As they were digesting their filling lunch, Si-hyun found himself going uphill while experiencing a full-body tremor from the vibrations of the vehicle and the ear-piercing exhaust noise.

"It's my first time on a rotary tiller, but it's surprisingly okay."

Sitting in the cargo area, he turned around and saw that the higher they climbed, the more the sea came into view.

It was a breathtaking view he would have photographed immediately if he had brought his phone. However, something else caught Si-hyun's interest even more...

"You... know how to drive a rotary tiller?"

It was Ye-rin, who was confidently at the wheel. At Si-hyun's admiring tone, she puffed out her chest and replied proudly.

"Of course. If I set my mind to it, I could drive all the way to Daegu."

Typical of her, always ready to take things to the extreme. Si-hyun, a bit incredulous, continued the conversation.

"When did you get your license?"

"Huh? I don't have one."

"What do you mean? I thought you needed an Agricultural Machinery Operator License to drive a rotary tiller."

"Oh~ that?

Ye-rin went silent for a moment, then turned back to him with a mischievous smile.

"Si-hyun."

"What?"

She whispered into his ear, as if sharing a secret.

"In a small village like this... as long as you don't get caught, you can do anything."

"Anything, you say? No… you didn't!"

"Yep, no license."

Seeing Ye-rin’s innocent smile, a cold sweat began to trickle down Si-hyun’s back.

'Wait a second... Come to think of it, isn’t the rotary tiller wobbling?'

Moving left gradually, then pivoting back to the right as it teetered dangerously. This zig-zag driving only increased Si-hyun's anxiety.

"This won't do... Let's stop at a suitable spot."

"Why... I’m driving just fine."

"Regardless of how well you drive, do you not realize it's illegal without a license?"

"What? Was that what you were worried about?"

Ye-rin curled her lips into a smirk as if it was an amusing concern.

"If that's the issue, it's fine. I'm friendly with the folks at the police substation here; a bit of charm and they’ll laugh it off!"

"Uh-huh."

Si-hyun tightly shut his eyes, looking at his criminal childhood friend. He wondered how he ended up agreeing to come here. It hadn't even been a day, and he was already starting to regret it.

Meanwhile, Ye-rin, worried about being scolded further by Si-hyun, glanced around and beamed brightly.

"Grandma! Grandpa! I’m here!!"

As Ye-rin waved her arms around, the farmers working nearby shouted out.

"Oh my... our little Puppy is here!!"

"This time, she brought her husband with her!"

In this village, Ye-rin had a presence even greater than that of an idol. Hearing cheers from all around, Si-hyun’s mouth fell open.

"You… You're quite popular, aren't you?"

"Of course, I've known these people since I was young."

After climbing up the hill while receiving a warm welcome, the two reached the terraced rice fields. The fields were carved into large steps on the mountain, providing a rather spacious area.

"Since Grandma said she's planting lettuce below, let's plant carrots here."

"What should I help with?"

Ye-rin flashed a mischievous smile.

"How about giving me a kiss every time I struggle?"

Si-hyun, tired of being teased by Ye-rin since the bus ride, gave her a playful flick on the forehead. Having failed to maintain control, Ye-rin rubbed her head and pointed to the field where black plastic was lined up in rows.

"If you poke holes in the plastic at regular intervals, I'll plant the carrot sprouts in them."

With his knack for work, Si-hyun quickly carried out his task.

Since Grandma had already done half of the planting, the job was finished quickly. Stretching her back, Ye-rin got Si-hyun into the rotary tiller and parked it back in its original spot.

"Si-hyun, come with me. I'll give you something delicious."

Ye-rin then led Si-hyun to a place where there was a tree. When they looked up, they saw various colorful things hanging—red, purple, and some green, still ripening.

"What are those?"

"They're figs. Super tasty."

Ye-rin smacked her lips and tapped the figs with a bamboo pole, and soon one dropped to the ground.

Si-hyun picked it up, about to wait for the next fig when suddenly—

"Oh my goodness! Get away! Get away!"

Bees swarmed near Ye-rin. Startled, Ye-rin dropped the pole and hurried away, with Si-hyun following closely behind.

"Even the bees know figs are delicious," he remarked.

"They're really not willing to share."

Si-hyun said, laughing, while Ye-rin stomped her feet in frustration.

"It's our tree, so why are they eating it? We should charge them!"

After whining for a while, Ye-rin looked sadly at the fig in Si-hyun's hand.

"Sigh... In the end, we only got one."

Feeling downcast, Ye-rin looked adorable in Si-hyun's eyes, and he noticed there's a valley nearby.

Plop. Plop.

He rinsed the fig in the valley stream and split it in half. The ripe, red interior was mouthwatering.

"Here."

Si-hyun fed one half to Ye-rin and ate the other half himself. The sweetness made him understand why Ye-rin called it delicious.

"Thanks. Because of you, I got to try something like this."

With Si-hyun’s praise and comfort, Ye-rin's face gradually brightened as she chewed on the fig.

"See? Didn't I say it's tasty?"

"Yeah. The sweetness is just perfect for my taste."

She nodded repeatedly, satisfied. Then, before long, she exclaimed and plopped down on the spot.

"Oh no... My legs are too tired to walk anymore~"

Her acting was so unconvincing. Smiling knowingly, Si-hyun bent his knees, having realized Ye-rin's intention.

"Should I give you a piggyback ride?"

"Really?"

Just as Ye-rin began to wrap her arms around Si-hyun's neck, he stood up and bolted away.

"Hey!!"

Despite her claim of sore legs, she chased after him effortlessly.

Soon, night fell, and the countryside was embraced by its early darkness.

Grandmother had laid out only one blanket in the room. With a warm smile, she said, "I sleep better by myself, so why don't you two sleep together?"

"No, Grandma. It's okay. I can sleep in the living room."

Si-hyun tried to refuse, but Grandmother looked away as if to avoid his gaze.

"I only have two blankets, so you'll just have to understand."

"But I don't really need a blanket..."

"When night falls here, it gets so chilly! Don't say such things recklessly."

Faced with her firm stance, Si-hyun had no choice but to relent. Behind him, Ye-rin discreetly gave a thumbs-up, and Grandmother nodded slightly before leaving the room.

"It seems we have no other choice but to sleep together, right?"

"Even so, still..."

"Why? When you broke up with Chae-yeon, you slept just fine with me."

"That was because I didn’t think much of you back then. But now..."

"Now what?"

Ye-rin's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and suddenly shy, Si-hyun burrowed himself under the blankets. But that didn’t matter—Ye-rin simply wrapped her arms around him through the blanket and whispered,

"I'm so happy. I love you, Si-hyun."

Having longed for affection in the aftermath of their relationship, Si-hyun trembled as he listened to Ye-rin’s confession.

Not long after he peeked out, Ye-rin hugged him tightly.

Smooch♡

She expressed her love for him without hesitation.

After a 30-minute journey from her place, Chae-yeon arrived at her family home. She hesitated for a moment, fiddling with the door lock before cautiously entering the code.

Beep beep!

Perhaps because the surroundings were so quiet, the door lock's sound seemed particularly loud. Startled by the noise, Chae-yeon swallowed nervously as she opened the door.

"...I'm home."

She spoke in a small voice, but there was no response. Were her parents both out? Tilting her head in confusion, Chae-yeon looked around the house.

"No one's here..."

Feeling a bit deflated after her initial tension, Chae-yeon let out a small sigh and headed to her room to unpack.

'It seems they cleaned every day.'

Though she hadn't visited the family home for several months, Chae-yeon's room was impeccably neat, ready for use at any time. Touched by this, she surveyed the room before sitting on the bed to check her phone.

'No message from Si-hyun...'

Throughout the entire vacation, even in the taxi, she checked her phone constantly. Why did she keep expecting a message?

With a sudden wave of sadness, Chae-yeon hugged her pillow, reflecting on the pain of their breakup.

'Chae-yeon, do you even like me?'

'Why can't you answer?'

'Selfish girl.'

Because she couldn't say she liked him, she only left him disappointed. The image of his contemptuous look as he walked away haunted her heart daily.

"I like you… I love you... I love you so much I could give you everything. I'm sorry I couldn't express it. But once I overcome this trauma, I'll return the love you've given me twice as much."

A mantra she recites whenever in pain.

How happy would Si-hyun be if she could express her love to him? Thinking about the future gradually eased her heart.

Momentarily freed from the pain of the breakup, Chae-yeon turned on her smartphone and entered her gallery. She stared intently at Si-hyun's photos, losing track of time.

"He's really cute... Just looking at him makes me happy."

Her suppressed love, unknown to Si-hyun, was overwhelming her. Si-hyun's face filled her unfocused eyes, and that image flowed into her heart.

Just then, as Chae-yeon’s hand slowly moved between her thighs.

Beep beep!

The door lock's sound brought her back to her senses. She tidied her tousled hair, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and cleared her throat to steady her voice before stepping out of the room.

"You're back."

Chae-yeon's eyes widened as she saw Su-yeon and Dong-hoon entering the house, hand in hand.

"Oh my. Chae-yeon, when did you get here?"

"Our daughter, it looks like your vacation has started?"

Both of their faces were full of smiles. Seeing this filled Chae-yeon's heart with an inexplicable unease, but she responded without showing it.

"I arrived around lunchtime."

"Really? Have you eaten?"

When Chae-yeon shook her head, Su-yeon smiled gently.

"Then let's get you some food first."

As Su-yeon started toward the kitchen, she suddenly turned back to Dong-hoon.

"Hand me your bag. I'll put it away."

"Thank you, honey."

Watching her parents' affectionate exchange, Chae-yon’s body began to feel frozen. Especially her mom’s smile, which confused her, reminding her of Su-yeon before the divorce.

With Su-yeon tying on an apron to prepare a meal, a now alert Chae-yeon asked Dong-hoon,

"Dad, I saw you came in with mom. What were you two up to?"

"We went to the Psychological Counseling Center. We've been going together on holidays."

"The Psychological Counseling Center..."

Although she had visited there multiple times herself, it surprised her that her parents were also going.

Chae-yeon was more shocked by her mother's transformation than the fact that they were visiting the counseling center.

‘How has mom...’

Her mother certainly seemed to have been more deeply affected than she was. How was she able to appear as if she had overcome her trauma?

This hard-to-accept reality made Chae-yeon feel queasy, while Dong-hoon, unaware of anything, continued speaking joyfully.

"Your mom has changed a lot, hasn't she? The counseling seems to have worked. She's been smiling more often lately and even holding hands... It really makes me happy to see her transforming little by little."

Despite Dong-hoon continuing to talk about Su-yeon's improvements, none of it registered with Chae-yeon.

No, she heard it, but she didn't want to listen.