Da Eun was puzzled. Cha Yu Kwon had blurted out words like “self” and “contraception” as if for Go Young Hoon to hear. Even though it was clearly an act, Da Eun’s heart beat rapidly.

Was Cha Yu Kwon always like this? What was the reason for deliberately provoking someone who could easily be suppressed by force, money, or rank?

“I knew it. You really slept together? Contraception? This isn’t even funny.”

“Please shut your mouth!”

Da Eun yelled at Young Hoon. She could guess what he was thinking. He seemed certain that Yu Kwon was the one who made her buy the pregnancy test.

Da Eun glared at Young Hoon as if trying to protect Yu Kwon, hiding him behind her back. Then she called Ju Ri.

“Hey, come get your baby daddy. He’s here at my house, pathetically clinging on.”

Ju Ri’s shouting could be heard through the phone. Startled by the threat to kill him, Young Hoon quickly ran away.

Da Eun, who had been staring blankly at his retreating figure, messed up her own hair in frustration.

“What should I do, he really seems crazy.”

It was humiliating. To show such a side of herself in front of Yu Kwon, of all people.

“It’s good that you found out now at least.”

At Yu Kwon’s nonchalant words, Da Eun glared at him. Why did he suddenly appear in front of her house to witness this? Da Eun resented Yu Kwon.

“I’m so embarrassed. To think I was going to marry such a guy.”

Yu Kwon looked down at Da Eun intently. Her eyes, which were seething with anger, had turned red. It seemed like tears would fall at any moment, as if she felt wronged and upset.

As he carefully grasped Da Eun’s delicate shoulders, a sound of something falling was heard from behind.

When Yu Kwon turned his head, a middle-aged woman was covering her mouth and staring at the two of them. An apple that must have fallen from the shopping basket in the woman’s hand rolled and touched Yu Kwon’s feet.

The owner of the basket was Geum Suk.

“Mom……!”

Da Eun let out a scream-like sound. Geum Suk approached the two of them, carrying her shopping basket.

“Who……?”

“This person is……”

“Hello, I’m Cha Yu Kwon.”

Yu Kwon greeted first, picked up the apple, and handed it to Geum Suk.

“Oh my.”

Geum Suk openly stared at Yu Kwon.

“Mom, stop looking!”

“No, I’m sure I’ve seen him before.”

Geum Suk pushed aside Da Eun, who was trying to stop her, and stared intently at Yu Kwon. Yu Kwon greeted her again with a painted-on smile.

“It’s been a while, Mother.”

“Ah yes! Right? The young man who carried Da Eun home before.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Carried her home? What was that about?

“I remembered because he was so tall and handsome. I guess you’ve been keeping in touch steadily.”

“Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet her at work as well, and I’ve been receiving a lot of help.”

“Oh my, what a connection, what a connection! But have you had lunch?”

“No.”

“Then let’s eat together at our house.”

“Mom!”

Da Eun shouted in surprise at Geum Suk’s meddling. Taking Yu Kwon home was out of the question.

“Thank you. I’ll gladly accept.”

Da Eun just blinked like a broken robot. She could understand her mom, but Yu Kwon’s behavior made no sense.

Are you really going to come into our house?

Regardless of Da Eun’s bewilderment, Geum Suk and Yu Kwon were already walking away.

.

.

.

For some reason, Geum Suk’s back as she opened the green front gate looked excited. Reminded of when Young Hoon first came to greet the family, Da Eun bit her lower lip hard.

The affectionate Geum Suk couldn’t throw away broken or old things and piled them up like Tetris.

Even if Da Eun or Da Hyun threw things away, she would pick them up intact. Young Hoon had looked displeased, as if he couldn’t understand all the miscellaneous objects.

But Yu Kwon looked at them as if they were interesting. Da Eun awkwardly rubbed her warm nape.

When the large, colorless human stood in the small, colorful house that was the epitome of retro, it didn’t match. It didn’t feel right either.

Da Eun sat Yu Kwon on the sofa and brought him green tea. Then she went back to Geum Suk’s side.

“Mom, what was that story earlier? Did you say Senior Yu Kwon carried me home?”

Da Eun asked casually while helping Geum Suk take out side dishes.

“Remember that night in college when you got so drunk at some general meeting or something?”

Da Eun narrowed her eyes, trying to recall the old memory. She remembered because it was the first time she had been that drunk.

“You asked me to keep it a secret, so I didn’t say anything and forgot about it, but seeing his face suddenly reminded me.”

The thought of being carried home on Cha Yu Kwon’s back while drunk suddenly sent chills down her spine.

“I didn’t make any mistakes then, did I?”

“Isn’t being carried home drunk a mistake in itself?”

“Right, it is a mistake.”

Da Eun’s face turned pale. She couldn’t believe that Yu Kwon, who liked to show off, had asked for it to be kept secret.

“Nothing happened. He just put you down on the sofa and left right away.”

Seeing Da Eun’s serious expression, Geum Suk spoke as if trying to reassure her, then turned her head to look at Yu Kwon and Da Eun alternately before speaking again.

“But his looks are still the same. Still good.”

“……They are good.”

When Da Eun answered lifelessly with a complicated mind, Geum Suk examined her face with eagle eyes.

“Objectively speaking, I mean objectively.”

Feeling flustered, Da Eun opened and closed her mouth before saying as if making an excuse.

“Who said anything?”

Geum Suk nodded towards Yu Kwon. It meant to stay by his side instead of messing things up while trying to help. Da Eun had no choice but to go to his side.

He was looking at Da Eun’s photos hung on the wall like a ladder.

He scanned through the photos in order: one taken at the taekwondo gym when she was young, one of her crying with a missing front tooth, and one from a school trip. Da Eun also moved her gaze following his.

Feeling somehow embarrassed by his fond gaze, Da Eun fidgeted.

“What are you looking at so intently? It’s embarrassing.”

“You’ve only grown physically, Song Da Eun.”

“I haven’t grown much physically either.”

Da Eun cleared her throat and examined Yu Kwon’s expression. He looked somewhat interested.

The situation felt so surreal to Da Eun—he had suddenly appeared and was now in her house, despite being someone who moved strictly according to plan—that she felt as if she were dreaming.

“You seemed cuter back then.”

Yu Kwon smiled as he looked at the photo of Da Eun crying with her front tooth missing.

Da Eun thought she might be completely exposed and drained by Cha Yu Kwon, but on the other hand, she was glad there were at least photos. It was better than sitting silently on the sofa.

After some time had passed, Geum Suk poked her head out from the kitchen and called the two.

“Let’s eat. Da Eun, can you set the chopsticks?”

Da Eun led Yu Kwon to the small kitchen. She sat him in the place where Da Hyun usually sat.

Everything caught her eye and bothered her—the Chinese character idioms written on paper under the table, the faded checkered tablecloth beneath, Geum Suk’s mismatched chopsticks. Things she usually didn’t notice. As if seeing through Yu Kwon’s eyes instead of her own.

“Please, help yourself.”

Unlike Da Eun, who had become overly sensitive, Geum Suk looked at Yu Kwon fondly, as if looking at a potential son-in-law. Just like when Yu Kwon had looked at Da Eun’s childhood photos earlier.

Disliking this warm atmosphere, Da Eun only gulped down cold water.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Oh my, I’m worried I didn’t prepare enough. Hoho.”

Looking at the dishes that were clearly prepared with more care than usual, Da Eun shook her head.

“How can he eat so well? Even the way this handsome young man eats is so pretty.”

Yu Kwon, who had barely eaten at fine dining restaurants saying everything tasted the same anyway, was eating the unsalted food with relish.

“Mom, your phone is ringing.”

Da Eun pointed with her chin at the phone that had been vibrating on the table for a while.

Geum Suk, opening her purple phone cover, narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, Eun Suk. Sweet potatoes? We still have some. Wait, let me check.”

As Geum Suk got up, Da Eun quickly grabbed the flavored salt prepared on the table and sprinkled it into Yu Kwon’s soup bowl.

“Mom’s been into low-sodium diet lately.”

“Is this the 100 million won rice?”

“……Yes.”

Yu Kwon smiled slightly before continuing his meal.

It was completely different from how he was at work. Softer, you could say. So different from both his past self and his work self that Da Eun forgot she was eating and stared at him with a surprised face.

Thinking it might be the public face of a well-educated third-generation chaebol, Da Eun felt a little bitter.

The food couldn’t be delicious, and the house couldn’t be comfortable.

The shabby life of Song Da Eun, the complete opposite of the life he had lived so far. She could guess exactly what he would think, but his expression was so nonchalant that she felt even more withdrawn.

As she was just stirring her bean sprout soup, Geum Suk reappeared with noisy footsteps.

“You’ve already finished eating. Wait, I’ll peel some apples for you.”

“Mom, stop it.”

Seeing Geum Suk walking with concentration to limp as little as possible, Da Eun suddenly felt heartache and snapped for no reason.

“Why?”

Da Eun forcibly pushed Yu Kwon, who was trying to clear the dishes, onto the sofa and stacked the empty bowls neatly.

“He doesn’t really like eating.”

“How can a person not like eating?”

Geum Suk looked genuinely surprised.

“You think everyone’s like us?”

“Our Da Eun doesn’t let go of food even when she has the flu……”

“No, why are you talking about that?”

Da Eun’s face turned red as she glanced at the sofa. Though very faint, he was definitely smiling.

You heard that, Cha Yu Kwon. You definitely heard.

“I’ll be going now. I’ll come visit again next time. Please give me the fruit then.”

Yu Kwon, who had stood up at some point, bowed politely. Finding his behavior so awkward, Da Eun looked up at him with her mouth closed.