Seol Yu-jin’s brows furrowed instantly.
“That again? Aren’t you tired of bringing it up?”
His voice rose without meaning to—laced with frustration. Was this the part where Winston would start shaming him for being promiscuous? He was so done with this.
“Wait a second!”
As Yu-jin turned on his heel to leave, Winston hastily grabbed his arm. Yu-jin stopped mid-step despite himself and shot him a glare. Winston immediately let go of his arm.
“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
To Yu-jin’s surprise, the apology came right away. Still, he didn’t let his guard down. Awkwardly avoiding his gaze, Winston mumbled under his breath.
“That’s not it. I just… I was wondering if you were seeing anyone else. I wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything. I mean, you were single. So you had every right to date anyone you wanted…”
Shockingly, he was rambling. Yu-jin scrunched his brow again, but this time with a different meaning—he looked genuinely baffled. What the hell was this guy going on about?
He understood the words, sure. But… was Winston seriously saying what he thought he was saying?
“You’re asking if I’ve been dating someone?”
Yu-jin cut straight to the heart of it in one line. Winston blinked, caught off guard, and hesitantly gave a small nod.
But Yu-jin shot back, tone sharp.
“Why do you care? Do I owe you an explanation or something?”
“…No.”
Winston paused, then replied quietly.
“You don’t.”
And that was it. He fell silent, but his whole posture seemed deflated, like a balloon losing air. Before Yu-jin could start feeling sorry for him, he spun around and walked out.
What the hell is wrong with him? Did he think pulling this crap would make Yu-jin waver?
Get a grip, he told himself. For all I know, he’s just trying to play the pity card to steal Angie from me.
Slapping his own cheek in secret, Yu-jin lifted his chin, eyes wide with resolve. Just then, he spotted Angela with a guard’s help, riding a snowboard.
“Daddy, look at me! I’m riding!”
“That’s awesome, Angie!”
Yu-jin’s mood lifted instantly. Her bright, giggling voice swept away the lingering heaviness in his chest.
Maybe I should’ve gone on a date at least once.
The thought popped into his head. He’d once told Winston that he’d been too busy trying to survive to even think about dating. Apparently, Winston either didn’t remember… or assumed Yu-jin had managed to go out once or twice anyway.
Thinking back, it felt so unfair. Winston had been engaged, waltzing in and out of pheromone parties until just recently, while Yu-jin hadn’t even kissed someone else. Not once.
The more he thought about it, the more it pissed him off. This wasn’t the time to just stand around.
First thing I do when I get home—download a dating app and meet someone. Anyone. Even if it was just a coffee date, he figured it might bring him a little comfort.
Just imagining it made him feel better, and a faint smile returned to his face.
That’s when Grant skied up and stopped right in front of him.
“Why are you smiling? Did something good happen?”
Grant asked, panting slightly from the exertion. Yu-jin shook his head and replied, “No, not really.”
“You’re good at skiing, that’s all.”
As he smiled and offered the compliment, Grant lifted his chin proudly and answered, “I’ve been skiing since I was a kid. Kate fell for me after seeing me ski, you know.”
He sounded smug at first, but his face quickly fell as he lowered his head.
“She used to say I was the most handsome man in the world…”
“G-Grant, Grant.”
Yu-jin quickly cut in, trying to change the subject before the man burst into tears again like he had while drinking the night before.
“Look at Phoebe. She’s amazing—she skis like a pro.”
At the mention of his beloved daughter, Grant seemed to forget his sorrow immediately. Watching Phoebe glide down the slope with impressive balance for a child, he smiled in satisfaction and waved a wide arm.
“She’s good, right? I taught her myself.”
“Really?”
Just as Yu-jin said that, something at the edge of his vision caught his attention—Winston. It was only a glimpse, so he couldn’t be sure, but he felt it—that Winston was watching them.
Why wait till we get back?
A mischievous whisper echoed in his ear. You could go on a date right now. There was no rule saying he had to be in a relationship with Grant. He’d already decided even a simple coffee with someone would be enough to soothe his mood. And with Grant, there was no pressure—he was safe, single, and practically a friend.
“Hey, Grant, would you teach me too?”
At Yu-jin’s unexpected request, Grant’s eyes went wide.
“Teach you? Skiing?”
“Yeah.”
Yu-jin nodded right away and continued, “Since you taught Phoebe, would you teach me as well? I’ve never skied before. Just the basics would be fine…”
Suddenly, the color drained from Grant’s face. Yu-jin blinked in confusion, watching as Grant’s pale complexion darted back and forth between him and someone else, clearly rattled. Then, voice trembling, he stammered,
“U-uh, how about you ask your partner instead? I, uh… I’m kind of busy right now.”
He stumbled over his words, then abruptly turned and bolted, skis and all, leaving Yu-jin staring after him in stunned silence.
What the hell just happened?
The reason revealed itself a moment later.
“You want to learn how to ski?”
A voice came from behind, startling Yu-jin so much he spun around. Winston was standing right there, closer than expected. Yu-jin blinked, eyes wide from surprise, as Winston gave him a smooth, knowing smile.
“Then how about I teach you?”
Only then did Yu-jin understand why Grant had bolted in such a panic—it was his unspoken way of saying he didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire between a couple. Even if that assumption was nothing more than a misunderstanding.
Still, telling him We’re not like that or We’re breaking up soon wouldn’t have changed a thing. Grant had already been collateral damage once before—he wasn’t going to take that risk again. Yu-jin couldn’t exactly blame him for being cautious.
“Forget it,” Yu-jin snapped, turning on his heel—only to suddenly lose his balance and stumble.
“Yu-jin!”
Winston shouted and lunged forward, catching him around the waist. Yu-jin managed to avoid falling, but found himself wrapped in Winston’s arms instead. He’d been trying to keep his distance, and now they were physically pressed together—worse than before.
“I’m fine—let go,” Yu-jin said, hastily pushing him away. This time, Winston didn’t resist. He slowly let go, only stepping back fully once Yu-jin had regained his balance.
“It’s just snow. Even if I fell, it wouldn’t hurt.”
Yu-jin grumbled, brushing it off. Winston simply replied, “I know.”
“But I couldn’t just stand there and watch you fall.”
Yu-jin stared at him in silence. That kind of gentle compliance—that was the real problem. It made it impossible to stay angry. No matter what Yu-jin said, Winston would just respond with I know, Sorry, You’re right, until all the fire in Yu-jin fizzled out.
Is this some new tactic?
Yu-jin couldn’t bring himself to believe that Winston was genuinely remorseful or seeking forgiveness. There had to be an angle. How else could someone so arrogant change so drastically overnight?
Then again, Winston used to be like that. Maybe not with others, but with Yu-jin—he’d always given in. Always said Yu-jin was right. Always accepted everything about him.
Get a grip. That was a long time ago.
He bit down on the wave of sentiment rising inside him and mentally slapped himself. You’re too soft. How are you supposed to protect Angie like that? Once he and Winston split, he’d be raising her entirely on his own.
“Daddy, Winnie!”
Just as he tried to steady his heart again, Angela came running over, having taken off her board. Yu-jin crouched with a smile, and she immediately flung her tiny body into his arms.
“Daddy, Winnie! What are you doing? Aren’t you going to ski? Let’s go together!”
She must’ve felt left out, seeing Grant and Phoebe skiing together. Yu-jin gave her an awkward smile and replied, “Sorry, Daddy doesn’t know how to ski…”
“Then you can learn.”
Angela shut him down without hesitation.
“Phoebe said her dad taught her. You can learn too, right?”
From behind Yu-jin, clearly savoring the moment, Winston chimed in.
“I did say I could teach you…”
Angela blinked at the voice that drifted in slowly. Winston gave her a bittersweet smile.
“Daddy said no.”
“Whyyy? Why not?”
Yu-jin resisted the urge to glare at Winston and forced a smile.
“Just… Daddy doesn’t really feel like skiing…”
“Daddy, if you don’t exercise, it’s bad for your health.”
Angela scolded him in an overly mature tone, like a little grown-up.
“You’ve been lying down all the time. If you don’t want to get sick, you have to move. Okay? Got it?”
There was no escape. Yu-jin was completely cornered. Behind him, Winston stood quietly, waiting for his answer. Yu-jin stood frozen for a moment, then let out a long, deep breath. When he finally turned around, his face was twisted in defeat.
“Winston, will you teach me how to ski?”
His voice was forced calm, but the words came out slightly slurred from between clenched teeth. At that, Winston broke into a beaming smile.
“Of course. I’d be happy to.”
In the end, everything went the way he wanted.
The realization burned, but Yu-jin had no other choice.
“Angie really cares about Daddy,” Winston added, taking it a step further as he praised her.
Angela puffed up her chest proudly and replied, “Of course. Daddy can’t do anything without me.”
She looked at Yu-jin expectantly, and he managed a nod.
“You’re such a good girl.”
Winston smiled and, without missing a beat, picked Angela up and lifted her onto his shoulders. As he walked ahead with her, his figure looked lighter than ever.
