“I’m not sure what happened. If it’s a money issue, let’s resolve it with me.”

Jin Cheol didn’t seem like the type to ask for help first, so Seung Jun stepped in. However, Mi So shook her head and looked away from Seung Jun.

“It’s not about money.”

“Then what is it? It doesn’t seem polite to disrupt a meal like this for any reason.”

Seung Jun furrowed one eyebrow, but Mi So continued speaking to Jin Cheol as if she didn’t care at all.

“It’s an important issue. There’s an unresolved problem between me and Jin Cheol.”

Jin Cheol fidgeted and lowered his gaze.

“Should I say it here in front of everyone or should we step out?”

Mi So spoke with her hands on her hips, and Jin Cheol gestured with his eyes.

“Let’s go out and talk.”

But if they went out, it seemed like Jin Cheol would get hit, so Seung Jun couldn’t just let them leave.

“Let’s talk here.”

“Elder brother.”

“Go ahead and say it. Even if it’s not money, whatever it is. If it’s something I can resolve, I will.”

Mi So looked at Seung Jun as if deliberating for a moment, then lowered her gaze.

And as if she made up her mind, she let out a soft sigh and spoke.

“The first kiss.”

At the sudden words, everyone seemed at a loss for words, and silence fell for a moment.

Yu Min glanced at Seol Ah and asked.

“What’s a first kiss?”

“Mom will explain later.”

As Seol Ah whispered softly while being mindful, Yu Min spoke in a voice he thought was small.

“Is it similar to first snow? Exciting and nice.”

Mi So’s gaze turned to Yu Min. After grinning as if he was cute, she turned her head back to Seung Jun and said,

“Jin Cheol stole my first kiss and suddenly disappeared.”

“Ah, yes.”

Seung Jun said just that and smiled wryly.

This wasn’t a problem Seung Jun could solve.

In the strange atmosphere, Jin Cheol scratched the back of his head.

“That’s not it. My mother suddenly had to move.”

“Still, you could have said something. How could you kiss me for the first time and then run away without a word?”

Mi So shouted.

In an instant, the restaurant turned into a theater stage starring a couple.

Seung Jun, already deeply immersed in this play, asked in a low voice with his arms crossed.

“And then you met by chance today after many years passed?”

Mi So’s gaze turned to Seung Jun again.

“Yes, that’s exactly right. So even though I know it’s rude to Seung Jun, I had no choice but to speak up. My life was ruined because of that past. So I absolutely can’t let today pass by.”

The corner of Seung Jun’s mouth lifted.

“That’s right. We can’t just let it go like this, absolutely not.”

Seol Ah looked at Seung Jun and then quickly turned her head the other way.

“I’m sorry.”

Finally, Jin Cheol opened his mouth.

“That’s all I can say.”

Mi So laughed as if dumbfounded and spoke again with a stern expression.

“No. You should at least explain the circumstances. Give a reason that makes sense. Is saying sorry once enough? Do you know how I lived after you left like that?”

After shouting, Mi So finally became aware of the people around them looking at them and lowered her head.

“I apologize. Let’s go out first and talk.”

Jin Cheol was dragged out of the room by Mi So without a word of excuse.

Watching them leave, Seung Jun laughed again. His gaze turned to Seol Ah.

“There are more similar stories than I thought. Right?”

Seol Ah shrugged her shoulders once and lowered her eyes.

“Similar stories?”

Yu Min was staring at Seung Jun with his big eyes wide open, as if he didn’t understand the situation.

“Cases where someone says they love you and then runs away without a word. Literally stealing the first kiss.”

Seung Jun shrugged.

“There must be special circumstances, right? It doesn’t seem good to condemn someone based only on the result. And you know Jin Cheol’s usual character too.”

Seol Ah stammered and then spoke, and Seung Jun scoffed.

“There were circumstances that led to such a result? No matter the circumstances, a mistake is still a mistake, isn’t it?”

“Right. I’m not sure what a first kiss is, but it seems wrong to do something exciting and nice and then just run away.”

Yu Min also agreed with Seung Jun’s words in a precocious tone.

Do you know whose side you’re taking with those words? No, you wouldn’t know, so you’d say that.

Seol Ah held her aching stomach alone and let out a low sigh.

After a while, Jin Cheol and Mi So appeared. Mi So bowed her head in front of everyone.

“I apologize. I was very rude in many ways. Please enjoy your meal.”

“Did you resolve the thing you were curious about?”

Seung Jun asked, turning to Mi So. Mi So made a strange expression, lifting one corner of her mouth.

“It doesn’t seem like an issue that will be easily resolved.”

Seung Jun turned his gaze as if thinking about something for a moment, then gestured to her.

“Wait a moment.”

When Seung Jun called the waiter and said he would order another course for one person, not only Mi So’s eyes but also the others’ eyes widened.

“How did you meet this connection? Have a meal together before you go. I’m paying, so don’t worry. I’m not a stranger to Jin Cheol either. Is that okay? It feels iffy to let this tangled connection go like this.”

Seol Ah tried to say something but closed her mouth.

Her gaze turned to Jin Cheol.

Would Jin Cheol be okay? Even guessing Seung Jun’s intentions, she was worried about Jin Cheol because of his mischievous attitude.

Seeing that Seol Ah couldn’t say anything, Seung Jun continued with the corner of his mouth lifted.

“If you don’t mind, you can share more about the circumstances. Since you said it wasn’t resolved, maybe we can be of help.”

Mi So glanced at Jin Cheol. Jin Cheol had his head lowered.

“Well, it’s all in the past anyway, so it doesn’t matter if I talk about it. I’ve been holding it in without being able to tell anyone.”

“Oh my.”

Seung Jun responded to Mi So’s words. As if adding an interjection. Seol Ah bit her lip tightly.

Mi So sat in the chair brought by the waiter. Soon, tableware and bowls were set in front of her as well.

“Then please go ahead and speak.”

At Seung Jun’s words, Mi So opened her mouth without further hesitation.

“Jin Cheol and I were high school classmates. We were in the same class in our first year of high school. At first, I had no interest in him, but I felt sorry for him constantly being bullied by his peers……”

When the story reached that point, Jin Cheol raised his hand to stop her.

“You don’t have to talk about that.”

But Mi So spoke in a serious tone.

“What’s wrong with being bullied? The kids who bully are the bad ones. Anyway, so I stepped in and told them to stop. Then I ended up talking to Jin Cheol a few times and found out that he was unexpectedly innocent and kind.”

Seung Jun raised his chin on his interlocked hands as if his interest was piqued.

“And then. He suddenly kissed you and ran away?”

“We started dating before the kiss. I confessed first, but Jin Cheol clearly didn’t dislike it either. We held hands and had our first kiss too. It was good up to that point. But then one day, he suddenly disappeared without even leaving a letter? Ha. It was fall then. When he didn’t come to school, I asked the homeroom teacher if something happened and they said he transferred.”

“Oh, like that?”

Seung Jun opened his mouth and ran his fingers through his hair.

He looked completely immersed in the story. Seol Ah kept her eyes lowered, feeling strangely unsettled.

“Yes. If I did something wrong, he should have said so. Even if not, he should have given some indication. How could he just disappear like that and expect me to deal with it? After that, I developed insomnia and it was awful. I thought it was my fault he left, so I went over every single thing I said to him…”

“You must not have been able to sleep. Even more than ruminating, you kept dreaming about it. Then you’d wake up and not be able to sleep for a long time.”

“You know it well. That’s exactly how it was. I tried to find out through various channels too.”

Seol Ah and Jin Cheol looked at Seung Jun and Mi So who were in perfect sync with troubled expressions, and ended up making eye contact with each other by accident.

Feeling awkward, they averted their eyes, and Seung Jun watched them with an amused look on his face. Mi So continued speaking, not noticing.

“And then we met just now. Honestly, I wanted to know the reason. Why he did that back then.”

“But.”

Seol Ah, who had been quiet the whole time, opened her mouth.

Seung Jun looked at Seol Ah with curious eyes, wondering what she would say.

“It will be difficult to quickly find out that reason.”

“Why?”

Mi So asked, a little surprised by the unexpected remark, and Seung Jun also urged an answer with his gaze.

“He probably ran away because he doesn’t want to say that reason.”

At the accurate diagnosis, Jin Cheol’s face turned bright red.

Seung Jun also looked at Seol Ah with eyes of great realization.

“Ah.”

Mi So’s mouth fell open as well.

“Even after all this time has passed.”

“There are things that time can’t change.”

Seol Ah said that while glancing at Seung Jun. And she looked at Yu Min.

“Are you bored? Should we go out and play together?”

“No. It’s fun. The lady is fun too.”

At Yu Min’s words referring to Mi So, Mi So’s face turned red.

“Well, I’m a bit young to be called ahjumma. How about noona?”

“Let’s go with imo. Jin Cheol is samchon too.”

When Seung Jun stepped in to sort it out, Mi So put her hands together.

“That works then. Anyway, I’m sorry. Were you surprised that I suddenly showed up? I had some issues to work out with Uncle Jin Cheol.”

“It’s okay. This ahjussi and Mom have some issues to work out too.”

When Yu Min pointed to Seung Jun and Seol Ah and spoke, the two people in question averted their gazes, clearing their throats for no reason.

Mi So examined Seung Jun and Seol Ah again. Now she seemed to understand a little bit why Seung Jun made her stay.

“Yes, adults can’t resolve everything either. Thank you for understanding.”

Mi So smiled and patted Yu Min’s head. Watching them, Seung Jun turned his gaze to Jin Cheol.

“So. You won’t be able to say the reason until the end?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Jin Cheol scratched the back of his head with a troubled expression.

“Seems like what she said is true. You ran away because you couldn’t say that reason.”

Seung Jun’s gaze landed on Seol Ah. Seol Ah touched the appetizer tart with her fork as if embarrassed for no reason.

*

“Is this it?”

Hyo Young looked closely at the photo the secretary brought.

Under a street lamp, Seung Jun had his hand on Seol Ah’s shoulder as he looked at her. It was an unmistakable expression. The kind that could never be seen on her son’s face.

Because it was an expression he only made in front of Seol Ah.

“Those two met again.”

The corners of Hyo Young’s mouth lifted.