《The Reason We Broke up》 Chapter 1 Autumn ended in no time. A report from the Meteorological Agency that winter had come earlier than last year was streaming from the TV. ¡®I remembered that it was pretty cold even though I wore thick coats. It looked as if it was really winter.¡¯ From tomorrow, thinking that she should wear thicker clothes, Hayeon picked up the remote and turned to another channel. ¡°The scandal between actor Kang Tae-wan and actor Lee Na-Yeon is becoming a hot topic.¡± Ha-Yeon¡¯s hand stopped in the air at the words of an active reporter. The reporter continued to talk cheerfully with pictures of Tae-wan Kang and Lee Na-Yeon, smiling as if it were their own love affairs. The Two actors who showed good chemistry in the drama ¡®we were together two years ago¡¯ received attention as they reappeared in this new drama together. The viewers are questioning the actors¡¯ relationship, but speculation says they are in a relationship just by not actively denying it. In fact, there is evidence and witnesses that have seen the two actors hanging out with acquaintances. Ha-Yeon stared at the picture of Tae-wan and Na-Yeon hanging out with acquaintances. It was the picture she also saw on the Internet a few times. It was also a photograph that was often used whenever the two were caught in a scandal. Kang Tae-wan and Lee Na-yeon. Two people walking side by side were face to face. Kang Tae-wan was wearing his hat, and Lee Na-Yeon was smiling brightly as she looked at him. It was a face that seemed happy to anyone who saw it. Even when there was a scandal before, people said that the two got along well. Ha-Yeon couldn¡¯t say anything whenever she heard that. she didn¡¯t want to contend that it was right. The sad atmosphere in her house quietly settled, the food on the table turned cold, and the moments filled with meaningless actions. Beep, beep. Ha-Yeon picked up her cell phone. The name ¡®he¡¯ appeared on the screen. ¡°yes.¡± Hayeon replied, holding her cell phone to her ear. -Ha Yuna. A sigh flowed through the phone. Ha-Yeon wanted to ask. Did you know that when you call me, you start sighing? But she stayed silent. -I think I will be late today. A lot of reporters gathered because of the scandal. I¡¯m coming back late, so go to bed first. A deep, low voice mixed with faint irritation. ¡°Okay.¡± ¨C Sorry. To keep you waiting. ¡°okay. Okay.¡± -I¡¯ll come as soon as it¡¯s organized. ¡°¡­ .¡± The phone hung up before her answer. The noisy sounds heard over the mobile phone, the female voices mixed in the background, and the sounds of cars. She couldn¡¯t even ask where and what he was doing. She couldn¡¯t afford to. Kang Tae-wan was always busy, he was always in the spotlight, he didn¡¯t have time to listen to her. And Kang Tae-wan also seemed unable to afford to ask his old lover how she was. he couldn¡¯t even explain the scandal. Ha-Yeon, who got up from her seat, looked at the table. A cake set up to commemorate their anniversary. She pulled out the unlit candle and threw it in the trash, sorted out all the cold food, and packed them roughly in the refrigerator. That afternoon, Jiyoon, her friend, stared at her face as she stopped by the bakery and bought a cake. Ji-Yoon, who had been close since high school, was one of the few acquaintances that knew Tae-wan and Ha-Yeon were lovers. Ji-Yoon said with a face of surprise as she looked at Ha-Yeon holding the cake box tightly. Chapter 2 ¡°You guys, we¡¯ve been dating for more than 10 years, but you still hold on? Hey, he hadn¡¯t cared last year did he forget? In the future, let¡¯s not celebrate anything other than a birthday. But you both still get along well. I¡¯m envious!¡± At Jiyoon¡¯s words, she laughed silently¡­ She didn¡¯t say anything because if she didn¡¯t take care of this day, he would forget that he was in a relationship. Instead, she squeezed a box of cakes that somehow seemed to hang on her heart. * * * Arriving at home and trying to text Tae-Wan, she tapped the wrong app and it leads her to the Internet. A window popped up before she could even turn it off. It was Kang Tae-wan¡¯s name, the number one on trending. From the moment she saw Kang Tae-wan at the top of real-time search terms, her heart cooled. When she pressed his name, the name ¡®Nayeon¡¯ naturally came to mind. The names caught her eyes. The news of a scandal between the two wasn¡¯t the first, so she looked through the article without saying anything, as started to prepare the meal. As Tae-wan became famous, he couldn¡¯t eat out. Naturally, she often cooked and ordered take-out. The Cooking was mainly done by her, who had a lot of time. There was a faint hope that Tae-Wan would not come home until she finished cooking. But, as she initially expected, he did not come in the end. Ha-Yeon tried to sleep and soon dozed off because of her tiredness. Beep, beep, beep. Ha-Yeon awakened to the sound of the lock¡¯s password. As she turned her head and looked out the window the sun was peeking. As she walked out into the hall, Tae-Wan stood leaning against the entrance. He looked at her and closed his eyes. ¡°Did you drink until dawn?¡± Ha-Yeon approached and asked, supporting Tae-wan. He was much taller and wider than her, so she could barely support him. ¡°yes.¡± He looked ahead and answered dryly. ¡°Why did you not go home to rest.¡± ¡°I tried to do, but I came here. I only knew it when I came in because the password is the same.¡± It was a way of saying that he was wrong. As if he made a mistake. her heart slumped at the words. However, Ha-yeon did not express it. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Why are you awake?¡± Tae-wan asked as she took off his coat. she rolled her hands in. the winter coldness clung to his clothes ¡°ah.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± A dry conversation followed. Tae-wan naturally passed her and headed to the bedroom. His actions were cautious, as if he was familiar with the home, he wouldn¡¯t turn on the lights in case someone could see them. he threw his coat on the chair and took off his clothes. Ha-Yeon looked at his back, can you turn around and show me your face. Was the words she wanted to say, . ¡°Who did you drink with?¡± ¡°The drama director and the others.¡± ¡°What about Nayeon?¡± ¡°She was there.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± He answered silently. When the answer from Ha-Yeon did not come, he turned his head. his black bangs reach down to his forehead, sharp eyes settled beneath them, and his lips closed as if there was nothing to say. The appearance of him standing by the window at dawn was unfamiliar. ¡°I saw the scandal.¡± Hayeon said in a quiet voice. ¡°oh¡­. You know it¡¯s wrong right? It¡¯s a stupid scandal.¡± ¡°hm.¡± ¡°Nayeon is just a colleague. I am not interested. You know?¡± Chapter 3 Tae-wan said dryly. Rather than saying that she was a colleague, the way he called Nayeon-yi¡¯ familiarly tore her apart. ¡°¡­ yeah¡± Hayeon replied one beat late. she knew that Tae-wan wasn¡¯t interested in Nayeon. Nevertheless, wasn¡¯t it strange that it¡¯s a constant scandal? Maybe Na-Yeon is interested in him. But Ha-Yeon couldn¡¯t say anything. Because she doesn¡¯t know his job well enough to comment. ¡°okay. I¡¯ll wash up. I have to leave in 4 hours.¡± He entered the bathroom without hearing her answer. Shhh. The sound of water could be heard over the door. A faint light was seen. Hayeon looked at the door. Tae-Wan was always standing in a place of the spotlight. and she had to always be standing like this beyond the door of his world. She felt like a shadow. When did it start? She asked, but there was no answer. Ha-Yeon removed her hand that grabbed the door handle and held it. She pushed the door and stepped in. Hazy smoke leaked out. Tae-Wan¡¯s gaze, under the shower, turned to her. He was soaked in water with his eyes half-open. ¡°What?¡± He asked with a tired voice. It seemed like he had something to say. ¡°Would you like to wash together?¡± Ha-Yeon asked in a quiet voice, leaning against the door frame. He looked at her silently. It was the first time she made such an offer. ¡°Come on.¡± Tae-wan reached out his wet hand. Ha-Yeon took off her pajamas. Her white body was revealed under the light. As she entered the bathroom, warmth hit her. Ha-Yeon stretched out her hand and grabbed his. They were big and hard hands. Tae-wan pulled her into the shower. The water soaked her body. The temperature of the water was too hot for her, but Tae-Wan¡¯s body was hot so he managed to withstand it. Hayeon raised her head and looked at Tae-wan¡¯s face. High nose, cool eyes, tight lips. There was no flaw anywhere. His eyes, nose, and mouth were nicely arranged. Tae-wan silently bowed his head and met her lips. It was a natural movement as if following a set procedure. Their lips touched, and tongues intertwined. Whether if it was enough to covet each other¡¯s thoughts, he ran through her mouth. Each time, the cool scent of toothpaste spilled into her mouth. ¡°haa.¡± She was out of breath more than usual, perhaps because of the water flowing over my sparse face. Ha-Yeon, who was gasping lightly, grabbed Tae-wan¡¯s neck. Unlike the sound of water, sticky and wet sound entered her ears. Each tongue moved in each other¡¯s mouths, but they are so close, why can¡¯t she hear anything as if she were deaf? It was unclear whether there was anything to say or whether there was nothing she wanted to hear. Ha-Yeon hugged him closer wishing to forget the faint thoughts in her head. Something swollen between his legs stabbed her belly. Tae-Wan¡¯s hand, holding Ha-Yeon, ran down her back. His breath touched her shoulder. Fingers came down between her ass and touched her sensitive area. ¡°ahh.¡± The movement of his fingers and the feeling of the flowing stream of water touching her shoulders. His index finger rotated round and round on the tender flesh. Her lower part became warm with the gentle movements that seemed to be young and soothing. Hayeon¡¯s legs clenched as she was flowing. However, his finger was already in place, no matter how hard she shook, he easily penetrated. His movements got bolder, whether he felt the water or other hot liquids. He dug into her flesh and repeatedly penetrated her. ¡°haha.¡± While Ha-Yeon was breathing, an unfamiliar sensation came into her tender flesh. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ha-Yeon touched the nape of his neck with one hand and the wall with the other. His fingers pushed in and out repeatedly. One finger became two. ¡°Sigh¡­. Ah! Ahs!¡± Ha-Yeon rested her forehead on his shoulder. He moved as if he knew well where she was weak. The finger that had been digging deeply pushed out like a sweep. Light pain and strange pleasure spread. Ugh¡­ !¡± His fingers entered, repeatedly. Every time he did that, her head became distant then came back. ¡°Na Ha-Yeon.¡± ¡°haha.¡± Tae-wan called, but she couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°catch.¡± At his words, Ha-yeon took her hand on the wall and grabbed his penis. Something huge and hot filled her hands. Even in the midst of hazy smoke, her hand moved. It just like sex with him that happened dozens of times. Now, even with her eyes closed, she knew what to do and where and how to stimulate him. ¡°mhh.¡± As Hayeon moved her hand, he blew a low breath. her hand moved faster than usual. It was because of the pouring water. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°huu.¡± The sound of breath leaking from them tangled. Tae-wan removed Ha-Yeon and turned her around. Something dug behind her before she could hold the tile wall properly. ¡°Oh.¡± Hayeon closed her eyes for a moment. His closed eyes trembled. Even though his fingers had already entered, it was difficult after a long time. ¡°Sigh.¡± Tae-wan¡¯s breath hit her back. Hayeon¡¯s hand, grasping his pelvis, moved. Their lower body touched and fell repeatedly. Every time his penis dig deep, her ass shook. Her chest touched the tile wall and fell. There was a moment of surprise caused by the cool texture of the tile. Every time he digs deeper, her mind became hazy and thoughts floated away. As he removed himself, a sticky liquid leaked between her legs. Tae-wan, who faced her, raised Ha-Yeon¡¯s leg and placed it on his shoulders, the gap between her open legs revealed itself. Tae-wan glanced at Ha-Yeon¡¯s wet place and took his own. ¡°Sigh.¡± There was pleasure simply by touching it. He slowly pushed his penis back in, and at some point pulled it back. ¡°Uhhhh.¡± Ha-Yeon stopped breathing. her head was dark as if it had been a battle. As her thoughts disappeared, Heat rose under his penis. In time he moved slowly. He seemed to enjoy it, but soon after, he started moving quicker. ¡°Ala¡­! Ah!¡± Ha-Yeon released an unbearable groan. Her toes trembled. The hand that held her was full of strength. At this moment, she wanted to ask. Why did she feel like she couldn¡¯t reach him even when they were intertwined? And for the pain in her chest. * * * When Hayeon opened her eyes, Taewan was gone. The blankets were neatly arranged, and all the clothes he had taken off were no longer there. Hayeon would have thought it was a dream if it were not for the disorganized chair. Ha-Yeon got up from her seat and picked up her phone from the side table. No text or call came from Taewan. She was thinking of making a phone call, but she sent a message instead. [When did you leave?] His answer will come back late. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t even answer. From some point on, he responded very late to her text. Sometimes there was no answer. She didn¡¯t remember exactly when it started. It was a change made over time, little by little, like the leaves turning red in the autumn breeze. Their contact reduced to few hours and late responses, his time was spent in meeting or filming rather than looking for each other, days pass of only hearing about him from others, and an anniversary that was considered important became forgotten¡­But more than anything else, he was always changing. His gaze didn¡¯t stay on her for long. His gaze turned to another place as if she were boring. His laughter could only be seen on the screen. The only time they met properly was when they had sex. Even then, when it was over, he quickly fell asleep. As if she had finished her duty. Since when did she started feeling this way? Rudeness to comfort, boredom to familiarity, habit to love. Ha-Yeon put her phone down and looked out the window. The gray sky was telling her that winter had come. The seasons changed overnight. Just like the summer that seemed to be going sluggishly withdrawn and autumn came, and the autumn quickly disappeared and winter came. Maybe human relationships are the same. The love we used to have can turn into a burden overnight. A Love that had changed like the leaves. Hayeon quietly closed her eyes. her eyes looked at the footprints left on the floor by Taewan, who disappeared silently. Chapter 4 I think it¡¯s time to let you go.¡¯ Hayeon, who was thinking quietly, turned her head as if turning away from him. * * * Hayeon saw Taewan again after three days. While filming the drama, he entered her house with a tired face.. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± His face was stiff. It was a tired face she would see when she contacted him saying ¡®I would like to see you today.¡¯ ¡°You know I¡¯m filming a drama.¡± He asked as if he had to do this. His voice firm. ¡± I Know.¡± Ha-Yeon, standing in front of the entrance, replied embarrassingly. ¡°By the way, why?¡± Taewan¡¯s handsome face was wrinkled. They said that your face looks better as you get older? Those words were left in comments online that she saw. those words were true. his face with the added years of age became handsome and the atmosphere changed. ¡°Taewan seems to be getting better and better. Are you not afraid to have such a man of all men as your lover? Pretty female celebrities will also be after him and he will be filming hot scenes with such female celebrities. you may have to be careful of your heart.¡± One day, while Ji-yoon was drinking, she asked her. ¡°Well. I¡¯m not afraid. I haven¡¯t even thought about it.¡± She had never been afraid. They had solid times together, and then she was eager to believe that he would not betray her. ¡°It¡¯s great.¡± Jiyoon said as if she was really surprised. Then laughed. But now, if Jiyoon asks the same question, how would she answer? Maybe she couldn¡¯t. Because she found that the time they spent together wasn¡¯t proof of their love, but the weight at each other¡¯s ankles. ¡°Ha Yuna.¡± Tae-Wan, with a tired expression, looked at her silently. As he took off his shoes to step into the house. Ha-Yeon raised her hand and stopped him. As if asking why he looked up with a frown. ¡°it won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Take this.¡± Ha-Yeon picked up the small bag she had and handed it out to him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Your luggage.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± After Hayeon¡¯s words, the house became quiet. He had an expression of confusion, trying to grasp the meaning of her words. Meanwhile, Ha-Yeon approached him and cleaned up his messy collar. Even after she finished, Ha-yeon held his collar tightly. A new fear came in her mind. ¡®If I let go of this, will I be safe? I was part of your world, but you were everything in mine¡­Even after throwing everything away, will it be safe?¡¯ she was scared. ¡°Na Ha-Yeon.¡± Ha-Yeon, who returned to reality only after he called, she removed her hand from his collar. her fingertips hurt as if they had been burnt. Ha-Yeon looked at him, holding her hand tightly as if her blood was flowing out. She stared for a long time as if it would be the last and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s break up now, Taewan.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop.¡± The words of farewell to the end of the 11 years of love came out more easily than she thought. his heart fell. Standing frozen, he stared at her shocked. ¡°Na Ha-Yeon.¡± Finally, he called her in a low-pitched voice. ¡°yes.¡± Hayeon replied with a dull voice. ¡°what are you talking about¡­ .¡± Taewan couldn¡¯t think. He dropped the bag he was holding and it landed on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t think I heard correctly, so say it again.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What?¡± Tae-wan frowned at Ha-Yeon¡¯s question. ¡°Why don¡¯t you intend to break up with me?¡± Ha-Yeon wondered why he was stubborn. ¡°¡­why are we breaking up? Our love is over? Are you going to say something like that?¡± Tae-Wan¡¯s lips became stiff. A crooked word leaked through his lips. ¡°No, I never stopped loving you.¡± Hayeon shook her head. It was a love that had never stopped. From the moment he walked against the backdrop of the splendid spring, it has been ever since. ¡°I still love you.¡± ¡°But, why the hell?¡± Tae-wan shouted as if he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Im not confident to love you another tomorrow .¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s why.¡± Ha-Yeon, who was smiling with a light smile, bit her lips. ¡®So this was a goodbye. Before our love, wears out and breaks in a hurtful way, I think it¡¯s the last thing I can do to. I wish our memories of this relationship to only be filled with good when we look back.¡¯ Ha-Yeon swallowed the words and raised his luggage and handed it over to Tae-Wan. Tae-wan¡¯s face froze. It was a face of a person that heard the most unexpected words. ¡°So let¡¯s break up.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Leave carefully.¡± Hayeon turned around with her back to him, who was standing in front of the door. She returned to her room with light steps so as not to show her staggering heart. Chapter 5 Ha-yeon really noticed Tae-wan for the first time when she was 18, the day the new school year began. Arriving at school earlier than usual, she saw a man arriving before herself. Tae-wan, wearing a school uniform, put a chair near the window and stretched his legs. It was still cold enough to take in the brisk air, but it looked like he¡¯s enjoying the breeze. What to do? While standing with a paralyzed expression, Tae-wan turned to see if he could hear the sound of the door opening. He looked puzzled as if he didn¡¯t know anyone would come his early. Then he glanced at Ha-yeon¡¯s face with a long, poignant expression. He seemed to be questioning the mirage he was looking at. That period of time lasted quite a while, to the extent that she thought that her face might be pierced through by it. As she was thinking about going back, their eyes had already met, but it seemed strange for either one of them to turn around. She felt him gazing continuously at her side profile. She hadn¡¯t made any customary polite greetings yet so why was he constantly staring at her? Even now, while she felt compelled to at least say hello, it seemed like she had lagged on her timing. She came out early because the house was uncomfortable, but even that failed as she found herself uncomfortable even at school. Ha-yeon laid down on her face, turning her head to face the corridor. What if she said something, but he didn¡¯t reciprocate? A cool breeze blew. She liked the breeze that touched her back, so her mind relaxed a little. She knew about Kang Tae-wan well. Kang Tae-wan has been famous since enrolling at her school. At a height of 186cm which was overwhelmingly taller than everybody else in the same grade, he caught everyone¡¯s attention. In addition, with wide shoulders and wide eyes, he exuded a daunting air. Although his face was still somewhat youthful befitting his age, he had an aloof and untouchable aura which caused male seniors to stop and balk whenever any of them saw him for the first time. His career as a model early on was also a hot topic. It was said that his photos were regularly featured in a rather famous magazine. In fact, Ha-yeon had seen Tae-wan¡¯s snapshots several times in one of her favorite magazines. The most memorable image was the beach shoot. In a series of monochromatic photographs, he stood with his back to the beach. In a loose shirt, his expression and pose took on an indolent and languid air, it was dreamy. Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him for a while, still lingering in the memories of the photo which was markedly different from how he looks in a school uniform. Not only girls in the same grade, but also the seniors and juniors, they all liked Kang Tae-wan. Wherever Tae-wan was, there were also girls running around. The girls expected Kang Tae-wan to become a celebrity eventually. So, they joked about whether it would be nice to befriend him before that. Ha-yeon was dubious at first, but then realized Kang Tae-wan could be a pretty good entertainment industry artist. She even thought about who would become a celebrity if such a person as him did not become a celebrity. However, that was as far as where Ha Yeon¡¯s interest extended ¨C a handsome and popular classmate with an unusual background. She had no contact with him. They didn¡¯t share the same gender, and they never had to converse. They would run into each other from time to time in the school corridors or at the vending machines, and when they did, they would make eye contact but avoid each other. That was the entire scope of their interactions. The school girls will pass by their classroom on purpose, so the area around the class was typically noisy. That was the extent of Ha Yeon¡¯s experience as Kang Tae-wan¡¯s classmate. * * * As expected, the area around the class became noisy. It was a fuss she had never experienced while she was in first grade. And what was different from usual was that Kang Tae-wan had become her seat mate. When it was Ha-yeon¡¯s turn to draw lots for her seat mate, she ended up sitting next to Tae-wan. Luckily for Ha-yeon, she sat in the very back seat next to the window. Originally, Kang Tae-wan was supposed to be sitting right in front of the school table, but when he sat down, the view of all the students who sat behind him in the same row were completely blocked. The homeroom teacher, who reflected on the welfare of the other students, asked Tae-wan. ¡°Would you like to go to the back seat and sit down?¡± The homeroom teacher also seemed sorry to say this to Tae-wan. ¡°Back seat. Where exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, where would you like to be¡­ ? How about the back seat by the window?¡± The homeroom teacher pointed to the seat next to Ha Yeon. It just so happened that Ha-yeon¡¯s seat mate that year was a very short and near-sighted friend. This change would also be in consideration for him. Tae-wan looked back. Naturally, their eyes met. Ha-yeon felt that it would have been awkward to avoid his eyes. It was also ambiguous to laugh, so they just looked at each other. He looked at her for a long time, then replied while looking at her. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Afterwards, although she was partnered with Tae-wan, they didn¡¯t really chat much. He often left early for work and didn¡¯t speak much even on school days. After being paired with Kang Tae-wan, there was nothing that made her particularly uncomfortable, nonetheless there was an inscrutable discomfort. For example, while the female students watched Kang Tae-wan during their break, they also watched the one who was paired with him. And the girls were chomping at the seams asking her for details about Kang Tae-wan. ¡°Hey, Ha Ha-yeon. Hey.¡± Ha-yeon, who had avoided the gaze of the female students, pretended to have finished eating to head for the convenience store, turned around. Three other female students approached her. These girls were in the same class Ha-yeon when they were in the first grade but weren¡¯t the kind of friends she had ever had a deeper relationship beyond the superficial because of their disposition. Ha-yeon looked at them quizzically wondering what was going on Chapter 6 ¡°Hey, you¡­ . Aren¡¯t you partners with Kang Tae-wan of the 3rd class in the 2nd grade?¡± chirped the girl with a high ponytail and pouty, bright red, tinted lips. This type of situation and attention was burdensome, but Ha-yeon did not say it out loud. ¡°Huh. By the way, do you know Kang Tae-wan¡¯s cell phone number?¡± The girls twinkled their eyes and asked. ¡°No. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± The girls eyed Ha-yeon suspiciously. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°But you are partners.¡± ¡°We are, but we aren¡¯t close.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Upon hearing Ha-yeon¡¯s words, the girls were a little relieved. ¡°Then, can¡¯t you give me Kang Tae-wan¡¯s mobile phone number? It will be easy for you to find out since you are partners. You can take a look at his phone, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s going to be difficult.¡± ¡°Oh, hey. What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s not that difficult. I¡¯m just asking for a cell phone number. Huh? I won¡¯t tell on you. I¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡± Ha-yeon looked down at the girls with an indifferent expression. The girls who regarded her silence as a sign of anxiety began to chatter. ¡°Actually, I like Tae-wan. However, Tae-wan doesn¡¯t contact his friends, and there is no way to find out his cell phone number. I want to stay in touch. Huh? So can¡¯t you help me just once?¡± While Ha-yeon felt that it was not a difficult request, she looked at the girl and said: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not really close with him at all, and it¡¯ll be embarrassing. So you can do it yourself.¡± ¡°How is it embarrassing?¡± ¡°It should be too embarrassing to ask for such favors.¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t embarrassing; it was annoying, but Ha-yeon looked at them briefly before turning around. Then, a cold grunt snorted behind her back. ¡°Wow, what a real bitch.¡± ¡°Does she think she¡¯s so great? Does she believe she¡¯s a woman?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s it. Get lost. Go.¡± Ha-yeon turned the corner of the corridor while listening to the female students¡¯ poisonous words. She knew what they were laughing about as it was the same complaint she had about herself. Whenever the subject height came into question, she definitely would never be left out of that discussion. She did not like to react, so she pretended not to hear any of it. Then she stopped where she was standing. It wasn¡¯t common to see a boy¡¯s shoulders first when a person looked straight ahead. She seemed to recognize the person who was facing her. As she held her gaze on him for what appeared to feel like an eternity, she saw Tae-wan¡¯s face as expected. It was a little embarrassing to think that he had heard all the entire fiasco she just went through with the girls. It was too late to go to the store, and it was time to pass him by, hoping to go to the bathroom and then head back to class. ¡°Sorry.¡± Ha-yeon¡¯s head lifted in the direction of a low voice. It looked as if he was the one who just spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you get caught in troublesome situatios because of me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s OK. It wasn¡¯t anything you did. You would be tired of it too.¡± She replied, knowing that it wasn¡¯t his fault, so he shouldn¡¯t have to worry. Then Tae-wan stared at her and suddenly commented: ¡°You¡¯re good at talking.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°But why don¡¯t you say a word at school?¡± ¡°I would say the same to you too.¡± Ha-yeon was terrified at her own retort. Luckily for her, the school bell sounded announcing that the break was over. Rush! She heard the sound of students dashing into the classroom. Some of the students who were still wandering up the stairs gawked when they saw Tae-wan and Ha-yeon facing each other. They turned their heads and stared at the two at length as if they had found something awesome. ¡°The break is over. Let¡¯s go in.¡± It was the first thing he had ever really said to Ha-yeon. She frowned. She didn¡¯t get to go to the convenience store, and didn¡¯t even go to the bathroom. She turned around, checking the time on the black wristwatch on her pale wrist. ¡°If I talk a lot, would you do it too?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ha-yeon forgot the time in reaction to the unexpected words. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°If I talk to you, will you answer me?¡± ¡°¡­ Probably.¡± She hated the annoying inconvenience, but she wasn¡¯t rude enough to ignore anyone talking to her face. ¡°Okay. Okay.¡± What did they have in common to talk about? Before Ha-yeon could even ask him anything, he passed her by. * * * After the lunch break, the classroom was unusually noisy. The students went to brush their teeth, looked at their cell phones, each minding their own business. Ha-yeon, who refused to ask either of her friends Ji-yoon or Yul-hee to go to the library with her, laid face down on her desk. It was the day before the weekend when she would have to perform a favor for her aunt, so she was a little nervous. She will be posing for a cover photo in a women¡¯s magazine that most teenagers don¡¯t read. Although the faces weren¡¯t visible, she was still worried. If her parents found out, while they will dislike it, Ha-yeon hated getting more attention in school even more than she already was. She wanted to live quietly* until she graduated. Ha-yeon laid on one side of her face and rested while emptying her head as much as possible. The sound of an object landing on her desk corresponded with a shadow eclipsing the light filtered through her eyelids. When she opened her eyes, something yellow was blocking her view. She raised her head and looked. It was banana milk. Ha-yeon¡¯s eyes alternated between the banana milk in a bottle and Tae-wan sitting next to her. He was also having banana milk. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Banana milk.¡± Tae-wan replied plainly. ¡°Why are you giving me this?¡± She wasn¡¯t asking because she didn¡¯t know. ¡°I¡¯m giving it to thank you for protecting my cell phone number.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Drink.¡± Ha-yeon stared at the banana milk. ¡°This is sweeter than I thought.¡± Tae-wan frowned weakly as if it was his time drinking this kind of milk. Is this your first time having this kind of milk? So why drink it then? Ha-yeon had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but she shut her mouth when she saw the students milling in. Instead, she stashed the banana milk in her bag. She didn¡¯t think Tae-Wan would accept it even if she tried giving it back. It was also her favorite milk. She felt like drinking it while it was still cool, but she didn¡¯t want to show the other students that she was doing things with Tae-Wan, such as eating together. Ha-yeon zipped up her bag tightly. ¡°Do not give it to someone else, you must drink it yourself.¡± Tae-Wan insisted in a voice that was inaudible to othe Chapter 7 Ha-yeon started working as a model secretly without informing her family and friends when she received a phone call from her aunt early in the morning on a weekend a year ago. Her aunt was a photographer, taking pictures mostly for magazines. She didn¡¯t often shoot with famous actors or models, but her assignments were occasional and not very lucrative because of her rather conservative and modest values. Being offered a long-term contract from a magazine would be considered lucky. One day, Ha-yeon got a phone call from her aunt. That day a high school girl model who had been scheduled for a shoot was unable to make it due to injuries on her shoulder and face. Until then, Ha-yeon herself, was like every other teenager out there who dreamt much and spent her time listening to stories of other people. Rather, she was just thinking to herself about such stories could ever be true. ¡°So, I mean, Ha-yeon, can you help out your aunt? There is a model and her looks are very similar to yours. I really can¡¯t postpone the photo shoot today, and I don¡¯t have time to audition for a replacement¡­ . Help your aunt just this once.¡± Ha-yeon paused at her aunt¡¯s words. ¡°Aunt. What about my family? You know what they are like.¡± Ha-yeon, who was mortified, turned and refused. After her biological mother died, a stepmother came in. Her father and stepmom hated her staying in touch with her aunt. Because of that, every time Ha-yeon met with her aunt under the pretense of seeing her friends. If she startedworking as a model, the family will immediately realize that she was meeting her aunt. ¡°I know. I know¡­ . Ha-yeon. Just save your aunt once. Anyway, you won¡¯t get noticed if you only work once. And because it¡¯s not a famous magazine, it doesn¡¯t attract many people. It¡¯s okay because it¡¯s a side profile image and you¡¯ll be wearing thick makeup. Anyway, it will be taken from a distance. Would your aunt ask you to do this if your face was identifiable? Right?¡¯ ¡°But still¡­ .¡± ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s really no one else but you. Just save your aunt once. Uh, hey. Huh?¡± It was the first time her aunt was pleading profusely. Above all, she was interested in what her aunt was doing, so she agreed. That was how she started working as a magazine model. Her income was less than expected, but it gave her enough pocket money to not have to ask her parents for any. As long as the face was not clearly discernable, her aunt would give such jobs to her. When the back, side, and front views of her face appeared, the photos were in black and white and adequately far away enough to be indistinguishable. Or it was a face among so many models that she didn¡¯t particularly standout. After work, her aunt put down the camera and smiled widely at Ha-yeon. ¡°You did well today.¡± Since there wasn¡¯t much editing or re-shoots needed, work ended earlier than usual. ¡°Shall we go to dinner together?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Ha-yeon nodded. To her, her aunt was the only one she was comfortable with, except for two close friends. ¡°Okay. Go. Let¡¯s go eat pasta.¡± Her aunt likes to eat pasta and drink beer very much, especially on the days that Ha-yeon was working. It should be said that it felt like a reward for completing a hard day¡¯s work smoothly. No Her aunt smiled widely and stretched open her arms like a girl. Even in early spring, her aunt would wear only a white short-sleeved T-shirt and ripped jeans, and didn¡¯t look her age. She was refreshing and beautiful. Because of her lively energy, Ha-yeon felt she wanted to be like her aunt. ¡°I want to live like you when I get older.¡± ¡°Oh, why would you?¡± ¡°I really mean it.¡± At Ha-yeon¡¯s words, her aunt smiled and stroked her hair. ¡°Okay. Go on, grow up and be like your aunt. But your aunt wants to go back to your age. If I can change it, I want to change it.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t want you to change it.¡± When Ha-yeon spoke firmly, her aunt laughed with a peculiar sound of laughter. Ha-yeon sat down with her aunt at a pasta shop that she often visited. Without looking at the menu, her aunt ordered, ¡®I¡¯d like one rose pasta, one shrimp cream risotto, one bottle of beer, and a glass of strawberry-ade.¡¯ These were Ha-yeon¡¯s favorite foods. ¡°Ha-yeon, what are you going to do when you grow up?¡± Her aunt asked abruptly. ¡°Well¡­ . I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± Ha-yeon replied indifferently, stirring the strawberry-ade that came out first with a straw. Because of her good academic performance, her father told her that he would like her to have a go at medical school and work a little harder. With a frown on her face, her stepmother gave a typical answer, ¡®It would be better to follow your father¡¯s will¡¯. Ha-yeon didn¡¯t like both their comments, but she replied, saying, ¡®I¡¯ll think about it.¡¯ ¡°Do you want to do anything?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Really? I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t have anything in mind.¡± ¡°No.¡± There was something she wanted to do that was different from what she was told. However, she was not sure if she could go that way, or if she had the talent to succeed. She didn¡¯t have the confidence to face the immense opposition from her family. ¡°So why don¡¯t you continue working as a model?¡± When the words she was thinking of came out her aunt¡¯s mouth, Ha-yeon slowly raised her head. The aunt was staring at her with her chin upturned. It wasn¡¯t a smiling face as usual, but a serious expression. ¡°Because the real you and who you become in front of the camera are very different. In your aunt¡¯s personal opinion, you very photogenic. Your look changes with your moods and expressions. You look elegant, and sometimes even regal. Of course you aren¡¯t aware of it.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t really want to do anything, I think it would still be nice to continue working as a model. Think about it. If you do, your aunt will support you.¡± Ha-yeon¡¯s heart shook with those words. Could she do it? She wanted to do it¡­ . Ha-yeon thought that way, but didn¡¯t express it out loud. ¡°Huh. Thanks.¡± Instead, Ha-yeon replied formally, ¡®Thank you. Well, that is such an inadequate word,¡¯ and smiled. Chapter 8 It¡¯s a modeling job¡­ . Suddenly, Kang Tae-wan passed through her head. What about he who specialized in modeling? Will he be happy? Or will he be satisfied? Ha-yeon became confused, and turned her head towards the window. Through the window on the second floor, a man with long legs was passing by with long strides. Even though it was from a distance, she could quickly discern who it was. She thought to herself, ¡°Isn¡¯t that, Kang Tae-wan?¡± Ha-yeon¡¯s gaze turned to her aunt and asked in a curious voice, ¡°Aunt, do you know Kang Tae-wan?¡± ¡°Well. We worked together only once. It wasn¡¯t long after he started modeling.¡± Her aunt¡¯s gaze looked towards Kang Tae-wan, who was walking some distance down the road. There was a momentary regret for not being able to capture that scene on her camera. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± ¡°How do you know him?¡± ¡°He attends our school.¡± She didn¡¯t even mention being classmates. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the same age. He¡¯s also in the same school as you; the world is too small. Kang Tae-wan, is a natural model too. Highly in demand.¡± Her aunt eyed him greedily. ¡°Kang Tae-wan, is he good?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s very good at it. He looks good and his charisma is good too. It¡¯s a waste to just be a model. Uh, If only his parents lived long enough¡­ .¡± Her aunt¡¯s words were vague. ¡°What do you mean?¡± After taking a cool sip of bottled beer, her aunt opened her mouth. ¡°Someone said his parents committed suicide over debt. I heard that it¡¯s a pretty big deal too. It wasn¡¯t a debt that they personally acquired while doing business.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°It must be inherited debt then. Fortunately, I don¡¯t have to take responsibility for my parents¡¯ debt, but I guess I might acquire some debt in the future. He said he has to work hard because of that. Surviving on basic living expenses and paying off the debt with modeling work. In addition, he has to care for a sick grandmother, so the burden he carries isn¡¯t just himself alone.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that right?¡± Ha-yeon asked with an incredulous look in her eyes. Kang Tae-wan wasn¡¯t cheery, but he didn¡¯t look despondent. She herself, wasn¡¯t chronically indifferent. Occasionally, when the wind blew, she still had the time to turn her head and enjoy the breeze*. (* = meaning able to enjoy one¡¯s life a little) Because of his general behavior and demeanor, Kang Tae-wan looked like the son of a rich family. In general, everyone at school perceived him in the same light. It was the same with her. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m close to the head of his model agency. It¡¯s a story I heard while drinking because I was so drunk no one thought I¡¯d remember. So you just pretend you don¡¯t know. I happen to do that too. It¡¯s better if you forget it. Aren¡¯t you two close anyway?¡± Her aunt now had a worried look on her face. ¡°Huh.¡± Ha-yeon replied lightly. Far from being close, there was no relationship. After graduating, they will only be former classmates, and she would be fortunate if he remembered her. If she was very lucky, he might even remember giving her banana milk. But even the ¡®Oh, that was ¡­.¡¯ would be forgotten at the moment one¡¯s head turned. ¡°It is hard, at that age. Ugh, I hear that his grades are pretty good¡­ .¡± her aunt muttered in a low voice. ¡°Yeah. It is difficult.¡± Ha Yeon replied so, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what his pain was like. Maybe it is incomparable because her life and his life are completely different. ¡°I¡¯m glad though. He has such a natural face, body shape, and charisma, so he¡¯s going down a path that no other kids have a chance at.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Ha-yeon gave an ambiguous answer because she couldn¡¯t agree on that part. Would it be possible to attach the word ¡®fortunate¡¯ to pain? That being said, somehow he managed to persevere through it. Ha Yeon¡¯s gaze again turned towards the view outside of the window. Tae-wan disappeared and was no longer visible. Her gaze paused in the direction where he disappeared and then fell. * * * Chapter 9 Though she unintentionally learned about Tae-wan¡¯s secret, Ha-yeon did not hide. Meanwhile, the pair changed sitting places twice. But they were still partners. Because of their height, their seats were pretty much fixed. The girls were very envious of Ha-yeon, and attributed her luck to her height which was something she couldn¡¯t help. Some did not give up and asked her how she could be so tall, but even that did not end after a few days. ¡°Have you grown taller?¡± Ha-yeon¡¯s head turned to a sudden question. Tae-wan was lying on his desk and staring at her. She wondered why he was suddenly asking something like that. ¡°When I talk to you, answer me.¡± Tae-wan said while Ha-yeon worried. After giving her banana milk, she was surprised as he had never spoken this much before. ¡°Maybe a little.¡± She was a little taller than last year. ¡°Have you grown?¡± ¡°Oh yeah.¡± There was no detailed answer given by Tae-wan. ¡°Will you keep staring at me like that?¡± Ha-yeon, who was preparing for the 5th lesson, asked, looking sideways. Tae-wan who was laying on his arm, looked at her. The wind blew through the window and his dark hair floated up and then settled down again. The slightly messy hair style also looked good. He is natural model material. It was time to think about it, and she look at Tae-wan. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take head shots?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ha-yeon¡¯s expression hardened after being asked. ¡°I think the front is prettier.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Do you think your face isn¡¯t good enough?¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± Ha-yeon quietly squeaked out. ¡°LC April issue.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°That was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Contrary to asking, he said it in a confident tone that it was definitively her. As Ha-yeon was left speechless for a while, Tae-wan¡¯s lips widened. Rising up, he pulled out the April issue of LC magazine from his bag, opened exactly to the page Ha-yeon¡¯s face was featured and placed it in front of her. It was a picture of her with thick makeup, looking up from below. Even that time, only half of her face was shown, so one had to look really closely to realize that it was her. How did he find out about this? She tried to calm herself down. ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± Ha-yeon denied defensively. ¡°Seriously? Not really. You are right.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Shall I ask other people, too?¡± Ha-yeon hurriedly grabbed Tae-wan¡¯s arm as he was about to get up. At this critical juncture, he looked at Ha-yeon¡¯s hand holding his arm. ¡°What do you want?¡± Ha-yeon asked with an expressionless face. ¡°Give me your autograph.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ha-yeon asked back with an incredulous expression. Then Tae-wan pointed at the bottom of the magazine where she appeared. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it secret, if you agree to sign here.¡± ¡°¡­ This does not make any sense.¡± ¡°Do it now.¡± There was elusive tension somewhere inside her. Ha-yeon hesitantly contemplated after she quickly scribbled something on that page with a pen, she quickly returned the magazine to him. He opened the page and laughed after taking a peek. Na Ha-yeon, honestly, her name was now permanently printed on it. Tae-wan¡¯s gaze remaied on the signature for a long time. ¡°Have you ever signed your photo before?¡± Tae-wan asked, still looking at Ha-yeon¡¯s photograph. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then this is your first time.¡± Tae-wan¡¯s mouth relaxed into a smile. She had never seen him smile that way. Is it because the wind was blowing? Or maybe it¡¯s because his face goes well with the wind. Her heart seemed to be beating a little faster than usual. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it secret. Instead, let me know when you have another magazine shoot.¡± ¡°¡­ Why is that?¡± Ha-yeon looked up with anxious eyes. ¡°I wanna look out for it.¡± Tae-wan grabbed the magazine and pushed it into his bag. Ha-yeon asked him why he wanted to look out for them, but instead of answering, he only smiled. * * * Chapter 10 If Tae-wan tried talking to others afterwards, she would get nervous, but fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. Even after he got her autograph, he was the same as before. However, ever occasionally during class, when she turned her head, their eyes would meet. One day, she felt a gaze while playing dodgeball in PE class, when she returned the look, Tae-wan was staring at her. While it was nice to make eye contact, Tae-wan looked at her and then smiled, as if he was glad she knew what he was looking at. At some point, Ha-yeon also became conscious of Tae-wan. She started to wonder if she had begun ogling him too. He was staring at her eight out of ten times, but she was the one staring first in the remaining two. When she first started staring at him, she became embarrassed and quickly tried to turn her head back. Tae-wan, who seemed to have ESP, turned his head suddenly. After he made a subtle smirk as if he caught her peeping, from then on, Tae-Wan started smiling a little differently from how he used to at the beginning. The smile was similar to an expression of relief. Their moments of looking at each other coincided with Tae-wan¡¯s smiles. She had a strange feeling that no one else knew, as if there was a separate, invisible bubble that had enveloped and insulated both of them which only they were a part of and knew about. Ha-yeon turned away from Tae-wan¡¯s gaze. Cherry trees lined up under the clear blue sky. White flower buds were sticking out their faces between the branches. The cherry blossoms were going to bloom shortly, and soon they did. Ha-yeon blamed the cherry blossoms for the sound of the buds blooming in her heart. * * * Oh, was today that day? Ha-yeon stopped while listening to the loud noise at the front door. ¡°Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday.¡± (Woo-hyun) ¡°Wow, Woo-hyun is also good at talking. Congratulating your mother on her birthday.¡± ¡°Oh, look at the kid. So cute! Woo-hyun!¡± A loving voice overflowed from beyond the door. They were the stepmother and the stepmother¡¯s sisters. She was at a party to celebrate her stepmom¡¯s birthday. Now, her stepmother¡¯s sisters had become her aunts, but they were still awkward with her. They said they didn¡¯t know what to do when they met Ha-yeon. It was the same with Ha-yeon. She couldn¡¯t come around to calling her stepmother ¡®mother¡¯, so unsurprisingly, she couldn¡¯t call her stepmother¡¯s sisters ¡®aunt¡¯. ¡°Thanks. I am really happy, thanks to you.¡± Over the cheerful voice of her stepmother, she heard the bold voice of her father saying, ¡®Happy birthday.¡¯ She even heard the babbling of Woo-hyun, her younger brother, who soon will turn 2 years old. Her stepmother was moved to see that her husband had given her a gift, and she heard the sounds of envy from her step-aunts through the door. As they chatted in the bright light, she stood in the dark. Ha-yeon¡¯s hands drooped down from the handle of the front door. ¡°Are you coming home after self-study tonight?¡± Was this the reason why her stepmother asked her again before going to school this morning? When Ha-yeon replied, ¡®Yes, yes¡¯, it must have been the same reason that her stepmom shed a smile of relief by answering, ¡°You must be busy.¡± Ha-yeon looked at the light flowing through the front door and turned back. The only birthday gift she could give her stepmom was not to attend that birthday party. The school ceiling was leaking, so she couldn¡¯t do self-study that night. It seemed she also couldn¡¯t even eat dinner as well. Her stepmother loved her father and Woo-hyun who was born after they were married, but she was raising Ha-yeon out of a sense of obligation. Ha-yeon¡¯s father also didn¡¯t know how to treat his ex-wife¡¯s grown-up daughter. His conservative and strict parenting style was more authoritative than nurturing, ¡°You have to go to medical school.¡± ¡°A woman should be modest. That way, you can find a good husband.¡± The only things her father ever said to her sounded like that. Ha-yeon, who got out of the house, stood alone like a lost person. Loneliness landed. It felt like she was freshly ejected and pushed out of any part of their world. There was no place to go, so she stopped by a convenience store and bought a triangle kimbap and headed to the playground. She sent a message to Ji-yoon and Yul-hee, but neither one of them answered. They had said they were going to karaoke; it looked like they had placed their phones face down. How many hours should she spend her time in the playground like this? Sitting on the swing, Ha-yeon raised her head and looked at the sky. The Cherry blossoms had a whitish glow under the dark night sky. Cherry blossoms are spectacular when they bloom, but their lush display only lasts fleetingly. Even so, the only other thing that cherry blossoms are good for happens after dark, perhaps because the petals are radiant. Ha-yeon closed her eyes and inhaled. She tried to imagine the cherry blossom leaves falling off after the rain in a few days. However, no matter how hard she tried, the beautiful sight did not come to mind. She could only recall the words she had overheard by chance a few days ago. ¡°Ha-yeon, will she become emancipated when she graduates from high school?¡± came the voice of her stepmother who couldn¡¯t wait to wash her hands of the burdensome obligation as soon as Ha-yeon graduated. ¡°Should be¡± replied Ha-yeon¡¯s father who affirmed her stepmother¡¯s question while Woo-hyun, laughed innocently without knowing anything. They were a perfect family, and she alone was a stranger. Even though she had forgotten that fact, on a day like this, her heart broke. She heard footsteps approaching over the sound of the wind. Ha-yeon opened her eyes and looked ahead. The man who had come towards the swing was staring at her. [That¡¯s right ¨C you.] Kang Tae-wan was looking at her with such an expression. When she met his eyes, her eyes that had earlier tightened to crescent slits, opened wider. Ha-yeon blinked her eyes, and then, without even realizing it herself, her tears fell. She hurriedly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as if ashamed although he wasn¡¯t a stranger. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ha-yeon asked with her head bent. ¡°I was on my way home, and I thought I recognized you.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ha-yeon didn¡¯t say anything because she couldn¡¯t think of anything to answer back. Tae-wan sat down next to her. He stretched out his long legs to check if the swing was narrow and uncomfortable. Squeak, squeak, the swings shook. Tae-wan looked ahead and asked abruptly. ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Let me hear your answer.¡± Ha-yeon shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I¡¯m really hungry, and I don¡¯t have anyone to eat with, so can you buy me some rice?¡± Ha-yeon raised her head at the unexpected words. Tae-wan¡¯s gaze was locked on the triangle kimbap she was holding. Immediately after Ha-yeon covered the triangular kimbap with her hand, he turned his gaze toward her face. ¡°You, for keeping your modeling work a secret, I¡¯m asking you to buy me some rice.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Not willing?¡± She didn¡¯t hate the suggestion. However, it was strange that Kang Tae-wan, who had been partnered with her for a month but with whom she otherwise had no special relationship with, was asking her to eat with him. As Ha-yeon hesitated, he said while shoving his hands into his uniform pants, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like it, suck it up. Just go.¡± He seemed to have no intention of relenting. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t just keep pondering over it.¡± Ha-yeon got up from her seat only after he urged one more time. She thought it would be better to follow Tae-wan than to be alone. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± She was hungry, and she didn¡¯t want to remain alone in the dark. That¡¯s why she followed Kang Tae-wan, Ha-yeon thought to herself. Chapter 11 Neither one of them brought up the subject of the night they ate together and talked at the playground, as if it was all a secret. There wasn¡¯t much change between them the next day when they met at school.What changed a little was that they spoke with each other a little more than before. So, for example, let¡¯s say during break time, one of them would say, [It¡¯s lunch time, enjoy your meal.] That was about it. After saying that, Tae-wan would disappear into the dining room to hang out with his friends. Besides that, missing items increasingly became part of their subjects of discussion. ¡°My Korean history textbooks are gone.¡± ¡°Yesterday, my Korean textbooks disappeared.¡± ¡°Huh. Yes they are gone.¡± ¡°Who took them?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Tae-wan straightened the corner of his textbook at the same time as he uttered the vague comment.His gaze scanned casually over the class as if it was his domain. While doing that, the distance between them narrowed, so Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t breathe comfortably. Then, when she felt his gaze on the side of her face, as she turned her head, Tae-wan was staring at her. When they made eye contact, he laughed, pulling up the ends of his mouth, and quickly lowered his gaze. It wasn¡¯t just textbooks that disappeared. Ballpoint pens, sharpeners, erasers, disappeared all the time. In every instance, Tae-wan would ask Ha-yeon to lend him something as if he had forgotten them, and then when returning things, he also gave banana milk along with the borrowed items.Nothing seemed to have changed, and it was just over two weeks later that their relationship took another turn. That day was when the pink cherry blossoms were in full bloom under the blue sky. It was an exceptionally bright and sunny day, so just looking out the window made her feel happy. After lunch, Ha-yeon stopped by the bathroom to brush her teeth and when she returned, and she was startled by the screams she heard in the classroom. ¡°Bastard!¡± ¡°Someone try to get him!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Ha-yeon, who managed to enter the class through the crowd of students who were outraged, stopped suddenly.A classmate, Neung-woon, was lying between the desk and the chair. His trapped body was so strangely contorted that he couldn¡¯t even get up properly. ¡°F*ck, what did I do to you? Why are you going all out and f*king with me?¡± Neung-woon screamed, looking at the back of the classroom with a victimized expression.Ha-Yeon¡¯s gaze turned to the tall boy standing behind the classroom. It was Kang Tae-wan. She hurriedly walked to see if she could help him out as he threw aside chairs and desks that were in his way. Then, he quickly arrived in front of Neung-woon. ¡°Go away, go away!¡± a terrified Neung-woon shouted at him.Without saying a word, Kang Tae-wan kicked Neung-woon¡¯s phone that was lying on the floor. Ha-yeon closed her ears without knowing what the eerie sound was. Then she looked at Tae-wan. Kang Tae-wan had a completely different expression from what she knew. It was so angry that it would not seem strange if he killed anyone at that moment. ¡°Take it!¡± Neung-woon grabbed the phone and threw it over. ¡°Hey, you crazy bastard! Kang Tae-wan!¡± ¡°You are insane! What has he done to kill him for?¡± Kang Tae-wan¡¯s friends who didn¡¯t know the situation belatedly rushed to tear them apart. However, Kang Tae-wan was in such an irrational state that three men could not hold him back and were inadvertently caught in the crossfire. ¡°What is all this fuss about!¡± The teacher who appeared after students reported the incident struck the door and yelled.In the middle of the messy classroom, the teacher who found Neung-woon and Taewan frowned. ¡°Both of you come here!¡± Kang Tae-wan, who turned first at the teacher¡¯s words, made eye contact with Ha-yeon. He seemed stupefied for a moment, but soon passed by her with a dumbfounded look, as if in resignation. In the midst of passing by, the hem of their school uniforms briefly touched as the wind breezed through. The wind convinced her heart. By the time Ha-yeon turned around, Kang Tae-wan had already disappeared. Chapter 12 She went around town twice without any difficulty. No one told her to go anywhere. Ha-yeon had a habit of spending money whenever she goes somewhere, but she couldn¡¯t go into any place because Tae-wan would try to pay for it. Turning around, she finally spent time sitting on a playground swing. At first, nothing transpired. Occasionally, Tae-wan would ask a question. As a result, their conversation naturally continued, but the important words did not happen. It was all about tests, going to school, and the story that she liked cherry blossoms the most. As time passed, intermittently, he talked about his grandmother, the story of living with his grandmother, and how she was a little unwell. Ha-yeon didn¡¯t bring up anything about difficult financial circumstances or family affairs. And from time to time, they talked about magazine modeling. When talking about modeling, Ha-yeon also talked more than usual. It was the first time that she could easily share such stories with someone other than her aunt. Moreover, her aunt was a photographer, so there was sufficient fodder for mutually relatable discussions about the problems of the modeling world. In contrast, Tae-Wan noticed her grievances at once, even without any long explanations. Empathy and sharing, that alone was exciting. They conversed happily and then at some point became quiet and turn their heads. Tae-wan was staring at her with his forehead tilted forward as if connected to hers. The ends of his mouth were upturned, but his eyes were serious. The wind blew and his hair floated up and then sank down. She wanted to ask why he was looking at her like that, or if he had something to say, but nothing came out. With a little embarrassment, she shut her mouth firmly. ¡°You are really good at talking.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ha-yeon closed her lips even tighter at Tae-wan¡¯s comments. ¡°Do you laugh and talk a lot to other people?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okay. Do not.¡± After he said so, he checked the time and got up on the swing. A step behind, she missed out on the timing to ask ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡°Is it time to stop?¡± ¡°I think I can go home now.¡± Ha Yeon said, looking at her wrist watch. ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s near here anyway.¡± ¡°So. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to go alone at night.¡± Not really¡­ . However, Tae-wan showed no sign of breaking his insistent streak. Ha-yeon took the lead. * * * Ha-yeon, who arrived in front of the house, looked at Tae-wan, who stopped one step behind her. It was the first time someone had walked her home, so she couldn¡¯t figure out how to say goodnight. ¡°This is my house. Thanks for taking me.¡± After thinking for a while, she said that. Tae-wan glanced at her house and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll go in then.¡± She turned to go. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Ha-yeon stopped at Tae-wan¡¯s call. He took out a plastic bag with a convenience store logo. ¡°¡­ Why are you giving me this?¡± On the way home, Tae-wan had stopped by at a convenience store saying he had something to buy. It was the same one she bought the kimbap from at that night. ¡°Because I bought something for you.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you ate enough Tteokbokki. This is so you won¡¯t be hungry at night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°It was dry because I like eating it that way. Just take this.¡± When Ha-yeon looked at him without accepting it, Tae-wan forcibly shoved a plastic bag between her hands. Ha Yeon¡¯s gaze turned from the plastic bag to his hand that touched her. The difference in the size between their hands was so great that she was amazed that they were the same age. Kook. He had a strong grip. As she looked up with a surprised face, Tae-wan smiled and slowly removed his hand. ¡°Fortunately, although you appear shocked, it looks like it was not painful. Go in. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Tae-wan waved his hand goodnight as he stepped back without saying anything. By the time Ha-yeon raised her hand to wave goodbye, he was already on the verge of disappearing from the alley. Ha-yeon turned her gaze to the plastic bag only when he turned around the corner and completely disappeared. Now it turned out that the bag was quite heavy. When one of the handles was loosened, the contents inside were intact. It was banana milk, melon-flavored milk, convenience store lunch boxes, and candy. A smile appeared on Ha-yeon¡¯s face as she looked at everything from meals to snacks. Suddenly, on a hot day, a cool rain seemed to have arrived. It felt like her loneliness that had earlier floated like dust in the rain has been swept away. Chapter 13 Neither one of them brought up the subject of the night they ate together and talked at the playground, as if it was all a secret. There wasn¡¯t much change between them the next day when they met at school. What changed a little was that they spoke with each other a little more than before. So, for example, let¡¯s say during break time, one of them would say, [It¡¯s lunch time, enjoy your meal.]That was about it. After saying that, Tae-wan would disappear into the dining room to hang out with his friends. Besides that, missing items increasingly became part of their subjects of discussion. ¡°My Korean history textbooks are gone.¡± ¡°Yesterday, my Korean textbooks disappeared.¡± ¡°Huh. Yes they are gone.¡± ¡°Who took them?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Tae-wan straightened the corner of his textbook at the same time as he uttered the vague comment. His gaze scanned casually over the class as if it was his domain. While doing that, the distance between them narrowed, so Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t breathe comfortably. Then, when she felt his gaze on the side of her face, as she turned her head, Tae-wan was staring at her. When they made eye contact, he laughed, pulling up the ends of his mouth, and quickly lowered his gaze. It wasn¡¯t just textbooks that disappeared. Ballpoint pens, sharpeners, erasers, disappeared all the time. In every instance, Tae-wan would ask Ha-yeon to lend him something as if he had forgotten them, and then when returning things, he also gave banana milk along with the borrowed items. Nothing seemed to have changed, and it was just over two weeks later that their relationship took another turn. That day was when the pink cherry blossoms were in full bloom under the blue sky. It was an exceptionally bright and sunny day, so just looking out the window made her feel happy. After lunch, Ha-yeon stopped by the bathroom to brush her teeth and when she returned, and she was startled by the screams she heard in the classroom. ¡°Bastard! Crazy!¡± ¡°Someone try to get him!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Ha-yeon, who managed to enter the class through the crowd of students who were outraged, stopped suddenly. A classmate, Neung-woon, was lying between the desk and the chair. His trapped body was so strangely contorted that he couldn¡¯t even get up properly. ¡°F*ck, what did I do to you? Why are you going all out and f*king with me?¡± Neung-woon screamed, looking at the back of the classroom with a victimized expression. Ha-Yeon¡¯s gaze turned to the tall boy standing behind the classroom. It was Kang Tae-wan. She hurriedly walked to see if she could help him out as he threw aside chairs and desks that were in his way. Then, he quickly arrived in front of Neung-woon. ¡°Go away, go away!¡± a terrified Neung-woon shouted at him. Without saying a word, Kang Tae-wan kicked Neung-woon¡¯s phone that was lying on the floor. Ha-yeon closed her ears without knowing what the eerie sound was. Then she looked at Tae-wan. Kang Tae-wan had a completely different expression from what she knew. It was so angry that it would not seem strange if he killed anyone at that moment. ¡°Take it!¡± Neung-woon grabbed the phone and threw it over. ¡°Hey, you crazy bastard! Kang Tae-wan!¡± (NW) ¡°You are insane! What has he done to kill him for?¡± Kang Tae-wan¡¯s friends who didn¡¯t know the situation belatedly rushed to tear them apart. However, Kang Tae-wan was in such an irrational state that three men could not hold him back and were inadvertently caught in the crossfire. ¡°What is all this fuss about!¡± The teacher who appeared after students reported the incident struck the door and yelled. In the middle of the messy classroom, the teacher who found Neung-woon and Taewan frowned. ¡°Both of you come here!¡± Kang Tae-wan, who turned first at the teacher¡¯s words, made eye contact with Ha-yeon. He seemed stupefied for a moment, but soon passed by her with a dumbfounded look, as if in resignation. In the midst of passing by, the hem of their school uniforms briefly touched as the wind breezed through. The wind convinced her heart. By the time Ha-yeon turned around, Kang Tae-wan had already disappeared. Chapter 14 Soon after, the school was in chaos once again. She had originally thought it was a simple fight between classmates one of whom felt offended, but as it turned out, the incident was surprisingly serious. Neung-woon confessed that he had been secretly filming girls in his class using his cell phone. Before and after PE time was the target time, and it was said that his cell phone contained more than a month¡¯s worth of videos. The teachers tried to minimize the severity of his actions in consideration of the school¡¯s image, but the rumors spread like wildfire within a few hours. According to the rumors, there were videos of girls who were in the same class as him last year and this year. ¡°Aren¡¯t you furious? Maybe it¡¯s on his computer too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Commented the girls who were in the same class as they rubbed the goose bumps on their arms. Ha-yeon was among one of those girls filmed by Neung-woon. She hadn¡¯t spoken with him before, but they were in the same class last year. Feeling upset and preyed upon, she clenched her fists, not knowing how to express what and how she felt. It was the first time she had felt shame since she was born. Later, Neung-woon sought out Van to find out the extent of the fallout and rumors regarding himself from the incident. This kind of school gossip spread faster than flames scorching a dry field. ¡°Bastard.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a complete pervert? I don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°Wow, do I have to stay in the same class as him? It¡¯s really disgusting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the worst. I really hate it.¡± Neung-woon, whose face was distorted from listening to the girls¡¯ blatant gossiping, could not raise his bowed head. The tips of his ears were hot. Some of the girls said they would report him publicly and not keep quiet. Even though Neung-woon trembled numbly, he couldn¡¯t get angry.An hour later, Kang Tae-wan opened the door and headed directly to find Neung-woon. Then he stood in front of Neung-woon¡¯s desk with a face that was marginally less angry. He pushed Neung-woon away from his seat, then thoroughly searched through his desk and bags. ¡°Hey! What are you doing!¡± Neung-woon¡¯s cell phone spilled from the dropped bag. Tae-wan grabbed the phone and snatched it. ¡°Hey! you! Son of a b*tch! What are you doing¡­ !¡± There was no time for Neung-woon to react. The liquid crystal of Neung-woon¡¯s mobile phone shattered with a cracking sound. Tae-wan threw Neung-woon¡¯s cell phone out the window to make sure it hit the wall. Neung-woon glared at Tae-wan with a red-green face. ¡°If you bring your cell phone back, then you will die.¡± Tae-wan warned with a terrifying expression. Then, Neung-woon jumped up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯m not even photographing you, why are you upset! Son of a b*itch! F*ck you, things are messed up! I¡¯m ruined because of you!¡± Neung-woon¡¯s body trembled so much that it looked strange. Earlier, Neung-woon felt generous and decided to share a video with the popular Tae-wan. He thought that any male would naturally like such videos of course. Instead, there was a harsh curse and the next thing was a fist flew. Moreover, the situation exploded out of control. As the situation began unraveling, rumors about there being pervert in school spread consummately. He was told his parents would be contacted as well. His parents reached out to Tae-wan about what happened, but he wouldn¡¯t give them an answer. Neung-woon felt bleakness ahead and could no longer a future for himself as a result of what happened. ¡°Hah, yes. F*ck. Didn¡¯t you just film me? Just take a picture of me and sell it somewhere.¡± Tae-wan said in a low voice. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Neung-woon felt overwhelmed. ¡°I¡¯ll say it for the last time. Don¡¯t ever bring your cell phone to school in the future. If you get caught carrying it again, you¡¯ll end up like you did today. Okay? And do some reflection. I wouldn¡¯t have done this if I was a kid who used his brain sometimes. Immature imbecile.¡± Tae-wan turned around after seriously warning Neung-woon. He came over and sat down in a snap in the seat next to Ha-yeon. The eyes of all the students in the classroom were focused on Tae-wan. Tae-wan only looked ahead, as if ignoring all of those gazes. ¡°Ugh.¡± Eventually, Neung-woon burst into tears, wrapped his arms around his bag and escaped as if running away, and the students gathered together and poured out curses on him. ¡°Crazy kinky moron.¡± ¡°Oh, I hate it. I will never let go of this. I will tell my parents.¡± The children were angry in their own way. Among them, only the back seat of the classroom was quiet. Ha-yeon, who was looking ahead, turned her head and looked at Tae-wan. There was a wound on the side of his face. ¡°Does your face hurt? It has to hurt.¡± Ha-yeon said insistently. Tae-wan¡¯s head, which had not responded to anyone¡¯s words, turned around to face her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°It looks painful. I feel angry.¡± ¡°Is that all you are only going to say?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ha-yeon bit her lips strongly at the words Tae-wan spat out. She vaguely guessed that she herself was also secretly photographed by Neung-woon, but it was a fact. Tae-Wan¡¯s confirmation caused her heart to shiver. She hated Neung-woon¡¯s actions, but more than anything else, she was more concerned that Tae-wan might have seen her undressing in one of those videos. She couldn¡¯t even ask if he had seen it. ¡°It will never happen again,¡± he reiterated. With an apologetic expression as if he was guilty. Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t ask why he had that expression. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. OK? Do not worry about it. And since it¡¯s not your responsibility, stop getting angry.¡± Instead, she gave the same answer as she had given herself. ¡°But still.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°But, I just keep getting angry.¡± Tae-wan turned his head while he said something she didn¡¯t know about. Ha-yeon looked at Tae-wan¡¯s back. A faint wound remained even on the neatly cleaned nape. Looking at his back, a lot of emotions went through her heart. However, Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t name a single thing about how she felt. Chapter 15 The next morning, Ha-yeon went to school earlier than usual. She had worried about the scars on Tae-wan¡¯s face all night long. She took out the skin ointment and a disposable band-aid that she brought from home and headed to the classroom. She put the ointment and disposable band-aid deep inside his empty drawer. Then she changed her mind, took them out and put them in a visible and convenient place where he could reach just in case he couldn¡¯t find them since they were originally placed quite deep within his desk. ¡°What are you doing at my desk?¡± Ha-yeon turned around upon hearing a voice suddenly. Tae-wan was standing behind the front door. ¡°Uh¡­ .¡± While Ha-yeon hesitated for a moment, Tae-wan closed the classroom door and entered. Tae-Wan, who came to stand in front of her in no time, looked at the ointment in her hand, the disposable band-aid, and her face alternately. ¡°For me?¡± ¡°¡­ Huh.¡± Ha-yeon replied a second late. Tae-wan put his bag on the desk and sat down on the chair and swiftly came nose-to-nose with Ha-yeon while pulling the chair. ¡°What?¡± Ha-yeon asked, leaning back. ¡°Since it¡¯s for me, apply it.¡± Tae-wan closed his eyes and raised his half-turned head all the way forward. It was just past dawn and the radiance of his face glowed, soaking in the light of the morning sun. Her heart beats started pounding. ¡°You do it.¡± She tried not to let her voice tremble. ¡°I cannot see.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a mirror.¡± ¡°My hands are dirty.¡± ¡°So are mine.¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± He stubbornly insisted. Without washing her hands, Ha-yeon squeezed some white ointment on her fingertips. Then she reached out to his wound. It felt strange even though she didn¡¯t touch it directly because of the viscosity of the ointment. She felt his breathing and the momentum of his shoulders moving up and down accordingly. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Ha-yeon lifted her hand and said. ¡°Thanks to you, I will heal quickly.¡± ¡°No photo shoot?¡± If he had a scheduled session, the wound on the face was going to be a big problem. ¡°There is¡­ . I¡¯ll do it myself again then.¡± After his reply, there was a moment of silence. ¡°¡­ But why were you so angry?¡± Ha-yeon asked while putting a disposable band-aid on his face. She was curious about that before going to sleep last night. Neung-woon¡¯s work had no direct relationship with him. As Neung-woon said, there was no rational or logical reason why Tae-wan would be angry over this matter to swing his fists. The girls said that it was because Tae-Wan was heroic, but they also admitted that even if so, the level of violent reaction was overkill. Tae-wan turned his head at Ha-yeon¡¯s words. The distance between them was closer than expected, so Ha-yeon leaned her upper body backwards. Yet the distance was still so close when his face came into view. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°What is the reason?¡± He asked without blinking. However, unlike the question asked, his face showed that he knew the exact answer. ¡°One thing is for sure, I am still angry.¡± ¡°¡­ Why.¡± Why the hell are you¡­ ? Ha-yeon¡¯s eyes shook slightly. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you might cry¡­ .¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Or that guy or someone else might be watching the video. Or maybe it¡¯s because you might not be able to sleep at night¡­ .¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s all of it.¡± As he muttered the last words, they came out muffled. Ha-yeon quietly avoided his gaze. Her heart thumped and as she sat down. She wanted to ask why he was feeling that way, but she couldn¡¯t ask. ¡°¡­ Then, are you going to fight with Neung-woon again today? You said you were angry.¡± ¡°Should we not fight?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± . Fighting more would not be good for Tae-wan. ¡°Okay. Then I won¡¯t fight.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± When he unquestioningly acquiesced, Ha-yeon was rather stupefied. Why does he listen to her obediently? Meanwhile, Tae-wan laid down on his desk. He looked at Ha-yeon with his face half buried in his arm. He could only see her from one half of his face. The eye which could see, was staring at Ha-yeon directly. ¡°You hate seeing me because I¡¯m angry, right?¡± Tae-wan asked in a broken voice. She only heard the word ¡®hate¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate seeing you¡­ .¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Ha-yeon replied after a period of time. ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­ For what?¡± ¡°For showing that side of me.¡± Tae-wan closed his eyes and muttered. ¡°Nothing to be sorry for. Thanks.¡± Ha-yeon wondered why he was sorry for that. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± At Ha-yeon¡¯s words, Tae-wan opened his eyes and looked at her. ¡°Because you were angrier than me, I became less angry.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say this, but I also felt like I was being healed¡­ .¡± Ha-yeon muttered the last bit of her words. Although she felt humiliated, it was thanks to Tae-wan that she was able to endure the embarrassment more than she thought. He was so angry that she freaked out and didn¡¯t get upset again. And it felt a little comforting. Funny enough, she felt like he was on her side. When Ha-yeon, who had laughed unconsciously, turned her head back, Tae-wan closed his eyes with a smile. Ha-yeon glanced at the visible half of Tae-wan¡¯s face. She felt a little anxious. She wanted to see him completely smiling. It was only when Ha-yeon¡¯s head turned back that Tae-wan¡¯s serious and grim expression transformed into a wide grin without her knowledge. ¡°I come to school at this time every day.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Because my grandmother comes out early, I also come out early.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°So, if you¡¯re bored, you can come to school around the same time as today.¡± When he said that, his face was still hidden in his arm as if to say come tomorrow if you want to see this face. A warm spring breeze came through the half-opened window. Tae-wan¡¯s hair fluttered in the wind. Ha-yeon took a deep breath and swallowed the answer that was trying to come out of her mouth. ¡­ Huh. * * * The school was in chaos for several days due to Neung-woon. Parents of the victims ran over to the school and started raging, demanding action. Neung-woon was struck by one of them. It was rumored that Ha-yeon¡¯s family was also going to suel. Her father declared he was going to visit the school, but then he never did, and afterwards said he would sue. Neung-woon¡¯s parents came to school and knelt in front of the victims¡¯ parents. Then they put their hands together to pray and beg, and promised that this would be the last everyone would see of him. It took a week to dispose of the original hidden camera video. There was a huge settlement fee, and Neung-woon transferred out. He left without even an official public apology. The students said they would not accept it anyway. Neung-woon stood bereft outside the classroom door and left after being kicked out. Immediately afterwards, the students said that his desk was dirty and put it in the corner of the classroom. The only other thing that changed a little was that Ha-yeon went to school much earlier than usual. Her parents were puzzled, but they were under the impression that it was because she was busy in high school. Ha-yeon took Tae-wan¡¯s hint and started going to school earlier. A surprised Tae-wan behaved as if he had seen a ghost at the door* that morning, then stuck close to Ha-yeon. He even prepared banana milk and put it on her desk. Ha-yeon had already thought it out and had simply bought bread or triangle kimbap to eat for breakfast. (*he was shocked) ¡°Drink.¡± Tae-wan gave the banana milk as if he had known Ha-yeon would come. The same banana milk was laid on his desk. He drank it and gave the comment that it was ¡®sweet¡¯. Ha-yeon ate the bread or sandwich together with the milk. They met early without the knowledge of others, but that didn¡¯t mean they were doing anything else. Ha-yeon continued to apply ointment to Tae-wan¡¯s wounds until he recovered. By the time the wound was healed, all she did was sit side by side and talk sparingly. When the conversation fell into a lull, the wind gently blew. The spring breeze coming through the school window was exceptionally clean, refreshing, and soft. Ha-yeon glanced half way down outside the window. Chapter 16 ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Then Tae-wan, who was sitting next to the window, asked with his eyes open. ¡°I¡¯m not looking at you.¡± Tae-Wan¡¯s eyebrows rose at Ha-yeon¡¯s answer. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking at the sky.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± She turned her head back. Somehow, her ears looked red. From then on, Ha-yeon looked at the sky once and Tae-wan once. The uniform shirt was stiff like new. The white collar wrapped around the shirt was straight. It was nice to see the neatly arranged back and the manly shoulder line that continued from there. It was a little nice to be able to see him to her heart¡¯s content. A slight smile remained on Ha-yeon¡¯s lips. Naturally, she breathed in deeply. Once, twice. It was calm. This tranquility seemed to last for a lifetime. Then she fell asleep without even knowing it. She opened her eyes to the thought of ¡­, Oops. There was a shadow in front of her eyes. Her neck became hot, but her face remained cool. It was a strange situation. She belatedly realized that Tae-Wan¡¯s hand was creating the shadow over her face. He was blocking the light from hitting her face with his hand. Ha-yeon stopped breathing for a moment, moving her gaze from his hand to his face. Their eyes met. Ha-yeon looked at Tae-wan stiffly. He was staring at her with one hand resting on his chin. His shimmering eyes contained a muted smile. She thought it might have been her own misinterpretation but she also had some sense of certainty. Thud. Her heart missed a beat, and sank. Ha-yeon, whose mouth suddenly ran dry, woke up. She looked at the desk with an awkward expression. ¡°Why are you still doing that? I have already woken up.¡± Ha-yeon tried hard to talk and tidy her hair on her head. ¡°I want you to sleep well.¡± ¡°I should shut the curtain¡­ .¡± ¡°You like the breeze.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Ha-yeon looked at Tae-wan with a slightly surprised face. Then her face relaxed into a smile. ¡°You, your expression changes when the wind blows.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I love that expression.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± When he finished talking, Tae-wan smiled gently. His straight lips curled upwards. At the same time, his eyes gently lowered. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the mood, but the eyes that were half folded and partially hidden were exceptionally warm. She felt like her body would melt just by making eye contact like this. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll sleep better later. I¡¯m tired today.¡± As she couldn¡¯t look at him any longer, Ha-yeon leaned on her desk, turning her head to the other side. ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± At Tae-wan¡¯s quiet words, Ha-yeon clenched her fists without knowing. Although she couldn¡¯t sleep anymore, Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t maintain the same posture. Even though she was still, her heart was pounding, as if she just received a romantic confession. * * * Their classmates didn¡¯t know that Ha-yeon and Tae-wan were meeting early in the morning. By the time their classmates came to school, Tae-wan had gone to the store, and Ha-yeon was in the bathroom, and so on. They didn¡¯t even discuss about that arrangement previously, but it spontaneously happened. Ha-yeon, who went to school an hour earlier than usual, saw Tae-wan lying on his stomach. Not long ago, because she had changed seats, her seat was by the window, and he was sitting next to the hallway. The wind blew through the cracks of the windows that had been opened beforehand. Even though she quietly approached and sat next to him, Tae-wan was tired or still asleep. He said he was busy with a lot of work these days. As the days went by, Tae-wan¡¯s workload had increased, along with his popularity. As for Ha-yeon, she tried harder to maintain her distance from Tae-wan. On this specific morning. Tae-wan¡¯s eyebrows were scrunched in reaction to the sunlight hitting through the cracks of the window. As she was about to draw the curtains, she was concerned that he might be awakened by the sound of her dragging the chair. Ha-yeon raised her hand and cast a shadow over his eyes by blocking the light with her hand, as Taewan did for her a few days earlier. Tae-wan¡¯s eyebrows relaxed in the shadow of her palm. Ha-yeon, who noticed that, smiled unknowingly. Then the smile gradually disappeared from Ha-yeon¡¯s face. Such days will be over soon. Because of the lengthy duration of their partnership, their interactions with each other extended beyond the normal period, so the homeroom teacher swore that he would separate them starting next week. She felt bad for some reason when she realized these times at the window seat would soon be over. Tae-wan won¡¯t disappear, but why would she miss this? Ha-yeon looked at him while she tried to soothe her heart. Is it because of the mood? He was in front of her, and it will disappear soon for some reason. His hair being gently blown by the wind, his long lashes, and his straight lips. Ha-yeon lowered her hand a little and brought it closer to his face. She wanted to touch his face. Even though she was directly looking at it, she doubted whether it was really right in front of her. Then, before she touched his eyes, she stopped, worried that she might disrupt his sleep. No, more than that, she was afraid of what Tae-Wan would think if he knew she had touched him. Just when Ha-yeon raised her hand again. Tae-wan, who had just been sleeping, looked at her with his eyes open. ¡°Uh¡­ .¡± Ha-yeon, confused, unconsciously made an incoherent sound, Before she could remove her hand, Tae-Wan snatched it first. ¡°The back of your hand is hot.¡± ¡°¡­ Let me go.¡± ¡°What have you learnt from this?¡± Unlike his blunt speech, Tae-wan was smiling. When Tae-wan caught her hand, it felt infinitely small. The veins protruding from his hand looked like an adult¡¯s. And for some reason, only her left hand was burning. It was the hand that was covering his face earlier. Then Ha-yeon looked at the back of her hand and before she could remove her hand from his grasp, Tae-wan¡¯s lips touched her palm. His lips touched them again, as if to confirm what Ha-yeon felt earlier was true. It felt soft, warm, and strangely numb. ¡°¡­ Let me go.¡± Although her mouth was dry, she managed to spit those few words out. ¡°Na Ha-yeon.¡±As he spoke, his breath touched her palm. She felt like all the fine downy hair on her neck stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s get acquainted, the both of us.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Like the spring breeze that blew through swiftly, an unexpected confession came. Ha-yeon looked at Tae-wan, holding her hand tightly as if it were a treasure. She wanted to ask him to stop joking, but there wasn¡¯t any sign of laughter in his eyes. ¡°I originally wanted to stay friends and only confess when we graduated, but I couldn¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Because you are pretty when you are like this.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°The other guys shouldn¡¯t be given a chance first.¡± Tae-wan smiled when he finished speaking, but was more serious than expressionless. Tae-wan looked at her with such a tenacity that that he didn¡¯t even blink until she answered him. Her heart thumped erratically and eventually stabilized. ¡°If it¡¯s difficult, think about it a little and then give me an answer.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t know you would worry.¡± Tae-wan put her hand down. The air became awkward. Tae-wan got up and left the classroom. Ha-yeon, who was left alone, turned her head in the direction he left only after the back door of the classroom had closed. When she turned her head back to the desk, a cherry blossom leaf carried by the wind floated around and landed on the desk. It felt like it was traveling the same speed as Tae-wan¡¯s confession which was rolling around in her heart. * * * A love affair with Kang Tae-wan. She only gave it one thought but not very deeply. She felt it was impossible. Kang Tae-wan was becoming more and more popular each day. Not only at school, but also at a nearby girl¡¯s school and droves of girls came to see him and began wandering around the school gate. There were even classmates who shared Kang Tae-wan¡¯s photos. Friends laughed at Ha-yeon, asking if she was surprised by something like this. ¡°There must be such a large group of female senior and junior admirers as well? No, it¡¯s definitely there. Not long ago, while going to the bathroom, I ran into a freshman, and on her cell phone LCD screen was an image of Kang Tae-wan. Isn¡¯t he the perfect idol?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, that¡¯s an idol. I heard that there are a lot of offers from entertainment scouts here and there.¡± ¡°Huh. Two days ago, MU came to the front of the school gate to scout Kang Tae-wan.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not a joke. I need to take a lot of pictures in advance. Later, I can boast that I attended the same school as him once.¡± Ha-yeon could not say anything while listening to the stories of her friends. Whenever that happens, Kang Tae-wan, whom she meets every morning, felt like a stranger. Maybe she was dreaming every morning. When she was looking through Kang Tae-wan¡¯s magazine pictorial, she thought about her conflicting feelings more deeply. He worked with female models who have stunningly beautiful appearances. A female model she admired was also included in this photo. She herself sometimes worked with female idols, and on the day this particular pictorial was published, male students flocked to him. Of course, the students who weren¡¯t close to Kang Tae-wan couldn¡¯t easily approach him and watched restlessly from a distance. ¡°Hey! Kang Tae-wan! Are you texting with Yoo Ha-In too?!¡± One day, one of the friends who hung out with Tae-wan shouted. Ha-In Yoo was a member of the famous girl group with a cute face who was popular among men. Ha-yeon also knew of her. Whenever she turned on the TV, Ha-In¡¯s face will appear on screen. ¡°Have you taken any pictures together with her? Let¡¯s see them! What do you think? Yoo Ha-In, what is the real thing like? Pretty? Do you like her?¡± ¡°Wow, what about her voice?¡± ¡°Wow! How about you call her now! Uh? Uh?¡± Male students flocked to Kang Tae-wan and behaved annoyingly. ¡°It¡¯s just a customary standard polite text message.¡± ¡°Why are you sending just a courtesy text?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to call her or anything like that. We aren¡¯t dating and I am not interested.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Go to your seat unless you have something nice to say.¡± Only when Kang Tae-wan became angry with his expressionless face, would their excitement calm to a lull. All day and night, girls who liked Kang Tae-wan would gather with cold expressions and chat quietly. They said they didn¡¯t know that he would get close with Yoo Ha-in, and their lips would curl in disparaging disdain. ¡°He communicated with Yoo Ha-In, but how many other girls will he be seeing?¡± Someone said so. Yeah. Ha-yeon agreed silently. Such a Kang Tae-wan couldn¡¯t pay attention to herself. Ha-yeon thought so. At the same time, Ha-yeon thought that the reason Kang Tae-wan showed so much interest in her was because they experienced inexplicable emotions while together. A little deeper than mere friendship, but a relationship that can never transform into romance. A secret relationship that certainly exists, but will eventually disappear such that no one can prove that their relationship actually existed. She originally thought it would be okay if it was like a fog that would eventually dissipate after hanging around for a while. However, Kang Tae-wan did confess to her. It was unexpected, but the fact was it was indeed given. Reject. Ha-yeon could not accept Tae-wan¡¯s confession. He was too much for her. It¡¯s hard enough to get anyone¡¯s attention because of her height, but she didn¡¯t want to get additional attention because of Kang Tae-wan. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t even want to be involved in a high school romance and become the subject of gossip. So there was only one answer left. She had decided on what to say, but her footsteps to school were heavy. Ha-yeon, who deliberately entered the school gate 10 minutes later than usual, paused for a while. As she looked up, the cherry blossom leaves were falling. Ha-yeon stood there, but couldn¡¯t grab a single petal. It would be nice if it fell on her face. However, the brutal cherry blossoms avoided her. It was time for Ha-yeon to take another step. Ha-yeon, bowing her head one beat late, looked ahead. The cherry trees were lined up in the bright sunlight. The leaves of the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind shone brightly in the sunlight and then settled down on the ground with a pale pink tinge. The white school building, the deep blue sky, and the transparent sunshine. Kang Tae-wan, wearing a blue school uniform, was standing in the midst of that astoundingly enchanting setting. It was undeniably beautiful. Everything looked brilliant, but why did he shine brighter? While Ha-yeon mulled about this in her heart, Kang Tae-wan came over. As they stood face to face, Ha Yeon¡¯s head naturally turned upwards. His head and shoulders were covered with cherry blossoms. Instead of asking a question, Ha-yeon stared at him. ¡°After I thought about it, I realized I didn¡¯t prepare any flowers yesterday.¡± Kang Tae-wan opened his hands wide. There were lots of pale pink cherry blossom leaves in his hand. ¡°Here, what you like.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°And to state in advance, I didn¡¯t pick up what was on the floor. I got each one as it fell off.¡± Ha-yeon alternately looked at his palms and face stained in pink. How did he get so many cherry blossom leaves while she couldn¡¯t get even a single one? The cherry blossoms that were sleeping quietly in his hand began to flutter with the gusting wind. ¡°And yesterday I was nervous, so I couldn¡¯t even say this.¡± She heard his low voice. ¡°I like you.¡± With those words, the cherry blossoms that were laying in his hands flew up like butterflies in the wind. In the midst of a world that suddenly exploded with an ocean of pink petals, Kang Tae-wan repeated once again and said. ¡°I like you, Na Ha-yeon.¡± When she wanted to be pelted by them, none of the cherry blossom leaves flew over her body. In that moment, Ha-yeon¡¯s body was drenched in pale pink. ¡°I like you.¡± Ha-yeon looked at him again. Her original rejection evaporate upon Tae-wan¡¯s words, pulling out the wedge she had planned. She tried to refuse, but she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t think of a way of rejecting Kang Tae-wan, who smiled more refreshingly than the blue sky, and Kang Tae-wan, who was all covered with pink cherry blossom leaves. That was their first love, the beginning. Chapter 17 ¡°It is something to live and see for a long time in the world. The day comes when you ask to go out drinking.¡± Ji-yoon made a strange expression when she was sitting face to face with Ha-yeon in a meat restaurant full of smoked pork belly opening a bottle of alcohol. Actually, for Jiyoon, this situation was curious. Ha-yeon didn¡¯t drink alcohol for some reason. She called her to drink first. She wondered if the sky would split tomorrow morning. ¡°Is something going on?¡± Jiyoon asked, pouring alcohol into Hayeon¡¯s glass. She glanced at Ha-yeon¡¯s expression, but couldn¡¯t read it. Because Ha-yeon¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°What happened? Did something happen at work? The photographer wants to take off some more clothes? Or maybe an advertiser like an old grandfather has a drink while eating together?¡± ¡°No. Not all.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Jiyoon asked with dryness. It wasn¡¯t that,then what was going on? ¡°We broke up.¡± Hayeon¡¯s answer was plain. Jiyoon wondered if Hayeon was talking about someone else. And waited for a while thinking about it. But when Hayeon didn¡¯t say anything else, she realized that it was about Hayeon herself. ¡°¡­ What? No way, you and Kang Tae-wan?¡± Even though she knew it, Jiyoon asked her without even knowing it. She couldn¡¯t believe it that much. Ji-yoon knew about them longer than anyone else beside Ha-yeon. On the day they graduated from high school, after asking for a blind date, Ha-yeon reluctantly confessed,¡¯I¡¯m dating Tae-wan.¡¯ It was just over 10 years. At first she couldn¡¯t believe it. The two did not appear to be together at school. Moreover, it was even harder to believe because Ji-yoon had Tae-wan in her heart. Then Ji-yoon completely gave up on the day Ha-yeon brought him out to introduce Tae-wan. They only had eyes for each other. Jiyoon congratulated her sincerely because the two people fit together like a puzzle. From that day till now, the two have never been apart. That¡¯s why Na Ha-yeon and Kang Tae-wan. It seemed to her that the names of the two were always attached. ¡°Huh. Me and Kang Tae-wan.¡± Hayeon replied vaguely. ¡°Surely. Did you two fight?¡± Jiyoon asked with disbelief. ¡°No. We broke up completely.¡± After Hayeon answered, she emptied the soju glass at once. ¡°¡­ Why did you break up?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we break up? In a world where there are divorces happening.¡± Ha-yeon asked with her eyes closed. At that moment, Jiyoon was speechless. Like Ha Yeon¡¯s words, even couples who have lived for over 50 years are breaking up. It¡¯s a breakup after a 10-year relationship, a story that¡¯s common enough to be heard often enough. Crossing her leg, Jiyoon¡¯s cheek tingles , as if she had been slapped suddenly. Chapter 18 ¡°But, Kang Tae-wan you still Iove him.¡± At Jiyoon¡¯s words, Hayeon¡¯s hand, who was heading for the soju bottle, paused for a moment. Her eyes as she looked at the bottle of soju fell out of focus for a moment and then caught it. It was a look that caught something deep in her heart. ¡°Huh, yes.¡± Before long, she admitted it. Then Jiyoon crumpled her face as if she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°But, why? Does Taewan have another woman? Is the scandal is that why you broke up?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°Then? Is it another woman?¡± Ji-yoon started looking for the reason for the breakup with Kang Tae-wan. ¡°No. Taewan doesn¡¯t have another woman. I wanted to break up.¡± ¡°What? you?¡± Jiyoon asked with a startled face. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°What on earth is the problem?¡±Jiyoon shouted with a frustrated expression. They¡¯ve been dating for over 10 years. She knew what Kang Tae-wan meant to Na Ha-yeon. Hayeon couldn¡¯t open her heart to people easily. After watching for a long time, she opened her heart and approached. Jiyoon knew that the reason lies in her family. Ha-yeon has a family, but they weren¡¯t able to become a real family. The remarried father had a hard time dealing with Ha-yeon, his oldest daughter. And he was awkward with her remarried mother and younger brother. That was why she became independent as soon as she received her high school diploma. Silently pushed from the fence of her family, she made it difficult for people to approach her. Kang Tae-wan was the man she had been holding in her heart for more than 10 years. It meant more than family to her. Breaking up with Tae-wan like that. Why? ¡°You, you guys were getting along well. Did you have any problems?¡± Jiyoon asked with a stuttering voice. ¡°¡­ Were we really well together? Jiyunah.¡± At the moment of Ha Yeon¡¯s question, Ji-yoon was speechless. Holding the soju glass, Ha-yeon looked at Ji-yoon with her eyes. ¡°¡­ Could it be that what we did was dating.¡± Again, Ha-yeon asked for quiet. Ji-yoon, who seemed to be pouring out words at once, quietly shut her mouth. Jiyoon¡¯s silence was taking the place of the answer. Hayeon quietly closed her eyes. She asked, but she knew it well. The answer of ¡®no¡¯. After graduating from high school, she became independent, and until then she was no different from others. After graduating, she no longer needed to have other people¡¯s attention. They walked on the street holding hands, and they bought and ate delicious food with the money she earned from working part-time. Although the university she went to was different, they would stop by each other¡¯s universities to study during the exam period. Taewan is so popular that every time he goes to college, his gaze is strong, and it was such a common relationship that others do, except for the fact that people¡¯s attention pours out when he goes along the road together. Little by little, the situation changed when Tae-wan, who had been discharged from the military, began his career in the entertainment industry. Little by little, the roles he played grew, and as his field of activity expanded, the number of people who recognized him increased. It was fun at first. Watching Tae-wan make his dream come true made her happy, it was her own dreams come true. She hoped his additions went well, and she watched his program several times again. Tae-wan was embarrassed to cover his face with a big hand and said,¡¯Look at him in the morning¡¯, and Ha-yeon liked to look at him. An embarrassed face, a reddish tip of the ears, and the eyes covered with a large hand. Even so, even lips with a smile on his face. His appearance was as beautiful as a painting, so Hayeon hoped that time would stop as it was. Everyday was like that, struck by the window, but when she faced it, the days like the pleasant morning sun continued. Until she knew she was a stumbling block for his dreams. Chapter 19 ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but make a wise choice for Taewan, Miss Hayeon.¡± Tae-wan¡¯s manager quietly called her, without Tae-wan¡¯s knowledge and said with a sorry expression. After seeing her face several times, he rubbed his palm as if he were nervous. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me to say something like this. However, the managing director knows that Taewan is dating you. The managing director said that if you two break up, he will give Taewan a better work and a better chance¡­but Taewan is being stubborn.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°You know it well. You worked as a model and saw what the entertainment world is like. If a male actor who just debuted has a lover, who would like it. That¡¯s fatal. So¡­ I mean, you know what I mean?¡± The manager said with a sorry expression. He continued to talk gibberish after that. Every time that happened, Hayeon felt like her whole body was pushed back. The manager said,¡¯Please take care of me.¡¯ Hayeon felt like she became such an impurity caught in Kang Tae-wan¡¯s life that should have been pure. In the end, the manager left, avoiding Ha-yeon¡¯s eyes, who couldn¡¯t say anything. Ha-yeon, who was left alone, did not think of anything. She wanted to see his dream come true, but he said she had to leave to do that. Is it because it feels like a tremendous contradiction? It was so dark that a drop of tears did not come out. Hayeon, who was sitting in Odokani, woke up reluctantly to say that the business was over from a part-time job student. That night, Tae-wan knocked on the door with his fist. When she opened the door, Tae-wan looked upset and said,¡¯MaeYou said you met your brother.¡¯ He was gasping to see if he had been running. She couldn¡¯t figure out how he knew, but she couldn¡¯t hide it because it seemed he had already found out. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°But why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± As Tae-wan plucked the shawl off, he asked. ¡°Just. It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± The whole time she said that, her mouth was scratching. Actually, it was a big deal, Taewan. She wanted to say so. ¡°What did you say?¡± Tae-wan still asked with an angry face. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. We just drank tea.¡± ¡°Why is my brother drinking tea with you?¡± ¡°Because we know each other.¡± Ha-yeon groaned. There wasn¡¯t a word out of her mouth saying,¡¯Would you like to break up with you?¡¯ When she spoke those words, it seemed that the words would become seeds and become reality. She didn¡¯t want that. She hated it so much. Instead, she swept her long drooping hair and lowered her eyes. While Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t say anything for a while, Tae-wan said abruptly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to a movie together this Christmas.¡± It was a low and solid voice as usual. Ha-yeon froze when he spoke. As he slowly raised his head, he was staring straight, as if when he had breathed roughly. He reached out and grabbed Ha-yeon¡¯s hand. ¡°We will go on a trip together next spring. Let¡¯s go overseas next year to travel.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°And I will come to your house to sleep tomorrow.¡± His expression of promises was determined. As if all the promises he was talking about would catch the love that was about to be scattered, he made numerous promises after that. Ha-yeon stood still and listened to his promises. Ha-yeon nodded as she heard the words that they would get married someday and have children. She lowered her head as she tried to cry. The tip of her nose, which she couldn¡¯t hide, turned red. ¡°¡­ Huh. OK.¡± Then, quietly, she held Tae-Wan¡¯s hand. It¡¯s a hand to let go, but she couldn¡¯t. It doesn¡¯t matter if others see her as an impurity that has intervened in Taewan¡¯s life. If Kang Tae-wan still needed her, that was enough. Most of the promises made by Kang Tae-wan that day were not fulfilled. The film he shot was released on Christmas that year. The movie theater had a poster with his face on it, so they watched a movie together at home. As the movie went well, Tae-wan¡¯s recognition rose even further. They gave up on domestic travel and instead spent time at home without moving for 3 days and 2 nights. They couldn¡¯t travel abroad. The assistant manager and the manager were secretly meeting, and his every move, as a new actor, was being monitored. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t do anything to accumulate memories, but it was fun. Kang Tae-wan was in the place where he reached out. When he lowered his head, he smelled of flesh, and when he opened his eyes, there were eyes that smiled. To feel the warmth. She was satisfied just by confirming that her presence was engraved under his warm skin. As time passed, Tae-Wan¡¯s recognition grew more and more. The more so, Hayeon gradually hid her existence. She didn¡¯t contact him until he called first. She was worried that he would contact the manager first and see the manager. He didn¡¯t reveal to anyone he met with the fact that he was dating. She didn¡¯t even do a couple items in case it would get caught by reporters with good taste. She also moved to the same building as Taewan. After returning home, he turned on the lights in his house, went downstairs to her house, stayed with her, and then went upstairs again when it was time for the manager to come. When the embarrassing situation of the manager arriving earlier than usual and making a phone call, Ha-yeon handed the fire extinguishing agent prepared in advance in his hand. ¡°They say they bought it from nearby because they couldn¡¯t digest it.¡± Even making good excuses. ¡°Well, do it like this.¡± Tae-wan laughed, grabbed the digestive medicine, and went upstairs. Ha-yeon stood in front of the door that Tae-wan had closed and listened to the sound of footsteps moving away. She could only do this. All she can do is hide her existence thoroughly. Because there was only that. He expressed love by hiding it. Their meetings were increasingly limited to their home. All anniversaries took place at home. Late at night, walking around the house was the only deviation. What is left to Ha-yeon is to wait for him all the time. That was it. Chapter 20 Hayeon raised the flowing scarf. Checking with the mobile phone app said that the last bus would arrive in 10 minutes. Ha-yeon rolled her feet, covering her face halfway through her shawl. It was quite cold at night. It felt colder because it was a stop with no people. Jiyoon came out of the bar and offered to take her. Hayeon refused the request. Jiyoon drank more alcohol than herself.She sighed, saying she was upset, and said,¡¯Good. Let¡¯s meet a good guy too. I¡¯ll be stuck in the house forever, hiding that pretty face. Done! It¡¯s good!¡¯ Then, she said to see if she changed her mind while drinking another drink. ¡°No. Isn¡¯t that too much for him? You ask me to break up? Wow, were you waiting? I really did it too much. I haven¡¯t seen it that way.¡± The arrow of hate went to Kang Tae-wan. Hayeon did this and then left Jiyoon, who ran wildly. Hayeon couldn¡¯t get angry when Jiyoon ran wild. Ji-yoon, who emptied all of the soju bottles alone, was silent only after emptying the last glass. Then she looked at the table with a drunken face for a while and said. ¡°¡­ I heard from somewhere, and love is a glass-like deal, Ha Yuna.¡± ¡°Why are you writing poems all of a sudden?¡± Hayeon smiled. She thought that Jiyoon was emotionally spit out because she was drunk a lot. However, when Jiyoon raised her head, her eyes were clearer than expected. She was drinking, but she wasn¡¯t in a state to say anything. ¡°I also shudder when I say this¡­ . It¡¯s because that¡¯s the most suitable analogy. I have made more breakups and more love than you. That¡¯s what I felt.¡± ¡°Why is it like glass?¡± Hayeon laughed at Jiyoon who was drunk. After breaking up with Tae-wan, she laughed for the first time. Even though she knew it wasn¡¯t in a situation to laugh, she couldn¡¯t not laugh. ¡°In order to function, I have to be constantly in control. It means it takes effort. But then, if it breaks, it¡¯s over.¡± Hayeon nodded as if agreeing to Jiyoon¡¯s words. ¡°The problem is that just because it breaks is not the end.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I cleaned it up hard, but the next day there was another piece of glass sticking out. Visible, stepped on by a foot, and then torn flesh¡­ . After a few repetitions like that, when you think it¡¯s over, you¡¯ll find it again after a while. Again, that boring piece of glass.¡± Jiyoon was saying that the piece of glass would suddenly fall in the name of ¡®memory¡¯. The smile gradually disappeared from Hayeon¡¯s face. ¡°¡­ It will hurt a lot more than you think, Ha Yuna.¡± The more memories you have, the longer your breakup will be. Hayeon couldn¡¯t say anything to Jiyoon¡¯s last notice. It was difficult just to keep her smile. After that, they didn¡¯t say anything until they emptied the remaining half bottle of soju and left the store. Tiring. She picked up her phone at the text notification sound. [I got home. You?] It was Jiyoon. [I¡¯m waiting for the bus.] [Take a taxi.] [I just like the bus.] [Anyway, weird stubbornness. Go home and contact me.] [Yes.] The message ended in no time. Ha-yeon couldn¡¯t put her cell phone in her pocket even though she knew there was no place to contact her anymore. She was waiting like it was a habit. Foolishly. She turned on the cell phone that she had been fiddling with for a while. After searching through the phone storage list, she found ¡®he¡¯. It was the name she decided after thinking because she couldn¡¯t save it as a name or nickname in case someone would see it. She wanted to both memorize the phone number and save it. Hayeon¡¯s fingertips hovered in the air. She knew that the cell phone number left in her head couldn¡¯t be erased when she deleted it, but she deleted it from her phone nonetheless. She stared at the place where the number one disappeared. It was strange, as if half of the cell phone was empty. ¡­ I¡¯m not going to contact you. She knew better than anyone that Tae-wan was exhausted. Maybe he was waiting for her to tell him this story. ¡°Sigh.¡± Hayeon raised her head and looked at the night sky. The place where the full moon disappeared was replaced by streetlights. ¡°¡­ 10 minutes is so long.¡± Hayeon mumbled in a small voice and closed her eyes. The wind blew in her face. ¡°Because it¡¯s cold, wear a scarf, Ha Yuna. You have a long neck, you will catch a cold. Even¡¯t if it¡¯s okay, i will go. If you catch a cold, pass it to me, and you¡¯ll be better.¡±The voice that suddenly came to mind, but she endured with a tight bite of her lower lip. * * * Ha Yeon looked at the winter sky over the wide open porch door. It was a clean sky without a single cloud. While the movers were busy moving, Ha-yeon stopped by to check if there was any luggage missing and then stopped on the veranda. It was Hayeon¡¯s next favorite place in this house after the living room. When she opened the veranda door wide, the blue sky was the first thing she noticed even though it was a low level. The corners of the veranda were well covered, so even if she piled up a lot of unnecessary luggage, it was good that she couldn¡¯t see it. Hayeon looked around the veranda quietly. When she first came in, it was a clean house, but when she removed her luggage, unexpected dust came into her eyes. It was her second year in this house, so it was worth it. ¡°The next house we move to will be when we are newlyweds.¡± Two years ago, on the day of the move, Tae-wan said so, hugging her from behind, admiring the spacious veranda. He hugged her all over his body and smelled the same body cleanser as himself. ¡°Huh. That would be great.¡± At that time, she knew it would be so without any doubt. Where did you and I go after waiting for the next time? A lonely wind passed over Hayeon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you check it all?¡± Asked the moving center uncle who had all the luggage removed. Hayeon turned and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then Let¡¯s go.¡± Hayeon first opened the door and then paused while walking behind the uncle of the moving center. Without the luggage, the house was empty and unfamiliar. Hayeon looked at the house and turned around. ¡°The next house we move to will be when we are newlyweds.¡± Tae-Wan¡¯s voice was carried over by the blowing wind. Ha-yeon, paused for a moment, closed the door pretending not to hear. Jiyoon was right. The more memories there were, the longer the breakup was Chapter 21 ¡°Oppa, what¡¯s going on today?¡± Eun-su, Tae-Wan¡¯s stylist, carefully asked Tae-Wan as she noticed. ¡°Brother?¡± Even after a long time for the answer to come back, when Tae-wan did not answer, she called him again. Tae-wan opened his eyes slowly and looked at Eun-su ¡°Uh, sorry. What did you say?¡± Tae-wan asked in a locked voice. ¡°What is going on? Your expression is so bad today. The complexion is also dark. Did you sleep a little yesterday? I think your skin is also damaged¡­ .¡± Eunsoo groomed his hair and looked at his face in the mirror. From the time he appeared on the set, Tae-Wan¡¯s condition has been terrible. And he wasn¡¯t in good shape until now before filming. In the middle of a noisy and complex filming site, it was calm as if only Taewan had swallowed the sound. It was like a person left in an isolated world. ¡°OK.¡± However, the answer returned was dry because it was not concise. Eun-su glanced through the mirror at Tae-Wan, who had focused on the script, as if not to talk any more, and then moved his gaze toward the manager. Then the manager shook his head with an expression of suffocation. It meant that he didn¡¯t even know why Kang Tae-wan¡¯s condition was like that. The manager sighed a longer sigh at Tae-wan¡¯s back. From the time he went home to pick him up, he had a crazy face. When asked what was going on, Tae-wan didn¡¯t say a word. And it has always been like that. He wondered if Taewan could do the shoot or not.The manager looked at Tae-wan¡¯s side face with an anxious expression. ¡°I¡¯m going to shoot.¡± At the end of the assistant PD, Tae-wan got out of the simple waiting room. He stopped in the middle of the interior lighting shining more intensely than the sun. While he was tidying his sleeves, Jaewon, a PD, walked around and approached. Jaewon is a PD with Taewan¡¯s debut work, and he has been close together despite a considerable age difference after coming together for a long time. ¡°Kang Tae-wan.¡± Tae-wan raised his head at Jae-won¡¯s call. ¡°Why do you have a useless scandal and bother people? Should I shoot the door after slamming the door for you? I don¡¯t want to promote a drama like this.¡± Reporters were scattered near the filming site due to Taewan and Nayeon¡¯s scandal. After determining that it would interfere with the filming, Jaewon asked the staff to strictly manage access to the filming site, and then closed the filming site door tightly. ¡°Sorry.¡± When Tae-wan softly apologized, Jae-won stopped approaching. ¡°Why are you doing this? Why are you suddenly apologizing? It¡¯s not like you. Why is it my fault? Isn¡¯t it Kang Tae-wan?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Tae-wan closed his eyes even at Jae-won¡¯s joke. In the sense that he would refuse to talk any more, Jaewon¡¯s eyes narrowed.He was often with him, but this was the first time he had seen a face like this. The moment Jaewon was about to talk about something, Nayeon approached. ¡°PD, brother, hello.¡± As Nayeon approached, Jaewon greeted her happily and returned to her seat to prepare for the shoot. ¡°Oops, were you tired on the way to come today? There was a lot of reporters in front of my house from last night, right? Was your brother okay?¡± ¡°uh.¡± Tae-wan replied, fiddling with her intact sleeves. Actually, he didn¡¯t remember. From the moment since he got out of the car to when he sat on the living room sofa. It has been this way ever since.He was in a state of sparse memories, like someone who had a memory problem. This symptom occurred from the day of the words of parting by Ha-yeon Farewell sentence. Tae-Wan¡¯s expression sank to a new word. Nayeon smiled brightly, even though he knew that his expression was awkward when he closed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. Even so, the reporters will rush in tenaciously. In the meantime, let¡¯s be careful. By the way, if you¡¯re really going to suffer like this, I¡¯m really afraid to date you. I think it would be less painful to have a public relationship. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Nayeon laughed and whispered in a voice that only Taewan could hear. There was no such reaction from Tae-wan. Thinking that silence was positive, Nayeon carefully approached him with one step. The staff glanced as they prepared to shoot. Knowing, she stopped near Tae-Wan. She has been interested in Tae-Wan for a long time. She was thrilled by his handsome appearance, thorough self-management, and distant enough to feel cold, but the kindness he sometimes shows. She was wondering what kind of person he was, and then she suddenly became interested. Although she tried to reach out; for one or another reason, Tae-wan remained silent as to whether she was dull or not interested in her.Even today, he was approached with anxiety, Tae-wan smiled politely and thought that he would put on a mask. It didn¡¯t matter. If he did this, he could naturally be that mask. She thought one day he would realize. ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t have a relationship.¡± However, a different answer came back. The voice was cold enough to think that Kang Tae-wan, who he knows, is right. As Nayeon looked at him with a puzzled face, Tae-Wan slowly shifted his gaze from his sleeve to her. There was no warmth in the eyes, only annoyance. ¡°For You it may be possible, but for me it¡¯s impossible.¡± Taewan¡¯s voice was cold. chapter 22 Nayeon smiled awkwardly at a voice that was so cold that it became embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, brother. Why are you so bothered?¡± ¡°That kind of joke would create a scandal. You know what this industry is like.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m still careful. You know that scandals are more fatal to female actors than male actors.¡± As Nayeon laughed awkwardly, Taewan¡¯s expression settled. It was miserable, as if pushed by an invisible hand, but she was not foolish enough to express herself. Taewan looked down at Nayeon from above. Is it because of his colder eyes than usual? It felt much more daunting. ¡°Okay. If you know so well, be more careful.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°It was inevitable that all of your colleagues couldn¡¯t come out in one place asking you to eat with your colleagues. By the way, there was a reporter in that store. On that day, you fell, so I folded my arms to ask for support.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°It may be a coincidence, but it¡¯s hard to see it as a coincidence to others.¡± Nayeon¡¯s face turned red at Taewan¡¯s words. No matter how many signals she sent, Tae-wan didn¡¯t respond. She wanted to give him room to think, to prevent her pride from being hurt before the confession. However, even though she knew all the circumstances, Nayeon didn¡¯t know that Taewan was pretending to not understand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose my colleague.¡± Nayeon¡¯s face turned red due to Taewan¡¯s refusal, and she was so hot to the end of her ears. Colleague. He said he couldn¡¯t see her at all as a woman. As if there was no reason to watch anymore, Tae-wan turned his gaze coldly. ¡°Then, brother, have you been pretending not to know?¡± Nayeon asked, looking at his side face. ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I thought You would quit doing it.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°That was my way of caring for my colleagues.¡± ¡°Then why are you pretending to know all of a sudden today?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel the need to be considerate anymore.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of pretending I don¡¯t know.¡± Tae-wan recognized that he was talking too much. But once opened, lips did not close. What¡¯s done is done. The thought that Ha-yeon asked him to break up due to the scandal with Na-yeon came up. At Tae-wan¡¯s words, Nayeon bite her lower lip. ¡°That¡¯s too much, oppa.¡± ¡°From my point of view, even though I pretended not to know this much, I think it¡¯s too much that you keep trying.¡± At Taewan¡¯s cruel answer, Nayeon couldn¡¯t take it anymore and turned around. As she walked away from the set with a staggering step, the staff who had been glancing at them murmured. After a while, Nayeon asked for a 10-minute break because of her condition. ¡°Aren¡¯t the two dating?¡± ¡°Did they break up then?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they fight?¡± The staff gathered to gossip. Their gaze turned to Tae-Wan, who is standing in the middle of the set under a light like hot sunlight. He stood with his head down and without motion. His gaze on the floor and not moving at all. ¡°But why does it seem like Kang Tae-wan was broken up with.¡± Someone mumbled. ¡°Yeah. Did the two break up?¡± Someone else sympathized. The staff grumbled again. ¡°Ha, that guy.¡± After listening to the stories of the staff wandering around, Jaewon sighed and looked at Kang Tae-wan. Even if he didn¡¯t hear why Nayeon was upset, it was worth knowing the situation. The guy who has always been modestly caring for Nayeon and pretending not to know her heart came out cold, so Nayeon must have been embarrassed. It was something he didn¡¯t know why Tae-wan, who had been holding up well, suddenly changed. Jae-won approached Tae-Wan, then stopped there when he saw his side face. Kang Tae-wan was standing tall. He was looking at the floor as if he didn¡¯t know that the filming had been paused. He existed here, but didn¡¯t seem to realize he was there. Trapped in his own world. No sound, no light could penetrate his world. Whatever the director said, he didn¡¯t hear it. * * * Chapter 23 ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Jaewon, the drama producer, asked in a loud voice, taking off his hat and throwing it on the table. It was quite different from the usual appearance of him who laughed and joked. Jaewon was very angry. Sitting stiffly in a chair, he stared terribly at Tae-Wan, who sat face to face. ¡°As I said before, I can see everything. Are you 30 minutes late? High performance fee? Dirty private life? I can see all that. In the entertainment industry, on this floor where you know everything is dirty, how could you have survived this far without my patience. But you never did that. There was no lateness, no appearance fees, no privacy issues. So I wrapped you up pretty.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°But, asshole. No matter how well I keep my personal life and look good, I hate it if I can¡¯t do my job right. Especially a kid who is an actor and can¡¯t immerse himself in acting.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°How can you call it acting? Huh? No, did you even act?¡± Jaewon spoke with an unbelievable expression and sighed. An hour ago, Na-yeon and Tae-wan, who came out after capturing their emotions on the set, faced each other. Unfortunately, it was a break up scene. It needed a lot of tears, but Nayeon cried so much that it was impossible to tell whether it was a real emotion or an acting. If only Taewan was well supported, it was a situation that would result in a pretty useful scene. However, there was no dialogue from Tae-Wan. He only looked at Nayeon, crying like a person with lips attached. His eyes were out of focus, as if looking at a person from a distant world. ¡°Cut! Kang Tae-wan. What are you doing!¡± After Jaewon declared the cut, he approached Taewan. He repeated, ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯. But despite the apology, he didn¡¯t get any better. He smacked his lips to spit out the lines several times, then shut his mouth. The lines weren¡¯t long enough to forget. Okay. Let¡¯s break up. There were only two sentences. All he had to do was spit it out.In the end, Nayeon said she couldn¡¯t shoot anymore. After all the filming was stopped, Jaewon forced Tae-wan to return home and headed to his office. ¡°So, do you want to say anything even though I¡¯m so angry? ¡°Sorry.¡± Tae-wan apologized embarrassingly. It was an apology without sincerity. ¡°You know I don¡¯t want to hear that. What¡¯s the problem, huh?¡± Jaewon, who was feeling stuffy, opened the mini refrigerator and took out a bottle of soju. Then he poured it halfway into his mug and swallowed it. Even then, he stared at Tae-Wan as if he couldn¡¯t feel relieved. Jaewon was angry that he couldn¡¯t shoot today despite the tight schedule, but in reality, his worries were ahead. He was afraid of losing Kang Tae-wan, a good actor, without finding out the reason. He could give a few opportunities of trust to Tae-Wang Kang, but the bottom line of the entertainment industry wasn¡¯t as easy. Even at the top, when they shined the brightest, it was still normal to fall. He didn¡¯t want to see an actor who was still young, and has a lot of potential fall. ¡°Break up scenes have a lot of emotion and they are difficult. Still, it shouldn¡¯t be a difficult scene for you. You¡¯ve been pretending that it was more difficult than it is. Why the hell are you doing that?¡± Jaewon asked in a broken voice as if trying to appease him, there was even a feeling of affection. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tae-Wan¡¯s face, who answered, did not reveal any emotions. He was also a face saying that he didn¡¯t know what was. ¡°What. What the hell is going on? Why? Do you have a broken heart? Did you guys break up?¡± Tae-wan¡¯s eyebrows narrowed sharply at the words he threw without much thought. It was his first reaction today. When Tae-wan¡¯s expression, which remained unchanged no matter what harsh sound he said, changed, he was surprised. ¡°¡­Wait Is that it?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°You guys broke up?¡± Jaewon asked, narrowing his eyebrows. He was one of the few people who knew the relationship between Tae-wan and Ha-yeon. To be precise, he didn¡¯t know about Ha-yeon, but he knew that Tae-Wan had a long-time lover. He knew about it through the context of a phone call he overheard by accident, and kept it a secret at the request of Tae-wan. He had been teasing him up till now. Later, when he asked Tae-Wan occasionally how he was doing with his girlfriend. Tae-Wan responded with a ¡®Shhh¡¯. The entertainment industry was a job that seduced many people. Through this job he had met many people. So he liked Tae-wan, who loved only one woman for a long time and gave him a generous score. ¡°Why? Did you break up with her?¡± Jaewon asked in a tired tone, as if the anger had completely subsided. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± When Jaewon asked as if he was wondering, Taewan answered in silence. Reaching out, he picked up a glass from the table. One third of the soju disappeared quickly without a sound. In the meantime, the puzzle pieces came together in Jaewon¡¯s head. Why was Tae-wan cold to Nayeon, and why did he not have an expression today? He wondered if that¡¯s why Taewan couldn¡¯t say that short line of ¡®let¡¯s break up¡¯. Jaewon looked bitte Chapter 24 ¡°Wow, so you are human. I thought you weren¡¯t because You were only looking ahead and caring about your success.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to be like that, why don¡¯t you just grab the chance now?¡± Jaewon said in a completely relaxed voice. ¡°I can¡¯t .¡± Taewan¡¯s voice sank low. ¡°Why? If you want it desperately, you¡¯ll have to catch it.¡± ¡°I wonder how long it would have been until she said that. I have never met someone who said such words easily.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I really want to break up, she said that.¡± The focus has returned to Tae-wan¡¯s eyes. They have be together for over 10 years. Now they were closer than ¡®family¡¯ but they were ¡®lovers¡¯¡­. When they were alone , they filled each other with warmth as if it was their own. It was clear what kind of worries Hayeon would have had. He imagined what she had felt while packing his luggage. Choosing the right words , how her heart would have broken countless times throughout the choices. And after, she would have cried for days after her spoken word. Tae-wan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why. Why did you to break up? I did my best. Caught up in this situation Oh, let¡¯s see,I don¡¯t think I have the confident to hear the words twice.¡± A heavy voice fell through Tae-wan¡¯s lips. He couldn¡¯t make many memories by going to many places like others. But he thought that he had loved enough. Did his best. So, he couldn¡¯t figure out why their love should end like this. By this point he couldn¡¯t figure out what his heart was feeling. Was it right to break up with Ha-yeon? Is he in the process of accepting it or rejecting the break up? ¡°What do you mean you did your best?¡± Jaewon asked as he took out a new soju bottle from the refrigerator. Tae-Wan was speechless for a moment at his sudden question. Then, after a while, he opened his mouth. ¡°It didn¡¯t make me feel bad. I just didn¡¯t want her family ignore her because she chose me.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I wanted to do my best to succeed. At least I hoped it wouldn¡¯t be hard for her.¡± ¡°Is that what she wanted?¡± When Tae-wan tried to answer, Jae-won cut him off,sweeping down his rough bearded chin. ¡°Can you be sure that the best you did was the best for her?¡± Jaewon¡¯s eyes sharpened. When Tae-wan didn¡¯t say anything, he continued. ¡°Maybe the best direction could have been wrong. The direction you put all your might in, actually, may have been a direction that didn¡¯t reach her at all.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Uhhhh, I¡¯m going to smoke today. I have to smoke because of you, boy.¡± Jaewon took out a cigarette he had put in the cabinet and bit it in his mouth. Fog-like smoke leaked from his parted lips.And for the first time, when he looked at Tae-wan who was sitting silently in front of him. He saw himself when he was younger. The two images overlapped, even though Tae-wan shared no similarities with him. His lips moved arbitrarily. ¡°Is it because I overslept when I was younger?¡± Jaewon crumpled a cigarette in an ashtray and glanced at Taewan. At the unexpected words, Tae-wan looked up and looked at him one beat late. ¡°The most important preparation for that day was My backup. I held it in my hand and ran all the way to school. Luckily, I passed through the gates and didn¡¯t have to be punished. I thought I was successful. I wasn¡¯t late, and it was in my hands. But everything became twisted. My wallet and keys fell out of my pocket. On that day, it rained, l stood in front of the gate while being hit by the rain for several hours. At that time, I was shaking and I thought I would never make this mistake again. But I did it again.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I wanted to succeed, so I only looked ahead and ran, and I dropped my wife, daughter, and son from my pocket. I can¡¯t go pick them up because I don¡¯t know which street they¡¯re on. Even if I knew , there¡¯s no way someone else wouldn¡¯t have picked up those precious thing. Chapter 25 ¡°That¡¯s what it means to chase in life. Missing it all but that one goal.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°For a beautiful spot, we¡¯re missing out on even more beautiful years.¡± He sighed as if the time passed by was in vain. ¡°Don¡¯t make that mistake like me.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lose your happiness because of success.¡± Jaewon¡¯s voice sank low. Tae-wan properly covered the body of Jae-won, who was asleep. Then he stared at him. A few years ago, Tae-wan accidentally heard from an acquaintance that Jae-won had been divorced. He pretended to be embarrassed, but he couldn¡¯t get out of the slump for a while. And today, he heard about Jaewon¡¯s divorce in detail. He said his wife asked for a divorce first. Jaewon said that he tried desperately to prevent divorce, but his wife¡¯s heart did not turn. He said he couldn¡¯t hold any more financial resources when his wife asked for a divorce because she didn¡¯t need alimony. He said he felt that the only thing he could do for her was divorce. the children followed his wife. ¡°It¡¯s useless if you have all your children raised. If I didn¡¯t contact you first, they wasn¡¯t interested in me living or dying. When I was sick, I went to the hospital near my house. Then, when I was filming a drama, I asked for an actor¡¯s autograph. I asked if he could send it to her..Ha, I wasn¡¯t going to meet with her either, but he asked me to send it to you really quick. I was busy..they were all busy..so I decided to meet her¡±Jaewon¡¯s eyes became moist when he said that. After a while, he got drunk, took out his cell phone, accessed his children¡¯s social media, and looked at their pictures. ¡°When we lived together, we were busy so we didn¡¯t know. How fortunate and happy it was to be able to watch the moments when the children grew up and the appearance of my wife as they aged¡­ .¡± Tears dripping from his eyes as he said it. Taewan saw him cry for the first time and silently filled his empty glass with soju. ¡°The moments that were nothing were the most precious things¡­ .¡± He just said that over and over again. Before long, he fell asleep on the table. Tae-wan looked at Jae-won, who had fallen asleep, and quietly exited the officetel. Sitting on a bench in front of the officetel, he bit the cigarette he had brought into his mouth. Then, a voice he had forgotten for a while suddenly popped up. ¡°Why did you learn that in the military? I hate the smell of cigarettes. It¡¯s not good for your body either. I won¡¯t kiss you any more if you continue to smoke.¡± That was what Ha-yeon said one day. Ha-yeon¡¯s face in her early twenties was full of worries rather than irritation. After that day, he did not put a cigarette in his mouth, except when he was forced to smoke because of work. It was harder not to kiss Hayeon than smoke a cigarette. So quitting was easier than he thought. Tae-wan¡¯s lips, who had been reminiscent of the day¡¯s events, had a faint smoky smile that soon disappeared. Where did the brilliant and beautiful love of that time go? Chapter 26 Now that they had broken up, there was no one to say anything if he smoked. But Tae-wan couldn¡¯t bring himself to light the cigarette. He had tried to light it once, but failed. The hand that was holding the lit lighter rose, but then fell. He felt that if he smoked, then it was really over. A dark shadow fell over Taewan¡¯s slender face. A winter breeze passed over him. It was cold, but he couldn¡¯t even move. There¡¯s nothing easy going back home or smoking a cigarette. ¡°It¡¯s cold. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Another person¡¯s voice came in the winter wind. Normally, he would have hurried to move in case other people would notice him, but Tae-Wan didn¡¯t move. It seemed like it wouldn¡¯t matter now if anyone saw him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go slowly. It¡¯s good to walk hand in hand on a cold day.¡± ¡°Still.¡± He didn¡¯t intend to listen, but the surroundings were quiet so he could hear their conversation. The man was urging to get home,and the woman was urging to stay a little longer. ¡°You don¡¯t like being with me?¡± The woman said, as if complaining. ¡°No. But it¡¯s cold, and you might catch a cold. I¡¯m going to make a lot of money and buy a car. That way, you won¡¯t have to go out on a date while it¡¯s cold.¡± the man said in an apologetic tone. ¡°No. I am okay. You can¡¯t get into the habit of already driving a car. Besides, if you walk slowly, we can be together longer. And I could buy a car first. Why are you sorry about that?¡± the man laughed as if in apology, as the woman¡¯s voice sounded with laughter. He heard the sound of them passing by, while talking about the weather. Hayeon also told him that it was okay, but she was sorry she couldn¡¯t do it all the time. ¡°I am not sorry. It¡¯s natural.¡± ¡°OK. We can do it together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not cold. In the future, we will remember this day in winter when the cold wind blows. When we walked on the street because we were twenty-three and didn¡¯t have money to ride the bus.¡± Na Ha-yeon spoke. She was always smiling, as if it was okay. Tae-wan, sitting on the bench behind the pillar, bit the end of the cigarette with his teeth. The end would burst if he bit too hard. The smell of cigarettes spread into his mouth. Tae-wan¡¯s eyes darkened. Hayeon always said she was okay, even if she was nervous. He didn¡¯t like to say or hear about being okay. The difficult and poor years were the highlighted to others, but to him they were stupid. He didn¡¯t want to let Ha-yeon experience that life at all. He didn¡¯t want to let his loved one handle too many things because they loved each other. However, there was a limit to how much he could do. And Ha Yeon watched the difficult times silently. He took the lead so that he could overcome it. At his grandmother¡¯s funeral, Ha-yeon stayed with his family for three days. The empty funeral hall, where even relatives don¡¯t visit, was boring, but she didn¡¯t express it once. It was also she who paid a large amount of condolences with an unnamed envelope. He was angry and didn¡¯t want to accept it, but Ha-yeon said it wasn¡¯t her. ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°Then who is it? It¡¯s obviously not the people who had already come and gone, so who else is it other than you?¡± ¡°Someone who knows you. Not really.¡± She just said so and shook her head to the end. Tae-wan was convinced it was Ha-yeon, but he couldn¡¯t return the envelope. He didn¡¯t have enough money to pay for the funeral. But in the unnamed envelope was the rest of the amount he needed It wasn¡¯t until a few years later that he realized that money in the envelope was the money that Ha-yeon had saved for a long time while working. He only found out when he was looking at Hayeon¡¯s bankbook when it was lying in her drawer by chance. The amount withdrawn on the day his grandmother¡¯s funeral ended was exactly the same as the amount on the unnamed envelope. After the funeral, he was unable to throw away the white envelope without the name on it. Instead, he put it deep in his desk. Closing the drawer, he pledged. Let¡¯s never be someone like your own parents. If you love them, you have to let that person enjoy life to their heart¡¯s content. Let Ha-yeon live never knowing about poverty. He worked at his best. So, as if in return, some income followed. He first found a spacious apartment. He wished there was a house where Ha-yeon could live comfortably. Hayeon was happy, it was as if he had just bought a house. It was just a slightly wider house¡­ Nevertheless, he was happy to know that he could do something for Ha-yeon. So he laughed for a few days and fell asleep. That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s expand it step by step like this and live in a stable way. Tae-wan planned to rent an apartment in a spacious officetel. And when they get married. He thought it would be nice if the house was spacious and had room for children, a life without debt. When the time comes, they could hold hands and go on a trip together. And if there was something they wanted to eat, they could go to a restaurant without worrying. He wanted to enjoy life with Hayeon. It was during the time he was gaining recognition and was working as a supporting actor. Chapter 27 ¡°Are you Kang Tae-wan?¡± Someone suddenly came to the set. When he came in, he was not subject to any sanctions by the staff. he looked back, and the PD glanced away. ¡°Yeah. By the way.¡± It was unfamiliar to say that he was related to the industry. If it¡¯s for work, it¡¯s all right to contact them via mobile phone, but it was strange to come to the set. While he was on the lookout, the man said. ¡°I am Hayeon¡¯s father. I¡¯d like to talk to you for a moment¡­ .¡± Not long after the filming ended, he was very tired, but he did not show it much and followed Her father. who he met at the cafe, was similar to Ha-yeon. White skin, tall height, upright posture, and serene eyes were particularly similar. Ha-yeon¡¯s father gave him a business card. He was the director of a hospital that would be obvious if he had just told his name. He was aware that Ha-yeon came from a well-off family, but he didn¡¯t know it would be like this. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Kang Tae-wan.¡± ¡°I know. I came here because you are meeting with Hayeon. Of course, Hayeon doesn¡¯t know this. I¡¯ve come here on my own, so I¡¯d like to keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡± ¡°I wanted Ha Yeon to marry early and start a family, so I offered her several marriage proposals ,but she refused. I tried to find out why she refused, and you showed up.¡± Through the words of Ha-yeon¡¯s father, Tae-Wan knew that he had done a background check on him. And at once he noticed that he would be included in the scope of the investigation. ¡°I won¡¯t take long time. Sorry to be straightforward, but I want my daughter to marry a suitable family man.¡± So break up. Tae-wan recognized what Ha-yeon¡¯s father was trying to say. His heart dropped. He guessed he would one day hear this. But the words had hit him harder and deeper than he thought they would.Tae-wan looked at Ha-yeon¡¯s father, holding his eyes , despite his own shaking. ¡°I don¡¯t have a big profit right now, but things are taking their place step by step. If you can watch a little more¡­ .¡± ¡°I know that you are an orphan with no relatives. Live in a house and pay rent at 27. The monthly rent is quite high and the deposit amount is very low. I heard that you dropped out while attending college. I heard that your income was irregular because you are an actor¡­ . Am I wrong?¡±Hayeon¡¯s father asked with a cold expression. Having his situation being objectively explained through others was boring. He lived his best despite his difficult life. But why did it all come out as ¡®orphan, dropout, irregular income¡¯? ¡°Did i get it right?¡± Hayeon¡¯s father asked again. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Tae-wan replied, swallowing roughly.. Then Ha-yeon father¡¯s eyes became cold at once. He tried not to express himself, but Tae-wan, who sat face to face, felt miserable. ¡°The men I want to introduce to Hayeon have a house, a car, and a family with adequate property as a basis. At least it can make my daughter economically easy. But what can you do for Hayeon?¡±