With a yell, abalones and conch shells rained down on him. To top it off, a live octopus smacked him square in the face, latching on firmly! 

“What the…!” 

I couldn’t tell who was more shocked—the three of us stood frozen. 

I was frozen in shock at my own actions. *Agwi*, with an octopus stuck to his face, stood motionless, disbelief written all over him. My fake cousin stared at me, wide-eyed, as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed. 

A strange silence filled the air. 

Finally, Agwi peeled the octopus from his face, his eyes blazing with anger as he turned to hurl insults at me. 

But before he could utter a single word— 

“Pfft!” 

I burst out laughing. 

I couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t hold it in. 

“S-sorry.”

I stammered between fits of laughter, trying to compose myself. 

This was bad. I knew it was bad. But it was just too funny to stop. 

At that moment, I didn’t notice the subtle shift in Agwi’s face. His usual expression, twisted with malice, flickered into something else—something unfamiliar that I completely missed. 

But the man saw it. His eyes had been fixed on Agwi. 

While Agwi stared intently at my laughing face, the man was observing the strange transformation in his expression. 

“Sergeant!” 

The officer from the jeep hurried over, calling out to Agwi. 

“The chief wants us to head back right now…!” 

Without a word, Agwi threw the octopus he had peeled off his face onto the ground. He didn’t ask for the man’s ID again or say anything else. He simply turned and walked away. 

I exhaled a sigh of relief. Somehow, by sheer luck, things hadn’t escalated any further. 

But when I looked at the man beside me, I noticed his expression was tense, his gaze heavy as he looked at me. 

“What were you thinking?”

“Pardon?” 

I didn’t understand what he meant. 

“Why… why did you laugh?” 

Huh? Laughing? What was the big deal about that? 

“B-because it was funny! The octopus landed perfectly on his face!” 

I was still giggling, but the man didn’t crack a smile. In fact, he seemed almost angry. 

Why? What was there to be upset about? What was the problem? 

“How did you end up here, anyway?”

He didn’t respond. 

What’s going on? He’s always been so polite… 

Still, my priority was to gather up the scattered seafood I had thrown. I quickly went after the runaway octopus first, grabbed the basket, and climbed down the seawall. 

But he followed me, helping collect the seafood. His movements, however, were stiff and oddly cold, which made me feel self-conscious. 

What’s his problem? 

“It’s fine, you can just leave it.”

I said, trying to brush him off. He didn’t even acknowledge me. 

“Really, it’s fine. Just—” 

I reached out to take the abalone he was holding, but he turned his back to me, deliberately ignoring me. 

“Wait, why are you…?” 

I was at a loss, completely at a loss. 

The waters of Chungmu were full of rocks, making the ground slippery and lined with sharp oyster shells. While I was used to it, it was dangerous for him. 

“I told you to leave it! Your clothes are getting soaked—why are you even doing this?” 

Still, he didn’t respond. Instead, he stubbornly waded into even deeper water. 

“Brother!” 

Without thinking, I rushed forward and grabbed his arm, but the sudden movement threw him off balance. 

“Whoa, whoa—ahhh!” 

Splash! 

Great. Was today destined to be one disaster after another? This time, both of us ended up falling into the water. 

Panicked, I scrambled over to check if he was hurt. 

“I’m sorry! I mean, I told you to leave! What if you’d gotten hurt?” 

I grabbed his hand, anxiously checking for any signs of cuts or scrapes. 

If even the smallest scratch appeared on his pale, pristine hands, I’d feel incredibly guilty. I hurriedly turned his hand over, inspecting it carefully. 

The man, however, sat completely still, his lower half submerged in seawater. 

When I turned to look at him, it hit me—I’d been touching his hand far too freely. 

“Oh! I’m so sorry…” 

Flustered, I quickly let go. Everything today felt like it was going wrong in the worst possible way. 

Thankfully, he didn’t seem hurt. 

“This area is full of oyster shells—it’s dangerous. Ah… and now your pants are soaked! What are you going to do?” 

Still, he remained silent. 

What was going on with him today? Did he eat something strange? 

Why is he staring at me like that? 

“Jong Hyun?”

“Han Woo-jin.”

I was startled by the name he had just spoken. 

“Han Woo-jin. My real name is Han Woo-jin.” 

Ah… that’s right. I had never known his real name until now. 

I blinked in surprise, still staring at him. 

*** 

“My name is Han Si-hoo, Grandma.”

The young man said, bowing politely as he introduced himself. 

Someone who looked exactly like him. 

Han Si-hoo, from the Han family… 

I stood frozen, stunned, staring at the young man. 

The same face. 

The exact same smile. 

Could he really be related to Han Woo-jin by blood? 

I couldn’t believe my own eyes. 

“Grandma?” 

I gasped sharply, trying to snap myself out of it and compose myself. 

It was only then that I noticed Yoojin’s confused expression. Whatever expression I had, I’m sure she saw it, I probably looked as pale as if I had seen a ghost. 

“Why are you acting like this?” 

“Ah… no, it’s nothing.” 

I tried to calm myself down. 

He’s not that person. It can’t be him, right? 

But he really did look so much like him. His serious yet gentle eyes, with a hint of playful mischief; his slightly smiling lips, his sharp features, tall stature, and well-proportioned build. 

Most of all, his voice—like a cedar tree deep in the forest, calming and comforting to the soul. 

How is this possible? Could something like this really happen? 

Could this man truly be a blood relative of Han Woo-jin? If not, how could they possibly look so alike? 

“Why are you like this, Grandma? Are you okay?” 

“I told you, I’m fine.” 

“But you don’t look fine, Grandma. You seem so thin…”

“It’s just because it’s summer, just because it’s summer. Now stop worrying and come inside. Aren’t you hungry?” 

I quickly turned and went inside the house, feeling as though the world was swaying and the building was shaking uncontrollably. 

Nevertheless, the man Yoojin had brought, Han Si-hoo, entered the house and sat down in front of me. As I placed the food I had prepared this morning in front of them, I couldn’t shake the strange feeling that I had experienced this moment before.

He was dressed in a neat suit, with a pleasant fragrance of cologne, well-groomed hair, and a kind smile—everything about him resembled Han Woo-jin so much. 

My fingertips kept trembling. 

What was going on?