“Let me know if you feel cold, I’ll turn off the air conditioning.”

“Okay.”

After finishing her daughter-in-law cosplay, Chae Won got in the taxi and looked out the window.

She recalled Noh Jae Min seriously asking if she really had no thoughts of divorce.

She remembered Young Ja glaring as soon as Go Ro Na left after watching her carefully, and Jenny busily filling her shopping cart with clothes.

Above all, remembering Go Ro Na’s desperate desire to show off made her exasperated.

Noh Jae Min seems shaken for now, but she knows it won’t last long.

He may waver a bit, but since there’s a child involved, he’ll ultimately choose that path.

“Hmm.”

Pretending to be Kim Hee Joo seems to have its limits.

Hee Joo needs to wake up soon…

When will she wake up?

No, will she be able to wake up?

Though she lives believing it’s possible, it’s actually overwhelming.

Her gaze, half-lowered in thoughts of Hee Joo, lifted at the taxi driver’s words that they had arrived.

“Thank you.”

Chae Won got out of the taxi and headed to the underground parking lot to switch to her own car.

Click! Click!

Her footsteps halted at the sound of camera shutters while walking.

Chae Won turned her head toward the sound, but there was no one else in the parking lot.

“I must be hearing things from taking too many photos lately…”

Since her daily routine ends with taking affectionate selfies with Choi Yoo Gun, she must be hallucinating sounds before meeting him.

Though she originally liked taking photos, she probably won’t take any for a while after ending this fake relationship with Yoo Gun.

Chae Won pushed Hee Joo’s phone into her bag as she headed to her car.

“It’s me.”

After getting in the car and starting the engine, Chae Won called the caregiver.

“How’s unnie?”

She makes these calls hoping to hear that her hand twitched slightly, or her eyelids fluttered faintly, or even that the doctor gave a positive update, but the caregiver’s answer is always the same.

– She’s sleeping.

A conflicted feeling of disappointment but also relief that she’s still breathing and existing in this world.

Though she knows the caregiver is watching diligently, she wonders if there might have been a moment the caregiver missed.

So she goes to check on the still-sleeping Hee Joo like this.

“I’ll stop by now.”

The car sped up, racing quickly towards Hee Joo.

*

In the hospital after everyone had left, Sung Min set down a hot cup of instant noodles on the table, chopsticks in his mouth.

“Oh right! I should open the door.”

Sung Min covered the cup noodles with a booklet on the table, then quickly got up to open all the windows at the entrance and lobby.

He had been scolded by Chae Won recently for eating ramen in the poorly ventilated exam room and leaving with the door closed.

“5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds, okay!”

After timing it precisely, Sung Min opened the lid and stirred the noodles with the chopsticks.

As he lifted the cup to take a sip of the broth first, a woman’s voice was heard.

“Hello?”

A woman in an odd summer outfit with sunglasses, mask, and even a scarf entered through the open door.

Blinking a couple times, Sung Min quickly set down the cup noodles.

“Ah, we’ve finished consultations for today.”

“I know. That’s why I came.”

“Pardon?”

The petite woman with a small frame scanned the hospital, then approached the photos with the doctors’ profiles.

She took off her sunglasses and carefully examined the content, then turned back to Sung Min.

When she suddenly unwrapped her scarf as well, it revealed a cute acorn-like hairstyle with dense bangs and a short bob.

“I know I must look strange, but I have circumstances where I can’t show my face.”

“Yes, I understand. But could you please come back during consultation hours tomorrow?”

Se Kyung strolled further into the hospital, still holding her mask.

“Since you introduced me to a decent place, I guess our CEO hasn’t abandoned me yet. Seeing it in person puts me more at ease.”

Se Kyung had been feeling heavy-hearted about tomorrow’s meeting with Yoo Gun due to her wrongdoings, but now she felt a bit more comfortable.

“I don’t know who your CEO is, but you’ll need to come for a consultation tomorrow.”

Se Kyung was fiddling with the crystal cat on the reception desk when she slowly turned around, still holding her mask.

“Actually, I’m a famous actress. You’d be surprised if I took off my mask.”

“Yes, well. Our hospital doesn’t give special treatment without procedure, even for actors.”

Sung Min was speaking with an annoyed expression, asking her to leave, when he was startled as she suddenly removed her mask.

Peeking out, Se Kyung revealed her face and tucked her short hair behind her ear, saying shyly:

“Were you very surprised? Actually, I’m Wang Se Kyung.”

Sung Min looked at Se Kyung smiling cutely with her eyes and made a wry expression.

Though she had quite a cute doll-like appearance, to Sung Min who doesn’t watch much TV, she was just a suspicious person.

“I see.”

“You know, doctor. Lately, whenever I drink alcohol, I get acne on my face. I wonder why that happens?”

“Right. I can consult with you about that tomorrow if you make an appointment.”

“Oh, you’re quite the principled person, aren’t you doctor?”

“Pardon?”

Se Kyung’s eyes wavered as if impressed.

“Even knowing who I am, your consistent attitude and maintaining clear boundaries is impressive. It makes me trust you more, and most of all, I clearly understand our CEO’s intention not to abandon me. It gives me courage for tomorrow’s meeting.”

Sung Min let out a quiet sigh, wishing she would leave soon, not knowing what her CEO was abandoning.

“Yes, good luck with your meeting tomorrow. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

As Sung Min approached to actively usher her out, a pack of soju with a straw attached was placed in his hand.

Surprised, Sung Min blinked at Se Kyung who had handed it to him.

“What is this?”

“It’s one of my beloved soju drinks, as a sign that I’ll be entrusting myself to you from now on, doctor.”

“No thank you, that’s not necessary.”

“Please accept it. It’s nice to drink together.”

Se Kyung smiled brightly with her acne-ridden face and gestured with her chin towards the cooling ramen.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, doctor!”

Se Kyung turned around, putting her mask and sunglasses back on, and soon left the hospital.

Sung Min watched her leave completely with a dazed expression, then blinked a couple times before immediately locking the door.

“I guess this means I shouldn’t eat ramen in the hospital anymore, huh?”

Worried another strange person might come in, Sung Min locked the door securely.

*

The private investigator hired by Go Ro Na kept his eyes fixed on Chae Won’s car while driving.

“So boss, you’re saying the client seems like the other woman?”

The detective agency owner took a big bite of bread in the back seat as he spoke.

“Usually they want photos of the husband with the other woman together, not chasing backwards like this. In most cases like this, it’s the other woman following the legal wife.”

“Ah, I see. Experience really can’t be ignored. I’m learning a lot, boss!”

The owner nodded as he chewed another bite of bread.

“Remember, absolutely no shutter sounds in quiet places like earlier, got it?”

“Ah, yes! Yes!”

The owner wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and picked up the camera to check the photos taken so far.

Her outfit of a wrap dress reaching just above the knees looks elegant and pretty.

Earlier, when her long hair flowing to one side swayed with each step, alternately revealing and framing her face, he had wondered if this woman’s husband’s eyes were crooked.

“What kind of guy is this woman’s husband? How could he cheat with such a proper wife?”

“I know. She seems like the prettiest client I’ve seen.”

The owner smacked his lips, tasting the aftertaste of the bread he just ate, and lowered the camera as he spoke.

“In my experience, men who cheat never end up well in their later years. They all regret it, I tell you.”

“That’s right.”

“And you know how meticulous and scary women can be once they make up their minds?”

“Seems that way.”

“But, seeing how she switched cars midway, this Kim Hee Joo has something going on too. There’s a bit of a chaotic vibe now.”

“Ah, I see. Ack!”

The detective agency owner was reaching for another piece of bread when he looked up at his employee’s voice.

“What is it?”

“Over there, Kim Hee Joo’s car is going into the police station.”

“What? Why the police station?”

Though he had no way of knowing why she was entering the police station, the employee made a random guess in an attempt to answer.

“Could the man Kim Hee Joo is meeting be a police officer?”

“Is that so?”

“What should we do? Should we follow her in?”

Hesitant about the location, the employee waited for the owner’s instructions without hastily entering.

“What are you hesitating for? We have to follow. We can’t lose her, so stick close!”

“Ah, yes!”

The car that had delayed moving now sped up to close the distance with her.

“Whoa!”

Screech. The employee slammed on the brakes, causing the owner’s neck to jerk violently as he was taking a photo of her entering the police station.

“Ack, what the! Can’t you drive properly?”

“No, it’s not that. Suddenly that car cut in front…”

The owner who had been making an aggressive expression turned his head at the employee’s words.

One black sedan blocking their car.

Not only did it suddenly cut in, but it’s not showing any signs of moving after blocking the car.

“What is that guy doing? Not moving his car.”

“What should we do? Should I go tell him to move his car quickly?”

While checking the position of Kim Hee Joo’s car, worried about losing her, the driver got out of the car blocking them.

“What’s going on? Why is he coming over?”

“Looks like there’s a problem with the car in front.”

Knock knock. A tall man in a gray suit tapped on the driver’s side window.

The employee lowered the window and questioned while glancing back at the owner.

“Hey, what are you doing? Why don’t you move your car quickly!”

“Our CEO would like to meet with you for a moment.”

The owner who was watching fixed his gaze on Kim Hee Joo’s car stopped in front and waved his hand.

“Hey, CEO or whatever, we’re busy working right now so hurry up!”

“He wants to make a new deal related to Kim Hee Joo.”

“Kim Hee Joo or whatever, right now… What?”

The detective agency owner blinked with a dumbfounded expression upon hearing the same name as the woman they were following.

Meanwhile, Chae Won got out of the car and slowly walked towards them.

“Hello?”

The man gaped in shock and turned to look at the owner in the back seat, as if asking what to do.

But the owner in the back had the same expression on his face.

“You’ve been following me.”

The two men shook their heads at Chae Won’s calm voice.

“No, it can’t be.”

“Wh-what nonsense!”

“You’re saying it’s not true?”

The two men’s heads nodded up and down simultaneously.

Chae Won smiled gently as she tucked a strand of hair that had fallen behind her ear and said:

“Then, shall we go to the police station to check? To see if there are photos of me on that camera the owner is holding.”

The flustered detective agency owner glanced at the camera around his neck and rolled his eyes.

Something had gone very wrong.

Realizing he had walked right into the tiger’s den, the owner spoke in a small voice to the employee while keeping his lips still.

“Hey… lo-lock the doors.”

First, he needed to delete the photos inside to get rid of the evidence.

Then they could just deny everything.

Fortunately, as the employee urgently tried to lock the car, the door on the owner’s side opened with a click.

“Whoa!”

The startled detective agency owner clutched the camera tightly and widened his eyes.

“Wh-who are you?”

Yoo Gun, who had opened the side door and sat down, leaned back comfortably in the seat and said:

“If we make a deal, you’ll have a new client.”

The man looked at Yoo Gun’s profile and gulped.

“Just why, why are you doing this?”

It was a situation that had never occurred since founding the agency.

Men in gray suits surrounding the car, a woman crossing her arms with a victim’s face.

And…

“Do you want to make a deal? Or go over there?”

This handsome man with an expressionless face gesturing with his chin towards the police station.

The owner clutched the camera and objectively assessed the situation before quickly making a decision.

He let out a quiet sigh, then forced a smile and said:

“Welcome, customer.”