Yoon Seo Ha’s car stopped in front of a villa after a long drive.

She had started at sunset, but it had quickly turned pitch black.

“It’s a perfect place for a secret rendezvous.”

As she stepped out of the car, the cool breeze from the forest tickled her cheeks.

Only the faint chirping of insects could be heard in the distance.

Apart from the illuminated villa, there was nothing else around.

It was so quiet, as if she was the only one in this vast place.

“Where on earth is this?”

Even after living as a daughter-in-law in the Hojin family for 5 years, she had never heard of this villa.

As she was looking around, she was suddenly startled by a presence behind her.

“You scared me! When did you get here?”

“Just now. Why are you so surprised?”

“Well… Because Jae Ha suddenly approached.”

Having parked his car, Jae Ha was looking at her with a puzzled expression.

Remembering her intense shock, she felt embarrassed and tried to change the subject.

“By the way, when did you get a villa here?”

“Oh, this is personally mine. To be precise, it used to be my mother’s.”

“So it’s not a Hojin Group property, that’s why I didn’t know.”

He stared intently at her face in the darkness.

Feeling embarrassed by his intense gaze, she turned her head, and Jae Ha took her hand.

“It may look empty because it’s in the mountains, but it’s quite spacious. Everything you’d need is here.”

“…”

“Let’s talk more inside. Come in.”

Jae Ha was right when he said everything was there. The inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside.

It seemed Jae Ha had arranged dinner in advance as there was food set out on the table.

After having a late dinner, they went out to the garden.

Initially, when Jae Ha suggested going outside, she thought they might take a stroll.

But as they walked along the garden behind the yard, a small camping site with prepared camping equipment appeared.

A campfire illuminated the dark garden, with a table and two camping chairs beside it.

The table had everything from drinks to wine, seemingly prepared in advance by someone.

Looking around, Jae Ha asked her.

“How is it? Want to sit here?”

Eventually, she sat down with Jae Ha.

Perhaps it was the quiet and solemn atmosphere suggesting a serious conversation was due.

Being comfortably seated in a camping chair felt strangely uncomfortable.

Right in front of them, the campfire crackled, its sparks the only sound.

It was the first time being alone with Jae Ha felt this awkward.

‘Should I start a conversation?’

Things like what his plans were after this vacation and so on.

In fact, there were many things she wanted to ask him.

But among the countless questions that came to her mind, what she really wanted to ask wasn’t among them.

What he wanted to tell her that night.

Whether what he said in the interview video about having someone he liked was true.

If it was true, then what were the emotions he showed her?

As these thoughts continued, the dinner she had eaten felt heavy, and she took a sip of wine.

It’s suffocating.

She was the type to ask out of curiosity, but she hesitated, afraid of the answer she might hear.

Stealing a glance at Jae Ha sitting beside her, their eyes met as he drank wine.

Feeling guilty as if she had been caught thinking something bad, she asked him.

“When did you prepare all this?”

Did he already know about her impending demotion?

Otherwise, it seemed impossible to prepare all this in advance.
“I heard Ms. Yeo Jin is on vacation, so I immediately asked the caretaker.”

“That’s not a vacation; it’s a disciplinary action. She’s suspended for a week.”

“It’s all the same. The mechanism of taking a break from work is identical.”

‘How are they the same?’

Jae Ha spoke with a brazen expression, eliciting a resigned smile from the listener.

She averted her gaze from him and looked up at the darkening night sky.

The night deepened, and the stars scattered across the sky seemed ready to tumble down.

“I didn’t know you could still see so many stars these days.”

The usual view was the city lights illuminating the dark blue sky.

The unfamiliar night sky felt like a completely different world from the one she lived in.

Following her murmuring voice, Jae Ha leaned his head back against the chair.

Then, as if agreeing with her, he nodded slowly.

“It’s hard to see a view like this in Seoul. It’s because this place is in a mountain valley.”

“That’s right. I was initially flustered when I came down here randomly. But being here feels healing.”

Despite being summer, the mountains provided a refreshing atmosphere.

Closing her eyes, she heard the sound of the wind rustling through the surrounding forest.

“I’m glad you like it. But always let me know where you’re going.”

Just as she was about to immerse herself in meditation, Jae Ha’s soft voice interrupted.

“Especially be careful when meeting Ms. Oh and Mr. Seo Ji Han.”

When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw Jae Ha, who was looking at her slantingly.

He was looking at her like a child peeking out over the water’s edge.