While diligently wiping the wine glasses, Kang Mo kept glancing at Seo Hee, who was quietly clearing the tables next to him, and smiled a silly smile to himself. Although Seo Hee was particularly clumsy and slow at expressing her emotions to him, he saw a glimmer of hope.

He could feel a definite difference in temperature compared to before when she only pushed him away. When would she fully open her heart to him? Just imagining that day made his heart swell with excitement.

Before he knew it, Seo Hee, who had finished arranging the tables, approached and asked.

“Are you done cleaning the glasses?”

“Of course. They’re all clean. Not a single stain left.”

Kang Mo, holding the base of the glass with a cleaner, held up the well-polished wine glass under the light. Seeing the transparent wine glass without a single fingerprint or speck of dust, she couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“Wow, you’re right. Kang Mo, you’re unexpectedly meticulous, aren’t you?”

“What’s so unexpected? I’m always a meticulous man.”

“Pfft, that’s a bit…”

Kang Mo’s eyebrows rose and fell rapidly.

“Why are you laughing?”

“At least the you I know didn’t seem to be so meticulous. Did you forget how you acted towards me before? You were always scolding me, always yelling, and whenever you did something, you put up your guard. It was so scary, so for you to say you’re meticulous, don’t you think there’s a contradiction?”

She seemed to be referring to a few years ago when his elder sister’s issue caused a clash between his father and Kim Chang Joo’s family. At that time, when he was struggling while burying the truth that he couldn’t tell Seo Hee, he didn’t have the energy to care about Seo Hee, who was trying to help him without knowing the reason.

During that darkest period of his life, he was only focused on solving the immediate problems, and he often said things he didn’t mean because he didn’t want to show her his unstable appearance and gloomy situation.

Regardless of the reason, it was none other than himself who had pushed Seo Hee away at that time. And now, seeing Seo Hee, who was eager to push him away, he felt upset. He suddenly felt apologetic.

“At that time, the situation was… No. I was a hundred times wrong. I’m sorry. Really.”

“It’s fine. If you apologize like that to something I said jokingly, what would that make me?”

Seo Hee laughed and unintentionally glanced at the table. Her eyes widened as she checked the phone sitting alone on it.

“Kang Mo, it’s late. You really have to go now.”

“It’s not even midnight yet, why do you keep saying it’s late?”

“Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow? Why are you so carefree? And I want to rest now too.”

Kang Mo, who was organizing the wine glasses in the display case, glanced back and casually brought up the topic.

“Should I just sleep here tonight? There’s an extra room anyway.”

Seo Hee gave Kang Mo an unusually sharp look.

“If you keep doing that, I’ll just move back to my mother’s house. I came out with my head held high. I don’t want to be an embarrassing daughter to my mother.”

“Why is it embarrassing for me to sleep here? Who thinks like you these days?”

Seo Hee sighed softly and spoke as if she had given up.

“Alright, then. You sleep here. I’m going to my mother’s house.”

“Baek Seo Hee.”

Kang Mo grabbed the arm of Seo Hee, who was turning her back to head to the room.

“I’m going, I’m going. I said I’m going. Geez, you never let me win even once, not even once.”

Seeing Kang Mo grumbling, she chuckled. At times like this, the face of Kang Mo from middle school briefly came to mind.

“You didn’t bring your car, right?”

“Why not? I was so busy scouring here and there to get the desserts you like.”

“That’s why, why do you go through the trouble? Who’s going to eat all that?”

“It’s going into your mouth, so what’s the trouble?”

Seo Hee looked at him with quite affectionate eyes, feeling both sorry and grateful, and Kang Mo, who quickly caught her gaze, smiled brightly.

“Why, do I suddenly look so lovable to you now?”

“What are you talking about? You had a lot of wine, right? Did you call a designated driver?”

Seo Hee, who was pretending to look around the cleaned kitchen for no reason, had her ears turning red.

“I’ll leave the car here. I can take a taxi.”

“Won’t it be inconvenient without a car? How are you going to go to work tomorrow? I think it would be better to just call a driver and go with them.”

“Do I only have one car? And I have to leave a hostage here so I can come comfortably without worrying about you.”

“Ha.”

Seo Hee let out a soft sigh and shook her head. Kang Mo, who was taking in the sight of her, found it difficult to leave easily, and stood at the front door with his arms outstretched, calling her.

“Come here.”

“…Why?”

“You’re not even going to say goodbye to your boyfriend who’s leaving?”

Seo Hee mumbled, hesitating at the word that never seemed to become familiar no matter how many times she heard it.

“I’m doing it right now.”

“What kind of goodbye is that? Come here quickly.”

When he gestured again, Seo Hee, who was fiddling with her flushed ears as if something was so awkward, approached timidly. Even then, her gaze was circling around the lower part of Kang Mo’s chest.

Kang Mo, who hugged the shyly approaching her tightly, lowered his face to Seo Hee’s shoulder.

“Ugh. Hey. I can’t breathe.”

“Stay like this for a moment.”

The dizzying body scent rising from Seo Hee’s neck made his heart boil again. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably tonight either.

If only your heart was the same as mine. I wish your head was filled with only me.

I wish my memories would constantly come to mind and you would writhe in longing, I wish you were so full of thoughts of me that you couldn’t bear to go a day without seeing me. Will such a day ever come?

He hugged Seo Hee, who was squirming in his arms, even tighter. After holding her preciously in his arms for a while, he let her go and cupped her small face, which made him terribly impatient, with both hands.

“Why, again.”

Kang Mo pressed Seo Hee’s cheeks, which looked somehow hateful, with both palms. Her plump lips protruded forward.

“Wha a you doin.”

Even the cute, sulky sound coming out was so lovely, he thought he would go crazy.

“What am I doing? We have to do a goodbye kiss.”

Seeing Seo Hee’s eyes widen, he couldn’t help but laugh. How did I endure the past few years without seeing you like this? After taking in her pretty face for a long time, he finally captured her plump lips. No matter how much he held and held them, his thirst for Seo Hee didn’t seem to be quenched easily.

“Hey, the pho-.”

Seo Hee, who was trembling at the breath-taking kiss, pushed Kang Mo away as the sound of the phone ringing gradually became clearer, but he wouldn’t let go at all.

“Kang, mmph. Hey.”

Having no choice, she pressed Kang Mo’s sides with both hands. Only then did Kang Mo, who pulled away, pour out a voice full of dissatisfaction.

“Why. We were just getting started.”

A dumbfounded gaze flew to Kang Mo for a moment and then to the kitchen table.

“There’s a phone call.”

“Who would call at this hour?”

“I know, right? Just a moment.”

But what? We were just getting started? Oh my gosh, how much do you need to be satisfied? You really don’t know when to stop.

Seo Hee felt as if Kang Mo’s pleading voice from earlier, when they were holding each other for a while, was brushing her ears again.

‘Allow me to kiss you. Then I won’t ask for more. I promise I won’t cross the line unless you tempt me first.’

‘……’

‘Baek Seo Hee won’t tempt me anyway. Right?’

‘Th-that’s right.’

‘Then what are you worried about?’

After being persuaded to allow kissing, she couldn’t take it back now, and she had a silly worry about what to do if he kept pushing those lips on her at all times.

Her lips were also so hot. Without a doubt, they seemed to be swollen twice as much as usual.

Seo Hee caressed her swollen lips with her tongue and picked up the phone on the kitchen table. The caller was the senior she had a late dinner with and parted from earlier. They had already talked enough and returned, so what business was left? Tilting her head, she answered the phone.

“Senior, what’s the matter at this hour?”

— Right, I’m sorry. For calling so late.

“It’s okay. But did you have something else to say?”

— No, it’s not that. Father-in-law passed away. It’s been about an hour.

A sigh automatically escaped at the unexpected sad news. She had heard her elder sister talking to her father, who had been in the hospital with a long-term illness, while having dinner with the senior couple, so the sudden news of his passing was even more unbelievable.

“Oh no. Sister-in-law sounded fine when she was on the phone earlier. It’s so sudden. How is sister doing? Is she okay?”

— She was always mentally prepared, but I think she’s a bit shocked. I was wondering if you…

Seo Hee cut off the senior’s hesitant words, feeling like she knew what he was going to say without hearing the rest.

“The time is fine right now. I’ll go right away.”

— Are you sure it’s okay?

“Of course. I’m still unemployed, you know. I’m not going to the company, and I have a lot of time.”

— Thank you, Seo Hee. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to stay by Jae Eun’s side all the time because I think I’ll have a lot of things to do to prepare for the funeral. As you know, the other family members are a bit far away.

“I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll get ready and leave right away.”

— Thank you. Really, thank you.

After hanging up the phone, Kang Mo, who had been standing by the front door, had already come close to her side.

“Why, did something happen?”

“Oh, yes. The father of the elder sister I had dinner with today passed away.”

“Today? Suddenly?”

“He originally had a chronic illness. When I saw sister-in-law talking to him during dinner earlier, it seemed like his condition wasn’t bad today, but they said he suddenly passed away like that. I think I need to go right away. You go ahead first, okay?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Seo Hee went into the room and quickly put on a black suit. Seo Hee, who was rushing out with a small bag, paused when she saw Kang Mo still pacing the living room without leaving.

“Why haven’t you left? I told you to go first.”

“Are you okay? Is it okay for you to go to a funeral home?”

Seo Hee’s eyes wavered precariously for a moment. It was because the last time she went to a funeral home suddenly invaded her mind.

Kang Mo’s mother and the mother of my friend who died before. The image of her struggling to suppress her grief at the place where she was enshrined and eventually crying as if she was going to die soon came back as vividly as if it were yesterday. She had been sick for days after attending the funeral like that. Kang Mo also seemed to recall that time.

“Ah… It’s okay, then. Don’t worry about it.”

Seo Hee quickly brushed off the remnants of that day, which seemed to bring tears to her eyes just by recalling it, and tried to pull up the corners of her mouth.