She seemed to know why Bora did such a thing. She probably destroyed it because she was angry that Bora left for another man.

Then, wouldn’t she do the same to me?

Even without saying it, the anxiety was conveyed.

“Don’t worry.”

Taeha whispered reassuringly. He held Si-hyun and even embraced her anxiety with his entire body.

“As long as you’re by my side, nothing bad will happen.”

Hee-sun arrived in Jeju with Leon.

The moment they came out of the airport, there was a feeling of relief as if the blocked breath was released.

Looking up at the sky, free from clouds and painted in a clear blue, Hee-sun thought. There was such a beautiful world, but I always lived with my head down.

In front of the airport, there was a classic open car waiting. Leon received the keys and took the steering wheel himself. His face looked tense.

“I’ll drive slowly. It’s been a long time since I drove myself.”

“Then you should have brought a chauffeur.”

Leon responded as if her suggestion was ridiculous.

“I can’t be disturbed. It’s a private trip, after all.”

There was determination in his firm voice.

“Did Tae-ha and Si-hyun intentionally separate from us?”

“No!”

Suspicious, Hee-sun looked at Leon, who jumped as if to refute.

“They had something urgent… you can ask by calling!”

Seeing him genuinely look unjustly treated, I couldn’t help but laugh. Leon, who was staring at Hee-sun as if he were dazzling, said,

“I’m glad to see you smile.”

Hee-sun was bewildered. Did I smile?

In the mood for an unusual trip, she felt that her guard had unknowingly loosened. Seeing Hee-sun quickly fix her expression, Leon cautiously said,

“I didn’t come on this trip with the intention of figuring things out with you. Now that you’ve regained your status, I wanted to give you a happy time as a celebration.”

“….”

“After all, we have to be together for the next 3 days and 4 nights. Since you’ve regained your status, can’t we spend these travel days on good terms? I promise not to burden you at all during the trip, so can we get along a bit?”

Feeling unjust even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, Hee-sun felt a bit sorry. It was probably a rare trip for this person too, and if I just sit quietly, it will be a painful time for both of us.

Above all, the weather was too nice to let it pass by like that.

“…Sure, let’s do that.”

The car drove carefully. Hee-sun closed her eyes slightly and enjoyed the wind hitting her face. Even if I just stay still, the mood is uplifting, and surprisingly, the conversation with the man next to her was enjoyable.
“When they were together at the shop, there were so many customers that there was hardly any time for conversation. Moreover, most of the time, even when Leon tried to talk, Hee-sun ignored him, so there was no meaningful conversation.”

“That day, did you know your blind date was me?”

“Yes.”

“You must have been angry. I rejected you without even seeing your face.”

“Not really.”

Hee-sun shook her head. Ironically, what hurt her the most was when he saw her at the hotel and did nothing.

“Why didn’t you acknowledge me that day?”

“Because I thought you missed me so much that you were seeing things.”

Leon sighed.

“I found out the truth later and regretted it. I should have realized it was real. A taxi wouldn’t refuse a fare.”

Suppressing a laugh at his regretful tone, Hee-sun knew that he must have felt just as upset as, or even more than, she did.

“You looked really beautiful that day.”

Glancing at Hee-sun with a sidelong look, Leon said, “You look even prettier today.”

He noticed that she had put on makeup. Hee-sun quickly explained, “If my mom looks shabby, it’ll be embarrassing for Taeha.”

It meant that it wasn’t because of him, but whether Leon understood that or not was unclear.

They arrived at a shabby restaurant with a sign that simply read “Black Pork Specialties” in clumsy letters.

As Leon opened the car door, he explained like an excuse, “It may look like this, but locals say it’s a genuine hot spot.”

However, Hee-sun was actually relieved. It was much better than a fancy restaurant she had never been to.

It was a small restaurant without a single celebrity signature on the wall, but the food was truly delicious.

The quality of the raw pork was excellent, and the side dishes were not factory-made but handcrafted. Hee-sun, who worked in the food business, quickly recognized it.

Dipping a well-cooked piece of pork into the bubbling meljeot, she couldn’t help but sigh when she put it in her mouth.

Seeing Hee-sun enjoying the food, Leon felt triumphant.

“Come on, have more.”

Realizing that she had been busy feeding him without eating anything herself, Hee-sun felt guilty.

“You should eat too.”

Awkwardly placing meat on his plate, Leon looked pleased. His face was so dazzling that Hee-sun quickly looked down.

In the end, the two of them devoured four servings of pork.

Feeling even more satisfied after the delicious meal, they leisurely drove along the coastal road, enjoying the seaside scenery.

The cold mango juice Leon bought was sweet and refreshing. Somehow, he only gave it to her, saying he didn’t have much of a taste for it, but after a while, he subtly mentioned wanting some.

“May I have a sip too?”

Although it was her drink… hesitating for a moment, she held the straw close to his mouth, and Leon sipped it with ease.

Gulp.

Seeing his clear drinking motion, Hee-sun’s face flushed for no reason, and she quickly averted her gaze.

The wind hitting her face from the car felt cool, and she hadn’t realized how hot it was until the afternoon sun made it hotter. Although she had lowered her straw hat, Leon asked her with a smile.

“It’s hot. Shall we go to the beach for a while?”

“Sure.”

Leon parked the car at a quiet beach. It was a small and quiet beach with only a few families playing in the distance.

It was a perfect day for swimming, but not daring enough to go swimming, Hee-sun only took off her sandals and stepped into the seawater. The moment she dipped her feet, even her chest felt refreshed. The sensation of the slightly chilly sand under her bare feet was ticklish.

“You should come in too.”

When she gestured, Leon smiled and followed her into the water.

Although his deep blue shirt seemed very cool by the sea, the fact that it had long sleeves in this hot weather bothered her.
“It’s hot, so at least roll up your sleeves a bit.”

It was a considerate suggestion on my part, but Leon flatly refused, saying, “Men shouldn’t reveal their forearms anywhere. It’s not dignified.”

As he said this, ironically, he had rolled up his pants to his knees, and it made her laugh. Hee-sun playfully pointed at his exposed calves with her toe.

“Then, what about this?”

“You don’t call this ‘revealing forearms.'”

Suddenly, he approached her and lowered his waist toward Hee-sun. Lowering his voice as if confessing a secret, he whispered,

“…You know? The real thing is different.”