Taeyun knew exactly what she was worried about.

The snacks she had been eating enthusiastically a moment ago were quietly placed back into the bag.

“Why? Eat more.”

“I already ate a lot. I’m full.”

“You said you’d eat everything. That’s all you’re having?”

“I still have to eat when we get to Gyeongju. We can have this later.”

Ina gave him an awkward smile.

With just a single phone call from Namhee, the atmosphere inside the car had instantly turned cold.

Feeling guilty, Taeyun let out a quiet sigh as he continued driving.

“Oppa, did you write down the travel schedule?”

Just then, Ina suddenly spoke up.

“Huh?”

“I was wondering if you wrote it down somewhere. Like on paper.”

“I did. It’s in my bag in the back. Do you want to take a look?”

Ina reached back and grabbed his bag.

From inside, she pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.

His tidy handwriting filled the entire page.

“Wow. You really wrote all of this down.”

“Yeah. Think of it as my determination not to waste a single moment.”

Despite all the effort he had put into planning the trip, seeing how carefully he was watching her mood made her feel sorry for him.

So, deliberately raising her voice, she spoke in an overly cheerful tone.

She decided to simply enjoy the moment.

If something went wrong later, she would deal with it then.

Looking at him, she gave him a small smile.

“For these three days and two nights, I’m going to have so much fun with you that I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life. I’m going to enjoy every second.”

“Let’s do that. I’ll make sure you do.”

Taeyun reached out and gently took Ina’s hand.

***

The first place they visited when they arrived in Gyeongju was the famous Bulguksa Temple.

Although Ina had seen pictures of the temple in textbooks before, seeing it in person made her shiver at its sheer grandeur.

Even after walking around for a long time, Ina didn’t look tired at all.

They ate the famous gyori gimbap and tried Hwangnam bread before heading to Hwangridan-gil for a tteokgalbi set meal.

Their final stop of the day was Donggung and Wolji, which is renowned for its stunning night-time vistas.

“It’s so pretty.”

Ina murmured, gazing at the night-time scenery, almost entranced.

Donggung and Wolji exuded a deep, graceful charm in the darkness.

The pond shimmered under the lights, naturally drawing the eye.

“It really is beautiful.”

So this was the place everyone talked about for its night-time views.

The sight naturally evoked admiration.

The two of them sat side by side on a bench, quietly enjoying the view.

Taeyun lowered his gaze slightly and reached over to take her hand.

Ina looked down at their joined hands and smiled softly.

“Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“I had such a great time today.”

“If you’re happy, then I’m happy too.”

Seeing how much she was enjoying herself made him glad they had come.

Ina rested her head on his shoulder and continued,

“From now on, whenever I think of Gyeongju, I think I’ll only remember coming here with you.”

Not the painful, lonely memories from before. Instead, she would remember the happy moments she shared with Han Taeyun.

She was grateful that he had covered those old memories with something better.

“What are we doing tomorrow?”

“Hmm. Tomorrow’s pretty busy too. There are still several places we need to visit.”

“At this point, isn’t this more like a march than a vacation?”

“Are you tired?”

“I’m not tired, but…”

When her words trailed off, Taeyun lowered his gaze again, concern filling his eyes.

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Is there a pharmacy nearby? Or even a convenience store?”

The problem was the sneakers they had bought together yesterday.

They were comfortable, but since they were new, the back of her heel had started to chafe.

Every time she walked, it stung, so she figured she should at least put on a bandage.

It had been fine until the afternoon. But by evening, the pain had grown sharper.

“Yoon Ina. If you don’t tell me when something hurts, how am I supposed to know?”

Just then, Taeyun’s eyes moved toward her fidgeting sneakers.

Looking back and forth between the shoes and her face, he stood up briefly and then crouched down in front of her feet.

Startled, Ina quickly pulled both feet to the side. But Taeyun caught her foot and checked the back of her heel.

“Ah… When did this start?”

The reddened, scraped skin looked painful just to see.

“…Not that long ago. I thought it would be fine.”

Ina frowned slightly and let out a small sigh.

‘I should’ve just quietly stopped by a convenience store later.’

Seeing the worried look in Taeyun’s eyes made regret wash over her. It felt like she had made him worry over something so small.

“It’s okay. We’re heading back to the hotel soon anyway.”

Just then, Taeyun, who had been sitting with one knee bent in front of her, turned his back toward her.

“Get on.”

The unexpected words made Ina freeze.

Her eyes widened.

“What?”

“I’ll carry you.”

“That’s ridiculous. It’s fine.”

Ina recoiled in embarrassment, shifting her body further away. Taeyun stepped closer again, positioning himself in front of her legs.

“Hurry up. If you keep walking like this, you won’t be able to go anywhere tomorrow.”

“It’s not that bad. People will stare.”

“So what? Your foot hurting matters more.”

“I said no. Let’s just go.”

As Taeyun stubbornly insisted, Ina stood up from the bench. At that moment, Taeyun suddenly stepped forward and hoisted her onto his back.

Caught completely off guard, Ina gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

“Brother!”

“It’s so light. You really need to gain some weight.”

“Put me down, hurry!”

“Carrying you like this is better than holding you like a princess. People will just think you hurt your foot.”

Even when she kicked her legs in protest, Taeyun showed no sign of putting her down.

Holding her legs firmly, he slowly began to walk with her on his back.

She told him several times to let her down, but Taeyun ignored every request.

“Honestly… next time I won’t tell you even if something hurts.”

“You don’t have to tell me. I’ll just watch closely and notice first.”

Taeyun chuckled softly.

In the end, Ina gave up and rested her face against his back.

It was the first time she had ever been carried on someone’s back.

Even when she was little, no one had ever carried her like this.

And now she was being carried at over twenty years old.

It was a little embarrassing, but leaning against his broad back made her feel strangely at ease.

Thump. Thump-thump. Thump.

Listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, Ina stayed quiet for a moment.

“Where do you think we can buy a cake? We need to have a birthday party.”

“We don’t need to buy a cake. It’s fine.”

“A birthday can’t happen without a cake. Since Yoon Ina likes strawberries, we should get a strawberry cake.”

Taeyun quickened his pace slightly.

A faint smile appeared on Ina’s lips as she tightened her arms around his neck.

***

“Happy birthday to you—”

Taeyun sang while holding the cake.

Ina quietly watched him.

No one had ever sung so sincerely for her before.

No one had ever bought a cake meant just for her.

At the orphanage, birthdays were celebrated once a month for everyone together.

Overwhelmed by the abundance of his affection, she found herself unable to speak.

“Happy birthday.”

He smiled brightly as he met Ina’s eyes.

“Go ahead and blow out the candles. Make a wish too.”

“Ah… If I make a wish, will it really come true?”

“Yeah. So think carefully and make just one wish. Something you truly want.”

At Taeyun’s gentle voice, Ina nodded and closed her eyes for a moment.

Taeyun quietly watched her as she made her wish.

She had just come out of the shower a little earlier, and her hair was still slightly damp.

Her clear, pale skin.

Her thick eyelashes.

Her lips pressed together softly.

‘How can she be this beautiful?’

A smile slowly spread across Taeyun’s lips as he looked at her.

As if she had finished making her wish, Ina slowly opened her eyes.

“Thank you, brother.”

He smiled and tilted his head slightly.

Grinning, Ina blew out the candles.

After setting the cake aside for a moment, Taeyun gently took her left hand.

Then he slipped a ring onto her ring finger.

“This is our couple ring.”

“…”

Ina’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected gift.

On his own left hand, an identical ring was already there.

‘When did he put that on?’

She was sure it hadn’t been there earlier.

“Yoon Ina is too popular. I couldn’t stop feeling anxious.”

“Brother.”

“So I kept wondering how I could let people know you have a boyfriend. That’s why I bought this. I picked the design myself, so even if you don’t like it, you still have to wear it.”

How could she not like it?

Ina lifted her left hand and looked at the ring.

The white gold band had a simple design. But it was something Han Taeyun had given her.

Even a thin silver ring from him would have made her happy. Her eyes slowly grew moist.

“Really… thank you. It’s so beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. Shall we eat the cake?”

Nod, nod.

Ina nodded enthusiastically.

“I’ll give you lots of strawberries.”

Taeyun placed a generous slice of cake onto her plate.

The moment she took a bite, a smile naturally spread across her face.

Ina raised her thumb toward him.

***

“Go to sleep. If we’re going out again tomorrow, you’ll be tired.”

Taeyun laid Ina down on the bed and pulled the blanket over her.

Blinking, Ina looked at him with confusion.

“Where are you going to sleep, brother?”

“In the small room.”

She had naturally assumed they would sleep together.

The small room didn’t even have a bed—just a single blanket.

Caught off guard by his answer, Ina grabbed the hem of his shirt.

“Why… is it because of me?”

“No. Because of me.”

Taeyun didn’t trust himself to sleep beside her.

That was why he hadn’t even drunk any alcohol tonight.

He was afraid that if he let himself get swept up in the mood, he might cross a line.

He didn’t want to make a mistake.

It was one of the promises he had made to himself the day she moved into his house.

‘Never cross the line.’

He was worried that she might think his help—everything he had done for her financially—was something he expected repayment for.

Even if that wasn’t how he felt, he was afraid she might misunderstand and get hurt.

That was why Taeyun had deliberately booked a place with two rooms.

Smiling faintly, Taeyun leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips.

Then he gently brushed her hair aside.

“Sleep well. It’s your birthday, so have good dreams.”

After a brief farewell, he stood up.

The moment he turned to leave, a hand caught his.

Taeyun slowly turned his head back and lowered his gaze.

Ina was holding his hand, staring straight at him.

“…”

“…”

For a moment, an awkward silence filled the room.

All the lights were off, but the soft moonlight shining through the window illuminated their faces.

Ina hesitated, her lips moving slightly before she finally spoke, as if gathering her courage.

“Stay… with me.”