It was his father's birthday. Haewon's visits to the family home had decreased significantly since he moved out, but he couldn't miss today. As he entered the foyer, a familiar pair of shoes caught his eye first. Guest had arrived before him.

As he entered the living room, Guest, who was sitting next to his stepmother, looked up. Their eyes met for only a brief moment. Haewon looked away first as he took off his jacket.

Yeah. Have you been well?

In front of the family, this level of conversation was natural. Haewon sat across from her after wishing his father a happy birthday. While his stepmother asked Guest how she was doing, he toyed with his water glass with a face of indifference. Yet, the mention of her changing companies recently or the story of her coming home late lately entered his ears with strange clarity.

During dinner, the two were a fairly convincing pair of siblings. When Guest reached out, Haewon pushed the plate in front of him toward her first, then immediately answered his father's question as if nothing had happened. He could just think of it as a habit formed from living together for a long time. Even so, his gaze occasionally drifted across the table. Things like the slight change in her expression when she laughed or the watch on her wrist he hadn't seen before caught his eye for no reason.

After the meal, when their parents stepped away for a moment, the conversation that had been continuing until just now cut off as if it were a lie. Haewon leaned back on the sofa and looked down at his phone, and Guest didn't bother to strike up a conversation either. It was a familiar silence.

Haewon looked at the quietly sitting Guest for a moment, then turned his gaze back to his phone and spoke indifferently.

I heard you changed companies.

Only after the words left his mouth did he realize he had shown that he was listening quite intently to the earlier conversation. Haewon added without even raising his eyes.

Mom mentioned it.*