Even fingers of different lengths hurt equally when bitten.

Perhaps the smaller ones hurt more, and are more pitiful because they’re small.

That must have been the feeling.

It was a meeting she had planned to skip due to a health checkup, but Ji Myung Sook couldn’t help but hurry to the art museum when she detected that her daughter’s voice coming from the phone was very different from usual.

About two months ago, her eldest daughter had an arranged meeting with the son of Chairman Gu. That day, she heard from her eldest that the matchmaking man and her younger daughter were in a deep relationship.

While Do Young raged furiously, saying Yeo Do Soon was disgracing the family outside, Myung Sook, who found it simply amazing that the girl who never even looked at men was now dating, had been pretending not to know and just watching until now.

But today, the usually cheerful girl was asking in a subtly tearful voice out of the blue to find out where Lady Cha Yeo Jin was now. So, she told her what she knew and hung up, but from then on, Myung Sook’s heart was pounding, feeling like something had happened to Do Soon.

A mother’s intuition couldn’t be ignored.

The preposterous scene she had to encounter immediately through the glass windows of the annex after rushing to the art museum right away. Seeing her daughter being mistreated by Lady Cha, Ji Myung Sook’s heart sank and she ran straight into the cafeteria, mercilessly grabbing Cha Yeo Jin’s hair. Yeo Jin didn’t just sit still either.

No matter how much the people around tried to stop them, Ji Myung Sook and Cha Yeo Jin, who wouldn’t let go of each other’s hair, suddenly stood facing each other, pointing fingers. Shouting with curses mixed in, saying their own child was much more precious, without backing down an inch.

The fight between the two ladies, like a small spark meeting a strong wind, spread greatly and shook the entire cafeteria.

As everywhere became chaotic with loud voices and murmurs, Do Soon momentarily blanked out. To the point of not knowing where she was or what she was doing. It was too pathetic to call it reality awareness. She just wanted to sit down there and cry her eyes out.

That’s why.

Do Soon, who walked out of there as if dazed, came back and sat in the car. She fixed her disheveled clothes, tied her wet short hair into one, and wiped off the red moisture on her face.

But no matter how much she rubbed with wet wipes, the fingermarks engraved on both cheeks remained vivid.

She became angry as she picked up the envelope of money. She was furious looking at the overturned sofa and broken, shattered flowerpots, the kitchen where glass shards were scattered so you couldn’t even step. Gu Won Hoo naturally came to mind and her chest felt tight, but she was livid at what his mother had done.

The result of not being able to bear that painful and resentful feeling and coming here was the adults’ fight.

The longer she thought, the heavier her heart felt, so Do Soon let out a deep sigh and suddenly raised her lowered head. But before she could fully raise it, she ducked under the steering wheel to hide.

“Oh my!”

It was him.

The man who quickly parked his car in front of the art museum, slammed the car door shut, and disappeared up the stairs in an instant as if he had teleported was clearly Gu Won Hoo.

What is this? How did that man… No, why is he moving so hurriedly? Don’t tell me he already knows about the commotion here… No, that I confronted that woman and came running?

She wasn’t sure why he had come here. But Do Soon instinctively knew she shouldn’t face Gu Won Hoo right now.

Her skin that was hit by that woman still stung. She couldn’t bear to show him this face and these reddened clothes. That’s why she quickly ducked down.

But even if time could be turned back, she would have done the same thing. She would have taken all the hits even if his mother hit her a hundred times. Because that was who she was, and she had to show her firm resolve to not break up with Gu Won Hoo even if it meant doing that.

Do Soon took the opportunity when he went into the art museum cafeteria to quietly drive her car out of the art museum.

The place she arrived at after driving aimlessly was the Han River embankment adjacent to the art museum. Do Soon parked her car in the spacious parking lot, turned off the engine, and blankly stared at the flowing river.

After some time passed like that, a call came from Gu Won Hoo. Do Soon, whose voice was already desperate, picked up the phone she had thrown on the passenger seat without hesitation.

“Yes.”

-Where are you now.

“I don’t want to tell you.”

-Tell me quickly! If you’re not thinking of not seeing me…

Do Soon hung up abruptly. It was before Won Hoo could finish speaking. She suddenly became scared, wondering if he was looking for her to break up. That was just Yeo Do Soon’s defensive instinct of not wanting to lose something precious.

An hour ago, Gu Won Hoo, who left work timed with lunch, went to Do Soon’s house. But what greeted him was an empty house without her, and moreover, the house that had been fine until he left for work was in utter chaos.

There was only one person destructive enough to ransack and break things like this. He first tried calling her of course, and then his mother to find out what happened, but they didn’t answer. So, he next contacted his father to ask if it was indeed something his mother had done.

But there was no answer. Chairman Gu, who knew better than anyone that his wife was more than capable of such things, got angry for a moment and threw the phone.

However, it wasn’t difficult for Won Hoo to find out Cha Yeo Jin’s whereabouts. He could get what he wanted just by properly pressuring and pushing the assistant who knew all of his mother’s every move.

As soon as he entered the cafeteria, he forcibly put Cha Yeo Jin, who was entangled with Ji Myung Sook, in a car and sent her back home, then returned to the cafe and heard in detail from people what had happened.

So what was there to say?

Gu Won Hoo approached Ji Myung Sook, who was drinking cold water to calm her excitement because of Lady Cha, silently knelt on both knees and bowed his head.

Then he immediately called Do Soon.

Not knowing that, Do Soon became anxious and nervous that he might say to break up, and bit her lower lip hard while squeezing her eyes shut.

About 5 minutes passed after that.

Beep-!

Won Hoo’s car made a honking sound as it pulled up right next to Do Soon’s car.

“H-How did you…!”

Even though she didn’t say where she was, he found her like this again. Too surprised by that, Do Soon stared at Gu Won Hoo in the car across from her with her eyes about to pop out.

Won Hoo, who had become adept at finding Yeo Do Soon over time, knew exactly. That it was her obvious habit to first leave the scene no matter what happened, and then hide in a quiet place to mull things over.

Judging from that simple behavior pattern, the only place Yeo Do Soon was likely to be was the Han River embankment near the art museum. So he moved towards the Han River without thinking.

When Do Soon just stared at him blankly with a visibly bewildered face, Won Hoo beckoned to her with one finger. It was a signal to quickly come over to his car, but to Do Soon it looked just like a signal to kill someone and felt somehow chilling.

Though not the type to give in to threats, her heart couldn’t help but shrink because of what she had done to Cha Yeo Jin. For that reason, she did get out of the car, but Do Soon suddenly turned her body in the opposite direction of his car and started running frantically.

Gu Won Hoo wasn’t one to leave her alone as she moved away from him. Psh, he laughed and also got out of the car to closely follow her who was running hard without looking back.

It was like a fierce battle of chasing and being chased. Do Soon, who was almost caught by Won Hoo, shook off his outstretched hand and ran faster while shouting.

“Don’t follow me!”

“Why!”

“I said don’t follow me…!”

Thwack!

At the moment she glanced back while shouting once more, Do Soon’s shoulder was firmly grabbed by an inescapable hand.

“Haa, haa, aha…”

“Where are you running off to without me.”

While she was out of breath from sprinting at full speed, his breathing was as relaxed as his expression.

“H-haa, it’s nothing. I just ran because I wanted to.”

“Does that make sense?”

“Whether it makes sense or not is my business.”

When Do Soon stretched her foot forward as if trying to escape again with an anxious look in her eyes, Won Hoo hugged her back tightly.

“Ah!”

As Do Soon wiggled her fingers and pushed his broad chest, embarrassed to be embraced by him, Won Hoo put more strength in his arms, ignoring it, and opened his mouth.

“I don’t know where Yeo Do Soon is going, but let’s go together.”

It was fortunate that he said this, but it was still too early to be purely happy. Do Soon opened her eyes wide and spoke as if confessing.

“There’s something you don’t know, sir. If you knew what I did at the art museum earlier…”

“I already know everything, so let’s not say anything.”

“How much?”

“Everything.”

“Everything?”

Do Soon’s gaze lingered endlessly on Won Hoo’s face, feeling this moment so surreal.

Blood is thicker than water, but this man says he knows everything and still wants to go with her. Perhaps because of those words, Do Soon’s heart began to race madly.

“We should go to my house today. Your house is a mess.”

Won Hoo smiled mischievously.

“You can laugh now?”

“Then should I cry? Should I apologize on behalf of my mother while sobbing?”

“No. Don’t do that.”

The corners of Do Soon’s eyes glistened with tears as she finished speaking.

“…”

Won Hoo made no reply. He just looked at her face pitifully with teary eyes like Do Soon. To be precise, at her cheeks mottled with handprints.

And it was just for a moment.

The corners of Won Hoo’s lips lifted refreshingly.

“Then, let’s talk about something else. I can’t be without Yeo Do Soon now, but what about you?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? That’s what I was going to say when I chased you to the art museum.”

“Then why did you run away when you saw me?”

The midday sun was dazzling.

The wind blowing from the river ruffled his short hair. Do Soon only now realized. That she was embracing him in the middle of the soft grassy field.

The giant trees planted in a row along the flowing river rustled loudly as a sudden strong wind blew. With that wind, a dry leaf fluttered and landed on top of Do Soon’s head.

Do Soon’s eyes reddened at his touch as he brushed off that leaf. Won Hoo’s eyes were also red as he caressed around her eyes.

“What I did to your mother was so pathetic. You might have been turned off because of that, it was obvious that Gu Won Hoo would be angry at me, do you think I’m not scared?”

Do Soon candidly expressed all of her feelings.

“But my heart goes crazy with joy as soon as I see you. Why are you so handsome today of all days? Just making my shabby appearance look more ridiculous. That’s why I had to run away! Are you satisfied now?”

Only after listening to all her words did Won Hoo slowly reveal what he had been holding in his heart.

“I’m going crazy with guilt towards Yeo Do Soon and my mother. I’m about to die of embarrassment because of my mother. So I was the one who was scared. That you might say let’s break up. That Yeo Do Soon might leave me.”

“Does that make sense? How could I ever leave Gu Won Hoo!”

“Really?”

“…”

Do Soon, who nodded as if it was obvious, stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. Won Hoo also pulled her waist closer and kissed her more deeply.

At some point, the two tightly pressed lips smiled simultaneously.

In that way, the two loved each other.

A reckless love that nothing and no one could tear apart.