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As soon as Yu-young asked, a brief silence descended over the table. However, Yu-young didn’t flinch under the piercing gaze of the woman, who was looking at him as if in disbelief. Whether or not this man was the one in question was crucial.

For a moment, Sun-hyung seemed taken aback, but then he smiled and began speaking.

“I see you heard about me from Do-won. Yes, that’s right. Do-won and I have been friends since we were very young, and our families have always been close. And, we both manifested at nearly the same time, so naturally, the topic came up.”

Slowly taking a sip of champagne, Sun-hyung continued, his eyes sparkling.

“So that’s why you were so cautious, wondering if I was the person he mentioned?”

Yu-young responded with a composed “Hmm.”

Syn-hyung’s playful tone was almost provocative. After a brief pause, Yu-young stared straight at Sun-hyung before responding firmly.

“Well, yeah. Honestly, as Do-won’s spouse, sitting here with you, not just alone with his mother but with you as well, is a bit awkward, especially considering such talks were mentioned before.”

Hearing Yu-young’s brutally honest words, the woman beside him showed a look of disbelief, but Sun-hyung laughed out loud, as if he found it amusing.

“Haha, Yu-young, you’re really straightforward, aren’t you?”

“I guess you could say that.”

Sun-hyung smiled broadly at Yu-young’s unwavering response.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Do-won and I are just friends now. Honestly, I couldn’t possibly get involved with a married man, could I?”

Sun-hyung tore a piece of bread, speaking with a relaxed expression.

“I’ve completely moved on and am looking for someone new. So, I hope you can relax and treat me like a friend. We’re going to see each other often, right?”

Honestly, it was hard for Yu-young to immediately respond with an enthusiastic “Yes! Let’s get along!” He didn’t want to be forced into something like that. As he hesitated, the woman beside him chimed in.

“Well, Sun-hyung’s family and ours have been closely tied in business, so we’ll be seeing each other often. You should greet him, warm up to him, and get along well.”

“…Alright.”

Only then did Yu-young reluctantly nod. It was hard for him to continue being cold to someone when Mrs. Lee was so directly involved. At the same time, the staff entered the room and served the soup and salad.

The meal officially began. The clinking of silverware was briefly heard before Sun-hyung broke the silence.

“So, what do you think Do-won would like for his birthday present?”

“Well, I think you’d know better than I would about that.”

The tone of her answer was dismissive, but there was something strangely approving in the way she spoke about Sun-hyung. This made Yu-young’s expression subtly tighten, though Sub-hyung smiled happily.

“Do-won’s taste is so particular and sophisticated. How about the watch from that brand we saw together last time?”

“A watch? Does he like watches?”

“Yes, he’s been collecting them for years. How about we stop by the store after the meal?”

“Sounds good.”

Sun-hyung then turned to Yu-young with an smile.

“What about you, Yu-young? What present are you planning for him?”

After a brief pause, Yu-young decided to answer honestly.

“Well, I’ve already thought of something.”

“What is it?”

“I noticed he likes taking photos, so I’m thinking of getting him a camera.”

At those words, Mrs. Lee expression immediately soured.

“He’s still taking those ridiculous pictures?”

Yu-young couldn’t help but be surprised by her harsh tone. But before he could respond, Sun-hyung intervened, trying to ease the situation.

“Mother, I don’t think it’s meant that way. It’s just Do-won’s hobby, not something bad. Please don’t judge him too harshly.”

“He’s not a child anymore! How long is he going to cling to his dead mother? Do you remember when he took a camera for the first time when he was little? All the photos were of his mother—thousands of them. Ugh, it was creepy.”

Yu-young was taken aback by her cold and harsh words, but he couldn’t step in and ask about Do-won’s family history. Still, despite keeping quiet, his resentment toward her only grew.

‘How could she say something like that?’

He’d heard that Do-won’s biological mother had passed away when he was very young. Did that mean he’d been taking photos from a young age? Was it possible that he’d known his mother was going to pass away and took those photos to remember her?

Though Yu-young couldn’t piece together all the scattered details, the thought of it still made his heart ache.

“Now, he doesn’t have anyone left to take photos of, so what’s he going to do with a camera?”

“Well, maybe he takes pictures of landscapes or something. I think he did that until high school. Have you seen him taking pictures recently? Yu-young?”

“…No.”

“Oh, I see. So, he hasn’t been taking pictures recently. But you’ve seen the photos he took before, right?”

“…”

The bitter taste lingered. It was hard to give a clear response in a moment like this, and a growing unease made Yu-young feel anxious. He began to worry that people might start suspecting things about his relationship with Do-won.

As expected, Sun-hyung’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Did you not see even one of them?”

“Hmm… I guess he was a bit shy. He said he’d show me next time.”

Yu-young tried to downplay it casually, but Sun-hyung still wore a look of doubt. Although he didn’t say it out loud, Yu-young could tell what he was thinking. How could someone be married, and even buy a camera for the other person, but not have seen a single photo?

Sweat began to form on Yu-young’s palm. This wasn’t just a battle of wits anymore. That could be handled easily, but if his words or actions led to doubts about the very foundation of their marriage, that would be a serious issue.

He had to change the subject. But if he tried to bluff his way through this, things could get worse. For a brief moment, Yu-young’s mind raced, and he quickly decided to adjust his strategy. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t outdo the years that Sun-hyung and Do-won had spent together.

“As you know, I haven’t been dating Do-won for long. But he’s actually a lot more shy than he seems, right? Haha. Even when I asked, he wouldn’t show me his photos…”

“Do-won?”

The words “shy” seemed to take both of them by surprise, but Yu-young remained undeterred, continuing to speak firmly.

“So, if you have any photos of him, could you share them with me? I’m curious.”

“Do-won’s photos?”

Sun-hyung’s expression shifted into one of wariness as he asked, clearly reluctant. “How childish, holding on to just a photo,” Yu-young thought as he gave a sly smile. It was time for a counterattack.

“Oh, maybe you don’t have any photos of him, Sun-hyung? I can understand, though. After all, Do-won’s not the type to show those things to others.”

“Who doesn’t have them? Do-won and I have been friends for years. Are you saying you haven’t seen even one photo of him, Yu-young? Wait here.”

With a sharp tone, Sun-hyung took out his phone and started scrolling through his gallery. Meanwhile, Yu-young silently smiled to himself.

‘So easily provoked.’

Up until now, Sun-hyung had been so relaxed, but once the topic of Do-won came up, he responded to the challenge much faster than expected. It was a win-win: he’d irritate Sun-hyung and get to see Do-won’s photos for the first time.

After a while, Sun-hyung’s face lit up in satisfaction.

“Here it is. This one won the top prize in a national photography contest when he was in high school.”

“Really? We didn’t know that.”

“Well, I guess he didn’t want to tell his parents since it had nothing to do with school. Maybe he was trying to keep it low-key.”

Sun-hyung said this with a sense of pride, but Yu-young didn’t feel any irritation. In fact, he was pleased to learn something new about Do-won’s past. A photography contest in high school, and he even won an award. He couldn’t help but smile as he took the phone from Sun-hyung, heart fluttering with excitement even before seeing the photo.

But as soon as he saw the image, he went silent.

“…”

The woman beside them glanced at the photo and clicked her tongue.

“This is the award-winning one? It’s just a picture of waves.”

“Why, mother? It’s quite beautiful.”

“Well, it’s beautiful, but does it really pull at the heartstrings?”

“Haha, I guess I’m missing something.”

The two of them laughed and shared their thoughts, before casually clinking their champagne glasses together. The photo was quickly forgotten between them, overshadowed by their lighthearted comments.

But Yu-young couldn’t shake the lingering emotion in his chest. For a brief moment, he was speechless. Yes, he was glad to finally see a picture taken by Do-won, but the overwhelming emotion inside him was something else entirely.

It was the feeling of being entranced by something beautiful. feeling of insignificance that humans experience before nature’s grandeur, yet the paradoxical warmth and comfort that come with it.

Yu-young didn’t know why, but looking at this photo reminded him of a photo by Won. With a chill running through him, he felt the overwhelming emotion, as vivid as when he first saw the photographs he adored.