As I went down the stairs, I heard the sound of a pottery wheel spinning.

8 AM.

The one working the pottery wheel at the “Blue Bird” ceramic workshop in Haeiri is Do Ha’s mother, Mi Hee.

Leaning against the door, Do Ha looked at Mi Hee’s back and thought of Yeo Eun.

Until now, he had thought Mi Hee had the narrowest back in the world, but yesterday he realized that might not be the case.

He was newly struck by Yeo Eun’s hard work, carrying the weight of life on her small and delicate back.

Coffee was brewing in the coffee machine on a table in one corner of the workshop.

After staring at his mother’s back for a while, Do Ha slowly approached the table and filled a mug with coffee.

He put two croissants in the small oven next to the coffee machine, turned the dial, and approached Mi Hee with the coffee cup.

“Have some coffee first.”

As he abruptly held out the coffee cup, the pottery wheel stopped.

Mi Hee took off her headset that had covered her ears and smiled brightly, raising her hand.

“Let me wash my hands first.”

As Mi Hee got up and washed her hands at the sink in the corner of the workshop, Do Ha slowly sipped his coffee.

As Mi Hee approached, wiping her hands on her apron and picking up her coffee cup, Do Ha slightly curled up one corner of his mouth.

“Why are you smiling?”

“You finally look human now.”

“When did I not look human before?”

“You were like a living corpse.”

Six years ago, when his father Cha Kang lost his life in an unexpected accident, Mi Hee fell apart.

The day Do Ha, who had been studying abroad, received the sad news and returned to Korea, Mi Hee was unconscious and on the brink of death.

Her temperature had risen to nearly 40 degrees Celsius due to extreme stress.

The doctor said it was a fever high enough to melt internal organs.

When Yeo Eun’s fever hit 39.3 degrees yesterday, Do Ha was reminded of Mi Hee.

The tough-as-nails Mi Hee.

After overcoming the high fever, Mi Hee held Cha Kang’s funeral with Do Ha.

It was the funeral of a husband who had returned as a corpse after going on a honeymoon trip with a young actress.

Although trembling with betrayal by her husband, who was thought to be so devoted to her that people called him a wife-fool, Mi Hee quietly bid farewell to her husband.

It was then that he seemed to realize how tough women can be.

It started from that day.

Overnight, not only did she become a disgrace for failing to keep her husband’s heart and causing such a disaster, but she also began to face harsh treatment from Chairman Cha Ji Seop.

Bringing up the marriage contract to hold Mi Hee back, Chairman Cha Ji Seop didn’t even allow her to go to America to meet Do Ha.

Enduring her father-in-law’s mistreatment silently, Mi Hee made moon jars every day.

Mi Hee, who had been a ceramic artist before marriage and continued her work occasionally after marriage, focused solely on moon jars for six years and had become famous in that field.

It was as if she had shed the names of Han Joo Group and Cha Kang, walking her own path.

“By the way, Artist Jung Mi Hee.”

Do Ha, addressing his mother with respect, looked around the workshop and said,

“You should have an exhibition.”

The not-so-small workshop was filled with white moon jars.

A gentle and elegant light flowed nobly from the white and glossy pottery.

It resembled the bright white moon that had illuminated the end of that gloomy alley last night.

“It’s too beautiful to keep to yourself.”

As he lightly touched a piece of pottery with his fingertip, Mi Hee replied with a smile.

“Actually, it’s in progress. Director Kwon from the Luang Cultural Foundation is pressing so much. We’re coordinating the schedule.”

“Director Kwon?”

As Do Ha turned to look at Mi Hee and asked, she continued with a somewhat flushed face.

“The daughter-in-law of Chairwoman Kim So Hye of Luang Foundation. She’s very sharp.”

“I don’t know about sharp, but she does her job well. She has a good eye too.”

Whoever she is, she seems to be quite capable.

To have opened the heart of Artist Jung Mi Hee, who had been refusing exhibitions for six years.

Do Ha chuckled and turned to his mother, saying,

“Let me know when the schedule is set. Jeneth, if not Han Joo, will sponsor it.”

“Thank you, sponsor. Please sponsor generously. The more, the better.”

As Mi Hee playfully retorted, Do Ha gave her a slight smile, and Mi Hee smiled back brightly.

It took six years for Mi Hee to smile like this.

Even then, it’s not the same smile as before. It’s a much more tired and worn smile.

That was a bit sad, but also reassuring.

Soon she’ll be free from the marriage contract too, so she’ll probably smile more.

As Do Ha’s smile faded coldly, Mi Hee spoke again.

“Now, tell me about yourself.”

Mi Hee took the croissants out of the mini oven, placed them on a small, cute plate, and handed it to Do Ha.

“What story?”

As Do Ha took the plate and asked back, Mi Hee pulled up a chair, sat at the table, and replied with sparkling eyes.

“Seeing you rush here at dawn, something must have happened.”

It was indeed rare.

Do Ha rarely visited the workshop in Haeiri, let alone in such an unplanned manner.

Finding this strange, Mi Hee was staring at her son’s face, searching for an answer.

Do Ha smiled at Mi Hee and took a sip of coffee.

“It’s nothing.”

Lowering his gaze, Do Ha looked into the black coffee in the rough mug.

Then he remembered Yeo Eun saying she only had instant coffee at home.

Instant coffee, huh.

Come to think of it, he had never tried it.

Do Ha let out a laugh-tinged sigh and raised his eyes to look at Mi Hee.

“Does a son need a reason to visit his mother?”

“Yes.”

Mi Hee answered firmly and scrutinized Do Ha with an even more serious look.

“You usually do.”

Staring steadily at his mother who was meeting his gaze, Do Ha finally let out a laugh.

“I can’t fool you, Artist Jung Mi Hee.”

Do Ha respected his parents.

His father in his own way, and his mother in hers.

He wanted to emulate their stubbornly upright and dazzlingly wise qualities.

So whenever he had concerns, he always consulted with them.

Because then, he could see a faint answer.

But even that ended six years ago.

He came to realize that nothing in this world is perfect, and in the end, one must walk alone.

And yet, he impulsively came to see Mi Hee.

For the first time in six years.

“There’s something I want to have, but I also don’t want to have it.”

After honestly sharing his feelings, Do Ha continued with a question.

“In this case, should I have it or not?”

To this casually thrown question, Mi Hee asked with a rather serious expression.

“Why do you want it?”

“Because it seems fun.”

“Then why don’t you want it?”

According to that woman, playing with a toy that doesn’t suit you can cause trouble, but his thoughts were different.

“Because it seems bothersome.”

There won’t be any trouble. It’s just bothersome.

The various things that come with having Seo Yeo Eun are simply annoying.

“Is she someone you care about that much?”

“What kind of question is that?”

Do Ha raised one eyebrow crookedly at Mi Hee’s question.

“If it’s a woman that makes my son worry with such an expression, it doesn’t seem to be just for fun.”

“I didn’t say it was a woman.”

Mi Hee had always been eerily perceptive.

“Hey. I’m your mother.”

She always wrapped it up like this with the word ‘mother’.

“Do I have to say it for you to know?”

Mi Hee took a bite of the croissant after adding a spoonful of honey and continued her explanation.

“The fact that you came here means your head is complicated, and seeing you with that face despite hating complications means it’s not something you can easily cut off.”

That face?

What kind of face was he making?

“Bring her over once. I’ll take a look.”

“It’s not like that.”

Do Ha slightly furrowed his brow and shook his head.

“I’ll just have some coffee and go.”

Then he took a big sip of the coffee that had already cooled.

“Why? Stay for lunch too.”

“I’m busy. I just came to see your face for a moment.”

Funnily enough, he thought of Mi Hee while looking at Yeo Eun.

And now he’s thinking of Yeo Eun while looking at Mi Hee.

“I was wondering if life was that burdensome for you too.”

He felt a bit sorry for that woman who gritted her teeth trying to act as if nothing was wrong while living a hard life.

Suddenly, the coffee he was swallowing turned bitter in his mouth.

Do Ha put the coffee cup on the table and clenched his back teeth.

Was it because his bitten lip was sweet? That woman who always tasted sweet like sugar in his mouth whenever he thought of her.

But now it’s bitter.

Bitter enough to make him frown.

“I’m going.”

“Already? You didn’t even bring your car…”

“The secretary’s office has a car waiting in front of the workshop right now.”

Do Ha, who hadn’t even greeted properly when he came in, left the workshop.

* * *

Yeo Eun, who was to report to Han Joo Group’s Strategic Planning Headquarters for the time being, was given two days off, Thursday and Friday, thanks to Ji Soo’s consideration.

It was an unexpected vacation.

After leaving the emergency room and arriving home, Yeo Eun called the company to say she would be a little late for work, and that’s when she received the news.

[I got the message. Rest well for two days and come to the Strategic Planning Headquarters from Monday, Team Leader Seo Yeo Eun.] [I’m sorry to keep saying this, but the future of our Persona rests on your shoulders. You know that, right?] [But don’t push yourself too hard. If it’s too much, just run away.]

After the call with Ji Soo, who talked from start to finish by herself, Yeo Eun looked at the sink.

The coffee she had poured into a cup after opening the packet yesterday was still there.

Then, quite naturally, Cha Do Ha came to mind.

Cha Do Ha, who had approached closely and calmly pressed his lips against hers.

Yeo Eun touched her own lips and quickly shook her head.

“I’m crazy. I should be thinking about how to properly push him away.”

Yeo Eun jumped up from her seat and hurriedly entered the bathroom.

Although it was a vacation, there was no leisure to sit and rest comfortably.

She had to do some postponed housework and visit her mother too.

Just earlier, Cha Hyun had sent a message saying he would send money and move So Jung to a special room.

She was in a hurry.

After washing off the stale residue of the long day, Yeo Eun dried her hair and changed clothes.

Wearing jeans she rarely wore to work and a loose-fitting shirt, she quickly started the laundry and finished cleaning.

After finishing the housework, as she picked up the cup on the sink and sipped the cooled coffee, a message came to her mobile phone in her jeans pocket.

She put down the empty cup in the sink and took out her mobile phone to check the message.