“What’s bothering you so much?” Donghun, who had been listening to Suyeon’s sighs, asked cautiously.

“It’s not that I’m worried… Ha, what if Oppa also interferes with Grandfather there? How am I supposed to accept that?” Suyeon poured out the words that she couldn’t bring herself to say in front of Chunho.

She had heard from Hyunjung before about the possibility of him taking the chairman’s position, but she treated it as if she hadn’t heard it. It was both inappropriate and too much for her.

But now, to receive all of Chunho’s stocks, Suyeon couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed.

“Just think of it as Grandfather’s intention. Don’t attach too much meaning to it.”

“Oppa, do you know how much the Taeshin stocks Grandfather holds? It’s enormous. But why should I receive it? Even if I accept it a hundred times over, how am I supposed to manage it? I don’t even know the basics of stocks.”

“Don’t worry about trivial matters. What if Grandfather doesn’t even know about the transfer? They’ll just change the name to yours, and the management will continue through Secretary Kim as always.”

“Yeah, so… Why bother changing it to my name?”

“Suyeon, do you know how old Grandfather is this year?”

Suyeon, who had been sulking, looked at Donghun with a puzzled expression.

The conversation that she had never deeply considered suddenly brought many thoughts to her mind.

“Grandfather seems genuinely fond of you. I’ve grown up seeing Grandfather for such a long time, but I’ve never seen him as generous as when he deals with you.”

“…”

“For Grandfather, that’s his way of expressing affection. Despite knowing you’d feel uncomfortable, he thinks of you so much that he wants to give you everything he has, considering you like a granddaughter.”

Suyeon stared into space with unfocused eyes, unable to respond to Donghun’s words.

She knew that Chunho showed unusual affection towards her.

However, she had always thought that it was because he somehow knew about her difficult past under the Chun family and was being considerate.

To Suyeon, Chunho had been like a role model of a kind and affectionate adult from the moment she first met him.

Chunho had no expectations of her. If she had to wish for anything, it would be that he continued to show his affection by occasionally casting his eyes on her.

So, to Suyeon, the idea that Chunho considered her a granddaughter just like Donghun said…

“Ha…”

Suyeon let out a deep sigh.

Despite Donghun’s advice revealing Chunho’s feelings more deeply, her heart still felt uneasy.

“And frankly, if you get everything and become rich, it wouldn’t be bad, right?”

“If it looks so good, why don’t you take it instead of me?”
“Hey, it can’t be like that. Grandfather said he would give it to you.”

Donghun raised his head with a mischievous expression.

While Suyeon’s mind was in turmoil, Donghun’s playful attitude was particularly irritating. Yet, she couldn’t simply think of him as annoying. In his own way, he was trying to lighten her burden.

“If you receive it, buy delicious things. Let’s enjoy the benefits of having a rich younger sister.”

In the end, Suyeon could only let out a small laugh.

Donghun also smiled like a fool as he looked at Suyeon.

How much time had passed?

Suddenly, as if something had come to mind, a smile disappeared from Donghun’s lips.

“Oh, Suyeon… There’s something I want to ask…”

“What is it?”

“By any chance, have you heard from Sujin?”

Suyeon’s eyes, which had been drawing smooth curves without a hint of suspicion, momentarily widened and then vibrated finely.

The name and the events from five years ago, temporarily forgotten in the busy daily life, suddenly resurfaced.

“Are you okay?”

After the surgery, when she woke up a week later, it was another week before Sujin visited.

Sujin stood in front of the hospital room door, unable to come closer, with tears streaming down her face.

As if she couldn’t take a step closer because of guilt.

Seeing Sujin struggling, unfamiliar and beyond just being uncomfortable, it was a strange sight.

If Suyeon hadn’t talked about Inho and the events during the past week, she might have treated Sujin with some coldness.

But she couldn’t.

Everything Sujin helped with—allowing Inho to make a call, taking care of him while looking out for Hyekyung, and even opening the door when the police searched the house—Sujin did it all.

Yet, even knowing all that, how could Suyeon be unkind to Sujin?

“Come here, Sujin.”

For the first time, Suyeon reached out to Sujin without fear.

However, Sujin couldn’t easily approach.

Smiling gently with a heart willing to wait as long as needed, Suyeon didn’t retract her hand extended towards Sujin.

It was a long time before Sujin’s warmth finally reached the tips of Suyeon’s fingers.

As their hands joined, Sujin burst into tears.

Feeling the overflowing emotions in her sobbing, Suyeon became sentimental.

It wasn’t only me who had a hard time, huh?

You, too, have been struggling in a different sense all along.

Realizing that, Suyeon felt her hardened heart melt like snow melting away.