-For the time being, Director Kim will be assigned to Mother. Did you hear me?

“…What?”

Inho, who was washing his face with one hand while keeping his eyes closed, asked again.

“Could you please say that again? What did Father say?”

-He said he would assign Director Kim to help Mother. If needed, we can discuss it later.

Inho left his mouth half open with one hand on his dry face.

He couldn’t believe it.

His own father volunteered to help.

-Anyway, I met with Director Kim yesterday evening, and she had already organized quite a bit about Taesin, anticipating this situation. I think we can move faster than expected.

His mind, which had been blank, quickly came back.
Still unable to erase the bewildered expression, Inho continued the conversation with Yeongseon in a much calmer voice.

The call lasted quite a long time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Suyeon woke up around lunchtime.

Seeing Suyeon come out of the bedroom while holding her head, Inho smiled gently.

“Did you wake up?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry. I slept too long.”

“No, I purposely didn’t wake you. You seemed to be sleeping deeply. Sometimes you need days like that.”

“But what about you, Inho?”

“Oh, I think I should eat lunch. I was planning to wake you up anyway. It’s good to sleep well, but let’s eat and go back to sleep if you want.”

Suyeon, who had been blinking her eyes, lowered her head in response to Inho’s calm words.

In recent times, their relationship had improved a lot, and today, in particular, it felt even more affectionate.

It was more affectionate, and within it, there was an excessive sense of caution.

It must be because of what happened yesterday.

Just thinking about it, Suyeon already felt her chest tightening.

“Don’t just stand there, come and sit. You just need to bring out what’s there. I set it up for you.”

Inho’s voice penetrated through the feelings of slumping.

Suyeon took a deep breath.

Although she wasn’t feeling well, she had to pretend to be fine since Inho was making such an effort.

She pulled up her lips forcibly, sat down in front of the dining table, and looked at Inho’s awkwardly arranged meal.

The awkward table setting resembled Inho and looked lovely.

Just looking at it made her feel a little relieved.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

After finishing the meal, the two sat side by side on the living room sofa.

Each had a mug in their hands.

After taking a sip of coffee, Inho, hesitatingly, cautiously asked.

“Yesterday, what happened?”

Suyeon’s face, which had relaxed a bit, stiffened in the blink of an eye.

It was expected.

However, confirming it with his own eyes hurt much more than he had thought.

“Whether it’s right to ask or wait until you speak first, I was contemplating……. ”

“……”

“Anyway, I kept worrying.”

Inho chose his words carefully not to make Suyeon feel burdened.

“Did something happen outside?”

“That’s……”

“Did you perhaps meet a friend? It seems you didn’t go to the house in Seongbuk-dong.”

“…Yes, I didn’t go to Seongbuk-dong.”

Suyeon didn’t give a clear explanation, but she answered Inho’s question.

Even that was as expected.

‘I hoped you would talk first…….’

But if she indeed met relatives yesterday, it would be difficult for her to talk easily.

Understanding that, Inho conveyed the words he had prepared in case of such a situation.

“It seems difficult to talk about what happened. I thought it might be better to wait until you speak, but……. ”

“……”

“I kept worrying because I didn’t know what happened.”

Inho didn’t show any bitterness and gently told Suyeon that he would wait until she felt comfortable talking.

“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. You can tell me when you feel comfortable later. I was just worried because you cried so much yesterday, wondering if something serious had happened.”

“That too, I’m really sorry.”

“I don’t have anything I should worry about, right?”

“…No.”

“And you don’t need any help from me?”

“No, it’s okay. Just… It’s something I can handle.”

“Are you really okay?”

“If I need your help, I’ll let you know. About what happened yesterday… I’ll talk about it when the time comes. For now…”

Suyeon’s face, clouded with guilt, blurred the end of her sentence.

Inho nodded gently.

He was still curious and concerned, but to ease any discomfort Suyeon might feel, he had to hold back from asking too many questions.

“Yeah. If that makes you feel comfortable, do it that way.”

“Thank you for understanding…”

Suyeon’s fingertips trembled pitifully.

Her fingers, which had been unsure where to go, desperately clung to the warm mug.

In the warm air of the cozy house, she seemed to be wandering alone in the cold, her cold demeanor evident.

It shook Inho’s heart once again.

Although he wanted to leave Suyeon as she was, there were still unanswered questions.

Inho forcefully separated his lips, heavier than ever.

“Suyeon, there’s one more thing I want to ask. If you answer this one, I won’t ask any more questions. Promise.”

He stared at Suyeon with clear, shining eyes.

Just that made Suyeon noticeably uneasy.

It weighed heavily on Inho’s heart, but he forcefully pulled away his lips.

“Suyeon, can I ask you one more thing? If you answer this one question, I won’t ask anything else. Promise.”

Even as he spoke, and after the words left his mouth, Inho never took his eyes off Suyeon.

Suyeon’s expression changed rapidly.

Her pupils expanded as if struck by a sharp point, and then quickly, she lowered her head with a face that seemed about to cry.

There was no answer that came back through Suyeon’s voice. But just that was enough for Inho to be sure.

His intuition had not failed.

As promised, he didn’t ask anything more.

He just wrapped Suyeon’s shoulders, pulling her into a deep embrace.

That was the best Inho could do at the moment.