“You’re just realizing that now?”

Tae Ha laughed.

Everything she’d thought was coincidental at the time, she now realized was not. Si Hyun regretted her past dullness.

“I was going to move after getting married anyway. Why did you go to such lengths? It must have hurt you.”

“I wanted to be by your side, even if just until then.”

In response to her joking comment, Tae Ha answered quietly.

“What scared me the most since I was a child was that we had no relationship. You’re neither my sister nor a relative, so if your feelings changed, I could lose you forever.”

Si Hyun felt as if her heart dropped.

“While I was happy that you visited every day, I was also anxious day by day. Will you come tomorrow, how long will you come? What if one day you suddenly stop coming?”

Tae Ha had never been a demanding or whiny child. He’d followed Si Hyun but never annoyed her, never complained when she was late.

She realized he had such thoughts all along, as a child. Her heart aching anew, Si Hyun tightly grasped Tae Ha’s hand.

“You thought foolishly. I’ve been enduring every day because of you.”

During the days she could hardly breathe living at her stepfather’s house, Tae Ha had been like a ray of light. Even now, she couldn’t imagine how she’d have endured those days without him.

“Really?”

Seemed like he hadn’t realized.

“So, what? You thought I was some Mother Teresa? A symbol of mercy and sacrifice?”

Si Hyun laughed.

“I had no parents and was only abused at home. But you treated me like I was everything to you, and that made me extremely happy. It made me want to live earnestly.”

Even though he wasn’t talkative, she could feel how precious she was to Tae Ha.

That made her incredibly happy. To think that she too could be precious to someone.

“That’s still the case for me.”

Tae Ha stopped walking. Putting force into the hand he was holding, he looked intently into Si Hyun’s eyes.

“Even now, you’re my entire world to me.”

Si Hyun was overwhelmed by the heartfelt confession. Though the word “love” was not mentioned, the feelings within were so intense they shook her very heart.

“…”

Si Hyun softly closed her eyes, awaiting the lips that would soon touch hers.

However, quite some time passed, and she felt no kiss. Instead, she felt a pulling hand. Opening her eyes, Tae Ha had already started walking.

‘What’s going on? Did I get ahead of myself?’

With her face flushing, Si Hyun hurriedly followed Tae Ha.

She was so happy just holding hands with Tae Ha, she felt like she could walk forever. The problem was that her feet were starting to hurt from wearing high heels, which she usually didn’t wear.

Noticing her slowing pace, Tae Ha suddenly stopped and turned his back toward her.

“Jump on.”
Si Hyun was flustered and pushed away her hand.

“It’s okay, I can walk!”

“You used to carry me when I was little.”

“You were light because you were young. I’m really heavy.”

“See? I lift much heavier things at the gym.”

Tae Ha stubbornly insisted. Sensing that he wouldn’t budge until she agreed, Si Hyun cautiously leaned her body against his back.

Tae Ha effortlessly lifted Si Hyun without showing any signs of strain.

As they slowly walked, Tae Ha mumbled out of the blue.

“I couldn’t go on the school trip back then because of me.”

It was when Si Hyun was in her second year of high school, and Tae Ha was ten. One day, Tae Ha suddenly developed a high fever and fainted, prompting Si Hyun to rush him to a nearby pediatrician.

Fortunately, it was just a simple cold, but the fever wouldn’t go down easily, so Tae Ha had to be hospitalized for a few days. In the end, Si Hyun couldn’t go on her planned school trip to Jeju Island because she had to pay for Tae Ha’s medical bills.

At home, everyone thought she had gone on the trip, so Si Hyun spent two nights and three days in Tae Ha’s hospital room to also take care of him.

“The two nights and three days you spent with me in the hospital were the second happiest moments of my life.”

“Then what’s the first?”

“Now.”

Si Hyun gently rested her flushed cheeks against Tae Ha’s broad back. Her heart raced as if she could hear his heartbeat.

She wanted to make him happier, even more than now.

Tae Ha carried Si Hyun to the car and drove her to the front door as if she were a princess.

“It was fun today.”

Carefully setting Si Hyun down, he said,

“…Me too.”

Si Hyun looked up slightly at his lips and responded.

She thought she had given him a blatant signal, but the oblivious man bid her goodbye without catching on.

“Then, goodnight.”

“Wait a minute!”

As Tae Ha turned to leave, Si Hyun hurriedly stopped him.

“Would you like to come in for some coffee?”

However, Tae Ha shook his head.

“I need to sleep, so no coffee for now.”

“How about some fruit then?”

“It’s okay. I ate a lot for dinner, so I’m full.”

Despite her attempts to keep him, Tae Ha ultimately went into his own house.

With no other option, Si Hyun sighed softly as she entered her home.

‘Should I have offered ramen instead of coffee?’

But then again, she had already eaten lots of ramen noodles in her tteokbokki earlier, so more ramen would be a bit much.

A man should catch on when a woman goes this far. Si Hyun gave a sidelong glance through the wall toward the clueless man.

Well, nothing to do about it. Let’s wash up and sleep.

Si Hyun got into bed early. Just as she was drifting off, a soft knock came from the front door.

Her sleep was suddenly shattered. Opening the door, the man she had parted ways with earlier was standing there.

“Why did you come back?”

Instead of answering, Tae Ha said,

“If I’ve misunderstood, you can hit me later.”

Before she could ponder what he meant, Tae Ha suddenly pulled her waist toward him.

“…!”

Her heart sank as a warm kiss enveloped her lips.