Even though Chae Yoon avoided Jae Oh, Jae Oh captured the swollen eyes and the tip of her nose in his sight.

It was the face that had been on his mind all night.

Seeing his face that once again made me feel like I had to go out and die, a sigh naturally escaped.

With a suffocated breath, he spoke in a voice that had fallen a tone.

“If I knew you would cry like this seeing grandfather, I would have contacted you before leaving.”
At Jae Oh’s voice, Chae Yoon’s eyes gently stared at him.

Jae Oh, who saw her eyes still wet with tears, faintly frowned.

Jae Oh, who was thinking of something to say that could stop Chae Yoon’s tears, casually spoke.

“Stop crying. The line grandfather drew between you and him wasn’t because he disliked you.”
He then took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket and extended it to Chae Yoon.

Chae Yoon’s gaze fell on the handkerchief.

‘This is…….’
It was the next gift after the tie pin.

The tie pin was noticeable and sometimes made her feel good at a glance, but the handkerchief did not.

She did not even know if she had it or not, so she just forgot it, but who knew she would confirm it like this.

Chae Yoon, who felt strange knowing he had brought this to meet her, could not readily accept the handkerchief.

While Chae Yoon hesitated, a sentence that made her doubt her ears came from Jae Oh’s mouth.

“Will you wipe it for me?”
Chae Yoon looked at him in surprise.

“Huh? What, no?!”
Chae Yoon quickly snatched the handkerchief and wiped away the tears in her eyes.

Jae Oh silently stared at her pale face, which had quickly lost its tears due to her surprise at his words.

As expected, seeing her flustered is much better than seeing her cry, he thought, when Chae Yoon asked a question.

“But, did you bring grandfather here, brother?”
It was a question with the assumption that Ji Phil would have brought Jae Oh.

But the returning answer was off from Chae Yoon’s prediction.

“Yeah.”
Chae Yoon was surprised inside, but tried her best not to show it.

“Why?”
“Because you said you didn’t want to be alone.”
The words she had said to him yesterday came to mind.

It seemed that Jae Oh had been pondering those words, but she herself had pondered the words she had fired at Jae Oh.

[I hate it! I don’t want to talk to you! I hate having you in my house, I hate wasting time like this talking about divorce with you, how many times do I have to say it, why…!] Without properly listening to his story, she sent him away saying she hated him, which bothered her and after some emotional control, she was planning to contact him. Because it would be hard for him to contact me.

However, Jae Oh came before she could contact him.

“I would have liked to come alone, but I thought you might cry seeing me, and grandfather would be of more help to you, so I brought him.”
It was the first time. It was the first time he acted considering her perspective.

So, her mood improved considerably.

Somehow, Chae Yoon felt a smile creeping up on her face, but puckered her lips to suppress it.

“Tch. What help, help.”
“Why the help.”
“You are really stiff with word choices.”
Jae Oh, who couldn’t understand what was meant by ‘stiff’, tilted his head slightly and asked back.

“Then what should I call it instead of help?”
Her mouth, about to respond with “something that would be more comforting for you,” paused.

Jae Oh’s face, waiting for her answer, was quite interesting.

Chae Yoon, who had been observing Jae Oh showing various sides of him today, got up from her spot.

“I will wash and return your handkerchief.”
Hearing an answer that was quite irrelevant to his question, Jae Oh’s head tilted slightly again.

Seeing that, Chae Yoon lifted the corners of her lips and headed inside.

Her steps going in were light.

((()))

“Did you finish crying?”
Jipil, who was sitting on the living room sofa, asked Chae Yoon, who had approached him.

Chae Yoon responded with a somewhat awkward smile.

“Yes…, ah. Would you like some tea?”
“Sure. Tea sounds good.”
Nodding his head, Jipil gave an order to Jae Oh who was walking in from behind Chae Yoon.

“Han Jae Oh. Go make some tea.”
Jae Oh and Chae Yoon’s eyes widened at the same time.

“Huh? What did you say?”
“Let me have a conversation with Chae Yoon alone, you go make tea.”
Chae Yoon’s face became serious at the rather firm voice.

Chae Yoon approached Jipil in that state and spoke.

“Grandfather. Oppa can’t do anything.”
At Chae Yoon’s words, Jae Oh’s eyes flared.

What? Can’t do anything?

“What can’t he do. He can do it if he tries.”
Seeing his grandson dismissively saying it’s difficult, Jipil, intrigued, pointed towards the kitchen with his chin.

“Really? Then hurry and go make tea.”
Instead of replying, Jae Oh chuckled and headed towards the kitchen.

“Ah, Han Jae Oh.”
“What?”
“Don’t just bring tea, make sure to bring some fruit or cookies with it. Got it?”
“……”
“And, if you bring it carelessly, I will kick you out of here, so prepare it to the best of your ability.”
“……”
“What are you looking at. Go and prepare quickly.”
Jae Oh, who was just going to bring tea, stared hard at Jipil, then moved his frozen steps.

Jipil, withdrawing his gaze from Jae Oh, turned his attention to Chae Yoon.

“Chae Yoon, why are you standing there blankly. Sit down.”
Chae Yoon, who had been watching Jae Oh with regretful eyes, sat down in front of Jipil.

Jipil, after scanning her face that had become thinner than the last time he saw her, opened his mouth.

“How is it, living alone. Is it tolerable?”
“Yes.”
“Even though it’s tolerable, why does your face look so downcast?”

The corners of Chae Yoon’s mouth turned upward awkwardly.

“How’s work life?”
She would have easily replied “it’s fine” if it was anyone else, but she hesitated a bit because it was Ji Phil.

Wondering if he knew about her situation with Manager Jung.

Chae Yoon carefully glanced at Ji Phil as she replied, trying not to give anything away.

“What could possibly be different? Work life is always the same.”
Ji Phil nodded slightly.

When he didn’t say anything else, Chae Yoon let out a sigh of relief.

“What happened with Jae Oh?”
Chae Yoon quickly understood that the question was asked because of something Jae Oh said at the entrance.

As she contemplated whether to confess her feelings to him, Ji Phil spoke up first.

“Jae Oh had a hard time after you left.”
At this unexpected remark, Chae Yoon widened her eyes and looked at Ji Phil.

“He was glued to his work at the company because it was so empty at home without you.”
Her round eyes blinked slowly.

‘So that’s why he lost weight?’
Chae Yoon was lost in thought at this unexpected reason.

Ji Phil watched Chae Yoon’s expression and then casually spoke.

“Jae Oh is really missing….”
Crash!

A sound of something falling in the kitchen interrupted Ji Phil’s words.

From where they were sitting, the inside of the kitchen wasn’t visible, so Ji Phil attempted to continue his sentence.

“Anyway, Jae Oh really felt your absence…”
Bang! He was cut off once again.

Ji Phil’s eyebrows furrowed.

He closed his eyes for a moment, waiting until there was no sound. Once the surroundings became quiet, he attempted to speak again.

“So, what I’m saying…”
Thump.

“Argh, darn.”
“……I’ll kill that guy……!”
Seeing Ji Phil about to get up, Chae Yoon quickly stood and stopped him.

“I’ll go check. Grandpa.”
Ji Phil, who was halfway up, sat down and nodded his head. As he gestured for her to quickly handle the situation, Chae Yoon headed toward the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, Chae Yoon was greeted by the rather awkward sight of Han Jae Oh in the kitchen.

Looking at his broad back, which made the kitchen seem even smaller, she approached Jae Oh and spoke.

“You’re going to break all of my things while setting the tea table.”
Jae Oh turned his head towards Chae Yoon.

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