Having said her piece, Ra Jin turned away without regret.

She walked straight on, back straight, chin slightly raised, as though nothing had happened, just as usual.

‘It’s okay. Time will numb the pain. It always has.’
With each step she took, Ra Jin repeated these words to herself like a mantra.

Because if she didn’t, she felt like she would collapse.

Because there was no one else to console her if she didn’t do it herself.

‘…It will be okay. Even now, time is still passing.’
It was then when she spotted a black sedan parked in front of the closed bank.

Her eyes, which had been shaking madly, shattered the calm she had been barely clinging on to.

Thud.

The tall man who had gotten out of the sedan closed the door and stood there, looking her way.

“Ra Jin.”
Upon hearing Jae Heon’s voice, she came to a halt right there.

Her own name, called by him, sank heavily onto her heart.

Then, Ra Jin realized.

That the only person left to call her name was the one standing in front of her.

And that she also had to let this person go in three months.

“Ra Jin.”
Jae Heon, with a puzzled look, called out to her once again, who had suddenly frozen.

Then, an old memory surfaced.

Not long after she had been adopted, she once went to the market, holding Sook Young’s hand.

While Sook Young was distracted by Yoo Jin’s tantrum, an old lady selling fruit heard her name and spoke with a pitiful look in her eyes.

“Your name is like your fate. That’s why we choose it so carefully. But I’m afraid a lot might disappear from you.”

Today, all the people who used to call her name disappeared all at once.

…No, perhaps it’s not the people who have disappeared, but me.

It was me who disappeared from them.

Sadly, Ra Jin could be sure of one thing.

Even if she disappeared, there would be no change in the daily lives of those who used to call her name.

The same was true for Jae Heon, who had come right in front of her.

If I disappeared.

This man would forget her in no time and meet someone new.

It should be that way, it must be… Why does my heart ache so?

“Why the long face.”
Ra Jin raised her head to look up at his face.

In his dark, indifferent eyes, there was at least no malice or hostility towards her.

“Jae Heon.”
So she was relieved. More than when she was with those she considered family.

“If I asked you to hold me without saying anything.”
“……”
“Would that have to be counted as a penalty?”

Jae Heon furrowed his brow. The look in Ra Jin’s eyes as she laughed weakly seemed somehow sad.

“What’s the matter….”
Her words asking him not to ask anything came to mind.

It seemed there must have been some kind of trouble.

Something that she couldn’t tell others but still wanted to be comforted about.

He had experienced such a situation before.

A time when one is terribly lonely but doesn’t want to explicitly state the reason and can’t exactly explain why, everyone probably has such moments.

Considering that Ra Jin, who always appeared to be strong, was so shaken, it was clear that it must have been quite shocking.

With this thought, a slight pain emerged in Jae Heon’s heart.

“Today is the weekend.”
Jae Heon spread his arms.

“I will give a special bonus.”
When Ra Jin just blankly stared at him, he shrugged slightly.

“What’s up? You’re not hugging.”
She bit her lip.

Then she took one step, two steps closer and reached out.

Embracing his waist tightly and leaning her face against his broad chest, Ra Jin took a deep breath.

As his deep, cool scent filled her lungs, it felt as if her frozen breath had finally been released.

“……”
Jae Heon silently held the fragile body of Ra Jin, who kept burrowing into his arms.

And awkwardly patted her back with his large hand.

It was an act he had never done before in his life.

Responding to a silent request for a hug was the first time, as was comforting someone.

Yes, Jae Heon was trying to comfort Ra Jin now.

‘Because we’re lovers now.’
If a lover is having a hard time, they usually try to comfort and soothe each other.

Jae Heon, who had been gently tapping Ra Jin’s back, hesitated and then stroked her head.

He could feel her delicate shoulders flinch.

“It’s a service included in the special bonus.”
At his words, the tension left Ra Jin’s body and soon a soft laugh was heard.

“It’s a very excellent service.”
“Because the provider is excellent.”
While in his arms, she smiled.

“I admit it.”
Jae Heon awkwardly but sincerely stroked her hair until she said it was enough.

He knew her hair was nice, but it felt much softer to the touch than it looked.

Well, he thought, if she asked him to do this often in the future, he wouldn’t be able to refuse.

He felt somewhat regretful when Ra Jin fell out of his embrace.

‘I should probably take her home.’
Somehow, he felt that Ra Jin would want some alone time to solve her problem when she was troubled.

Well, they’re going to meet tomorrow anyway, so he can bear with it for a while.

On Sunday, they agreed to meet from the morning.

They had decided to go on a date.