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However, Mina wore an expression that suggested she couldn’t understand my words at all.

“Why? We came back to the country specifically to attend that, didn’t we?”

“There’s no need.”

When I cut her off bluntly, Mina looked disappointed.

“There is a need. If no family members show up to the CEO’s inauguration, people will talk. What if bad rumors start circulating about you, Oppa?”

“That’s something this side will handle, so you don’t need to worry about it. I’ve already spoken to the Madam, so you also…”

“Both I and Mom are attending. After all, Mom was the one who suggested we return to Korea because we had to go to your inauguration.”

“…What?”

I had mentioned the inauguration, but it never occurred to me that it was the primary reason for their return to Korea.

“Mom didn’t tell you again, did she? Honestly, it would be so much better if you were just straightforward.”

Mina gave a bitter smile as I showed my bewilderment.

“I told you earlier. Mom is trying. Of course, that doesn’t mean she’s actually accepting you as her real son, but both she and I feel a certain level of responsibility for dragging you into the dogfight of the Baek family. That’s why she said we should at least fulfill our obligations.”

Indeed, ‘obligation’ was the most appropriate word to describe the relationship between myself and the mother and daughter.

In truth, I didn’t remember clearly what expression Madam Lee Eun-sook wore when she left the CEO’s office. I might have known if I had paid a little more attention, but I didn’t.

The emotions I felt toward Baek Seol-ha’s mother, and certainly toward his half-sister, were nothing more and nothing less than guilt. Of course, I felt a bit more affection for Mina, who was trying her best to accept me, but that didn’t make her a special existence. It was, quite literally, a sense of obligation.

“The position I hold now is one that you should have inherited, Mina.”

“Technically, that’s true.”

“But I cannot give it back.”

“You don’t have to. I have absolutely no lingering attachment to this company.”

If anything, Mina frowned as if the mere thought of it was horrifying.

“It feels a bit like spitting in my own face to say this, but I really hate this family. As you know, Oppa, this place is a total mess when you dig into it, right? All sorts of corruption, and the disputes between blood relatives are more brutal than any movie. And the way the old man just scattered kids all over the place… ahem, anyway, it’s a place I want to ignore until the very end if possible. The thought of me getting caught up in that battlefield—ugh! I really hate it. Even the cousins on the main family’s side were so sick of it that they changed their surnames and left, so that says it all.”

She shuddered again, emphasizing her distaste, and let out a deep sigh.

“Now that I’ve said it like this, I feel a surge of guilt, like I’ve done something terrible to you. But I’m truly sorry. I love the work I’m doing now too much. That’s why I don’t want to sit in a headache-inducing successor’s seat.”

“Then it’s fine. And regardless of how it started, being in this position now was my choice, so you don’t need to feel any more guilt than this.”

“…Yeah. I understand.”

Mina nodded weakly. Then, hesitating, she spoke again.

“I hope everything gets resolved quickly for you too, so you can reclaim your real name.”

“…Yeah. I should.”

My gaze suddenly shifted to the piece of chocolate cake she had left unfinished. In truth, there was nothing left to reclaim. I had already reclaimed my name. It was something I had longed for so much that I had done whatever it took, regardless of the means, yet the matter had been resolved more simply than expected.

Choi Seol?

Just because you called me by that name, my heart began to beat again. So how could I leave that as nothing more than a longing?

“And it would be even better if you introduced your lover.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her persistent words, as she hadn’t forgotten the previous conversation.

“I told you, not a lover.”

“Ah, you said it was a one-sided love.”

Mina stared at me, muttering as if she couldn’t understand.

“With your face, Oppa, if you set your mind to seducing someone, I don’t think there’s a person in the world who wouldn’t fall for it. Does that person not find you their type?”

“I think I am their type…”

“Then why?”

“Because I think I’m just a longing to him.”

At my bittersweet voice, Mina’s face became even more confused.

“If it’s a longing, is it like a memory?”

“Something like that.”

“Hmm, this is kind of complicated.”

“That’s why I’m contemplating. Whether I should remain as a longing, or become something more.”

Yeo-reum said he loved Winter. When I heard those words, I was insanely happy, and also insanely terrified.

The one you loved was the seventeen-year-old Winter. I was afraid that the twenty-seven-year-old me might ruin your longing. I was afraid that, in the end, you might throw away even that longing. I was still contemplating.

「I heard you made Han Yeo-reum your shuttle?」

「…What?」

「There’s a rumor going around lately.」

I doubted my ears at Baek Hee-won’s sudden remark.

「Who on earth is spouting such nonsense?」

「Huh? No?」

「Why would I go around doing such trashy things?」

「Well… then what exactly is your relationship with Han Yeo-reum?」

For a moment, I was speechless. As my silence lengthened, Hee-won wore a puzzled expression.

「Choi Seol?」

「…What relationship. We’re just in the same class. What more is needed than that? If you’re going to talk nonsense, get lost.」

「No, then that’s that. Why are you getting annoyed?」

「Who said I was annoyed?」

「You’re annoyed right now… Hey, where are you going?」

Ignoring Baek Hee-won’s call, I crossed the hallway. After a long time, the students, who were about to greet me, split to the sides as they [visit our site]felt my menacing aura. Thanks to that, I [visit our site]headed toward the stolen contentclassroom comfortably, but my insides were incredibly uncomfortable.

Han Yeo-reum is my shuttle?

A hollow laugh escaped me. Soon, even that laugh faded, and my face hardened seriously. I had no idea such a rumor was attached to Han Yeo-reum. Then again, Baek Hee-won was the only person who would ask me such a thing directly.

Was that why? There were quite a few times I was inwardly bewildered because he looked so frightened, fidgeting with a bright red face whenever he saw me.

Knowing that he cared a lot about others’ gazes at school, I kept a moderate distance other than greetings. When I could no longer bear it and wanted to talk to him, I would make excuses and act as kindly as possible. Even so, I felt like Han Yeo-reum’s symptoms were getting worse, and I had wondered a lot about what the reason could be.

At first, I thought it was because of my appearance, but so far, that had only bought me favor; I had never once been shunned because of it. So I thought it might be because of the first impression I left at the start of the semester, but even so, a shuttle?

How scared must he have been.

The beginning of the semester was a time when I was completely poisoned because of that man. Recalling how frozen the atmosphere of the class had been because I deliberately projected a menacing vibe, I felt distressed.

If I could go back to the start of the semester, I felt like grabbing my past self by the collar and shaking him, telling him to stop causing trouble. Above all, my mood hit rock bottom at the thought that he must have seen me as trash who bullies the weak.

Muttering low curses, by the time I arrived in front of the classroom with fast strides, I realized the hallway was quiet. I wondered if the [unauthorized copy]bell for class had already rung, but looking at stolen contentthe [unauthorized copy]situation inside the classroom, that didn’t seem to be the case. The classroom was devastated, with only the last period before lunch remaining. Among the students mostly sleeping on their desks, I saw Han Yeo-reum reading a book by the back window.

It was the book I had lent him. Perhaps it was interesting, as the slightly lowered corners of his eyes created a gentle impression. That sight was so cute that I couldn’t take my eyes off him for a while, standing by the back door.

Cute—I thought it was a word that absolutely didn’t suit a guy, but Han Yeo-reum was the exception. The way he struggled to keep his sleepy eyes open during class was cute, and the way he sternly cursed when a noisy kid clung to him and talked nonsense was cute. Even the way he approached me with a frightened expression when I called him, fidgeting until his face turned red, was so cute that I had resisted the urge to reach out to him more than a few times.

It was something he would be horrified to hear. And something Baek Hee-won would treat me like a crazy person for.

Actually, I really was crazy.

What exactly is your relationship with Han Yeo-reum?

The reason I was speechless wasn’t particularly because I was trying to hide my feelings for Han Yeo-reum. It was because I still had many questions about this relationship myself. If I had to define the relationship, it would be correct to say that I was the one unilaterally liking him.

I currently harbored feelings for Han Yeo-reum that went beyond mere liking. Surprisingly, once I realized it, it didn’t take long to admit it.

While diligently attending the summer break supplementary classes I had no business being in, I spent the whole time looking for opportunities to talk, using books as an excuse, just as the old lady said. Looking back, it was a very unlike-me thing to do. I could have just gone and talked to him, but strangely, I couldn’t bring myself to approach him readily, and precious time just slipped away.

I had never imagined that striking up a stolen contentconversation with someone could be such a difficult task. Human relationships, Read on Read BL Novelswhich had always been visit our siteso easy, became difficult when it came to Han Yeo-reum.

One day, while I was procrastinating and just looking for an opportunity, the moment I saw a book cover on Han Yeo-reum’s desk that was the same as the series I had at home, I became angry with myself. I had acted like a fool and ended up missing the chance to talk.

That day happened to be a day with a heatwave warning. On that day, unable to contain my anger, I pushed back my chair in the middle of class and went to find a stream, and an unexpected opportunity came to me again.

Choi Seol?

No matter how much the old lady called me with love, or how much the man who was my father claimed ownership of that name, it was just a numb word, neither hated nor loved. But the moment you called that name, my heart raced. It might be correct to say I felt fluttery. In any case, I was very happy that you called me.

Shortly after, when I led you under a tree, shouting half-threateningly in surprise at your flushed face from the heat, I was consumed by the hot warmth that brushed against me.

The fact that Han Yeo-reum was by my side felt like a dream, and when I found out the book poking out of his backpack was borrowed from the library, I simply became elated. While trying not to show it, the moment I saw his sparkling eyes when I offered to lend him the book I had at home, I felt an impulse to reach out.

And then I realized. I want to possess this body temperature.

Honestly, I didn’t know exactly what ‘wanting to possess’ meant. In the first place, the idea of possessing another person’s body temperature was nonsense. Still, I knew this wasn’t simply a feeling of wanting to become friends. Unless I was a complete idiot, I had that much intuition in my heart.

I was currently liking another man. And a completely unexpected partner stolen contentwith whom I’d had no visit our sitereal connection until now.

This was quite confusing for me as well. That’s why I needed time.