She, who had thoroughly wiped away the shadows on her face, smiled at Gaeul with her usual smile and whispered affectionately.

“So, I would be really happy if someone like Gaeul became our daughter-in-law.”

‘Doesn’t she understand a bit, even if she knows that I’m dating the CEO?’

Gaeul, who had planned to focus on drawing all day, couldn’t draw at all. Losing concentration to Mijeong’s words that kept haunting her mind, she eventually started rinsing her brush.

Rrrr……. Rrrr…….

At that moment, her phone rang.

Gaeul wiped off the water with a towel and picked up her phone.
Upon checking the caller ID, Gaeul realized it was a call from Jua. She answered the phone and simultaneously opened the studio door to step out.

“Hello…….?”

“Ugh, Gaeul…….?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m so sad. Hnng.”

Jua spoke, mixing her words with tears, making it hard to understand if something sad had happened.

Gaeul asked as gently as possible, “Jua, are you okay?”

“Huk, sniff.”

“Why? What happened?”

“That… Unni saw me, and she… huk.”

Although Jua spoke earnestly, her words were difficult to comprehend, blended with tears.

Seeing that comforting Jua over the phone wasn’t working, Gaeul eventually asked, “Where are you now?”

Gaeul, in a distracted state, put on the same stained work clothes she had been wearing for painting and quickly hailed a taxi to Jua’s house.

Meanwhile, she sent a message asking Jua not to ring the doorbell today but to leave a message when she arrived.

Arriving at Jua’s house, Gaeul waited and soon sent a message that she was there.

Shortly after, the front door opened without a doorbell ring.

Gaeul, who had been worried about Jua, asked her, “Jua, are you o……”

“Ssh!”

“……?”

Suddenly, Jua stopped her with her index finger in front of her mouth. Then, she took Gaeul to her room.

After closing the door silently, Jua finally opened her mouth as usual.

“Ah, I’m really annoyed!”

“Why? What happened?”

While Gaeul was comforting Jua, who seemed to have stopped crying during Gaeul’s arrival, she was now expressing irritation rather than tears.

Gently asking Jua as if trying to soothe her, Gaeul raised an eyebrow at her when she suddenly stared at something beyond the room.

Jua, with her lips slightly protruding, spoke, “Hey, did Unni say anything to me?”

“What did she say?”

“She keeps saying that since I’m always at home, I can’t get a job or earn a living, criticizing the major I chose. Ah, it’s so annoying.”

In response to her words, Gaeul pursed her lips, unable to say anything.

Jua’s sister was an elite. She graduated from a prestigious university, received a fairly high salary from the beginning, and worked for the company. Therefore, she had pride in her sister.

“No. Mom and Dad are okay with it. Why is she making a fuss? It’s not like I’ve been sitting in a corner since graduating. It hasn’t even been a year!”

“It must have been tough, Jua. But who’s at home? Why are you whispering so quietly?”

Gaeul, who was trying to console Jua, suddenly asked her with curiosity. As if she was still whispering, Jua replied.

“Ah. My sister is still at home.”

“Ah…….”

As if to confirm Jua’s words, the voice of Jua’s sister could be heard from outside the room.

“Baek Jua!”

“……. ”

Ignoring her sister’s call, Jua gestured to Gaeul as if asking her to keep quiet and once again placed her index finger on her lips.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“……. ”

“Are you sleeping? Ugh, fine, just go to sleep. I’m leaving.”

After waiting for a moment, the sound of the front door closing with a firm thud was heard.
When my sister left, Jua finally opened her mouth as usual.

“Really annoying. She starts a fight and upsets me, and then she calls again.”

With her sister gone, Jua’s mouth moved hastily.

She mentioned how her major wasn’t without vision but asserted her pride to Gaeul and Dojin. According to her, friends told her that she’s the only one struggling here when they’re doing well.

Gaeul patted Jua’s shoulder in comfort.

Then suddenly, Jua stood up and shouted loudly.

“It won’t do. I need a different change of mood!”

“A change of mood?”

In response to Gaeul’s question, Jua nodded vigorously.

Then, wiping away her gloomy expression, she spoke with enthusiasm.

“Let’s go drink!”

“Uh… okay.”

“Dress up nicely and let’s go to Gangnam.”

“What?”

Thinking that Jua would suggest going to the usual barbecue place for a drink, Gaeul was surprised and asked again.

Even with a determined expression, Jua opened the door with determination.

“Aren’t we going to the usual barbecue place?”

“Yeah. I need to do something different today.”

“…”

“Isn’t it Friday, the day to go out? Even though my little sister’s mood got really dirty.”

Jua opened her sister’s door. Then she smiled and said.

“Let’s borrow my sister’s clothes and go have fun at a Gangnam bar!”