OLT_02

The housekeeper working at Ha Dohoon’s home, Kang Jinhee.  

After losing her young daughter and divorcing her husband, she had been living alone.  

The only thing she knew how to do was manage a household, so she worked as a housekeeper for multiple families.  

Due to difficult employers, most of her jobs were short-term, but at Ha Dohoon’s relatively comfortable home, she ended up working the longest. Every day, she prepared their meals, packed snacks for the children, and cleaned. She started work early in the morning and didn’t finish until late in the evening.  

This meant she was the one who had watched over them the longest from the closest distance.  

Unlike other chatty housekeepers, Kang Jinhee never took any personal interest in them outside of her work. She believed she was just someone paid to do a job and that there was no need to engage in personal conversations.  

But whenever she saw this little boy, she found it harder to control her emotions than she expected.  

'Is it because I’m getting older...?'

Or is it because she reminded of her dead daughter?

Suddenly burdened with debt, Kang Jinhee had followed her husband into work. Harassed by debt collectors and desperate for money, she often left her daughter alone at home while she worked, coming back late at night. Her kind-hearted daughter never complained—instead, she always greeted her mother with a smile, even on the day of the fire accident, waving her off with that same bright expression. But that little girl’s smile turned to ash and vanished in the flames.  

She wanted to die.  

She could never forget her daughter’s face, forcing a smile every time she left, hiding her loneliness.  

If only she had looked back just once, she wouldn’t have died.

She drowned in regret and longing, swearing that if she could go back, she would never let go of her daughter’s hand.  

So why, her daughter was already gone, so why did she feel like she was standing right here?  

For a moment, she almost mistook Ha Giyeon for her own child. Not because they looked alike, but because of that forced, fragile smile.  

Kang Jinhee had worked in many households, but she had never seen parents treat their own child like a stranger, with such blatant favoritism. Her employers—the CEO and his wife, parents of Ha Dohoon and Ha Giyeon—doted obsessively on their eldest son, Ha Dohoon. They meticulously monitored his health, meals, vitamins, clothes, and even his moods, while completely neglecting Ha Giyeon.

One might even mistake their second son for not being their own flesh and blood.  

They didn’t even know whether Ha Giyeon was home, if he had eaten, or what he was allergic to. Yet despite their indifference, Giyeon desperately tried to earn their love. Even as he faced neglect and favoritism right before his eyes, he kept smiling. The child forced the corners of his mouth up because he didn’t want to be hated.  

And now that child… only after growing into a boy, had finally lost his smile and was crying.

Kang Jinhee couldn’t bring herself to comfort the boy as he cried bitterly. She didn’t dare think she could embrace the shattered heart of a child who had ultimately let go of his family’s hands.  

So instead, she did what she could, and made him a warm meal.  

"Would you like more rice?"  

Ha Giyeon wiped his tears and nodded.  

Seeing this, Kang Jinhee thought his raw, unfiltered crying was far better than the forced smiles he used to wear.  

"I ate well."  

"Would you like some fruit? Or maybe some sweet cookies...?"  

"No, thank you. I ate so much rice, I feel like I’m about to burst."  

When Giyeon playfully patted his full belly, the housekeeper smiled.  

'How long has it been since he last ate until he was this full.'

Before the regression, he often went hungry.  

He was usually too busy with work, and his exhausted body had no appetite.  

But it wasn’t like he ever ate his fill before leaving home, either.  

Too busy gauging his parents’ moods, he could never eat properly.  

"Auntie… Would it be okay if, starting tomorrow, I ate breakfast alone at 6 a.m.?"  

"Every day? Do you have somewhere to go early...?"  

"No, it’s just… Eating at that time feels more comfortable for me. I’ll make sure not to get in your way while you prepare breakfast."  

In this house, breakfast was served at 7 a.m.  

Ha Giyeon planned to eat his meal an hour earlier, at 6. His parents often skipped breakfast, and even when they did gather, they were absorbed in their own conversations.  

He was never included there in the first place.

'...Is there any point in waiting anymore?'

Since he wasn’t their real child, he was never truly family, in fact, his existence held even less value than the housekeeper’s.  

The moment they found out he wasn’t their biological son, he never forgot the look on their faces.  

Hatred. Disgust. Contempt.

To them, his existence was no different from a thief who had stolen their real child’s place.  

From the moment he opened his eyes again in this life, Ha Giyeon had no family. 

None. 

"It must be too much trouble for you..."

Ha Giyeon awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.  

"You can just pretend I didn’t say..."  

"No, it’s fine. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have your breakfast ready at 6 a.m."  

For some reason, the housekeeper’s face was filled with determination as she spoke.  

"I’m fine with just bread or cereal..."  

"Breakfast should be a proper, filling meal! Make sure you come down, alright?"  

She handed him a warm cup of plum tea before bustling back into the kitchen to prepare the meal.

As Ha Giyeon watched the housekeeper’s retreating figure, regret washed over him. He had been so fixated on seeking his family’s and brothers’ affection that he never thought to look around him. All this time, there had been someone nearby who cared for him with such warmth.  

Clutching the warm tea, Giyeon headed back to his room.  

The hallway leading upstairs, unlike his own room tucked away in a corner, Ha Dohoon’s bedroom right beside the staircase. His older brother, whom he hadn’t seen even once after leaving home, no doubt Dohoon had been just as disgusted as their parents upon learning Giyeon wasn’t his real sibling.  

‘From now on, I should avoid running into him as much as possible.’

Dohoon had always found him bothersome, and above all, hated hearing the phrase 'Ha Giyeon’s older brother, Ha Dohoon'.

Just as Giyeon turned to pass by the room.

Click.

“......!”  

The door to Ha Dohoon’s room swung open.  

“What the...”

Ha Dohoon’s drowsy, half-lidded eyes met Ha Giyeon’s. For a moment, Giyeon just stared blankly. There isn’t even a single photo of them together. After leaving home, his brother’s face had blurred in his memory. 

'So this is what he looked like.'

Even just woken up, Dohoon’s striking features instantly commanded attention.  

"What are you doing up this early?"  

Giyeon snapped out of it and opened his mouth.  

"I woke up early, so…"  

"Tea at this hour? What kind of..."  

Dohoon raked a hand through his hair and held out his palm.  

"Give it here."  

"……?"

Dohoon held out his hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  

Giyeon blinked in confusion, unsure what he meant. Surely he wasn’t asking for the tea…?  

"Plum tea first thing in the morning? Of all the things to bring..."  

"It’s mine."  

Did he assume it was for him?  

‘Well…’

Well… He had made a habit of giving Dohoon anything he wanted in the past.  

Remembering his past behavior, Giyeon turned away and walked toward his room.  

“…What?”  

By the time Dohoon, still half-asleep, processed what had happened, Giyeon had already disappeared inside. Left standing there, Dohoon stared blankly at the closed door, utterly bewildered.

***

Ha Giyeon searched on his computer for nearby libraries or workbooks to study from. Even when preparing for the college entrance exam, he had realized that without a solid foundation, he couldn’t even begin to study. Unlike his older brother, who tutored students, he didn’t even attend cram school—he had to rely solely on textbooks, free lectures, and workbooks.  

And he had to earn the money to buy those workbooks himself.  

"Ah... starting from age eighteen... I understand."  

Ha Giyeon let out a sigh after hanging up his sixth rejection call.  

At his current age of seventeen, finding a part-time job at a convenience store or café wasn’t easy. Warehouse work was an option, but unless he got kicked out right away, it was better not to take it. If he went even once... the hospital bills might end up costing more. Especially with his scrawny body.  

‘Should I just go outside and look around?’  

Pressing a hand to his throbbing head, Ha Giyeon stepped out of his room. He hadn’t noticed while inside, but the time had already flown past 2 PM.  

‘Maybe I’ll just grab some bread or something.’

As he descended the stairs, voices drifted from the living room.  

"God, you suck at this."  

"It’s the controller’s fault, it’s trash. Should I grab the one from home?"  

"Getting wrecked and still making excuses…"  

Hearing those voices after so long, Ha Giyeon froze mid-step.  

He thought he’d forgotten his brothers’ voices. He had wanted to hear them but couldn’t, and even when he tried to remember, all that lingered were their accusatory shouts from that final moment—sounds he never wanted to recall. But now, hearing them again, his heart pounded violently.  

Giyeon forced out a breath and headed to the kitchen. Once the voices faded, he gulped down a glass of cold water to steady himself. The icy sting sharpened his focus.  

Quietly, he opened the fridge, grabbing only the rice cakes to hurry back upstairs.  

"Strawberry tart..."

In the middle of the fridge, a strawberry tart sat imposingly, demanding attention. The sight of the high-end dessert was enough to make his mouth water. It seemed the housekeeper had prepared it before heading out to run errands. Ha Giyeon took out the tart, sliced it, and placed a piece on a plate.  

"Giyeon-ie’s finally up?"  

Just then, someone walked into the kitchen. 

 

He didn’t even need to look to know who it was—only one person called him 'Giyeon-ie'.  

"Even for vacation, isn’t this too much sleep?"

With slightly wavy brown hair, softly curved eyes, and lips that naturally formed a gentle smile.

It was Kwon Jongseok, Ha Giyeon’s first love… and his one-sided love.  

Seeing Jongseok’s face after so long, Giyeon froze for a moment. Even in his dreams, Jongseok’s features had always been hazy, but now, his vivid face was right before his eyes.  

'So this is what he really looks like.'

"Giyun-ah?"  

"Ah, en."  

Snapping out of it, Giyeon nodded vaguely. It felt strange seeing him again after so long. To Jongseok, they had just met yesterday, but for Giyeon, it had been years.  

He inserted a capsule into the espresso machine and pressed the button. Watching the coffee brew, Jongseok pouted playfully.  

"You know Hyung don’t like coffee~"  

"...huh?"  

He know. He had a sweet tooth, always drinking hot chocolate instead.

Giyeon knew every little thing about them, what they liked and disliked. Of course, it was natural to memorize their favorite foods, colors, and preferences when he had been so desperately in love. He had tried so hard to learn everything about the person he longed for…  

Yet, he had known nothing about himself.  

After all, he had always molded himself to fit his brothers' tastes.  

But after leaving home, he had discovered one thing: he liked bitter coffee.  

Giyeon inhaled the subtle aroma of the espresso. Even its scent was different from the cheap instant coffee he used to drink three or four times a day just to push through exhaustion. Yet, for some reason, he found himself missing those terrible stick coffees, the only thing that had kept him going through the grind.  

"Auntie went out earlier."  

"...Huh?"  

Why are he in the kitchen if he's not doing anything? And why bring up something he don’t even care about?  

He placed the tart and coffee on a tray when Jongseok, looking genuinely confused, asked.

"Who’s that for?"  

"It's mine."  

"...yours?"

  

"En."  

Wasn’t it obvious? His brothers couldn’t even handle espresso, who else would it be for?  

He stepped past a flustered Jongseok, about to leave the kitchen, when someone else blocked his path.  

"What’s this."

Sharp, narrowed eyes looked down at Giyeon. A sharp-featured boy with sleek black hair that fell to his neck, the last person he didn't want to run into.  

Choi Mujin.

The one who had rejected his final confession.  

'It’s only been a day, and I’ve already run into everyone.'

Avoiding them was pointless, this house was a minefield.  

Mujin scanned Giyeon up and down before eyeing the tray and scowling.  

"What’s this, coffee? Who’s supposed to drink this? Down it yourself."  

His blunt, cutting words were exactly as Giyeon remembered.  

"Why are you all crowding in here?"

Even Ha Dohoon, who was watching indifferently from a step behind.  

But.  

How should he put it?  

As Giyeon looked at the three of them, an odd feeling settled over him.  

'Is it because I’ve regressed?'

Mentally, he was twenty-nine years old.  

Maybe that was why the brothers who had once seemed so dazzling and impressive in the past...  

'Why do they seem like this?'

They're nothing more than just like typical high high schoolers.

–

TL: Muji

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