I don’t know what to do with the ambiguity of our relationship – not the younger sister of a friend, not the friend of an elder sister, and not a lover either.

“Are you going to keep staying there at the house?”

Seo Hee shook her head at Kang Mo’s question.

“No. I’m only staying until tomorrow. I’m moving into a studio apartment the day after.”

Kang Mo nodded his head as if he had expected it, then suddenly turned his face to look at Seo Hee.

“Can I borrow your shoulder?”

“Won’t it be uncomfortable? No, I don’t mean for me, but for you. My sitting height is shorter than yours, so your neck will be bent.”

What does such discomfort matter? If I can touch you even a little, I can endure any such discomfort.

“I want to be uncomfortable.”

“Then…”

Seo Hee tapped her left shoulder.

“Lean here.”

Kang Mo slid down from the headrest without hesitation and rested his head on Seo Hee’s shoulder.

“My head will be a bit heavy. I’ve been racking my brain with thoughts of you for years, and those thoughts have piled up as they are. So bear with it even if it’s heavy. It’s your punishment for abandoning me.”

“Who abandoned you… abandoned, hmph.”

Feeling unnecessarily apologetic, Seo Hee turned her head to fully offer one shoulder and neck so that Kang Mo could lean on her more comfortably. Kang Mo’s head fit comfortably into Seo Hee’s shoulder and neck like a puzzle piece.

A long sigh escaped from Kang Mo.

As he closed his tired eyes, a smile naturally formed at the familiar scent of leather floating in the car, the scent of the air freshener Seung Ho had placed, his own cologne, and the subtle scent of Seo Hee spreading faintly.

Now that her scent naturally blended into his space, an indescribable satisfaction bloomed.

The quietly settled silence, her breath that could not be heard without listening closely, the sensation of the fabric against his cheek, her shoulders rising and falling faintly with each breath she took, it was peaceful. Kang Mo wished in his heart that this feeling, this mood, would not disappear, feeling a sense of security he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Then a sudden thought came to him and he opened his closed eyes.

“Who was that man earlier? You seemed to know him well.”

“Ah, that… Should I call him elder brother? My stepfather’s son. But the word elder brother still feels awkward.”

“You two didn’t seem to have a very amicable relationship.”

“Ah, yes. Well, we haven’t been able to meet a few times. How should I put it… He seems like a difficult person.”

A subtle crack formed between Kang Mo’s brows. Elder brother, an elder brother not related by blood… Come to think of it, he vaguely remembered seeing that man in a photo a few years ago. There seemed to be a disparity between the casual appearance he had then and the man he saw today.

The man’s deep gaze looking down at Seo Hee earlier, the shadow that clung to the end and wouldn’t let go, the sharp eyes that had met his in a straight line flashed through his mind again.

It didn’t seem like an excessive amount of interest or concern one would have simply as an elder brother. Kang Mo’s instincts urged him not to ignore the signal about the man’s feelings.

It seems Seung Ho’s workload will increase tomorrow. I’ll have to receive a report on that elder brother.

“By any chance, are you very uncomfortable? With that person you call elder brother.”

“Well, honestly, it’s not very comfortable. He seems to… dislike me.”

Kang Mo lifted his head that had been leaning and looked at Seo Hee.

“Dislikes you?”

“It’s just a feeling, just a feeling. Don’t worry about it. It’s not something you need to worry about too.”

Kang Mo silently leaned back on Seo Hee’s shoulder, which was tapping his shoulder again, lost in thought.

It’s different from a gaze of dislike. That was clearly… a gaze looking at a woman.

He would have to find out more about the man, but he hoped the man didn’t have the ugly thoughts his premonition suggested. If the man was seeing Seo Hee as a woman, not a younger sister, just the thought made the back of his neck stiff, but that thought didn’t last long.

Because Seo Hee carefully covered Kang Mo’s upper body with the suit jacket she had picked up with one hand. Kang Mo covered it back over Seo Hee.

He didn’t like being treated like a younger sibling who needed to be taken care of just because she was two years younger, but if it could stimulate her protective instinct and make her stay by his side, he could accept it as much as needed.

“I have a lot of body heat. So you cover yourself.”

“Are you sure it’s okay to rest like this?”

“If I go home like this, I won’t be able to sleep tonight either. Should we still go?”

“No. If this is more comfortable for you, rest even for a little while.”

“Bear with it even if it’s hard. I’ll just take a nap for an hour.”

“Okay. Don’t worry about me and go to sleep quickly.”

How can you leave me like this? How can you leave so coldly?

Kang Mo still can’t understand or accept the reason Seo Hee left. Was his openly revealed heart burdensome enough for her to leave, or is there another reason he doesn’t know about?

Putting aside the complicated thoughts for now, he just wanted to rest like this today. Leaning on her shoulder, putting down the worries rushing in even for a little while, and taking a peaceful rest even for just a few minutes.

His eyes felt sticky. His eyelids, which had been opening and closing faintly, became heavy as if weighed down and wouldn’t open anymore. Sleep washed over him like a lie.

Despite the uncomfortable posture, Kang Mo finally fell into a deep sleep for the first time in days.

Seo Hee, who had been watching Kang Mo fall asleep, was lost in her own thoughts.

She hoped Kang Mo didn’t know how startled she had been when she ran into her elder brother in front of the house earlier.

She hoped Kang Mo didn’t know how she had shrunk back in anxiety, not at all pleased to see him after a long time. No, he shouldn’t know.

She had been steeling herself, knowing she wouldn’t be able to avoid meeting her stepbrother when she came to Korea, but she didn’t expect to face him so soon.

Her anxiety didn’t easily subside at her mother’s words that her stepbrother had readily agreed to come home and have a meal together upon hearing the news of her arrival.

Of course, she couldn’t show any signs to her mother and stepfather, who couldn’t hide their joy, saying this was the first family gathering in years.

As she was trying to suppress her anxiety, unable to avoid it or act nonchalant, surprisingly, a call came looking for her.

It didn’t matter how Kang Mo knew about her arrival. Seo Hee was just glad to have a good excuse to avoid the family gathering and hurried to leave the house within the given 5 minutes.

She was in such a rush that she didn’t have time to dress up properly. She didn’t even think to throw on a cardigan over what she was wearing, having to waste precious time getting permission from her mother and stepfather to go out.

She said she was going out for a bit to see a friend who had come to visit after years and that she felt bad turning them away, and her mother complained that she was prioritizing a friend over family, but with her stepfather’s mediation, she reluctantly allowed her to go out.

As soon as she stepped out of the front gate, a large black sedan parked across caught her eye. The interior wasn’t clearly visible, but the silhouette sitting in the back seat, gazing this way, was definitely Kang Mo.

A sigh of relief escaped and her feet naturally headed towards Kang Mo, but then, as if bright lights were pouring down behind her, they slowly stopped. She wanted to ignore the lights trapping her.

She didn’t want to look back if she could help it, but she was mindful of Kang Mo’s gaze directed this way. If the car owner standing behind her was her elder brother, she hoped it would look as natural as possible.

Seo Hee slowly turned around, hoping it wasn’t her elder brother. Her wish was mercilessly shattered, and she was confronted with a persistently intent gaze, as if the long disconnection meant nothing. Seeing him slowly getting out of the car, a deep sigh burst out from deep in her chest.

She greeted the man quite politely, hoping it wouldn’t seem strange to Kang Mo.

“Hello… It’s been a while.”

“Long time no see. You look healthy. You must be aging backwards.”

Seo Hee averted her gaze, not wanting to meet his somehow burdensome eyes.

“Thank you.”

She didn’t want to continue the conversation. She had to somehow quickly escape this uncomfortable situation and go to Kang Mo, but he seemed to have different thoughts.

One step.

“Doesn’t seem like you came out to greet me.”

One step.

“Where are you going?”

“Ah, the person I’m meeting came to get me.”

Another step.

“The person you’re meeting. Don’t tell me, you’re saying you have a lover?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

With each step he took closer, she unconsciously took a step back. Lies flowed out smoothly, wanting to block his absurd feelings towards her.

Suddenly, his large hand tightly grasped one of her shoulders.

“Baek Seo Hee. You, what is this.”

The moment she flinched up involuntarily, the sound of a car door opening wide came from behind.

Without a second thought, Seo Hee shook off his arm, turned around, and headed towards Kang Mo. She flew into the arms of Kang Mo, who had spread his arms wide as if sensing her anxiety.

Finally, a sense of relief spread. Her body trembled finely, whether because the night wind had turned chilly or because of the sharp gaze she felt on her back.

Kang Mo put her in the car without asking anything, just at her words to go, not knowing the reason, and soon his suit jacket, holding his warmth and scent, settled warmly over her body.

Just burrowing into Kang Mo’s jacket made her feel safely enveloped in his embrace, and her heart that had been on edge softened.

What if Kang Mo hadn’t come today? Just thinking about the uncomfortable seat that would have lasted all evening made her body tremble.

She felt sorry for unintentionally using Kang Mo, but she thought it was rather fortunate. Now that her elder brother had seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t be able to have impure thoughts anymore.

Seo Hee had no doubt that after the two months her mother had mentioned passed, there would be a change in her relationship with her elder brother Tae Oh as well.

Hoping for that day to come soon, she quietly suppressed the anxiety welling up and glanced sideways at Kang Mo, who had fallen asleep leaning on her shoulder.

His face wasn’t visible, only his black hair fluttering before her eyes. The sensation of his hair touching her delicate neck and cheeks was soft and ticklish. Kang Mo’s regular breathing sounded like a pleasant lullaby in her ears. A gentle smile formed on her lips at the feeling of utmost peace.

She knew well how deep and passionate, how tender and soft his heart was, despite his fiery personality and occasionally rough words.

Seo Hee quietly wished in her heart that no more incidents would occur to hurt Kang Mo’s heart, and closed her tired eyes for a moment.