Yoo Deok Hwa sneezed as he removed the last of the drapes covering the furniture.

“Good heavens.”

The young man groaned, keeping his face away from the cloths he was trying to ball in his arms. He wanted to admire the well-preserved and expensively tailored furniture, but it was difficult to do so with all the dust balls floating in the air. Instead, he proceeded to piling the drapes, taking careful steps to the laundry area to avoid the dust as much as possible. He placed them on a deep clothing bin, turning his head away before the drapes reached the bottom.

The sound of a dropped box had him jumping.

Marching back to the living area, he scoffed at the newcomer. “Ya, stop frightening me! You’re going to break something here without living here yet.”

Dark sunglasses revealed sharp, dark eyes twinkling in delight. She brushed a fallen lock of hair back to her ear with a manicured finger, pointedly ignoring the younger man for the beautifully constructed interior of the house. She took in the spaciousness, eyes lingering at the geometrical chandelier from the high ceiling and the antique metal and wood finish of the stairs. Her eyes narrowed as they reached the expanse of blank, light-colored walls.

The younger man rolled his eyes at her apparent sentimentality, moving towards the deeper parts of the house.

“He will be deliriously happy with this empty space,” she murmured once she was alone.

Hands curled against the velvety softness of the nearest couch, pale skin contrasting with the forest green upholstery. Closing her eyes, she could still imagine her shrieking laughter from a long time ago, followed by the whining of a pubescent boy. Chiding would come in the form of a maternal voice, gentle and commanding at the same time. Footsteps from scrambling kids would hit the tiled floors, followed by bodies colliding in a hug. Another set of arms would envelop them all.

If she tried hard enough, she could feel the warmth of bodies against her.

The main door opened.

“Ha! That space is perfect.”

The woman rolled her eyes knowingly, turning around.

The man was smirking, a hand on his waist as he followed the woman’s moves. As he continued to take in the house, his features softened, a small smile replacing the smirk. Silently, the woman reached for his arm, thin hands wrapping on the angle of his elbow. He shifted his gaze at her, and she gave him a smile.

“Sun Hee-ah,” he called on her.

With glassy eyes, she greeted him. “Welcome home, orabeoni.”