MO - 7

Seo-eun checked her wristwatch and looked up at the concert hall entrance again. It had been a long time since she had been standing there, unable to take her eyes off the entrance where people were pouring in. All the faces coming and going were unfamiliar. The announcement for the start of the performance was made, and people began to murmur and enter.

“Who are you waiting for?”

“Oh, no one.”

She had arrived an hour early with Seung-won, encouraged Hae-in in the waiting room, and had been standing in this spot ever since. The performance was about to begin, but for some reason, she couldn’t see Tae-han, or anyone who even looked like him.

I guess I unconsciously hoped he’d show up after he said, “I’ll see you there tomorrow.”

Despite Hae-in’s earnest requests, Ju-young and Jin-han were unable to attend for their own reasons. Ju-young had called to say she was sorry, as she had to attend her first family event at her in-laws’ house after her marriage, and Jin-han was staying on Jeju Island for work. Seung-won had a flight booked for Jeju to see Jin-han, but he had insisted on staying to see Hae-in’s performance first.

It was a shame that they couldn’t attend due to their circumstances, but for some reason, a corner of her heart felt empty.

“What are you doing? Let’s go in.”

At Seung-won’s urging, Seo-eun finally turned toward the concert hall.

________________________________________

At the sound of the final entry announcement, Tae-han quickened his pace, crossing the interior of the hall. He checked his ticket and entered the concert hall, quickly looking for Seo-eun.

Fortunately, the concert hall wasn’t as big as he had imagined. Feeling relieved by the smaller size, Tae-han slowly walked and scanned his surroundings. It was fortunate that the seats were sparsely filled, and it was fortunate that Joo Seo-eun’s round head of hair was so distinctively pretty.

Her back was visible, sitting with her back perfectly straight, easily recognizable among the audience members who were popping up here and there like a game of whack-a-mole. Someone was already sitting to her right, and the seat on her left, by the aisle, was thankfully empty. Tae-han approached Seo-eun, his eyes fixed on her pale nape.

“May I sit here?”

Seo-eun, who was talking quietly with someone next to her, turned her head. Her round eyes widened when she saw Tae-han.

“You came?”

“Of course. We agreed to meet.”

He took the seat to her left. As Seung-won’s gaze fell on Tae-han, Seo-eun hastily introduced the two.

“This is my friend.”

“My name is Ji Seung-won.”

Seung-won quickly added, as if in response to Tae-han’s scrutinizing gaze.

“I’m Jin-han’s friend.”

Tae-han had no interest in who his brother associated with, so there was no way he would know who his cousin’s friend was.

While they may have met in passing a few times, he didn’t have time to retrace that connection.

“I’m Ryu Tae-han.”

Tae-han simply looked at Seung-won, who was wary of him to an unusual degree, and held out his hand. Seung-won’s hand, which reached past Seo-eun, met Tae-han’s hand as if to seal a peace treaty. Thump. Seung-won’s brow furrowed slightly as he felt a solid force in Tae-han’s grip.

Tae-han just stared at Seung-won without any change in his expression. The moment Seung-won was about to clench his hand to return the pressure, which felt like a provocation, Tae-han pulled his hand away.

The lights on the ceiling slowly dimmed, and Hae-in appeared on the stage, smiling playfully and bowing amid a round of applause.

“It looks like the performance is about to begin.”

“I’ll enjoy it.”

Tae-han whispered quietly into Seo-eun’s ear, then leaned back comfortably in the red seat. Beside him, Seo-eun smiled shyly. He subtly glanced at her, and her white cheek was twitching in a cute way. Tae-han’s lips curled into a lazy smile.

On the stage bathed in bright lights, Hae-in passionately played the bandoneon. It was a seriousness one could not imagine from the usual Hae-in. Hae-in, giving her all under the spotlight, was shining brightly.

The beautiful melody of the bandoneon filled their hearts.

The bandoneon, played by touching 71 keys with both hands, was known as the soul of tango and the instrument of the devil. The 142 tones navigated the melody, dazzling and brilliant.

Hae-in’s magnificent original composition, which started with a tribute to a famous animation, proudly resounded throughout the concert hall. As the melody intensified, her heart began to beat wildly.

A moving, hot wave of emotion rose in her chest. The passionate melody, accompanied by the orchestra, was heading toward its climax. The melody that echoed in her ears was incredibly fierce and beautiful. The sister who had been whining in the waiting room that her hands were stiff was nowhere to be seen.

Hae-in on the stage was a flawless, perfect artist. Her heart was touched by her proud sister’s performance. That such beautiful music could be born from her sister’s fingertips, who was completely absorbed in her performance, amazed her. Throughout the continuous performance, Seo-eun was completely immersed in the show.

Plop.

She was so absorbed that she didn’t even realize she was crying.

As the medley of songs came to an end, a thunderous round of applause erupted.

Amid the cheers that filled her ears, Seo-eun wiped away her tears. Her chest felt warm. The aspiration, support, emotion, and admiration of the people. This entire scene felt unreal, as if her body were floating in the air. Hae-in’s serious and passionate appearance on the stage, smiling sweetly and preparing for the next song, was moving.

Seo-eun tightly clasped her hands, which had been applauding, and wept quietly. It was just as the music began again in the quiet concert hall.

A pure white handkerchief was offered to her blurry eyes. It was Tae-han’s. At that moment, a hand from her right side swooped in and roughly wiped away the tears on her cheek before retreating.

How dare he touch her.

Tae-han’s gaze, which had been fixed on Seo-eun’s confused, wavering eyes, shifted to Seung-won. The person who had just wiped Seo-eun’s cheek was now casually watching the stage with his arms crossed, looking completely unconcerned. His eyes, which were watching this scene, grew cold.

At that moment, Seo-eun subtly tugged at the handkerchief Tae-han was holding. The feeling of it slipping softly between his fingers. At the same time, Tae-han grabbed Seo-eun’s hand.

Dum, dum, dum, dum.

Her heart pounded along with the swelling melody. Their body heat mingled secretly in the deep darkness. A look of surprise crossed her still-moist eyes. But Tae-han calmly held Seo-eun’s hand and watched the performance. In a place overflowing with a dazzling melody, an unknown emotion also overflowed.

Occasionally, Seo-eun’s shoulders trembled during the performance, but instead of patting her shoulder, Tae-han silently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

All the while hoping that Ji Seung-won, who was sitting next to Seo-eun, would witness this scene.

________________________________________

It was a chaotic mess.

Seung-won, who was uncharacteristically guarding Seo-eun, and Tae-han, who was concerned about Seung-won who was sticking to her like a shadow.

What kind of combination was this, anyway?

Seo-eun looked at the tense table. The three of them sat in a triangle around the circular table, like the points of a star, and the dining atmosphere was incredibly awkward. The air was so sharp that she couldn’t tell if the food was going into her nose or her mouth. It was all because of the two men with knives.

I get Tae-han, but why are you acting like this, Ji Seung-won?

Tae-han had added a word to Seung-won’s suggestion to go for a meal as soon as the performance ended.

“Dinner is my treat.”

She had no idea that she would be cutting a bloody steak like this in a restaurant with a beautiful view of the Han River. She was chewing her steak, looking around and checking the atmosphere, just as she had during the performance, when a conversation started.

“How’s the food?”

“It’s good, delicious.”

“And you, Ji Seung-won?”

“Meat is meat.”

Was it just her imagination that the temperature of the questions seemed to change, even though the steak, which was aged for 8 weeks in an aging room, was melting in her mouth? Seung-won, who answered in the same indifferent tone, nevertheless ate the bloody steak without a word of complaint.

“For someone who says that, you’re eating quite well.”

“Do you want to eat more of mine?”

When Seo-eun tried to offer her plate, Tae-han blocked it.

“If you need more, you can just order more. Eat all of your share.”

He was not just protecting her share but was also displeased that even her small bit of attention was going to Seung-won.

“This much meat is enough.”

Seung-won shook his head, as if to say he wouldn’t eat it even if she gave it to him.

Seo-eun also felt like she couldn’t eat anymore. If she continued to eat in this atmosphere, she would get an upset stomach. She couldn’t understand why they were so tense with each other when they barely knew each other. She was chewing her meat uncomfortably when her phone rang in her bag.

“I need to take a call from Hae-in.”

While Seo-eun was away with her phone, the real skirmish began in earnest.

Seung-won had been on guard ever since he and Tae-han introduced themselves.

He was a man who suddenly appeared and naturally wormed his way into Seo-eun’s side. Seung-won could tell that he was a formidable opponent just by his overwhelming physique and the natural confidence he exuded.

“If someone shows interest in you today, that person is a crazy pervert. You need to be careful of guys like that.”

On the day he drove Seo-eun to the anniversary event, he had earnestly warned her, and now he was having dinner with a crazy pervert. He couldn’t let his guard down.

“You met Seo-eun at the anniversary event, right?”

“Yes. Though that wasn’t the first time.”

“Still, you haven’t known her for very long. Ah, I drove her to the hotel that day.”

The gaze that came over him with a relaxed voice was clearly a provocation. Tae-han just stared at Seung-won, who seemed to have the upper hand. The gentle light that had been in his eyes when he was with Seo-eun was completely gone. Seung-won, as if he had expected this, continued his questions with an impassive expression.

“What’s your relationship with Seo-eun?”

“For a first meeting, your questions are quite direct.”

When Tae-han responded softly to understand the intent of the question, Seung-won nodded and looked straight at him again.

“Seo-eun has more scars than she lets on. There was an accident when she was a sophomore in college. Do you know about it?”

It happened when Seo-eun, who had been admitted to Korea University’s dance department, was on her way to see the ocean with Young-woong, her campus boyfriend, during the vacation. Several friends from her department joined them, and they drove along the road with music playing. It was a day when it felt like they had nothing to fear, a day when they could entrust everything to the adventurous spirit of a new driver.

Just like any other ordinary day when they were together and thought that bad luck was something that happened to other people, disaster struck.

“The driver, who was inexperienced, discovered an obstacle ahead of them too late. He swerved the wheel to the passenger side, and the front bumper came in all the way to the waist. It was a miracle she didn’t end up with lower body paralysis.”

Tae-han’s expression grew heavy at the unexpected story.

“All the other passengers had minor injuries, but Seo-eun had a fractured knee and all her toes were crushed. She took a leave of absence from school, and it took over half a year of rehabilitation to recover.”

Seo-eun had cried out loud for the first time on the day she couldn’t even stand on her own two feet, let alone on her toes. A world where people with heaven-sent talent gathered and desperately fought for their dreams. She remembers crying, saying that taking more than half a year off from a place like that, let alone a day or two, meant that there was no possibility for a future.

“There was a man who said he would take responsibility. But that man is getting married soon.”

The image of the man who had visited the flower shop and Seo-eun’s discomfort came to Tae-han’s mind.

“She dropped out of school, closed her ears, and closed her eyes. That’s how she spent her twenties.”

Seo-eun cut off contact with everyone she was connected to and blocked all information, as if she had never lived knowing ballet. She said she hated herself for being consumed by jealousy when she saw her successful classmates and Young-woong, who had left her and was flying high.

She said her heart would crumble a hundred or a thousand times just by imagining herself on the stage like a swan, while she, no matter how hard she tried, couldn’t stand on her toes.

Frustration was eating her away.

“Seo-eun. She’s a kid who worked desperately to live.”

Thinking of Seo-eun, who only felt like she had finally made it out of a long tunnel after meeting and cutting off Han Young-woong, and who now felt relieved, Seung-won looked straight at the man in front of him who was trying to invade her world again.

“It took her a long time to overcome it, and I was by her side the whole time.”

A light laugh crossed Tae-han’s lips.

“So, what’s your point?”

So if you’re just going to start something casually, stir things up a bit, and then let her go...

“I hope you don’t start this lightly.”

“Why should I listen to that from you, Ji Seung-won?”

Tae-han’s voice, as he put down his glass, was laced with annoyance. He was still polite, but a cold sharpness had settled in his eyes.

“Because I know how things are going on your side.”

He had heard about Jin-han’s engagement. Seeing Jin-han’s engagement to Jinseong Industries being finalized, he realized once again that their marriages had nothing to do with their own will. A world where two people could become a couple with a marriage vow, even without love or emotion. Of course, behind that vow, there would be endless receipts of the interests they would share.

Seo-eun was in the same position as him. She grew up in an ordinary family, was loved in an ordinary way, and lived an ordinary life.

In contrast, the man in front of him was the second son of Haeshin Group, a pillar of the Haeshin conglomerate. The lavish wedding of the Haeshin Group’s eldest son had been widely reported in the media. Would a chaebol family that controls Korea accept Seo-eun? It would only end in hurt. Seung-won found the man’s intentions suspicious for lingering around Seo-eun’s side when he must know this.

As if using honorifics was the highest form of courtesy for a person who was nothing more than a friend’s cousin’s brother, Seung-won gave him a distrustful glare.

“Are you serious?”

“Are you interrogating me?”

Tae-han smiled faintly. It was a smile like thin ice.

“Isn’t the ending obvious?”

“What’s your basis for making such an assumption? Huh?”

Tae-han let out a hollow laugh at the cheeky advice. Seung-won’s eyebrows furrowed for the first time.

“I don’t care about your circumstances; I’m only looking at this from Seo-eun’s perspective. And I’m worried that Seo-eun will get hurt again.”

He couldn’t stay by Seo-eun’s side forever. Whenever he jokingly said, “I can’t always be here to clean up after you,” Seo-eun would laugh softly and reply, “We can live like this for a thousand years.”

“I’m worried as a friend. Because people break when they face a final setback.”

“Well. As a friend, you’ve gone too far.”

Tae-han stared intently at Seung-won, who had already crossed the line.

“You’re right. Seo-eun is very special to me.”

The smile on his face was tight. His face, which had turned frighteningly cold, looked like it could flip the table at any moment. But he remained calm and didn’t waver easily.

“I understand your thoughts, Ji Seung-won, and I understand what you’re saying. But I have a thought of my own. I think you’re meddling in a very cheeky way.”

As if he wouldn’t let things slide anymore, Tae-han spun the knife in his hand and put it down on the table.

“I hate having foreign substances in my business.”

“Well. We’ll only know who the foreign substance is when we reach the end. You’ll see.”

“Fine by me.”

Tae-han answered nonchalantly to Seung-won, who was warning him while pushing the bloody steak into his mouth. Their two gazes met in the air and clashed again.

“Sorry. The call got a little long... Hae-in said to tell you both thank you for coming. She said she was so busy she couldn’t thank you in person. But...”

They weren’t pointing knives at each other, but what was with this atmosphere that felt like they were about to grab each other’s collars?

Seo-eun quickly sat down, wondering if something had happened while she was away. The atmosphere at the table was strange. Seung-won, who didn’t usually like meat, had a completely clean steak plate, and Tae-han, who seemed to have a good appetite, had left more than half of his steak. The moment she looked at Tae-han, something felt off. He smiled faintly while dabbing his lips with a napkin.

“Next time, let’s have a meal with your sister.”

“Okay, I’ll let Hae-in know.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Seung-won wiped his hands with a napkin and stood up.

“It looks like we’re done eating. Let’s go.”

I’m going to get indigestion, he muttered, pulling out his wallet and striding toward the counter.

“The meal was delicious today. Thank you, Tae-han.”

Seo-eun thanked him and nudged the sullenly standing Seung-won in the side. He reluctantly said, “Thank you for the meal,” in a small voice.

“It was nothing.”

Tae-han let out a leisurely laugh in response to her greeting. The reason he could be so relaxed about Seung-won going to the counter to pay first was that he had already paid the bill as soon as they had finished ordering. He finally felt a sense of satisfaction as he watched Seung-won show his displeasure at the fact that he was treated to a meal.

“I’ll drive you home.”

“No. I’ll take her.”

Inside the narrow elevator, Seung-won put his arm around Seo-eun’s shoulder as if to keep Tae-han in check. Tae-han’s eyebrows furrowed coldly.

“You’ll be late for your flight.”

“Then I’ll just take the next one. It’s not like I’m going far; it’s just Jeju.”

“I’ll drive her.”

Tae-han pulled Seo-eun to his side and said it politely. As Seo-eun was pulled toward Tae-han, Seung-won’s arm, which was resting on her shoulder, dropped powerlessly. The gazes of the two men crossed in the air again. At the same time, the elevator arrived, and the doors opened.

“I’ll go in Tae-han’s car. You can just go.”

“I have enough time to stop by.”

“No, it’s okay. Don’t rush and just make sure you get on your flight on time.”

“He should do that.”

With Tae-han also chiming in, Seung-won finally turned and walked away with a reluctant expression. Even as he was being pushed into his car by Seo-eun, Seung-won didn’t let his guard down until the very end.

“Text me when you get home. Lock your door tight. They say there are a lot of perverts in the city these days.”

Seung-won deliberately bit out the words, glaring at Tae-han. His aggressive, provocative attitude was so insulting that Seo-eun’s cheeks burned. Tae-han, for his part, didn’t even pay attention to Seung-won and turned away with Seo-eun.

“He’s a unique friend.”

“He’s not usually like this. I think he’s just not feeling well today. He’s a good kid. He just worries a lot. And he nags a lot, too.”

“I guess he likes you, then.”

“What?”

At his subtly probing gaze, Seo-eun genuinely laughed out loud.

The thought of having a relationship with Ji Seung-won that was more than just friends. The thought alone was enough to make her shiver with goosebumps.

“You’re going too far with your jokes.”

Seo-eun got into the passenger seat that Tae-han had opened for her, thinking that Seung-won must have really pulled a prank.

“Well. I wish that were the case.”

As he closed the door and returned to the driver’s seat, he seemed oddly cold.

Throughout the drive back, Tae-han seemed to have something to say but couldn’t easily bring himself to say it. They had enjoyed the performance and the meal. What was the problem? While she was thinking, they quickly arrived at Seo-eun’s officetel.

“Tae-han.”

“Yes.”

“Did something happen with Seung-won?”

Seo-eun leaned her head out and looked at Tae-han, her face showing that she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight because she was so worried about it.

“‘Seo-eun has more scars than she lets on.’“

“‘I hope you don’t start this lightly.’“

When he heard that advice, he thought it was a presumptuous interference. But now he felt a lump in his chest, as if he finally understood what kind of mindset had made Ji Seung-won so rude at their first meal together, even though he must have known it was inappropriate.

“Do you think I’m taking this lightly?”

“Huh?”

“Do you find my feelings and my attitude to be light, Seo-eun?”

Every single word he had ever said to Seo-eun had been something that he had struggled to push out, something that had been swirling around inside him.

His emotions had already left a bright red bruise. It took time for it to fade, and before it could, a redder bruise would form somewhere else. In the midst of all these red moments, he had hesitated because he felt in every moment he spent with her that Seo-eun needed time.

But to hear that all his consideration, his interest, his patience, and his feelings for her were seen as light? To Tae-han, it was unfair.

He knew that the length of time wasn’t important when it came to being drawn to someone.

Yet, he was making so much effort to slow down the clock of his emotions, which was turning too fast, and the fact that he was being misunderstood in this moment suddenly made him feel angry.

“Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”

Her eyes blinked slowly, but her gaze was sharp, sizing up his mood. So this was why she kept looking at him, pushing away what was coming closer by keeping her distance—because she was desperately trying to survive.

He was annoyed that he was only now seeing the parts he had failed to understand, and he was also annoyed that he had to be told about it by someone else.

He regretted the things he had failed to notice, blinded by his turbulent feelings for Joo Seo-eun, and he was bothered by the fact that someone who knew her better than him was already by her side. But he was at a loss as to how to convey his sincerity.

From the end of his downward gaze, Seo-eun’s eyes wavered. Tae-han, who stood there for a moment, just staring at Seo-eun, who was becoming more and more complicated, pulled her into his arms.

“Tae-han. Just a moment.”

Tae-han pulled the flustered Seo-eun in a little deeper. Their body heat instantly transferred to each other. Their hearts pounded so clearly that he could feel it fluttering. When that vibration was transmitted to her, her heart also trembled. It felt like the world was shaking beneath their feet, as if they were both shaking within a large amplitude. Even so, Tae-han didn’t let go of Seo-eun.

“Just stay like this for a moment.”

His low voice settled into Seo-eun’s ear. His firm arms wrapped around her back and slowly stroked her, as if to comfort her. The touch of his hand on her small back was rough. But it was gentle, and the sincerity in that touch moved Seo-eun’s heart once again.

“I wish you would feel more comfortable with me, Seo-eun. Of course, I regret it every time I go home, too. I wish I had said something a little kinder. I wish I had made you laugh a little more. I have those thoughts, too.”

Seo-eun said nothing.

“Do you know what you’re thinking when you look at me? ‘Why is this man acting like this toward me?’ ‘Shouldn’t this man be acting this way?’ ‘Shouldn’t Ryu Tae-han’s love life be like this?’ You’re always filled with worries.”

That’s why he was so concerned. Every time he saw Seo-eun’s eyes, which thought that it was not a good idea for them to waste their time on a relationship that was doomed to end. Every time her eyes were filled with unspoken words. That’s why he was so concerned every time she talked about “calculations” and talked in circles, saying she didn’t want to choose a reckless path.

“I know it might sound insincere for me to say this when we’ve only met a few times. But I’m not the type to hesitate. I have to say what I want to say, and I have to convey what I want to convey. If you’re asking me why I keep acting this way toward you, I only have one thing to say.”

Their eyes met. Tae-han’s gaze deepened.

“The cliché that I fell in love with you at first sight.”

She knew that the things he had casually thrown at her were not light.

That cliché sounded the sweetest in the world.

“And it’s the truth.”

“...”

“I was drawn to you from the moment I first saw you, Seo-eun.”

For the first time since he had met Seo-eun, he had a troubled expression on his face. As he confessed his feelings in silence, he raised his hand and rubbed his face as if he felt suffocated, watching Seo-eun, who was holding her breath.

“This is the first time for me, too.”

His shallow sigh was filled with sincerity.

“I just like you. Joo Seo-eun. There’s no other reason.”

Her heart thumped, deeply and loudly from the depths of her soul.

His straight gaze burned her heart, the top of her head, her fingertips, and her toes.

“I wish I had known you a little earlier and liked you a little more. Then I would have had more things to say.”

That was enough.

Seo-eun silently mulled over the sincere words that were delivered with such weight.

“I’m sorry if I’ve confused you. But I felt like it had to be today.”

He gave her a light kiss on her round forehead. Then he took a step back and gestured to Seo-eun.

“Go in.”

________________________________________

Her heart was still pounding and wouldn’t calm down. Seo-eun blankly stared at her fingertips, which were trembling uncontrollably.

“‘I was drawn to you from the moment I first saw you, Seo-eun.’“

“‘This is the first time for me, too.’“

For Tae-han, who had lived a life where things became his just by waiting for his turn, Seo-eun’s life, in which she was obsessed with not failing, seemed to have become more than just a motivation but a goal. In reality, it was the same for Seo-eun. Ryu Tae-han, who had been on her mind all this time, had taken up even more space in her heart today.

Seo-eun paused again, thinking of Tae-han, who had kissed her on the forehead in front of her house and stood there for a long time. Even as she stood under the shower for a long time after returning home, Tae-han’s confession wouldn’t wash away.

“‘I just like you. Joo Seo-eun. There’s no other reason.’“

The more she thought about it, the more Tae-han’s voice came from all directions and hit her in the chest.

How sincere his feelings were was evident in his actions, his words, and his gaze.

“I’m no different, either.”

Just as Tae-han said there was no reason for him to like her, it was the same for Seo-eun. It was easier to find reasons not to like him than to find reasons to like him. Every moment she spent with Tae-han was enjoyable.

From the moments when he playfully tapped her hand to the moments when he casually stood by her side and escorted her, and even to the moments when he couldn’t easily bring himself to leave due to his regret. There was never a moment when her heart didn’t tremble. However, the reason she suppressed that trembling was because of the sharp reality that was just one layer beneath the surface.

Don’t give in.

Don’t touch me.

Don’t cross that line.

Because I’ll want to grab on.

Barely hiding such a feeling, Seo-eun grabbed her phone, which was blinking with a new message.

Watch out for that jerk. Lock your door tight.

What do you mean, “that jerk?”

Seo-eun, who had checked the message, let out a small laugh and stood in front of the refrigerator. Seeing even Seung-won acting like this, something must have happened while she was away.

“Oh. There’s no beer.”

Seo-eun looked at the empty refrigerator in dismay, grabbed her wallet, and left the house.

On her way back from the convenience store with five cans of beer dangling in a plastic bag, Seo-eun, who was shuffling her slippers, stopped when she happened to spot a bench on the path leading to the entrance of her officetel.

The figure sitting on the flat wooden bench was very familiar. A man covering his face with both hands, his body bent over in a state of deep thought. Among the people Seo-eun knew, there was no one with a build as large as Tae-han’s.

“Tae-han?”

When she slowly approached and called his name, Tae-han, who had been lost in thought and let out a deep sigh, raised his head. His eyes, which had been buried in his hands, were bloodshot.

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

“Oh.”

Tae-han, who was momentarily flustered to see Seo-eun, stared at the bag of beer in her hand.

He had been so lost in thought, worrying that his feelings had been too abrupt and that he might have burdened Seo-eun, that he hadn’t even realized how much time had passed. However, Seo-eun seemed much more carefree than when she had gone inside.

Is there no hope for this love? He had never thought that before. But when he saw the woman who, even after hearing his confession, sat quietly beside him and opened a can of beer to offer him, his mind suddenly became more complicated.

Tae-han looked at Seo-eun for a moment with a confused expression that was different from what she had seen before.

“Drink.”

“Are you drinking today because you’re happy, or because you’re sad?”

Tae-han asked, borrowing Seo-eun’s words from before that she drank when she was happy.

“I don’t know. It’s just a nice day.”

A cool breeze swept in. Seo-eun, who had closed her eyes for a moment in the breeze, turned her head and looked at Tae-han.

Time slowly passed in silence. With their gazes fixed on each other. Unspoken feelings passionately swirled in their silent gazes.

Seo-eun took a sip of beer and carefully opened her mouth.

“Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?”

Tae-han’s body seemed to flinch at Seo-eun’s suggestion, but he quickly shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can just have tea and leave.”

At his clean rejection, Seo-eun’s neck flushed red. Tae-han, as if he felt suffocated, put his hand to his tie knot and loosened it. He was clearly bothered by something, and his look of distress made it impossible for him to leave.

She wasn’t confident in comforting him or making him smile, but she remembered that the greatest comfort she had ever received when she was having a hard time was just having someone silently by her side. So Seo-eun opened her mouth.

“Ryu Tae-han.”

His gaze, which was drawn to her quiet call, had become hot. Seo-eun looked straight into his eyes and asked.

“What do you want me to do?”

How should I soothe a man this big? The moment she let out a faint, flat laugh, he bit his rough lips and let out a suppressed breath.

This man is drawn to me. Just like me. He wants me.

It was a gaze that was hotter and stronger than being stubbornly pulled into his arms.

“Go inside. Before the mosquitoes get you. Get some rest tonight, sleep well, and I’ll contact you in the morning...”

He had suppressed his feelings until the very end, and he stood up to take Seo-eun to her door. That was when Seo-eun grabbed his sleeve.

“You... you can come in for that tea.”