A pleasant scent always lingered around Ha Jun, who didn’t wear perfume or heavy makeup, mixing the clean smell of body wash with her own fragrant and sweet body odor.

The faint thudding of her heartbeat even sounded like sweet music played gently by an unnamed instrument.

Peaceful. Being with this woman gives a strangely calming feeling. And an unquenchable hot desire also arises.

Unable to satisfy the exquisite thirst no matter how hard he tried, Yi Hyun always left the officetel and returned home after Ha Jun fell asleep.

Otherwise, he didn’t know what he might do.

Even on holidays, for similar reasons, he intentionally only visited briefly at night. He never slept at the officetel.

For the peaceful daily lives of both of them, especially Ha Jun, Yi Hyun was testing his patience every day.

How long had they been feeling each other motionlessly like that? Suddenly, the docile Ha Jun flinched. Yi Hyun also felt the change that she felt.

Ha Jun’s earlobes instantly turned bright red.

Yi Hyun’s Adam’s apple bobbed greatly as he looked down at that.

In an instant, Yi Hyun flipped over, looking down at Ha Jun pinned beneath him. With not just her earlobes but her face and neck all flushed red, Ha Jun looked like a flower bud about to fully bloom.

His eyes lit up as he gazed intently at the beautiful bud.

As his slowly descending lips gently overlapped with Ha Jun’s, tender hands wrapped around Yi Hyun’s nape.

Though there was no notable conversation between them, they had naturally grown closer during their time together. Yi Hyun always initiated, but Ha Jun never pushed him away when he approached.

Thus, Yi Hyun seeped deeper and deeper into Ha Jun’s once barren life.

Ha Jun was gradually adapting to the comfort he gave while being with Yi Hyun. And her feelings for him were also growing slowly, very carefully.

Now quite accustomed to Yi Hyun’s warmth, Ha Jun tightened her arms holding him.

Feeling that, a deep smile played on Yi Hyun’s lips.

Yi Hyun’s eyes as he looked down at Ha Jun’s sleeping face were, perhaps without him realizing it himself, quite warm.

Does this woman know that she looks more human when asleep than awake? No, she probably doesn’t know.

Surely he alone knows Lee Ha Jun’s human-like expressions.

Yi Hyun was extremely satisfied with that.

As he gazed at Ha Jun’s deeply sleeping face with eyes full of contentment, Yi Hyun suppressed the rising desire and got up from the bed.

It was time to go home.

As he put on the watch he had left on the nightstand, his gaze turned to his phone making a buzzing sound.

The caller displayed on the screen was his elder brother, Il Jun.

“Why are you calling at this late hour? Did something happen at the company? Was there another accident?”

– Are you living together at the officetel?

Yi Hyun’s lips pressed into a hard line at Il Jun’s stern question.

Really meddling in everything.

“Brother. You shouldn’t interfere in your grown-up brother’s private life.”

– If your private life was clean, you wouldn’t be interfered with. You were doing well until now, why suddenly this?

Yi Hyun sighed deeply at the reproachful voice and glanced at the sleeping Ha Jun before leaving the bedroom.

To think even his brother, not his mother, would show interest.

It would be better to make excuses and cut off the interest. Thinking that, he retorted sarcastically.

“Isn’t it better than causing trouble here and there?”

– Talking as if you always did that. Tsk, there might be less trouble with that actually. Do you know how tenacious and toxic human affection can be? Later, even if you want to cut it off, you can’t cut off that damned affection.

“Brother. Don’t worry about me and just live your own clean life. This is just…”

Yi Hyun paused as he was speaking. How could he explain a woman like Lee Ha Jun?

“A doll-like woman.”

Yes, a doll. There’s no word that fits better than that.

– A doll? Are you playing with dolls or something?

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

She really is like a doll. Expressionless, stiff, and never showing her inner thoughts…

– Watch yourself.

“I’ll take care of it myself, so stop worrying.”

At Yi Hyun’s cold voice, a small sigh was heard from the other end of the line.

– Be careful not to cause any noise. Soon Se Ra and I will get engaged, and then it’ll be your turn right after. Mother doesn’t want to drag out the time for our marriages.

Yi Hyun’s eyes widened at Il Jun’s words.

“Oh Se Ra? You’re getting engaged to Se Ra? Was this agreed with Se Ra?”

– Isn’t it obvious? Who else is there that suits me besides Oh Se Ra?

“Huh… Impressive. Both you and Se Ra.”

– I know you’ve been close since before, but show some manners now. Stop fooling around at Se Ra’s office. And settle things with that woman too. Don’t make me investigate my brother’s woman.

“I’ll take care of that myself. Let’s hang up now. My ears hurt from hearing such ridiculous things.”

A sigh escaped Yi Hyun’s lips after ending the call.

“Ha, getting engaged to my brother without telling me? Oh Se Ra?”

Yi Hyun called Se Ra and gripped his phone again.

He suddenly thought about looking at Ha Jun’s sleeping face one more time before leaving, but Se Ra answered the phone faster.

Seeming regretful, Yi Hyun briefly gazed at the closed bedroom door before turning away.

“Oh Se Ra! Where are you now? I’m coming over so we need to talk. I don’t care if it’s 1 AM or whatever, I have to see you!”

Urgent footsteps were followed by the beeping sound of the front door locking. Then the bedroom door opened with a creak.

Ha Jun slowly walked out with an expression that would have really shocked Yi Hyun if he had seen it, and slumped down on the sofa.

“A doll…”

Ha Jun murmured blankly, looking dazed.

She was from a different world and owed him a huge debt that couldn’t be easily repaid. So even though they couldn’t have the same starting point, she had thought that just as she was drawn to Yi Hyun from the beginning, he might have had somewhat different feelings for her too.

“I guess not…”

To Yi Hyun, Ha Jun’s value was just playing with dolls, like playing house.

She shouldn’t have accepted his help from the beginning.

Then she could have kept the man she was hopelessly drawn to from the start as just a fleeting good memory.

Even if it meant the path to escape from Jae Sook became longer and more arduous.

But in the end, Ha Jun had accepted his help, and ended up filling her small heart completely with the man named Kim Yi Hyun. Even knowing that his feelings for her were just pity, sympathy, and twisted desire.

“Why am I so stupid…”

It’s not like I’m lacking anywhere… No, maybe I am lacking.

The long time Ha Jun had given up being human under Jae Sook’s violence had turned her into an idiot.

Thanks to Yi Hyun, she had escaped from the deep mire that was suppressing her, and thought she had changed a bit after that, but it seems that wasn’t the case. Seeing how she was stupidly in love all alone like this.

She now painfully regretted the past times when she had helplessly given up on herself.

“Fool…”

A faintly tearful voice trembled softly.

Ha Jun slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She desperately suppressed the sorrow trying to escape her throat and swallowed her tears.

Don’t cry. Please don’t act like a fool.

But Yi Hyun’s cold voice still echoed in her ears. The cruelly painful voice of the man she had taken into her heart for the first time in her life.

The next day, as soon as she opened her eyes, Ha Jun left the officetel and started walking aimlessly.

On the bright summer streets, there were many people with happy and joyful expressions. Ha Jun walked and walked, carefully observing each of their various expressions.

Suddenly, Ha Jun’s steps halted in front of a mirror set up outside an accessory shop. There, as always, an expressionless woman was staring intently at Ha Jun.

As she stared intently at her expressionless self, Ha Jun slowly curled up the corners of her mouth. The distorted lips, unclear whether smiling or crying, looked quite funny.

“It’s awkward…”

Smiling is difficult, huh…

A face seemingly devoid of emotion, also looking somewhat gloomy. Her gaze passed over the makeup-free face in the mirror to the long, fine-textured dark brown hair.

Ha Jun raised her slender fingers to brush through her long hair that reached down to cover her chest. The soft, natural long hair that had never been treated despite her age tickled between her fingers as it passed.

“Should I… change at least this…”

Right next to the accessory shop, at the end of her gaze was a black sign that read “Happiness” hair salon. Ha Jun stared at the inside of the salon through the glass windows for a moment before entering as if entranced.

A young female hairdresser with a friendly impression greeted her with a bright smile.

“Hello. Are you here to get your hair done?”

“Yes. I want to cut it.”

“Then please come this way. Is there a specific stylist you’re looking for?”

“No. Just…”

“Alright, then please give me your bag and jacket and have a seat here to wait.”

Ha Jun awkwardly nodded and sat in the chair the woman pointed to.

Shortly after, a tall male designer approached with a smile.

“Hello, customer. How would you like your hair done? Do you have anything in mind?”

“No… I just want to change my hairstyle a bit.”

“Then would you like to take a look at this? Please choose from here.”

The hairdresser brought a tablet and swiftly flipped through photos of female celebrities. Then he pointed to a long wavy hairstyle.

“In my opinion, I think this would suit you well.”

“I want to cut it shorter.”

“Ah, then how about this?”

The hairdresser flipped through a few more photos and recommended a shoulder-length bob that was a lighter brown than her current color, looking feminine yet lively.

“You’re so pretty that anything would suit you well, but I think this would look really beautiful on you.”

“Do it.”

Ha Jun immediately agreed without hesitation. Then she sat up straight facing the mirror in front and closed her eyes.

After Jae Sook left, there were many changes around Ha Jun besides Yi Hyun.

She gained wonderful colleagues who saw her as she was and laughed with her. Her boss, who was so cool that compliments naturally spilled out when looking at him, and Se Ra always looked at Ha Jun with eyes full of trust.

Ha Jun was no longer the lonely island she used to be.

So now it was time for her to change more actively as well.

Ha Jun opened her eyes. The sound of scissors moving reached her ears. Her hair now shortened to a bob, Ha Jun stared straight at her expressionless self in the mirror.

Don’t just sit there stupidly feeling sad. After all, that person and I are meant for different endings.