It was time, at last, to return to everyday life.
As Hae-in left the hotel room, she took one last look at the number on the door of the room where she had stayed. She just wanted to remember it.
1207.
She didn’t know how long she would be able to hold it in memory.
“Not leaving? What are you doing?”
“Huh? I’m coming.”
Siyul called out when Hae-in stood motionless, staring at the door instead of following him. She quickly ran to his side, turning once to glance back.
The long hotel corridor stretched out behind her, resembling part of a labyrinth. And at its far end, it felt as though nothing would be waiting.
Hae-in could not tell him, but sometimes, all of this felt like a dream.
‘Kang, you know… sometimes I’m afraid to fall asleep, because I feel like when I open my eyes, I’ll forget everything.’
And she knew that day was bound to come.
One day, she would wake in the morning, suddenly stripped of a year of memories. How would she accept it then?
What would she think, fumbling through emptiness?
Most likely, she would break down in tears at the hollow sense of loss. She wouldn’t even remember what it was she had lost, but the tears would come anyway.
“…Kang.”
“Mm?”
Not even knowing that the one by her side was gone—she would cry simply at the fact of his absence.
Hae-in grabbed Siyul’s hand, making him look down at her.
His gaze, always lifted with a lazy pride, his arrogant mouth and nose, showing his nature as it was, and his handsome forehead.
She stared hard at his face, as though she could memorize him more completely.
Forgetting him was unimaginable…
‘In the end, I suppose I can’t stay a cat forever.’
She had thought about it over and over, but she could not choose a life lived entirely as a cat.
It wasn’t because she thought herself worthless as Park Hae-in, nor because walking hand in hand with him in this moment wasn’t precious.
Though she couldn’t say it aloud… she believed that even if she awoke from the dream, he would find her. Somehow, no matter how hard it was, he would search until he reached her. That conviction and hope took root in her heart.
It was also the yearning for the day when she could love him fully, without reservation.
“…Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Just. You’re too handsome!”
“That sounds suspicious.”
“What, I’m serious!”
Siyul arched his brow, as though trying to read her mind.
But Hae-in only smiled faintly and squeezed his hand tighter.
‘When that day finally comes… it’ll feel like I’ve woken from a long dream.’
In that dream she would think she had been sad, and happy, and perhaps even blessed—but she would remember nothing, only that she had dreamt something long.
Even so, this moment would not become something that never happened.
It couldn’t.
Hae-in decided to believe in destiny.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
By the time they returned home, a full day had passed, and Tae-il came running toward them. Like an eager dog that had been waiting for its master, panting heavily.
“Hyung-nim! Where on earth have you been?”
Because of that, Hae-in had no chance to cling to him.
“What? I told you, I stayed at a friend’s.”
“You even took the cat with you, but you didn’t answer your phone…”
“I did pick up.”
“For barely a few minutes!”
Apparently Tae-il had been waiting for Siyul all morning.
He looked like he had plenty he wanted to say, but Siyul ignored him and headed straight for his room.
“I’m not a kid. Why are you worrying so much?”
“You’ve never done this before! Do you even know how worried I was?”
“A grown man whining… disgusting.”
“Disgust—”
Back in cat form, Hae-in watched the two of them and thought they looked like a delinquent husband and a long-suffering wife. One was fretting endlessly over last night’s doings, while the other couldn’t care less, not even listening.
Of course, for Tae-il, last night had hardly been a short one.
It hadn’t been for Hae-in and Siyul either.
“So, what about Lee Ha-eun?”
As he entered his room, Siyul glanced around the empty living room and asked. It seemed less from genuine curiosity and more to deflect Taeil’s nagging.
“She left. A while ago!”
“Really? I even gave you two some time alone.”
“N-no! Nothing happened, of course!”
He hadn’t meant it that way, but Tae-il flushed red and shouted. Clearly flustered.
And cruelly, Siyul was the kind of man who found such reactions entertaining. There was no way he’d pass up the chance to tease.
“You should’ve at least kissed her while you had the chance.”
“Hyung-nim! We’re not like that!”
“But as of yesterday, you are.”
“W-well…”
“Normally when people confirm they like each other, don’t they want to kiss?”
Taeil had wanted to say something, but Siyul’s barrage of blunt questions drove him into retreat.
“No way! We only just admitted our feelings. Suddenly kissing and all that—it’s impossible!”
“Impossible? You can’t even say the word without stammering.”
Could it be this guy’s never even kissed anyone?
Siyul wondered. Then realized,
maybe he really hasn’t…
The incredulous suspicion became certainty when he saw Taeil’s embarrassed face.
For better or worse, Tae-il was exceptional.
Talking with him didn’t feel like conversing with a man in his thirties—it felt more like talking to a girl in her first love.
“…You two didn’t just meet yesterday.”
“That’s different!”
“And aren’t you going to live together in the U.S.?”
“…Hyung-nim! Ha-eun’s still not officially broken off her engagement!”
“Oh, right.”
Of course. Still a long way to go.
Given Taeil’s nature, until that was firmly resolved, he wouldn’t even hold hands.
Understandable, but Siyul still thought the man was a saint for being able to restrain himself.
“…But kissing should be fine.”
“It’s not fine at all!”
Siyul tried to argue seriously, but it didn’t work.
My boyfriend really has no shame…
Listening from the side, Hae-in felt sorry for Tae-il. Normally, Siyul should’ve been the one flustered, but somehow Taeil ended up cornered.
“So when will she break it off officially?”
“…Not yet.”
Tae-il actually had plenty to confront Siyul about—like the way he had been set up the day before, or the strange schemes that seemed at work.
But Siyul was no easy opponent. The more he spoke, the more cornered Tae-il became.
He was never someone you could pick a fight with.
“The sooner the better. At least get your first kiss in while you’re still in your early thirties.”
“Hyung-nim!”
“Ghosts who die without ever kissing look pathetic.”
Hae-in wanted to stop Siyul, but it was impossible.
Besides, she agreed with him.
Unlike Tae-il, a lifelong single, Siyul was the type to charge forward no matter the keeper.
“Anyway, when you two go to America… I’ll be so happy.”
“…You sound a little too happy.”
“It’s a blessing. Isn’t it nice for a couple to be together?”
At first glance, it seemed he was talking about Tae-il and Ha-eun, but in truth, he wasn’t.
Knowing Siyul’s true heart, Hae-in shook her head. Once again, she thought how honest he was to his desires.
Terrifyingly honest—for someone’s man.
How did I end up loved by a man like this?
She couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
“Meow?” (Where are you going?)
Hae-in sensed suspicious behavior in the two men late in the evening.
After work, Siyul had showered, only to change back into outdoor clothes. And Tae-il, who had been lounging in home wear, pulled out a thick coat.
Both of them preparing to leave…
This is it! The signs of a walk! By my whiskers, I swear it!
“Meow!” (I want to go too!)
Catching on instantly, she clung to Siyul’s trouser leg.
From ancient times, pets have had the mysterious ability to sense whether their owners were off to work, or just stepping out to the store.
Hae-in was no exception.
“You stay home.”
“Meow?” (Why?)
Normally Siyul would have taken her along, but tonight he was firm.
Too firm.
“Because it’s something men need to talk about.”
“Meooow!” (What could you possibly need to hide from a cat!)
“There are things.”
“Meooow!” (So unfair!)
Tae-il kept glancing back, uneasy about leaving her behind, but Siyul dragged him out the door.
He really left her.
Scratching at the closed door, Hae-in cried and meowed pitifully. If nothing else, Tae-il might cave to her.
“Meow, meow, meowow!”
(Take me with you! How could you! Why are you leaving me out! This is betrayal!)
She could still hear them lingering in the hall.
Taeil’s hesitation was audible, her cries tugging at him, but in the end, Siyul pulled him into the elevator.
Gone. Just the two of them.
For a pet, this was a cruel betrayal.
“Meooow!” (You awful people!)
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
The place Siyul dragged Taeil—leaving Hae-in behind—was the rooftop garden of their building. With the cold season, most of the plants were dead, leaving the space bleak.
No one else was around. Just the two of them.
“Achoo!”
“You should’ve dressed warmer.”
“You said it’d only be for a minute…”
“Well, true.”
“So, what is it? Why not just talk at home?”
The bench Siyul sat on—coincidentally, it was the very spot where Tae-il had first met Hae-in. Right there, he had looked up and seen the black cat. That had been eight months ago already. Time flew.
“Sit.”
“What is this about?”
“You know… sometimes there are things you want to say, but only in a place where no one else can hear.”
“…I get it.”
Though he hadn’t thought Siyul was the type. He had always spoken boldly, without hesitation.
And usually, it had been Tae-il who wanted to talk. But tonight, it was Siyul.
“Before you leave, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Is it serious?”
“Sort of. Actually, there’s one thing I lied to you about.”
Was that something to say with a smile?
Taeil couldn’t even guess what it might be.
“…You lied to me?”
“Mmhm.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not. I mean it.”
For a man confessing, Siyul looked far too composed.
He shoved both hands deep into his coat pockets and exhaled a long breath into the air. To prove just how cold it was, his breath froze white in the air before fading away.
“…What is that supposed to mean?”
“Kang Si-yeon.”
That single name was enough to conjure someone in Taeil’s mind without him needing to strain his memory.
A woman with unusually fine, jet-black hair. Lips pink like the tip of a young animal’s nose—features that remained vivid in his memory.
He also recalled her gentle eyes, the way they had looked at him.
But it hadn’t been attraction as a man toward a woman. It had been the affection of one artist toward another, finding something simply lovely.
Because to harbor feelings for her as a woman… Si-yul had always looked at her with such preciousness.
“Your younger sister?”
“She’s not really my sister.”
“…What?”
So, he’d lied?
Taeil stared at Si-yul with a puzzled expression for a long moment.
It wasn’t particularly shocking, only baffling.
“Why did you lie to me?”
And why tell the truth now, after all this time?
“She liked you.”
That—was a shock. And even harder to understand.
Si-yul tossed the words out casually and kept his gaze fixed on the sky. Tae-il wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask further, but since Si-yul had been the one to invite him here to talk, he gathered the courage to continue.
“…That doesn’t make sense. I was a complete stranger to her.”
“Just because I like someone doesn’t mean they have to know me.”
“Well, that’s true, but… why me, of all people?”
“Even if you’re that kind of guy, it’s still your strength—you don’t hurt people. She was drawn to that. You reminded her of herself.”
Even without further explanation, Tae-il understood. The woman he had thought was Si-yul’s sister had actually been the woman he loved.
Everything he had seen before suddenly made sense.
The way Si-yul had been excessively protective of her, the way he never let anyone touch her, the way his eyes followed her so often.
Even now, in the warmth of his tone and gaze, it was obvious.
“I did think she seemed familiar somehow… So you lied about her being your sister because she liked me?”
“Mm. Not anymore, though.”
“That’s… a relief.”
“I couldn’t exactly introduce her as my girlfriend back then. She would have been furious. Maybe even slapped me.”
Despite his words, Si-yul’s expression wasn’t grave. He was smiling as though he found it all endearing.
That allowed Taeil to feel quietly relieved.
“You could have just said she was a junior.”
“I didn’t want you to even think of trying to hit on her.”
“As if I would ever do that.”
“No, not you. Her. She’s bold. A little dangerous, really.”
Hae-in had always been far more aggressive than she appeared, sometimes to the point of leaving Si-yul flustered. When she set her mind to showing affection, it could be so overwhelming it felt like his soul might leave his body.
If Taeil had been the one on the receiving end, then perhaps he wouldn’t be with Lee Ha-eun now.
“For someone that cautious… you still let us go on a date. And you even arranged it.”
“Ah, well. I wanted to show her what a decent guy you are. But also, I wanted to prove that I was the better man.”
“…What?”
“Sorry.”
It sounded suspiciously like he’d just admitted to using Tae-il. And then offered a half-hearted apology.
Tae-il couldn’t help but laugh helplessly at the fact that he’d been used, but he didn’t get angry. He wasn’t the type to flare up over things like this, and besides—this was Si-yul.
“Haha… So, how did it turn out?”
“For now, we’re dating.”
“Ah. That girlfriend you mentioned earlier, then?”
“Yeah.”
“I see. So that’s why you didn’t want to show her to me.”
“Something like that.”
“Then I suppose I should congratulate you?”
“…That’s not necessary.”
Si-yul usually looked people straight in the eyes when he spoke, but tonight, his gaze kept drifting upward toward the sky.
Whether he was looking at the moon or the stars, Tae-il couldn’t tell. It was simply… far away.
And when Si-yul fell silent, Tae-il waited quietly for him to speak again.
“…?”
“If you see her someday—on the street—tell her something for me.”
“What should I say?”
“That I’m waiting.”
To Tae-il, the words made no sense.
Nor could he understand why Si-yul was smiling so strangely.
“Never mind. Just… hold on to her, if you see her.”
Even the reason behind that sorrowful smile was beyond Taeil’s imagination.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
T/N : One of the most emotional chapters of this novel that I’ve written (╥﹏╥)
