[Su Ah, let’s enjoy ourselves after work today.] With a single incoming message, Su Ah’s eyes popped open.

It was a phrase she herself had thrown out before, but for some reason, her heart pounded uncontrollably.

While pondering what to reply, another message arrived.

[Let’s go on a date.] Did he send it again in case she didn’t understand his intention?

Su Ah chuckled and sent a message back, saying she understood.

Time passed, and before she knew it, the clock was pointing to 6 o’clock.

Glancing at the other employees preparing to leave one by one, Su Ah hurriedly gathered her bag.

Inside an elevator filled with employees.

Just as Su Ah, who was checking the gradually decreasing elevator number, stepped forward to get off at the first floor,

“Miss Lee Su Ah, your home is in the same direction as mine. If you’re going straight home, you should ride with me.”
At Ji Hoon’s voice breaking the silence in the elevator, the employees’ gaze turned towards Su Ah.

“Ah, no, it’s okay…”
Startled, she tried to decline, but

“Oh, Su Ah, you’re lucky.”
“Su Ah, you should take the ride when offered.”
“That’s right. You should seize such opportunities.”
“Well, then, should I? Thank you.”
Su Ah forced an awkward smile and quietly moved to Ji Hoon’s side.

[This is the basement second floor.] As the elevator door opened, the employees streamed out.

“Team leader, drive safely. Su Ah, see you tomorrow.”
Didn’t they say the joy of office workers begins on the way home?

The steps of the employees were incredibly light.

“See you tomorrow. Please get home safely.”
Su Ah also bid the employees farewell, then opened the passenger door of Ji Hoon’s car.

“Ha Joon is going to the officetel, right?”
“Huh? How did you know?”

“I heard he asked you to go with him and you declined.”
He looked so deflated as he said it.

It was such a pitiful expression to see alone.

Recalling that expression, one corner of Ji Hoon’s mouth curled up slightly.

“What if the other employees find out? Besides, Ha Joon’s officetel is close to the office, and there’s a direct bus, so I suggested we meet there.”
Your efforts are commendable, but what’s the point if you’re the only one trying? It didn’t seem like Min Ha Joon had any intention of hiding.

Ji Hoon gave a shallow shake of his head and slowly stepped on the pedal.

A moment later. Su Ah, who had been looking at the scenery outside the window, opened her mouth.

“I’m grateful for yesterday. Thanks to you, I was able to talk with Ha Joon and I think I managed to handle it well.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you. You must have needed a lot of courage, too.”
Ji Hoon had felt guilty asking Ha Joon for help knowing that Su Ah also had her own trauma.

“Come to think of it, you seem to think a lot about Ha Joon.”
Just then, the car stopped at a traffic signal, and Ji Hoon turned his head to look at Su Ah.

“Me?”
Ji Hoon raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t understand what she meant.

“Yes. Like what happened yesterday. Even if he’s your relative, it’s not easy to help out as if it’s your own matter. Especially when you weren’t originally relatives…”
Oh.

“No, I mean…”
Feeling like she’d misspoken, she hurriedly tried to continue,

“No, it’s okay. It’s the truth.”
Despite his words, Ji Hoon’s voice sounded sullen.

“I can’t deny what you said about thinking a lot about him.”
The signal changed again, and Ji Hoon forced a smile as he drove the car forward.

“He’s someone with such deep wounds and doesn’t know how to express his emotions.”
Su Ah couldn’t see Ji Hoon’s expression as he was looking straight ahead, but she could guess from his low voice.

“Since he’s the type to agonize internally until his wounds fester, it was natural for us to regularly check up on him and take care of him since he was young. Of course, it’s the same now.”
Feeling the atmosphere might have become too heavy, Ji Hoon glanced at Su Ah and continued with a deliberately playful expression.

“He has improved a lot since we first met, but he’s still far from becoming a real human.”
“Are you saying it’s like a project to make Min Ha Joon human?”
Su Ah giggled at the end of her words, finding them amusing.

“Something like that. What do you think? Do you want to join?”
He threw the question out lightly, not wanting to make her feel pressured.

However, Su Ah quickly grasped the meaning of his words.

“Of course. I definitely have to participate and see it through to the end. I learned at the company that any project must be concluded.”
“It seems like a company that instills a proper mindset.”
“I’m an employee of that great company, after all.”
Su Ah raised her thumb and laughed.

Before they knew it, Ji Hoon’s car had arrived at Ha Joon’s officetel.

As Su Ah said her thanks and was about to get out of the passenger seat,

“Did you come here with Ji Hoon?”
Ha Joon, who had already arrived, quickly approached upon spotting Su Ah and asked.

“We agreed to meet in front of the officetel. So I picked her up on the way.”
Ji Hoon leaned towards the passenger side window and answered in her stead.