For the first time, she felt one with the vast nature, her worries temporarily forgotten. The most comforting part was Seo Jun’s protective gaze, making this possible.

In that moment, So Yeon truly grasped what perfect happiness felt like.

When Seo Jun and So Yeon returned to the pier from the island, the sun was right in the middle of the sky.

Excited by Seo Jun’s promise to show her around Málaga, So Yeon hurriedly changed clothes and followed him out.

They arrived at the famously beautiful Marques de Larios Street. True to its nickname, “Pedestrian’s Paradise,” the sparkling clean pavement gleamed under the feet of Seo Jun and So Yeon, looking every bit the couple.

Her small hand, snugly fit between Seo Jun’s arm and waist, was gently encased in his larger one. Did she enjoy the warmth and protection of his touch so much? Fearing her blushing face might give her away, So Yeon kept turning her head towards the shop windows, pretending to be interested in the products she didn’t care for, unaware of Seo Jun’s gaze on her.

While strolling, they felt hungry and decided to try some traditional Spanish tapas. So Yeon complained that her choice wasn’t as tasty as expected. Generously, Seo Jun offered his dish to her.

But his dish wasn’t much better either.

“I thought only mine was tasteless.”

“I find it so every time I eat here.”

“Eek! Why did you bring us here if you knew?”

“It’s famous, and I thought Eom So Yeon might like it.”

Seo Jun casually wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of So Yeon’s mouth with his thumb. His natural action took So Yeon aback.

“Ah…!”

She laughed helplessly, not knowing how to react, while Seo Jun shrugged and chuckled.

Everything So Yeon did, every expression she made, seemed cute and immensely enjoyable to Seo Jun.

Eventually, after downing some cold drinks, they left the restaurant and entered a nearby clothing store. So Yeon had intended to pick gifts for family and friends, but upon seeing a family pajama set that could be worn by a mom, dad, and child, she abruptly left the store.

That family pajama set triggered an image of a cozy evening with Seo Jun and Hyun Woo, a scene of a happy, ordinary family life that seemed so distant from her own reality. Discovering this unrealistic and excessive desire in herself frightened So Yeon.

“Why did we leave so suddenly? I thought you were going to buy something.”

“I thought the clothes in the window looked nice, but they didn’t appeal to me once I got inside.”

Their next stop after exploring the city was a viewpoint overlooking Málaga. However, after about 30 minutes of uphill walking, the light drizzle turned into a downpour, forcing them to turn back.

On their way back to the waiting car, Seo Jun took off his coat to shield So Yeon from the rain, soaking himself in the process.

And so, they headed back to the mansion in the car.

As their black sedan paused at a traffic light, the sky thundered loudly, and a heavy downpour began.
As she started to nod off, her head gently bumped against Seo Jun like a chick pecking.

Soon after, as the signal changed, the car resumed its journey.

At that moment, Director Bong and Park Sung Ho in the front seat noticed.

Seo Jun let So Yeon rest her small head on his shoulder. To prevent her from hurting if her head fell, he gently supported it with his large hand. His soft gaze attentively traced her pale, delicate face.

So Yeon slept peacefully, and Seo Jun seemed indifferent to the stares of the two men in the front seat.

Shh!

Director Bong and Park Sung Ho, lips sealed, quietly exchanged surprised glances.

They knew well. As attendants, they must never reveal what they had just seen.

Arriving at the mansion in the evening, Seo Jun and So Yeon had dinner together.

Afterwards, So Yeon, back in her room, reflected on the day’s events in front of her dressing table.

The view of nature from the middle of the vast sea was truly beautiful.

White clouds against the blue sky shone even brighter. Beneath, green hills stretched to an endless horizon, and the sea’s emerald waves broke against a white yacht.

In this magnificent scene, Seo Jun was undoubtedly the most prominent.

In the heart of the Mediterranean, she felt free.

There was no one to judge her actions, and it felt like a world only for the two of them.

Walking through the streets of Málaga, she couldn’t help but laugh.

When she laughed, he laughed too, and his laughter made her laugh again.

On the way back to the mansion, she fell asleep. Perhaps the warm air in the car after the rain brought on a wave of fatigue.

The warm touch she felt then was a time she was deeply grateful for, like a dream.

A day like this, carefully preserved in her memories with him, unexpectedly brought tears to So Yeon’s eyes.

Her mother once said, hard love isn’t love. Forced relationships are destined to fail. True love is meeting someone naturally and becoming indispensable to each other. She assured that such a connection would surely come to her too.

But what to do?

Her heart had already been taken.

Sighing deeply, unable to stay seated like a mannequin, So Yeon took a deep breath, stood up, and stepped lightly out of her room. She was heading to Seo Jun’s room, as promised the day before.

Click-clack…

Her quick steps in the corridor sped up.

She was already longing to see Seo Jun.

Seo Jun waited in his room for So Yeon.

After sipping whiskey, he maintained a calm demeanor, shifting his gaze naturally to the window.

Outside, the relentless rain drenched the garden, now shrouded in twilight.

Why had he brought Eom So Yeon all the way here? What did he want to gain, what did he seek to confirm? Could he find it in himself to dislike her, even slightly, once this persistent rain stopped? Could he come to hate her?

He pondered, but it seemed he already knew the answer.

Just thinking of her made Seo Jun’s heart flutter, and a tingling sensation spread inside his chest. It was a feeling known more to the heart than to the mind.

That a beautiful season with Eom So Yeon was approaching ever closer.