“I’m sorry, Ba Ha. I didn’t think I had to tell anyone before going on a business trip because I’ve never done it before.”

Tae Un said as he grabbed Ba Ha’s arm in the quiet car.

“No. Those are all excuses. I’m sorry.”

Tae Un said with furrowed brows and downturned lips.

In fact, even though she wasn’t angry, Ba Ha wanted to pretend to be a little more upset without meeting his eyes, finding his expression cute.

“It’s okay. That excuse worked really well. I was actually a little hurt, but…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Next time, tell me in advance!”

When Ba Ha looked at Tae Un with a grin, he exhaled deeply as if relieved.

“Want to go to America together?”

“You know that’s impossible, right?”

Every time they met, it was new.

He wasn’t the cold person she thought he was, but an infinitely warm person. Not someone who couldn’t joke, but someone who could occasionally say silly things without hesitation.

Ba Ha chuckled at his silly words and held his hand as she continued speaking.

“Tae Un, instead, there’s something I want to ask you. Can you tell me?”

“Of course.”

“Tell me. About Min Seok.”

At Ba Ha’s question, Tae Un’s face changed in a complex way.

Whenever Min Seok came up as a topic, Tae Un had two reactions. Either he would make a joke to change the subject, or he would just change the subject.

“Well… First of all, Woo Min Seok is my younger brother. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

“Woo Min Seok, that guy always feels sorry towards me. He lives thinking he stole my position. No matter how many times I tell him it’s not like that, he can’t let go of that guilt at all.”

Even though bitterness showed on Tae Un’s face as he spoke, there was caution in his tone as he introduced Min Seok, and affection was embedded in it.

“He’s someone I want to hate, but can’t.”

“…”

“Ba Ha, you know… I used to think marriage was a grave. A grave you enter willingly. When I thought of my mother and Chairman Woo, I always wondered if they were ever truly happy, and when I looked at Min Seok, I only felt pity… You can’t choose your parents even if you want to.”

Tae Un’s seemingly calm, low voice echoed in the car, and his expression as he looked at Ba Ha was now filled with sadness instead of affection.

“Tae Un, you don’t have to say more…”

She regretted it.

Did she hurt him with unnecessary words? Did her excuse of wanting to know him better end up hurting him?

As Ba Ha tried to stop Tae Un from speaking, he took her hand and shook his head.

“You’re the one who shattered that thought. I felt like I could make a happy home with you, and that if it was with you, a child we had after marriage could really grow up happily.”

How could a person be like this?

Always with the same heart, always expressing the same way, always giving the same resonance.

Ba Ha looked at Tae Un like that and stroked his cheek.

“Tae Un, I’ll become your family. I’ll try harder too.”

As Tae Un’s face drew closer, Ba Ha gently closed her eyes and accepted his approach. They mingled their breaths and warmth.

Slowly, tenderly.

“Ha… You don’t need to try anything. I’ll do more of the trying for you. Because the one who loves more is always in the weaker position.”

Tae Un said as he parted his lips.

Holding Ba Ha in his arms and stroking her head, he spoke softly of happiness.

“Then am I gradually becoming the weaker one too?”

Ba Ha said shyly, thinking that someday she wanted to tell him about these growing feelings.

“…”

“Tae Un?”

When Tae Un said nothing, a confused Ba Ha called out to him.

“Ha… Ba Ha.”

At the sound of Ba Ha’s voice, Tae Un’s eyes gradually turned greedy, looking at her as if he wanted to devour her, and once again he engulfed Ba Ha.

This time faster, and more persistent.

“Stay over tonight.”

Bang-!

As soon as the front door of his house closed, Tae Un pressed his lips against Ba Ha’s. He was more urgent and persistent than ever before. He seemed to have no room for leisure.

“Ha… Ba Ha.”

He didn’t want to let go.

Ba Ha’s single sentence had such a huge impact on Tae Un. Her shy expression and words were a greater gift to Tae Un than anything else, at any time.

It was as if she was saying that she now looked towards the same direction as him.

“Ha… Tae… Un!”

Tae Un’s gaze gradually disheveled Ba Ha. Her face becoming increasingly flushed, her breath more and more ragged, even her eyes becoming increasingly unsteady.

Ba Ha met his eyes.

“I… love you. Ba Ha.”

Only one person was reflected in his eyes.

The love he spoke of belonged to only one person.

Tae Un burst out with a breath full of excitement as he declared his love.

“…”

Once again, he pressed his lips against hers.

“Are you okay? If you don’t want to, you can say so even now.”

Ba Ha chuckled at his words.

Much time had passed since she met him. The days when cold winds blew gradually found warmth.

Just like Ba Ha’s heart.

A faint smile spread across Ba Ha’s face at Tae Un’s words, reminiscent of their first night together.

“If I was going to stop, I wouldn’t have come into this house.”

It was similar but different from back then.

The breath of wanting to explore each other might be similar, but the feelings for each other contained in that breath on that day were different.

“You made the choice.”

As if reminded of that day with Ba Ha, Tae Un chuckled while caressing her, and responded with words similar to that day, matching her words.

He had only wished and hoped for this day to come.

Although Tae Un had boldly said he would wait, he couldn’t ignore the faint anxiety that was rising, and when she indirectly expressed her love, it felt like he had gained the whole world.

“That’s right. I made the choice. Woo Tae Un, you.”

At Ba Ha’s small provocation, it seemed as if even the little reason left in Tae Un had flown away, and seeing Tae Un like that, Ba Ha also felt her reason flying away.

“I love you.”

It was no longer a struggle to forget.

It wasn’t a night spent in a struggle to forget a man she had loved for a lifetime.

It was a confirmation shot.

It was a night of endlessly confirming each other’s feelings towards one another, and holding onto that confirmed happiness without letting go.

“I love you, Ba Ha.”

The day was truly warm, and so was the heart.

Ba Ha, who had greeted a warm morning at Tae Un’s house, opened her eyes and helped with his unfinished business trip preparations while staying by his side.

“This needs to be packed too…”

“Ha… I really don’t want to go.”

Ba Ha let out a chuckle as she felt the familiar breath behind her. Tae Un, who was about to leave soon, seemed to have no intention of going out the door as he hugged Ba Ha from behind and muttered.

“When will you be back?”

“3 nights and 4 days. I really don’t want to go.”

It was a first.

The time apart from him was less than a week, but why did it feel so long? That time felt so unfamiliar. It was the first time being apart since meeting him.

As if they had been together from the beginning, this moment of having to separate gradually made Ba Ha feel lonely.

“…It can’t be helped.”

Ba Ha patted Tae Un’s hands that were embracing her from behind, also patting her own heart that didn’t want to send him off.

She was afraid of ruining Tae Un’s work by revealing her feelings as they were, and worried about what might happen on this sudden business trip.

“By the way, Tae Un, there’s nothing wrong at the company, right?”

“No, it’s just aunt’s whim, don’t worry too much.”

“Then that’s a relief. Have a good trip.”

She felt disappointed.

Tae Un didn’t want to be apart, wanting to hold onto her warmth even in the brief moment after opening his eyes, but Ba Ha didn’t seem to feel the same, and disappointment washed over him.

“I’ll wait for you.”

With Ba Ha’s single sentence, Tae Un’s mood soared high into the sky, then plummeted to the ground.

Since when had this phrase “I’ll wait” become words that stirred his heart and pounded his chest?

For Tae Un, who had always found the words “I’ll wait” to sound pitiful, her single sentence resonated more strongly, shaking his heart.

“…Will you really wait?”

“Of course. I don’t want to send you off either. But we have no choice, right? I’ll have to give in.”

“I love you.”

Ba Ha approached him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

It was an expression of regret, and an answer to his “I love you.”

As Ba Ha’s lips touched his, Tae Un accepted her approach with a faint smile, and as increasingly hot breaths were exchanged, Tae Un exhaled a breath full of excitement and loosened his tie.

“Tae… Un! We can’t!”

“Ha… This is really frustrating.”

Why was he so cute with his pouting lips?

Ba Ha didn’t hold back her laughter as she tried to retie his loosened tie around his neck, but Tae Un pulled her waist and kissed her again.

“Ha… I really have to go now.”