In Ha knew that Young Hwa commuted by subway.

With a glimmer of hope, she waited in front of the subway for Young Hwa to arrive.

The evaluation was fast approaching, and In Ha hadn’t selected a single design.

Each day felt like it was draining her blood.

Moreover, this evaluation was to be conducted jointly with The K to understand U&I Fashion’s work process before the merger.

It was set to be the biggest evaluation yet.

Along with the pressure, In Ha was experiencing a feeling of being pushed into an abyss.

Grasping at straws, she assigned Young Hwa some overtime work and waited for her at the subway station.

Lately, Young Hwa had been often late. Seeing her delayed even without work, In Ha wondered if she was stopping somewhere.

It was the same back then when she couldn’t go to high school.

“That little…”

In Ha cursed involuntarily as she recalled those times.

The oblivious Young Hwa had insisted on attending the same art high school as In Ha.

That’s nonsense. If she did, it would reveal that In Ha had entered using Young Hwa’s drawings. Since the practical scores were also substituted with Young Hwa’s drawings, if Young Hwa enrolled in the same school, it would all be for nothing.

If she had said she’d go to a regular academic high school, Jae Hee wouldn’t have stopped her.

But Young Hwa was such an oblivious person.

In the end, high school enrollment was postponed every year.

Then suddenly, at 20, she presented an acceptance letter from Korea University.

And it was for the Fashion and Clothing Department.

“What… is this?”

Surprised, Jae Hee couldn’t close her mouth looking at the acceptance letter.

“I got accepted this year. I have savings from allowance and part-time jobs for tuition, so I’ll attend.”

At that time, In Ha had been rejected from most universities she applied to.

So that’s why she’s oblivious.

And it’s a Korea University acceptance letter, no less.

“How can you go to university when you haven’t even finished high school?”

Jae Hee shouted angrily.

“I took the equivalency exam.”

“What?”

“I passed the test, and I’m currently working part-time at a café during the day. I think I can cover the admission fee with that.”

Slap-!

Jae Hee slapped Young Hwa’s cheek.

“You’ve completely lost your mind.”

“Mo…ther.”

“Are you trying to shame President Ji? What will others say? They’ll say we took in an adopted daughter to make money! How can you be so thoughtless!”

Young Hwa couldn’t enroll in Korea University.

Isn’t that obvious?

For three years of high school, In Ha’s skills were evaluated using Young Hwa’s drawings.

So of course, In Ha should be the one going to university.

It was such an obvious outcome.

It’s actually a good thing.

Thanks to Young Hwa taking the test in time, In Ha was able to attend university without a gap.

That’s why In Ha was now tailing Young Hwa, wondering if she might be attending night school.

She thought if Young Hwa was attending university, her drawing book would be there.

So she waited for Young Hwa, holding her breath.

The phone in her bag rang.

“Mom, what is it!”

It was Jae Hee.

In Ha turned her back to answer the call.

Meanwhile, Young Hwa and Sun Woo came down to the subway station.

“No, I’m not. I’ll come home on my own. Why are you nagging so much? Don’t worry about it.”

In Ha frowned at Jae Hee’s nagging about why she wasn’t home yet. This wasn’t the time to worry about getting home.

She returned to her spot and watched the entrance.

“Ah!”

Just then, she saw Young Hwa coming out of the convenience store with a bottle of water.

And she approached the lockers set up at the subway entrance.

As she entered the password, the locker opened.

Young Hwa took out a drawing book and put it in her bag.

“Is that it? She’s been hiding it there. Haa. This is really… Where did she come up with this idea.”

In Ha felt like she could finally breathe again.

“You have to jump to be a flea. Anyway, you’ll spend your whole life cleaning up after me. That’s the only way you’ll get any crumbs.”

In Ha smirked and went back up to the subway platform.

***

The next day after arriving at work, In Ha visited the subway station office again.

“What? You forgot the password?”

In Ha spoke in a cute voice with a youthful face.

“No, we can’t open it without verifying your identity. We’re not allowed to open it for you.”

“Please, I’m begging you. It’s something I really need for work.”

The office staff couldn’t hide their troubled expressions.

“Alright, let’s go take a look first.”

In Ha had already come in the morning to check which locker Young Hwa had left her things in.

She confidently moved to the lockers with the staff.

“It’s in here.”

“We can’t just open it as we please, can you tell us what’s inside?”

“A drawing book. It’s a sketchbook, 8th size. A professional sketchbook. Inside, there should be practice designs I’ve drawn.”

The staff used a master key to open the door and checked the contents.

The contents matched exactly.

“Here it is.”

The staff took out the item and handed it to In Ha.

“I don’t understand how you lost it when we even send the password by text. Be careful next time as it could cause problems later.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

In Ha watched the staff leave and then hurried to the bathroom with the notebook.

As expected, it was filled with designs drawn by Young Hwa.

“Haa. Now I can live. Crazy b**ch. Why did you create this mess when you could have just done it like before.”

In Ha took photos of each page, making sure the details were clear.

She planned to return the item to its place.

That way, Young Hwa wouldn’t be suspicious, and she might be able to use it again if additional products came out.

Of course, she planned to quit her job and marry Sun Woo after getting through this evaluation well. But you never know what the future holds.

After taking all the photos, In Ha left the bathroom and returned the item to the locker Young Hwa had used.

“Thanks for your help again, Young Hwa.”

She felt lighter in both body and mind.

***

Beep-beep-!

The screen repeatedly displayed a message saying the password was incorrect.

Young Hwa’s lips quivered.

Of course, it was the correct number.

“You came and went, huh. Looks like you were in quite a hurry.”

Young Hwa wiped her lips, looked around, and headed to the convenience store in front of the lockers.

Fortunately, the lockers were near the company Young Hwa frequently used, and there was a convenience store right in front of them.

It was the perfect space.

The only place Young Hwa could choose.

The bell jingled.

A young-looking student greeted with a clear voice.

“Welcome.”

“Hello.”

Young Hwa picked up two canned drinks from the beverage showcase and approached the counter.

“I think I’ve been robbed. Could I see the CCTV footage?”

She handed one of the drinks to the student.

“Pardon?”

“From out there. The time frame would be between 11 AM and 1 PM.”

That time would be certain. It was when In Ha had left her seat.

“I’ll use the footage in compliance with personal information protection laws, and of course, I’ll blur the faces of unspecified individuals.”

“Ah-.”

The student’s mouth gaped open at Young Hwa’s words.

“Are you a lawyer?”

Young Hwa turned her head and smiled.

“No, I’m not. The stolen item is just very precious to me. I really want to get it back. Please help me.”

“Ah. Well, if you insist. Oh, but is it okay if I record this conversation?”

“Of course. Feel free to record.”

Young Hwa nodded, blinking her large eyes.

Moving to the office at the back of the convenience store, Young Hwa rewound the footage provided by the student to the time she needed.

At the expected time, In Ha appeared in that place. The time when In Ha had given work instructions and disappeared briefly.

So you were here?

“Haa.”

The student startled at the loud sigh.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I think this part will be enough.”

“Really? I’m glad you found what you were looking for.”

Since the convenience store was right in front, In Ha’s figure was very clear.

And even the drawing book she was holding in her hand.

“Perfect.”

In Ha’s actions were visible. So Young Hwa guessed she would do anything when pushed into a corner.

She’d probably jump into the fire pit herself.

Young Hwa received the recording from the convenience store, put it in her bag, and headed home.

Her heart was fluttering and racing.

The precariousness of soldiers facing defeat. People say such feelings are like a candle in the wind.

Kang Seok’s downfall would be more terrible to watch his family crumble than his own demise.

Just as she had despaired at Sang Hwa’s death.

A smile formed on her face as she walked forward.