Gi Tae got out of the car and started walking.

Yeo Reum was walking quite fast, so it only took a moment for them to meet.

Gi Tae grabbed Yeo Reum, who was about to pass by without recognizing him. As soon as he grabbed her wrist and stopped her, Gi Tae looked Yeo Reum up and down. Her face, which used to be white and clean, looked different from usual.

The two cute lips that sparkled like ripe pomegranate seeds even though they hadn’t touched anything yet. The long eyelashes that fluttered like butterflies every time she blinked. The two soft cheeks that were adorably flushed with a peach color were the same.

Tok, Gi Tae brought the back of his hand to Yeo Reum’s cheek. Then he slightly frowned.

The reddish cheeks were not from makeup, but a natural result of Yeo Reum’s biological reaction. There was a slight scent of alcohol from the two cheeks that felt warm.

“You drank.”

“How did you get here, sir?”

“I asked first. Who did you drink with.”

“Ah, that, Ju A said she was feeling down so I had a drink with her and came back.”

“……”

It wasn’t an illusion that a sweet scent seemed to be wafting out more than usual today.

In place of the usual cute Yeo Reum, there stood a captivating woman.

Gi Tae lowered his gaze, scanning down to her shoulders where her white skin was fully exposed, then raised his head again to meet Yeo Reum’s eyes and asked.

“You didn’t say anything about that.”

“You said you were very busy today, sir, so I was going to tell you when you were free.”

Yeo Reum looked up at Gi Tae as if she had never been surprised, and smiled brightly.

It was true that she was startled to run into him on the street, but she was very happy to see him like this when she thought she wouldn’t see him at all today.

However, unlike herself who was just happy, the more they talked, the worse his expression became.

“Where.”

“Ju A said she wanted to go to a cocktail bar. In Gangnam……”

Before Yeo Reum could finish her sentence, Gi Tae pointed to his sedan with a nod of his head and said curtly in a heavy voice.

“Get in for now.”

.

.

.

There was no conversation during the entire car ride.

He seemed to be in a bad mood, and Yeo Reum couldn’t treat Gi Tae as usual because she was conscious of the driver.

Before long, the black sedan passed the road and stopped in front of the main building in Hannam-dong.

Gi Tae was the first to get out. Yeo Reum hurriedly followed him out.

As she got out of the car, Gi Tae grabbed Yeo Reum’s wrist and walked quickly.

“S-sir…?”

Where are we going?

Strangely, his expression hadn’t been good since earlier. However, there was nothing that came to mind, so she just became puzzled.

Since it was very late, she thought he was taking her to the annex building.

But he suddenly led her across the garden behind the main building to her studio.

Tak, as soon as the door closed, he cornered her between the door and himself without turning on the lights.

She couldn’t see his face yet because her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness. She could only sense that he was close by his breathing coming down from above.

“…Ah.”

Yeo Reum suddenly shuddered.

It was because he gently stroked the exposed skin on top of her off-the-shoulder dress. His touch, which was always hot due to his high body temperature, felt a little more persistent than usual.

Looking up at his face, which was gradually becoming visible as she got used to the darkness, Yeo Reum carefully asked.

“Sir. Are you perhaps angry that I drank and came back late?”

“……”

“That, I didn’t know Ju A would suddenly ask to drink either. I didn’t know you would dislike it. Next time I’ll tell you in advance……”

His hand that was aimlessly wandering on her shoulder remained as it was, but there was no answer.

Yeo Reum called Gi Tae again.

“Sir?”

“……”

“…?”

Instead of answering, he took a step back.

Everything was strange, from running into him on the street to suddenly bringing her here.

Yeo Reum looked up at him and waited, but he just opened the studio door and moved to leave.

“Go and sleep now. It’s very late.”

“What? Okay……”

Tak.

She thought he would say something right away, but he left the studio without a moment’s hesitation.

Yeo Reum blankly stared at the empty space he left behind, unable to say a proper goodbye.

‘He’s really a bit strange today?’

Yeo Reum, who was contemplating whether to contact him and ask, took out her cell phone again, thinking of him who would go straight to the officetel and fall asleep due to the late hour. It seemed alright to contact him tomorrow.

Since she was here anyway, Yeo Reum tried to clean the studio a little. As Yeo Reum fumbled in the dark to turn on the light and walked toward the door again.

Tak, the studio door opened again. Yeo Reum’s gaze naturally turned toward it.

“Sir…?”

He, who had left a little while ago, came back.

Did he forget something, Yeo Reum was about to ask the reason for his return.

“It really bothers me. I can’t just leave you next to me either.”

But before Yeo Reum could wonder, he suddenly overlapped his lips with hers.

Before Yeo Reum could be surprised, he already deeply ravaged the gap that had opened.

It was a sudden kiss, but Yeo Reum slowly closed her eyes. And she naturally snuggled into his familiar arms.

As Yeo Reum naturally embraced him and leaned on him, Gi Tae pushed Yeo Reum back.

Thud, the sound of an easel falling over in the darkness was heard from time to time.

Not caring, he took a big step, sat Yeo Reum on the table, and just kept kissing her more persistently than usual.

.

.

.

Gi Tae did not leave the studio even when it was late into the night.

The two lay side by side in the narrow space where Yeo Reum always lay, looking like a genuine couple.

They shared the only blanket and Gi Tae gave Yeo Reum his arm as a pillow.

A small light seeped in through the only large window. Yeo Reum looked up at Gi Tae, whose face was now properly visible, and asked.

“Sir. How much longer are you going to stay before you leave?”

Gi Tae, who had been looking outside for a while to gauge the time, looked down at Yeo Reum again and asked.

“Why?”

“Just… I thought I wouldn’t see you at all today, but I’m so happy to be with you.”

Yeo Reum made it clear that she wanted to be together a little longer. So, Gi Tae answered kindly.

“I’ll stay until you fall asleep. Don’t worry.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Gi Tae must have found Yeo Reum cute for clearly showing that she liked it, because he eventually laughed and wrapped his arm around Yeo Reum.

Yeo Reum closed her eyes and smiled as his warmth was transferred to her.

Gi Tae suddenly said to Yeo Reum.

“You can contact me even when I’m busy. I have enough time to take your calls.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Yeo Reum, who obediently answered, suddenly asked about something she was curious about again.

“Sir. But. Were you really upset that I came home late? If that’s the case, I’ll try to come a little earlier from now on……”

“It’s not like that. Don’t worry about it.”

“Then……”

“Go to sleep quickly. I’ll only leave after you fall asleep.”

“Tsk…… Yes.”

Yeo Reum obediently snuggled into Gi Tae’s arms.

Is he really going to stay by my side until I fall asleep like this?

Will he leave as soon as I fall asleep…?

Yeo Reum rubbed her eyes that kept drooping, trying to fight off her sleepiness for fear that he would leave right away if she fell asleep early.

She also kept talking to him from time to time. Still, he answered everything without any sign of annoyance.

“Sir, I’m a little cold.”

“Okay. Come here.”

When she made the excuse that she seemed a little cold, he hugged her tightly.

Yeo Reum only fully closed her eyes and fell asleep late into the night. A happy smile spread across her sleeping face.

* * *

Late at night. A black compact car stopped in front of a 24-hour cafe where there were few people.

“Ah, really…… I’m so busy I could die. Because of this damn money.”

The man who got out of the car grumbled and quickly entered the cafe.

“Oh, reporter Oh! Over here.”

Hye Su was sitting inside. Hye Su saw him and smiled brightly.

He was Oh Byung Hoon, the reporter Hye Su had called some time ago. As soon as Hye Su confirmed that he was sitting across from her, she asked.

“So, what’s the news?”

The man didn’t answer right away and was lost in thought for a moment. Hye Su stared intently at the man and took a sip of coffee.

The relationship between Oh Byung Hoon and Hye Su was simple.

He often chased after actresses as he wrote many articles about the entertainment industry. At that time, one of the men who was frequently captured by his camera was Han Gi Tae.

Hye Su would give him money and ask about the women around Gi Tae, and confirm whether it was true or not.

Most of the time, it was a case where the woman approached him on her own with feelings.

With the information obtained from Oh Byung Hoon, Hye Su had detached all of them from his side.

Along with saying things like whether they wanted to quit their entertainment industry life.

Most women naturally drifted away, afraid of Hye Su who boasted about her connections.

Oh Byung Hoon, who had been looking through the recent photos he had taken, only opened his mouth after a long time.

“Ah, well, there’s nothing. No women at all…… Huh?”

Oh Byung Hoon, who was answering firmly, suddenly tilted his head to one side as if he remembered something. At that, Hye Su frowned and asked sensitively.

“Why? Did some other woman flirt with him in the meantime?”

Hye Su asked sharply, but Byung Hoon kept his mouth shut for a moment, trying to recall his memory.

There was no contact at all with the actresses Hye Su was worried about.

But he suddenly remembered a woman he had seen in front of Gi Tae’s gallery.

The woman, whose arms were full of shopping bags, was not a familiar face, but not an unfamiliar one either. She wasn’t an actress who would be easily exposed to the media……

‘Where have I seen her before?’

To avoid any repercussions, it seemed he had to tell Hye Su even the smallest thing.

Reporter Oh thought hard about who that woman was.

As he scanned his memory, it seemed she was the girl the chairman had brought long ago. He hadn’t recognized her for a moment because she had grown up over the years.

Thinking about it again, it seemed she was running an errand for side dishes.

Oh Byung Hoon was too busy chasing celebrities. He occasionally observed the man’s surroundings to meet Hye Su’s expectations, who paid him, but he didn’t stick with him 24 hours a day.

That was all he saw.

In Byung Hoon’s opinion, she didn’t even fit the criteria for the women Cha Hye Su was talking about.

That woman was no different from a member of Chairman Han’s household.

They had been living together from the beginning, so running an errand for side dishes was understandable.

Oh Byung Hoon, who had organized his thoughts, shook his head.

“No. I was mistaken for a moment. There’s no one.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

Hye Su, quite satisfied with Byung Hoon’s answer, lifted the corners of her mouth. Then, as always, she fiddled with her cell phone a few times.

Ding-. A notification popped up on Byung Hoon’s cell phone. The money had been deposited.

* * *

The next day, Gi Tae, who had gotten off work early from the department store for the first time in a long time, headed straight to the gallery.

As soon as he got in the car, he covered his eyes with his arm, just like yesterday.

Crazy bastard.

Gi Tae recalled last night.

He had only intended to take her home and then leave, but he impulsively turned back.

The plan to just see her face and leave had gone awry.

It had been difficult to remain composed from the moment he ran into her on the street, all dressed up.

In the end, he fell asleep with her in her studio and only left after the sun rose.

She must have shone brightly even when he wasn’t around.

Gi Tae suddenly felt irritated at the men whose faces he didn’t even know. There must have been men who stole glances at Yoon Yeo Reum when he wasn’t there, right?

But it’s not like he could keep her only where his eyes could see. Getting jealous like this at this age……

He admitted that he had acted very impulsively due to the emotions he felt for the first time.

Tsk, Gi Tae clicked his tongue.

Gi Tae, who had arrived at the gallery before long, erased his thoughts and went inside. The plan was to briefly check the paintings that would be finally hung for the exhibition, which was just over two weeks away.

As Gi Tae entered the gallery, Manager Park greeted him warmly.

“You’re here early today, sir.”

“Yes. I’m here to check on the exhibition.”

“I’ll show you around.”

“Never mind the rest, let’s check the main spot first.”

“Yes, sir.”

Even when busy, the one thing Gi Tae always checked was the painting that would be hung in the main spot.

They prioritized the best spots for paintings based on the artist’s skill and how well they would sell, but for the most part, there were no major changes.

For three years now, the main spot had not changed, being reserved for a few painters they had been pushing as their main focus. They were the backbone leading the gallery.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Right?”

Gi Tae, who had checked the paintings, readily nodded his head.

As he was about to take a step, he suddenly stopped and asked Manager Park.

“What about Yoon Yeo Reum’s painting?”

“It’s over there.”

Gi Tae followed Manager Park, who was walking ahead.

‘She prepared diligently.’

As Gi Tae looked down at Yeo Reum’s paintings one by one, a warm light gradually seeped into his eyes. Watching Gi Tae slightly lift the corners of his mouth, Manager Park also smiled brightly and said.

“Miss Yeo Reum’s paintings are really good this time too.”

“They are.”

Manager Park praised Yeo Reum highly. The fact that he had been a fan of Yoon Dae Ho since he was young also played a part, but he couldn’t help but smile like a father because he liked Yeo Reum’s paintings and Yeo Reum herself so much.

Manager Park went on and on about things Gi Tae didn’t even ask.

“When Miss Yeo Reum first joined the gallery, I thought she followed a lot of Yoon Dae Ho’s style since she learned painting from her father. It was like that until her first exhibition. But these days, I think it has changed a lot.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. It’s not as colorful as before, but looking at it makes you smile involuntarily. It’s like…… a warm feeling is conveyed.”

At Manager Park’s words, Gi Tae scanned the rest of Yeo Reum’s paintings.

It was different from most of her early paintings that focused on capturing everyone’s attention with contrasts of colorful tones.

Gi Tae, who had been looking at them with satisfaction, stopped walking after seeing the last painting.

The smile that had been on his face disappeared in an instant.