Kwon Yool could tell exactly what was happening just by hearing Yeon Hee’s breathing.

Clearly, Seok Gu and Mrs. Kim had come unannounced even though they knew he wasn’t home.

Kwon Yool, feeling even more sorry for the already apologetic Yeon Hee, spoke.

“Mom, it looks like it will take about an hour. Is that okay?”

It would take at least an hour to drop off Seo Yeon at her home.

“Yool, what good does it do to be sorry?”

Yeon Hee was uneasy at the thought that she had disrupted her son’s long-awaited rest.

Kwon Yool couldn’t stand the situation. He felt awful for making Yeon Hee uncomfortable with his overbearing presence.

He was torn at the thought that, yet again today, his mother’s shoulders must have been tense because of him.

“Mom, just go pick up Sang Hyun from his academy for a bit and step out.”

It was something she couldn’t handle on her own.

Seok Gu was quite lenient when it came to matters related to his grandchildren’s studies.

“Alright. Drive carefully back home. Don’t rush.”

“Yes. Go pick up Sang Hyun quickly.”

Kwon Yool hung up the phone only after hearing Yeon Hee’s affirmative reply.

Seo Yeon, who had been observing, cautiously asked,

“Should we stop here?”

He felt sorry for Seo Yeon in that moment.

As their sweet date ended on a bitter note, Kwon Yool hugged Seo Yeon’s shoulders tighter.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go.”

Seo Yeon looked up at Kwon Yool, her face deep in thought.

But she didn’t ask anything.

She always gave him time to think and an opportunity to speak.

That was something Kwon Yool was really grateful for.

“Is it okay?”

“…No.”

He wanted to be honest.

If they were going to share a future, Seo Yeon needed to know.

“My grandfather is home. My mom is alone.”

Seo Yeon simply nodded and fell silent again.

It seemed like a signal that it was fine to continue or to stop.

“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. My grandfather is diligent but intense like a blazing fire.”

Seo Yeon’s sparkling finger from the couple ring touched the back of Kwon Yool’s hand.

“My mom is like a cosmos flower, and she struggles with that.”

Seo Yeon slipped a finger glove onto Kwon Yool’s hand.

“Go. Hurry and be by her side.”

Even without going into detail, Seo Yeon seemed to understand everything.

Kwon Yool was immensely grateful for her words, feeling emotions surge deep within him.

“Thank you for understanding.”

She didn’t add anything else. She simply laid another hand on top of the glove.

The small hand that couldn’t entirely cover the back of his hand was so warm.

It felt as though a thick blanket had wrapped around his heart.

They left the hotel and headed towards Seo Yeon’s home.

Throughout the trip, Seo Yeon only talked about the event, avoiding any uncomfortable questions.

Kwon Yool was thankful but also felt sorry.

If he were to propose marriage to Seo Yeon, he could well imagine how his grandfather would react.

“Would he do the same to Seo Yeon… as he did to Mom?”

The mere thought made one side of his chest cold, and he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Under no circumstances, no matter what happened, could he ever allow that.

Even if it was a precious family member, if they hurt Seo Yeon, that was something he couldn’t tolerate.

“I think Grandfather and that girl have been meeting more than just once or twice.”

He suddenly remembered what Su Hee had said.

With that, he decided to clarify the relationship between Seok Gu and Bo Ra this time around.

What reason could they possibly have for meeting so often?

Moreover, what lay behind Bo Ra’s strange behavior when she encountered Seo Yeon at school?

As he pondered all these things, he realized they had already arrived in front of Seo Yeon’s house.

“Yool, you should go.”
The seatbelt of Seo Yeon was unbuckled with a click, and her soft body leaned closer.

She gently placed her arm on Kwon Yool’s tense shoulder and lightly stroked the back of his head.

“I’ll wait for your call.”

Kwon Yool rubbed his overheated forehead against Seo Yeon’s shoulder and spoke.

“It won’t take long. Please wait for me.”

Seo Yeon smiled broadly and nodded her head.

At that moment, his boiling emotions slightly calmed down, allowing him to breathe again.

Kwon Yool stepped out of the elevator with a heavy heart. The loud scolding reverberated through the public hallway.

A thick vein throbbed menacingly on Kwon Yool’s arm.

In a few strides, he unlocked the door.

Seok Gu didn’t notice his eldest grandson’s arrival as he was too busy shouting at his son and daughter-in-law.

“Don’t delude yourselves into thinking Yool is so brilliant because you raised him well.”

“Ah, then our brilliant eldest grandson must have inherited your intelligence.”

Lady Kim sarcastically joined in.

Seok Gu coughed a couple of times as if to say Lady Kim wasn’t wrong, and continued speaking.

“Did you or did you not discuss specifics with Bora after Yool’s exams?”

Kwon Yool stopped dead in his tracks, confused by what he was hearing.