After the typhoon passed, the sky cleared up as if nothing had happened. Cicadas were chirping between the trees lined up in the garden, and the sky was deep blue as if all the clouds had been poured out.

“It’s done.”

Ha Yeon smiled softly as she finished a painting. While painting was difficult and didn’t go as planned, once completed, she forgot all the challenging processes.

“Ah, I’ll be late. I need to hurry.”

Ha Yeon rushed out of the house, remembering her appointment with Yu Jin.

After eating a delicious lunch and moving to a cafe, Ha Yeon told Yu Jin that she had been selected to exhibit at KIAF.

“What? Really?”

As Yu Jin raised her voice in surprise, people around them murmured. Since this situation repeated every time they met, Ha Yeon smoothly smiled and gave apologetic looks to the people.

“Just getting in there is an incredible achievement for your resume.”

Yu Jin marveled with a face tinged with envy.

“That’s right. So these days I’m immersed in working on paintings.”

Ha Yeon smiled sheepishly. Although Min Je said he was giving her an opportunity based on her talent, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being a parachute appointment.

Quickly noticing what Ha Yeon was thinking, Yu Jin hit her shoulder once and scolded her.

“Everyone’s desperate for opportunities they can’t get, but you have qualms even when one rolls in! Be more brazen, I say. Put some strength in your neck and say, ‘This is who I am.'”

As Yu Jin even demonstrated the pose of showing off, Ha Yeon couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Yu Jin would often say gray-zone things like you need proper compromise and proper bowing to succeed.

Yu Jin sipped her coffee through a straw and carefully examined Ha Yeon’s face before casually asking.

“So… are you making good progress?”

Huh? What progress? Ha Yeon was about to ask back without thinking, but then remembered Yu Jin telling her to just knock him down first, and she flinched.

“I mean the basement storage room. This sister did that on purpose.”

“I wondered if it was true, and it really was?”

Ha Yeon laughed in disbelief. Regardless, Yu Jin held her head high with a proud expression.

“Be honest. Was it helpful or not?”

Does she know everything and is asking like this? Ha Yeon involuntarily remembered sharing her first kiss with Min Je in the storage room and cleared her throat.

Yu Jin stared intently at Ha Yeon’s reddening cheeks and laughed heartily, hitting the table and saying she knew it would be like this.

“This sister will take responsibility for what she started until the end, so let’s go.”

“Huh? Where?”

When Ha Yeon looked at Yu Jin with a suspicious expression, she grinned and said.

“You’ll know when we get there.”

It was a smile that somehow gave an ominous feeling.

*

As expected, the place Yu Jin took her to was a lingerie store.

“Why did we come here?”

Ha Yeon protested quietly, moving her lips like a ventriloquist while watching the staff.

“Why did we come? A woman should always be thoroughly prepared for any situation.”

Yu Jin rummaged through the underwear as if she felt no embarrassment at all. Ha Yeon fidgeted, feeling her face flush for no reason.

“How about this? This is pretty too?”

Yu Jin pulled out a few hanging pieces of lingerie and held them up to Ha Yeon. Almost all the underwear she chose was so racy it made one’s mouth water.

“How can I wear this!”

Ha Yeon screamed when she saw panties that had nothing in the back, as if there wasn’t enough fabric. But Yu Jin completely ignored Ha Yeon’s words and mumbled thoughtfully.

“It’s hard to choose without knowing Director Kang Min Je’s taste.”

Why is Director Kang Min Je’s taste in women’s underwear coming up here! Ha Yeon couldn’t bring herself to shout that out loud and just made a groaning sound.

“There will definitely come a day when you’ll thank this sister. So for now, could you please shut your mouth and leave it to me?”

Yu Jin scolded Ha Yeon with a cold gaze as if lecturing her. Who would have known she’d be reprimanded like this in a lingerie store?

Even as Ha Yeon let out a long sigh, Yu Jin paid no attention and teamed up with the staff to buy two sets of lingerie as gifts, saying they were the latest trendy items. And they were even push-up bras that claimed to lift everything up to the soul.

Has even underwear joined the ranks of scams now? Ha Yeon let out a brief lament, but the fact that her ears perked up at the mention of lifting sizes showed that it must be because of people like her that business was doing well.

Ji Hoo, who had returned from kindergarten, took out a notice with a slightly flushed expression and handed it to Ha Yeon.

“Huh? The kindergarten is having a two-day camp?”

Ha Yeon’s eyes widened as she alternately looked at the notice and Ji Hoo’s face.

“Not everyone is going, only the 6-7 year old class. Just the older kids.”

Ji Hoo said with his eyes shining with anticipation. The notice stated that they hold a two-day camp every year after summer vacation to foster children’s independence, social development, and friendship.

“Do you want to go, Ji Hoo?”

Seeing his sparkling eyes, the answer was obviously that he wanted to go, but Ha Yeon still asked for the child’s thoughts just in case.

“Of course!”

Ji Hoo answered vigorously. Ji Hoo added that the kindergarten was already noisy, as if sleeping with peers without mom and dad was like an adventure for children this age.

“Alright, dad will allow it too.”

Ha Yeon said that and patted Ji Hoo’s head.

That evening, Min Je, who returned home in time for Ji Hoo’s bedtime, chuckled at the sight of Ji Hoo who had no intention of sleeping despite it being bedtime.

“At camp, we’ll play in the water, watch a magic show, do crafts…”

Ji Hoo kept chattering about the camp schedule he had heard from the teacher.

“It’s next week, right?”

Anyone who saw would think he was going to camp tomorrow.

“That’s right, I wish next week would come quickly.”

The sight of Ji Hoo kicking his feet under the blanket involuntarily brought a smile to his face as it showed no signs of gloom.

“Well, you have to sleep soon for time to pass quickly.”

“Ah, I see.”

Seeing Ji Hoo forcibly squeeze his eyes shut, Min Je chuckled and stroked the child’s forehead. Then his eyes met Ha Yeon’s sitting across from him.

Seeing Ha Yeon flinch as soon as their eyes met, Min Je tilted his head for a moment.

What’s this? What kind of unspeakable worry is she having again to make that expression? Min Je’s eyes narrowed.

At that moment, Ha Yeon’s mind was very noisy with worries that started from Ji Hoo’s camp. Ji Hoo being away from home meant that she and Min Je would be left alone in this house!

It was something she could have just brushed off, but because of the racy underwear Yu Jin had gifted her earlier floating around in her head, her face flushed hot for no reason.

Shoo! Begone, lewd demon! Ha Yeon performed an exorcism in her mind while waiting for Ji Hoo to fall asleep.

As soon as they came out of the room after putting Ji Hoo to sleep, Min Je grabbed Ha Yeon’s wrist, turned her around, and asked.

“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

Wow, look how unnecessarily sharp he is. Ha Yeon shook her head while avoiding his eyes.

“No, there’s nothing like that.”

“Hmm, really?”

From his flat tone, it seemed like he would just let it go. So she let her guard down, but then her face was caught. To be precise, both her cheeks were pressed firmly in his hands.

“You know, I have a bit of a persistent side. I won’t let go until you tell me?”

As he pressed her cheeks, seemingly about to torture her, he suddenly loosened his grip and came close enough that their lips almost touched.

Ha Yeon inhaled sharply and unconsciously took a step back. Then Min Je closed even that gap and stepped forward.

As if he was about to devour her lips at any moment, Min Je slightly lifted Ha Yeon’s chin and met her gaze.

“If you don’t tell me, I won’t kiss you?”

Min Je said intentionally brushing her nose bridge with a slightly wicked smile on the corner of his lips.

Wow, what kind of novel torture is this? Ha Yeon let out an exasperated breath.

It was something she could have just ignored and turned away from, but the problem was that it wasn’t easy. Contrary to her thoughts, her body, having imagined kissing him, was thoroughly aroused. She was seized by the feeling that she would die if she didn’t kiss him right now.

Sensing Ha Yeon wavering rapidly, Min Je very lightly bit and released her lower lip teasingly.

“What are you doing right now?”

Ha Yeon protested while unknowingly exhaling hot breaths, but soon realized she was fighting a battle she couldn’t win.

Damn, is there anyone in this world who could resist such temptation? No, is there even anyone who would offer such insane temptation in the first place?

Ha Yeon cleared her throat once and then surrendered obediently.

“Alright, I’ll tell you.”

Min Je smiled softly and moved back a little.

Shaking Ha Yeon like this was perhaps more damaging to him. Nevertheless, he couldn’t give up touching her.

It seemed petty to try to satisfy his personal desires in this way, but Min Je decided not to think too deeply about it. After all, thinking deeply would only lead to self-loathing anyway.

Rolling her eyes once, Ha Yeon said, seemingly embarrassed and unable to meet his gaze.

“When Ji Hoo goes to camp…”

As the camp story came up, Min Je deflated slightly. What on earth was I expecting? Min Je let out a sigh, but then his ears perked up at Ha Yeon’s next words.

“We’ll be left alone in the house.”

“That’s, right.”

Min Je forcibly pushed down the corners of his mouth that were trying to rise on their own. Oh, I almost missed such a beneficial fact!

As the words about being left alone in the house caused tremendous ripples in each of their minds, leading to risque imaginations, a moment of silence fell between them.

Unable to bear the heavy silence, Ha Yeon spoke as if making an excuse.

“Ahem, just, that’s all.”

Min Je was not one to let Ha Yeon slip away so vaguely like a snake sliding over a wall.

“It’s a rare day, what should we do?”

Min Je’s eyes were lowered seductively, causing Ha Yeon to unconsciously swallow hard.

“Th-that’s right, wh-what should we do?”

Ha Yeon blinked rapidly to drive away the image of racy underwear floating in her head again.

Seeing Ha Yeon’s face full of tension, Min Je covered his mouth slightly, feeling troubled. It was something he just realized, but this was like an intimate conversation between a married couple.

The important thing was that the more they talked about it, the more they looked forward to that day. It wasn’t just Ji Hoo waiting for camp day, but Min Je and Ha Yeon were also looking forward to that day.

The difference was that while Ji Hoo’s anticipation was very pure and untainted, Min Je and Ha Yeon’s anticipation was an impure one filled with red-hot imagination.

“So, when exactly is the camp day?”

Min Je suddenly became curious about the exact date.