Tae Ha held a secret meeting with Attorney Ju at a quiet traditional Korean restaurant on the outskirts of Seoul instead of calling him to his office to avoid catching Chairman Kwon’s eye.

Though the lawsuit was said to take 6 months to a year, he planned to end it earlier than 6 months.

“You’re not going to file a criminal lawsuit?”

Attorney Ju stopped midway through taking a spoonful of black sesame porridge and gaped.

“I’m thinking of not doing so.”

“Why? Isn’t marriage annulment difficult? It’s very tricky. If you make a mistake, it’s not annulment but divorce. Didn’t you say you didn’t live together for even a day?”

“We did live together.”

“What?!”

“We didn’t sleep together.”

“Wow, this is… Wait, you lived together but didn’t sleep together? Who would believe that? Two people whose names are clearly written on the marriage registration lived together but didn’t sleep together?”

“We weren’t dating.”

“Do you have to date to sleep together? Adults can sleep together if they click. It’s called a one-night stand.”

“Don’t they say if the body goes, the heart follows? If I give my body to a woman I’m not sure if I’ll like or not, then what? Does the heart just follow as an appendix? I don’t particularly want to add to that.”

“You never know how it might look to others. Let me hear your story in detail. Maybe because I’ve only heard it over the phone, I feel like I’ve been too casual about it. I couldn’t even imagine you living together.”

Tae Ha calmly and meticulously informed the lawyer of the situation so far. As a result, his portion of the food remained untouched.

“Looking at the evidence, it shouldn’t be difficult. Let’s try civil proceedings first, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll proceed with criminal charges and appeal then. That way, the documents will be clean too. And for now, send Song Eun Seo away. She could interfere with the lawsuit.”

That was Attorney Ju’s conclusion.

“She’ll be leaving soon.”

“That’s fortunate. And you know, lawsuits take quite some time. Moreover, if we go with just civil proceedings without criminal charges and don’t get an annulment verdict, it could take twice as long. During that time, can you avoid getting caught by the Chairman?”

“My senior will keep his mouth shut.”

“Is it enough if only I keep quiet?”

“We just need to make everyone keep their mouths shut.”

“You’re saying some scary things. If we’re not careful, we might end up buried in the mountains.”

“You think I can’t do it?”

“You’re… joking, right?”

“Want to test it out?”

Tae Ha playfully winked before sipping his tea.

“And senior, one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Can you recommend one more person among your acquaintances who can keep a secret?”

“Why, am I not enough? I’m a bit hurt.”

“I’m thinking of having that woman take on the lawsuit representation.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t have money.”

“So what? Why do you care about that? Whether the attorney’s fee is a thousand or a billion, it’s her business. If she really doesn’t have money, she can file the lawsuit alone. With skills to enter K University, she should be able to handle a lawsuit easily.”

“It’s her first time in court. It’s not a good thing either.”

“Anyway, don’t you both want the marriage annulled? Then it doesn’t matter if there’s no lawsuit representation. It’s not like divorce where one side needs to draw out a more favorable result. Why on earth do you care?”

Attorney Ju waits for Tae Ha’s answer with an expression of utter incomprehension.

“Well.”

“Sympathy?”

“Sympathy? When you put it that way, I have nothing to say, but even I can see that woman’s situation is pitiful. But if you look into it, what are you going to tell her?”

“I’m going to tell her there’s a pro bono lawyer.”

Attorney Ju finally put down his chopsticks.

“Pro bono? Don’t tell me you’re going to pay all the attorney fees? Not even a discount?”

“I want to do it.”

“At this rate, you might end up taking responsibility for the criminal case too. Wait, could it be that you, maybe…”

“What?”

“Never mind. Eat.”

Attorney Ju shook his head and picked up his chopsticks again, grabbing a slippery acorn jelly.

“Do you like that woman?”

The carefully picked acorn jelly fell with a plop.

“Don’t answer. It’s going to complicate things.”

Attorney Ju raised both hands in a gesture of restraint. Tae Ha chuckled and finally took his first spoonful.

“We should find a lawsuit representative quickly so the lawsuit can proceed faster.”

* * *

With the timely start of his vacation, Tae Ha was able to watch Eun Seo pack all her belongings.

It was quite a modest amount of luggage.

Two old trunks that looked at least 10 years old, one duffel bag. And the eco bag she always carried on her shoulder, like a soulmate.

The kind of luggage suitable for a long-term trip.

In fact, she hadn’t really unpacked anything properly, so it was hard to say she was packing, but that was all she took out of the guest room.

Commendably, Eun Seo carried the heavy suitcases, grunting, instead of dragging them to avoid scratching the expensive hallway floor.

Each of these little things occasionally asked him.

Did Song Eun Seo really commit fraud? The moment he concluded so, for some reason, a part of his heart dropped anchor and plummeted.

Don’t you already know the answer?

Tae Ha, who had been leisurely drinking coffee on the sofa, entered the room to bring out the remaining suitcase for Eun Seo.

The room was well-organized, with no trace of anyone having been there, from the curtains to the remote control, even the tissue box, and only the bed mattress was completely stripped of its cover.

As Tae Ha looked around the room, Eun Seo, seemingly caught, said,

“I’ve finished tidying up. I greeted Mrs. An earlier, and she said she’d wash all the bedding, so I stripped it off.”

A truly clean wrap-up.

Did she really commit fraud? Could a woman with this kind of personality really commit fraud?

It seemed more suited to Ha Eun.

The woman who deliberately took off her coat and thrust out her chest as if to show off.

Does she know that he didn’t eat because he was so disgusted by her obvious intentions?

“It’s neat.”

Relieved by his words, Eun Seo said,

“I cleaned the bathroom too, do you want to check? Inspector.”

She said this and walked to the bathroom without waiting for consent. Her steps seemed somehow lighter.

Was it because she was leaving this place?

Perhaps she felt like she was under surveillance, living in the same house with a man who thought of her as a criminal?

Feeling that she might be disappointed if he didn’t follow, Tae Ha followed behind her.

Indeed, as she said, there wasn’t a drop of water on the bathtub, sink, or toothbrush cup. Even the towel hanging on the towel rack was hung with its length perfectly matched.

“It’s really neat. But you didn’t have to go this far. After all, this is a guest room, so cleaning is the owner’s responsibility.”

“Ah.”

It was a short acknowledgment of realization.

“Don’t do this kind of work wherever you go next.”

Tae Ha grabbed the suitcase and pulled it before Eun Seo could come out.

“I’ll do it.”

Eun Seo, who came out late, rushed over and snatched the handle that Tae Ha was holding. But the moment her fingertips touched the back of his hand, she shrank back startled.

It was a moment too brief to feel whether it was warm or cold, but it was a moment when her whole body registered Kwon Tae Ha.

It was just a hand, but her heart rode a roller coaster up and down.

Eun Seo, afraid her hand might touch his again, couldn’t grab it aggressively like before and just fidgeted around the suitcase.

She needed to lift the suitcase, but she couldn’t remove Tae Ha’s hand from the handle.

“You’re in the way. Stand back.”

His tone was indifferent. Eun Seo, sensing that he was unlikely to give up the suitcase, quietly followed behind.

“Pull it like this. Don’t hurt your back unnecessarily when you can just clean once.”

Only after moving all the suitcases to the entrance did Tae Ha ask.

“When is the car coming?”

“It’s supposed to come in 30 minutes.”

“Cancel it.”

“But I need to go.”

“I’m not saying don’t go. I’ll take you. I need to know where you’re going. To see with my own eyes if you really enter that house or not.”

Eun Seo’s lips quivered with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Can’t you trust me a little?

She wanted to say something like that, but on the other hand, she realized that if Tae Ha drove her, she could save money.

Pride and whatever, she had to save money first. Pride and face often become powerless in front of money.

“Thank you.”

Eun Seo bowed lightly.

* * *

Sitting in the passenger seat next to Tae Ha, Eun Seo looked out the window, observing the streets in a somewhat awkward atmosphere. Perhaps because it was daytime, the outside viewed from the car felt warm.

Maybe because of the recent Christmas, the decorations in every shop window were beautiful.

How long has it been since I felt this way?

It seems like it’s been a few years.

“Is there any music you want to listen to?”

Eun Seo thought that Tae Ha must also find this atmosphere awkward. So music was just a means to fill this awkward space.

“You know, that friend of yours from the other day.”

“He’s my cousin. You haven’t seen him since then, right?”

Tae Ha glanced at Eun Seo.

Is there? How could she know when she went out to work?

“I haven’t. I’ve been carefully avoiding him.”

“But why that friend?”

“You also called him a friend.”

“He can be a friend too.”

Somehow feeling that Eun Seo was feeling wronged, Tae Ha readily acknowledged the term ‘friend’.

“The piece he was playing, that one, Piano Concerto No. 2, I really liked it.”

“Ah, that one.”

The piece that had involuntarily drawn Eun Seo’s feet to the piano.

Tae Ha selected and played the piece as she wished. A few seconds later, the piano melody flowed out.

“But.”

Tae Ha just threw that out and glanced at Eun Seo again.

“He made mistakes at about 2 minutes and 6 minutes then.”

Now Eun Seo looked at Tae Ha. She had no idea what he meant.

“What do you mean by ‘then’? 2 minutes, 6 minutes?”

“Never mind.”

Tae Ha, finding himself pathetic, didn’t bother to explain in detail.

What was he trying to do?

And whether she was really quick to give up or not, Eun Seo didn’t press further.

The car drove for 30 minutes and reached its destination. As the navigation announced the approach to the destination, Tae Ha parked the car on the roadside and scanned the area.

There were some decent buildings and some not so decent ones.

“Where is it?”

“Over there.”

Eun Seo pointed to a building with her index finger. Tae Ha leaned his head forward over the steering wheel and examined the building Eun Seo might have pointed to.

Most of the block-long street seemed to be occupied by goshiwons, and the building Eun Seo pointed to was among the most dilapidated.

“There?”

Tae Ha asked again as if to confirm. Hoping it was a misunderstanding.

“Yes.”

Ha. A short sigh escaped between Tae Ha’s lips.

An old gray building with traces of long years piled up as dust everywhere. Dark, rain-stained paths and damaged tiles here and there.

The sign that might have once read ‘Success Goshiwon’ had lost a character and now read ‘Suc Goshiwon’.

“It’s not great, is it?”

“Why did you come here? Is there a special reason? Like good security, or spacious rooms, or…”

“It’s cheap.”

Eun Seo cut off Tae Ha’s words.

If left alone, it seemed like more than ten reasons might come out of his mouth, but they were all uniformly from his world. Not reasons from the world she lived in.

“Then I’ll be going now, take care on your way back. And thank you for driving me.”

As Eun Seo unbuckled her seatbelt and calmly bowed her round forehead,

‘Vroom’

Along with the ignition, a deep exhaust sound like an animal’s roar shook the air heavily.

“What are you doing?”

A flustered Eun Seo tried to open the car door, but it wouldn’t open.

“Hey! What’s going on? I, I need to get out.”

Click click click click.

But the car merged onto the road, crossing a few lanes dangerously and hugging close to the center line.

Tae Ha kept his eyes fixed ahead, still keeping his mouth firmly shut.

“Hey, I need to go in there today. I’ve already paid in advance. Hey, can you hear me? Hey! I have to go to my part-time job too! Kwon Tae Ha!”

“Stop calling. I can hear you just fine.”