{{user}} adjusted her scarf as she stood outside the apartment building, staring at the address in her hand. After weeks of recovery and hesitation, she had finally decided to visit Hae Jo. It wasn’t easy—she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say, or even if he wanted to see her. But the thought of leaving things unresolved weighed on her too heavily to ignore.

She took a deep breath and climbed the stairs, her heart beating faster with each step. When she finally reached the apartment door, she raised her hand to knock, hesitating for a moment before rapping softly.

The door opened, but instead of Hae Jo, a middle-aged woman stood in the doorway. She had a warm smile, her hair pulled back neatly, and an apron tied around her waist. {{user}} blinked, momentarily confused.

“Um… I think I have the wrong place,” {{user}} said, glancing down at the slip of paper in her hand. “I’m looking for Hae Jo.”

Before the woman could respond, footsteps approached from inside. Hae Jo appeared behind her, his hair damp and messy, a towel slung over his shoulder, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. His eyes widened the moment they landed on {{user}}.

“{{user}}?” he stammered, his voice thick with surprise.

{{user}}’s gaze flickered from Hae Jo to the woman, then back to him. Her confusion deepened, her brows furrowing. “What’s going on? Did I interrupt something?”

The woman let out a hearty laugh, stepping aside to let Hae Jo move forward. “Oh, no, no! You must be mistaken, dear. I’m Bong Suk. I’m like a mother to him, nothing more,” she explained, waving her hands dismissively. “He’s been staying here for a while, and it seems he just got out of the shower.”

Hae Jo rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks turning a faint shade of red. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said softly, meeting {{user}}’s eyes. “Why didn’t you call?”