Right at 10 p.m, I left Seoul City. The car sped through the darkness under the heavy snow that was falling.

In the back seat, I leaned lazily, gazing at every place, traversed by the snow that looked beautiful in its white color. However, I couldn't enjoy it, the fatigue really made me sleepy after working all day in three different places.

I sighed silently. My thoughts suddenly shifted to Chunghee's different attitude since he left the hospital a while ago. He seemed to start opening up to me and accepting my presence. It was good but I didn't feel glad at all rather that he was only faking everything to me. It was even worse than his hardheadedness.

I massaged the bridge of my nose, feeling dizzy at all these thoughts. My works and feelings were like rippling water in the middle of a quiet lake.

Until the deep voice of a man who was sitting in the driver's seat broke the silence, "Sir, you have not returned to the Main House in a month. Big Master always asks your men about where you are, including me, and we answer accordingly that you ordered."

Sighing, I spoke indifferently, "I know. Two people have said that today. You suppose to tell the truth. He can't be fooled."

"Yes, sir, we told him that you'd spend time in Sokcho for a while." With a pause, he continued, "This afternoon, I met Big Master before he left. He said that you never answered your phone when he called you, so he left a message that you're required to attend the inauguration of a new product from Glory-In Media Agency at C-Sun Hotel tomorrow night."

"Yeonjae already told me. But, ...."

I was about to tell a refusal. The tip of my lips was lifted, but the ringing of the cell phone in my pocket made the words swallow up in my throat.

Seeing the same number as before on a call, I was about to reject it, but immediately changed my mind and answered the call lazily.

"What? Can you stop calling me, please? I'm sick of hearing your calls almost every day. I'll hang up right now."

"I want to talk to you. When do you have time?" Donghwa asked on the phone.

"I don't have time to talk to you."

"This is important."

"Who cares."

He paused for a moment, and then let out a heavy sigh before saying in a weak voice, "Then can I hear Chunghee's voice just once? I beg you. After that, I'll hang up. I promise. Please, let me hear his voice for a moment."

Even though his voice sounded earnest, his words still sounded demanding for me. This was the third time he called me in two hours.

However, regardless of how he pleaded like that, I gave an indifferent reply, "Don't expect me to do that for you. I'll hang up now."

This wasn't just a bluff. After finishing my statements, I immediately pressed the red button on the screen and rejected the next calls.

I didn't think that he could ask for something so gently. Seeing how his temperament had been, I thought that someone like him wouldn't be able to speak in a gentle and polite tone. This was beyond my expectations.

I wanted to laugh at it but there was a feeling of mercy. I thought that if only I had been in his position, maybe I would have done the same. It didn't rule out, if he was in my position, he might do something 'more' than what I did to him right now.

My mind was really messed up. Many things had been pressing on me during this time that couldn't be mentioned one by one. No one would be able to understand it.

About four hours later, I arrived in Sokcho.

In the front yard, I looked up to the second floor before going inside. I saw that the lights were off, and it meant that Chunghee was asleep.

Limply, I walked in, loosening the tie around my neck, then carefully climbed the stairs.

I felt so sleepy. My heavy eyes were about to close, but I had to keep forcing them to open. At first glance, my situation wasn't much different from that of drunks. It's just that I didn't stagger. Or, maybe I just got a little drunk because of the chaos inside my own mind.

Upstairs, my eyes immediately widened open when I saw Chunghee sitting on the sofa. He smiled at me as if he didn't care if I would get angry when I saw him not asleep in bed.

He stood up as soon as he saw me. Then with light steps, he walked towards me.

I looked at him confusedly and couldn't help but ask, "Chunghee, it's almost two o'clock, why are you still up?"

"I just woke up and I couldn't sleep again, so I decided to wait for you here," he replied. Taking off my coat, he continued, "Brother Kim, it's been almost a week since Christmas has passed. So, since we haven't celebrated it yet, this afternoon I went out for a walk and saw someone selling fireworks, so I bought them. I want to celebrate Christmas with you."

"You went out alone? But, this place is quite far from the park."

He smiled gently. "The view in this area is quite beautiful, it doesn't matter to walk for just a few minutes. So, will you have Christmas with me?"

I frowned. I was about to refuse and send him back to the bed. But, when I saw the hope in his eyes, I courageously nodded in agreement.

After putting my coat on the chair, he pulled my wrist to the window, then sat there with some fireworks in front of us. He started burning one firework for me and one for him.

He looked so happy, twirling his firework in the dim light, with a warm smile on his pale face. With simplicity, he was like someone who had just found the joy that had been lost in his heart.

I admired him secretly.

A while later, after finishing all the fireworks he had bought, his face turned sullen, then sighed in disappointment. Leaning against my shoulder, he muttered softly, "Why didn't I buy more fireworks this afternoon ...."

"You like fireworks? Why didn't you tell me? I could buy more for you."

He smiled as he watched the snowfall while saying, "You must be tired, but I even asked you to do such childish things."

I was about to reply, saying that it didn't matter at all. However, before I said my words, he had already continued, "Um, I also bought rice cake soup (tteok kkuk) earlier. Do you want to eat the soup? I'll serve it for you."

"Rice cake soup?" I asked confusedly.

"Yeah. I like to eat rice cake soup during New Year." He smiled and added, "I know it's not New Year yet, but I just wanted to eat it, so I bought it."

"People think that it brings luck and represents one year of age, and I believe that too." He paused for a moment, then said with a pathetic voice, "But, when I ate it, I vomited it back. That's a bad omen. I don't think that I will have any luck next year."

Hearing those words, I gritted my teeth and tried to comfort him and myself by words, "Hey, look, it's just a soup. Your fate doesn't depend on such a thing. That's nonsense you know." I embrace his body, feeling unwilling if that happened one day.

In silence, he suddenly said, "Daehyun, I will tell you something. I have never told anyone about this before — not even Donghwa".

"What is it?"

A gentle smile etched on his face. "Actually, I liked you a long time ago."

The corners of my lips were slightly lifted, revealing a cold grin. Hearing his ridiculous words, made me want to laugh at them like a fool. I affirmed, "Chunghee, don't let this conversation make us argue again like yesterday."

"I mean it. Since childhood, I've liked you." He explained, "I realized it since I was thirteen. However, since I was seventeen, I decided not to get carried away with my feelings. It was the hardest thing for me. You can imagine, how it suffered me to forget the feelings that I hid that time, but I had to throw it away."

I glanced at him. With full of consideration, I couldn't just take his words for granted.

He lifted his chin, looking at me closely. He slowly touched my face and tried to convince me, "Now, I regret what I did back then. If just I knew that I would meet someone else, I would prefer to stick to my feelings for you." A meaningful smile etched on his pale face. He added, "But, I'm also grateful. Being with you lately, make my old feelings appear gradually."

"Heh, what are you talking about? Are you trying to seduce me again? Don't let me change my mind because I can rape you right now if I reach my limit," I said coldly, trying to scare him.

I couldn't just believe his speech. It sounded like a lie that was formulated into the truth to make me melt.

However, as soon as he finished his words, his soft lips suddenly touched mine. I immediately froze and lost the words on my tongue and went blank.

This is bad.

I tried hard to avoid physical contact with him but now, he's really testing my patience.

At this rate, I could reach my limit.