Lee Kang Mo stared at Baek Seo Hee silently, deep in thought for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You say I’m like a younger brother to you, that you truly care for me like a real younger sibling.”

Kang Mo, who used to shudder at the mere mention of being called a younger brother, was now eagerly using the term whenever it suited his needs.

“You’re the one who said no. You pushed me away, annoyed, asking if I thought you were really my elder sister.”

“So, you’re going to pretend not to know me now, after cherishing and looking after me like a real younger sibling?”

“You don’t need me anymore. You’ve already overcome it all. Look at you, you must have been eating and living well, your body is in much better shape than before…”

What are you saying, Baek Seo Hee. Shut up. Get a grip.

“Anyway, you seem to be doing well.”

“Baek Seo Hee… Was that something that could be overcome? Losing our elder sister like that, and then our mother… Is that something that can be overcome?”

“Ah… That… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

The death of her friend, Lee Joo Yeon, left an indelible scar on Seo Hee’s heart as well.

Not noticing her friend’s pain, thoughtlessly brushing it off as a silly joke… That accident, which she might have been able to prevent, left a huge scar on Seo Hee’s heart, making her beat her chest with regret for a long time.

If her own heart as a friend ached this much, how much more painful must it be for the family?

Watching his family go through a long, dark tunnel from the day her friend became a star in the sky was an extremely painful experience.

In an instant, dew welled up in Seo Hee’s large eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold it back, but despite her efforts, thick tears flowed down her cheeks. Her head dropped.

“Damn…”

Kang Mo, who had been watching, swore under his breath and roughly wiped his face with one hand. A long sigh escaped involuntarily. He hadn’t meant to speak so harshly…

Knowing how much Seo Hee was hurting over the incident, knowing better than anyone how much guilt her tender heart carried, he had been blinded by his desire to hold onto her and spewed words he didn’t mean.

“I misspoke. Don’t cry.”

“…”

“You fool, did you commit a sin? Raise your head.”

“…Okay.”

As Kang Mo gently dabbed at her tears with a napkin, he rose from his seat and approached Seo Hee.

“Get up. Let’s move somewhere else.”

Her bowed head showed no sign of lifting.

“People are staring. Let’s get out of here. Okay?”

Seo Hee nodded silently. Kang Mo picked up the bag beside her and helped her to her feet, as if to support her.

Lost in her own thoughts, Seo Hee allowed Kang Mo to lead her somewhere. By the time she came to her senses, she was already standing in front of his suite.

“Kang… Mo.”

“Don’t worry unnecessarily. I’m not going to eat you. I brought you here because I was afraid you’d keep crying. Did you want to do that outside where everyone can see? Embarrassing.”

She shook her head weakly from side to side.

“Still… This is a bit…”

Kang Mo inwardly laughed a little at the hesitating Seo Hee.

She always claimed not to see him as a man, but these little things that unintentionally showed otherwise were like proof that she was actually conscious of him as a man, to the point where it felt rather welcome.

“Baek Seo Hee. I’m not the kind of man to force himself on someone who says no. What do you take me for?”

“I didn’t think that.”

“Don’t give me that. You’re a terrible liar.”

Kang Mo inserted the key card and opened the door wide, then slowly pushed Seo Hee’s back. A startled gasp could be heard from Seo Hee as she carefully stepped inside.

It was a room the chairman had reserved. He wasn’t sure what the man had been thinking, preparing a well-decorated suite that seemed more suitable for newlyweds, but thanks to that, Seo Hee would be able to rest comfortably.

“Go sit on the sofa and relax. Wine? Whiskey?”

“I’ll have wine.”

While Kang Mo prepared the wine, Seo Hee chose to sit in the single lounge chair next to the sofa that could easily seat six or seven people, and quickly scanned the suite with her eyes.

The night view spread out through the wide windows, the spacious living room, the high-end furniture and elegant interior all clearly revealed that this was the highest-grade room.

It was vastly different from her own room, which had no living room.

Seo Hee cleared her throat, feeling strangely awkward as she watched Kang Mo approach with a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other.

“Aren’t you being too extravagant? Did you really need to get such a large room for yourself?”

“Well, the chairman booked it.”

Seo Hee paused for a moment and asked Kang Mo cautiously.

“Chair…man? Are you referring to… That chairman?”

He had played a decisive role in making Seo Hee leave.

Seo Hee carefully refrained from speaking and brushed it off.

“I think I might have heard about him in passing before.”

Kang Mo nodded his head indifferently and sat on the sofa close to Seo Hee. As he poured the wine into the glasses, he smirked and asked Seo Hee as usual.

“This is much softer and more comfortable, so why are you sitting over there?”

“Ah, this is comfortable too. The backrest is curved and the chair is plush.”

“Then pull the chair closer. You won’t even be able to reach the glass. Want me to pull it for you?”

“No, I’ll do it.”

Seo Hee awkwardly got up from her seat, pulled the chair closer, and took the glass Kang Mo handed her.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“You’re not even a stranger, yet you keep thanking me.”

Kang Mo stared at Seo Hee as she sipped the wine, as if embarrassed, and asked softly.

“Are you a bit calmer now?”

“Oh, yeah. About earlier… I’m really sorry. I was a bit rash with my words.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t exactly great either. So you don’t need to say any more. I don’t want to see you cry again.”

Kang Mo took off the suit jacket he was wearing and tossed it to the side of the sofa.

As if his neck felt stuffy, he unbuttoned a couple buttons of his white dress shirt and carelessly placed his wristwatch on the table. He also placed the cufflinks from his wrists next to the watch and rolled up his sleeves.

With each movement, a neutral scent wafted faintly, and the movement of his firm upper body was clearly visible beneath the white dress shirt.

Kang Mo, who had been swirling the wine glass on the table, picked it up and slowly savored the wine.

Seo Hee was quite flustered by her gaze naturally drawn to him. Glancing at Kang Mo as he leisurely enjoyed the wine, she found herself unconsciously comparing his appearance when she left him to his current appearance.

The twenty-four-year-old Kang Mo and the now twenty-eight-year-old Kang Mo looked quite different.

His tall height was the same, but while the twenty-four-year-old Kang Mo had an average build closer to a pretty boy idol image, the current Kang Mo’s physique was vastly different from back then.

Having shed the youthful rebellious image, there was something dangerous about Kang Mo now, and Seo Hee found it uncomfortable to meet his eyes.

Lost in her own thoughts, sipping the remaining wine little by little, Seo Hee was unaware of how intently Kang Mo was watching her.

“Shall we continue our earlier conversation?”

“Huh? What conversation?”

“Come back to Korea. Help me out a bit. I haven’t been doing as well as you think.”

“…”

“I can’t eat well. Nothing suits my taste. The reason I’ve bulked up is purely thanks to the ruthless sacrifice of many chickens and protein shakes. Not from quality food.”

Seo Hee looked at Kang Mo with doubtful eyes and let out a small sigh with a wry smile.

“Don’t be ridiculous. If I had cooked for you, how devoted would I have had to be for you to not be able to eat other food? Stop being unreasonable and just find a nice woman to marry.”

“I’ve searched high and low, but there are no good women around me. The closest to my definition of a good woman is you.”

Seo Hee glared at Kang Mo with a rather fierce gaze.

“Lee Kang Mo, listen to yourself. It’s always you, you, you. I’m your elder sister, two whole years older than you. I understand the casual speech, but the way you address me…”

Kang Mo let out a small snort.

“Is being two years older something to brag about?”

“Just two years older, you say. Two years means I’ve eaten at least a few more bowls of rice than you.”

Pfft. The mocking laughter that burst from Kang Mo’s lips cut off Seo Hee’s words.

“Baek Seo Hee, after elementary school, when my appetite was at its peak, I ate at least two bowls per meal every day. Even eating, I ate way more than you. Don’t even compare.”

“Ha, fine. You ate… more rice. No, that’s not what I meant.”

Her voice didn’t rise much even when she got worked up, which was just cute.

“Do you want me to call you elder sister that badly? If I do, will you come back?”

“No, don’t. Just don’t do anything and stop being so unreasonable. Back then, you seemed like you needed help. I just wanted to do for you what your sister couldn’t. It doesn’t seem like you need that kind of help now.”

Kang Mo kept his gaze fixed on Seo Hee’s eyes as he placed the wine glass he was holding on the table and leisurely leaned back on the sofa. He stretched his long legs out in front, crossed them, then laced his fingers behind his head, looking utterly relaxed as he stared at Seo Hee.

Seo Hee shrank under Kang Mo’s gaze that seemed to pierce through her as he smiled languidly.

“Baek Seo Hee, I’m pretty sure I directly said with my own mouth that I need help.”

“You’re an adult now. I think you’re past the age of needing help.”

“By that logic, I was a twenty-four-year-old adult back then too. Not an age that needed help.”

“I told you. Back then, you… seemed unstable. If I had really been your elder sister… I would have done the same as me.”

“Yes, that’s right. If you were my real sister, you would have willingly listened to my request now too.”

Neither Kang Mo nor Seo Hee was willing to back down.

“I’m not your elder sister.”

“When did you say to think of you as a real elder sister?”

“You’re the one who said I could never be your elder sister.”

“Back to square one again? Us.”

Seo Hee’s lips felt parched under Kang Mo’s unwavering gaze. She gulped down the remaining wine in her glass in one go.

Kang Mo, who had been leaning back leisurely, picked up the wine and refilled her glass, then asked casually.

“Tell me why it can’t be.”

“There are many reasons why it can’t be.”

“So tell me. You’re clearly thinking of going back to Korea. If you weren’t, you would have clearly said you had no intention of returning when I asked earlier.”

“…”

“Don’t bother lying that you have unfinished business here, and don’t make excuses about being busy. I know you don’t have anything urgent to do as soon as you go back to Korea. And don’t say you’re going to help your mother. I know your mother closed her side dish shop less than a year after remarrying.”

“You… How do you…”

Kang Mo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and tilted his head to look at Seo Hee. His gaze, even closer than when he was leaning on the sofa, was scorchingly hot.