“Mom, what brings you to the company?”

Seated at the desk in his office, I Seok stood up excitedly.

The one entering under the secretary’s guidance was Yeon Hee.

“I was passing by nearby and dropped in briefly. So this is where you moved the office?”

“Yeah. Does it look alright?”

“It’s impressive.”

At her smile, I Seok’s shoulders rose even higher with pride.

“Is the work manageable?”

I Seok said, gesturing towards the sofa.

“More or less. But there’s a mountain of documents to review.”

“Take care of yourself while working. If you get sick, nothing else matters. Well then, get back to work.”

“Are you leaving already? You should sit down and have a cup of tea at least.”

“I need to go see your elder brother too.”

At those words, I Seok’s brow furrowed slightly, but he soon spoke as if it were no big deal.

“Mom, he’s not there right now even if you go.”

“Why? Did he go out on business?”

If only he were capable of going out on business, that would be fortunate.

I Seok barely managed to hold back those words from escaping his mouth.

“You know. Elder brother can’t stay in the office for long. He’s probably out getting some fresh air again.”

Or lying down sleeping somewhere.

Seeing Yeon Hee quickly grow worried, I Seok said,

“Don’t worry too much. He may space out occasionally, but he’s not losing his mind like before.”

Yeon Hee let out a sigh.

“As you know, your elder brother is a bit unwell. So you need to take good care of him. Especially so he doesn’t get scolded by your father. Understood?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Mom trusts her good son.”

Yeon Hee smiled, affectionately patting I Seok’s shoulder.

*

“Stop.”

San Ha’s outstretched right arm.

Especially the tip of his index finger precisely pressed against the center of Yeo Reum’s forehead and pushed.

In his left hand, he still held a long fishcake skewer.

“Hey, Magpie. You’ll get in trouble if you pounce recklessly.”

He said, looking down at Yeo Reum who had failed in her attempt to hug him.

Her already round eyes grew even bigger and rounder, sparkling.

“Magpie, are you trying to act cute now?”

“It’s not acting cute, I’m completely adorable, aren’t I?”

Yeo Reum asked, widening her eyes even more.

“No. Not cute at all.”

Immediately, Yeo Reum’s lips jutted out in a pout.

“And no pouncing allowed.”

“But it’s to celebrate coming to Seoul? Even if I’m doing it because I’m really happy to see you, it’s not okay?”

“Nope, not okay.”

The protruding lips lowered obediently, as if there was no other choice, the arms that were still raised.

San Ha, who had paused momentarily, tried to eat the fishcake.

Then he glanced to the side.

The eyes that had been sparkling excessively just before were now downcast, looking only at the ground.

“Here.”

At San Ha’s words, Yeo Reum’s face lifted slightly.

“Want to eat?”

That brightly smiling face nodded hurriedly.

San Ha held out the fishcake skewer in front of Yeo Reum’s mouth.

Without hesitation, she quickly took a bite.

For some reason, she had a victorious expression.

“But what brings Magpie here?”

Yeo Reum answered while chewing,

“My friend works around here. I came to meet them briefly.”

“Is that so?”

What was in her mouth went down her throat with a gulp.

San Ha held out the fishcake skewer again.

This time too, Yeo Reum took a bite.

“But what brings San Ha here? Do you perhaps work around here?”

“No.”

San Ha pulled out the paper cup next to him and filled it halfway with fishcake broth.

Slowly turning the cup with his right hand, he asked,

“How’s life in Seoul? Is it okay?”

“Not really.”

Yeo Reum let out a sigh.

The fishcake skewer approached Yeo Reum’s mouth again.

“Why?”

Yeo Reum answered while eating the rest in one go,

“This is war. Especially my survival war. To be or not to be, that is the question!”

While chewing the fishcake in her mouth, she pretended to be in deep thought by pressing her forehead with her right thumb and index finger.

He nodded his head.

Yeo Reum chuckled.

“Why?”

“No, you’re making an understanding expression without even knowing the content.”

“Is that so?”

“But I’m happy.”

“About what?”

“That San Ha believes what I say.”

His black pupils stood out clearly amidst his disheveled hair.

He said,

“Want to eat a hot dog?”

“Yes!”

“Sauce?”

“Of course, lots of sugar and ketchup!”

San Ha said to the food stall owner,

“Please give us one.”

He handed Yeo Reum a hot dog well mixed with sugar and drizzled with ketchup, grinning.

“Thank you!”

She took a big bite at once.

Sweet and tangy, and even crispy too!

As Yeo Reum was about to eat the hot dog again, she noticed San Ha staring at her.

“Would you like a bite?”

She held out the hot dog.

As if he had been waiting for this, he took a bite.

But half of the hot dog disappeared.

As Yeo Reum looked dumbfounded, he said while chewing,

“Want to eat fried shrimp?”

“Yes!”

Yeo Reum was excited by the large fried shrimp San Ha handed her.

She held the hot dog in her right hand and the fried shrimp in her left.

Her mouth was so happy that she unconsciously hummed and her body swayed.

“But will you be able to endure it?”

“What?”

“You said it’s a survival war, right?”

“Of course. I will definitely endure no matter what. No matter what!”

Until I meet my mom and dad again.

Yeo Reum chewed the food vigorously while making a firm resolution inwardly.

Just then, she lifted her head at a pleasant feeling.

His large hand was gently stroking Yeo Reum’s head.

Her face suddenly turned bright red.

He said,

“Wiping off the frying oil. Towel substitute.”

When Yeo Reum immediately furrowed her brow, he laughed.

“Want to drink this?”

It was the paper cup filled with fishcake broth that he had been turning with his right hand.

“Yes!”

But with both hands full, she hesitated for a moment about which to put down, when the paper cup approached Yeo Reum’s mouth.

“Drink.”

He even kindly pressed it to her lips.

The broth was just warm enough to drink comfortably.

“Everything here is really delicious. Right?”

“That’s right.”

Although it was just an ordinary food stall, it felt more delicious than eating at a high-end restaurant.

That must be because of this man standing next to her.

Even though they had only met three times, he felt like an old friend.

Honestly, she wanted to call him her lover, but.

‘Lover.’

Me and San Ha as lovers…?

Yeo Reum looked at San Ha standing next to her again with fresh eyes.

‘I wonder how it would feel to be embraced by that perfect body.’

The image of his body lazily lying on the white sofa came to mind again.

Even those angry muscles so different from his leisurely personality!

Just thinking about it made her whole body tingle and twist.

As Yeo Reum giggled while eating, San Ha said,

“No fantasizing allowed.”

For a moment, Yeo Reum almost choked.

“No, how do you know what I was thinking?”

“Magpie, you were just thinking about my body, weren’t you?”

His low voice dropping was even more alluring.

Yeo Reum gulped.

She quickly licked her lips.

“What are you talking about? Not at all!”

“Yeah right. You had quite a lewd expression. Honestly, you even peeked at my bare skin. With lecherous eyes.”

He gently twisted his body and crossed his arms over his chest.

“…W-who peeked? And lecherous eyes? Where in the world are there eyes as innocent as these? And that day I just happened to see… accidentally.”

He approached Yeo Reum, who was breaking out in a cold sweat.

Her body tensed up involuntarily.

A faint, pleasant scent was emanating from him.

She felt even more entranced by his body odor.

‘He really is handsome no matter how many times I look. Whose son is he to have such good looks! Totally my type!’

“Magpie, I’ll eat this.”

Huh?

Before she could even answer, the last bite of the hot dog Yeo Reum was holding disappeared into his mouth.

“Why doesn’t Magpie eat the sausage? You must not like it.”

…Who?

Who!

That’s, the core of a hot dog!

I deliberately left it for last to eat it!

Seeing that defeated look on her face, San Ha leaned in and whispered softly in her ear,

“Turns out you’re a perverted magpie.”

Yeo Reum’s face turned bright red.

But he just laughed as if it was amusing.

*

“Wow, it’s snowing.”

As she was coming out of the food stall, Yeo Reum looked up at the cold sensation touching her body.

She thought she had seen all the snow since it was already March, but snow was falling from the sky.

Yeo Reum spread her arms and twirled around once.

“What are you doing?”

San Ha asked.

“It’s snowing.”

“Were you a puppy instead of a magpie?”

He walked ahead.

Yeo Reum quickly followed and stuck close to his side.

“Why are you following me?”

“Because I like it.”

“What?”

“And I want to roll around with Gu San Ha.”

“…What did you say?”

“That’s what a perverted magpie thinks about, right?”

His smooth and beautiful brow furrowed slightly.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to roll around with San Ha in the snow? But what’s with that expression? Don’t tell me you’re disappointed now? Because I said snow field instead of bed? My, how naughty!”

Yeo Reum hit his chest with a “thump thump” before running away.

“Wow, I’m seeing snow in March. I love it! Love it!”

Yeo Reum, who had been laughing loudly, started hopping up and down.

“Come on. What are you doing?”

San Ha, who had been staring in disbelief for a moment, started walking.

Then he looked up at the sky again.

The sky dyed in heavy ink colors.

And the snow that would just make everything dirty and muddy if it kept falling.

But thanks to Yeo Reum’s words, it felt quite romantic.

“San Ha, let’s go in there.”

Yeo Reum stopped in front of a store.

It was a large sporting goods store.

“Why there?”

“Let’s just go see.”

She practically dragged him by the arm into the store.

“Pick some.”

“What?”

“Pick whatever sneakers you want.”

“Why?”

“I’ve been eating delicious food from you every time. So I’ll give you a gift.”

As Yeo Reum’s gaze stopped at his feet, San Ha said,

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Flip-flops aren’t appropriate in this weather, are they? Do you have a lot of body heat?”

“Maybe. But the perverted magpie must like it?”

Yeo Reum slightly furrowed her brow.

He chuckled and said,

“I appreciate the thought, but it’s fine.”

“Still, wear sneakers on a day like today. You could get frostbite or slip on the snowy road and it’s dangerous.”

“Well, if you really want to give a gift that badly, why don’t you pick for me, Magpie.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah.”

Yeo Reum was delighted at his permission.

Soon she looked around the store here and there and came back with a white pair of sneakers.

They had a sleek design and the sole cushioning looked good.

“How about these?”

“They’re nice.”

“Try them on.”

At Yeo Reum’s request, he sat down on a chair in the store.

Even his toes were so neat and pretty that it was heartwarming.

He took out the paper bunched up inside the new shoes and put his foot in.

“How is it?”

“Perfect fit.”

Even to Yeo Reum, they suited him perfectly.

The employee standing next to them was also going crazy saying how great they looked.

“But Magpie, can I really take these?”

“Of course.”

“You’ll regret it, you know?”

“Why?”

“They say if you buy someone shoes, your lover will run away.”

He walked over to the mirror to examine the shoes and turned to look at Yeo Reum.

“Though I guess it’s fine since we’re not lovers?”

Seeing Yeo Reum flustered, he said,

“Anyway, thanks.”

“Ah, wait. Just wait a moment!”

Yeo Reum held him back as he was about to head to the counter and ran to the back.

“These are for San Ha too.”

Yeo Reum returned with a bright smile, holding flip-flops in her hand.

“This way you can go back to your original state anywhere, right?”

“These aren’t shoes, they’re shackles?”

“Just think of it as a buy one get one free deal. And as a bonus, these too! Ta-da!”

What she pulled out of her back pants pocket were two pairs of white socks.

“Set. Set. Good, right?”

Seeing Yeo Reum showing her even teeth in a wide smile, San Ha said,

“Thank you. I’ll wear them well.”

“Okay.”

Even while spending money, Yeo Reum was happy.

But San Ha asked for them to be wrapped.

“Why don’t you just wear them out?”

“It’s a waste. They’re new.”

His words made Yeo Reum’s heart even warmer.

Soon they left the store with him holding two paper bags.

Just then, Yeo Reum’s phone vibrated.

As soon as she saw the first line of the text message, her brow furrowed.

「 The eldest lady says there’s an important matter and to return home right now. Right now! 」

The sender of the message was Manager Pyo.

Yeo Reum lowered her phone and shoved it in her pocket.

She felt bad about being forced to end this enjoyable time.

But it was an unavoidable situation, so Yeo Reum said,

“I think we need to part ways now.”

“Did something happen?”

“I’ve been summoned home.”

He nodded.

Their steps headed towards the bus stop visible ahead.

As if their luck had suddenly turned bad, even the bus going home was pulling in right away.

“I had fun today. And take care.”

“You too.”

As the bus stopped at the station, people started boarding.

“Magpie.”

Yeo Reum, who was about to get on the bus, turned her head to look at San Ha.

“Call me if there’s an urgent matter. When it’s really urgent.”

Yeo Reum waved her hand big with a bright smile.

“Okay!”