For a moment, confusion passed across Junhwi’s face.

It was a subtle change, but Yeonwoo could perceive it. The fleeting emotions on his face.

Under normal circumstances, she would have been delighted to notice his change. Feeling the thrill of being the only one who could see the real Kwon Junhwi, different from others.

But what if it was also a delusion?

I might not be the only one who possesses all of this man’s senses.

After learning about Lim Nayoon’s existence, Yeonwoo’s certainty that she alone had drawn meaningful emotional changes from this stiff man began to fade.

“How did you find out?”
I couldn’t bring myself to say that I eavesdropped.

I didn’t want to appear petty, and I didn’t want to give any hint that I knew about his past with Lim Nayoon.

“Sang Group is correct, but I’m not the successor. My maternal uncle is the chairman, and although my mother has some shares in certain affiliates, I’m not inheriting anything.”

Instead of Yeonwoo, he admitted first.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Is it important who my maternal uncle is?”

I couldn’t think of a valid reason to counter his question.

“It’s important. It’s important to me.”

“Does it change anything about Kim Yeonwoo or Kwon Junhwi if I tell you?”

There was no logical or rational flaw in his statement.

Yet, there was still an indescribable sense of hurt.

“…Then is there a reason I shouldn’t know?”

“What?”

“Am I not a valuable enough person for you to share such important facts?”

Am I not fitting for you, or as Cha Hyanbin sneered, am I just a passing connection?

Although I wanted to ask more directly, my pride didn’t allow me to go that far.

“Yeonwoo, what are you thinking?”

He let out a wry smile. His eyes, now devoid of leisure, had solidified so much that it felt piercing.

“If you were of no value to me, I wouldn’t have exposed my bottom in front of you.”

Misunderstanding his younger sister, who came to the office, led to the painful past Junhwi learned about.

The ‘bottom’ Junhwi was talking about was precisely that past.

The most intimate wound he hid, which stood like a firm fortress.

Revealing it to Yeonwoo in its raw form was Junhwi’s way of expressing affection.

But…

“Nayoon knew too.”

…She might have revealed it to Nayoon in the same way. No, there might be a few more people.

Once the delusional thoughts started, they didn’t stop, even though I knew they were meaningless and futile. Despite knowing, it slipped out of Yeonwoo’s control.

Rather, jealousy and resentment began to sneakily raise their heads in this gap.

Watching Yeonwoo’s tightly closed lips, Junhwi stood up from his seat. After removing the stuffy bow tie, he touched his waist.

“Why do you insist on not properly seeing what’s in front of you, even when I show it to you as it is?”

“Am I forcing anything? Me?”

“Then what is this right now?”

Alright, stop. Junhwi’s chest, speaking like that, violently stirred. He was holding back intense anger.

…Isn’t it more about understanding why the lover is upset right now?

“I can’t do anything about my birth background, unfortunately.”

“…”

“But apart from that, I’ll do everything I can. What exactly do you want?”

Well, even Yeonwoo herself didn’t know exactly what she wanted or how she wanted it.

“Can’t answer? Then let me change the question. What did I do wrong?”
“Lawyer, it’s not about being wrong.”

“Why didn’t you clarify about my family from the beginning, which I don’t even care about?”

“Just, just a little disappointed.”

“That disappointment must have come from blaming me. Isn’t that right?”

I don’t know what to say to him calmly pushing me. Yeonwoo shut his lips again.

Yeah. Even if it’s just a petulant tantrum for no reason, there’s nothing to say. Because my capacity is small, I can’t deal with it maturely.

I know his words that he will do everything he can for me are sincere.

But right now, it’s not something grand, I just······ wanted assurance.

No matter how the past was, even if reality is overwhelming, don’t waver.

We are still each other’s wholly owned, each other’s unique existence.

I just wanted to confirm it with his firm low voice.

I didn’t want a logical and systematic judgment through this dry cross-examination.

“Why is there no answer?”

He wanted a clear answer even in this moment.

How can a person’s heart fit perfectly every moment as if it were measured?

“······I need time.”

“What time, how much.”

“I don’t know! But I need time to calm down and accept it.”

This time, his words were cut off.

Ladies and gentlemen, the fireworks will start soon. The announcement from the speaker cut through the silence between the two.

“Why do we have to conflict over my family issues from the beginning, I can’t understand.”

Junhwi, who had been silent, finally opened his lips.

“Anyway, nothing will change between us, and I don’t know why we have to waste time to gain something.”

Ah. Yeonwoo’s lips sighed weakly as they opened.

“If you don’t understand, there’s nothing I can do.”

Once again, did the gap that couldn’t be filled deepen?

Yeonwoo, who had suddenly risen, went to Junhwi. Looking at his chest in front of him, he pulled out his jacket that covered his body.

“This, we don’t need it anymore.”

In an instant, all the lights on the cruise ship went out.

Even to the lovers who faced each other with tense tension, the darkness of a summer night descended.

“Yeonwoo.”

With his low voice, Bang, fireworks burst from the sky.

The large yellow and red lights illuminated the surroundings, and then, like a residual image, like flower petals, they fell. People’s admiration and applause poured out.

“Are you really going to go like this? Without anything being resolved?”

“······.”

Bang, bang. Then five more fireworks drew beautiful circles in the night sky, creating a beautiful tapestry of the night.

In the light that brightened and disappeared, his determined face faintly appeared.

Soon his resolute voice flowed through his lips.

“I’ll clear away all other complicated thoughts and make you see only me. Kim Yeonwoo.”
Junhwi took out the room key from the pocket of Yeonwoo’s lifted jacket and handed it to her.

“If you want it too, come to my room tonight.”