“Got it.”

Da Eun grabbed something from the shelf behind Yu Kwon’s back.

It looked like a small black cotton ball. The tiny cotton ball opened its mouth wide like a wild beast and made a “Hak” sound.

Upon seeing it, Yu Kwon made an “Ugh” sound and moved far away from Da Eun. More precisely, from that cotton ball.

Da Eun immediately recognized the cotton ball as Kkamang. She held Kkamang by the scruff of its neck with one hand and took out a snack from her pants pocket with the other.

“Sir, could you please open this for me?”

Yu Kwon just reached out his hand, opened the snack, and passed it back to Da Eun.

Da Eun put the snack in Kkamang’s mouth, which was constantly making “Hak” sounds. Kkamang, who had been very wary, opened its eyes wide and sucked on the snack.

“It ran away and my uncle was looking everywhere for it, but it seems it was playing here. I’m glad we found it.”

“…Yes, that’s fortunate.”

“Are you afraid of cats?”

“Put it away.”

When Da Eun lifted the cat, Yu Kwon took a step back. She shook her head. To be afraid of a cat much smaller than himself.

“It’s so cute though.”

Da Eun stroked Kkamang, who had let its guard down, perhaps because its stomach was full. It had dirt stuck in various places, as if it had been rolling around excitedly.

Da Eun wiped Kkamang’s matted fur with a towel dampened with warm water.

Soon, Kkamang fell asleep on Da Eun’s lap.

“Um…”

Just as Da Eun was about to speak, Yu Kwon’s phone rang.

Yu Kwon answered the phone immediately. His expression was not good.

“Is something wrong?”

“Work matter. I need to go. What were you going to say?”

“It’s nothing. If it’s urgent, I could also…”

Da Eun hesitated as she was about to answer reflexively. Yu Kwon smirked and placed his large hand on Da Eun’s head.

“Enjoy your vacation.”

The part where his hand touched felt like it was burning hot.

“Think about it positively.”

Da Eun looked troubled at Yu Kwon’s words. He stared at her intently and then spoke.

“I used to believe in relationships after marriage.”

“…Pardon?”

“So I’d like you to take responsibility.”

“No way.”

Da Eun couldn’t believe it. It was hard enough to believe that someone with his face and body was a virgin, but to say he believed in relationships only after marriage?

“No way.”

“We’ll continue this conversation when you come back to work.”

Da Eun followed behind Yu Kwon, holding Kkamang in her arms.

“Take care on your way.”

“Tell them I ate well, and I’ll see you at the company.”

Da Eun reluctantly answered, “Okay.”

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, Yu Kwon smiled and got into his car.

Da Eun stood rooted to the spot for a long time until his car completely disappeared from sight.

The next day, Da Eun woke up to the sound of roosters crowing for the first time in a long while. She thought she had woken up early, but breakfast was already laid out on the table.

“Meat for breakfast? Don’t tell me it’s Korean beef?”

“Your boyfriend didn’t know what to buy, so he got the meat you like. Didn’t he tell you?”

“…He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Thanks to your boyfriend, we’ll feast too.”

“I said he’s not my boyfriend, aunt.”

“If he came all this way to see you, he must be your boyfriend.”

Da Eun was at a loss for words at Eun Suk’s remark.

“You know I broke off my engagement.”

“So what? Is that a flaw in this day and age? Besides, didn’t that guy cheat on you? Even got someone pregnant, I heard.”

Da Eun pressed her lips tightly together.

“Knock knock.”

Eun Suk wrapped some meat in a lettuce leaf and knocked on her niece’s tightly closed mouth. Da Eun reluctantly opened her mouth and ate the wrap.

“You did nothing wrong, Da Eun, so date loudly. Show off too, okay?”

The situation had taken a strange turn. It had become ambiguous whether to say he wasn’t her boyfriend or to admit that he was.

While feeling frustrated at being embarrassed by Yu Kwon’s sudden appearance, the words to date loudly because she did nothing wrong were oddly comforting.

.

.

.

Da Eun ate her fill of meat and drank coffee to aid digestion.

“When you go back, make up with your mom.”

Hee Ju suddenly said as Da Eun was packing her things.

Da Eun nodded silently without protest. It was much easier to give in than to feel uncomfortable.

Da Eun, who had come out with her bag packed, was shocked to see the mountain of luggage piled up.

“Aunt, why did you pack so much?”

“I only packed light things. They don’t smell either.”

Even after feeding her plenty and packing so much, Eun Suk looked around to see if there was anything else she could give.

“I’m going to Seoul soon anyway, so I’ll bring it then. How can this skinny kid carry all this?”

“I’ll drive her to Seoul, of course.”

“It’s okay, aunt. Just take me to the bus terminal. I can take a taxi from there, it won’t take long.”

Da Eun got into the blue truck, carrying only the minimum luggage she could handle.

“See you next time in Seoul.”

Hee Ju waved goodbye.

“Come visit often.”

Hong Ki hugged Kkamang and wiped his tears as he said goodbye.

“I’ll come again next time!”

Da Eun returned to Seoul, carrying complicated feelings.

The next day, Da Eun woke up earlier than usual.

She awkwardly reconciled with Geum Suk when they met in the kitchen. As her aunt had suggested, Da Eun apologized first, and Geum Suk also apologized, saying it was her fault too.

Although she had worried all night, no clear conclusion came. Sixty billion was such an absurd number that she couldn’t even feel greedy for it.

While she felt afraid, wondering if that was the weight of being the granddaughter-in-law of the Myungil Group, she also thought that if she could get such a large sum of money, she might be able to endure anything.

At that moment, she saw Ju Ri talking with people in the distance. She too noticed Da Eun.

Ju Ri seemed completely unbothered. She didn’t seem to have any guilt for having an affair with her friend’s fiancé, getting pregnant, and ruining the wedding.

Well, if she were the type to feel guilty about such things, she probably wouldn’t have done it in the first place.

“Da Eun.”

As Da Eun was about to pass by, Ju Ri called out to her.

“Here. I went to Jeju Island.”

It was chocolate that could only be bought in Jeju Island. Something Da Eun had once mentioned in passing that she wanted to try. The two people next to Ju Ri were also holding the same shopping bags, as if they had received them too.

She was boldly showing off that she had gone to Jeju Island with Young Hoon instead of Da Eun after the broken engagement.

Da Eun loved the sea but had never been to Jeju Island. Because of her family’s circumstances, she couldn’t even go on school trips, so she had been incredibly excited about this honeymoon. Ju Ri knew this well.

It was because Ju Ri, who went to Jeju Island for vacation every year, had helped plan the trip together.

“No, thanks.”

Da Eun’s smile twitched as she politely declined.

“Why? I bought it especially because you said you wanted to try it.”

“I said, no thanks.”

“Really? Well, can’t be helped then.”

Ju Ri opened the packaging and put a chocolate in her mouth, as if to show off. The women next to her clicked their tongues, as if criticizing Da Eun.

Da Eun stared at Ju Ri for a moment before speaking.

“By the way, seems like you don’t have morning sickness.”

Ju Ri’s face turned pale at Da Eun’s words.

The women next to her looked at Ju Ri, asking what that meant.

“Oh, you haven’t told them yet. About your pregnancy.”

Ju Ri seemed flustered, as if she hadn’t expected Da Eun to speak so directly.

“Ju Ri, are you pregnant?”

The woman next to Ju Ri asked.

“What are you talking about, Da Eun? Let’s talk for a moment.”

Ju Ri grabbed Da Eun’s wrist with all her strength and dragged her to the emergency staircase.

As it happened, Da Eun also had a lot to say to Ju Ri.

“Are you crazy? Why would you say that in front of people?”

“Wasn’t that what you were hoping for when you did it?”

Da Eun asked, trying her best to suppress her anger.

“Da Eun, you’re very angry, aren’t you?”

As if she had decided to change her attitude and act, Ju Ri spoke in a much softer voice.

Da Eun was momentarily speechless at the tone that seemed to be soothing a child.

“Yes. I can understand that. I would have felt the same way if I were you. But what can we do? A child has been conceived.”

What are you going to do now that a life is growing?

Ju Ri sneered inwardly.

Da Eun seemed endlessly kind at times, yet cunning, and while she seemed cunning, she was also foolish. At least, that’s what Ju Ri thought.

She had expected Da Eun to grab her by the hair, but when Ju Ri brought up the child, Da Eun couldn’t say anything. Like a fool.

“I didn’t want it to go this far either. It was a mistake, a mistake. I did it while drunk, not even knowing who it was with.”

“You’re really shameless.”

“I’m sorry, please forgive me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Ju Ri, who had been subtly manipulating Da Eun’s weak heart, drove the final nail in.

“What, friends? You said it yourself. You did the same to all my ex-boyfriends. Just like you did with Go Young Hoon.”

“No, that’s not true. At that time, I was only thinking about protecting the child. Young Hoon wanted me to abort the child because of his marriage to you. If you hadn’t broken off the engagement, our child would have… *sob*”

Ju Ri forced out some tears.

Da Eun laughed in disbelief.

“It was unavoidable because of the child. Really. I have nothing to say to you.”

Having brought up the child, Ju Ri burst into loud sobs as if overcome with emotion.

Tears were Ju Ri’s weapon. The overly kind Da Eun had always been helpless against Ju Ri’s weapons.

“And then?”

But this time was different. Realizing it wasn’t working, Ju Ri wiped her tears and looked at Da Eun.

After pretending to be so nice all this time, you’re no different in front of a man, Song Da Eun.

Ju Ri had disliked Da Eun from the moment she first saw her. She was afraid that the shabby ten-year-old girl who had been peeking into their garden would eventually ruin her life.

Ju Ri’s mother, Ji Hwa, was abandoned by her lover as soon as he found out about her pregnancy. Unable to abort the child, Ji Hwa stole her friend’s boyfriend, Yang Jun Il.

She got the wealthy man drunk, spent a night with him, and then trapped him by claiming she was pregnant.

His ex-girlfriend and Ji Hwa’s friend, Geum Suk, only found out she was pregnant after losing her boyfriend. The child she gave birth to was Da Eun.

Da Eun and Ju Ri met again in high school. Fortunately or unfortunately, Da Eun didn’t remember Ju Ri.