Jinwook was moved to a regular hospital room. The examination results showed no special abnormalities besides exhaustion and bruising. Wearing a hospital gown, Jinwook finished a bowl of porridge Taeseop had bought in an instant and rubbed his stomach with satisfaction.

“Now I’ll live.”

“Did you have water?”

At Hyunwook’s question, Jinwook replied, 

“I bought a few bottles on the way to the rest area. I might have died without them.”

“How can you joke about dying so easily? We were practically dead ourselves wondering what happened to you.”

“Why would I die? I plan to live tenaciously until I’m old enough to soil the walls. Hey, but it was terrifying when that huge rock fell on the hood. And then airbags exploded from everywhere. I thought I might suffocate from the gunpowder smell before being buried in dirt.”

“Still, you survived thanks to those airbags.”

“That’s true. But it’s such a waste. I hadn’t owned it long. Don’t they compensate for natural disasters like this?”

Taeseop and Hyunwook shook their heads at Jinwook’s cheerfulness despite his near-death experience, but they couldn’t hide their smiles. They had missed this side of him so much. Taeseop glanced at Soyu and nudged Hyunwook’s side.

“We’ll call your mother. She’ll be worried.”

“Right. Get some rest. And be good to Soyu. She nearly died too.”

After Taeseop and Hyunwook left the room, Jinwook reached his hand out toward Soyu. She took his hand with trembling fingers and silently shed tears. Jinwook’s eyes grew moist.

“I’m sorry.”

Soyu shook her head.

“No…. Thank you…. And I’m sorry….”

“What are you sorry for?”

“I should have let you sleep longer…. I shouldn’t have kept you there…. It’s my fault….”

Jinwook struggled to sit up. He held both her hands in his and spoke gently.

“Yu-ya. Look at me.”

When she wouldn’t raise her head, Jinwook called again.

“Yu-ya.”

Soyu looked up, her eyes swollen from crying. He could imagine how anxious she must have been until his rescue, even without witnessing it. He opened his mouth.

“You’re the one who saved me.”

Soyu blinked her tear-filled eyes.

“I lost consciousness at first, you know? But then I saw you and Yeoul.”

“Me and Yeoul?”

“Yes. Seeing you two somehow gave me strength I didn’t have. So I tried my best to survive. This is quite a precious experience, right? Who knows? I might plan a film based on my accident someday. Not everyone gets to experience something like this. I’ve been thinking about it carefully, and I’m pretty sure my next project will be a huge hit. Otherwise, why would I get such an amazing opportunity? I truly am a lucky man.”

Soyu’s eyes widened before she let out a small laugh, and Jinwook gave her a profound smile.

“That’s it. Laugh like that. You look pretty when you smile.”

Finally looking straight into Jinwook’s eyes, Soyu opened her mouth.

“I love you, Kim Jinwook.”

Jinwook’s eyes widened. Looking shyly at his surprised expression, Soyu continued.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t get to tell you I love you.”

After a brief pause, her story continued.

“It was from the beginning. I liked you from the first time I saw you too. Kim Jinwook. You were… my first love as well.”

Soyu’s glistening eyes sparkled. Jinwook seemed to have forgotten how to speak and couldn’t say anything. He just gazed at her with endless longing. He gently pulled her shoulder closer. Then he kissed her. He softly captured and released her lips repeatedly.

Soyu closed her eyes. She had thought she would never see him again. No matter how much she tried to cling to hope, it hadn’t worked. But now she was kissing him. Her hands firmly gripped Jinwook’s shoulders. She would never let him go again. Never.

※※※

Jinwook’s accident remained a major issue for quite some time. The scene of his rescue from the mud pile was broadcast live, including footage of Soyu following him in tears. Just days after news of their relationship had broken, all of South Korea now knew their wedding was imminent following this accident.

Jinwook had bruises but no major injuries, so he was transferred to a Seoul hospital. He insisted on going home, but Taeseop, Hyunwook, and even Soyu strongly opposed it. Faced with their stern resistance, Jinwook relented and grumbled as he was admitted to the hospital.

The door to the private room opened, and Yeoul rushed in first.

“Uncle!”

Jeongeun followed behind him.

“Jinwook!”

Jinwook smiled and greeted Jeongeun first.

“You must have been so worried, right? Haha. I’m completely fine now, Mother.”

“Thank goodness you’re alright. It could have been disastrous.”

He looked at Yeoul and grinned.

“Kim Yeoul. Why ‘Uncle’? You should call me Dad.”

The child’s large eyes filled with tears as he whimpered. Jinwook said to Soyu, 

“Yu-ya. Help Yeoul up here.”

Once on the bed, the child threw himself into Jinwook’s arms and began sobbing loudly.

“Waaaaah. Don’t die. Dad. You can’t die. Waaaaah.”

Jinwook’s eyes grew moist as he held his son tightly. He had thought he might never see this child again. His son, more precious than his own life. He rested his face on the child’s shoulder and said, 

“Yeoul. I love you. I’ll never worry you again.”

Watching them, both Soyu and Jeongeun’s eyes turned red. Thus, their time together signaled a new beginning.

※※※

After the rainy season passed, sweltering heat began. It had already been nearly a month since Jinwook’s accident. As the nationwide heat wave coincided with vacation season, Taeseop, Hyunwook, Jinwook, and Soyu’s family all headed to the Anmyeondo villa together.

Jinwook loaded numerous bags into the car, took care of Jeongeun, and placed Yeoul in his child seat. He asked Soyu, who was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a summer dress, 

“Did we forget anything?”

“No. We can buy food supplies when we get there.”

They had decided to procure food locally this time. Jinwook smiled and said, 

“Let’s go!”

After Soyu got in, Jinwook’s car departed with Hyunwook’s car following behind. Yeoul shouted from the back seat, 

“Departure!”

Jinwook echoed, 

“Departure!”

Though the sun blazed and heat waves rose from the expressway, the four family members in the car laughed continuously. They stopped at rest areas to buy snacks, enjoying a leisurely journey. The excited Yeoul kept singing, and when Jinwook joined in, the car resembled a playroom.

They finally arrived at the Anmyeondo villa. As Hyunwook parked, he noticed a car in front of the house and exclaimed in surprise. Taeseop asked, 

“Wasn’t anyone else coming?”

Hyunwook’s brow furrowed slightly.

“No, there wasn’t.”

“Could that be Hyuna’s car?”

Hyunwook pressed his lips together. Taeseop continued, 

“Is she on leave?”

“Oh man….”

Hyunwook sighed deeply.

“That enemy….”

“Hey, how can you call your sister an enemy?”

“You know why I say that. We’re like oil and water.”

As Hyunwook got out of the car, Jinwook also exited his vehicle and asked, 

“Isn’t that Hyuna’s car?”

“It seems so.”

Jinwook’s expression turned grim too.

“Didn’t you tell her? Why is Hyuna here?”

“I don’t know either.”

Jinwook grumbled. Surely she must have matured with age?

“Is Hyuna still like that?”

“I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.”

While Hyunwook went into the house, Taeseop and Jinwook unloaded the luggage. Hyunwook came back out and said, 

“She’s not here. Must have gone to the beach.”

Hyunwook told Soyu, 

“My younger sister seems to be on leave.”

Soyu’s eyes widened.

“Hyuna?”

“You know her too?”

“Of course I do. We were close. She’s in the military, right?”

“Yeah. But what good is being in the military when her words and actions are still like an elementary school kid’s?”

Soyu laughed.

“It’s been a long time. I’m curious about her. She was two years younger than us, right? I think she entered as a freshman when we were juniors.”

Recalling the past, Hyunwook shuddered.

“Ugh. I was glad not to see her face.”

“Hyuna would be hurt if she heard that.”

“You don’t know her dual personality. She’s completely different with me than she is with you guys—she’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

As Jeongeun and Yeoul were getting out of the car, a sudden scream rang out.

“Unnie!”

Soyu turned her head and waved her hand enthusiastically.

“Hyuna!”

The two women ran to each other and embraced. Hyuna was a beautiful woman with short hair, tall stature, and healthily tanned skin.

“Unnie! It’s been so long!”

“Have you gotten even prettier? How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, protecting national security. I saw Jinwook oppa‘s accident on TV. Unnie, you looked amazing on screen!”

Hyuna’s personality was completely different from her cold-natured brother Hyunwook. Jinwook called out to her.

“Do Hyuna!”

Seeing him, Hyuna squealed and ran over to give him a military salute.

“It’s been a long time, sir! Army Captain Do Hyuna reporting!”

Jinwook finally smiled at Hyuna’s friendly attitude.

“Kid. You haven’t changed at all.”

“Wow. You haven’t changed either, hyung.”

Soyu smiled watching them. Even in school, she had called him “hyung” instead of “oppa,” and that hadn’t changed even after more than ten years. Jinwook asked, 

“Did you come alone?”

“No. I came with my junior. She’s playing at the beach now. I heard the car and came to check.”

Hyunwook approached with obvious displeasure on his face and asked, 

“If you’re on leave, why don’t you go somewhere else? Didn’t you hear from Mother that we were coming?”