“What?”

Eun Soo’s eyes were suddenly filled with worry. But Joo Han quickly said.

― Sorry, I lied. I wanted to make you worry.

“Hey, you crazy…!”

Eun Soo momentarily forgot she was in the office and let out a coarse swear. The screen on Joo Han’s side shook with laughter before finally steadying.

― Instead of worry, I got a mouthful of curses. I’m full. I can skip breakfast.

Eun Soo sighed. After barely calming down, she suddenly remembered something that had been on her mind all day.

“But you…”

She was about to ask why he didn’t tell the truth to his mother, but glanced around cautiously. Although she was alone in the office now, she was still anxious someone might overhear.

“No, I’ll text…”

She thought about asking via text after ending the call, but then decided against it. Even if Joo Han knew now, it wouldn’t change the fact that she had met his mother.

“Never mind, let’s just talk when you get back.”

― Are you doing this on purpose?

“Doing what?”

― Breaking it up into 3 parts like that to make me curious. Think I’ll get on a plane to Korea because I can’t stand it? Do you miss me?

“No.”

Joo Han, who hadn’t expected such an answer in the first place, was taken aback when an unexpected response followed.

“I’m seeing you right now.”

Though separated by a great distance, their eyes met as if right in front of each other.

Eun Soo stretched out her hand holding the phone and rested her chin on her other arm on the desk.

“Then have a good day, Mr. CEO. I need to wrap up my work and leave on time, so I’ll hang up now.”

― Leaving on time is normal, but do you have plans tonight?

“Yeah.”

― Who, Jang Sol Hee?

“No, elder brother Yoon Bin.”

― What?

Joo Han on the screen suddenly sat up. The shaken screen revealed Joo Han’s upper body. Sure enough, he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“Hey, hey! Aren’t you going to turn the camera?”

― Sorry. But wait!

As Joo Han tilted the camera extremely upwards, showing only his eyes, forehead, and ceiling, he continued.

― Why? Why that guy?

“What do you mean why? We can just meet for a meal when we have time.”

― Where? Not at home, right?

“Well, not at home…”

Eun Soo looked around quickly and twisted one corner of her mouth.

“Why are you meddling in every little thing? Especially when your camera is off.”

― The camera may be off, but you haven’t taken off your ring yet.

Eun Soo flinched. Joo Han, who had regained a decent camera angle, brushed his slightly messy hair. The ring on that hand gleamed conspicuously.

― Anyway, just eat and don’t drink. This isn’t interference or nagging, I’m just worried you might go somewhere else and rack up some embarrassing moments. I’m the only one who puts up with that…

“Stop it.”

At Eun Soo’s curt words with gritted teeth, Joo Han laughed softly. Then he said he had to go and said goodbye.

― I’m hanging up.

“Okay.”

After a simple farewell, the screen turned off cleanly.

Eun Soo put down her phone and stared at her hand, fiddling with the ring. Then she carefully took it off.

It’s only been a few days of wearing it, but there’s already a faint mark.

Looking at her bare hand that now seemed empty, Eun Soo quietly put the ring back in its place.

That evening, the place where Eun Soo and Yoon Bin met was a small home-style restaurant.

“Elder brother, is it okay to be in a place like this?”

Eun Soo looked around nervously. Being an ordinary restaurant, it was bright and open, making it seem like anyone could recognize Yoon Bin.

“Yeah, it’s fine here.”

Yoon Bin, sitting with his back to the other customers, adjusted the baseball cap he was wearing and added:

“The owner here used to be our dorm auntie. I’ve been eating her home-cooked meals since I was a trainee, so I come here sometimes when I miss it.”

Just as Yoon Bin finished speaking, a woman in an apron approached cheerfully from the kitchen.

“Bin, it’s been a while. Jun and Seung Woo were here just the other day.”

“I heard they were bragging about eating your food, auntie.”

“Really? They were so cutely insisting that next time all five of you would come together.”

Eun Soo, understanding this was about the members, found it a bit fascinating.

“Auntie, this is my dongsaeng I’ve known since we were young.”

“Hello, I’m Sun Eun Soo.”

“Nice to meet you. It’s the first time I’m meeting Bin’s friend? You had such a pretty dongsaeng and never mentioned her?”

The auntie clearly wanted to ask more, but Yoon Bin gently tugged at her apron.

“Auntie, I have to start my diet regimen from tomorrow. I came to eat lots of delicious food for the last time.”

“Alright, alright. Just wait a bit.”

After the auntie returned to the kitchen, soon a parade of dishes not on the menu appeared – stew, stir-fried pork, thick rolled omelette, and all sorts of side dishes.

The office workers at the next table curiously glanced over, then stopped the passing auntie.

“Ma’am, we come here for lunch and dinner, but we’ve never seen these menu items?”

“Oh, those aren’t on the menu. That’s just our son’s meal. He’s so busy we rarely see him, so I try to feed him everything I can when he comes.”

“Oh, I see! We almost stole your son’s meal. Haha!”

Hearing the customers and auntie joking behind him, Yoon Bin smiled silently and picked up his chopsticks.

“Eat a lot, Eun Soo.”

“Okay. It smells so delicious already.”

Eun Soo nodded and quickly tasted the rice and side dishes, exclaiming “Wow” out loud.

“I’ve tried quite a few home-style restaurants looking for good home cooking, but this place is really amazing.”

“Right? We even had a condition in our contract renewal that our dorm auntie couldn’t be changed. We said we couldn’t continue without her food.”

Eun Soo laughed softly and playfully rolled her eyes.

“You knew about a place like this and kept it to yourself? Knowing both you and I are craving home-cooked meals, how sneaky.”

Yoon Bin’s eyes wavered for a moment, then settled.

“Come here comfortably even when I’m not around. I’ll tell auntie about you.”

“I should. Your auntie is my auntie too, right?”

Eun Soo said with a smile, then paused.

“Ah… that didn’t sound right. Sorry.”

Eun Soo lowered her head, split the last piece of braised tofu with her chopsticks, pushed half towards Yoon Bin and put the other half on her rice. Yoon Bin, who had been staring at Eun Soo, slightly raised and lowered his shoulders.

“So, did that filming go well?”

Eun Soo nodded.

“Yeah. But I don’t feel as relieved as I thought I would. I’m scared about how it’ll turn out on broadcast.”

“Don’t worry too much. From what I saw, it doesn’t seem like the kind of show that goes for sensationalism.”

“But elder brother, what if…”

Eun Soo’s voice lowered a bit.

“If the show becomes a bigger topic than expected, there could be a lot of talk about various things.”

“That could happen.”

“And if…”

Eun Soo hesitated, unable to continue easily.

“If… everything about you and me comes out?”

Yoon Bin put down his spoon.

“As I said when you first worried about this, if it was going to come out, wouldn’t it have come out already? It would have had the biggest impact when was sweeping up grand prizes.”

Yoon Bin’s tone was calm, as if soothing her.

“It’s been over 10 years since I debuted. All sorts of things have happened during that time, but it’s been quiet until now, so it’ll remain just between us in the future too.”

Eun Soo slowly nodded. As Yoon Bin forced a smile, Eun Soo smiled back.

“I’m going to the restroom for a bit.”

“Okay.”

Eun Soo got up and went outside. The restroom was supposed to be visible upon entering the building right next door.

At that moment, there was a man smoking a little away from the building entrance. He was watching Eun Soo enter through the glass door without much thought, when suddenly his eyes widened.

“Sun Eun Soo?”

It was Jang Hyun Man, the CEO of who had worked with Eun Soo for about two months after she moved to before leaving. He had come out for a smoke while drinking with an acquaintance at the restaurant, and unexpectedly saw Eun Soo.

They weren’t close enough to greet each other warmly. He had already been on edge after hearing rumors about some broadcast filming at recently.

It was bad enough that the shop he thought would soon fail had managed to keep going for so long, but now it seemed to be growing bigger. He was very anxious that the broadcast might boost to overshadow .

‘Is she filming something right now?’

Jang Hyun Man carelessly put out his cigarette and watched the entrance. Soon after, Eun Soo came out again and entered a restaurant. Jang Hyun Man cautiously approached.

Fortunately, the restaurant had a structure that was easily visible from outside. There were no cameras visible, and a man was sitting across from Eun Soo. He assumed it would be Kim Joo Han, but looking closer, it didn’t seem to be him.

A group of customers came out noisily. Only Eun Soo and the man remained in the restaurant. At that moment, the man briefly took off his hat and brushed his hair with one hand.

“Huh?”

It was definitely a familiar face, but he couldn’t quite place it. As the face was quickly hidden again when the man put his hat back on, Jang Hyun Man desperately craned his neck, and a clue flashed in his mind.

“Ah, that…!”

He was certain it was that face plastered all over his daughter’s room walls.

‘Right, that Young Bin or Yoon Bin or whatever…!’

Jang Hyun Man closely observed Eun Soo and Yoon Bin, who looked quite close to anyone watching.

Then he quietly took out his phone.

“Whew…”

Yoon Bin, returning home after the meal, sank into the sofa without turning on the lights.

As always, auntie’s food that he had eaten to his heart’s content after a long time was delicious. He felt stuffed, wondering when was the last time he had eaten so much. He was pleased that Eun Soo seemed to enjoy the food as much as he did, but honestly, he wasn’t feeling all that great.

Throughout the meal, his left hand on the table, with the ring on it, kept catching his eye. He thought he should pretend not to have seen it, but in the end, he blurted out a childishly petty comment.

‘The ring is pretty, it’d be a shame to take it off.’

But Eun Soo’s reaction to those words was a bit strange.

He expected her to be embarrassed or laugh it off, but she made an expression he had never seen before. With a face that seemed both hurt and perplexed, she was about to say something but then firmly closed her mouth.

If it was what he feared most…

Yoon Bin leaned back even more deeply and closed his eyes.

‘…I’m sick of this.’

Such a thought welled up towards himself.

Eun Soo was a problem with an answer written from the beginning.

The answer of ‘siblings’ formed by his father’s remarriage to Eun Soo’s mother.

At first, he accepted it readily. The sister who suddenly appeared one day at sixteen quickly grew on him, despite not being blood-related or having grown up together.

But regardless of his feelings, he had almost no memories of actually treating her well or doing things together. As a trainee commuting between school and the company, he was busy just sleeping, washing up, and leaving home.

Nevertheless, Eun Soo always smiled whenever she saw him. Even though it should have been awkward, from the beginning there was none of that, her pure gaze conveying that she already felt very close in her heart.

Knowing how exciting a topic step-siblings was among kids that age, he never acknowledged her at school, but sometimes when he saw her from afar, he had to hold back a smile as if he could hear her eyes saying hello.

Eun Soo was the only one who greeted him as soon as he came home, and waved goodbye when he left, telling him to have a safe trip.

She would throw embarrassingly honest compliments about how happy she was to have such a handsome elder brother, which seemed impossible to get used to but secretly made him feel good.

That unique bond, if it could be called that, was broken on a day in late winter, after successfully debuting and sweeping rookie awards.