Yu-jin halted his movements at the unexpected words and turned to look at him. The butler remained expressionless, merely waiting for a response.
“Dinner? With me and Angie?”
Repeating the words slowly, as if trying to process them, Yu-jin watched as the butler gave a nod.
“Yes, at eight o’clock.”
Yu-jin hesitated for a moment, unsure how to react. Why this sudden invitation? Angela still hadn’t fully opened up—would this really be okay?
“…Alright. Thank you.”
That was all he said before turning away and heading into the bathroom. Left alone, he prepared to wash up while sinking deep into thought.
He had no idea what had caused this sudden change of heart…
Even as he adjusted the water temperature, twisting the faucet back and forth, his mind was tangled in confusion. When Winston heard what Yu-jin had told him, he looked visibly flustered. It must have given him a lot to think about. But even so, Yu-jin didn’t expect Winston to suddenly change overnight. The man had an unshakable sense of conviction—something like this wouldn’t crumble so easily.
Still unable to make sense of it, Yu-jin stood under the stream of water with a serious expression, lost in thought.
***
Winston returned home just before eight.
Yu-jin, who had already fed Angela dinner a little earlier, was in the middle of washing her up and getting her ready for bed when he realized Winston had arrived. From the window, he spotted the familiar car speeding toward the mansion and the busy movements of the household staff. Yet, after a brief glance, he turned his attention back to Angela.
“Daddy, where are you going?”
Angela tilted her head as she watched Yu-jin change clothes after helping her get ready for bed. Yu-jin gave her an ambiguous smile.
“I just got something on me, so I had to change.”
Satisfied with the excuse, Angela accepted it without question and lay down as he instructed. As always, he made up a bedtime story on the spot, and soon enough, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
After pressing a kiss to the forehead of the little girl, who clung tightly to her beloved stuffed toy, Yu-jin turned off the bedside lamp and carefully stepped out of the room.
Just as he did, the butler—walking down the hallway—noticed him and approached.
“Are you ready? Mr. Campbell is waiting for you.”
A quick glance at his wristwatch showed it was one minute to eight. Taking a deep breath, Yu-jin gave a small nod. The butler turned and began walking ahead.
As they made their way toward the dining room—a route Yu-jin was already familiar with—he forcibly pushed away the thoughts that threatened to take hold. He refused to let himself get caught up in unnecessary expectations.
The butler stepped past the paneling first, and as Yu-jin entered the dining room, Winston, sensing his presence, rose to his feet.
Yu-jin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity as he watched the man stand upright, waiting for him to sit before moving.
After adjusting Yu-jin’s chair, the butler turned to them and asked, “Shall we begin, or would you like to wait a little longer?”
Winston’s gaze shifted toward Yu-jin, silently asking for his decision. Still feeling somewhat dazed, Yu-jin answered.
“…Let’s eat.”
“Understood.”
The butler bowed slightly to both of them before giving a brief glance to one of the servants standing behind him. At the silent signal, the servant swiftly disappeared from the room. The butler then personally poured wine into Yu-jin and Winston’s glasses before stepping back.
Now that they were finally alone, Yu-jin suddenly felt nervous. What exactly was Winston trying to say by arranging this dinner? The uncertainty gnawed at him, making him drink water just to keep himself occupied.
It wasn’t long before Winston, who had already emptied his wine glass, finally spoke.
“Is the child already asleep?”
A safe, neutral opening. Yu-jin gave a small nod in response.
“Eight o’clock is a bit tricky….”
He trailed off, but Winston immediately picked up on the unspoken meaning.
“You mean because Angie doesn’t like me?”
His tone carried a hint of sarcasm. The words made Yu-jin flinch slightly, but he didn’t bother denying it—because it was true. Instead, he simply sipped his water in silence. Winston didn’t seem pleased by his lack of response, but at least he didn’t press the issue further.
Just then, the butler returned, serving the appetizer in front of each of them while providing a brief explanation about the dish. He went on about the ingredients, the cooking method, and various details, but Yu-jin barely absorbed any of it. His mind was too preoccupied, and the words went in one ear and out the other.
Even after the butler left, Winston didn’t say much. Occasionally, he made idle conversation about the food or recent political affairs, but none of it lasted long. Yu-jin wasn’t giving much of a response, and Winston didn’t seem particularly interested in keeping the conversation going, either. The evening stretched on in that awkward manner.
By the time dessert was served, Yu-jin couldn’t hold it in any longer and bluntly asked, “So, why did you suddenly invite me to dinner?”
His impatient tone made Winston pause and look at him. It was unclear whether he was surprised by Yu-jin bringing it up first or by the sharpness in his voice. Either way, he clearly couldn’t delay the conversation any longer.
Yu-jin fixed his gaze on Winston, waiting for an answer. Instead of responding immediately, Winston lifted his wine glass again, taking his time. It almost seemed like he was carefully choosing his words—something that, in Yu-jin’s mind, was very unlike him. He nearly scoffed at the thought.
“I’ve been thinking… about what to do from here on.”
“I thought it was over after I had the child. What else is there to talk about?”
Yu-jin shot back without hesitation, as if he had been expecting this. Winston let out a short sigh.
“Baby.”
To Yu-jin’s surprise, Winston rubbed his eyes with one hand, as though he were exhausted, before continuing.
“At the very least, you need to give me some time. I never expected to see you again, let alone like this. And I know you didn’t either. But here we are—so from now on, we should at least try to understand each other.”
It seemed he had spent some time genuinely thinking about this. His pale face bore clear traces of contemplation. The sight made Yu-jin feel uneasy.
“What do you mean by ‘understand’?”
Winston exhaled another small sigh before lowering his hand from his face and meeting Yu-jin’s gaze.
“We need to start by building trust. That’s the one thing we don’t have between us.”
“You’re the one who refuses to trust me.”
Winston was extending an olive branch, but Yu-jin wasn’t willing to accept it. The solution was simple—Winston just had to trust him. But they both knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“Baby.”
As expected, Winston let out a disbelieving laugh.
“If you had seen me in bed with Evelyn with your own two eyes, would you have believed whatever excuse I gave you?”
Yu-jin had no response. He could only look at him in silence, and Winston, as if expecting that reaction, smoothly shifted the conversation.
“Let’s not bring up things that’ll only be used as weapons against each other. It won’t change anything, and the past isn’t going to disappear. What matters is what we do from now on.”
Ending the topic as simply as that, Winston turned his attention to the brownie on his plate, slicing it into bite-sized pieces. Yu-jin, watching him, finally spoke again.
“So what is it that you want?”
Yu-jin sat quietly as Winston poured himself another glass of wine. Only after setting the bottle down did Winston finally answer.
“Let’s try to build trust. Start over.”
“Wouldn’t everything be solved if you just trusted me?”
At Yu-jin’s sarcastic remark, Winston let out a short chuckle.
“Baby, if you want someone to trust you, you have to put in the effort yourself.”
Narrowing his eyes, Winston deliberately softened his voice, pretending to be affectionate.
“I’ve already opened my heart plenty. From now on, it depends on how much effort you put in.”
Lifting his glass in a mock toast, he took a sip of wine. Yu-jin, saying nothing, simply watched him—entertaining the thought of smashing the brownie into that smug face.
***
“Welcome, Mr. Campbell. Everything has been prepared just as you requested.”
Yu-jin’s eyes widened as he took in the overwhelming sight of the massive shopping mall. Seeing him freeze in place, stunned, Winston let out a chuckle and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in.
Yu-jin sucked in a breath and murmured under his breath, “Winston, the floor is shining like a mirror.”
Ever since leaving the mansion, everything he saw was new and dazzling. He couldn’t stop staring out the car window, letting out small gasps of awe. “Wow… wow…” His excited exclamations continued as Winston made a call to someone. And now, they had arrived here.
The sheer grandeur of the luxury store was beyond imagination, making Yu-jin instinctively tense up. He whispered, “This is terrifying.”
Seeing how he was too afraid to move—worried he might stumble—Winston simply responded with, “Is that so?” before suddenly bending down and scooping Yu-jin up into his arms.
“Ahh!”
Startled, Yu-jin reflexively clung to Winston’s neck. Winston burst out laughing at his reaction. Looking down at Yu-jin’s bright red face, he affectionately rubbed their noses together.
“See? You’re not scared anymore, right? I’ve got you.”
“U-Uh… yeah….”
In truth, being lifted so high up was even scarier. But Yu-jin didn’t want to disappoint him. And more than that, he didn’t want to be separated from Winston. So he simply nodded.
Pleased by his response, Winston tightened his hold and strode forward, carrying him with ease.
