Is this how a direct supervisor should act? In the elevator that took quite some time to reach the top floor, Seol Ah glared only at the ascending floor numbers.

Even though she was on leave, she was still a field worker, and as his direct supervisor, it was mandatory to report on every operation she went on.

Even if she informed the boss, if it wasn’t conveyed to Jae Kyung, who was the intermediary, the system of work would get tangled, so it couldn’t be helped.

But the problem was that this son of a bitch was utterly unreachable.

Previously, this had never happened, but as if it were a lie, contact was cut off, and now he wouldn’t even answer calls properly.

In the end, after sending a few warning messages, Seol Ah chose to go find him directly.

Even if you call it a warning, it was just an endless repetition of [If you don’t reply I’m coming to find you, for real! For real! Ah really, you won’t reply!]

Go ahead and get angry, I clearly warned you. Up until last week, she had to be mindful of Jae Kyung, whose sensitivity was sky-high, but not anymore.

The Jae Kyung of today, whose every day was like a spring day, wasn’t that scary.

Entering the penthouse after familiarly pressing the password code, Seol Ah stopped in her tracks upon seeing the scene as soon as she entered.

“Huh?”

As it was broad daylight and the floor was high up, the living room was filled with sunlight coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The short-haired woman standing in the center discovered Seol Ah, who had entered after inputting the password code, and opened her eyes wide.

She was briefly tense, but soon after, noticing that the other person’s gaze held no contempt or wariness, only surprise and curiosity, she felt relieved.

The medication that was said to be in clinical trials was definitely effective.

“Jae Kyung!”

Upon the sudden intruder barging into the house, Na Eun hurriedly ran towards the kitchen and called for Jae Kyung.

A guest is here, do you know them? They just entered after pressing the code. Even if we whisper, everything can be heard.

Seol Ah nonchalantly tossed her handbag onto the living room sofa and sat comfortably on it as if it were her own house.

Jae Kyung’s house was a space much more familiar to her than to Na Eun, as Seol Ah had come and gone several times.

But to Jae Kyung, who came out from the kitchen to the living room, that scene didn’t seem to please him.

Upon discovering Seol Ah sitting on the living room sofa as if it were her own home, he briefly furrowed his brows.

Even that, as soon as Na Eun approached, he quickly plastered a smile over his creased face.

Meanwhile, regardless of what Jae Kyung did, Seol Ah was in the midst of looking around the drastically changed living room atmosphere with a feeling of amazement.

The always dark interior was bright with all the lights turned on, and there was no trace to be found of the cigarette smoke that hazily covered the whole house.

They changed the sofa and table to new ones. Seol Ah inwardly whistled. Even though it was the same house, decorated like this, it seemed like a completely different person lived here.

“Do you know her?”

“…She’s my cousin. Before, she asked me to teach her the password code, so I had no choice but to tell her, and she just entered.”

Jae Kyung, who made up an excuse nonchalantly, spoke towards Seol Ah with a painted smile.

“What brings you here?”

“Because you wouldn’t answer my calls. I had something I definitely needed to tell you.”

Seol Ah also smiled leisurely and tapped her cell phone with her finger.

It meant don’t get angry because she clearly warned him through messages.

On the other hand, Na Eun who was standing next to Jae Kyung, was surprised at him saying it was his cousin, but let go of the wariness she had up until now.

“Hello.”

To Na Eun who greeted first in a friendly manner, Seol Ah looked at her with a slightly unexpected expression, then waved her hand with a bright smile.

“Hi?”

“I’m Jae Kyung’s girlfriend.”

“I know. But you really don’t seem to remember me, huh?”

She didn’t particularly mean to tease her.

She was just admiring the effects of the medication, but Jae Kyung’s gaze next to Na Eun instantly turned cold. Even at that chilly gaze, Seol Ah shrugged her shoulders and pretended not to know.

“Ah, I was in a traffic accident a while ago, and because of that, my memory is a bit abnormal right now. Have we met before? I’m sorry I can’t recognize you.”

When Na Eun spoke with a slightly apologetic tone, Seol Ah shook her head with a smile as if it were undeserved.

No. There’s nothing at all to be sorry about. It’s right for you to never remember.

“Ah, I left the stove on with a pot on it in the kitchen. Na Eun, I’m sorry but could you go turn it off?”

Jae Kyung asked as if he just remembered, and Na Eun vigorously headed to the kitchen, saying she understood.

As she entered the kitchen far away and disappeared from view, Jae Kyung instantly approached Seol Ah and cursed through gritted teeth in a small voice that wouldn’t reach the kitchen.

“Are you dense, or do you just want to die by my hands.”

“I clearly said if you don’t answer, I’m coming.”

Seol Ah wasn’t upset even while sulking. She had anticipated this level of reaction.

“Take it. The coordinates for next week’s operation.”

She took out a USB from her small handbag and handed it to him.

Jae Kyung, who received it, glared at Seol Ah with annoyed eyes.

“You came just for this? You could have emailed it.”

“Would you read the email?”

Seol Ah, who became indignant, fired back while raising an eyebrow. Jae Kyung closed his mouth for a moment as if he had nothing to say.

It was because, as she pointed out, Jae Kyung hadn’t properly checked his phone, messages, messenger, or email in the past few days.

It was then, when Seol Ah was looking at Jae Kyung, who rarely couldn’t refute, with an amused expression.

Ah! Along with the sound of something spilling, a small scream leaked out from the kitchen.

Hearing that, Jae Kyung rushed to the kitchen, and Seol Ah, who found it absurd but was also curious about the reason, followed behind.

Jae Kyung, who hurriedly entered the kitchen, saw Na Eun behind the overturned pot, biting her index finger with a troubled face, and quickly approached her.

“What happened? Are you hurt?”

“Yeah… I’m sorry, Jae Kyung. I accidentally spilled that.”

“It’s okay. Where did you get burned? Let me see.”

Not paying any attention to the pot rolling on the floor, Jae Kyung hurriedly checked where Na Eun was injured.

First, he led her to the sink, turned on the cold water, and had her cool the burned area. Then Jae Kyung told Na Eun to wait a moment and urgently left somewhere.

Meanwhile, Seol Ah, who had been watching the whole scene from behind, let out an empty laugh.

Judging by Jae Kyung’s reaction, one would think Yoon Na Eun had been gravely injured.

At the same time, she confirmed with her eyes the ingredients and tableware sprawled on the dining table and inwardly burst into laughter. Looks like they were cooking before I came.

“Ah, Jae Kyung and I were planning to make milk hot pot today.”

Feeling Seol Ah’s gaze examining the state of the kitchen, Na Eun, who had her index finger under the cold water, spoke with an embarrassed face.

Although she said they were cooking together, in reality, Jae Kyung was doing everything from start to finish.

She had no talent for cooking, so even if she tried to help by his side, accidents like this were frequent.

“Na Eun, can you give me your hand for a second?”

Jae Kyung returned with burn ointment and bandages.

Even though she wasn’t badly hurt, Na Eun made an embarrassed expression as if she was making a fuss in front of his cousin.

But Jae Kyung acted as if he didn’t even have Seol Ah, who was in front, in mind.

In the end, only after applying the ointment and even wrapping a band-aid could she be released.

Na Eun bent down to pick up the pot that had fallen on the floor.

But even this was stopped by Jae Kyung.

“Sit down. I’ll do it.”

“No, I can do it!”

“You’re hurt. You shouldn’t move.”

Na Eun made a troubled face because she felt bad that even though she made the mistake, Jae Kyung was cleaning it up.

This time too, the one who won the argument was Jae Kyung.

Following his insistence, she had to sit comfortably in a chair next to the dining table and just watch him clean the whole floor.

Seol Ah was watching with interest as Jae Kyung picked up the pot, cleaned up the broth spilled on the floor, and even meticulously mopped.

Na Eun apologized to Jae Kyung once again, saying she was sorry. An unexpected suggestion came to Seol Ah, who was observing Jae Kyung’s bright complexion as he just laughed and said it was okay.

“Why don’t you also eat before leaving?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

The two were surprised at the same time. Jae Kyung, who was putting the washed pot on the induction range, looked at Na Eun in surprise.

Seol Ah blinked, finding the suggestion a bit unexpected. Na Eun laughed awkwardly.

“You came all the way here, so it doesn’t feel right to just send you off… I thought it would be nice to eat together.”

“Ah, my cousin has to leave soon anyway…”

“Sure!”

Seol Ah smiled brightly, arbitrarily cutting off Jae Kyung’s words.

“Okay. Let’s eat together. I’ll wait in the living room.”

Do you want to die? It felt like she could hear Jae Kyung’s inner voice, but Seol Ah ignored it.

He can’t do anything next to Yoon Na Eun anyway. Not scary at all.

“Yes! We’ll make it delicious and treat you! Jae Kyung, I’ll wash that. Give it here!”

Perhaps wanting to make a good impression on her boyfriend’s cousin, Na Eun showed enthusiasm for cooking that she had no skill in and went to the sink.

Jae Kyung scratched his forehead at the situation that was troubling either way. Seol Ah distanced herself from the kitchen, pretending to be dense.

Jae Kyung glared at Seol Ah in secret for a moment, but upon discovering Na Eun’s misdeed of trying to wash the vegetables in warm water, he hurriedly approached her.

“Na Eun, you wash these in cold water.”

“Ah, really? I learned that for the first time.”

“Let me just do it.”

“No! I can do it too! …By any chance, me staying still isn’t helping, is it?”

“…No.”

“…Your answer was 1 second late.”

“It really isn’t.”

“It’s not not, but…”

Jae Kyung bit his lip and held back his laughter for a moment at Na Eun’s dejected reaction.

Noticing his shoulders subtly shaking, Na Eun became more crestfallen and muttered.

“I guess I’m a total idiot when it comes to cooking.”

“That’s not true…”

“You just held back laughter right now.”

“No.”

“…It’s fine. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Just laugh.”

Aha ha. Finally letting out the laughter he had been holding back at Na Eun’s dejected permission, Jae Kyung eventually snatched the bowl containing the vegetables from her hands.

Then let’s wash them together, he said, turning on the cold water, and Na Eun stood right next to him, attached.

We’re like newlyweds like this, Na Eun whispered softly, and Jae Kyung, who heard that, laughed shyly and finished washing the vegetables.

No matter how you looked at it, it was the appearance of a loving couple.

Seol Ah went to the living room and gazed blankly at the backs of the two, then smiled.

She remembered a past when this house’s living room was filled with hazy cigarette smoke, and darkness existed without a single ray of sunlight due to the blinds.

Knowing Jae Kyung in there, who looked at the world with hollow eyes as if he would disappear at any moment, it was so different from now.

Even though it’s the same house, everything is different. Just from looking around while entering, Jae Kyung had replaced all the furniture and appliances.

The dreary atmosphere had softened, and it suited Yoon Na Eun perfectly.

If you were going to become this happy, why did you return in such a difficult way.

When there is an easy and a hard way to obtain something, they had always chosen the easy way.

Becoming happy easily is a slightly more efficient method than becoming happy with difficulty.

The world had always called those who made such choices villains.

She and Jae Kyung were originally people who were villains to the bone.