By Zephyria 
Mom clearly loved and cherished Eun-ha a lot. She consistently took care of Eun-ha for years, whom Father didn’t even want to look at, and she gave all her inherited assets and left Eun-ha, who had been kicked out, her own assets under her name. Her eyes were always full of affection when she looked at him.
But at the same time, she was a devout Christian along with Father. She was the very person who once regularly took Eun-ha to a psychiatrist and even forced him to be hospitalized. Although she couldn’t bear it for even a full week and rushed back to have him discharged.
It’s all for you. You’ll be okay. Just bear with it a little, son. How did our good Eun-ha end up like this…? Eun-ha often found Mom more suffocating than Father, who openly despised him and treated him like a stranger. Because he couldn’t live up to her expectations. Because it wasn’t an area that could be controlled by will.
If it weren’t for that issue, they would have a good relationship, so whenever this topic came up, he really felt uncomfortable and bad.
“…Yeah. I know. Mom knows that all this does is worsen our relationship.”
“……”
“Even though I know, I keep getting so frustrated, like there’s a rock on my chest… huh?”
“……”
“What should I do? What should I do, Eun-ha? What more should Mom do?”
“……”
“Or at least go on a blind date, please. Son. You can at least make that much effort, for Mom’s sake. Huh? If you do, you might meet a woman you like…”
“I’m seeing someone right now.”
Yeo-jin paused. Did she hear correctly? Is it okay to be happy? She looked up at Eun-ha with a hesitant smile, like someone who was confused.
“…Are you serious about that?”
“Yes.”
“…Oh my goodness. Oh. Really? What’s going on? Eun-ha, you…”
“Of course, it’s a man.”
Yeo-jin, who had been flustered and delighted, stiffened. Eun-ha continued indifferently towards her, who was slowly losing her expression.
“And it will continue to be a man in the future.”
“…I really…”
“I’m going to meet only men until I die. Only men.”
“…Oh, my head… God, Father…”
Yeo-jin, who was holding onto the outer wall of the building, staggered. Eun-ha said without batting an eye.
“So please stop it. If you keep doing this, I’ll never see Mom again. I won’t come to places like this either. The only reason I came today is because of Gu Hae-bin. Because Mom keeps nagging him. I was worried that only he would be in trouble if I didn’t come.”
“That’s because you never listen to Mom! And what? Not see my face? You won’t see your mom’s face? How can you say that!”
“Mom is the one who keeps saying these things to me first.”
“Am I doing this to torment you? Do I do this because I hate you? I’m doing it all for your own good…!”
It was when they were continuing their bickering argument. A cell phone ringtone cut through the sharp air. It was Yeo-jin’s. Yeo-jin, who checked the caller, cleared her throat and answered the phone with both hands.
“Yes, Vice President. Yes. Where are you? I’m out for a bit. I’m having a conversation with my son. Yes. Ah. That matter? I know, Vice President. I checked that matter last time…”
Her voice, raised about two tones higher than usual, was very polite. Eun-ha glanced at Yeo-jin, who was heading towards the pergola far away while talking on the phone, and turned around in the opposite direction without hesitation. Now was the right time to escape. He immediately started walking. He left the shady smoking area.
And immediately stopped abruptly. Because there was someone standing right next to the corner, in a place where the sun reached.
The first thing he saw was a delicate jawline. He glanced at the Adam’s apple that was heaving greatly, then raised his gaze. Their eyes met.
It was a clear black eye. Trembling slightly as if wavering.
Eun-ha slowly scanned the other person. Downcast eyes, long eyelashes, white skin, an appearance with a clear contrast between black and white.
“……”
It was that man. The stamp card. Why is this person here?
A conscious silence descends. Eun-ha blinked blankly in the sunlight for a moment. It was because he suddenly felt a sense of unreality when he encountered the man he had been facing in the same space for the past month in an unexpected place.
The man he faced had a cold, expressionless face, but it was easy to read that there were waves inside. It was a face with embarrassment, not knowing how to react.
It was a face that had heard everything. Words like meeting only men until death.
“…Um. So, I was going to smoke…”
Soon, his handsome face was flustered. He held up a pack of cigarettes as if to explain. For a moment, Eun-ha, who was looking at his face where his unique sharp atmosphere faded away, soon lost interest and turned his gaze to the front.
So. What about it. He nodded indifferently and quickly moved his steps.
He was enjoying the artwork alone in a quiet place. He stopped while slowly moving his steps with his eyes on the artwork. Someone was standing in the path.
He raised his eyes absentmindedly and their eyes met.
It was a man.
The man, who had been standing in the place where Eun-ha arrived, lowered his eyes and naturally looked at the artwork in front. Eun-ha also blinked a couple of times and turned his gaze to the canvas.
For some reason, he had a premonition that the man would talk to him. They were strangers, but that was only superficial, and in reality, they were internally very familiar with each other.
As soon as he thought about it, he felt a glance looking back.
“Do you like exhibitions?”
A light question. Eun-ha found it annoying to explain in detail that ‘I usually go to see good exhibitions, but I don’t particularly like them very enthusiastically,’ so he answered roughly. With his eyes fixed on the artwork.
“Yes.”
“You’re the cafe CEO, right?”
“Yes.”
“…I didn’t expect to meet you in a place like this.”
His unique low voice was unknowingly excited. Only then did Eun-ha look to the side. His eyes met the man’s directly.
The man, who had been staring at him intently, rolled his eyes momentarily as if wandering and looked at the front. Eun-ha scrutinized him with narrow eyes. Familiar dissatisfaction sprouted like a burr.
Really… is he innocent, or is he pretending to be innocent?
Of course, the latter was the correct answer. After all, people live up to their looks.
At least, that was the case with everyone Eun-ha had experienced so far—meaning people with whom he had had some kind of sexual exchange. Whether it was someone he had spent only one night with or a relationship that had continued longer as partners.
The more striking their appearance, the more arrogant and annoying they were. They knew their own worth and acted haughtily. It couldn’t be helped. Because they easily gained favor without doing anything special. Because they returned more active reactions even when they said the same things. How easy, comfortable, and ridiculous their relationships must be.
The fact that he attended this place meant that he was even wealthy.
Based on Eun-ha’s database accumulated over 28 years—the somewhat gentle, calm, and naive aspects that the man showed could only be seen as quite heterogeneous. The fact that it only felt like an aspect to ‘show’ to others was like that.
The fact that it only looked like he was pretending to be nice and innocent.
“I know, right. There are all sorts of things.”
“…Do you remember who I am?”
For example, like now.