Even in a twisted father-daughter relationship, one cannot comfortably face their daughter’s unhappiness. With that, Yuri smiled calmly at the doctor.

“You don’t need to worry anymore. The dangerous game is over.”

Yes, it was just a dangerous game, not love. They couldn’t call it love when they couldn’t trust each other and stabbed each other in the back.

Just as he intentionally approached her, she intentionally betrayed him.

Yuri ended up disappointed in herself, just as she was disappointed in him. It wouldn’t have made a difference even if the swapped secret ledger was fake. There was no way to continue the relationship in this state.

So it was wise to stop the dangerous game now, before getting hurt further.

However, while her head accepted this, her lifeless heart shattered with a crackling sound.

Pressing her palm against her chest that felt suffocatingly tight, Yuri opened the front door and went outside.

Bright sunlight was shining from a cloudless clear sky. The sky was so blue today it hurt her eyes. But to Yuri, it felt as gloomy as a cloudy gray sky.

Because he was no longer by her side…

“Hah.”

Yuri let out a dry laugh as she hurried her steps towards the gate.

[This is the timeline separator]

It was slow, but time still flowed on steadily without stopping.

After a few weeks, an article about KG Group’s Managing Director Kwon Woosik appeared in a corner of the domestic newspaper’s business section.

Following the sudden overseas assignment of Manager Kwon Minwoo, who had been pointed to as the successor, Managing Director Kwon, who was second-in-command at KG Group, was dismissed, leading to speculation about changes in the succession plan.

Naturally, everyone’s attention turned to Kwon Jeho.

“Could it be that he’s going to work at KG Group not because of Arcadia Shopping Mall, but to go through the management succession process?”

During lunch, one of her coworkers casually brought it up.

Jeho hadn’t shown up at Bauhaus since the very next day after breaking up with Yuri.

Officially, it was said that defects occurred during the shopping mall building construction process, so Chairman Kwon personally asked Jeho to thoroughly review everything from the design drawings.

But looking at how things were going, it seemed Jeho was called into the group for the management succession issue.

“That could be. It was strange from the beginning. Why would a world-renowned architect come to our hole-in-the-wall company as a partner?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Even though he’s officially called a partner, he’s actually the real owner.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Since the director was having trouble running the company at a loss, he invested in a way that was almost like acquiring it. He said not to worry about money and work freely.”

“Wow, Jeho is really amazing!”

Everyone excitedly joined in the conversation, but Yuri focused on her meal with an expressionless face.

From the beginning, she didn’t think Jeho was avoiding her by going to work at KG Group instead of Bauhaus. On the day they broke up, he told her he would cut out the rotting parts of KG Group.

Although they had broken up, Yuri hoped he would successfully complete what he had planned. But that was all. She didn’t want to take a deep interest.

“By the way, Yuri, are you okay?”

On the way back to the office after lunch, Seonyoung handed her an iced tea and cautiously asked.

“Of course I’m fine. Why?”

“How should I put it, you seem to have become expressionless again, like before.”

“…Ah.”

Seonyoung was right. Yuri had returned to her former self, from the bleak times when she had no emotions. While dating Jeho, she would laugh at someone’s bland jokes and frown in agreement at annoying things.

The world that had been brilliantly colored with natural hues returned to black and white after breaking up with him. A world where only monotonous light and shadow existed… Days that continued simply because she could still breathe.

“My younger sister left for New Zealand recently. Thinking about being apart for a while made me feel down… I guess that’s why I’ve been unconsciously feeling low.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. Thinking of her sister who had fled overseas made her feel complicated and depressed. It was true that she worried about her sister being alone in a foreign country without knowing anyone.

Even in a foreign country, she couldn’t be completely free from the eyes of Koreans. That’s why Yuri always had to find new places. As she had to move to different places just when she started to get settled, no one remained by her sister’s side.

Seonyoung didn’t say anything. She just nodded slightly and gave a gentle smile.

Returning to her desk, Yuri woke up her sleeping computer and opened the Sketch Up file she was working on.

However, distracting thoughts kept popping up, preventing her from concentrating on her work. Eventually, Yuri put down her digital pen and turned her head to the empty seat next to her.

They say the day after a breakup is the hardest, but for her, it was harder the next day, and the day after that. Strangely, it got harder as days went by.

Even now, seeing Jeho’s empty seat made her heart ache as if it was burning up.

But… I’ll forget someday.

Yuri muttered to herself as she picked up her digital pen again and turned her head back to the computer screen.

She believed that if she tried hard enough, she would eventually overcome it. Since humans are creatures of oblivion, memories will fade and the pain will subside someday.

[This is the timeline separator]

Time passed like that once again.

On a Friday before the weekend, Yuri suddenly had to attend an urban architecture seminar held at K Hotel in place of Director Kim, who had an unexpected appointment with a client.

As she was just leaving the grand ballroom after the seminar, her phone in her bag rang.

It was a call from her aunt Miyeon in Europe.

“Yes, Aunt.”

[I told you before that I had to come to Korea. I’m coming to Korea next Tuesday.]

“How long will you be staying this time?”

[Well, it depends on how things go. I might leave the very next day or stay longer.]

Then Miyeon asked in an indifferent voice.

[How are your father and An Misook doing these days? They must be on edge, wondering when it will break in the media.]

“You know about it too?”

[Of course. Your father called and asked in detail. Hmph, I guess he thought I was the one who leaked the information. Well, I can’t blame him. I received Yuri with my own hands. I was the one who disguised her as my sister’s daughter.]

Miyeon, who had been an obstetrician, seemed to have been bothered by that incident all along, eventually closing her private clinic and leaving for Europe. Now she works in the medical department of a multinational pharmaceutical company.

[By the way, Yuri, do you know what your father is up to now?]

“What? What do you mean?”

[You don’t know. Tsk… anyway.]

“Aunt?”

[Let’s talk in detail when we meet. We’ll see each other soon, right?]

With those words, Miyeon hung up. Yuri stood still for a moment, lost in thought.

Was the reason for her aunt’s visit not for business, but because of the incident surrounding Yuri’s birth?

She had an ominous feeling that some big whirlwind was about to occur, but there was nothing she could do right now.

As she was about to start walking again, someone blocked her way.

“Are you Chae Yuri?”

When she looked up, a neat and tall man was smiling brightly at her.

“Who are you?”

“You’re even more beautiful up close. Nice to meet you. I’m Park Hyunjo.”

It was a familiar name she had heard somewhere before.

“My father mentioned it, right? That I would be coming to Korea this month.”

Only then did Yuri realize who the unfamiliar man standing in front of her was. He was the youngest son of Congressman Park Changseon, whom he had said he would introduce. Maybe because he was younger? His beaming smile made him look quite youthful.

“I heard you were here and came straight from the airport. I wanted to meet you as soon as possible.”

Hyunjo approached her in a friendly manner, as if they had known each other for a long time.

“I’m hungry, shall we have dinner together? I heard the seafood restaurant here is good.”

Yuri was perplexed by Hyunjo’s forwardness. But for Congressman Park Changseon’s sake, she couldn’t firmly push him away.

“I’m not hungry though.”

“But you still need to eat, right? I’m tired of eating alone. In America, I mostly eat alone.”

She was about to tell him to go home and eat with his family, but he beat her to it.

“I came a few days earlier than planned, so there’s no one at home now. They’re all on a trip.”

Hyunjo pouted and made a pitiful expression.

“It’s not just any day, it’s Friday. TGIF.”

Was it because she knew he was younger? Rather than feeling burdened, such an expression seemed cute. Like a large dog wagging its tail.

Yuri thought of her own dreary officetel. She would have to eat alone too. After breaking up with Jeho, she had been spending Friday nights with Hyunkyung until now. But today Hyunkyung had a family gathering and couldn’t meet.

“Alright, we should eat.”

When Yuri accepted his request, Hyunjo’s face immediately brightened.

When had he made a reservation? As soon as they entered the restaurant, the manager personally came out to guide them to a window table. Being located on the top floor of the hotel, a spectacular night view could be seen at a glance.

“What should we call each other? Should I call you noona? I’m 4 years younger.”

“Really? You look even younger, I thought the age gap was bigger.”

Taking it as a compliment, Hyunjo smiled, his eyes crinkling.

“Did you know that a 4-year age difference is considered a perfect match?”

“Is that so? I don’t believe in such things…”

Yuri replied indifferently as she picked up the water glass in front of her. As she pretended to drink water to avoid Hyunjo’s gaze staring at her, she suddenly remembered that there was also a 4-year age difference with Jeho.

Ah, how foolish. Why am I suddenly thinking of this here?

For a moment, it felt like she had swallowed a ball of fire as heat rushed to her throat. Yuri blamed herself for being shaken by such a trivial thing and gulped down the water.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ah.”

Woo Gyeol, who was entering the restaurant ahead, suddenly stopped. Then he turned back to Jeho with a flustered face.

“Sorry, I forgot Claire said this place wasn’t good. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Why waste time when we’ve come all the way here? Just go in.”

As Jeho ignored his words and walked past him, Woo Gyeol hurriedly followed. But he was a step too late. Just like Woo Gyeol had done, Jeho also stopped in his tracks. Jeho’s gaze was fixed on Yuri sitting by the window.

For a moment, as if time had stopped, Jeho stood still, staring intently at Yuri.

Has it been a month?

Seeing Yuri for the first time since breaking up, she looked better than he had worried, and a sigh of relief escaped him. Perhaps unlike him, she was coping very well.

She seemed to have lost a little weight compared to before, but at least there were no dark shadows. Yuri was smiling softly at the man across from her, apparently finding his words amusing.

That’s a relief. You seem to be doing well.

A bitter smile appeared on Jeho’s lips as he looked at Yuri.

But I’m not…

He had rushed to Yuri’s officetel several times in the middle of the night. But in the end, he couldn’t enter the building and just paced outside before turning back.

He had to endure no matter how hard it was because he said he would wait. When he returned, he would never let her go no matter what happened.

Even so, seeing her smile at another man made his insides burn. Perhaps that’s why his gaze towards the two became sharper.

It was then.

As if sensing something, Yuri slightly turned her head towards the entrance. Their gazes met in mid-air.

It was just for a moment, but an awkward atmosphere enveloped the surroundings. Yuri was the first to react.

Instead of making a stiff expression, Yuri gently raised the corners of her mouth and nodded slightly.

She even waved to Woo Gyeol standing next to Jeho. Woo Gyeol smiled awkwardly and bowed his head deeply towards Yuri. Then he quickly pulled on Jeho’s arm.

“Hey, let’s just leave.”

“Why leave? We should go say hello since they acknowledged us.”

“What? Hey, Kwon Jeho?”

Jeho shook off Woo Gyeol’s restraining hand and walked towards the window table. As Jeho approached her, Yuri’s eyes finally wavered greatly.

Why are you coming over?

Not having expected Jeho’s actions at all, Yuri furrowed her brow as if perplexed.

“Chae Yuri.”

A pleasant baritone voice was heard, and along with it came a sweet and fresh citrus scent. It was a scent she had missed so much it almost brought tears to her eyes.

Ah!

To suppress the exclamation about to burst out, Yuri bit her lip tightly.