A few days passed.

Choi Secretary thoroughly monitored Eunseo. Not only during commuting but also on weekends, she waited below and followed Eunseo when she went out to buy something.

So, even though Eunseo was still at home and hadn’t gone out, that was all. She no longer saw Seungju’s face, and he didn’t smile at her either. Even if forced to sit at the dining table, she ate mechanically, not uttering a single word. A strong feeling of not wanting to be with him emanated from her whole body.

Nevertheless, Seungju couldn’t willingly let her go. He couldn’t shake off the lingering regret for the moment she had briefly given herself to him.

If only she would fall asleep in my arms once more.

If only she would prettily glance at me like last time, her face blushing as she playfully hit me with her fist.

If only she pleaded, “Buy me this, buy me that.”

Then, he felt he could even tear out his own heart and offer it to her.

“Keep your schedule free on Christmas.”

“…….”

“We’ll go out together.”

She didn’t respond, indicating neither approval nor disapproval.

Eunseo packed her things in advance.

For some reason, she felt unworthy to take the clothes Seungju bought at the department store, so she left them as they were. She gathered the clothes she originally wore when entering this house and those she bought for comfort afterward, placing them in a paper box, which she left in front of the entrance. There wasn’t even a suitcase because she didn’t have one.

She deliberately left the box at the entrance as a protest. She hoped he would quickly realize that there was no meaning in forcibly holding onto her, who had already left in her heart.

However, when she returned home after work in the evening, the box wasn’t there, as if it were a lie. She thought the landlord might have removed it, but he had left before her in the morning and hadn’t returned yet.

The only witness was the cleaning lady.

With trembling hands, Eunseo made a phone call. She had never seen the face of the cleaning lady since she came during the weekdays when the house was empty, but she had her contact information.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but didn’t you see the clothes I separately prepared? I put them in a box and left them in front of the entrance.”

Oh my, wasn’t that left out to be thrown away?

The cleaning lady asked as if surprised.

No, since I separately put together some shabby clothes, I naturally thought they were meant to be thrown away….

As they were all cheap clothes purchased from online shopping malls, the cleaning lady, who only served wealthy households, probably saw them as clothes meant to be discarded.

In fact, there wasn’t much harm in throwing away those clothes. The problem was that among them was the coat Seungju bought for her.
She had treasured it, but it seemed that wearing it every day, being white, had caused stains on the cuffs. Inevitably, she entrusted it to the laundry, and for a few days, she hastily wore a cheap wool coat she bought in the underground shopping mall near the company. Since she had just returned from the laundry yesterday, she left it in the box together.

“Did you clear it out at noon today? Where did you throw it away?”

If you look outside, there’s a recycling clothes bin. I left the box in front of it.

“Thank you.”

As soon as she hung up the phone, Eunseo rushed out. Standing in front of the slow-moving elevator, unsure of what to do, coincidentally, the landlord descended from the elevator that had just arrived.

“What’s going on?”

Seeing Eunseo’s expression, Kwon Seungju asked. She was about to enter the elevator without answering because she was too flustered, but he grabbed her arm.

“I asked what’s going on!”

“My coat!”

Due to her urgency, tears welled up.

“The cleaning lady unknowingly threw it away. We have to go quickly and find it.”

“I’ll buy you another one.”

He sighed.

“Don’t make a face like you’re about to die. I’ll just buy the same thing for you.”

“Is that the same as that one?”

It was a precious item that her favorite man had diligently worked for two weeks to buy. The fact that he regarded it so lightly after being the one who gave the gift was astounding.

“Let go!”

Eunseo shook off his hand and hastily got on the elevator without a second thought. As soon as she went down, she quickly found the clothes bin, but there was no box in front of it.

“Did you collect the clothes bin today at noon?”

She asked the security guard, but he shook his head.

“No. The collector comes once a week, and he just came and went yesterday.”

Then who took it? Unable to do anything in front of the clothes bin, she was rolling her feet when a passing resident asked carefully.

“Are you looking for the clothes box that was here?”

“Yes!”

“Oh my, I’m sorry. I thought someone had thrown it away again….”

She just placed it in the officially designated long cat shelter inside, using it as insulation.

“Thank you!”