Eun Shin and Seung Jee sat in silence, unsure of what to say. They looked at each other and laughed—both speaking first at the same time. Then they tried again, smiling. Eun Shin raised her hand to him, suggesting he should talk first. Seung Jee chuckled and did the same thing.
"You can talk first… It's your house," she stated. He smiled fondly.
"I… I was hoping you'd say something first."
"Seung-oppa, you can go first. Tell me… anything," she said. He nodded as he leaned back.
"Well, I might leave for the summer…" he replied softly. It sounded bittersweet. Eun Shin leaned near him and listened carefully.
"And…? Why?" she asked curiously. He paused, gulped.
"Well… I'm visiting my father's…" he answered. Eun Shin then paused. He said "father" like the word hurt. She looked around and only noticed photos of Seung Jee and a woman, who was his mother.
"I see. So, are you not excited to see your father?" she asked, wondering. Seung Jee's nervous chuckle broke the silence.
"I… I want to stay here…" he paused. He sighed heavily. "But he demanded that I go visit this summer…"
"Oh. That's okay! We still have one more year left!" she said, beaming. Seung Jee looked at her as she tried to cheer him up. He smiled.
"I… I can't wait to finish this one last year. Maybe we can attend the same university together," he added. Eun Shin paused and smiled. She nodded.
"Yes! Maybe we can!" she agreed. Seung Jee was thankful to hear that she also had the same thing in mind.
She looked around and noticed several photos, but one caught her eye—a baby photo of Seung Jee alone. Her mouth opened widely, and she smiled.
"Is this you as a baby?" she asked, reaching for the photo. Seung Jee froze, panic rising, and reached out to stop her.
"Wait… Eun Shin–"
Just then, he stumbled on top of her. She fell back to the floor and looked at him, unsure of what to do. Seung Jee turned pale and then slowly turned red. He couldn't look her in the eyes, looking around. Eun Shin froze, not knowing how to talk to him or ask him to move.
"I…" she said softly but then paused. Seung Jee got up, and he quickly grabbed the photo and slipped it behind him. After doing that, he helped her up to sit. He bowed his head quickly, still avoiding her eyes.
"Sorry…"
The silence thickened, broken only by the heartbeat—hers or his, she couldn't tell.
Well, that was sudden. I didn't come here for this… Eun Shin tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to shake off the awkwardness.
I didn't mean to do that. I just didn't want her to see the rest of the photo. Seung Jee sat stiffly, looking at the kitchen, wondering if asking her if she wanted water would make things more awkward or less. Eun Shin rested her hands on the table and quietly tapped her fingers, still blushing from the incident.
Seung Jee mustered his courage to turn to her.
"Eu–"
Just then, the door opened.
"Seung Jee, are you home?" his mother called as she stepped inside, kicking off her shoes. She turned and paused. Eun Shin and Seung Jee froze, eyes wide.
"Ma…" he called. His mother dropped her bags of groceries. Eun Shin quickly stood and bowed.
"Hello, ajumma. I'm… I'm Seung Jee's friend."
Seung Jee couldn't look at his mother's eyes and lowered his head. He got up and placed the photo on the table before grabbing the groceries from the ground.
"Omma… This is my friend. Eun Shin," he introduced awkwardly. His mother blinked a couple of times before looking at Seung Jee clearly.
"Oh… Your friend?" she asked, pointing gently at Eun Shin while looking at Seung Jee. Eun Shin noticed their interaction and smiled.
"Yes, I'm Park Eun Shin. Nice to meet you, Seung Jee's mother," Eun Shin stated. His mother nodded as she thought about what she should do next. Seung Jee placed the groceries on the table.
Moments went by, and Seung Jee's mother made dinner for everyone. She told Eun Shin to stay behind because Seung Jee never brought a friend over, so she wanted to get to know his friend a little bit more. Eun Shin agreed to stay. Seung Jee hid the photo in his mother's room, making sure Eun Shin doesn't get the chance to see it.
After they finished eating, Eun Shin wanted to help Seung Jee's mother with the dishes, but she refused to allow Eun Shin because Eun Shin was a guest. Seung Jee took over by dragging Eun Shin to sit down on the couch to watch television, then he washed the dishes. Seung Jee's mother sat next to Eun Shin and asked all sorts of questions.
"So, are you the friend that he said was kind to him?" Seung Jee's mother asked curiously. Eun Shin glanced at Seung Jee. He was listening, ears turning red, blushing. Eun Shin smiled and returned her gaze to his mother.
"I don't know about being nice, but I am his friend," she answered. His mother smiled brightly with a soft clap.
"Then you are nice. I've never heard of him talking about a single friend for a long time… You're definitely very kind to him," his mother reassured Eun Shin. She blushed at these words.
"Oh. I didn't know… I'm flattered," she replied. His mother sighed in relief, smiling still.
"I'm very glad to meet a friend of his for the first time. He told me that you were a good friend… Maybe he even likes you," his mother teased. Seung Jee turned quickly, flushing red with embarrassment. No! Omma told her.
"Omma! Stop telling her weird things," he shouted. Eun Shin giggled with his mother. Eun Shin's cheeks were heating up, turning red.
"I like him because he makes me feel safe. He's a very good friend."
Seung Jee's hands froze mid-dish. He turned, eyes wide. His mother laughed louder, but her eyes twinkled—she saw something.
"You like him just because of that? Not because you want to date him?"
Dead silence. Eun Shin didn't know how to answer that.
"Omma!" Seung Jee rushed over, flustered, practically ushering Eun Shin away with both hands. "That's enough. It's getting late. She needs to return home."
Seung Jee dragged her softly to the front door. His mother laughed.
"Seung Jee ah… Don't need to be shy," his mother teased. Eun Shin turned to look at him, still blushing. She smiled and put on her shoes.
"I'm leaving now, Seung Jee's mother," she bowed. His mother nodded happily.
"Get home safely, dear," his mother replied. Eun Shin bowed once again.
"I will," she said. Seung Jee put on his shoes and followed her outside. As they descended the stairs, Eun Shin walked a little slower than usual, sneaking glances over her shoulder. He stayed close behind, not saying a word. Her heart thudded as she recalled his mother's words, thrilling yet confidently calm. She suddenly stopped with a smile, and Seung Jee nearly crashed into her.
"Eun Shin?" he muttered. She twirled around, grinning.
"Thank you for bringing me over to your place," she said gratefully. Seung Jee blushed, remembering the way his mom teased him—or how Eun Shin had smiled through it all. He scratched his neck.
"You're welcome…" he murmured. Eun Shin leaned down to look at his avoiding eyes.
"Your mother is a sweet, loving person. No wonder you're so sweet and loving too!"
He stood frozen, breath caught, as if time had held him back. Eun Shin chuckled when he didn't move, leaning closer to his face, making him feel even more nervous.
"Can I have that baby photo of you?" she whispered, teasing him. Seung Jee took two steps back, gasping for air to calm down.
"No…" he replied. Eun Shin pouted, but she didn't pry any further. She walked up to him and nudged his shoulder.
"Don't be so tense. I was just teasing you," she said. She turned and kept walking. Seung Jee pondered, staring at her silhouette. He watched her go, then frowned. A feeling rose—sudden and certain. He smiled and hurriedly ran to her.
"Eun Shin…" he called. She turned around and looked at him.
"Yes?"
"I'll be staying for the summer. If you ever want to visit, let me know. My place is always open for you if you need a place to hide," he said. Her eyes softened, catching the moonlight in his gaze. Slowly, her lips curved.
"Thank you!"
They smiled at each other, walking side by side, until Eun Shin turned to head home. The walk was quiet and awkward, but Eun Shin enjoyed it. Somehow, his quiet presence was enough. Seung Jee returned home afterward, dreading the baby photo, ensuring that there wasn't anyone following him. But someone else had seen everything—a woman in a black sedan parked down the street.
"He walked her home? How sweet… Could it be that his heart is finally blooming?" the mysterious woman asked. Her bodyguard bowed.
"It seems like he really cares about her… What should we do if the Young Master gets hurt again?" the bodyguard asked. The woman sighed heavily as she stared at Seung Jee, walking away.
"Just make sure those boys pay… If they want to act like boys will be boys, then let them face the consequence of crossing paths with me or my son."
The bodyguard nodded. The driver in the car turned slightly to look at her in the backseat. He locked his phone before raising his head.
"Mr. CEO had requested you to return home," her driver said. She groaned silently.
"Tell that old man I will when he promises to stop…"
"He said he will allow Young Master to return once he grows out of it," the driver explained more. The woman scoffed as she stared out of the window.
"That doesn't matter anymore. It's not like we could slap it out of him! Tell him when he stops, I'll return with my son!" she demanded.
Eun Shin made for her room, but Lim Rin stepped in front of her.
"Where were you?" Lim Rin asked angrily. Eun Shin gulped and bowed.
"I went to visit a friend's place…" she answered. Lim Rin scoffed as she stepped closer.
"What is the situation about Lee Jae Vin? Why is his mother telling me that you're seen with someone else when you're with Jae Vin?" Lim Rin asked. Eun Shin closed her eyes, knowing that this question would come up. Eun Shin straightened up and looked at her mother's eyes.
"Mother. Why does that matter?" she asked. Lim Rin raised her hand, then stopped as Yung Ji entered. Lim Rin stopped and glared at him.
"You are to go visit him this weekend. They have something to give you," Lim Rin said before storming away to the room. Eun Shin's fists clenched behind her back. She had rehearsed this moment, but it still stung, trembling as she wished this would end. Yung Ji said nothing. Not even when she looked at him, searching.
Later, Seung Jee entered his mother's room quietly and retrieved a photo. He sat on the couch, staring anxiously at it. Removing the frame, he unfolded the rest of the image— revealing the mysterious woman's smiling face beside baby Seung Jee.
He trembled as he met her smile, and his hands were shaking.
"You let me fight alone… I hope I never see you again, Mother."
Mother, not Omma—the one who gave him life but clearly abandoned him.