Chapter 13

“The artworks your company invests in… what kind of pieces are they?”

“Other than ‘From the Heart,’ nothing much. The number of works has gone up, but nothing really speaks to me.”

‘From the Heart’ was the piece he cherished the most, so she knew it well.

He had flown all the way to New York to participate in the auction and purchased it as company property. It was the signature piece of The Bridge of Art.

Not only was its value still climbing, but that piece had practically transformed the company’s public image.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Aside from that, we just got lucky a few times. We picked up works that caught some collectors’ eyes, got shown at a few exhibitions, spread through word of mouth, and started fetching good prices. But honestly, to me they’re nothing special.”

His voice slowed down as he grew sleepy.

“They don’t know a thing. As soon as an artist gets popular, they all rush in blindly. Do they think anyone else couldn’t paint like that?”

He yawned as he spoke, his tone careless and condescending.

His jealousy and inferiority toward popular works were still the same.

In the past, she might have felt sympathy, wondering if he was still clinging to his abandoned dream as an artist. But now it was different.

How could he push others to invest when he didn’t even respect the pieces his own company had purchased.

Especially when he hadn’t even been in Unpo last night.

Every word he uttered grated against her, leaving her disappointed. She quietly closed her eyes.

A brief silence passed before the sound of Jooheon’s steady breathing told her he was asleep.

Only then did she slowly open her eyes.

She lifted a hand and covered one ear.

The presence of the man lying next to her felt unbearably uncomfortable.

Tightly shutting her eyes again, she felt her face grow hot. Silent tears began to flow down her cheeks.

It felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

She didn’t want to torment herself with vague imaginings, yet the unknown parts of Jooheon’s life kept haunting her, promising another sleepless night.

* * *

After sending his message to Ayeon, Sunwoo leaned back in his research lab chair.

He was still at the lab late into the night, unable to leave.

With lectures to prepare and papers to write, the workload was a mountain.

Being alone in the quiet lab made him feel cut off from the world, and it was Ayeon who had broken that isolation.

She had finally sent the message he’d been waiting for.

“Sunbae…”

With a thoughtful expression, he traced each letter of her message slowly with his fingertips, inhaling sharply before exhaling.

He lifted his head and gazed out the lab window.

The night sky was swallowed in darkness. His lips pressed together.

He was the one who had pushed her to give him an answer, yet he hadn’t expected her to reply so soon.

And it was a yes.

The feeling that rose first wasn’t joy, but concern. He had expected as much.

Because he knew what she would have to face from now on.

She was thorough and dedicated in her work, but gentle and soft-hearted.

Still, he trusted her.

Whatever lay ahead, she would handle it.

Whatever decision she made, it would be the right one.

It was what he had hoped for, after all.

Ayeon had pulled the trigger.

The signal flare had gone up, marking the beginning of everything to come.

His worried face softened into resolve. He checked her message once more, then closed his phone.

Clasping his hands together, lost in thought for a moment, he finally opened the bottom drawer of his desk.

From it, he pulled out a book and flipped through the pages.

A photograph tucked between the thick pages slipped out.

He slowly picked it up.

In the photo, a girl who looked to be a new middle schooler beamed brightly.

The flowers blooming all around her showed it was spring.

The girl’s smile mirrored the warm spring sunlight.

It was bright, alive, and pure.

It made his chest ache.

The sudden swell of emotion made him clench his jaw tightly.

* * *

“Here alone again today?”

As Ayeon entered the pool, someone spoke to her.

It was the young man who had handed her the squirrel-character slippers last time.

He approached her with a bright face, but she couldn’t help showing a slightly awkward expression.

As the pool’s manager, he had surely noticed that she usually came with her husband. His friendly greeting made her uneasy.

She was exhausted, which made her even less receptive.

She had spent the entire night wide awake in the dark study, only realizing dawn had come when her alarm went off.

When she opened the bedroom door, Jooheon was fast asleep, dead to the world.

The aftereffects of his so-called all-nighter seemed to be lingering.

Not wanting to wake him, she came to the center alone.

Forest One’s community center was comfortable because of its spacious facilities and private showers relative to the number of residents.

There was little need to interact closely with anyone.

People came, enjoyed what they wanted, and left.

She had never spoken with anyone at the pool.

Until now.

When she hesitated, the young man spoke again.

“You always used to come with your husband.”

“Yeah.”

The topic wasn’t pleasant, so she forced a faint smile and said little more.

“It’s impressive to keep up morning workouts like this.”

His innocent face made her feel a little embarrassed for finding him uncomfortable.

“Right. Oh, about the slippers from last time. I cleaned them and kept them aside.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”

He squinted and grinned.

His simple smile made her lips curve slightly in return.

“Right. What happened with the window?”

She glanced around as she spoke.

Where had that broken window been again.

“Well… turns out, even the community center windows in a luxury apartment are hard to replace. For now, it’s a temporary fix, but the construction company has ordered matching glass. It’s imported, so it might take a while.”

Her gaze followed his to the window.

One pane stood out, different from the thick, convex glass surrounding it.

Now that she looked closely, it was obvious. Earlier, when she’d only glanced around, she hadn’t noticed.

She pressed her lips together, staring quietly at the window.

“There’s no issue with the center’s operations though. Enjoy your laps today.”

He raised a fist in a cheerful gesture.

“Yeah. I will.”

She gave a small laugh and turned to walk away.

Then he called out again.

“Um, excuse me.”

She turned slowly.

“Thank you. For everything.”

She blinked, eyebrows raised, unsure what he meant.

He smiled and gestured toward something.

“The notes you always leave. They really encouraged me. Because of that, I was able to renew my contract here.”

He pointed to the community board where residents could leave comments.

“I was originally on a six-month contract. I liked the work and wanted to stay, but finding a job like this isn’t easy. It’s perfect for someone like me, a job seeker.”

There was a shy look on his face that didn’t quite match his broad build.

She remembered leaving short notes there now and then, complimenting how well the center was maintained and how pleasant it was to use.

“I just wrote what I honestly felt. I’m glad it helped. Good for you.”

Seeing this hardworking young man balancing job hunting and work made her smile calmly, like a proud teacher.

Then he took a step closer to her.

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

What was he doing.

“If you ever have any issues with the pool, please let me know. Anything at all. Oh, my name’s Lee Logan.”

He lifted his nametag and grinned.

“Lee Logan?”

She repeated his name softly a few times.

Somehow, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.