The heavy wooden doors of Jun's Mansion swung open with a soft creak. The moment Meelie and Esler stepped inside, a bright, familiar voice rang out across the grand entrance hall.
"Oh my, you both are here! Welcome home, kiddos!"
Ms. Jun — Myung-hee — hurried toward them with open arms and a radiant smile. She pulled both of them into a warm, tight hug without hesitation. The scent of her light floral perfume mixed with the faint smell of rain that still clung to their clothes.
Meelie immediately melted into the hug, her soft blonde hair brushing against her mother's shoulder as she squeezed back tightly. "Mom… I missed you so much."
Esler allowed the embrace for a moment, then gently patted Myung-hee's back before stepping away with his usual composed smile. His dark formal coat still carried a few raindrops.
Myung-hee pulled back slightly, her eyes already scanning the entrance behind them. "Min? Where's he?"
She looked left and right, expectation clear on her face. When she realized the third figure was missing, her smile softened into something quieter, almost resigned.
"Hmm… looks like he hasn't changed at all in all these years." She sighed lightly, then waved the thought away with a gentle hand. "Well, let's forget that for now. Come on in. You're both soaked from the rain."
She turned and headed deeper into the mansion. Meelie and Esler followed closely behind. The large living room was warm and inviting — soft lighting, familiar furniture, and the quiet hum of a house that still waited for one of its members to return fully.
Outside the tall iron gates, the light drizzle had already thickened into a relentless downpour. Rain hammered against the pavement, turning the street into a mirror of gray water. Min-jun stood under the darkening sky with his hands buried deep in the pockets of his gray hoodie, shoulders slightly hunched against the cold.
Suddenly, the heavy front door of the mansion creaked open again. A tall, middle-aged man in a neat black suit hurried down the long pathway holding a large black umbrella. Mr. Kim — the loyal butler who had once served as his father's secretary and had looked after Min-jun since he was a child — reached the gate in seconds.
Without a word, he stepped forward and held the umbrella firmly over Min-jun's head, shielding him from the heavy rain.
"I don't need this, Mr. Kim," Min-jun muttered, trying to step aside and escape the shelter.
Mr. Kim did not move. He gently but firmly guided Min-jun back under the umbrella. "My apologies, young master, but I was given strict orders to ensure you do not get wet. Please, stay here until your ride arrives."
His tone was polite, yet it carried the quiet authority of someone who had known Min-jun far too long to be refused.
Min-jun sighed, his shoulders dropping in quiet defeat. He stayed under the umbrella, staring at the rain as it continued to fall harder. The mansion behind him felt both close and impossibly far.
A few minutes later, the soft sound of tires on wet asphalt approached. A sleek dark car pulled up to the curb. The driver's door opened, and Jin stepped out, his sharp blue eyes quickly taking in the scene — Min-jun standing under the butler's umbrella, rain pouring all around them.
Jin raised an eyebrow but said nothing at first. He simply walked over, opening the passenger door.
"Get in," he said calmly.
Min-jun finally moved. He gave Mr. Kim a short nod of reluctant thanks before sliding into the car. Jin closed the door, then walked around to the driver's side. As the car pulled away from the mansion gates, Min-jun leaned his head against the window, watching the rain streak across the glass.
"You okay?" Jin asked after a moment of silence.
Min-jun didn't answer right away. He just kept watching the blurred lights of the city pass by. "Yeah… just tired of the same old questions."
Jin nodded once, understanding without needing more words, and continued driving through the rain.
Meanwhile, across the city, the rain was already falling steadily outside the shopping mall. The large glass windows were streaked with water, and the sound of rain mixed with the soft music playing inside the stores.
Jennie stood in front of a large mirror inside a clothing boutique, turning slightly to examine the soft cream-colored dress she had just tried on. The fabric flowed gently around her, elegant yet simple. Even so, her mind was far from the clothes.
Luna sat on a nearby bench, her long red-pink hair tied loosely over one shoulder. She watched her friend carefully.
"That one looks really good on you," Luna said. "But your face doesn't match the dress. You're thinking too hard again."
Jennie let out a small breath and looked at her reflection. "I can't help it. Everything feels messy."
Luna stood up and walked closer. "Talk to me."
Jennie's fingers lightly touched the fabric near her waist. "Min-jun was different yesterday. Calmer. He even told me to get to know Esler better. But when I look at Esler… I still feel that quiet pull. And when I think about Min-jun, there's still something there too. I don't know which feeling is real and which one is just leftover from the past."
She paused, her voice softening. "I'm still confused, Luna. Between the two of them."
Luna didn't tease her this time. She simply nodded. "That's honest. And it's okay to be confused right now. You don't have to force an answer just because everyone else seems to be moving."
Jennie stepped back into the fitting room and changed into a soft blue dress. When she came out again, Luna was still waiting.
"I keep wondering," Jennie continued quietly, "if choosing one means completely losing the other. And I'm not ready to hurt anyone… including myself."
Outside the mall windows, the rain continued without pause, blurring the city lights into soft streaks of color. People hurried past with umbrellas, their figures distorted by the water running down the glass.
Luna placed a hand on Jennie's shoulder. "Then don't choose yet. Just keep being honest with yourself. That's enough for now."
Jennie looked at her reflection one more time. The girl staring back still carried uncertainty in her eyes — soft, careful, and unfinished.
Somewhere across the city, rain fell on a mansion filled with old memories, on a car carrying two friends through the storm, and on a young woman still standing between two hearts she didn't yet know how to choose between.
The sky remained dark.
And the answers were still waiting.