“I’m going.”

“Okay.”

“No, I’ll go.”

Yu Kwon stood up, still looking angry. Da Eun stared blankly at his back as he left.

“Why is he suddenly like that?”

A moment later, Yu Kwon returned. In his hands were desserts that didn’t suit him.

“And then he said,” Da Eun said, as if she had been waiting.

Yu Kwon shook his head.

“Nevermind, eat.”

Yu Kwon sat cross-legged on the cafe sofa, watching Da Eun eat.

He thought removing the source of irritation would help, but he still didn’t feel better.

What had made him angry? Yu Kwon racked his brain as he looked at Da Eun.

Was it because Go Young Hoon had presumptively used him as bait to threaten Da Eun?

No, he was just a small fry not worth dealing with anyway. Such threats wouldn’t work.

Recalling the scene, he didn’t feel particularly unpleasant.

Then was it because Go Young Hoon was with Da Eun? Because he talked to her?

His heart started beating unpleasantly. What was this ridiculous discomfort?

Strangely, it wasn’t unfamiliar. He had felt something similar when he saw Da Eun in a wedding dress at the wedding hall.

Da Eun, who had taken a bite of the cream bun, felt an intense gaze and looked up at Yu Kwon.

“…Did you perhaps want to eat this, sir?”

“No, eat it.”

“Okay.”

Da Eun took another bite of the bread. She ate eagerly, her cheeks puffing out, unaware of the cream on her lips.

Seeing her like that seemed to improve his mood a bit.

No, more than that, it made him laugh. Then suddenly, Yu Kwon composed his expression.

Why were his emotions fluctuating like this?

Yu Kwon dined at Hyanglimjae every Wednesday. But today, due to a sudden call from Myung Il, he left work earlier than usual, which allowed Da Eun to leave early as well.

It was fortunate. From encountering Ju Ri in the morning, confronting Young Hoon at lunch, and dealing with a sensitive boss all day, she was completely drained.

For once, she had no appetite and only longed for her bed.

“Mom, I’m home.”

As she arrived home and was about to take off her shoes, something felt odd.

A man’s worn-out sneakers caught Da Eun’s eye. Da Hyun’s shoes? No way!

Da Eun quickly took off her shoes and entered the house. The living room and kitchen were empty.

As she was about to enter Da Hyun’s room, Geum Suk opened the door and came out.

“Why are you coming out of there?”

“There was a lot of dust, so I was just cleaning a bit.”

Cleaning? Geum Suk’s hands were empty. Her expression was also awkward.

Da Eun immediately opened Da Hyun’s door.

“D-Da Eun!”

As expected, Da Hyun was inside.

“Sis…”

Looking unkempt as if he hadn’t washed for days, he was even eating rice with braised ribs.

“Crazy…”

Sensing danger, Da Hyun quickly got up and opened the window.

It seemed he was trying to escape. Da Eun crossed her arms and watched.

“Trying to run away? In that state?”

Realizing the reality at Da Eun’s words, Da Hyun closed the window and quickly knelt down.

“Sis, I’m sorry. I really have nothing to say.”

Seeing him return looking like a beggar, it was clear he had lost all 100 million won.

50 million won that fell into his hands after liquidating the newlywed home and appliances. It was money Da Eun had saved under harsh conditions.

She had intended to pay off the debt even if it meant using up that money and her severance pay.

This time she would pay with that, but what about next time? When they were penniless, she would have to take out a loan on behalf of her brother. Geum Suk wouldn’t be able to ignore Da Hyun, and that burden would fall entirely on Da Eun.

Just as Da Hyun was Geum Suk’s sore spot, Geum Suk was Da Eun’s.

Da Hyun knew this well. Knowing their mother was weak towards him, he probably thought he could easily suck his sister dry if he just manipulated their mother well.

If only he had used that clever brain to study instead.

As she looked at the two of them, Da Eun thought.

That she needed to escape this place as soon as possible.

That she needed to break free from this insufferable cycle of life. If there was no other way, even if it meant taking Yu Kwon’s hand.

“Da Eun, even if you scold him, let’s feed him first. Da Hyun said he hasn’t eaten a single spoonful in two days.”

When Da Eun didn’t respond, Geum Suk scooped up some rice with a spoon and fed him.

“Mom, I want ribs.”

“Okay, okay. I got it.”

Geum Suk personally removed the bones and put them in her son’s mouth.

“Kimchi too.”

Da Eun, who had been biting her lip painfully as she looked down at the two, overturned the table. The braised ribs that Geum Suk had worked hard to make for Da Hyun rolled on the floor.

“Sis, what are you doing!”

“Da Eun, why are you like this? Oh dear, what a waste of all this good food.”

“Song Da Hyun, does the food go down your throat? Mom, please stop it already! Do you want to keep coddling that thing because he’s your child? Am I invisible to you?”

“Da Eun, I was just trying to feed him.”

“I didn’t want to say this because it’s petty, but you always make meat side dishes for him, while I always get whatever’s available. So much for treating us the same as your children?”

Da Eun wailed, pouring out all the words she had kept inside.

“How can you say such things?”

“Is it because you feel more sorry for the child of the man you abandoned than the child of the man who abandoned you?”

“Song Da Eun!”

Da Eun and Da Hyun had different fathers. Da Eun’s father left without even giving his daughter his surname. That’s why Da Eun ended up taking the surname of Da Hyun’s father, Song Chang Ho.

Da Eun finally spoke the taboo truth. It was devastating. She wanted to run away right then.

“I might not come home tonight. Don’t wait for me.”

With that, Da Eun left the house again.

‘I really wanted to rest early today.’

Let’s just stay out until I cool down completely.

Da Eun trudged through the neighborhood.

“Marry me.”

Yu Kwon’s words suddenly echoed in her mind. Along with his promise to compensate her abundantly.

If she could just endure for one year, she could be free from Da Hyun and her mother and live freely.

Da Eun, who had been vaguely thinking, shook her head.

‘I must be really cornered. To think Yu Kwon’s proposal feels like a lifeline.’

How long had she been walking? Da Eun looked up at the sky, feeling a cold touch on her crown.

‘Ah, they said it would rain this evening.’

In an instant, the intensifying rain soaked Da Eun’s hair and clothes.

Da Eun entered a convenience store. The clerk stared at her intently. Her white clothes were wet through, revealing her underwear.

Covering her body with her arms, she picked up an umbrella. As she was about to pay, she realized. That she didn’t have her wallet. She had left her bag with her wallet at home.

She didn’t even bring her phone, so there was no way to pay.

Of all times for this to happen.

Leaving the convenience store and crouching on a wooden deck, a feeling of misery suddenly reared its head. From the awful morning, it had reached its climax.

But strangely enough, Yu Kwon’s face suddenly came to mind.

Da Eun borrowed the convenience store clerk’s phone and called Yu Kwon. It was something she would never have done normally.

—Hello.

“It’s me…”

—Who… Song Da Eun?

As her name was called, her nose stung and her throat choked up.

“Senior Yu Kwon. No, sir…”

—What’s wrong? Whose phone is this?

“I don’t have an umbrella.”

—What?

“I said I don’t have an umbrella.”

Da Eun finally burst into tears. She couldn’t even remember what she said next.

Even after hanging up, Da Eun didn’t stop crying.

.

.

.

Ten minutes later, Yu Kwon’s car stopped in front of Da Eun.

The moment she saw his car, Da Eun came to her senses.

What have I done now? No matter how much I didn’t want to go home, to call Yu Kwon of all people.

To think she had voluntarily called Yu Kwon, whom she had wanted to avoid so much until recently. Da Eun couldn’t understand herself.

“What are you doing? Get in.”

Right, I can’t stay here forever.

Da Eun made up her mind to get in his car. But there was a problem. Her clothes were soaked and would obviously wet the seat.

“My clothes are wet…”

As Da Eun hesitated, Yu Kwon came out, wrapped a large blanket around her body, and pushed her into the passenger seat.

As she sat dumbly in the passenger seat, Yu Kwon fastened her seatbelt and reclined the seat.

Da Eun’s body melted languidly into the warmly heated seat. Yu Kwon slowly started the car.

“I’m sorry, you should be resting. But I really didn’t think you’d come.”

“How could I not come when you called me senior?”

Da Eun tilted her head. Had she called him that?

Could calling him senior have had that much power? A ticklish question arose. After all, Yu Kwon never did anything troublesome.

Da Eun looked at Yu Kwon with half-closed eyes.

“Sleep if you’re sleepy.”

Without even glancing at Da Eun, Yu Kwon reached out and closed her eyes.

Da Eun felt strange again. It had been 8 years, but it felt like she was back in college, pretending to be his lover and imitating clumsy dates.

Da Eun overlapped her hand on top of Yu Kwon’s. For a moment, she felt him flinch.

“My eyes were sore from crying, but this feels nice and warm. Like a heated eye mask.”

Yu Kwon looked at Da Eun with a bewildered face. She was crying earlier, but now she was smiling broadly.

After staring at Da Eun’s foolish yet pitiful appearance for a while, Yu Kwon became awkward and pulled his hand away.

“Is not having an umbrella something to cry about?”

“I didn’t have my wallet or phone either…”

Da Eun retorted as if that was more than enough reason to cry.

Yu Kwon clicked his tongue softly, as if to say ‘I suppose so’.

“Are we going home?”

“I don’t want to go home.”

“That’s a very dangerous statement.”

“It’s not that I’m never going back… If you could just lend me a little money, I’ll pay you back tomorrow for sure.”

Although it felt uncomfortable to borrow money again when she hadn’t even paid back Yu Kwon yet, she had no choice. She wanted to warm up at a jjimjilbang and return home when her family was all asleep.

“What should we do, I left my wallet behind.”

Yu Kwon replied with a slight smile.

“…Then can I borrow your phone?”

“Why?”

“I want to call Senior Jun Won.”

Yu Kwon clicked his tongue as he looked at Da Eun. He couldn’t send her to Kang Jun Won soaking wet like this.

“It’s dead.”

“Then…”

“We’ll have to go to my place, I guess. You don’t want to go home, and my wallet’s at home.”