The rain was still pouring down like a beast, and Ji Soo’s figure was getting closer and closer.

“… Director?”

Without an umbrella to cover herself, Han Ji Soo was hugging a plastic bag to her chest. Naturally, she was drenched from head to toe. Although the temperature wasn’t low, who knew how long she had been wandering around in the rain. Ji Soo exhaled roughly while hunching her shoulders.

That sight was both pitiful and annoying. Why did this woman have to take such risks for his sake? Why was she putting herself in a predicament by doing things he didn’t even ask her to do?

Then, suddenly, Joo Hyuk was perplexed by these thoughts.

He wanted to hug her. He just wanted to fully embrace the woman named Han Ji Soo with his arms.

He thought this was just a sense of pity for a woman who looked like a wet rabbit. Han Ji Soo looked too miserable and too soaked right now.

Joo Hyuk, who felt impure emotions towards a subordinate, felt a pang of guilt for a moment. Then, thanks to Ji Soo’s voice calling him again, he woke up from his thoughts.

“Director… What brings you here?”

Ji Soo tilted her head, looking at Joo Hyuk who was examining her without answering.

Without a word, Joo Hyuk took off the anorak he was wearing and covered Ji Soo’s upper body with it. The white short-sleeved cotton T-shirt he was wearing underneath got wet immediately, but Joo Hyuk didn’t care at all.

“Director, I’m fine!”

“You don’t look fine at all, so shut up and just put this on.”

“… Still.”

“You talk too much. Didn’t you hear the precautions from Director Hwang? I told you I don’t like people who talk back to me.”

“… I’ll wear it well.”

Joo Hyuk covered Ji Soo’s chest area with the anorak and tied the sleeves to secure it. It was much better now that at least half of her wet upper body could be covered. After finishing the emergency treatment, Joo Hyuk grabbed Ji Soo’s wrist and pulled her tightly to his body.

“Who… told you to wander around these streets? Are you in your right mind? What’s going on in that head of yours to be running around fearlessly?”

“I’m sorry for worrying you…”

“Why don’t you have an umbrella?”

The scent of rain mixed with the scent of flowers. It was a strong scent that made her feel faint.

“I went out with an umbrella. But it was taken away by begging children.”

Ji Soo sighed as she recalled the situation from earlier.

***

The children rummaging through the plastic bag took out drinks and vitamins. When they were going through the inside of her handbag, Ji Soo, who had been pleading, raised her voice with a shout.

“Wait, don’t take that. No!”

Perhaps it was because Ji Soo had spoken so loudly. The children seemed to hesitate for a moment, then threw away the plastic bag and only snatched the handbag.

“There’s nothing much in there…”

Even though the children wouldn’t understand her saying it in Korean, Ji Soo shouted at the top of her lungs to stop them. Then, suddenly, she realized that there was a group of adult men watching the children from afar, and she quietly closed her mouth.

They weren’t just children who only begged on their own. She realized that they were members of an organization doing dirty work under the direction of those men. She also learned as a bonus that if she resisted here, she would only bring about bigger problems for herself.

Ji Soo could only watch as the children took her handbag, rummaged through it, opened her wallet, and even took her cell phone. The children, who even attentively took Ji Soo’s umbrella, ran towards the group of men all at once.

‘At least I kept this.’

All that was left for her was the fever reducer, ion drink, and vitamins in the plastic bag. It felt as if a storm had passed, making her feel dizzy. Ji Soo, who barely pulled herself together, finally realized that she had lost her sense of direction.

Was it this way? Or that way? Her faltering steps were precarious.

At that moment, she stopped walking at the familiar voice calling her name loudly enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.

This voice…

If she wasn’t hearing things, the owner of this voice was none other than Joo Hyuk. For a moment, she was so happy and surprised that her eyes turned red. It was like meeting an ally on the battlefield.

***

“Come closer.”

Joo Hyuk’s voice wasn’t very gentle, but his actions were warmer than anyone else’s. The force pulling her shoulder inward with his arm around it was strong.

He was just playing the role of a superior taking care of an employee who didn’t come back, but…

Her heart was pounding erratically on its own. As if electricity was running through the arm in contact with his. She couldn’t come to her senses from the subtle sensation.

Was she the only one paying attention to this? Ji Soo glanced at Joo Hyuk’s face, but she couldn’t read any emotions from his expression. Whatever. Ji Soo felt a little disappointed.

***

When they arrived at the hotel lobby, Joo Hyuk looked at Ji Soo’s appearance in the bright light and let out a long sigh.

“For now, let’s go to your room together, Han Ji Soo.”

“My room?”

“That’s not what you bought for me, right? My room is being cleaned right now.”

It did seem a little strange to clean the room at this time, but… If Joo Hyuk said so, then that was that.

“Yes! Director. I’ll make it properly for you!”

Somewhere along the way, the wet rabbit had found her energy and was smiling. Despite being thoroughly stripped by children whose names she didn’t even know, what was she so happy about to be smiling like that? At this point, Joo Hyuk became a little curious about Han Ji Soo’s brain structure.

“First, change your clothes and dry your hair.”

“Yes! Then I’ll be out quickly.”

There was a clattering noise from the bathroom, and soon Ji Soo came out in light clothing. A short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts. With her hair down, she looked 5 years younger.

Ji Soo opened the cap of the ion drink and put a foam vitamin in it. She held the drink container with both hands and shook it up and down, then opened the cap and handed it to Joo Hyuk.

“Please drink this, Director.”

Joo Hyuk, who took the drink container in his hand, let out an unintentional chuckle.

What was this? Putting one vitamin in an ion drink, what great efficacy did it have? He was dumbfounded, wondering if she had gone through danger to buy this.

Ji Soo tore open the damp medicine packet.

“And here’s the fever reducer. You can take 2 of these.”

“…..”

Joo Hyuk swallowed the pills without a word.

“Director, you should hurry and go change your clothes. What if you catch a terrible cold?”

That’s right, why wasn’t he doing the obvious thing now?

Joo Hyuk couldn’t understand his own desire to stay longer in this room.

“See you tomorrow, Han Ji Soo.”

This was too much. Joo Hyuk composed himself and headed towards the door.

“Director, thank you so much for today.”

He could hear Ji Soo’s voice behind his back, but Joo Hyuk just nodded his head once without turning around.

***

Se Yoon had half of her face wrapped in a scarf and was even wearing sunglasses. There was only one reason she came here today. To see the face of her son Seo Hoo and gauge her own feelings. However, this was the ACS Airlines headquarters building, so it wouldn’t be good to be seen by someone, so she had to thoroughly hide her appearance.

In the distance, she saw Seo Hoo walking while holding the hand of a middle-aged woman.

At that moment, it felt like her heart had dropped to her feet with a thud.

How long has it been? You’ve grown up well.

Even while holding the hand of the middle-aged woman, his bouncing steps looked full of energy from the morning.

Yes, that’s how Min Seo Hoo should be.

From the moment he opens his eyes to the moment he falls asleep. If he’s not still for even a moment, he wouldn’t be Min Seo Hoo.

Se Yoon nodded, recalling old memories. Seo Hoo seemed to be doing well and healthy. Thinking that way, her sense of guilt lessened considerably.

At that moment, a strong wind blew towards Se Yoon, and the scarf covering her face loosened. When the startled Se Yoon picked up the scarf that had fallen to the ground and looked straight ahead, her eyes met Seo Hoo’s directly.

Even though she was wearing sunglasses, Seo Hoo recognized Se Yoon’s face in an instant.

“Mom!”

Convinced it was Se Yoon, Seo Hoo shouted and ran towards her.

Thinking this shouldn’t happen… Se Yoon ran away. With the thought that even if they met again someday, she absolutely shouldn’t meet Seo Hoo now, she ran and ran.

How long had she been running? Se Yoon, realizing that Seo Hoo was no longer chasing her, sat down on the spot and exhaled heavily.

***

While near the headquarters, Se Yoon called Gang Jin. Although it hadn’t been long since he started the day’s work, Gang Jin came to meet Se Yoon without a word.

Se Yoon had her face tightly wrapped in a scarf in this hot weather. On the table were two iced coffees that Se Yoon had pre-ordered.

Gang Jin looked at the coffee cups instead of Se Yoon’s face.

“There are people who will recognize my face, so it’s not good.”

“Yes, that’s a wise thought. By the way, what brings you here? I’m sure I told you. That you should avoid going out for a while.”

“I know, but there was something I had to check, so I came out.”

“What is it?”

After hesitating for a moment, Se Yoon, who had sucked on the coffee through the straw, soon opened her mouth.

“You know… I’ve made up my mind.”

“About what?”

“I… I don’t want to go back to Seo Hoo anymore. I’m going to keep being with you, Gang Jin.”

“Why did you make that decision?”

Se Yoon recalled the situation where she had encountered Seo Hoo a little while ago. Her feelings and mood at that time were vividly felt.