“Hah……”

Ba Ha stood in front of the hospital room door, unable to open it, sighing repeatedly as if turned to stone.

Her mind was filled only with thoughts of doing well, and Tae Un patted her hand, which showed her emotions clearly on her face.

“I’m ready.”

Knock knock knock.

Two women appeared as soon as the door opened.

Tae Un’s mother, Soo Hyun, with her elegant appearance that made it hard to believe she was ill even without makeup, and his aunt, Soo Ran, standing by her side, both had the same sharp features as Tae Un.

“Welcome.”

Soo Hyun greeted Ba Ha with a bright smile.

“Ah, hello. I’m Han Ba Ha.”

Ba Ha greeted Soo Hyun and handed her the fruit basket she had been struggling to carry, which Soo Ran took instead.

“Welcome. I’m this child’s aunt. You can speak comfortably, right? Woo Tae Un, is that okay?”

“Aunt, when have you ever asked for my permission?”

Tae Un’s grumbling expression was softer than ever. The expressions of Soo Hyun watching the two, and Tae Un looking at Soo Ran and Soo Hyun were indescribable.

To think such a gaze could come from looking at family.

It was a gaze full of affection and tenderness for each other.

Seeing that gaze, Ba Ha was reminded of the time she lived with her mother.

Back then, she had looked at her with such a gaze. Because her mother, who expressed love daily, was by her side.

“I heard you’re currently working at our company?”

“Yes…? Yes! I’m in the PR team.”

Lost in thoughts of the past, Ba Ha hurriedly gathered her wandering mind and answered when Soo Ran spoke to her.

“Why haven’t I seen you before? I couldn’t have missed someone so pretty.”

“Sister, stop teasing. You’re making Ba Ha uncomfortable.”

As Ba Ha’s face grew redder at Soo Ran’s playful words, Soo Hyun laughed and slapped Soo Ran’s arm.

“That’s right. Aunt, please stop.”

Soo Ran shrugged playfully and laughed, and Tae Un let out a chuckle.

They looked comfortable.

Ba Ha, who had never heard a word about family and was seeing this comfortable expression for the first time, soon had a relaxed smile spread across her face.

“Ah, I’m so thirsty~ Woo Tae Un, go buy some coffee. Get juice instead of coffee for your mother.”

“I know that much. But aunt, you’re not even thirsty.”

“I said I’m thirsty. Hurry and go……”

As Soo Ran put on an awkward act and spoke to Tae Un, the two began to bicker. In between, Soo Hyun smiled brightly, and only Ba Ha, who was seeing this scene for the first time, didn’t know how to react.

“Oh? Then I should……”

Soo Ran grabbed Ba Ha’s wrist as she tried to get up. Seeing this, Soo Hyun and Tae Un exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“Hah…… Alright, aunt, stop teasing Ba Ha.”

“Oh my? Woo Tae Un, you’re so unfamiliar. Just go quietly. Are you really that oblivious, or just pretending to be?”

“Okay, I’ll be back.”

As Tae Un patted Ba Ha’s head on his way out, she looked at him and nodded slightly.

After Tae Un left the room, only the two curious people and Ba Ha, receiving all their gazes, remained.

“……Haha.”

Ba Ha could only give an awkward laugh as she received those gazes.

“Ba Ha, is our Tae Un treating you well?”

Soo Hyun asked Ba Ha with sparkling eyes.

Tae Un patting Ba Ha’s head, Tae Un looking at Ba Ha with loving eyes, the warmth that couldn’t be felt from the usually cold Tae Un surprised Soo Hyun.

“Yes. He treats me well. He’s really too good for me and I’m very grateful.”

As Ba Ha spoke with her face reddening again, Soo Hyun and Soo Ran’s faces gradually spread into pleased smiles.

“Thank you, Ba Ha.”

“Yes…? I haven’t done anything? And um… please speak comfortably, mother-in-law.”

“Should I? Ba Ha, I thought Tae Un would never get married. Well, forget marriage, I thought he’d never even fall in love.”

“……”

“Whenever we mentioned marriage, his face would harden terribly. I couldn’t even bring it up anymore… I guess it’s because of what he saw growing up? Marriage, love. He hated anything that required giving his whole heart.”

Soo Hyun spoke bitterly, and Soo Ran quietly listened to her story while stroking her arm beside her.

“But suddenly he said he was getting married. To be honest, until then I thought it was a lie.”

“……”

“Now that I see Ba Ha’s face, I think I understand. That it wasn’t a lie. Thank you. Ba Ha, thank you for agreeing to become our Tae Un’s family.”

It was warm.

Perhaps Tae Un’s warmth also resembled Soo Hyun’s.

The warm tone, the warm temperature. All of it resembled Soo Hyun.

“Thank you so much.”

“……No, I’m grateful to Tae Un.”

“If Ba Ha is okay with it, I and my sister would like to become Ba Ha’s family too. Would that be alright?”

Why were tears starting to well up?

It felt as if the warmth of family that she had longed for all her life was now allowed to her, and Ba Ha’s eyes gradually became moist.

“……”

Don’t cry. You can’t cry.

Not wanting to ruin this warm moment, Ba Ha lowered her head and bit her lower lip, trying hard to hold back her tears.

“Haha. Sister, I think we made Ba Ha cry.”

“Yeah… Ba Ha, are you okay?”

Soo Ran came to Ba Ha’s side and stroked her back.

Creak.

Tae Un, who seemed to have returned in a hurry, entered the hospital room while catching his breath. Worried about Ba Ha being alone, he had rushed back to the room as soon as he received the coffee.

As soon as he opened the door, Tae Un’s heart sank when he saw Ba Ha’s back with her head lowered.

“Huh…?”

Why?

It was definitely a good atmosphere earlier.

“Are you… Huh? Ba Ha, are you crying?”

Tae Un knelt beside Ba Ha and asked, looking at her.

“No, I’m just so happy……”

Ba Ha wiped her tears and smiled, then continued speaking.

“Is it okay for me to be this happy?”

Is it okay to be this happy?

She had only decided not to push it away, but happiness gradually filled up and finally overflowed, and along with the overflowing happiness came a bit of anxiety.

Because whenever she thought she was happy, that happiness always rushed to escape from Ba Ha.

“Ba Ha is quite sensitive. Of course you can be happy. Ba Ha, there’s no one in this world who shouldn’t be happy. This happiness is yours, Ba Ha.”

Soo Hyun held one of Ba Ha’s hands and stroked it as she spoke, and even the temperature of her stroking hand entered Ba Ha’s heart, making her cry endlessly.

“……I’m sorry. For crying.”

“It’s okay. Tae Un, give Ba Ha something to drink.”

Soo Hyun said while continuing to pat Ba Ha’s hand, who had stopped crying, and at Soo Hyun’s words, Tae Un finally took his eyes off Ba Ha and handed her the drink he had bought.

“Thank you.”

Ba Ha’s face was full of blush as she received the coffee. A blush from crying and a blush from embarrassment fully blended to make her red.

Soo Hyun looked at Ba Ha like this and gave a faint smile.

“That’s right. Min Seok came by a few days ago.”

“Min Seok did?”

“Yes. Not often, but he comes occasionally to keep me company.”

At Soo Hyun’s words, Tae Un’s face gradually changed to a bitter expression and showed a faint smile. The last time they met, Min Seok hadn’t said anything about the hospital, so he just thought he was doing well.

“……I’ll contact him separately.”

He was such a foolish brother,

A brother he wanted to hate but couldn’t.

“Tae Un……”

“Ba Ha, I’ll introduce you to Min Seok later. He’s a kind and foolish kid.”

At Tae Un’s words, Ba Ha just nodded silently, and Soo Ran let out a shallow sigh seeing Tae Un’s expression as he spoke with a bitter face.

“That’s right. Woo Tae Un, are you preparing well for your business trip tomorrow?”

“I’m working on it. But do I really have to go? If it’s not absolutely necessary, I don’t want to go.”

“Of course. While you’re in America after a long time, stop by the American branch too. Don’t you think you’re trying to avoid work too much these days?”

As Soo Ran scolded Tae Un, his brow furrowed, and at the mention of a business trip, Ba Ha looked at Tae Un.

“……Tae Un, are you going on a business trip tomorrow?”

With Ba Ha’s words, the hospital room fell into silence, and Tae Un felt a sense of “oh no”. Realizing he hadn’t told her only after Ba Ha spoke, Tae Un’s head began to heat up and he felt like he would start sweating soon.

“Woo Tae Un, don’t tell me you didn’t tell Ba Ha?”

“Well… I forgot to mention it.”

“You shouldn’t do that. You should have told Ba Ha first when you have a business trip. Ba Ha, don’t marry this guy. If he’s like this already, he’ll cause you more trouble later.”

“Aunt…!”

Ba Ha laughed out loud seeing the two of them.

Even though they were strangers, it wasn’t awkward at all, and she didn’t feel any rejection.

She just hoped this happiness would last for a long time.

“This won’t do. We’ll be going now.”

“Alright. Make sure to apologize to Ba Ha when you get back.”

As Tae Un took Ba Ha’s hand and stood up, Soo Hyun and Soo Ran burst into laughter.

“We’re leaving!”