Before the afternoon outpatient service began, Sun Woo stretched to ease his stiff neck from relentless patient examinations. He leaned against the chair’s backrest, stretched his hands high into the air, and then gently closed his eyes.

Between the darkness, the words he had spoken the previous night swirled around.

“You don’t have to make such an effort.”

He had meant to say that she didn’t have to get up early to see him off to work.

His comments about being comfortable alone, that such efforts were unnecessary, had unnecessarily spoiled what had been a pleasant atmosphere.

It was too late to fix it; the mood had already flowed in that direction.

This morning, as he was about to go to work, the image of him hesitating in front of her room came to mind.

It was strange. He was even concerned about her minor moods.

Sun Woo, who was briefly organizing his thoughts, snorted as if he had found an answer.

“Well, that’s it.”
Out of fear that the woman might change her mind. That’s why.

He had finally managed to get the contract back, and he worried she might now say she couldn’t do it. So he quickly tied up his thoughts. Yet an inexplicable nagging feeling remained, and the worries continued.

Sun Woo’s contemplation was interrupted by the ringing of his phone from inside his pocket. Feeling the vibration, he pulled off the medical glove from his right hand with his mouth, took out his phone, and checked the name displayed on the screen.

It was Eun Jung, Sun Woo’s mother.

Pressing the call button, Sun Woo fixed the phone between his shoulder and face. He took the call with the removed medical glove still in his mouth.

“I’ll start the consultation soon.”

[What kind of a greeting is that? It’s like he wants to upset his mother.]

As Eun Jung’s voice choked up, Sun Woo chuckled and put down the glove he had been holding in his mouth onto the desk.

“It’s not like it’s been a day or two.”
[Who on earth did you take after?] “Who else could it be.”
[Your father was not like that. Anyway, I heard there’s a young woman at home. Who is she?] Taken aback by Eun Jung’s unexpected question, Sun Woo straightened up from the chair he had been leaning on.

“Excuse me?”
[Madam Seong San brought some marinated crab in the morning. Seeing it reminded me of you. She was so surprised she nearly fainted, you know?] I’m just glad she didn’t hurt her back. Eun Jung’s muttering continued with a sigh of relief.

Madam Seong San had been helping with the housework for nearly 10 years, shuttling between the family home and Sun Woo’s place. She probably hadn’t noticed anyone else in the house, apart from Sun Woo. He never brought even his common friends home.

Imagine how surprised she must have been when she encountered a stranger in the house, completely off guard.

Without needing to see it, the situation was easily imaginable, and Sun Woo held his forehead.

“I had told her not to come for a while.”
It was a muttered sigh. Then, Eun Jung quickly added.

[I asked her to come. So don’t say anything to Madam Seong San and keep quiet.] “What would I say—”
[I’m saying don’t nag.] “Do you think I’m a nag?”
[By the way, is it true that you’re seeing someone?] Anticipating a long call, Sun Woo hurriedly ended the conversation.

“I’ll explain that matter separately. For now, only you should know.”
Then, Sun Woo’s words, without an inch of hesitation, continued.

“Yes, I am seeing someone.”

[“Even so, how can you already invite her home when you haven’t known her for long?”] “Is the duration important, or is it the heart?”
Sun Woo emotionlessly dropped his gaze to the watch filled on his left wrist.

“The consultation time is over. I’ll hang up now.”
[Hey! Sun Woo, son!] Sun Woo mercilessly pressed the call end button.

He was planning to tell everyone at the family dinner next week. He had intended to carefully prepare, setting a date to introduce his girlfriend to his family.

The sound of Sun Woo’s meticulously laid plans crumbling due to Eun Jung’s single sentence was audible.

“Anyway, our Miss Song.”
Perhaps anticipating a difficult journey, he had wanted to give his girlfriend a break before it began.

He was planning to calmly proceed while giving her a few things to take note of, but now that Eun Jung knew, that careful approach seemed to have gone down the drain.

As he was about to put the ended call mobile phone back into his pocket, the image of his girlfriend suddenly came to mind.

Last night. Her pink cheeks stood out even in the dark space.

“She must have been surprised.”
Sun Woo knew well how she looked when surprised.

“Why are you always so surprised?”
Recalling her expression when she saw him in the kitchen last night, Sun Woo let out a quiet chuckle.

“She’s the girl you’re seeing, you said.”

He remembered what Eun Jung had said during the call. Despite probably being flustered, Sun Woo felt inexplicably pleased at the sight of his girlfriend calmly fulfilling the terms of their agreement.

“And she’s diligent despite everything.”
The more he got to know her, the more he liked her.