Kang Mo helplessly lowered the disconnected phone and sighed, missing Seo Hee’s old self.

He missed Seo Hee, who used to fearlessly approach and comfort his wounds, who would suddenly visit and never fail to nag him with affection, who would find and help with household chores even when he said it was fine, and who would take care of him like a mother bird, bringing all kinds of side dishes.

Thinking about the situation back then when he couldn’t welcome such a Seo Hee with his heart, anger boiled up inside him.

At that time, Kang Mo had found out about what happened to his elder sister too late and was in a situation where he couldn’t control his anger.

It was a precarious period, like walking on thin ice, due to the aftereffects of the violent confrontation between his father and the Kim Chang Joo father and son.

Needless to say, he had no room to warmly welcome Seo Hee who approached him affectionately. He was constantly angry at his own pathetic appearance that would be reflected on her and often treated her coldly. Yet, he fretted alone, worried about losing her.

“But it’s not like that anymore. I’m not who I was before. No matter what happens, I won’t let you go again. Never again.”

The most urgent problem right now was redefining their relationship. It seemed necessary to properly imprint his position with her, which was still ambiguous.

“I’ll make sure you don’t get confused between a younger brother and a man anymore.”

Kang Mo, holding the cell phone tightly as if it were Seo Hee, strengthened his resolute will.

Kang Mo’s apartment was the same as before. Seo Hee slowly looked around the interior with sentimental eyes.

The space with full windows where the outside scenery unfolded like a painting, the modern living room that was dyed with various colors depending on the rising and setting of the sun, came into full view at a glance.

Did she miss this place? A soft smile naturally spread on her lips as she inhaled deeply the air that floated in the space.

The faint scent emanating from Kang Mo tickled the tip of her nose. It was similar to the subtle scent she had smelled when plucking pine needles, and also similar to the scent she had smelled while strolling through a forest of old pine trees.

Seo Hee liked the natural scent that was emitted from a harmonious blend of earth, trees, and nameless flowers in a forest under the spring sunlight with a breeze. And Kang Mo also had that fresh scent naturally ingrained in him.

And now, the fragrance floating in this space made her automatically think of Kang Mo.

Standing still in the middle of the living room for a while, immersed in the peace that the familiar space gave, a single word naturally flowed out of Seo Hee along with her exhale.

“Nice.”

After standing still in the living room for a while, Seo Hee headed towards the entrance. The luggage she brought was barely a 30-inch travel carry-on bag. It seemed like it would take less than ten minutes to unpack.

During the call before departure, Kang Mo had recommended using the master bedroom among the four rooms. But somehow, using the room that Kang Mo had been using all along felt a bit strange. So she passed the room that was furnished as a study and dressing room and headed to the guest room.

As she freely walked around his space, the image of young Kang Mo suddenly flashed by for a moment.

Back when he had just entered puberty as a student, for some reason, he didn’t let her set even one foot properly in his space. But now, he readily gave her the place that used to be his home.

How times have changed. Seo Hee, drawing a bland smile, unpacked the carry-on bag in one corner of the guest room.

The guest room also had a single bed and bedding, a walk-in closet, and a small powder room, so it couldn’t be better for a short stay.

Seo Hee, who had finished unpacking in a hurry, nodded her head with satisfaction and picked up her mini bag. It seemed like she had to leave now to make it on time for the appointment.

As she entered the cafe, Jae Hoon, who was sitting by the window, raised his hand and waved. Seo Hee moved her steps towards her senior, replacing her joyful heart with a smile.

“Come quickly. It’s been a really long time.”

“Yes. It’s been a while, senior. Is elder sister doing well?”

Jae Hoon was Jae Eun’s husband, who was like a friend to Seo Hee, and Seo Hee’s department senior.

Jae Eun was an elder sister who attended the same university and company as Seo Hee and had formed a close bond. When Seo Hee was going through a difficult time at the company, she was the person who became the biggest comfort. They kept in close contact even while Seo Hee was in Guam.

“My wife, well, she’s the same as always.”

“Oh~ Now the word ‘wife’ comes out naturally. You used to be quite shy about it before.”

“Come on, that was so long ago. Is the coffee okay? Iced Americano, less strong. I ordered it in advance because I thought you’d arrive on time.”

Seo Hee picked up the coffee cup placed in front of her and gave a bright smile.

“As expected, I have to acknowledge your thoughtfulness, senior. You still remember your junior’s coffee preference.”

“The wife specially told me. Seo Hee doesn’t drink iced Americano well unless it’s less strong, right?”

“Hah. That’s so like Jae Eun.”

The fact that there were people who didn’t forget and remembered her preferences even after a long time brought small joy, and an exclamation naturally came out.

Seo Hee, who pleasantly took a sip of the cold coffee, asked about his business.

“By the way, what’s this about all of a sudden? Ever since I was in Guam, elder sister kept calling and asking when I was coming.”

“I was curious about how you were doing, and I also felt bad about a valuable talent going to waste.”

Seo Hee laughed at the typical remark.

“Going to waste, who’s going to waste. I worked so hard there too.”

Jae Hoon had been constantly hearing about Seo Hee’s news through his wife, so he nodded his head as if he knew.

“You worked at a large shopping center there, and you said your brother-in-law was the owner? The wife said your luck had turned.”

“Yes. As soon as my brother-in-law acquired it, I joined right away. From financial planning to HR and general affairs, and even computing programming. I was really busy working without a moment to spare. I guess I was really born with good work luck.”

“Geez, why did you do that after going all the way to such a nice resort.”

“I know, right? At first, when I was going, I actually liked it because it was a resort. But how could I have known there would be so much work?”

“Your brother-in-law really worked a high-quality workforce to the bone.”

“No word of a lie, I only rested briefly before leaving the country after working like a cow. That’s when I enjoyed it like a vacation for the first time, you know.”

“No wonder your skin isn’t tanned at all. The owner is not just anyone, but your brother-in-law. You should have used some tricks and done it skillfully. I can see without looking that you must have worked without sparing your body.”

Jae Hoon smiled blandly and observed Seo Hee’s expression as she drank her coffee. Does this kid have the intention to work right away or not? Judging from the way she’s complaining like that, it seems like she wants to rest for the time being.

“Seo Hee.”

“Go ahead and say it. I’ve been curious since earlier. I heard roughly from elder sister too.”

“Yeah. Since you heard roughly, I’ll tell you right away. You know I changed jobs to a foreign company this spring, right?”

Seo Hee had heard from her elder sister that the senior, who worked at another affiliate of the group she worked for, had changed jobs. She also knew that there was no small conflict with her elder sister over the job change issue.

“From what I heard from elder sister, it’s an information analysis company, right?”

“That’s right. If you only look at the size, it can’t be compared to the previous workplace. But if you look at the growth potential, it’s an attractive company.”

“Of course. These days, information is money. How promising would an information analysis company be? Moreover, I know that company is consistently ranked high in the preference for foreign companies due to its high annual salary and good benefits, right?”

Jae Hoon clapped his hands and smiled contentedly, as if he knew only she would understand.

Seo Hee smiled and shook her head at her senior’s appearance.

“Still, I don’t fail to understand elder sister’s feelings. You kicked away a stable company that you were working at without issues, and a large corporation that everyone prefers at that. Elder sister must have been agonizing. Shouldn’t you have done that before marriage?”

Jae Hoon opened his mouth wide as if he had been betrayed by a trusted axe, exhaled empty breath, and refuted mischievously.

“Seo Hee, aren’t you the one who shouldn’t say that? You probably put resignation into practice much earlier than me, right? And that was 4 years ago?”

“Ah, it’s disappointing to hear that from someone who knows everything. I resigned because I had my own circumstances back then.”

Seo Hee smiled calmly at Jae Hoon’s words, who couldn’t possibly know all the reasons that influenced her at that time.

Jae Hoon thought Seo Hee had simply quit due to problems that occurred within the company, so Seo Hee didn’t say more and lightly agreed.

“Actually, I felt like it was a waste of time to ponder. I felt like the more I hesitated, the more regret would pile up. But senior, I was single, you know. Isn’t it a bit much to compare me to you?”

At Seo Hee’s words, Jae Hoon hit his forehead and bowed his head exaggeratedly.

“Ah… Right, that’s true. I’m the one who deserves to die for making a fuss about changing jobs right after getting married and making Jae Eun suffer.”

Seo Hee laughed at her senior who was pretending to regret it cleverly and offered words of comfort.

“Hey, it’s all in the past now. Elder sister doesn’t say much about it anymore, right? So, what’s the conclusion? We’ll run out of time with senior lamenting about his life. Didn’t you say you’d have dinner with elder sister later after work?”

“Yeah, I said I’d bring you to match her off-work time. So let’s finish talking quickly. I’ll ask you point-blank. You don’t have any thoughts of coming to our company? No, come to our company.”

“There must be a line of people wanting to go to that company, though?”

Jae Hoon sighed, telling her not to say nonsense.

“What’s the point of them lining up? They can’t endure it once they come. The work isn’t particularly hard, and the superior-subordinate relationship isn’t as strict as Korean companies. It wouldn’t be bad if you just adapt, but somehow, no one can last more than three months.”

Jae Hoon kept nodding his head and had hope in Seo Hee’s appearance of focusing on his words.

“We have to post a job opening again this time, and Jae Eun happened to say you’re coming to Korea soon. If it’s you, you’re good at English and have professional qualifications as a statistics expert in data analysis. It seems to fit perfectly. I can’t find a more suitable person. What do you think? Are you interested?”