Ra Jin had been watching Ah Rin by his side since they were young. So he knew how much she liked and followed Kyung Sook despite not receiving love from her. He knew better than anyone else that family had a special meaning to Ah Rin.

‘But how can I tell you that everyone except you knows you’re not her biological daughter….’

Ra Jin bit the soft flesh inside his mouth hard.

‘I’m afraid you’ll be hurt more when you’ve already been hurt so much.’

One day in middle school, Ra Jin found out that Ah Rin was not a biological daughter. Jung’s wife and Kyung Sook were talking in the room without knowing he was there.

[You’re obviously discriminating against her. What if she finds out she’s not your biological daughter?] [Ah Rin, she would never think that. No matter how cold I am, you know she’s still affectionate to me, madam. Don’t worry about that.]

Ah Rin is not a biological daughter?

Then who are Ah Rin’s parents?

Ra Jin was greatly shocked.

He ran out of the main house as if he was running away.

[Where are you going, elder brother? Ah Rin hid this to give it to you. Here, eat it.]

Ah Rin stood in front of him, holding out a strawberry-flavored candy.

Ra Jin’s heart ached. Ah Rin’s innocent face, not knowing anything, gouged at his heart.

To the heart that used to adore Ah Rin simply as a younger sister, compassion was added, and at some point it became love.

‘You wouldn’t even imagine it in your dreams.’

Ah Rin still seemed unaware that she was not a biological daughter.

The words Ah Rin had just poured out to Kyung Sook came to Ra Jin’s mind in a jumble.

[If you didn’t accept me as family, you shouldn’t have used him either.] [Is this why you married me off? Is this why you pretended not to know when I said I was getting a divorce? When I kept saying I was getting a divorce, you contacted him without my knowledge?] [Mother, do you love me?]

Ra Jin bit his lower lip hard with surging self-loathing.

Thinking it was the last time, his eyes grew hot.

The truth that Ra Jin had hidden not wanting to hurt Ah Rin eventually bound him, and instead gave her another wound.

He succeeded in hiding the cruel truth but ended up being terribly hated.

Do you regret it?

Conflicting emotions raged in Ra Jin’s heart.

Ra Jin thought that even if he was hated, even if fierce hatred was directed at him, he could not hurt her.

‘You did well. Because you protected Ah Rin’s heart… It would be less painful for Ah Rin to hate me instead… You did well.’

That’s how Ra Jin rationalized his actions, but it was all a misunderstanding.

Jung’s wife had trapped Ra Jin in a scheme to force a divorce. Ah Rin knew that the card and hospital bills Kyung Sook received all came from Ra Jin’s hands.

It was clear that Ra Jin himself had used tactics knowing he could not explain himself to Ah Rin.

‘I didn’t know she would trap me like this. I should have watched Mother more thoroughly.’

Even though Ra Jin knew Jung’s wife’s temperament of stopping at nothing to separate him from Ah Rin, he regretted his complacent response.

But maybe… because she was the one who had loved him for a long time, he hoped she would waver one more time.

“I know it’s too late. But just once… can’t you give me a chance?”

Even knowing it was shameless, even knowing it was too late to reach her heart, Ra Jin harbored a last hope.

“Do you know what I hate the most? Realizing a person’s value only after leaving.”

Ah Rin’s lips trembled.

“Why does it have to be like that? Couldn’t you have treated them well while they were there? Can’t you imagine how hard it must have been to leave, how hard it must have been to decide to leave someone you love?”

“It’s no use now, but my feelings for you are sincere. As you said, I realized it too late.”

Unable to meet Ah Rin’s eyes, Ra Jin lowered his head.

“It may only sound like an excuse, but I didn’t know things would turn out this way… I didn’t know my heart would make you suffer so much. Even though I said I wanted you back, my feelings came first after all. Although it was under the pretext of doing it for you, I now know well that in the end, it was to make myself feel better.”

Ra Jin tried to hide the tremor in his voice.

“I’m sorry. Really. I’m sorry for making it hard for you, for hurting you. I shook you up like a coward. And…”

“Mr. Ban Jae Hyuk. We’re already over…”

At Ah Rin’s words, Ra Jin’s heart sank with a thud.

“So apologies are useless between you and me now, Mr. Ban Jae Hyuk.”

Ra Jin was at a loss for words at Ah Rin’s resolute gaze.

Ah Rin, who couldn’t hide her conflicted emotions while looking at Ra Jin, was gone now.

‘You’ve truly made up your mind to end this relationship.’

It was too late to say it was all a misunderstanding.

Ra Jin knew.

One thing was certain – the only thing he could do now was to comply with what she wanted.

The reason Jung’s wife sought out Ah Rin, the reason Kyung Sook came to see him – it was all because he was still legally married to Ah Rin.

‘Let’s admit that we can no longer hold on by force. Ban Jae Hyuk.’

His heart felt empty. As if there was nothing where his heart used to be, as if he couldn’t feel anything.

Regardless of his heart that couldn’t let go, in this situation that might be the last… yes. He wanted to send her off, even if just a little, in what might be the last.

This feeling that he would have to harbor alone from now on… he had to keep it so that she would never notice.

Words that couldn’t be conveyed lingered in Ra Jin’s mouth. He clenched his fists tightly.

It was Ban Jae Hyuk himself who had ruined this relationship.

So, he no longer had the right to turn it back either.

“Right… we.”

Even at the end, Ra Jin thought he had to make Ah Rin comfortable.

‘So that you can be even a little bit… just a tiny bit more comfortable as you leave…’

Ra Jin felt like crying at the fact that this was all he could do.

“Let’s get divorced, Ah Rin.”

Ra Jin raised his head and looked at Ah Rin.

‘I’ll do what you want, even if it’s the last time.’

Forcing up the corners of his mouth that wouldn’t rise, Ra Jin swallowed his tears.

“Let’s get divorced.”

[This is the timeline separator]

It was settled that Ah Rin would completely cut off Ra Jin and his help.

There were no children between the two, and Ah Rin didn’t want property division or alimony.

“Do you still have the documents I gave you last time?”

Ah Rin had already handed him the divorce papers before. The faded and crumpled divorce papers had long occupied the deepest part of Ra Jin’s desk drawer.

“…Yeah.”

“Then I guess I don’t have anything else to fill out separately.”

Ra Jin, with his head deeply bowed, gave a small nod.

It was a relationship that could end with a single sheet of divorce papers, but it had been dragged on for an exceptionally long time.

“I’ll contact Manager Seo.”

“…Thank you.”

“If you need to contact me for anything, please do.”

“…”

“My… number is the same.”

She had changed her cell phone. Of course, she didn’t have Ra Jin’s number either.

But her head still remembered his number.

“Think about alimony. You might need it.”

“…There’s no way that would happen.”

“Okay. I’ll follow your opinion.”

Finishing his words powerlessly, Ra Jin stood up.

“I’ll get going.”

“…”

“I guess the next time we see each other will be in court.”

“…Yes.”

“Take good care of yourself…”

With those words, Ra Jin left the hospital room.

“You did well.”

As soon as Ra Jin left, tears welled up in Ah Rin’s large eyes as if they had been waiting.

She roughly wiped her eyes.

“You did well, Choi Ah Rin. Everything has ended well.”

Ah Rin had wanted a divorce from Ra Jin for a long time.

But her heart felt strange. Her chest throbbed. Her heart felt empty.

It was as if her heart had completely disappeared.

Thud, thud, tears flowed down and soaked the blanket.

[This is the timeline separator]

One year later.

A studio lined with numerous lights and cameras.

“Hello everyone. This is Kim Ji Ha. As we announced, today we have guests who are hard to invite and have only revealed their backs on SNS.”

A cute female idol with pink hair, white skin, and big features smiled at the camera and waved.

“They make desserts that people might not have tried, but once you do, you can’t forget. When you think of famous spots in Jeju Island and Yeonnam-dong, they come to mind right away. It’s a place that causes open run even though it’s not a luxury brand.”

The woman pointed to a woman sitting next to her and continued.

“We have invited the owner of luxury dessert cafe Memoria, Ms. Choi Ah Rin, and the handsome pastry chef Mr. Seo Yu Hyun.”

At the woman’s words, Ah Rin and Yu Hyun opened their mouths with gentle smiles towards the camera.

“Hello everyone. I’m Choi Ah Rin who runs the dessert cafe Memoria. It’s my first time on a broadcast… so I’m very nervous.”

Ah Rin spoke towards the camera with a red light on. She was wearing a sheer white chiffon blouse that exposed her slender shoulders and tight, light blue jeans.

Her outfit, paired with her transparently white skin and lavender ash-colored hair that barely touched her shoulders, created a pure yet mysterious atmosphere.

When Ah Rin finished speaking, Yu Hyun sitting next to her greeted.

“Hello, viewers. I’m pastry chef Seo Yu Hyun. It’s also my first time on a broadcast, so my throat is very dry. I’m lacking, but please take good care of me.”

Yu Hyun’s eyes curved prettily like crescents as he smiled.

His long hair covering his ears and reaching his eyes had a leaf perm that brought out a natural curl, completing his image as a “handsome man” that suited his gentle impression.

When Yu Hyun smiled with ease unlike his words about being nervous, exclamations burst out from the female staff watching.

Compared to Yu Hyun’s composure, Ah Rin felt burdened by the cameras pointed at her.

No matter how much she wiped, her hands kept sweating from the tension.

But regardless of the process, Choi Ah Rin’s first broadcast appearance was a success.

The nearly two-hour long recording finally ended. Ah Rin and Yu Hyun returned to the waiting room prepared by the staff.

Ah Rin was completely drained. She plopped down on the sofa and let out a small sigh.

“Are you okay?”

Ah Rin’s face was pale. Yu Hyun sat next to her and asked in a worried voice.

“Yeah. I’m okay. I guess I’m just tense.”

“Do you want something to drink?”

He took out sparkling water from his bag, opened the cap, and handed it to Ah Rin.

“Yeah. I’ll have some.”

His bag always contained two bottles of lemon-flavored sparkling water. Because Ah Rin liked it.

“Thanks. Oppa.”

Ah Rin drank the sparkling water without even breathing.

The burning sensation in her chest seemed to subside with the tingling lemon scent.

“It’s really refreshing.”

Yu Hyun reached out his hand towards her to receive the sparkling water she had been drinking.

“It’s okay. I’ll do it.”

“Give it.”

Having stubbornly closed the sparkling water cap with his own hand, Yu Hyun rummaged through his bag.

“How are you so unfazed, oppa? Were you born with it?”

“I was nervous too.”

“It didn’t show at all though.”

“Maybe it’s because I’ve done a few magazine interviews even if it’s my first broadcast? Ah, here it is. Do you want this too?”

It was a candy with a tangy taste, which Ah Rin ate when she was nervous or bored.

Ah Rin’s face darkened as she looked at Yu Hyun. These days, she had a concern. It was because of Yu Hyun’s feelings towards her.