Laughing, Kang Hyun pointed to the missing front button.

Tap-tap.

“Ji An, eat some fruit.”

Jung Hye knocked on the door again.

Upon hearing her mom’s voice, Ji An hurriedly left the bed, tidying up her disheveled hair.

As Kang Hyun unbuttoned his shirt, tucking it in, he took over the doorknob for Ji An, who was nervously pacing.

“Just a moment.”

Having arranged the crumpled blanket, Ji An left the window slightly open, hoping for the heat to dissipate.

Kang Hyun gently touched Ji An’s cheek with his index finger, as if indicating that everything was ready.

“Shall we shower together when we get home today?”

“Yes, yes?”

The hand that held Kang Hyun’s arm dropped suddenly.

Though Kang Hyun had already shown every nook and cranny to Ji An, they had never used the bathroom together.

Frozen in place, Ji An’s eyes stared blankly as Kang Hyun, who flicked his finger in front of her, opened the door.

“Oh my, why is his face so red? Is the room too hot?”
Holding a plate full of strawberries, Jung Hye stood with a neat face, comparing Kang Hyun, who stood tall, to their daughter, whose skin looked as if she had just come out of a sauna, and smiled faintly.

Relaxed in the bathtub where white bubbles blossomed, Ji An leaned against Kang Hyun’s chest, who supported her from behind, and played with her fingers.

The already heated body didn’t feel the swirling warm water intensely. When she first dipped her toes into the bathtub, even Kang Hyun’s whispering voice in her ears sounded embarrassingly distant.

After the busy heart regained a leisurely rhythm, Ji An became comfortable enough to half-close her eyelids.

If it weren’t for Kang Hyun’s underwater touch providing just the right stimulation, she might have drowned in the hot water sooner.

“Before winter is over, we should go to Jeju Island to see the camellias. They say it snowed a lot there too, so we might see a beautiful snowy landscape like in Pyeongchang.”

“Shall we go around mid-January then?”

Gathering Ji An’s wet hair, dripping with water, to one side, Kang Hyun nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll have enough time to prepare by then.”

“What kind of preparation?”

“For work.”

“Oh… I was going to ask you about it anyway. Mr. Gusejun.”

Finally remembering Gusejun, Ji An, nestled in Kang Hyun’s embrace, delved a little deeper.

“I really met Gusejun?”

“….”

Interpreting Kang Hyun’s silence positively, Ji An sighed softly.

“Why did I have to meet someone associated with Director? Ugh, it’s really pathetic.”

“I wish you wouldn’t worry about it.”

Kang Hyun pressed his lips against Ji An’s shoulder, where water droplets trickled down.

“I’ll try.”

Turning her gaze back to Kang Hyun for a moment, Ji An slowly nodded.

Even if she thought about the mistakes she made in the past after her memory returned, it might not be too late.

“How about going to Jeju Island and coming back after seeing the flowers blooming in spring?”

“Then you should stay for at least two months, right?”

“If you’re okay with it, I want to stay there until next winter. Even longer if possible.”

Kang Hyun didn’t want to let go of this peaceful time.

He also felt like running away to a place far beyond Jeju Island, where no one could reach.

“Later, if we meet so well and get married. It might be nice to live on Jeju Island. Of course, it’s not a burden. I’m not proposing or anything.”

Unaware of the earnest longing in the calmly flowing voice, Ji An chuckled softly, shaking her shoulders.

“I’ll propose first.”

“Once you find your memory. Slowly plan for living in Jeju.”

“Sure.”

Playfully kicking up water with no worries, Kang Hyun bit his lower lip behind Ji An.

Even though only half of his body was submerged in the hot water.

The eyes blinking outside the water seemed too warm.
Not long until Ji An’s memory might return, the feeling was as if I were trapped underwater from head to toe, contemplating the possibility.

Taesukgyu, who received a summons demanding his attendance as a witness from the prosecution, crumpled the summons in a displeased manner upon its arrival in writing.

Gusejun, who seemed to be talking as if they should all die together under the threat to his life, was plucking his lips.

“I apologize.”

Director Jo, loyal as a faithful dog, bowed his head once again in front of Taesukgyu’s desk.

“Within the investigative team, they’re looking into the death of Seo Jian, not the embezzlement case worth hundreds of billions of won.”

“If things go wrong, I’ll confess. I was the one who moved Seo Jian’s body outside.”

“Since my name would have come out of Gusejun’s mouth, it’s all useless.”

Taesukgyu downed the whiskey in the straight glass in one gulp, savoring the bitter taste.

As Director Jo, trying to refill the empty glass with a hefty bottle, took out a vibrating phone from his pants pocket.

“Kim Soye, speaking.”

Taesukgyu reached out and received the cellphone.

I’ll contact you first. Is it still okay?

“How long has it been?”

You seem relaxed. Have you found the person?

“Yeah, pretend to be a delivery service worker. Stand in front of the main entrance and make sure to open the door properly. If you dawdle in front of a closed door, someone observing might find it suspicious. Act quickly.”

Will you handle Han Seoyun properly? If you’re not going to kill her, you need to make her unusable in any way. Don’t think otherwise. I won’t stay quiet.

When the resolute voice came through clearly, Taesukgyu let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re the one. If you mess up because of jealousy, your father’s reputation will be in jeopardy too.”

That’s why let’s not waste time and hurry as much as possible.

“After the sunset, proceed right away.”

Give me her number. I’ll contact separately. And…

Ignoring Soye’s continued words, Taesukgyu hung up.

“Well, this is something else. There’s absolutely no resemblance to Chairman Kim.”

“In a way, it’s impressive. He’s still clinging to Executive Tae.”

“He hasn’t experienced it, so he’s probably ambitious.”

Taesukgyu, buried deeply in the soft backrest, stared at the nameplate visible upside down.

The position he couldn’t dream of due to being pushed aside by his older brother, who became the successor early on, was a place where he earnestly hoped, even as he watched his dying brother.