed through the gym.

“Let’s just stop. I came home in the middle of the night after drinking, but is it really necessary to go this far? A guy can have fun with his friends once in a while, you know.”

“It’s not once in a while. This is the first time you’ve come home this week. Today is Saturday.”

Tae-jo, who spent Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in a whirlwind of unknown activities, must have had a tiny shred of conscience left, or maybe he was in a good mood because it was the weekend. He came home after drinking all night and was completely plastered.

A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Tae-jo must have thought Tae-han was lecturing him for his misbehavior of staying out all night. His handsome face was covered in annoyance. Tae-han let out a small laugh, remembering the day when his brother had challenged him, saying he would actually kill him if he did it one more time.

“What are you laughing about? Are you trying to pick a fight?”

Tae-jo stood up defiantly, tucking his disheveled judo uniform in and gritting his teeth.

“Just because I’m keeping a low profile, you think I’m a punching bag? I’m so sick of this damn house, I need to get out of here quickly.”

“You’re leaving the country soon anyway, aren’t you?”

“Exactly. So I should be using my precious, golden time to have fun, not to be a punching bag for you, hyung.”

“It’s good for both of our health.”

“Fuck you,” Tae-jo spat, his face glaring fiercely.

“I don’t know who you got hit by, but don’t take it out on an innocent person like you’re going to kill them.”

He said this, sizing up Tae-han, who was unusually quiet.

“Look at yourself in the mirror. Does that even look like a human face?”

As his ear was brushed by the sound of Tae-jo’s disgruntled complaint, Tae-han finally turned his head to look at his reflection in the glass. Taking it out on someone like I’m going to kill them... Was I? As his brother had said, his sharp black eyes in his cold face held a clear hostility.

Why?

Why was his face like this?

At the end of his thoughts, he recalled the unfamiliar man who had visited Seven O’Clock again. All the moments came flooding back: Seo-eun’s surprised face when she saw him, and the way she couldn’t hide her discomfort even as she hastily ended the class.

What was going on? Even as he tried to figure it out, the man’s gaze toward Seo-eun was so familiar, as if he had known her for a long time, and it grated on his nerves. At the same time, a grinding sound came from his gritted teeth.

But then, he took a long breath and composed his cold expression, as if nothing had happened.

“Hyung, are you seeing a woman these days?”

His face, flushed from the strenuous workout, was drenched in sweat. Tae-jo, who roughly wiped the beads of sweat dripping from his chin, stared quietly at the silent Tae-han.

His whole body was flushed red from the intense, training-like workout, but Tae-han, who was unusually quiet, was very different from his usual self.

Now that he thought about it, Tae-han had started acting strange about a month ago, after the group’s anniversary event. He’d suddenly come home with flowers and hand them to him. He remembered him mumbling something about some “jok-bab” or whatever and laughing, asking if he knew what the flower was called.

His mother, Seo Jung-joo, and his grandfather, the chairman, were touched by Tae-han’s actions and praised him, saying he was the only one they could count on, but Tae-jo felt differently. He thought Tae-han was crazy for handing him a bouquet, too, as he lazed around in the hammock he had set up in the backyard every summer.

“I thought you had gone crazy from all the work, since you were doing things you never did before. What kind of woman is she?”

“A woman like a flower.”

“A woman like a fucker?”

A cold gaze shot through the air and pierced Tae-jo. His expression, which had been slightly contorted, instantly turned fierce. Tae-jo chuckled playfully, seeing Tae-han’s frown.

“You should maintain some dignity, Tae-jo. Don’t be so vulgar.”

“If you’re going to talk about dignity, then at least feed me first. What the hell is this suffering in the morning? I’m starving. Let’s go.”

Tae-han straightened his clothes, watching Tae-jo deliberately try to provoke him with his outburst.

“You go eat first.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to work out some more.”

Work out more? Tae-jo’s face twisted in shock.

“You’re always saying you don’t have time because of all the work and you come home in the middle of the night, but now you want to work out more? You should be sleeping.”

He was right. Tae-han was a man who, despite his overflowing work, would make time to work out, deliberately visit a flower shop around 7 p.m. to buy flowers, and then return to the office to work all night. And on top of all that, he would even bring work home on weekends.

Tae-jo knew his brother’s personality—he wouldn’t back down until he achieved his goal—so he just let him be, but he still thought this was too much. Why would anyone push themselves so hard unless they were obsessed with work? It made Tae-jo wonder if he would have to follow the same routine if he came back to Korea after finishing his studies, and it even made him consider staying in America.

And now, he wanted to work out more on top of all that self-inflicted hardship.

“I have an important meeting this afternoon. I need to get my body in better shape.”

His body, as he tidied his judo uniform, was terrifyingly perfect. It was a solid body with clear curves that were visible to the naked eye.

“You’re a monster.”

Tae-jo shook his head, thinking that even if he could let others go, he couldn’t let go of Ryu Tae-han.

“I’m heading back.”

He patted Tae-han’s shoulder, pretending to cheer him on for his healthy and intense lifestyle, and then grabbed him. The moment he tried to get in one last throw, Tae-han instantly sent his brother flying through the air again.

“Ah, fuck. You won’t let me win even once.”

“Not a chance.”

He wiped the sweat from the back of his hand and mumbled.

Not a chance.

That’s not even an option.

When his brother’s footsteps, which were walking away huffily, were no longer audible, he lay down on the floor and stared at the ceiling. The ceiling of the brightly lit gym was filled with a halo of light. His vision turned white, and at the same time, his mind was bleached white.

Even in the moments when he couldn’t see anything, there was one face that came clearly to his mind.

Joo Seo-eun.

He vowed that he would make her give in today, the woman who was attracted to him but also hesitant, who drew a line but was also swayed.

Being rejected wasn’t in his calculations, and neither was backing down. So today, he was fully prepared to pull Seo-eun in.