The Hwang Mansion had never felt this quiet.
Not even during the nights when everyone had been asleep.
There was always something.
A distant conversation.
Footsteps in the hallway.
Grandmother's voice calling for someone.
A door opening.
A cup being placed on a table.
Something.
Tonight, there was nothing.
Only silence.
Yerin lay on the bed with her back turned toward Do-hyun.
Her eyes were closed, but she wasn't really sleeping.
Every time she tried, memories came rushing back.
Grandmother's voice.
Her smile.
The way she used to scold her.
The way she always knew when Yerin was pretending to be okay.
Yerin swallowed hard.
She turned slightly.
Do-hyun was still awake.
"You should sleep," she whispered.
"So should you."
"I'm trying."
"I know."
She closed her eyes again.
A few minutes passed.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
Yerin fell asleep.
Do-hyun remained awake.
He watched her for a while before finally closing his eyes.
But it didn't last long.
A faint sound woke him.
He opened his eyes.
Yerin was crying.
She was still asleep.
Her eyebrows were slightly drawn together, and tears had slipped down her cheeks.
Do-hyun immediately sat up.
"Yerin."
She didn't respond.
He gently touched her shoulder.
"Yerin."
She moved slightly.
"Grandma..."
The word was barely audible.
Do-hyun's expression softened.
"It's okay."
She continued crying.
He gently wiped the tears from her cheek.
"You're okay."
Yerin's breathing slowly became steadier.
Do-hyun remained beside her until she settled again.
He thought she had finally gone back to sleep.
Then, nearly an hour later, it happened again.
And again.
Every time, Do-hyun woke.
Every time, he calmed her.
Sometimes she didn't even wake up.
Sometimes she whispered Grandmother's name.
Once, she simply cried without saying anything.
Do-hyun never complained.
He never told her to stop.
He never asked her to be strong.
He simply stayed.
Near dawn, Yerin finally fell into a deeper sleep.
Her breathing became peaceful.
Do-hyun carefully moved away from the bed.
He walked toward the balcony and opened the door quietly.
The cold morning air touched his face.
He rested his hands against the railing.
Then he noticed something.
Someone was sitting in the garden.
Ji-hoon.
Ji-hoon sat beneath one of the large trees, staring at the sky.
He wasn't doing anything.
Just sitting there.
Do-hyun walked downstairs.
The servants had barely begun moving around the house.
He stepped into the garden.
Ji-hoon didn't hear him.
Do-hyun approached from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Ji-hoon flinched.
He immediately turned around.
Then relaxed when he saw Do-hyun.
"You scared me."
Do-hyun sat beside him.
"Why are you awake?"
Ji-hoon looked back at the sky.
"No reason."
"That's not an answer."
Ji-hoon smiled faintly.
"I couldn't sleep."
Do-hyun nodded.
"Same."
Ji-hoon looked at him.
"Why?"
Do-hyun leaned back slightly.
"Yerin."
Ji-hoon's expression changed.
"Is she okay?"
"She's asleep now."
"What happened?"
"She kept crying."
Ji-hoon lowered his eyes.
"She does that?"
"When she's asleep."
Ji-hoon was quiet.
Do-hyun continued.
"I kept waking her up."
"She remembered Grandma?"
"Probably."
Ji-hoon took a slow breath.
"I miss her."
Do-hyun looked at him.
Ji-hoon's eyes were already beginning to water.
"I know everyone keeps saying we have to move forward."
He laughed quietly.
"But how do you move forward when someone who was always there suddenly isn't?"
Do-hyun didn't answer.
Ji-hoon wiped his eyes.
"I keep expecting to hear her."
He looked toward the mansion.
"Like she'll call me and complain that I haven't eaten."
A small smile appeared.
"Or tell me I'm wearing the wrong jacket."
Do-hyun smiled.
"She did that to everyone."
"She did."
Ji-hoon laughed softly.
Then his expression fell again.
"I'd give anything to hear it now."
Silence settled between them.
Ji-hoon looked down.
"I wasn't there."
Do-hyun knew what he meant.
"You came back."
"After."
His voice cracked.
"I should've been there before."
Do-hyun turned toward him.
"You didn't know."
Ji-hoon wiped another tear.
"But knowing that doesn't make it easier."
"No."
Do-hyun's voice was quiet.
"It doesn't."
Ji-hoon looked at him.
After a moment, he asked,
"How's Yerin?"
"Not good."
Ji-hoon nodded.
"I figured."
"She's trying."
"She always does."
A small smile crossed his face.
"She's stubborn."
"Very."
Ji-hoon looked at Do-hyun.
"Thank you."
Do-hyun frowned slightly.
"For what?"
"For taking care of her."
Do-hyun didn't respond.
Ji-hoon continued.
"When everything happened, I was worried about her."
He took a breath.
"She's my little sister. No matter how old she gets, I still think of her like that."
Do-hyun smiled slightly.
"She'd hate hearing you call her little."
"I know."
They both laughed quietly.
Ji-hoon shook his head.
"But seriously..."
He looked at Do-hyun.
"I was scared."
"About her?"
"About everything."
He paused.
"Then I saw you."
Do-hyun raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
"You stayed beside her."
Ji-hoon's expression softened.
"You didn't try to fix her. You just stayed."
Do-hyun looked away.
Ji-hoon smiled.
"She's lucky."
Do-hyun didn't say anything.
"She's lucky to have you."
A small smile appeared on Do-hyun's face.
"You're making this awkward."
Ji-hoon laughed.
"I knew you couldn't handle compliments."
"I can."
"You clearly can't."
Do-hyun shook his head.
For the first time that night, Ji-hoon laughed properly.
The laughter didn't erase the grief.
But for a few seconds, it made breathing easier.
Eventually, Ji-hoon stood.
"We should sleep."
"Agreed."
They walked back toward the house.
Before entering, Ji-hoon looked at Do-hyun.
"Seriously."
Do-hyun looked at him.
"Thank you."
Do-hyun nodded.
"Get some sleep."
Sunlight slowly entered the room.
Yerin opened her eyes.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Then she remembered.
Everything.
She turned her head.
Do-hyun was still asleep beside her.
Yerin stared at him.
He looked exhausted.
She remembered waking several times during the night.
Or at least she thought she remembered.
She didn't know how much of it had been a dream.
But something told her he hadn't slept properly.
She quietly got out of bed.
She didn't want to wake him.
She walked toward the closet.
She was still half-asleep.
She opened the closet door.
Then froze.
Something moved.
Yerin stared.
A large mouse ran across the floor.
Her eyes widened.
Then—
"AHHH!"
Do-hyun woke instantly.
He jumped out of bed.
"What happened?"
Yerin pointed toward the closet.
"THERE!"
"Where?"
"THERE!"
"What?"
"A MOUSE!"
Do-hyun stared at her.
Then toward the closet.
Then back at her.
Yerin looked terrified.
"Do something!"
Do-hyun stepped forward.
Yerin immediately grabbed his arms.
"No!"
He looked down at her hands.
"Yerin."
"Don't go!"
"It's a mouse."
"Exactly!"
"It's tiny."
"It's disgusting!"
Do-hyun pressed his lips together.
He was trying not to laugh.
Yerin narrowed her eyes.
"Are you laughing?"
"No."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are!"
A small laugh escaped him.
Yerin stared at him in disbelief.
"I hate you."
"You screamed like the house was on fire."
"There was a mouse!"
"You scared me."
"Good!"
Do-hyun laughed again.
Yerin pushed his shoulder.
"Stop laughing."
He gently caught both her hands.
"Okay. Okay."
She continued glaring.
He looked at her seriously.
"I'll handle it."
"And you're not going to let it come near me?"
"No."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
"What if there are more?"
Do-hyun paused.
Yerin's eyes widened.
"Don't say that."
He immediately shook his head.
"There aren't."
"You don't know that!"
"I do now."
"How?"
"Because you're interrogating me."
She frowned.
He smiled.
"Sit."
He guided her toward the bed.
Yerin sat down.
Do-hyun gently held both her hands.
"Listen."
She looked at him.
"That mouse is not going to hurt you."
"But—"
"It's probably more afraid of you than you are of it."
Yerin stared at him.
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"Because I'm terrifying."
Do-hyun nodded seriously.
"Exactly."
She smiled despite herself.
"Good answer."
He released her hands.
"I'll call the servants."
A few minutes later, two servants entered.
Yerin stayed firmly on the bed.
She refused to move.
Do-hyun watched the servants deal with the situation.
Eventually, one of them returned.
"It's gone, sir."
Yerin immediately asked,
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Completely?"
"Completely."
She looked at Do-hyun.
"See?"
He nodded.
"Your greatest enemy has been defeated."
Yerin rolled her eyes.
"Very funny."
After everything was settled, they went downstairs.
Yerin sat across from Do-hyun.
She was still embarrassed.
He didn't mention the mouse.
Not once.
Until she accidentally looked at him.
He smiled.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"Your face did."
He laughed.
Yerin pointed her spoon at him.
"If you tell anyone about this, I'll deny it."
"Of course."
"I mean it."
"I know."
"I was not scared."
"Obviously."
"I was simply surprised."
"Of course."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
She shook her head.
For the first time in days, she laughed.
It was small.
But it was real.
After breakfast, Yerin and Do-hyun left for the Choi Mansion.
When they arrived, Do-hyun's mother asked him to come upstairs.
"Do-hyun, I need to speak with you."
He followed her into her office.
She closed the door.
"I think it's time."
He knew immediately what she meant.
"The company?"
She nodded.
"You've learned enough."
Do-hyun remained silent.
"I want you to begin taking responsibility for one of the family businesses."
"When?"
"Within the week."
He nodded.
"And there's something else."
She looked at him.
"I don't want you to spend your life simply managing what your family already built."
Do-hyun listened carefully.
"If you want to create something of your own, now is the time."
He thought about it.
"I understand."
He nodded.
"I'll be ready."
When Do-hyun returned to the room, Yerin was sitting quietly near the window.
She looked tired.
He sat across from her.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"Grandma."
He didn't push.
They sat quietly for a moment.
Then Do-hyun told her about his mother's decision.
Yerin listened carefully.
"She's right."
He looked at her.
"You think I should do it?"
"I think you should."
She smiled faintly.
"You've spent so long being told what you have to do."
She paused.
"This time, choose something you actually want."
Do-hyun looked at her.
"You sound very certain."
"I am."
Then she surprised him.
"I've been thinking about something too."
"What?"
Yerin leaned back.
"I don't want to spend my entire life being known only as Hwang Tae-sung's daughter."
Do-hyun listened.
"I want to learn the business properly."
"What business?"
"Architecture first."
She smiled.
"And jewelry."
Do-hyun raised an eyebrow.
"Both?"
"Why not?"
"You've planned this?"
"Not completely."
She laughed softly.
"But I want to."
She looked toward the window.
"I want to take over one of the family companies first."
"Then?"
"Then I'll build something of my own."
Do-hyun studied her.
"What?"
"An architecture and jewelry company."
He smiled.
"That's ambitious."
"I know."
"You'll have a lot of work."
"I know."
"You'll probably complain."
"I definitely will."
He laughed.
Yerin looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
"You sound like yourself again."
Her smile slowly faded into something softer.
"I guess I'm trying."
Do-hyun nodded.
"That's enough."
They sat together quietly.
Two futures.
Two companies.
Two people who had once been forced into the same life and had slowly begun imagining lives they actually wanted.
Neither of them knew where those paths would take them.
But for the first time...
they weren't afraid of what came next.
...To Be Continued...