It was already late at night in the study room. Seo-jun had completed his work and was tired. He yawned and grumbled, "I should go…"
Min-jae got up and took his arm. "Sleep here tonight," he said.
"Thanks, Mr. Min-jae, but I don't have anything here," Seo-jun said.
"Don't worry," Min-jae said.
Tae-hyun entered and smiled. "Hey, it's time to sleep. Don't you guys want to go to the office tomorrow?"
"Alright," Min-jae nodded. Tae-hyun glanced at Seo-jun. "You can sleep in my room."
"No, he'll sleep in my room," Min-jae firmly stated.
"Do you have a guest room? I can sleep there," Seo-jun offered.
Tae-hyun shook his head. "No, you have to sleep with someone, not alone."
"Ah… why?" Seo-jun questioned, slightly concerned.
"When guests here stay over, sometimes they get frightened," Tae-hyun clarified.
"Frightened… a bit frightened, why?" Seo-jun insisted.
Min-jae was quiet. Tae-hyun glared at him, and Min-jae spoke for the first time, "Seo-jun, let's go to my room."
They went to the double bed room. Min-jae got on one side and said, "Let's sleep."
"I can sleep on the lounge," Seo-jun suggested.
"No, sleep here," Min-jae insisted.
Seo-jun was lying next to him. The lights were turned off. Seo-jun slept soundly, but at one point he began a panic attack in his nightmare. He woke up, wide-eyed.
"Seo-jun, are you all right?" Min-jae inquired anxiously.
"No… don't do this. I'm begging you," Seo-jun whispered frantically.
Min-jae was perplexed at first, but then he figured Seo-jun was dreaming. "You're okay. I won't do anything. You're safe," he soothed him.
Anxious, Min-jae leaned forward and kissed Seo-jun softly. Tears streamed down Seo-jun's face, but the contact comforted him. Min-jae hugged him tightly, smoothing back his hair. "You're okay," he whispered.
Gradually, Seo-jun's panic subsided. His breathing became calm, and he sank back into peaceful sleep, secure in Min-jae's arms.
—
At the Joon-ho house, Soo-yeon lay sleeping peacefully in bed. Gradually, he opened his eyes and saw Joon-ho on the balcony, taking a cigarette. Soo-yeon quietly rose and approached him.
Joon-ho saw him and ended smoking and threw away the cigarette. Soo-yeon smiled and said, "You may smoke."
"I'm okay," Joon-ho answered, spinning around. He wrapped his arms around Soo-yeon from behind, holding him tight. His hand was on Soo-yeon's stomach, and he leaned down to kiss the back of his neck.
"Hey, Soo-yeon… I wish to have a baby like you," Joon-ho whispered.
Soo-yeon smiled quietly. "Really? But I believe the baby will be more like you."
"No, I want it to be like you," Joon-ho laughed.
They stayed there, holding each other on the balcony, talking quietly. From the front of the house, a man was watching them, hidden in the shadows. He was well-dressed, smoking a cigar, and he muttered to himself, "Oh, Han Joon-ho… living happily, huh? What a good life you've built."
He released the cigar onto a tray, grabbed files on the Cha family and the Han family, and examined the photographs attentively. When he saw Seo-jun's photo, he sneered. "Ah… that boy's grown up. Perhaps it's time I paid a visit."
The man smiled, icy and sarcastic, as he vanished into the darkness.