A sleek mahogany vehicle pulled up at the front entry of a mansion, where a valet was waiting, clearly expecting for the guest who had just arrived. The rear-hinged door opened and the valet was quick to assist the passenger in getting out.

Suho lifted the curtain briefly, barely taking a glimpse of the bonnet ornament that resembled a silver lady before settling down again in front the study desk, continuing reviewing his notes as if nothing happened.

At this time, Jieun was already inside the manor. She found it unusual as she took a whiff of coffee aroma when she ambled her way to the second floor. Then, it made sense when she saw a woman was sitting in the living room. The cup clunk lightly with its collision against the glass table, breaking the silence.

"Oh, Jieun, you're here!"

"Madam." Jieun bowed her head slightly in greeting and sat across the lady of the house.

"Looking for Joonmyeon? He's having a small nap though." Solji paused to give a small smile.

"I'll have someone to wake him up." She turned her head in the direction of a servant, ready to give an instruction.

"It's fine. I told him that I would be coming over. I will just wait here." Jieun flicked her gaze from the spotless rim of the porcelain cup to Solji's red streaked lips and hid her amusement behind a faint smile. The scent of the caffeine was too heavy to be freshly brewed; Solji had been waiting for her.

"Care for a cup? Uncle Kim brought it back from Africa." Solji lifted up the hot beverage in indication.

"I'm fine. I never liked coffee."

Jieun's response made Solji's eyebrow met in a fleet moment, but it changed to a dazzling smile. Suho was strikingly similar to his mother, only that the inherited beauty brought out by Suho was more of a manlier attractiveness. Jieun was so familiar with every miniscule expression and gestures of Suho's like the back of her hand, hence Jieun did not miss the flick of displeasure from his look-alike mother.

"I'll leave you here then. Don't wait too long for that insensible child, knowing that you'll be here but still...That would be impolite of our family." Solji uncrossed her legs and looked at Jieun apologetically.

"It's nothing. I'm not a stranger to this family, you made me feel distanced by saying that." Jieun cracked a laugh that was void of emotion and bowed once again when Solji left without another word.

Jieun rubbed her temple and finally felt that the living room reverted back to its minimalism. She  glanced at the corner of the door that was shut tightly as usual and picked up a few magazines to pass the time.

The light shone from the window turned from tangerine to black. Just then, a clicking sound followed closely by shuffles of slippers were heard, Jieun glanced to the grandfather's clock in the corner and put down the magazine.

"Well, I should go back now for dinner. Hang out next time."

Jieun playfully saluted at Suho that had yet to say a word and went down. Suho mentally counted the time she waited and went back into his room. This time instead from the window, he looked out discreetly from his balcony when Jieun slipped into her ride and drove out from his house.

"Every day you come here, not caring even if you waited me for the whole afternoon, but once it's mealtime with your father, you just toss me aside. What exactly are you thinking, Lee Jieun?" Suho subsconciously touched his left wrist and was reminded again he was not wearing it anymore, but with the remaning of one barely seeable scar.

〜❅〜

"So much for an unusual day," Jieun muttered when she saw two additional people at the dining table. One was her jobless uncle-  Lee Taegong that always seek troubles and another was a woman that was dressed up to the nines. Jieun could see the effort of the woman that tried to appear more mature, but she knew that beneath the attire and makeup, the woman was not much older than her.

"Dad."Jieun greeted Taewon that nodded at her in return.

"Ah, Jieun, you're back."  Lee Taegong was wreathed in smiles, yet Jieun nonchalantly flipped her hair and sat down. In the corner of her eyes, she saw how the woman that coyly smiled and looked at her father from time to time; Jieun sardonically laughed. Taegong hung onto his smile awkwardly while the woman visibly stiffened.

Lee Taewon was in sync with his daughter's cold attitude, not even addressing Jieun's impoliteness towards an older relative but began to help her with the dishes. Seeing how his brother and his niece giving them their cold shoulders, Taegong cursed inwardly. Ironically, his still had his smile on and following Taewon, he served Jieun some cauliflowers. Jieun peered at the vegetables in her bowl and lost her appetite, consequently setting down her chopsticks.

Spotting this as a chance, Taegong nudged the woman beside him.

"Jieun ah, this is your dad's secretary, Jaeyeon. You could call her Miss Park."

Jieun carelessly threw a glance at the woman before pushing back her fringe and fiddled with the red diamonds in her hair.

Jaeyeon deemed this as a teenager being difficult and brushed aside Jieun's coldness by handing out her hand towards Jieun.

"Jieun has quite an attitude, but I like it. Let's get along well in the future."

Unbeknownst to Jaeyeon, Jieun had her gaze on the braised tofu right beneath Jaeyeon's outstretched hand.

"Your hand is blocking the dish."

Embarrassed, Jaeyeon retracted her hand, a dazzling smile still intact. Lee Taewon was unaffected by the scene and continue eating like normal.

Of course, Taegong was aware of Jieun's apathy, but he was unconcerned of it and attempted to continue the unwanted conversation.

"Jieun ah, it had been...ten years since your mum passed away, ain't that right?"

Her movements briefly paused before returning to eat, seemingly unaffected.

"For all this while, hyung had been raising you all by himself and even not remarrying for your sake. Now that you are all grown up and in a budding relationship with the Kim's son. One day, you'll be leaving this house for your future husband. Shouldn't you think of your father too?"

Jieun knew her father never had the intention to remarry after her mother's death, hence worrying the lack of a mother's love, Taewon had doubled his love for her in replace of it.

"I really should thinking of my father, don't I?"

Taegong beamed when Jieun casted a glance towards him and be more enthusiastic in talking.

"Miss Park is personally hired by me. Not only she's pretty, she's reliable too. Isn't that right, brother?" Taegong nodded his head in Taewon's direction and turned back to Jieun.

"She's absolutely a darling too, may it be the wrinkles on brother's shirt, dust on the shoes, his preference and not, Miss Park had it all taken care perfectly. I definitely see the sincerity from her overtime, no other secretary would be as willing as her. I would say she really does care about your father!"

Jieun drummed her fingers silently on the table and saw how the woman ducked her head shyly when Taegong looked at her.

"Don't you worry Jieun, Miss Park's personality is even better. I've discussed this with hyung and he did not oppose too. So, albeit my presumptuous, I thought it'd be great for you to meet Miss Park." Jieun's ears perked up when Taegong said that her father 'seemingly' to be on the same page as her uncle. Her eyes gleamed in mischievous as she fixed them on her father, who in returned said nothing, except that the smile on his lips grew wider.