In-ho, who had just left the lounge, quickly entered the elevator, holding his phone in his hand.

He immediately dialed the number that was recently recorded in the call log.

After a few signal beeps, the voice of his third brother, Jin-hyuk, came through from the other side of the phone.

－Yeah.

“Hyung, thanks. Since I’ve taken care of everything, you can start operating the lounge again after 30 minutes.”

－What exactly are you up to? Mother seems busy these days because of something related to you. She mentioned something about Ms. Je-su. What is it, exactly?

“It’s too complicated to explain right now. Anyway, thanks to you, I could work comfortably.”

－Are you, by any chance, meeting another woman at the lounge today, leaving Ms. Je-su behind?

“Don’t joke like that. Where else would there be another woman besides Soo-yeon?”

－If that’s the case, I’m relieved. You’ve always been a bit extraordinary since you were young. But let’s not make such requests in the future. I allowed it today because you seemed urgent, but let Je-su know that I arranged a place for you to meet another woman for whatever reason. How do you think I look in front of Ms. Je-su?

The voice on the other side of the phone started as a joke but ended with a serious piece of advice.

In-ho couldn’t readily counter any words with such precise accuracy.

“……Okay. Sorry for suddenly making such a request. Thanks for listening.”

－You don’t need to thank me. Treat Ms. Je-su well since you have a remarkable actor as your little brother. Let’s grab a meal together with Ms. Je-su when you have time.

“Yeah, I’ll contact you when I have time. Thanks for today. And I believe you’ll handle things well, but please keep an eye on the employees.”

－You’re causing trouble because of your famous actor little brother. Okay, got it, you punk.

Jun-ho, reluctantly but eventually, gave In-ho the answer he wanted.

Originally, the venue was chosen as TK Hotel to avoid unnecessary noise, but with Jun-ho giving a definite response, In-ho felt even more relieved.

Putting the disconnected phone back into his jacket pocket, In-ho checked the elevator indicator.

He was getting closer to the parking lot.

Soon, the door opened, and he hurriedly stepped out.

Approaching his parked car, he grasped the paper bag placed on the passenger seat with a sense of unease.

From inside it, he took out a scented candle.

In the large glass bowl, there was only enough left to burn once more, as Soo-yeon had mentioned.

Therefore, he had to be even more cautious.

Because I have only one chance left.

Using the last remaining opportunity to confirm only where Soo-yeon was and what situation she was in was like embracing all the uncertain risks.

It was no different from blindly taking on all the risks.

Without any plan, doing that would entail absorbing all the unpredictable risks.

The magical event that unfolded between that couple one day, In-ho needed it so desperately.

So, enduring a long, endless night, he patiently asked Glass for a meeting.

It was intuition.
There was a strong conviction that Hye-kyung existed as the reason for Soo-yeon’s inability to return, but it seemed that wasn’t the only reason.

Having patiently endured a time so sluggish that it felt awkward, confirming the baseless intuition turned out to be more valuable than expected.

“But this is also a matter related to the future of your acting career. As for me, I can take a break for a while and resume activities as a model for our company, but it’s not the same for you. They might deliberately block your path from the Taeshin side. So, it’s better to think more carefully…”

“Oh, no, Oppa! That will never happen! I’m absolutely sure of it. So, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’ve liked you for a long time, as I mentioned yesterday. I’ve been waiting for a day like today. If it weren’t for that woman, I might have married you. But because of that woman…!”

Even with the direct mention of ‘Taeshin’ in the brief conversation, Yuri showed no signs of shrinking back. On the contrary, she was confident that there would be no harm coming from Taeshin. In-ho, having organized his thoughts up to that point, took a lighter in his hand. Then, without any lingering attachment, he lit the scented candle.

As the fire caught and a sweet scent filled the car, In-ho rolled down the window slightly and took a deep breath.

Soon, along with a dizzying dizziness, a headache rushed in.

Amidst the chilling sound, Hye-kyung revealed herself through the open door.

Both Soo-yeon and Sujin were surprised by her sudden appearance. Both of them showed unusual reactions, but Hye-kyung approached Soo-jin with a gentle tone as if unaware of the situation.

“Did you eat something?”

“Ah, um, Mom.”

Soo-jin, unable to suppress her embarrassment, stumbled over her words unknowingly.

Fortunately, Hye-kyung’s gaze was free of suspicion again.

Soo-jin quickly composed her expression and raised her head towards Hye-kyung.

“Aren’t you eating?”