Heeseung stood there, still processing the bombshell Jungwon had just dropped. He couldn't quite believe it. His cousin's words had shattered what little certainty he had left about his past.
"Sorry, Hee," Jungwon said, his voice soft with regret. "That's... that's the hard truth about our family."
Heeseung looked down, his hands gripping his head as if trying to make sense of it. "So this woman... she's the one behind all this?" His thoughts were swirling, trying to piece everything together. The fact that Winter's biological mother was involved, and somehow connected to the mission they were on, didn't sit right with him.
Sunghoon broke the silence, his brow furrowed. "But my dad mentioned a man in his letter..."
Heeseung sighed deeply, still confused. "It's all so confusing."
Karina, fed up with the tension and the constant questioning, suddenly clapped her hands together. "Alright, enough of this!" she said, standing up and pacing across the room. "Get out of my room, all of you! Just rest already. I don't want to go crazy here in 1326 AD!"
She shoved Jungwon and Sunghoon toward the door, and they quickly backed out, afraid to anger her further.
Karina was about to do the same to Heeseung, but as she moved to push him, her foot caught on the hem of her skirt. In one swift motion, Heeseung turned, grabbed her waist, and pulled her closer, almost as if in a protective embrace.
Karina froze, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Her eyes instinctively squeezed shut as she felt his arms around her. She couldn't even move, too humiliated by the sudden closeness.
"Why do you keep falling onto me?" Heeseung murmured, his voice low and a little amused. Without realizing it, his hand brushed through her hair, his fingers gently caressing it.
The awkwardness in the air was palpable, and it didn't take long for Ningning and Wonyoung to appear at the doorway. They had been lurking just outside, and when they saw the scene unfolding, they froze, eyes wide with shock.
"Oh my God," Wonyoung said after what felt like an eternity, her voice barely a whisper.
Karina snapped her head toward them, her face turning bright red with embarrassment. She demanded, pushing Heeseung away as she hurriedly stood up and tried to regain some composure.
Ningning tugged on Wonyoung's wrist, both of them making a quick exit before they got any deeper into the awkwardness. "Sorry, we didn't mean to intrude," Ningning called back, but they were already halfway down the hallway, running as if nothing had happened.
Karina stood there, still flustered, her hands on her hips as she glared at Heeseung. "What were you doing?" she pouted, clearly annoyed but still too embarrassed to make eye contact.
Heeseung chuckled softly, a teasing smile on his face. "You would've hurt your head if you'd fallen onto that hard floor. And that dress of yours is a hazard, Karina. You look like a boiled shrimp right now."
Karina scowled, her face still flushed. "Now you really need to get out," she said, crossing her arms in frustration.
Heeseung just smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously as he made his way toward the door. "Alright, alright," he said with a laugh, but not without tossing her one last teasing glance before he disappeared down the hallway.
Their first night in 1326 AD, or what Karina would later call "jet lag," was long and restless. She tossed and turned on her blanket, glancing at Ningning and Wonyoung, who slept soundly beside her. Finally, unable to sleep, she decided to slip outside. Taking a candle, she tiptoed through the quiet house, stepping onto the porch. The cool night air wrapped around her as she closed her eyes, letting the silence settle. But then, a soft hum reached her ears—a melody floating from the darkness.
