Suddenly, Eun-chae, who was lost in thought, received the chocolate. Since she wanted to eat it anyway, a smile formed.

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Yeah. Goodbye.”

Watching Woo-seok focus on Eun-chae’s upturned mouth, he shook hands and went inside the door.

The breadcrumbs of Diwon Group Chairman Song Myung-hwan, who has been causing a stir in Korea for days, were continuously scattered.

Especially, since the incident exploded just a few months before the presidential election, most of those who couldn’t handle it were falling.

However, among them, Song Myung-hwan, the most appetizing target, was enduring as if falling straight down would be better.

A rotten onion.

The nickname given to him by the strong reaction of the people who almost fell into nationwide corruption when Han Ji-chang took the presidential office.

And even that strange amusement was KIS’s meticulous plan and a warning.

It conveyed that if any company dared to meddle in national affairs, just like this, they would end up like this.

So, the label attached to Song Myung-hwan, who discarded the title of chairman, spread provocatively through the media, stimulating even more.
Even if I stay still for a moment, it might sink, but as the joke goes, the more you peel, the more rotten content comes out, and because of that, there was no chance for it to settle.

“The late Park Moo-sung’s will. Was even this true? A hat concealed in the rotten onion, hidden in the shadows.”

“First-ever photo release. Song Myung-hwan’s secret mountain villa.”

Recently, ‘gaslighting,’ which has become a significant social issue, caused even more controversy when associated with the content.

The divorce of the top star couple, pickpocketing that occurred in broad daylight in Gangnam, and even the new scandal involving Song Myung-hwan caused them to lose interest.

Now, even the rotten onion, Song Myung-hwan’s private life, has come into another phase.

The tearful interview of Sung Moon-hee’s hat, who emerged from the shadows, was reported everywhere, regardless of terrestrial or cable, so Eun-chae in the countryside naturally knew about it.

“This interview is by us, who first revealed the photos of the villa….”

Lowering the volume of the television and diverting her gaze, Eun-chae couldn’t understand.

Why reveal what you’ve been hiding?

She, scratching the tight floorboards, suddenly opened her mouth as if her blocked breath had been released.

… Kwon Ki-joo. The only explanation was that he intervened.

A muffled breath flowed through her parted lips. Eun-chae felt Giju moving silently from behind. Him moving without her.

Eun-chae suddenly thought of Giju as a floating leaf that doesn’t sink in the water. He rose uninvited in her mind without permission.

Then her chest throbbed as if it were bruised. It was the throat before, and now it was the chest.

At first, like a fleeting breeze, it passed momentarily, but now it came and went in her mind several times a day. She was almost feverish from her restless mind.

“Where are you going at this late hour?”

“Just going to get some fresh air. Grandmother, please go to bed first.”

Finally, Eun-chae, who went outside to catch even a cold wind, closed the door, reassuring Geum-bun. Passing through the yard and coming out into the alley, the heat was gone, and it felt a bit alive.

Eun-chae moved her body as the wind led, dragging the back of her dress on the floor, not like herself. It was good to go wherever her feet took her.

However, not long after, Eun-chae stopped her steps at a place with a well surrounded by fragrant trees.

As if they had made an appointment to meet, Woo-seok was standing there. Meeting unexpectedly, Woo-seok also seemed a bit surprised.

Approaching, Eun-chae opened her mouth first.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Then what about you?”

“You? I’m older.”

Woo-seok raised his shoulders as if it didn’t bother him.

“Speak comfortably.”

“No, that’s…”

Eun-chae, who stopped talking and became a naive person, just closed her mouth.

Instead, she turned her body to make room by cleanly rotating between the round fragrant wood and the old well as if she had created them.

“Stay here. I can’t sleep anyway.”
Woo-seok called Eun-chae like that.

“Fill the time talking with me. I even bought you chocolate.”

When she peeled it, the chocolate, which had white powder spread, surprisingly tasted good. Thinking of that moist and sweet taste, Eun-chae looked at Woo-seok again.

Woo-seok looked around and then spoke in a somewhat serious tone.

“Even if it’s the countryside, don’t come out alone at night. It’s a bit dangerous for someone unfamiliar with the place.”

Thinking that his words were not wrong since she had almost impulsively come out, Eun-chae nodded. He seemed even better than she thought, so it seemed good to continue a proper conversation.

“Where did you originally live?”

Woo-seok, seemingly unfamiliar with her curiosity, blinked his eyes as if lost in thought before answering belatedly.

“Incheon. How about you?”