Chapter 8.1

Chapter 8.1

While Min-gyu was out, Yeon-ha kept herself busy. Following his insistence, she had a few bites of food and then immediately checked her phone to see if there were any new part-time job listings. If something seemed promising, she made a note of it, hoping to find something not too far away.

‘As long as I can stand up on my feet,’ she thought. That was the only concern. She hadn’t mentioned it to Min-gyu, but even the previous night, her ankle had been aching after their brief late-night walk.

Still, there was no choice. She had to wait for it to heal with time.

After narrowing down a few potential jobs, Yeon-ha decided to monitor her ankle for a few more days before going for any interviews. She didn’t want to secure a job only to be unable to attend due to pain.

‘It would be good if I could find a weekend job too.’

There were more openings nearby than she had expected, and it seemed manageable if she could balance her time well. After organizing her thoughts, Yeon-ha put down her phone and stood up. The weather was nice, so she aired out the house and did some cleaning.

With nothing else to do, she went outside to the yard. She pulled a round wooden chair from one side and sat down, quietly enjoying the not-too-spacious but not-too-small space. She could feel the temperature outside had noticeably risen.

The gentle spring breeze played with her hair, adding to the peaceful scene as she pondered what to do next. When she checked her phone, it was just after 1 PM.

Had he had lunch?

Yeon-ha looked at her phone again. At first, Min-gyu used to call her several times a day out of concern when she was at home. But back then, Yeon-ha was usually asleep and missed most of his calls. She would often take a long time to reply to his messages, and sometimes her phone was completely off.

After that had happened a few times, Min-gyu seemed to get used to it and rarely called unless he was going to be late. More importantly, Yeon-ha had never contacted Min-gyu first. If she did, he might think something was wrong and get worried.

‘Seriously, let’s not overthink this.’

She managed to suppress the impulse and put her phone down again. The only reason she thought about it was because Min-gyu was always so attentive to her meals. She just wanted to hear his casual, laid-back voice.

Taking a deep breath as if to shake off the sudden thoughts, she felt the lazy, languid air around her. It wasn’t like it had a flavor, but it felt sweet. Was she getting giddy from the spring weather? There was plenty to do, but right now, she just wanted to sit here. She didn’t want to think about the chaotic noise inside her; she just wanted to empty her mind.

Then, she thought about the man she would see in a few hours.

How long had he been living here alone?

From what she had observed, Kwon Min-gyu’s daily life was as simple as it could be. He left for work in the early morning, when most people were still asleep and returned a bit earlier than the average office worker. Once home, he would immediately wash his work clothes and do minor chores. He had dinner with her and sometimes drank alone late into the night before falling asleep.

Had he never felt lonely or isolated in this empty house? Did he have any plans to go to college? Would he continue to live alone and work after she was gone?

As these questions flowed aimlessly, her gaze settled vacantly on the small flower bed, her eyes reflecting an unfathomable depth.

‘Why did he bring me here?’

I thought I knew the answer, but lately, I’m not so sure.

Yeon-ha had planned to take a walk around the neighborhood alone, but after having a late lunch, she quickly fell into a deep sleep. The bedding, which once felt so unfamiliar, now seemed incredibly cozy. She even entertained the whimsical thought of taking the bed with her when she eventually left this place.

Even the embrace that held her tightly as she slept had become quite familiar… no, actually, very comforting.