“This should be enough.”
I checked the rice cakes and snacks packed tightly inside the box once more. It seemed like a lot, but considering the week-long journey, this amount was necessary.
Before closing the lid, I placed a small dried bouquet in the center. Since Se-yul’s favorite place here was the garden, I wanted to give him flowers from Sector 5—ones he wouldn’t find in Sector 1.
I remembered how he used to complain that Sector 1 only had giant flowers as tall as we were and none of the delicate ones like these. I hoped he would like them.
“Se-yul will like it, right?”
I asked Vin, who stood beside me. He gave a halfhearted nod, his expression indifferent. It was obvious he didn’t like the idea of me giving Se-yul a gift, no matter the reason.
“You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Even so, his response was dutiful. Satisfied with the gift, I carefully closed the box lid and got ready to see Se-yul off.
A week had passed—short, yet not too short—and today was the day Se-yul would return to Sector 1.
“What time is it now?”
“Two o’clock.”
I put on my outerwear and gave my hair one last touch in front of the mirror. The box was quite heavy, and I struggled to lift it, but Vin effortlessly took it from my hands.
“I’ll carry it.”
He glanced at me briefly but didn’t bother listening to my protests, leaving the room first. Even as I followed him, insisting that I could carry it, he remained silent. He seemed determined not to answer at all.
“Are you sure it’s not heavy?”
“Yes, it’s not heavy.”
“It was heavy for me.”
“It’s not heavy at all, so just watch where you’re going. You’ll trip.”
Vin’s expression remained calm. I wondered if his strength had anything to do with him being a Shining. Their physical abilities were superior in every way, so it made sense that their strength would be as well. It was fascinating.
“Baby.”
As we walked down the hallway, we happened to run into Han Jae-hoon, who was just coming out of the study.
I ran straight into his open arms, and a warm, pleasant laugh rang out above my head.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m seeing Se-yul off.”
Han Jae-hoon’s face stiffened as if he’d heard something completely unexpected. He glanced at the aide standing behind him and sent some kind of signal with his eyes. The aide, now pale as a sheet, frantically shook his head.
“I see. Well, then, have a safe—”
“Come with me, Father.”
I cut him off before he could finish his sentence. Han Jae-hoon, caught off guard, opened his mouth as if to respond, but I grabbed his hand and started walking forward without giving him a chance. He hesitated at first, but ultimately let himself be led along.
“Once he leaves today, he won’t be back for another year. This is the last time I’ll see Se-yul this year. So, come with me to see him off. Please?”
“Alright. But calm down first.”
Once he’d managed to settle me down, Han Jae-hoon straightened his disheveled clothes. He had come straight from work, so he was dressed in a simple shirt, and his hair was slightly tousled.
His quick-witted aide handed him the outer coat he’d taken off earlier and draped it over his shoulders. “Thank you,” Han Jae-hoon said to him, his words carrying an unmistakable weight, before taking my hand again.
“Shall we go, Baby?”
“Yes.”
Hand in hand, we descended the stairs together. The box Vin had been carrying was now passed over to the aide, who widened his eyes in surprise at its weight. Vin merely shrugged as if it was nothing.
Even though it was just one flight of stairs, Han Jae-hoon had never once come out to greet or see Se-yul off before.
So today was the first time. The first time Han Jae-hoon would be sending Se-yul off.
“I hope this becomes a regular thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“That you come with me to see Se-yul off. He’d definitely like it too.”
I spoke with an innocent smile, pretending not to notice the way Han Jae-hoon’s expression twisted slightly. He covered it up with a smile soon enough, but I could tell his thoughts were complicated.
I was curious about what he was thinking, but I didn’t ask. He wouldn’t be honest anyway. Besides, I was already grateful enough that he was coming along.
“Young Master, we’re a little—”
The butler, who had been about to remind me we were running late, stopped mid-sentence when he saw Han Jae-hoon beside me.
Se-yul, too, was frozen in shock at Han Jae-hoon’s sudden appearance. It took him a moment to recover, and then he hastily bowed in greeting.
“Ah, Father. Hello.”
“Yes.”
Han Jae-hoon acknowledged the greeting with a brief response before shifting his gaze elsewhere. He didn’t look it, but he was clearly uncomfortable.
It was obvious—he had never sent Se-yul off before and had no idea what to say. His eyes darted around, unsure.
“Are you all ready to go?”
“Ah, yes. I’m all set.”
Finding the butler to be the least intimidating presence, Han Jae-hoon shifted his gaze toward him instead. While the two adults exchanged words, I let go of Han Jae-hoon’s hand and stepped forward to Se-yul. Then, I handed him the box I had brought.
“It’s a gift.”
“What’s inside?”
“Rice cakes, snacks, and—”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Se-yul, too impatient to wait, flipped open the lid. He let out a gasp at the sight of the box filled with rice cakes and snacks, but then his eyes caught on the bouquet nestled in the center, and he froze.
“Hyung, this…”
“Fresh flowers would wilt, so I dried these in advance. This way, you can still see them after you go back to Sector 1.”
Se-yul carefully picked up the beautifully dried flowers, and then, unable to hold back any longer, burst into tears.
I hadn’t meant to make him cry. Caught off guard by his overwhelming reaction, I hesitated for a moment before patting his back to comfort him.
“Tha-hic, thank you, uuugh.”
“Either cry or talk, not both.”
“Th-thank, sniff.”
Seriously, he never listens. I pulled down my sleeve and used it to wipe his tear-soaked cheeks. Se-yul sniffled, then broke into a wide grin.
They say if you cry and laugh at the same time, you’ll grow hair on your butt, but I held back from mentioning it. It felt too mean to tease him when we were saying our last goodbyes.
“I’ll write lots of letters, Hyung.”
“Yeah, and I’ll send replies.”
After a brief hug, I turned toward Han Jae-hoon. He had finished speaking with the butler and was now just standing there, watching. When our eyes met, he sighed before stepping forward to Se-yul.
Se-yul flinched and instinctively hunched his shoulders. Han Jae-hoon crouched down to meet his gaze. Their eyes now at the same level for the first time, Se-yul’s pupils trembled with uncertainty.
“Behave yourself when you return. Don’t cause trouble.”
“Y-yes…”
“Always remember this—you are returning as the son of Han Jae-hoon, the Lord of Sector 5.”
His tone was cold and rigid, but it was, in its own way, his attempt at telling Se-yul to take care of himself. A large hand slowly reached out and gently patted Se-yul’s head.
“You’ve done well so far, so I trust you will continue to do so.”
“Yes, Father.”
As if all his tension had melted away, Se-yul answered with a bright, beaming smile. A faint smile tugged at Han Jae-hoon’s lips as well.
After that brief farewell, Han Jae-hoon excused himself, saying he had work to attend to, and headed back inside.
But for Se-yul, even that short exchange was enough to leave him dazed. He stood there, absently touching the spot where Han Jae-hoon had patted his head, his voice distant and dreamy.
“Hyung… Father came to see me off.”
“Yeah.”
“Father said I did well.”
“That’s right, he did.”
“Father came to see me off!”
Se-yul bounced up and down on the spot, completely overjoyed. If just seeing Han Jae-hoon for a brief moment made him this happy, I should’ve told him to come along properly at least once. Then again, I hadn’t expected him to agree so easily either.
“Young Master Se-yul, it’s time to leave.”
The butler called him gently. Se-yul took a deep breath, calming his excitement, and followed the butler outside. A car with the engine running waited for him at the front entrance.
So, he’s really leaving. The reality of it finally settled in.
“Vin, you should say goodbye too.”
“To whom?”
Vin pretended not to know, so I helpfully jerked my chin toward Se-yul. His face twisted in distaste, but after letting out a deep sigh, he stepped forward. Even from behind, I could tell how much he hated this.
“Hey.”
Se-yul had always called Vin “Shining,” and Vin never bothered calling Se-yul by name either. Even now, though they obviously knew each other’s names, neither seemed inclined to use them. Vin glanced back at me before lazily waving a hand in Se-yul’s direction.
“Go.”
Not goodbye, not take care, just go. That single syllable was his entire farewell.
Se-yul, whose face had been beaming just moments ago, scowled and glared at Vin before sharply turning his head away. It was a fitting exchange for the two of them.
After getting into the car, Se-yul rolled the window all the way down. As the vehicle slowly began to move, he leaned halfway out, waving frantically.
“Hyung! See you next year!”
“Young Master Se-yul! Please sit properly inside!”
At the butler’s high-pitched shriek, Se-yul finally pulled himself back in, but he kept waving his hand out the window.
We stood there watching until the car carrying Se-yul disappeared completely from sight.
“He won’t be back until next year now, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“It feels so far away.”
One week had passed in the blink of an eye, but how many more weeks would it take for an entire year to go by? And how much longer after that until Han Seo-yul, barely thirteen now, would finally become an adult? The thought felt impossibly distant.
“Seo-yul hyung, let’s go inside.”
Vin quietly took my hand. Still staring absentmindedly at the road where the car had vanished, I let him lead me back toward the mansion.
