AM 07:00.

Jae Kyung merely ran his fingers through his hair.

He had an important appointment that couldn’t be canceled, so he needed to start getting ready to leave.

“…….”

The dawning morning and the sleeping woman. Suddenly, he was gripped by a strange sense of déjà vu.

A certain day in a foreign country 5 years ago. A memory that wouldn’t be too pleasant for Da Hae. Perhaps that’s why his feet wouldn’t easily move.

As if repeating that time.

Even after forcing himself to look away, Jae Kyung glanced back several times before finally being able to enter the bathroom.

The friction of the bathroom door made a faint sound.

Soon after, the sound of water hitting tiles spread throughout the house, creating white noise.

Then,

A smile spread across Da Hae’s lips as she pulled the fluffy blanket up to her neck.

*

Flash!

Blink, blink.

Eyes opened refreshingly to stare blankly at an unfamiliar ceiling.

How long had she slept? Her body felt light, as if floating, from the feeling of deep sleep experienced after a long time.

Thanks to the high-quality blinds, the house without a single ray of light made one forget even time.

The space, giving a cozy feeling with a different color than night, was as quiet as dawn.

The faintly lingering wood-based incense smelled of forest.

“Hmm, hmm. Kang Jae Kyung sir.”

The end of her words stretched out with a ‘siiir−’. It was a habitual call, knowing he wasn’t there.

Even while barely squeezing out those four syllables, her throat felt dry. She even felt a scratchy foreign sensation.

It wasn’t surprising after being overworked all night. It had been murderous chatter, with so many topics discussed it was hard to count.

Just when she thought she was holding up well, she ended up dozing off while watching the dawn break.

She woke up due to the presence that repeatedly approached and retreated.

Perhaps feeling sorry for her pitiful sleeping state, the man struggled not to wake her as he tried to lay her down.

Not wanting to disappoint his kind intentions, she pretended to keep sleeping.

She also had to struggle to control her twitching lips, finding it cute how he fumbled about so uncharacteristically.

In the end, she collapsed appropriately. She even adjusted her posture on her own to lessen his effort.

Only after he provided a blanket and cushion did he move away.

Did she hear him enter the bathroom? After that, she fell into a deep sleep.

It was really strange.

Usually, she would toss and turn when changing sleeping places due to her fastidiousness, but it was exceptional to oversleep past noon even after staying up all night.

Comfortable temperature and pleasant humidity. Thorough security. Such things were no less in Kye Da Hae’s residence than in Kang Jae Kyung’s.

So it was unreasonable to attribute it to the environment.

What is it……. Lost in thought, Da Hae stretched her hand out of the blanket and felt around the table. Her phone was caught within reach.

“……?”

Her face, which had tilted in confusion at the heavy weight, broke into a small chuckle upon confirming the reason.

A portable battery hanging from the charging port. It was Kang Jae Kyung’s consideration.

Is this kind of sense innate? As she recalled the unpredictable man, the corners of her mouth that had lifted without resistance suddenly dropped.

Her mood soured as the assumption was added that it was manners learned from numerous experiences with women.

Although telling herself it was none of her business, her delicate features were drawn into straight lines like an emoticon composed of hyphens, with eyes and lips in a flat line.

Licking her bitter mouth, Da Hae got up and tidied the huge blanket.

The microfiber fabric was folded with knife-like precision.

She had intended to just wet her throat before leaving, but as she got closer to the dining room, a savory smell stimulated her nose.

She thought it was the remnants of the pasta finished at dawn.

Until she discovered the linen fabric neatly covering the island counter.

“What……”

Da Hae peeled off the bright yellow post-it note that was conspicuously attached and stuck it on her finger.

As she carefully lifted the fabric like the mission written on the paper, a neatly set table was revealed.

“……Why are you really like this.”

A breath-like laugh escaped between her lips.

Brown rice and pollack soup in microwave containers. Neatly placed chopsticks and spoon. Rolled egg omelette dotted with carrots and green onions.

The red pepper pickles were cut into bite-sized pieces in a small dish, and quail egg soy sauce braised eggs and stir-fried mushrooms were also modestly served.

Da Hae’s eyes, which had been staring at them blankly, read the paper slip again. Read it, and read it again.

⌜I’m going out for work.

You know how to use the microwave, right?

Rice for 2 minutes 30 seconds. Soup for 3 minutes.

Just leave the dishes, don’t break them while eating.

I’ll be back. −Yamsaeng−⌟

It was as if his voice was supported by the handwriting that resembled him.

I’ll be back. The last sentence her eyes lingered on for a long time gave a strange sentiment.

It felt quite different from one-time greetings like ‘take care, stay well’.

This was his home, so it was natural for him to go anywhere and return, but still.

Even after forcibly cutting off the emotion projected onto the common greeting, a gentle smile spread across Da Hae’s lips.

What’s with Yamsaeng? Anyway…

“You’re quite spiteful, Kang Jae Kyung.”

Da Hae, who returned after heating up the soup and rice as instructed, scooped up a spoonful of rice.

The savory and sweet rice grains crumbled finely in her mouth.

Slurp, she drank the soup straight from the bowl instead of using a spoon.

The rice grains all went down with the moderately salty warmth, but she paused eating for a moment as her throat became choked up for reasons other than the food.

“Why are you really like this. Ahem, ahem.”

Suddenly, her nose bridge stung and a hot sensation clogged her throat.

She couldn’t even remember the last time she had cried, but she suddenly felt like crying for no reason. Was she getting spring fever?

Even if she tried to insist otherwise, it wasn’t because of the season. The reason for the surge of emotion was that certain.

Because her heart, which hadn’t even known it was cold, became infinitely warm.

Because she felt stable even though she wasn’t anxious. Because the breakfast prepared for her and the note left behind were affectionate. Therefore, the unfamiliar and frightening relief that came.

The meal ended with sniffling sounds of nose-blowing. She couldn’t even touch the side dishes that were neatly arranged because they looked too precious.

Washing just two bowls and a set of utensils, the rinsing and wiping was repeated.

It was when Da Hae, after checking the neatly arranged table once more, was about to put her shoulder bag on.

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang through the spacious entrance.

Is he back already? Stopping as she was about to put her feet into her shoes, Da Hae first looked for a mirror and tidied up her disheveled appearance.

While taking time to fix her hair that had come loose from being tied up carelessly, the doorbell rang again.

Slam!

“You’re……”

The welcoming greeting of ‘you’re back’ faded before it could even begin.

Encountering an unexpected person, Da Hae smiled awkwardly, suddenly realizing the importance of the intercom.

* * *

A fishing spot in the outskirts of Seoul. In front of a public restroom with paint peeling off in patches.

A small, chubby can of drink was suddenly thrust in front of Jae Kyung, who was standing guard-like in front of it.

“Here.”

The sweet and tangy juice drink with chewy grape bits seemed even more adorable in the thick hand.

The grandson’s eyes, which had been quietly staring at the opened mouth of the can, moved to his grandfather.

“Save your strength, I’m telling you.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Jae Kyung chuckled at Kang Cha Dol’s scolding. A warm smile also rose to the old man’s lips as he looked at his grandson’s face, which seemed much better.

Jae Kyung’s appointment that couldn’t be canceled was a meeting with the heads of both families.

Although he brought a secretary, both chairmen moved in Jae Kyung’s car.

Since the deal with Bae Jung Soon was a secret, Kye Da Hae, who was the subject, was naturally excluded from the gathering.

“Why is your father so quiet?”

“Father is always quiet. He’s so lacking in words that I sometimes forget his voice.”

“Damn?”

Chairman Kang clicked his tongue, not unkindly, at his grandson’s quip and gazed far off towards the horizon.

The reservoir, surrounded by lush greenery, took on a deep color trapped in the shadows cast by the trees.

Saying it was just like the depths of a person’s mind, unfathomable, Chairman Kang often visited this place when he felt frustrated.

“It’s because of his mother’s greed that only Kang Pil Seung is having a hard time.”

“Grandfather.”

A gentle voice called the old man.

Twirling the can in his hand, Jae Kyung slightly stretched his lips into a smile.

“Don’t favor Pil Seung.”

If the mother is rotten, the child can’t be much different. His dark eyes were saying so, but he covered it with a frivolous joke.

“……You absent-minded fool.”

Chairman Kang Cha Dol clicked his tongue softly. As always, he didn’t probe deeply. Into the inner thoughts of his grandson, as unfathomable as the depths of the reservoir.

“Da Hae. Does she still not know?”

“It’s not that she doesn’t know at all.”

“Huh?”

A smile that subtly spread across an indifferent face. Chairman Kang’s eyebrows rose.

Da Hae was the child chosen to give strength to Kang Jae Kyung.

Strictly speaking, it was a marital alliance with the Young Son Group. Even if revenge was the goal, his grandson needed external support.

That always weighed on his mind.

Worried that a child who wasn’t loved might live a lifetime without emotions. That after getting what he wanted, only emptiness would remain.

But seeing him smile so warmly like this, it seemed some of those negative concerns were fading away.

Well, how could nothing happen between a good man and woman living together? The old man’s eyes, unaware of the inside story of their separate living, sparkled with hope.

Cha Dol, who poked the corners of his eyes with his thick knuckles, gripped his grandson’s shoulder firmly.

“Jae Kyung, don’t you worry about anything. This old man will take care of everything for you.”