Kyung Jun laughed as if in disbelief.

“You’ve been going on about the smell since earlier. Yoon Da Jung. A dull girl came to the countryside and got strange.”

“Is that so.”

Kyung Jun shared various pieces of news while drinking beer. Most of the topics were about hospital affairs he had heard from Kyung Mi. Kyung Jun knew exactly what Da Jung was most curious about.

He casually talked about news of hospitalized patients, mothers who had given birth, and even sad stories of terminated pregnancies, but Da Jung showed interest in all of it. Kyung Jun smiled brightly, having succeeded in drawing out Da Jung’s shining gaze for the first time since coming here.

“Anyway, my sister complains a lot about how hard she’s working. She’s been doing night shifts lately.”

“That’s because she’s doing my work too. I feel so sorry to her.”

“Hey. It’s fine. Don’t be sorry.”

Kyung Jun waved his hand in denial.

“Leave it. She’s doing it to ease her own mind. Our sister. She still thinks about Woo Jung. That’s why she’s trying so hard to take care of you.”

Da Jung and Kyung Jun’s parents were all high school classmates. They got married around the same time and had their first and second children in the same year, deepening their relationship. In fact, Yoon Woo Jung and Lee Kyung Mi came first, before Da Jung and Kyung Jun. They were so close that their parents jokingly talked about becoming in-laws.

“Foolishly. Why is she still like that.”

Da Jung said softly. And with the help of beer, she finally added one more thing.

“What kind of relationship did elder brother and elder sister have?”

It was a question she hadn’t dared to ask before.

Whether they would become in-laws like their parents joked might only be known when they grew up more, but in reality, Yoon Woo Jung and Lee Kyung Mi were a little closer than just friends. Even the young Da Jung could see that. Every weekend, they would go to movies or shopping together, and during exam periods, they always went to the library together. This was despite never having been in the same school.

All the many girls who liked Yoon Woo Jung were curious. What exactly was their relationship?

Sometimes there were older girls who would offer chocolate to the middle school Da Jung and subtly ask about their relationship. But from Da Jung’s perspective, it seemed like even the two of them couldn’t quite define it. Whether they were friends, lovers, or maybe potential lovers. So she had no words to give them.

What kind of flower was that slightly sprouted bud of feeling going to bloom into? Before that could be confirmed, Yoon Woo Jung left this world.

“Who knows. Only they would know.”

Kyung Jun said firmly.

“I see.”

But Da Jung seemed to vaguely understand. That the name of that unripe emotion that even the parties involved couldn’t find an answer to was ‘some’. Now that she was experiencing it herself, she could fully understand.

They would have made a beautiful couple. As her expression darkened at the end of that thought, Kyung Jun quickly tried to joke around. He started attacking her scalp, pulling at her hair.

“Stop it.”

Da Jung pushed Kyung Jun away with slight annoyance. Kyung Jun, much taller than Da Jung, looked down at her and grinned like a mischievous child. Seeing that face made her think of Lee Jae Ho again.

Although Kyung Jun was tall, Lee Jae Ho was easily 5cm taller than him. He seemed to be close to 190cm. If he hadn’t bent down when they kissed earlier, she would have had to stand on her tiptoes.

In the end, it was Lee Jae Ho again.

She recalled his hot breath and the gaze that melted her. Whether she closed her eyes or opened them, it was Lee Jae Ho. It felt like she had become a marionette controlled by Lee Jae Ho. He came to mind uncontrollably, overwhelmingly. Like a flood bursting forth. Lee Jae Ho flowing towards Yoon Da Jung.

Would she be swept away and crushed?

Her uncontrollable heartbeat was now frightening.

**

Kyung Jun ended up taking out and drinking one more can of beer. Da Jung sat beside him, talking about everyday things, and Kyung Jun rambled on about his company and the new stocks he had bought. Before they knew it, it was well past midnight. They parted ways to their respective rooms, promising to meet again tomorrow.

Da Jung closed her door and let out a long sigh.

She couldn’t remember a single word of what they had talked about. The man’s breath still lingered around her. Finally, she picked up her phone that had been charging. There was a message from the man who had completely taken over her senses.

[The girl I like is sleeping with another man.]

His sense of loss was so palpable that she couldn’t help but laugh. He might get angry if he knew she laughed, but it burst out without her control. She just couldn’t control it. Neither her laughter nor her feelings.

[I’ve come into my room. I’m about to sleep now.] [There?]

Da Jung tilted her head. Where else would it be?

[Do you really have to sleep under the same roof with another man? Leaving your lover behind.]

He kept insisting on calling it ‘some’ but then acted like this. She wanted to point out his word mistake, but she gave up, fearing the conversation would get longer. The more this happened, the more she felt drawn in.

[Don’t do that, Yoon Da Jung.]

Strangely, her heart was racing. Da Jung tightly gripped her innocent phone. A message that drove the point home arrived.

[Come to me.]

**

In the deep night, Kyung Jun, who had woken up thirsty, came down to the first floor, navigating through the darkness. He was about to go back up with a bottle of water from the refrigerator when he suddenly noticed a plastic bag on the sink.

Peeking inside, he saw it was food waste.

‘Ah. Just going to throw out some food waste.’

Da Jung’s indifferent tone echoes in his ear. Suddenly, he turned his head to look at Da Jung’s room. The door seemed to be far, far away. A premonition that even if he ran, he wouldn’t be able to grasp the doorknob.

He stood there for a while, staring at the door.

**

“Good work everyone!”

Oh Chae Won, known as the vitamin of the filming set, greeted everyone with a bright smile. Only after receiving dozens of compliments for always smiling prettily even when tired did she get into her van.

“Elder sister, you worked hard.”

“Yeah.”

But the moment the car door closed, her smile completely disappeared.

“Have some water.”

“Hey. I’ll drink if you give it to me. How many times do I have to tell you to prepare it in advance?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Snatching and drinking the lukewarm water maintained at about 40 degrees, Oh Chae Won looked at the man who had been waiting in her car. It was Team Leader Kim Young Hoon from the Samhu Corporation’s secretarial office, who had been assisting Oh Chae Won for a long time.

“It’s been a while, young lady.”

It was already public knowledge that Oh Chae Won was the eldest daughter of Samhu Corporation. This was because her father, CEO Oh Seok Tae, had occasionally given interviews praising his daughter’s acting. At such times, Oh Seok Tae appeared to be a humble and benevolent father.

‘More important than business succession is my daughter’s life. I’m the number one fan cheering for our Chae Won’s life.’

But looking into the inside story, he had simply given up on his eldest daughter who had no interest in studying at all. He had tried everything to get her into management somehow, but Oh Seok Tae ultimately couldn’t break Oh Chae Won’s stubbornness. Because of this, she was treated as a half-abandoned child at home.

Regardless, Oh Chae Won was satisfied with the career she had chosen.

Because it was pretty and glamorous.

She wasn’t particularly good at acting, so she was receiving some criticism, but she had been gradually improving since her previous work with Lee Jae Ho. She believed she would continue to improve. Of course, she still visited the dermatologist more often than practicing acting, but still.

“Did you find out? About Lee Jae Ho.”

Oh Chae Won immediately got to the point. Team Leader Kim Young Hoon pushed up his glasses and took out a tablet from his bag.

“Yes. It was hard work, but I did manage to find out some things.”

“Tell me.”

“As you know, he is indeed the heir to the Taemyung Group. It’s top secret even within Taemyung. Wow. It was really difficult. But how did you know, young lady?”

Oh Chae Won’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

She had already fallen for him completely without knowing any of this background, but to think he was actually a real prince. Her heart raced as she faced the truth. Another reason to have him had just appeared.

Lee Se Ah, an executive director of Taemyung Group’s strategic planning office, frequented the same beauty salon as her. Lee Se Ah was the granddaughter of Taemyung Group’s chairman Lee Hun Tae, and Lee Jae Ho’s cousin. She happened to overhear that woman speaking carelessly with the salon owner in front of the door.

‘Our group’s heir? There’s a reason he’s shrouded in mystery. He’s not a businessman, but just some actor nobody. Ugh. It’s so embarrassing. But how can he properly handle the group’s affairs when he’s just running around acting outside? It’s obvious that my dad will end up taking over. Ah, only you know this, Director. The actor Lee Jae Ho. He’s my cousin.’

‘Is that so? That’s quite unexpected. But didn’t he do that drama with Oh Chae Won last time? Oh Chae Won comes to our shop.’

‘Oh my. I should watch what I say.’

Oh Chae Won immediately called Team Leader Kim that day and ordered him to investigate Lee Jae Ho.

It was an opportunity to be properly recognized by her father, who had declared he wouldn’t leave her a penny of the inheritance since she wasn’t participating in management. She knew better than anyone how much her father, who had only three daughters, coveted the unknown heir of Taemyung as a son-in-law.

She had had a few casual relationships before, but Lee Jae Ho was the first to genuinely excite her. And to think he was actually the heir to Taemyung. She absolutely couldn’t let him go.

“Tell me what you’ve investigated. Start with the family tree.”

“Yes. As you know, Taemyung is currently headed by Chairman Lee Hun Tae. He’s Lee Jae Ho’s grandfather. Lee Hun Tae has three sons, but the eldest son has passed away. The deceased son’s name is Lee Jin Woo. Lee Jae Ho is Lee Jin Woo’s son.”

“Wait, I looked into it too, and wasn’t Lee Jin Woo unmarried? He died a month before his wedding, right? So how does he have a son? Was it a shotgun marriage?”

“There’s no known information about that part. However, according to a press release from Taemyung about a decade ago, the arranged marriage was just a rumor, and Lee Jin Woo had a de facto wife. It is strange. They kept it hidden all along and only made an official announcement after the grandson was over seventeen.”

“That is strange. What’s the probability that Lee Jae Ho isn’t Lee Jin Woo’s blood?”

“Very low. If you look at Lee Jin Woo’s photos from when he was young, they’re practically identical.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ll continue. The second son is Lee Jin Hyuk. You probably know him best. He’s the current president of Taemyung Construction and the father of Lee Se Ah, the executive director of Taemyung Group’s strategic planning office. He’s Lee Jae Ho’s uncle. He’s known for his aggressive personality and openly showing his ambition.”

“He must be wary of his nephew.”

“That’s right. That’s probably why he frequently meets with shareholders. And lastly, there’s Lee Jin Myung. He was known as a genius with a brilliant mind, but there’s been no notable activity since he graduated from university. He’s currently one of the directors of Taemyung Group, but he’s never appeared in any official events.”

Oh Chae Won fell into thought.

Although she was active as an actor, she was also a third-generation chaebol who was born and raised in a major corporation owner’s family. She immediately got a sense of how precarious Lee Jae Ho’s position was.

At a time when he should be scraping together even one more ally, he’s hiding and working as an actor, so he probably doesn’t have many of his own people within Taemyung. Although he’s called the heir, in the current situation, it seemed there would be many dangerous hurdles in various aspects.

“He’ll need a woman who can be his strength.”