Today, Yeo Reum, who had been working in the studio until late at night, glanced back at the door. Her gaze lingered on the teapot rather than the painting today.

She bought it because she wanted to brew tea for him, but now all her attention was focused on it.

However, there was no sign of movement outside the door.

‘Maybe he won’t come today.’

Except for the day he gave her advice on her painting, he always came and went as he pleased.

So, there was no guarantee that he would come today too.

Yeo Reum got up from her seat for a moment and checked the painting she had turned over. It was the scenery of the day when she walked hand in hand with him.

The painting, which had taken shape before she knew it, clearly resembled a loving couple walking in a flower garden.

I drew it from my memory… Why does it feel like this? After painting it with joy, this is what it looks like. Somehow her face felt hot.

That day in my memory must have been quite pleasant and ticklish.

Feeling embarrassed, Yeo Reum tickled her already flushed cheeks. However, she intended to finish it completely. She wanted to display it in the exhibition if possible.

She thought that a painting that could make people smile would be born. Despite the unfamiliar painting style different from usual.

Today, her heart was fluttering like catching a floating cloud.

Yeo Reum took out an 8-page sketchbook for the first time in a long time. Today, she planned to doodle something completely unrelated to the exhibition, as she couldn’t concentrate.

It’s always fun to do something else when you have something you have to do right away. A smile spread across Yeo Reum’s face at the long-awaited escape.

Putting aside the oil paints she always used, she took out the watercolors. The colors quickly spreading across the sketchbook, soaking up the water, felt fresh as it reminded her of art class at school.

‘It’s been a really long time since I used this.’

She bought it just in case, but it was a paint that always hardened without being used and was thrown away every time. Sometimes she thought it wasn’t bad to do this.

Before she knew it, Yeo Reum was immersed in the painting that started as a joke.

While she was playing with the brush excitedly, a low voice suddenly descended above her head.

“What’s this? Watercolor out of the blue?”

“Huh…? Representative. When did you come?”

She didn’t even hear him coming.

He was looking down at the painting as if it was interesting.

Yeo Reum, startled, belatedly floundered.

She must have started it as a joke and gotten serious again, not hearing his presence.

“You’re not going to send this to the gallery, are you?”

“No. I was just painting it because I was bored.”

“…Bored at this late hour.”

Ah, right! Tea.

Fortunately, she was able to serve him the tea she bought today right away.

Yeo Reum got up to wash her hands and hurriedly put water in the pot. It would take a little while, but if he didn’t leave right away, she could let him taste the tea.

When Yeo Reum put the water on and turned around, he was sitting where she had gotten up from. Yeo Reum approached him.

The painting she drew for fun was a bit embarrassing, but he was looking down at it seriously.

Yeo Reum tried to say something to him for no reason.

“Would you like to try painting too, Representative? It’s quite fun.”

She thought he would refuse, saying no. However, after glancing down at the brush in the brush holder, he asked back.

“Really?”

“Ah, yes. This painting is just something I drew because I was bored, and I bought this sketchbook to paint for fun, so you can draw anything you want.”

When Yeo Reum widened her eyes and blinked in surprise, Gi Tae let out a chuckle. Then, he tapped the chair next to him a few times.

“Ah, yes.”

Yeo Reum went and sat next to him, bewildered. Trying to sit side by side with a small sketchbook, unlike a canvas, it felt like his body heat was slightly transferring to her as their bodies were close together.

How did this happen?

He turned a page of the sketchbook and picked up the brush. The paper absorbed the color as he moved the brush.

Yeo Reum, who was staring at it blankly, burst into laughter.

“Why are you laughing?”

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”

His keen eye and painting seem to be separate things.

It wasn’t a poorly drawn picture, but Yeo Reum burst into laughter without realizing it because she had quite high expectations.

“Why, is it bad?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Trying hard to hold back her rising lips, she tried to look at his painting seriously.

Noticing that Yeo Reum’s smile while looking at the painting was different from usual, he tapped Yeo Reum’s arm and said,

“Then help me.”

“Can I really?”

“Yeah, if you can save it.”

Yeo Reum tried to take the brush from him. However, he didn’t put down the brush and only looked at Yeo Reum.

“…?”

His dark brown eyes were still serious. As if telling her to try anything right away.

The corners of Yeo Reum’s mouth, which had been smiling all along, went down.

Yeo Reum placed her hand over his.

This is how you draw a picture too.

But when was the last time she did that?

In the distant childhood when she was not good at handling a brush. It was a method she always used when she got help from her father, the only art teacher.

But isn’t it a method that adults don’t usually do when they are all grown up?

Am I the only one who cares?

Yeo Reum paid more attention to her voice, trying to be calm even as she held the brush.

“How can I help you?”

“Just do whatever you want.”

“…Yes.”

There was no particular conversation after that.

Her heart was beating fast and strong at her fingertips as if it was in her overlapping hands.

After overlapping for a long time, her hand became warmer as if it had become one with his body temperature.

Yeo Reum bit her lower lip hard.

Perhaps because blood rushed to her bitten lips, they became redder than usual.

He just laughed from time to time as if it was fun.

His breath touched and left her cheek due to their close proximity.

“This is fun.”

“It is, right? I think that’s why quite a few people paint as a hobby.”

Yeo Reum answered nonchalantly on purpose.

She couldn’t tell whose heart was beating between their overlapping hands, whether he felt it too, but her mind turned as white as a new canvas.

* * *

A few days later, Yeo Reum sent all the promised five paintings to the gallery, except for the last one. And to exchange words about the changes in her paintings, she visited the office in person.

“I didn’t really expect much from this exhibition’s paintings as per the representative’s instructions…”

“…”

“Although it’s different from before, this isn’t bad either, is it?”

“Really?”

“Of course. It’s clearly different from the way you used to paint, but it has its own charm. We can display all of them in the exhibition. It seems like it was a good attempt.”

Although Park Gwan Jang said that, Yeo Reum knew that she couldn’t display all her paintings because the gallery would be filled with works by the main artists promoted by TS Gallery.

Even if more were to be displayed, it would be their works. That was TS Gallery’s policy.

However, she was grateful for his words. That it wasn’t bad enough to want to display all of them.

It was also like a reward for her hard work.

Yeo Reum, who had been smiling shyly, suddenly exclaimed “Ah” and spoke to Park Gwan Jang.

“Gwan Jang-nim. I haven’t sent one of the promised paintings yet. I’ll send it as soon as I finish it.”

“Okay. Good work, Yeo Reum.”

“Yes, thank you, Gwan Jang-nim.”

Yeo Reum’s steps became lighter as she left the office. She was very excited to see which of her paintings would be included in this exhibition. Her hard work had paid off.

As Yeo Reum pushed open the glass door of the gallery and came out, she ran into him getting out of the car.

“Representative!”

“Oh, did you come to check on the paintings?”

“Yes.”

“Why bother coming in person?”

“Just… I wanted to hear it directly.”

When Yeo Reum greeted him cheerfully, he also let out a chuckle.

Then, he passed by Yeo Reum and went inside.

Although he greeted her warmly, it was somehow disappointing that he turned away so quickly, but Yeo Reum just bowed her head and greeted him.

At that moment, he pushed open the glass door and entered, speaking in a low voice without even glancing at her.

“I’ll give you a ride. You’re going home, right?”

“Ah, yes!”

As Yeo Reum waited for him to enter the gallery, he came back out not long after. When he gestured with his head to get in the car, Yeo Reum tactfully got into the back seat.

Today, she could sit next to him in the back seat because he brought a chauffeur.

Yeo Reum timidly spoke to him sitting next to her.

“…Don’t you have work at the gallery?”

“Yeah. I just stopped by briefly today.”

“Ah, I see.”

Her gaze kept shifting to his hand, reminded of when she overlapped her hand with his not long ago.

“Representative, did you see my paintings?”

“The new ones you painted this time?”

“Yes.”

“Well… I did see them from time to time while you were painting.”

She was so distracted that she didn’t know what they were talking about, and the sedan soon arrived in front of the main building.

Yeo Reum got out of the car and said goodbye to him.

“Representative, thank you for the ride. Be careful on your way.”

“Yeah. Go inside.”

He still had no intention of entering the main building, leaving quickly as soon as Yeo Reum got out. As Yeo Reum was about to turn around to go to the annex after watching him leave.

Baek Ho was standing in front of the main building, not knowing since when. He was staring intently at Yeo Reum.

Startled, Yeo Reum hurriedly greeted him first.

“Chairman, hello.”

“Yeah.”

He received her greeting briefly as usual and suddenly started saying something strange.

“I’d like you to refrain from being seen with Gi Tae for the time being.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

Yeo Reum asked back like a dumbfounded person.

Standing silently at a distance like that, he gave an absurd answer.

“Hye Su seems to be quite concerned. Gi Tae will have to get married soon too, so there’s no need to make her worry for no reason.”

“…”

Yeo Reum was at a loss for words. Unlike Yeo Reum, he seemed calm and composed. He didn’t even seem to suspect there was something between the two, despite saying such things.

Judging by the fact that he directly mentioned the name “Hye Su,” it seemed like it was something she instigated rather than what the chairman wanted. Living in this mansion, she had enough sense to know that much.

She clearly said it wasn’t true. She felt annoyed at Hye Su for a moment for blowing things out of proportion and getting her scolded.

Also, it was most absurd that Baek Ho, who tried to push her into the gallery, was telling her not to be seen close with him.

For the first time, a sense of rebellion arose in Yeo Reum and she asked him.

“We can’t help but run into each other often.”

Especially now… Because it’s the truth.

It was a small act of rebellion. However, he seemed to think it was a reasonable thing to say, nodding his head and speaking in a calm, low voice.

“Right. You just need to be mindful when Hye Su is around.”

* * *

“Hmm, what is it? Why are you so distracted today, Yeo Reum?”

“Ah, I’m sorry…”

Today, Yeon Woo suddenly called Yeo Reum and begged her to have a meal together.

So after sitting across from each other for about ten minutes, Yeo Reum couldn’t hear a word he was saying.

What the chairman said yesterday kept ringing in her ears.

On the other hand, seeing Yeo Reum reacting a beat late and her expression constantly gloomy even when he tried to talk to her, Yeon Woo finally got up from his seat. Even though he hadn’t even eaten half of his meal, he didn’t seem to mind at all.

Yeon Woo said,

“This won’t do. Get up, Yeo Reum.”

Despite getting up seriously, he pulled Yeo Reum’s arm and led her somewhere with a playful smile.

“…Where are we going?”

Yeon Woo just kept grinning at Yeo Reum’s question. He kept saying she would know when she got there and didn’t tell her.

And the place they arrived at was.

‘An arcade?’

It was an arcade where the inside was clearly visible from the outside as it was open.

Inside, there were various games ranging from typical arcade machines to small coin karaoke rooms, basketball games, and even Pump It Up. As if there was a master of Pump It Up, a large crowd gathered around a man swiftly moving his feet.

“Let’s go in.”

“…Yes.”

She was going to get swept away by him anyway.

Yeo Reum just followed where he led her. He opened his wallet and groaned, then came back after a brief wait, holding a few 10,000 won bills.

He put the bills into the bill acceptor to exchange them for coins, then took Yeo Reum and stood in front of a shooting game.

“Ah!”

“Haha, did you get surprised?”

When Yeo Reum screamed, startled by the sudden appearance of a zombie, he burst into laughter, shaking his shoulders.

While he was distracted for a moment, zombies swarmed them, and the game ended in the first round.

Feeling embarrassed, Yeo Reum made a cute excuse with her cheeks flushed peach-colored.

“We lost because you didn’t watch properly, Yeon Woo… You said you’d take care of that side…”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching properly. I got distracted because your reaction was funny.”

He shrugged his shoulders and this time took Yeo Reum to the basketball game.

From the basketball game to Pump It Up, which she had only played a long time ago. After going through all the games, her mood had somehow improved a lot. It seemed to be because she was directly running around with her body.

They finished with the claw machine at the end. He picked out a cute pink rabbit doll and handed it to Yeo Reum. Yeo Reum looked at the doll that was suddenly held in her arms and raised her head to look at him.

He shrugged his shoulders and said,

“Wouldn’t it be a bit funny if I carried it around? You take that, Yeo Reum.”

“Yes, then… I’ll gratefully accept it.”

“Okay.”

When Yeon Woo said he would give her a ride, Yeo Reum chose the gallery again like last time. After all, it was a house she was living in as a freeloader, so she felt conscious of the many eyes watching if she asked him to take her to the front of it.

When they arrived at the gallery and Yeo Reum tried to get out of the car, he also got out following her. Even though she said it was okay, he got out to say his final goodbye.

“Yeo Reum, go inside safely. I didn’t plan to do this today, but thanks to you, I also had fun…”

At that moment, Yeo Reum stumbled and staggered as she misstepped.

“Oh my.”

Fortunately, Yeon Woo, who was next to her, caught Yeo Reum, so she didn’t fall. Yeon Woo also seemed surprised, but he only took care of Yeo Reum first.

“Yeo Reum, are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry… I guess I moved a lot after a long time.”

“It’s okay.”

The muscles that had been sitting all the time just painting must have been surprised. When Yeo Reum smiled awkwardly, Yeon Woo also grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

Yeon Woo’s hand was still tightly holding Yeo Reum’s hand as he caught her from almost falling.

Yeo Reum straightened her posture again and was about to tell Yeon Woo, who still hadn’t let go of her hand, that she was fine now and to let go.

“…Representative?”

She ran into him getting out of the car, wondering if he had left work early.

The gaze that met passed over Yeo Reum’s face and reached the hands held by the two.

His gaze stopped at the overlapping hands.