57 days after the incident
Loud cheers coming from Ji Woo's apartment. It's Joo Won's birthday. Guests were many- Hana, Ji Woo, Mr Kang, So Hee, Colin, Dong Geun and the guest of Honor was Joo Won. Background music is Song Dae-kwan's rhythmic "Sunny Day", all are dancing. This time, the cook was Mr Kang. Menu is a home made birthday dinner-
Miyeok-guk, Bulgogi, Japchae, Banchan (Kimchi, Namul, Steamed egg, Pickled vegetables), Rice, 1 year aged red Ginseng Wine, and for dessert, the birthday cake of Joo Won's favorite Strawberry shortcake.
Dong Geun and Colin, now knowing Joo Won's true story, looked at him not as the intimidating heir of the Hwang Group, but as a survivor. The awe and distance were replaced by a warm, protective camaraderie.
Dong Geun, recalling their old days back in orphanage, "Hey! Remember this?" he announced, his voice booming with playful energy. "The 'Song of the Little Warriors' but based on the song Let's Get Together Now! Ji Woo made us practice this for a whole month for the orphanage talent show!"
He then launched into a hilariously awkward and energetic dance—a series of exaggerated martial arts moves mixed with boy-band gestures that was clearly invented by a very passionate, very young Ji Woo. The room erupted in genuine, belly-deep laughter. Joo Won's head fell back, a full, unrestrained laugh shaking his entire body—a sound so rare and precious it made Hana's heart swell. Even Colin was wiping tears of happiness from his eyes. It was a perfect, healing moment of shared joy.
As the laughter settled into warm contentment, Hana moved closer to Joo Won on the couch. She took his wrist gently and fastened a delicate, silver couple bracelet around it. There was a matching one on her own.
"So you never feel alone again," she said softly, her voice full of a promise that went far beyond the jewelry.
Then, So Hee stepped forward. In her hands was a simple, elegant silver frame. Inside was a picture taken on Ji Woo's birthday back in January, recreating the last photo of Joo Won and Ji Woo as children in the orphanage—same poses, same hesitant smiles, but now with the faces of the men they had become.
"A new beginning," So Hee said, her eyes glistening as she handed it to Joo Won. "No more goodbyes."
Ji Woo without saying anything vanished from the living room into his bedroom leaving everyone surprised only to return with a box full of toys.
Joo Won's breath hitched.
With trembling hands, he lifted the lid. Inside were the scattered fragments of a stolen childhood: a faded drawing of two stick figures labeled "Joo Won" and "Ji Woo," a worn-out superhero toy missing an arm, a stack of folded, yellowing homework assignments, and a few precious, slightly blurry photographs. Among all the elegant gifts, this simple box of rescued memories touched Joo Won's soul the most. He was instantly lost, sifting through the artifacts of their shared past. He held up a drawing, and a story spilled out—a tale of the time they'd tried to paint a mural on the orphanage wall and gotten caught by the warden. Then a battered toy car sparked the memory of a makeshift race that ended in a shared punishment of scrubbing floors.
The stories were so vivid, so filled with a bittersweet humor that even Colin, Hana, and So Hee, who hadn't been there, could feel the joy and the mischief woven into each memory. They laughed, not out of politeness, but with genuine delight at the image of the two boys causing innocent chaos. Ji Woo was surprised to learn that once Joo Won escaped school to visit him in the orphanage. The sisters even handed him the address of their old house but in fear that the chairman would find out where Ji Woo lived, he had torn it to pieces. Ji Woo apologized to Joo Won as he had assumed that the latter had forgotten him.
From her corner of the couch, So Hee watched Ji Woo. A soft, understanding smile touched her lips as she secretly admired him. The lively, almost radiant man telling jokes was also the same boy who had carried this box of heartbreak for over two decades. She saw it now—the dark cloud of unresolved pain that hovered just beneath his vibrant surface, the constant war he fought with a fate that had been so cruel to him and his best friend. A quiet chuckle escaped her as she remembered her own silly assumption that he was gay or in love with Joo Won. The truth was far more profound. He couldn't kiss her that day because his heart was a fortress, its gates locked shut by trauma, and a constant loss of his loved ones who were dear to him. He could not invite So Hee into it.
The night ended in easy frolic and shared fun, the cardboard box of memories sitting at the center of it all like a sacred relic. When everyone finally left for their homes, the air was filled with the promise of new beginnings. Mr. Kang was persuaded to retire for the night as Ji Woo and So Hee cleared the last of the party debris. They worked in a comfortable, if slightly tense, silence, their movements synced from years of 默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding).
The final task was taking the overflowing garbage bags outside.
The night air was cool as they stepped out, a stark contrast to the warmth they'd left inside. Under the dim glow of the streetlamp, Ji Woo stole glances at So Hee, trying to read her mood from behind her shoulders, the quiet focus on her face. The unspoken thing between them felt heavier than the bags they carried.
Back inside, with the apartment clean and quiet, So Hee smoothed her clothes and picked up her purse from the couch. "I should get going," she said, her voice soft in the stillness.
A sudden, sharp fear gripped Ji Woo—the fear of another missed chance, another regret to add to the pile. The words tumbled out before he could stop them.
"So Hee... I'm sorry for that day."
So Hee turned, her hand on the doorknob of the door she had already opened, a look of genuine confusion on her face. "Which day?"
"That day on the stairs," Ji Woo said, his voice hesitant but earnest. "I shouldn't have left like that. And I definitely shouldn't have avoided talking about it afterward."
So Hee pressed her lips together, her expression softening into one of deep understanding. She'd pieced together his burdens now—the weight of his past, death of his mother.
"It's okay, Ji Woo. I understand it....now." A faint, amused smile touched her lips. "But then... I thought you were gay.... for Joo Won."
Ji Woo's eyes widened in comical horror. "G-gay? For Joo Won? Wahh! What about the fact that you kissed Hana? Should I think you are lesbian?" He looked visibly, dramatically disappointed by the accusation.
So Hee couldn't help but chuckle at his over-the-top reaction and remembering the incident with Hana.
But Ji Woo wasn't done. He took a step toward her, his playful demeanor shifting into something more intense, his voice dropping to a soft, seductive murmur. "But, So Hee... do you still think I'm gay?"
So Hee's breath hitched. She took an involuntary step back, her back gently meeting the wall beside the door. Her heart began to hammer against her ribs. "N-no..." she managed, her voice a hushed, flustered whisper, her eyes unable to meet his intense gaze.
He closed the final distance between them, his body bridging the gap until he was right in front of her. With his right hand, he shut the door with a definitive thud while maintaining his position right in front of So Hee.
The sound echoed in the sudden silence. He gently held her chin, tilting her face up to his. "What about you? Are you a lesbian, now that you kissed a woman?" Shy So Hee shook her head sideways. Slowly, he lowered his head, to whisper, " Are you sure?" She submissively shook her head looking down to say yes. Unable to control himself any further, Ji Woo finally closed the agonizing distance between them, his lips meeting hers.
So Hee, unable and unwilling to move away, melted into the kiss. It was everything she'd seen in his eyes—all the pent-up affection, the longing, the unspoken words finally poured into a single, perfect moment. The world outside, their worries, everything dissolved into a soft, blissful blur.
In her dazed trance, her grip on her purse loosened. It slipped from her fingers and hit the polished floor with a jarringly loud BANG.
The sound of the door being shut with a loud sound and So Hee's purse falling woke up Mr Kang thinking some thief may have sneaked into their apartment. His concerned, sleepy voice shouted. "Who's there? Ji Woo?"
The spell shattered. They broke apart, gasping for air. Flustered and panicked, So Hee fumbled for the doorknob, yanked the door open, and fled into the night without a backward glance.
Left alone in the doorway, Ji Woo let out a low, frustrated growl. He glared down the hall toward his father's room.
"Appa-aaa!" he shouted, his voice a mix of utter exasperation and thwarted desire, his brows furrowed in sheer agony.