Yeoul went to his room to get dressed, and Soyu ordered tteokbokki through a delivery app. Jeongeun brought up a topic.

“Soyu.”

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you contact your friends all this time?”

“Just because. I was too overwhelmed.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. What else should there be?”

“I thought you fought with them.”

“Are they even worth fighting with? They’re all nice. Just noisy.”

“True. They haven’t changed at all. Are they married?”

“I don’t know.”

“With those careers, they must have girlfriends, right?”

Soyu looked at her mother and smiled.

“Mom. Give up hope.”

At her daughter’s words, Jeongeun avoided her gaze and mumbled.

“What am I……”

“They’re not men to me. Don’t have unnecessary thoughts.”

“You never know how things will turn out……”

“Mom. I’m happiest right now. You should go to the hospital next week. My current worry is your knee.”

“Alright. I’ll go. But knees naturally hurt when you get older.”

“There’s nothing natural about it. Let’s not make things worse than they need to be.”

Faced with her daughter’s firm attitude, Jeongeun nodded cautiously. The truth was her knee hurt a lot. But she was reluctant to go to the hospital in case they recommended surgery. If she got sick, who would take care of Yeoul and the household? Jeongeun’s expression darkened.

⁕⁕⁕

The three men also gathered in the kitchen for dinner. After ordering delivery food, they sat at the table with serious expressions. Hyunwook asked.

“You said Soyu’s company is near yours, right?”

“Yes. It’s close.”

“If she doesn’t contact us by tomorrow, let’s storm her company.”

“Her company?”

“Yes. We don’t have any other options.”

Jinwook didn’t mention that Yeoul’s kindergarten was nearby. The important thing now was finding out who the child’s father was. If the child was his, he planned to cling desperately to the situation. Until then, it would remain a secret from the other two. The food arrived, and the three played rock-paper-scissors.

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

The loser was Kim Jinwook. When Jinwook went to get the food without saying anything, Hyunwook spoke suspiciously.

“That guy has something going on.”

“That again?”

“My intuition is right. Has Jinwook ever lost and just accepted it without a fuss?”

After thinking, Taeseop said.

“No.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t think this is simply about meeting Soyu.”

“Isn’t it the shock of seeing her?”

“You saw earlier. We were excited, but he was unusually quiet.”

“You’re right. He was quiet.”

“Is he the type to be quiet? He’d be chattering away even if he were drowning.”

Now Taeseop also seemed to sense something was off and became serious.

“Did he genuinely like Soyu? Maybe learning she has a child was such a shock that it affected his mind?”

“Weren’t we all sincere?”

“I was sincere.”

“Me too. Whatever the reason, that guy is acting strange right now.”

The front door opened, and Jinwook entered with a bag in his hand. Taeseop and Hyunwook watched him, who seemed lost in thought, as they unpacked the bag.

“Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve had steamed food. Right, Taeseop?”

“Yes. It has. Looks delicious.”

Despite their conversation, Jinwook showed no particular reaction. Seeing Jinwook quiet even with food in front of him, Hyunwook pounded his chest and said.

“Oh man. This is frustrating. Hey, Kim Jinwook. Say something!”

“What.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“No, you’re not. You’re acting strange.”

“Do I have to be chatty all the time?”

“Yes, Jinwook. People die when they change. I don’t want to attend my friend’s funeral.”

“Actually……”

“Yes. Speak up, friend.”

As Jinwook’s lips moved to say something but then firmly closed again, Hyunwook yelled “Argh!”

“Have you changed your t*rture technique? Are you trying to k*ll me by making me burst with frustration?”

“It’s not that. I’m just feeling a bit off.”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking—what’s making you feel off?”

Jinwook sighed and spoke indirectly.

“Soyu. She loved studying, right? Honestly, I expected Soyu to be the first Korean to win a Nobel Prize in Physics. It k*lls me that someone like her gave up everything and came back to run a security firm. If we had known back then, couldn’t we have helped with her tuition at least? In conclusion, I feel sorry, something like that.”

At Jinwook’s words, his two friends fell silent. Taeseop said.

“You’re right. If we had known, we would have done that.”

Hyunwook also said.

“Soyu’s talent is truly going to waste.”

“I understand why Soyu did what she did. She was too proud to accept anyone’s help.”

“Should we tell her to start studying again? We could help her.”

“She hid from us back then to avoid help, would she accept it now? Jang Soyu would rather die alone than accept help.”

“That’s true. That’s just like her.”

Despite Hyunwook and Taeseop’s conversation, Jinwook’s dark expression didn’t lift. His mind was a mess. The urgent matter for him now was finding out who Yeoul’s biological father was, but he couldn’t think of a method. Suddenly, Jinwook started banging his forehead on the table, startling the others.

“Hey! What are you doing!”

“Jinwook! Are you crazy?”

Despite the two trying to stop him, Jinwook continued banging his forehead and muttering.

“Die, Kim Jinwook. Die.”

Hyunwook shouted.

“Hey! You definitely won’t die that way! If you want to die, don’t make a show of it—do it properly!”

“Huh?”

As Jinwook raised his dazed face, Hyunwook smiled wickedly.

“There are plenty of ways to die. Just say the word. I’ll help. Couldn’t I do that much for a friend?”

“Are you so desperate to k*ll a perfectly sane person?”

Jinwook jumped up and flailed his hands as if to grab Hyunwook by the collar, but his friend had already escaped backward, making it impossible to catch him. Hyunwook gloated.

“Just act like you normally do. Don’t try to set a mood.”

Jinwook sighed deeply, his shoulders heaving, and left the kitchen. Taeseop asked.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“You talented people can eat a lot by yourselves.”

After Jinwook left, both Hyunwook and Taeseop became serious.

“He must really be troubled.”

“I know. What’s wrong with him?”

“Who knows? Let’s just eat. It’s getting cold.”

Hyunwook picked up his chopsticks and began eating ferociously.

Jinwook went to his room and lay on the bed, tossing and turning. After repeatedly turning over and sighing, he thrashed his arms and legs and screamed.

“Arghhhh! Arghhhh!”

He looked tormented.

Early the next morning, Jinwook left his room. As he headed toward the front door, Taeseop’s surprised voice came from behind.

“Wook?”

Jinwook turned around and raised his hand in a morning greeting.

“Good morning.”

“Did you just wake up?”

“Yes. I’m going out for a quick workout.”

After Jinwook left, the stunned Taeseop hurriedly entered Hyunwook’s room.

“Hey! Jinwook is really acting strange!”

Still drowsy, Hyunwook forced his eyes open and frowned.

“Why… what time is it……”

“It’s not even 7 o’clock! But Jinwook got up and went out to exercise!”

Hyunwook crawled under the blanket and muttered.

“Don’t joke around in the morning……”

“I’m serious! He just left!”

Hyunwook pushed back the blanket and showed his face.

“Is it really Kim Jinwook? Not a ghost?”

“What ghost in the morning? Like you said, there’s something up with him.”

“He really went to exercise?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Now fully awake, Hyunwook’s face turned serious.

“There really is something going on, right?”

“Yes. There is.”

“How do we find out?”

The two men looked at each other with extremely serious expressions.

Jinwook rode his bicycle and followed the map to Saebom Kindergarten. The kindergarten was much closer than he expected. Jinwook’s face was solemn as he parked his bicycle and looked at the building. Yeoul attends here. Their house is nearby too. He had one more reason to stay at Taeseop’s house for a while.

“Good. I’ve decided.”

Jinwook was resolute. He took out his phone and called Soyu. His heart pounded heavily as the ringtone started, indicating she had turned her phone on. He swallowed dryly as the ringtone ended and Soyu’s voice came through.

[Yes.]

Jinwook was taken aback by her casual tone. What should he say? Then Soyu’s voice came again.

[Kim Jinwook?]

“Oh! It’s me, it’s me!”

[Yes. I know it’s you. Why did you call?]

“Huh? Oh. Well… Why did you turn off your phone yesterday?”

[You called this early in the morning for that?]

“Of course! Why did you turn off your phone?”

[Because it was annoying.]

Jinwook was stunned by the unexpected answer. He asked.

“Why was it annoying?”

[Wouldn’t it be annoying if three people kept texting in turns?]

“Ah… Sorry.”

[State your business.]

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

[What kind of thing?]

Jinwook bit his lip hard and said resolutely.

“Let’s meet.”

[I was going to call you all in the afternoon. See you later.]

“No! Just you and me, alone.”

[You want to see me alone? Why?]

Jinwook was flustered. Was she always this sharp with her words? He felt like he was being pushed back.

“No. Well. Just. Don’t you really have anything to say?”

[I don’t have anything particular to say to you specifically. Let’s meet together. I don’t like repeating myself. I’ll call you later.]

“No! Jang Soyu!”

He stared blankly at the disconnected call. Jinwook tilted his head. Was he wrong? If Yeoul was his son, she wouldn’t react like this, would she? As he thought that far, his face suddenly turned red.

“What? So she was with another man back then besides me?”

He jumped up and down. Pulling at his hair, he screamed.

“Aargh! Jang Soyu! You traitor! Aaaaargh!”

It was an early Sunday morning. People going out to exercise clicked their tongues at the crazy man raging in front of the kindergarten.

“Poor young man.”

“I know, he looks so normal too.”

Jinwook had gone from genius film director to madman in an instant.