An exceptionally clear blue Saturday. A happy weekend.

Ji Wan had been standing at the entrance from quite early.

Hair styled using all the little tricks learned while living there.

A casual yet lovely coordination utilizing new jeans and a cardigan.

The luxury shoulder bag only used on important days. Even pumps with quite a high heel.

From head to toe the very image of a date look, Ji Wan’s face was visibly tense to anyone who saw.

“Are you ready?”

Tae Sung, who came out of the bedroom a little later than her, asked casually.

Though he hadn’t strayed from his usual shirts and slacks, somehow he looked even more dapper today, enough to make the day’s schedule feel real.

“I’ve been ready for a while. As if I’m doing anything special…”

Feeling embarrassed, Ji Wan gave a deliberately contrary answer.

Hearing this, Tae Sung just chuckled, and Ji Wan suddenly fixed him with a determined gaze and firmly told him:

“Let me make this crystal clear – today I’m just entertaining Joo Tae Sung for the whole day. Like repaying a debt to someone I owe.”

“Why say it so long-windedly? Just call it a date.”

“It’s not a date, that’s why. You can call it whatever you want, but for me it’s absolutely not. Make sure you understand that.”

“For something that’s not a date, you sure dressed up prettily.”

“That’s just because I don’t want to look shabby by myself like last time at the department store. Anyway, it’s not a date.”

The reason for emphasizing this several times was because she didn’t want to leave any room for Tae Sung.

She was already anxious about the divorce being postponed again and again, and in this situation, a date?

This was clearly crossing a line, unrelated to the contract.

She had wanted to refuse, but the Do Hwa Young incident had given too big an excuse, and the interview she had to conduct with Tae Sung tied her hands.

In the end, she reluctantly made this date appointment.

“Shall we go then?”

Tae Sung, pocketing his car keys, gave a relaxed eye-smile.

As he approached the entrance, she could smell a heavy woody scent that she hadn’t noticed before.

Ji Wan quickly opened the front door as soon as she felt the distance between them closing.

“Ah, I’m tired. So tired. I’m not even in sales, yet here I am entertaining on the weekend.”

The unnecessarily added comment, contrary to her intention, only revealed her extremely nervous inner feelings.

“I regret that you see it as entertaining. Then try harder to pretend you’re enjoying yourself.”

A smile deepened on Tae Sung’s lips as he lightly retorted.

Her trying to resist while already being shaken never failed to amuse him.

Perhaps because she was a partner with whom boredom could never be found, even this embarrassing act called a date was something to look forward to.

* * *

A horse riding park in the outskirts of Seoul with beautiful green landscaping.

“Wow, that one looks just like a horse a prince would ride!”

Ji Wan, who had arrived here following Tae Sung, exclaimed in admiration.

Her sparkling eyes were directed at the passing horses.

Tae Sung, watching her, casually asked:

“Do you like horses?”

Ji Wan answered immediately, as if no further thought was needed.

“I love them! Ever since I was little, my dream was to have a horse.”

“Really? Then what about horseback riding?”

“I’ve never tried horseback riding though?”

“Never even once?”

“No, not even once.”

Hearing her answer, Tae Sung’s eyes narrowed.

Seeing his inscrutable gaze, Ji Wan tilted her head and asked:

“Why? Do you know how to ride horses?”

“Well, I’ve been learning since I was young.”

“That’s quite an aristocratic hobby. So Tae Sung is from a really good family, huh?”

Hearing Ji Wan’s playful joke, a smile escaped through Tae Sung’s lips.

Seeing his attitude of not particularly denying it, Ji Wan secretly let out a sound of admiration.

“Want to try riding? They say we can experience it.”

“But I’m wearing heels? And my pants are a bit tight.”

“We can rent riding clothes.”

“There are special clothes for horseback riding?”

“Ah, you don’t even know that part?”

“Tch, I can not know. Come to think of it, I think I did see athletes wearing different clothes…”

While Ji Wan, who knew nothing about horseback riding, was muttering, Tae Sung’s eyes never strayed from her.

His gaze was more blatantly intense than usual, as if trying to see through something.

Ji Wan glanced at him with a strange look.

“You keep looking at me like that. Is it your first time seeing someone who’s never ridden a horse?”

“What’s my gaze like?”

“You’re examining me closely. With a very thoughtful expression.”

As if just now realizing his own expression, Tae Sung flashed a smile.

“I always have a lot of thoughts. How to please my wife, how to make my wife satisfied.”

While it’s definitely not that…

He was the best in the world at making meaningful comments, as always.

Ji Wan countered with a light snort, trying not to be swayed by him.

“Come on, saying things you don’t mean.”

“You’ll definitely like it. If I know you.”

I don’t know what kind of Lee Ji Wan he knows.

Even if this man hadn’t lost his memory, he probably wouldn’t know her properly.

But one thing is clear, whatever he may have guessed…

“Aaaaahhhh…”

He couldn’t have anticipated such a terrifying situation.

That was an unexpected development even for Ji Wan, who was sitting on the horse with her face turned pale.

“It’s too, too big…! Aaaahhhh…”

“Your body is too tense. That makes the horse uncomfortable too. Relax.”

“I’m trying to relax… Aaaahhhh…”

Ji Wan certainly loved horses.

But looking from afar and actually riding were very different matters.

Even with an instructor assisting her from the side, Ji Wan couldn’t keep her wits about her on the relentlessly shaking horse.

Come to think of it, she couldn’t even ride scary amusement park rides well, what was she thinking trying to sit on a live animal?

“Now, take a deep breath. Relax your body…”

“Hoo. Hoo. Hoo.”

“That’s not a deep breath. You need to exhale slowly.”

While Ji Wan was struggling with the horse, Tae Sung, who had personally chosen his own horse, slowly revealed himself inside the riding arena.

His relaxed grip on the reins made him look like someone who had been learning horseback riding for many years.

Seeing him, Ji Wan requested SOS in a trembling voice.

“H-h-hey… J-Joo Tae Sung…”

Though she usually believed adults should speak clearly and articulately, Ji Wan simply couldn’t call out to him properly.

Hearing Ji Wan’s terrified voice, Tae Sung looked at her approaching his direction.

Her uncontrollably shaking eyes had completely lost their usual confident spirit.

Tae Sung, who had been watching those eyes with interest, gave a gentle eye-smile.

“You look extremely clumsy.”

“I-I told you it’s my first time… But do horses usually walk this fast…?”

“To my eyes, it looks like the speed of a foal that’s just learned to walk.”

“Haa… Don’t mock me. I want to scream at the top of my lungs right now, but I’m holding back because I’m afraid the horse will go berserk.”

Seeing that Ji Wan’s eyes were no longer sparkling as she said this, it seems her curiosity about horses had disappeared without a trace.

Tae Sung, who had been examining her with a deep gaze, let out a faint laugh.

Then, with a refreshed expression, he asked Ji Wan:

“Are you that scared?”

“Yes… I’m scared…”

“Want me to help you get down?”

“No… I’m too scared to get down so I’m just going round and round until I get used to it…”

“You’re more timid than I thought.”

Tae Sung, who had given what sounded like a harsh answer to Ji Wan, gestured to the instructor that he could step back for a moment.

The instructor, who had noticed early on that Tae Sung was experienced in horseback riding, removed his hands from Ji Wan, whom he had been holding tightly.

“Ah! No…!”

Feeling that she was now riding the horse all alone, Ji Wan let out a single scream she had been holding back.

Her body immediately stiffened, making the horse’s gait unstable.

As even the instructor watched her with worried eyes at that moment.

“I’m here.”

Along with the low voice, a warm sensation reached her.

The large warmth enveloping her small hand intertwined firmly, as much as she was stiff.

Ji Wan lowered her shaking eyes.

Even before she could see Tae Sung’s hand gripping her tightly, Tae Sung’s pitch-black eyes looking at her filled her vision.

“When you’re afraid to look ahead, it’s also a way to rely on the person next to you.”

“…”

“At least you can shake off the burden of having to handle everything alone.”

The corners of Tae Sung’s eyes curved into a round arc.

It was always a smile that made her doubt his intentions, but this time it seemed to gradually calm her anxious heart.

Ji Wan stared at him blankly for a moment, then quickly turned her head forward, conscious of their gazes meeting for too long.

She could see the ground far from her feet and the large back of the horse’s head again.

The scene before her eyes was the same, but it wasn’t as frightening as before.

She could vaguely understand the reason, but Ji Wan deliberately chose not to think deeply about it.

Otherwise, their clasped hands and the owner of those hands would become more distracting than the horse.

* * *

After the eventful first horseback riding experience of her life.

Ji Wan, who had changed back into her own clothes, got into the passenger seat of Tae Sung’s car.

Tae Sung, who only got into the driver’s seat after closing her car door, turned on the navigation and asked:

“How was horseback riding? Think you’ll grow to like it?”

Judging by the corners of his mouth lifting mischievously, he seemed to already know the answer.

Ji Wan, whose shoulders had stiffened from being so tense, glanced at Tae Sung and answered:

“How could I grow to like it? From now on, I’ll just admire horses from afar. Riding them is a different matter.”

“Then let’s confirm horseback riding isn’t your thing at all… How about pottery?”

Another question followed.

Ji Wan, who had never tried pottery either, said firmly:

“I’m bad at everything done with hands. In elementary school, I failed at making a pouch in home economics class and ended up not being able to submit it.”

“Are you sure? That you’re not good with your hands?”

“I’m telling you. Want to see the knitted bag I made when it was trendy on the internet?”

Ji Wan took out her phone and scrolled through her photo gallery.

The photo she soon showed was something that was indeed made of knitting yarn, but of indistinct shape.

“…A lump?”

“I told you just now it’s a knitted bag. Anyway, you’re really mean.”

Ji Wan, pouting as she put her phone away, added emphatically once more:

“So if you’re planning to make me try pottery after horseback riding, you’d better change your plans. Unfamiliar weekend experiences are too hard on an office worker who’s been struggling all week.”

Tae Sung seemed to ponder briefly before answering, then came out with a few more questions:

“What’s your favorite flower?”

“Dandelion.”

“Favorite song? A foreign one.”

“I don’t know foreign songs well… Ah. ‘I Will Survive’? You know, the ‘I’m okay’ one.”

“Favorite breakfast.”

“I told you I don’t eat breakfast?”

“If you had to say.”

“If I really had to eat before going, I’d eat what I thought about before going to bed the night before. Like intestines or sushi or sometimes tteokbokki!”

Tae Sung, who had been interrogating her for unknown reasons, nodded slowly.

Judging by his expression, which was not light compared to the content of the questions, it wasn’t a sign of agreement.

Ji Wan, examining him, asked casually:

“Why? Is there a problem?”

Tae Sung, seemingly conscious of his serious expression, put on a deliberate smile and answered:

“No. It’s not that. You don’t like wine either, right?”

“It’s not about liking or disliking, I just don’t know much about it.”

“Then recommend a restaurant you like. This time let’s go somewhere you really want.”

As the choice came to her, Ji Wan rolled her eyes as if pondering for a moment. Then she entered an address that had just occurred to her into the navigation.

“Where is that?”

Tae Sung asked, checking the quite long distance to the destination.

This time, an innocent smile played around Ji Wan’s eyes.

“Since you’re always being mysterious, I’ll keep it a secret too. Let’s just go!”