A week had passed since Eun Seo started her part-time job after work. Naturally, she was drowsy at the company due to lack of sleep. Feeling embarrassed in front of her team members, Eun Seo tried her best to stay alert.

“What, are you making a deadly potion?”

Sun Ah made a surprised face seeing Eun Seo pulling shot after shot from the coffee machine. She was even more shocked to see Eun Seo downing the espresso with just sugar added and no water.

“Are you crazy?”

“Tsk tsk, how uncultured.”

Eun Seo, who downed three shots of espresso in just three gulps, joked playfully.

“This is how Italians drink it, I heard. They freak out when they see people diluting coffee with water.”

Eun Seo didn’t tell the truth as she didn’t want to worry Sun Ah. If Sun Ah knew the situation, she would definitely jump up and insist on lending the money and telling Eun Seo to quit right away.

No matter who she borrowed from, she would have to pay it back anyway. She shouldn’t make it a habit to rely on others and beg. It was a bitter lesson learned thanks to her mother who left only debt behind.

“But why do you look so unwell? Are you sick somewhere?”

As expected, Sun Ah was quick to notice.

“I’m just a bit tired. Don’t worry, I’ll rest over the weekend.”

If she worked until Friday, she would roughly have the money she needed. Then she could rest well over the weekend and go to work on Monday.

“Okay, I’ll bring you something delicious over the weekend.”

Eun Seo resolved to endure it until Friday somehow.

*

“Good work, Eun Seo.”

“Thank you.”

Work finally ended at 1 AM. As Eun Seo lined up to receive her daily wage and exited the kimchi factory, a large shadow stood under a streetlight and called out to her.

“Eun Seo noona!”

Eun Seo was startled. The ajummas around her asked in curious voices.

“Who’s that?”

“Did Eun Seo get a boyfriend?”

“Ah, no. He’s just a dongsaeng I know.”

Fortunately it was dark and he was wearing a pulled-down hat. If his face was clearly visible, there would have been a huge commotion like at the market.

“What if someone recognizes you?”

Eun Seo quickly went over, grabbed his arm and spoke, but Seung Joo replied nonchalantly.

“How would the neighborhood ajummas know me? They’d only recognize Lee Jae Yong’s face.”

It was ridiculous, but her face was so stiff she couldn’t laugh well. To prevent the kimchi from ripening, the kimchi factory always maintained a low temperature inside. Staying in there for a long time made her whole face feel frozen.

It wasn’t just her facial muscles that were frozen. From standing in one place all day, her leg muscles were also stiff. Suddenly her legs buckled as she walked, making her stagger.

“Noona!”

The startled Seung Joo quickly grabbed her arm.

“Oh, sorry. I misstepped.”

Eun Seo smiled as if it was nothing, but after a few steps, she staggered greatly again. Seung Joo sighed and offered his back.

“Get on.”

“It’s fine, I can walk.”

“If you don’t get on, I’ll carry you.”

In the end, Eun Seo was half-forced to get on Seung Joo’s back.

“I’m sorry, noona. You’re suffering so much because of me, and I can’t even help…”

Seung Joo walked slowly.

“Why is it because of you? It’s not like you made the eaves collapse.”

“I’m the landlord, so I’m the one who’s supposed to fix it for you. But I can’t do anything, so…”

He sounded very upset. Even though she said it was okay, he was still thinking about that. Eun Seo sighed.

“I’m here, aren’t I? I’m glad to be living with you.”

“Before living with you, I didn’t even know I was lonely. It’s so nice to have someone waiting for you when you come home.”

“…”

“Look at me now. Who in the world would carry me on their back like this when I’m tired? Even my mom never carried me on her back, as far as I remember.”

His large, broad back was very warm.

“What about your father?”

“Dad carried me even less. Ever since I was young, he cheated on mom with this woman and that woman, and eventually divorced mom. So mom, my younger sibling and I ended up living together.”

A deep sigh was heard.

“Noona, you and I are alike in many ways.”

“That’s true.”

Eun Seo recalled the first time she saw Seung Joo before he lost his memory. One day 2 years ago, a man suddenly entered the house and sat there alone. From the beginning, she felt he had a similar scent to her own. Looking back now, it really was true.

It was ironic yet amusing that she had a lot in common with the heir of Daewon Group.

“If only we were similar in a good way…”

Seung Joo walked carefully and slowly so as not to discomfort Eun Seo on his back.

It was about a 10-minute walk to the house. Not a very long distance, but it’s a different story if you’re carrying someone on your back.

“I can get off now… Aren’t I heavy?”

“I can barely feel you on my back.”

She had to laugh at this, even if she didn’t have the energy to. After chuckling, Eun Seo rested her cheek on Seung Joo’s back. It was comfortable, warm, and even rocked gently, making her sleepy on top of her already tired body.

“You know what? Babies stop crying and fall asleep quickly when you hold them or carry them on your back.”

Eun Seo was six years older than Eun Ho. Because of the large age gap, she often held and carried him on her back when they were young, so she knew this.

“I think I know why…”

When she indirectly said she was sleepy, he seemed to catch on like a ghost and replied.

“You can sleep if you’re sleepy.”

She thought it would be disgraceful since carrying someone must be heavy, but she couldn’t fight the sleepiness at all. In the end, Eun Seo fell asleep while being carried by Seung Joo.

Waking up briefly while sleeping, she was still being carried and walking.

“Are we home yet?”

Each time she asked drowsily, the same answer came back.

“Sleep more, we still have a ways to go.”

At his gentle voice, Eun Seo fell asleep again.

The street lamps that guarded the roads all night looked down warmly at the man who was going around the neighborhood in circles carrying the sleeping woman on his back.

*

After working for a full ten days, the money for the eaves repair was prepared. And as soon as Eun Seo returned home after working until the planned last day, Friday night, she came down with a fever and fell ill. In fact, she would have collapsed much earlier, but she endured with willpower, thinking she couldn’t get sick now.

– What, you’re sick?

Hearing the news, Sun Ah rushed over like the wind on Saturday morning. Carrying a bag of porridge in one hand and a bag of medicine in the other.

After hearing the whole story from Seung Joo, Sun Ah stomped her feet.

“I knew it, you looked like you would collapse if I just lightly touched you these days. Why are you so foolish? You could have just asked to borrow from me!”

“I could prepare it with my own strength, so I didn’t want to impose on you for nothing.”

“Wow, impose, she says. You’re really speaking nonsense.”

Sun Ah seemed genuinely angry. Seung Joo also got caught in the crossfire.

“Seung Joo, you too. I know you’re freeloading here waiting for your mom, but still, you should pay for living expenses. You clearly know Eun Seo’s situation, how could you do this? The haves are worse, indeed!”

Eun Seo was surprised that Sun Ah openly reprimanded him. Wasn’t he the Kwon Seung Joo that Sun Ah regarded as highly as the sky? Moreover, in a situation where she was aiming to get on his good side? To think she would get so angry, honestly, it was a bit moving.

“Plus, legally, you’re the landlord. You should at least fix something like the collapsed eaves!”

As Sun Ah blatantly chastised him, Seung Joo looked crestfallen.

“I’m sorry, noona. It’s all my fault.”

Seung Joo already felt sorry towards Eun Seo as it was. Feeling bad for the deflated Seung Joo, Eun Seo took his side despite being sick.

“Stop it, Sun Ah. Where would he have money?”

When Eun Seo answered instead of Seung Joo, Sun Ah blinked.

“What? Why wouldn’t he have money?”

“Of course he doesn’t. He lost his wallet and phone in the accident.”

“Did he leave his bank and ate porridge?”

Instead of answering, Eun Seo asked Seung Joo.

“Do you know which bank you have an account at?”

“I don’t know.”

“What about your cash card?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Then your account password?”

“I don’t remember.”

Seung Joo shook his head glumly. See? Eun Seo looked at Sun Ah again, and now Sun Ah had an expression of genuine disbelief.

“Eun Seo, which bank does our company mainly deal with?”

“Mirae Bank.”

“That’s right. Then, common sense says, would the CEO have an account at Mirae Bank or not?”

“Ah, he would. But how do we find it?”

Sun Ah pounded her chest like a gorilla.

“Go to the resident center, reissue his ID card, then go to the bank and change the password!”

“…Oh, right?”

Eun Seo’s eyes finally seemed to light up.

Thinking about it, it was so obvious. If she had thought about it carefully for a bit, she would have figured it out quickly. But since it wasn’t her money, she hadn’t thought deeply about finding it.

It felt like having a gold mine right in front of her eyes.

At the mention of a way to find money, Seung Joo’s eyes also began to sparkle.

“How much money would be in my account?”

Eun Seo’s heart raced so much that she forgot about being sick. She swore to the heavens she had no personal greed for Seung Joo’s money, but curiosity did arise. Was there anyone in the world who wouldn’t be curious about how much was in their company CEO’s account?

“Well, since the annual salary is enormous, there’s probably a lot, right?”

At Sun Ah’s words, Seung Joo asked curiously.

“How much is my annual salary?”

Eun Seo laughed.

“Hey, how would Sun Ah know that?”

But surprisingly, Sun Ah knew even that.

“Legally, registered executives of listed companies have to disclose if they receive an annual salary of 500 million won or more. CEO-nim’s disclosed annual salary last year was…”

Sun Ah stretched out all five fingers.

“542 million won.”

Eun Seo and Seung Joo’s eyes widened side by side.

“…!”