Fortunately, Yeoreum was busy cleaning her face and didn’t pay much attention. Jihyeok looked at Yeoreum’s reddened eyes, then briefly stood up to change the grill.

“Personality? Appearance? Money?”

“…”

“I don’t lack anything either.”

When Yeoreum blinked as if asking what she was talking about, Jihyeok continued grilling the intestines on the new grill.

“Just like that. There’s nothing special about that guy.”

“…”

“So, take back your feelings, noona.”

As much as the burned intestines, the atmosphere turned pitch black.

Unexpectedly, he kept making NGs.

As he sighed deeply, the atmosphere on the set became heavy. Everyone now realized that even though they didn’t notice because he didn’t take the lead, today, it was Seotaeseok who was the mood maker.

In the damp atmosphere, the shoot eventually came to a halt.

“Director. Let’s take a 10-minute break.”

“Let’s do that.”
Taeseok sat down on his designated seat with somewhat weary steps. Director Hong, who was staring intently at Taeseok, tried to offer him water, but Youngyi approached and handed him coffee first.

“Cheer up.”

Then, without permission, she sat in the empty chair next to Taeseok.

Taeseok asked Director Hong to provide a knee blanket for Youngyi. It was quite cold on this late autumn night. Although Youngyi already had a blanket wrapped around her, she accepted the knee blanket without refusing and placed it on her knees.

“It seems like things aren’t going well. Oppa.”

While pouring canned coffee, Taeseok nodded as if he could see and hear. The depth of his face filled with sculptural features created a dark shadow. He downed the coffee in one gulp.

“I guess you want to try again with Unni? It seems tough, though.”

“It’s tough.”

“But still, I’m cheering for you.”

Youngyi suddenly said. Taeseok turned to look at Youngyi with a strange expression. It carried the meaning of why she would cheer for him, especially when she knew better than anyone about their worst breakup.

“Just because. Eventually, it seems like it will turn out that way.”

Youngyi said something inexplicable. Suddenly, Taeseok remembered the necklace that Summer had shown him briefly in the early days.

“Let me ask one thing. Yoo Young.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you still have a ring like this that Summer used to have?”

Taeseok took out a ring from his pocket and showed it. It was a sophisticated ring with a gradient of gold and pink. In the faint light, the ring slightly shimmered. Youngyi’s gaze lingered on the ring for a few seconds before turning away.

“Yes.”

“You have it?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Youngyi chuckled as if talking to herself.

“Ask something so simple. I thought you’d ask more difficult questions, like where were you two years ago, did you meet any men, why did you break up, stuff like that.”

“If I ask, will you answer?”

“No. I can’t.”

Youngyi playfully made a face and reached under the blanket.

“Okay. How could I ask such a thing? On what grounds.”

Taeseok, emitting a self-deprecating laughter, spoke again.

“Young-ah, Summer used to wear this ring as a necklace. Just once, I saw it.”

Young’s eyes widened for a moment. It was an expression of not knowing at all.

“I didn’t know. I wouldn’t know that even if we lived together.”

“Why would you think so? In your opinion.”

Looking at the meaningless ring dangling from Taeseok’s fingertip, both of them stared at it, neither of them reading any meaning into Summer’s actions.

“I don’t know…”

Autumn leaves rolled and piled up under their feet.

“I don’t know.”

Taeseok suddenly realized that he had the answer he wanted to hear.

For example, something like, ‘I still can’t forget Oppa, that’s why. Unni still loves Oppa.’ Things like that.

As he thought about it, his chest swelled to the point of being unbearable. And in the end, he became anxious.
Until a few days ago, I was confident that I could turn things back. But now, I can’t think of anything. The face that didn’t smile at all after we met again, the stiff tone, and the words saying she hates Seo Taeseok.

Maybe that was all sincere.

“Yeah… Young-ah. I only now realize that Summer will really hate me.”

It must have been so hard.

Blaming her for the topic she sent without knowing anything, it seems fair enough.

The break time has passed. In the distance, the staff’s voice announcing the start of the shoot could be heard. Young returned the blanket and stood up from her seat.

“But Choi Yeoreum is still Choi Yeoreum. Oppa.”

“…”

“It’s so old-fashioned, that sister. She can’t easily discard something she once decided.”

Young squinted her eyes and turned away. Taeseok just thought it was only about the ring. Taeseok’s sharp mind lost its function due to excessive shock.

On the other hand, Young, who was jumping around like she was skipping, felt quite good.

“If I gave such a hint, he must have understood!”

Fist clenched, Jihyuk raised one hand, touched his chin, and tilted his head slightly.

He narrowed his eyes, sighed once, and even though he couldn’t find any other way, he eventually loosened his fist and called the manager.

“Hyung, come pick me up a bit.”

And he gave a long look at Summer, who had fallen asleep on the table.

At first, she hardly took a sip of alcohol, but after confessing her feelings about Seo Taeseok, she looked uneasy while drinking. She had briefly left her seat, and she ended up falling asleep like this.

“Cute how she got drunk with just a little drinking.”

There was definitely a timing to stop her, but he didn’t actively stop her. No, it’s more accurate to say that he didn’t stop her.

His own attitude is somewhat ambiguous. He knows. After hearing Summer’s feelings, Jihyuk became captivated by an inexplicable possessiveness.

Even so, until the manager arrived, if Summer woke up, he planned to gently take her home.

After some time passed, Manager Moon Director showed up, but Summer still didn’t wake up.

“What should we do about this?”

The manager asked with a puzzled look.

“For now, let’s go to my place.”

Jihyuk made up his mind and said. The manager’s eyes widened.