“I liked Min Woo oppa, so that’s why I sent him away!”

What? Yuri likes Min Woo?

Yuri froze in place with an unbelieving look on her face.

“Stop talking nonsense now. Yuri will be here soon, do you intend to let your sister know too?”

“Dad, don’t do this.”

Since when had Yuri had feelings for Min Woo?

Was the argument between Assemblyman Chae and Yuri that Madam An mentioned recently also because of Min Woo?

“No matter what you say, it’s useless. It wasn’t me who sent Director Kwon abroad, it was Chairman Kwon.”

“But you made Chairman Kwon make that decision, didn’t you?”

It seems Assemblyman Chae hasn’t told Yuri what Min Woo has been up to until now. If she had read the report written by Assistant Kim even once, there’s no way she would have reacted like this.

Why isn’t he telling Yuri? Is he worried about Yuri being disappointed when she sees the true nature of the man she likes?

“If Dad keeps doing this, I’m going to tell Yuri unnie everything. Because of me, Dad…”

Yuri could no longer just stand by and listen. In the end, she opened the door without knocking.

Assemblyman Chae noticed right away, but Yuri, whose back was turned to the door, didn’t realize Yuri’s presence at all. She continued speaking in an excited voice.

“Unnie will think Min Woo oppa got sent abroad because of her…”

“That’s right, Yuri. It’s because of me. Not because of you.”

When Yuri’s voice was heard from behind, Yuri turned around with a startled look on her face.

“…Unnie.”

Yuri walked past Yuri and approached the desk where Assemblyman Chae was sitting. Assemblyman Chae must have been as flustered as Yuri, but his expression didn’t change. He just looked at Yuri impassively.

“Assemblyman Jung escorted me to the front of the house. Father, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to tell Yuri about what Min Woo has been up to until now. That’s better than just hiding it like this.”

“Hmm.”

Assemblyman Chae seemed to think for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Do as you like.”

Having received permission from Assemblyman Chae, Yuri turned to face her sister. Yuri looked at Yuri silently with a bewildered expression. Yuri approached Yuri, took her arm, and led her out of the study.

After moving to Yuri’s room, Yuri opened the report that Assistant Kim had emailed her on her phone and showed it to Yuri.

As she flipped through the photos of the victims on the screen one by one, Yuri’s face gradually turned pale.

“No way. Did Min Woo oppa really do all this?”

“Yes. The reason Min Woo got sent abroad is because he stalked me, even going so far as to plant a listening device in my officetel.”

Yuri briefly explained what had happened. At first, Yuri was skeptical, saying it couldn’t be true, but eventually she hung her head dejectedly and let out a long sigh.

“…I’m sorry, unnie.”

Yuri looked at Yuri with an expression that was more pitying than angry.

“Since when did you like Min Woo? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t need to tell you, unnie. I had no intention of taking Min Woo oppa for myself. I just wanted to watch from afar.”

But it turns out Kwon Min Woo wasn’t a man worth that. Yuri already knew he had a prickly personality.

That he wasn’t of good character, that he was somewhat violent. But she hadn’t known he would use violence against his dating partners. To think he was this low…

“How did Dad know you liked Min Woo? Did you tell him?”

“No, just by chance.”

“When?”

“Not long ago. Right after Min Woo oppa came back from the Philippines. Dad said I shouldn’t even like him privately since he’s unnie’s fiancé. But when I said I couldn’t give up, Dad…”

The next words didn’t register. The suspicion that had been growing since earlier kept getting bigger. Perhaps Assemblyman Chae had sent Min Woo abroad not for her sake, but for Yuri’s.

She had often wondered why he had hurriedly gotten rid of Min Woo, even putting her in a dangerous situation. Now she understood.

Assemblyman Chae had clearly acted preemptively in case Yuri might approach Min Woo. Even using Yuri as bait.

Ha, the walls in her heart had been slowly crumbling…

Even though she knew what kind of person her father was… She had foolishly gotten hurt again.

As Yuri’s expression rapidly darkened, Yuri stopped talking and carefully gauged her reaction.

“…Unnie, are you very angry?”

“No.”

Yuri shook her head quickly.

In fact, Yuri didn’t need to feel sorry for her. It’s not like she chose to be born from an affair. If by any chance the truth were to come out, Yuri would be the one who would have to live with the label of illegitimate child for the rest of her life.

“Unnie, I’m really sorry. Sniff.”

Yuri’s eyes gradually reddened, and soon tears began to well up.

At least you can cry out loud. As for me…

Trying hard to hold onto her heart that was sinking endlessly, Yuri hugged her sobbing sister. With one hand she patted her sister’s back, and with the other she stroked her disheveled hair.

It’s truly a blessing to have someone to lean on comfortably in difficult times. Today more than ever, Yuri thought how envious she was of Yuri for having someone to lean on.

Who should I lean on?

The doorbell kept ringing incessantly. Je Ho, who had hurriedly finished showering, threw on a robe and went out to the living room.

Who could it be at this hour?

Je Ho frowned as he checked the visitor on the door phone screen. Yuri was blankly staring at the monitor. Without even thinking to put on proper clothes, Je Ho ran outside in just his robe.

As he opened the front gate, she fell into his arms as if embracing him, having been leaning against the door.

“Yuri?”

“I’m sorry. But I feel a bit dizzy…”

She whispered softly as she buried her face in Je Ho’s chest. Yuri’s body went limp as if drunk. There was no smell of alcohol.

Only her body was ice cold. Should he be relieved that at least she remembered to wear a coat today?

“Let’s not do this here, come inside.”

Je Ho lifted Yuri up as he closed the front gate. Walking straight through the front door and living room to the bedroom, he laid Yuri down on the bed and took off her jacket so she could be comfortable.

“What happened? Didn’t you say you were going to a gathering today?”

As he removed the jacket, a silk blouse was revealed.

Je Ho rubbed Yuri’s arms with his palms as he unbuttoned the blouse. How long had she been outside to be this cold? Her skin felt chillingly cold to the touch.

“I went to the gathering and then went home. After talking with Yuri for a while… I thought it might be more comfortable to sleep at the officetel, so I took a taxi… But suddenly I felt suffocated. So I got out and walked for a bit.”

“How long did you walk?”

Instead of answering, Yuri just stared at Je Ho. Then a slight smile appeared on her lips. Guessing what she was about to say, Je Ho frowned.

“You didn’t…”

She walked all the way here?

The reason she was limp was not because she was drunk, but because she was too exhausted.

I’m not sure how far she got in the taxi before getting out, but if she walked, it would have taken well over 2 hours. Je Ho looked down at Yuri in his arms with an incredulous expression.

She blinked her eyelids slowly as if about to fall asleep at any moment, with her cheek resting on his chest.

“At first I just walked. But as I kept walking… Hah, I remembered the promise I made with you, Je Ho. So I came.”

“The promise you made with me?”

Yuri nodded and raised her body that had been leaning on him. After staring at Je Ho for a while, she gently raised her hand and cupped his cheek as if caressing it.

“…You told me to never be in pain alone. To tell you right away if I felt even a little bit of pain.”

Yuri rubbed her chest with her finger as she continued speaking.

“Right now, it hurts so much here.”

“Did something happen?”

“Hah, a lot of things happened.”

Yuri smiled faintly as she spread her arms and hugged Je Ho’s neck.

“So comfort me a little.”

It wasn’t Yuri’s fault, but the fact is she had been hurt again.

Unable to stay at home any longer, Yuri made a legitimate excuse and left the house. While taking a taxi to the officetel, she felt so suffocated that she couldn’t bear it any longer.

Yuri got out of the taxi impulsively and wandered the streets aimlessly. She began to get irritated at herself for not being tough enough.

Even if she didn’t get angry, she could have at least said a few harsh words to Yuri to make her come to her senses. But she didn’t say anything and just comforted and soothed her crying sister.

Then suddenly Je Ho’s image came to mind. The image of him patting his broad shoulders, telling her to lean on him.

Even though she knew it was a false act, today more than ever she wanted to lean on those broad shoulders.

Even if it was an illusion, she needed someone to lean on right now. She needed someone to gently comfort her, saying it was okay. She thought she should use him as much as he had used her.

No matter what he was thinking inside, she could interpret it however she wanted.

Je Ho said nothing and just held Yuri tightly. Yuri exhaled deeply and shivered slightly in his arms. It seemed the cold still hadn’t left her body.

“This won’t do. You need to take a hot shower.”

At those words, Yuri shook her head and burrowed into Je Ho’s arms.

“I’m tired. I just want to sleep.”

“Then don’t shower, just get in the bathtub.”

That wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order. Je Ho turned on the hot water and lowered Yuri into the tub with her clothes still on. Exhausted in body and mind, Yuri didn’t want to move at all and obediently let him handle her.

He unbuttoned her soaked blouse while making eye contact with Yuri. As their gazes intensified, steam from the hot water gradually filled the bathroom.

“Why don’t you take the day off work today, okay?”

The next morning, Je Ho looked troubled as Yuri insisted on going to work.

“I’m fine.”

“Listen to me.”

Je Ho had reason to be concerned. Due to overexertion the night before, Yuri was suffering from muscle pain as if her whole body had been beaten. But she couldn’t just lie in bed.

“I need to keep moving. It hurts more if I stay still.”

When the worry didn’t leave Je Ho’s face, Yuri added one more thing.

“Don’t worry. I used to run marathons every year until last year.”

Yuri used to participate in charity marathon events on behalf of Assemblyman Chae. It was more walking than running, but she still completed the course without giving up midway. So she was somewhat confident in her ability to walk for long periods.

It’s just that last night she was wearing high heels instead of sneakers, and her body wasn’t fully recovered yet, so it was too much strain.

“I need to go home and change clothes before going to work, so I’ll leave first.”

Yuri downed the tomato juice Je Ho had given her as a breakfast substitute in one go and stood up.

“By the way…”

Je Ho spoke as Yuri walked towards the front door.

“Don’t you have anything you want to tell me?”

Yuri turned around with a puzzled look on her face. Je Ho got up from the dining chair and slowly approached Yuri, gently pressing his palm against her chest.

“The reason why it hurt so much here.”

She had clearly said a lot of things had happened. But last night, she didn’t say anything until the end. She just completely surrendered her body to his hands in the bathtub.

He didn’t expect an answer when he asked, but he couldn’t just stay silent either. Yuri looked at Je Ho silently for a moment, then smiled faintly and shook her head.

“Would you believe me if I said it hurt because I missed you?”

“So in the end, I was the one who hurt you?”

Je Ho couldn’t help but smile along with her, knowing full well it was a lie.

“Now that I think about it, that’s right.”

Yuri’s clear eyes sparkled as she looked at Je Ho.

“You were the one who hurt me…”

For a moment, Je Ho’s eyes narrowed as if tense.

Perhaps she was about to burst out with the suppressed truth now, he tensed up.