Ra Jin couldn’t believe it even after seeing the divorce papers and her note that she left behind.

He thought that maybe Arin also wanted him to find her.

Jae Hyuk was driven into a corner where he had no choice but to accept the reality that Arin had left.

Ji Yun’s following words completely shattered Jae Hyuk.

“I know you can find her if you just use your power and money as the vice president. If you have even a little affection for her, please don’t look for her. It’s Arin’s last request.”

Just then, the sound of the elevator arriving on the first floor after going up was heard.

Ji Yun pressed the up button and continued.

“I’ll go up first. Don’t hold the elevator. I have nothing more to say to you.”

At her firm words, Jae Hyuk decided not to hold onto Ji Yun any longer.

Once she had made up her mind not to talk, Seo Ji Yun wouldn’t say anything.

“Alright, I won’t forcibly look for her as you said. Then just pass this message to Arin.”

The elevator doors were closing. Jae Hyuk shouted at Ji Yun before the doors fully closed.

“Tell her I have something I really want to say. I won’t forcibly look for her, so please ask her to make time for me.”

The words to treat her well when she’s by his side.

It was such an obvious thing, but he couldn’t keep it.

The closer she was, the more he should have cherished her, but he didn’t.

The reality of not being able to see her even though he misses her was a punishment for taking Arin’s existence for granted.

The elevator doors closed completely and quickly went up.

Jae Hyuk poured out his heart to a place where the other person had already left.

“…Please.”

He was swallowed up by the regret and despair that came too late.

How much time had passed? Jae Hyuk got into the car, moving his body without any thoughts. He couldn’t think of anything else. His mind was only filled with the fear of not being able to see Arin.

Jae Hyuk rested his forehead on the steering wheel and buried his face.

“Arin.”

His heart surged up.

He couldn’t do anything, and he couldn’t see anything.

It felt empty as if his heart had been carved out.

His eyes became hot. Soon, thick teardrops rolled down his cheeks.

“Ha…”

When was the last time he cried?

He had never cried since becoming an adult. He had never even teared up.

He didn’t know what he wanted. He just had the futile hope that this situation would be a dream when he opened his eyes.

“…Arin.”

It was a name he had never called affectionately even once.

If it was this easy to call her like this, why had he been so cold all this time?

“Please come back…”

The words that couldn’t reach lingered in the air.

When Choi A Rin disappeared, Ban Jae Hyuk’s world collapsed.

She was his world. Without knowing, she had become his world, but he realized it too late.

[This is the timeline separator]

Three years later.

Under the blue sky where white clouds floated like a picture, was Jeju Island, the representative island of South Korea.

Where the blue sea of pristine Jeju Island could be seen at a glance, people were crowded.

Dozens of people were constantly taking pictures in front of the tightly closed sign on the door, waiting for the dessert cafe to open, which had gained fame on SNS for its name meaning “memory” and “remembrance” in Italian.

There were many famous restaurants in Jeju Island. Memoria was also a rising powerhouse in the dessert industry recently.

Inside the bustling stone wall alley, Memoria, which resembled a small French family house that would appear in a fairy tale with its impressive blue roof, was also famous as a hot spot for certification photos.

People who had been taking certification photos for a while in front of the colorful and cute flowers decorating the granite stone wall alley were having a conversation.

“Wow, I’m really looking forward to this. I came here last time and left empty-handed because they only make a limited quantity.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I heard on SNS that the male owner here is so handsome.”

“People who have actually seen the female owner say she’s really pretty too.”

Just then, the window of Memoria opened beyond the stone wall alley. A man appeared through the open window.

The man’s smile resembled the spring sunshine. Arin spoke to the man.

“Elder brother, are you getting your picture taken again?”

“Let them take it.”

“What, are you really acting like a celebrity now? Tsk.”

Suddenly, Arin put her finger on her smiling lips.

The everyday life that she couldn’t even imagine until three years ago… She thought the wound from that day was a pain that could never be healed.

It was thanks to Ji Yun’s family that she was able to live.

The feeling of entering the embrace of a family for the first time stabilized her heart.

During the three years, he never appeared. So she never even imagined it.

That he would appear again and shake up this everyday life.

[This is the timeline separator]

When it turned one o’clock in the afternoon, the people who had flooded in like water quickly drained out.

“It’s past one o’clock now.”

Yu Hyun said while organizing the empty display case.

“Yeah, elder brother, it’s faster than expected.”

Arin said, looking at the empty display case that had been filled in the morning.

Yu Hyun, who had neatly arranged the baskets on the display case, took off the apron he was wearing and placed it on the table.

“It was hard today too. Good work, Arin.”

Yu Hyun said, turning to look at Arin.

“Yeah, you worked hard too, elder brother.”

Arin answered, sitting on a chair and tapping her shoulder with a small fist.

She blankly stared ahead. From the morning, she felt dazed as if a storm had swept through.

“Are you not feeling well today?”

Yu Hyun approached behind Arin and asked while massaging her shoulders with his large hands.

“Huh? Oh, no.”

“Then are you tired?”

Arin nodded at Yu Hyun’s words.

“I feel kind of out of it today.”

“Well, we had an unusually large number of customers today.”

Actually, it wasn’t because she was busy. She just felt strange since the morning.

“You look gloomy.”

“I can’t hide it from you, elder brother. I’m feeling a bit weird today.”

“Why?”

“Hmm, there’s nothing particularly bad, and there were many people saying nice things, so I should be in a good mood.”

“Yeah.”

“But my heart is fluttering and anxious.”

“Do you have something on your mind?”

“I don’t have any worries. Hmm, it’s just a little strange.”

Yu Hyun continued to gently massage Arin’s shoulders and spoke.

“Why is that?”

“Well, I’m sure it’ll pass. Ah, elder brother.”

Arin turned to look at Yu Hyun behind her and waved her hand.

“Your hands hurt, elder brother. You must be tired, so stop now.”

He gently removed her hand that was holding his and smiled.

“I’m fine. You know, when it comes to massage, it’s Seo Yu Hyun. Don’t you know that’s why I work?”

“What do you mean…”

Arin pouted her lips. Yu Hyun lightly tapped the bridge of her nose as if she was cute.

“I’m just saying to accept what I’m doing. Miss Choi A Rin, the owner.”

Arin let go of his hand that she was holding.

Actually, as his touch loosened her muscles, she felt the accumulated fatigue melt away and became drowsy.

“Thank you, elder brother.”

“You’re welcome.”

Yu Hyun’s smile was as bright as sunshine.

After the divorce, she came to Jeju Island to live well, but after going through “that” incident, she completely collapsed.

The days of crying continued, and she even did something she shouldn’t have.

She thought she could never live a normal life again. Being able to live like this and open Memoria was possible because Yu Hyun was there.

She didn’t live with Yu Hyun from the beginning. Two years ago, when Yu Hyun finished his studies in France and came to Jeju Island, the family grew from two to three.

Yu Hyun was an authentic pâtissier, and he made Arin, who was as good as dead at the time, dream for herself.

It was with the desserts he made.

[Is this really made by you, elder brother?]

The egg tart made by Yu Hyun was the most delicious she had ever tasted.

[Elder brother, why is this strawberry cake so delicious? It’s so delicious, so delicious… sob.]

It was just an ordinary fresh cream strawberry cake, but the moment she took a bite, tears poured out.

As the fluffy and sweet taste spread in her mouth, even if it was fleeting, she felt happy.

It was amazing that she could think it was delicious even in a hellish situation.

Yu Hyun was a talented person who had worked at famous dessert shops in France.

[Elder brother, I want to try making bread. Just as you taught me the happiness that sweet desserts bring, I want to let others know too.]

He slowly taught Arin the work. Thanks to that, after two years had passed, although she couldn’t make products that required advanced skills like cannelés or croissants, she could now perfectly make basic baked goods such as cakes.

It still hurt, but she no longer felt like dying or in agony as much as before. It all started when she began working at the store.

“Thank you, elder brother.”

And I’m sorry.

Arin knew the nature of the feelings Yu Hyun had for her.

That he didn’t see her entirely as his younger sister’s friend.

“Our Arin is kind-hearted too. Thank you for saying thank you.”

The sea breeze blew his brown hair, and a bright smile was drawn on Yu Hyun’s face. His long eyes curved beautifully like a crescent moon.

As if he had no intention of deceiving her, heavy emotions swirled in his transparent brown eyes.

‘I’m sorry I can’t accept your feelings, elder brother.’

Yu Hyun was a good older brother, but she had never once thought of him as a man.

At first, she hinted at rejecting him a few times, but Yu Hyun pretended not to know.

At some point, they both pretended not to know even though they knew.

Just like now.

Arin spoke with a nonchalant expression.

“Elder brother, should we hire one more employee?”

“Employee?”

Yu Hyun averted his gaze but couldn’t stop his hand. He tidied Arin’s wet hair and asked back.

“……”

As if thinking she couldn’t refuse this much, Arin said with a half-resigned heart.

“I feel bad that customers leave empty-handed.”

“Ah.”

He nodded at Arin’s words.

Memoria’s iron rule was to only sell the amount made in the morning of that day. In order to maintain the best taste, it was because of the two people’s thought that they wanted to serve delicious desserts by making only the amount they could handle.

“Actually, in the beginning, we had more desserts going into our stomachs than being sold because we had no customers. It was upsetting to see the leftover desserts.”

“That’s right.”

However, as they gained popularity, the situation quickly reversed. The number of customers coming in through the closed door of the shop with the lights off increased, and Arin and Yu Hyun had to mechanically apologize each time.

That’s when it happened.

At the same time Arin spoke, the sound of the store door opening with a ding-a-ling and customers entered.

“Are you already sold out?”

It happened more than once a day.

Yu Hyun firmly pressed Arin’s shoulders as she tried to get up and walked over instead.

“What should we do? I’m sorry. We’re sold out for today.”

“Really? We came all the way to Jeju Island… Do you really have nothing left?”

Disappointment appeared on the customer’s face, but there was really nothing left.

“Yes. I’m sorry. Please come again next time.”

“…Ah, I guess it can’t be helped.”

Arin blankly stared at the back of the customer leaving with drooping shoulders.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”

Yu Hyun comforted Arin’s shoulders.

“Of course, there wouldn’t be anyone coming to Jeju Island just for our store, but it doesn’t feel good to give even a little disappointment to a pleasant trip.”

Arin’s heart sank as she recalled the situation from a moment ago.