At the age of ten, Kim Taejun mostly discarded toys in front of Soeun’s house. Seven-year-old Soeun played well with the trash-like objects. It seemed like she believed they were gifts from Taejun.

Taejun, displeased with the sight, often deliberately broke the toys that Soeun played with. Soeun used to cry and wail in front of him, but eventually, she started fixing them herself. Observing a seven-year-old, who couldn’t speak properly and had poor motor skills, accurately understanding how toys moved and figuring out how to make them move again, Taejun was genuinely surprised. A seven-year-old.

If her grandfather had discovered this talent early on, he might have offered to cover her tuition throughout her growth. Of course, if it had been a long time ago. But now the story is different. The girl’s father killed my parents. Han Soeun is just the daughter of a murderer.

When will you learn that fact?

“You can become someone who fixes toys later on.”

Watching useless toys regain their utility through Soeun’s hands, Taejun grumbled. Soeun smiled innocently and replied.

“Yeah! I’m good at this. I’ll fix yours too, Oppa. Just bring them to me.”

“When will you realize that you’re a useless person?”

Somehow, his eyes welled up as he quietly observed. He remembered his dad meticulously fixing the cellphone he had intentionally broken. Overwhelmed with emotion, Taejun grabbed Soeun as tightly as he could and left.

Soeun, who had taken a hit, stumbled and fell, but she quickly got up, stroked her head, and sat back in front of the toys. Taejun watched from a distance.

A peaceful morning welcomed in Soeun’s one-room.

Chiiiyuk. Taejun, awakened by the sound of the rice cooker starting, burst into laughter as soon as he opened his eyes. Soeun, flustered by the noise of the rice cooker, rolled her eyes helplessly in front of it.

“Do you think the rice will cook better if you do that?”

“No, no. I just wanted to prepare breakfast without waking you up, sir.”

I also wanted to show you the magic of breakfast being prepared as soon as you woke up.

It was the desire to give as much as received, but in this small one-room, it was an impossible feat. Soeun, who became sullen, sighed and reached out to open the refrigerator door. The cold air inside the fridge cooled her flushed face.

Taejun, who had stood up from his seat without her noticing, grabbed the refrigerator door from behind. The warm body temperature contrasting with the cold air surrounded her like a giant mountain.

“What are you doing?”

“Do you like kimchi stew?”

She reflexively tensed as he held her like this, as he never left her alone.
“I really like it.”

However, after a sluggish response, Taejun immediately released his arms. Contrary to the healthy reaction, Soeun hesitated and faltered.

Even the sight of Taejun, standing a foot away, was enchanting. After throwing off the laughter last night, he discarded his underwear, and his bare body, which bounced sunlight through the window, skillfully reflected it. The deep muscles on his straight back, moving slightly with each motion, formed a beautiful symmetry. Although she didn’t want to show any conscious behavior, she kept glancing like a thief, captivated by the attractive body that shamelessly drew attention.

She couldn’t understand his stubborn insistence on hugging her tightly and not letting her move, but seeing such a splendid sight made her more lenient about last night’s frustration.

‘Ah, I should really reveal everything.’

Soeun quickly averted her gaze when Taejun turned his head to face her. Taejun, with a smile, teased her.

“Just look at me openly.”

Even though she tried to hide it, Taejun’s eyes clearly saw what Soeun was thinking.

“No. Well, what am I, oh.”

Soeun detached herself with a flushed face.

“What does it matter? Treat me comfortably as Han Soeun.”

Is it really mine? Is it really so?

The words were so beautifully spoken that an unavoidable excitement came over him. Soeun swallowed her saliva and, after a moment, asked seriously.

“How much exercise do you do to get like that?”

“Not much.”

“How many hours a day?”

“About 15 minutes? No, 10 minutes?”

“What exercise do you do?”

“Pull-ups.”

Ah, so you get like that by doing pull-ups for 10 minutes. I didn’t know because I can do it in 0.1 seconds. Soeun thought she couldn’t possibly keep up with him.

Taejun got up feeling refreshed. It had been a long time since he had slept through the night in an unfamiliar place. No, it felt like the first time. In a narrow bed, and to sleep so comfortably, even holding a woman so tightly, it was the first time. He thought he should really bring Han Soeun home, or maybe suggest living together.

“Hurry up and come out. I’ll prepare quickly.”

“If you treat me so well, I might settle down here.”

Phhh. It was a sincere reply, and Soeun burst into laughter. As if to say it’s ridiculous, can you really live here?

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes. Let’s each pay half the rent.”

“Yeah, that’s how it should be. Let’s not bother with calculations.”