After dinner, Eun Seo and Seung Joo went out to sit at the edge of the wooden floor and looked up at the stars while drinking warm tea.

Due to the unusual weather, it had been warm until late, but as November came to an end, it gradually got colder. The night breeze, which had felt pleasant and cool until a few days ago, now felt chilly.

“It’s gotten much colder. Soon we won’t be able to stargaze anymore.”

“That’s true.”

As Seung Joo replied, he suddenly noticed something crawling at his feet. It was a centipede.

Seung Joo knew from seeing girls make a fuss about it a few times in middle school. That women hated centipedes even more than cockroaches.

Suddenly, a good idea came to mind. Seung Joo pointed at the centipede and deliberately shouted loudly.

“Ah, a centipede!”

Thankfully, the centipede even jumped right on cue.

Seung Joo puffed out his chest and waited. For Eun Seo to shriek ‘Eek!’ and cling to him. Then he would hold her tight and comfort her, saying ‘It’s okay, I’m here.’

However, Eun Seo immediately scurried off to grab a newspaper from the corner of the floor, rolled it up, and casually swatted the centipede.

“This is why houses with yards are no good. All sorts of bugs… Seung Joo, are you alright?”

Seung Joo felt like crying.

*

“Did you see the article yesterday?”

Sun Ah gritted her teeth and shoved her phone with the news article in front of Eun Seo’s eyes.

“Look at how they’re spinning it – hiring the eldest son as an executive but the second son as an entry-level employee!”

Sun Ah was beside herself with anger.

Reading the article carefully, Eun Seo also felt exasperated. Ah, so this is what media play looks like.

“Anyone would think they’re favoring the eldest son and treating the second son like leftovers. Not knowing they sent him as an executive to a failing company to work him to death.”

“Exactly!”

Sun Ah enthusiastically agreed with Eun Seo’s words and then asked.

“By the way, what about Seung Joo? Does he know Kwon Seung Hyun has joined our company?”

“He knows. He searches for company-related articles every day.”

A half-brother whose face he couldn’t even remember. That’s all Seung Joo had said during dinner yesterday.

[It seems he’s come to take my place. I should return to the company quickly.]

The article also mentioned that Kwon Seung Hyun had joined the planning team. So Seung Joo knew that Eun Seo and Sun Ah would be working with him. What Seung Joo didn’t know was that Eun Seo had been assigned to train Kwon Seung Hyun. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him that much.

Sun Ah clenched her fist.

“The fact that he came to our company instead of the headquarters shows his intentions clear as day. I just want to…!”

“Good morning.”

Startled by the sudden voice, the two turned around. Kwon Seung Hyun was standing behind them with a smile. His softly styled bangs and tall figure in a well-fitted dark brown suit looked incredibly sophisticated.

“What’s so interesting that you’re talking about it first thing in the morning? Let me in on it too, seniors.”

Sun Ah managed a smile on her stiff face.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just saying how handsome Chris is, you know… Right, Eun Seo?”

“Yeah. I hope Chris debuts soon.”

Eun Seo chimed in, even though she had no idea what Chris looked like. Kwon Seung Hyun looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression.

“Who’s Chris…”

“Well, excuse us. Make sure to vote for Chris later!”

“See you in the office!”

The two quickly fled to the office.

‘Surely he didn’t overhear us talking earlier?’

Fortunately, when Kwon Seung Hyun entered a moment later, his face showed no sign of that, so Eun Seo thought with relief.

From now on, she’d have to be careful what she said at work.

*

Before she knew it, it was the last day of her convenience store part-time job.

She had worked for exactly two weeks, excluding weekends, and during that time the season had completely changed. When she started, it was even hot during the day, but now it was unmistakably winter weather. Already, several students were wearing padded jackets over their school uniforms.

“Thank you.”

On the last day, as she calculated the daily wage, the owner ajumma seemed very regretful. Of course, Seung Joo had raised three months’ worth of sales in just two weeks.

“You worked hard. If you ever need money again, make sure to come to our store, okay? I’ll pay you a high hourly rate.”

“Thank you, boss. I’ll stop by to say hello when I pass by sometimes.”

Preciously holding the envelope of money to his chest, Seung Joo hurried out of the convenience store. He was heading not home, but towards a clothing store.

[Are you really working part-time just to buy a game console?]

Thinking of Eun Seo’s angry face, he couldn’t help but smile. What would she say when he presented her with the coat she wanted?

When his dream of sudden wealth vanished due to the frozen account, what he regretted most was not being able to buy the coat he had promised Eun Seo. The game console, laptop, or phone he wanted for himself didn’t even cross his mind.

From the beginning, Seung Joo had been working to buy Eun Seo’s coat. He was glad the money was ready before the weather got colder.

When he arrived at the clothing store, the coat Eun Seo had wanted was still hanging in the window display. Seung Joo entered the store and pointed at the mannequin as soon as he greeted the staff.

“I’d like that coat, please.”

The employee kindly asked,

“It’s a gift, I see. What size does the person wear?”

Seung Joo was taken aback. He hadn’t thought about the size.

“Just… I think the same size as what the mannequin is wearing would be fine…”

As he answered uncertainly, a voice came from behind him.

“That’s too big.”

Startled, he turned around to find Na Eun standing there.

“Na Eun!”

“It’s too big for that ajumma. That ajumma is so skinny and only about this tall.”

Na Eun held her palm up to about her neck level.

So she knew it was a gift for elder sister. Seung Joo felt his face flush.

“I called out to you from behind but you didn’t even react, so I chased you all the way here. Wow, you walk really fast.”

He must have been walking quickly, excited about buying the coat, and didn’t hear Na Eun calling from behind.

“Ah… sorry. But how did you come out? Isn’t it time for your shift?”

“I asked the owner ajumma to give me an hour. We worked together, how could you leave without saying goodbye?”

“Sorry.”

After giving Seung Joo a slight glare, Na Eun turned to the store employee and said,

“Unni, show us the smallest size instead of that one.”

With Na Eun’s help, Seung Joo was able to buy the coat safely. After paying 500,000 won in cash, the wage envelope he had received earlier was almost empty, but the feeling of walking out with the large shopping bag was incomparably refreshing.

As they walked side by side, Na Eun suddenly asked,

“Oppa, what do you like so much about that ajumma?”

Her tone suggested she already knew everything about Seung Joo’s feelings. Well, she had seen him carry her on his back.

“She’s not an ajumma, she’s my elder sister.”

“What?”

Na Eun made a sound of disbelief.

“Oppa, you’re a third-generation chaebol. You could meet any pretty young woman you want, so why that aju-, I mean, elder sister?”

Seung Joo almost dropped the shopping bag.

“You, how did you…”

“I looked it up online, and I haven’t told anyone so don’t worry.”

Na Eun grumbled quietly about having to say the same thing over and over.

“So why do you like that elder sister so much?”

“She’s pretty, and kind. I’ve liked her for a long time. She’s an employee at our company.”

Seung Joo’s words were filled with conviction.

[Perhaps… I liked you, elder sister?]

When Seung Joo had asked that, Eun Seo laughed until she cried.

[Hahaha! You have a surprisingly good sense of humor. Oh, that’s hilarious.]

At the time, Seung Joo thought maybe he was wrong, but now he was certain he must have liked her.

Ironically, after seeing himself in the video, he understood. For someone who seemed so cold-blooded to risk his life to save her, it must have been sincere love.

He wasn’t sure what triggered it, but he was certain nonetheless. After all, Eun Seo was so pretty and lovable, it wouldn’t be strange to have liked her if he had any chance to know her.

The demolition, judging from what Butler Kim said, was probably his attempt to finally come to terms with his feelings about his mother. It had been two years since the funeral, after all.

As for unnecessarily hurting Eun Seo in the process, well… He still didn’t understand, but there must have been some reason for that too.

“Oh oppa, really, why are you walking so fast?”

His steps kept quickening, wanting to give Eun Seo the coat as soon as possible. Despite grumbling, Na Eun continued to walk beside Seung Joo, keeping up. She didn’t seem to have any intention of going back.

“Thanks for helping me buy the clothes today, Na Eun.”

Finally, about halfway on the way home, Seung Joo stopped walking. He understood that Na Eun wasn’t a bad kid, but he didn’t think it would be good for her to find out he was living with Eun Seo. Above all, it wouldn’t be good for Eun Seo, being a woman.

“You should head back now. You have to work.”

Only then did Na Eun hesitate, reaching into her pocket to take something out.

“Here.”

“What’s… this?”

“It’s for all your hard work. You carried a lot of heavy things for me.”

Na Eun said awkwardly.

“I just bought it on the street while passing by. I wasn’t sure whether to give it to you or not, but since I bought it, I thought I should.”

The box was too carefully wrapped to have been bought on the street. When he opened it, inside was a tie pin.

“I thought you could use it when you go back to the company later. Though I guess a rich person like you probably wouldn’t use something this cheap…”

“No, thank you. I’ll use it well.”

Seung Joo said sincerely. He would have worn it right away if he had been wearing a tie, but he wasn’t, which was a shame.

“Um… oppa.”

“Yes?”

Na Eun seemed about to say something, then shook her head.

“It’s nothing.”

Then she took a step back.

“Well, goodbye oppa. Take care!”

Before Seung Joo could even reply to her farewell, Na Eun turned around and started running. Her long hair danced in the wind.

Seung Joo thought he knew what Na Eun had left unsaid. Why wouldn’t an eighteen-year-old have feelings for someone? He knew better than anyone that those feelings were purer because of her youth.

That’s why he felt both grateful and sorry. Sorry that he couldn’t return those feelings.

After watching Na Eun’s retreating figure, Seung Joo carefully put the box with the tie pin in his pocket and hurried home.

…It was time to go confess his own feelings.