The Heo Family’s House

"Wow!"

Yeo Ri gaped as she took in the interior of Jin Goo's house. Her cheeks flushed from excitement.

She was completely dazzled by the luxurious decorations.

"Careful, there's a step there," Hyuk had to grab her arm and remind her of the small flight of stairs so that she would not trip over it. Yeo Ri looked down, carefully going down the steps.

"My mom is away on a trip to Okinawa with her friends, and my dad... well, he probably won't be home any time soon," Jin Goo says. He helped Yeo Ri with her schoolbag and set it down on the sofa in the living room.

"Are you hungry, Yeo Ri-ah?" In Guk's head popped out from the kitchen. He had been transferring the store-bought dishes over to some plates and was just about done with his task. All that he needed to do was heat up some instant rice. He placed all of the dishes on a tray and carried it over to the dining table.

"Come and eat," he called out to Yeo Ri, beckoning her to sit down at the table.

Yeo Ri smiled at In Guk, "I'll go change first."

Jin Goo showed her to the room she would be staying in.

"I'll be staying here... alone?" Yeo Ri's eyes widened. She had never had her own room, and neither had she ever slept separately from her brothers. She had shared a room with them for her whole life, so she had mixed feelings about the arrangement.

"Yeah. Even if you're siblings, it's not appropriate to always share a room," Jin Goo says. He inadvertently glanced at Hyuk from the corner of his eyes. There was no way he was going to let any hanky-panky happen under his roof.

"Thank you, Oppa," Yeo Ri smiled towards Jin Goo, hiding her thoughts. Although she was happy to get a room all to herself, she felt slightly scared to sleep alone.

"The bathroom is this way. If you need anything, just tell the housekeeper," he concluded. Jin Goo opened the bathroom door to show her the interior, then left so she could freshen up.

"Oh my!" Yeo Ri exclaimed as she noticed the bathtub. It looked as luxurious as everything else in the house. Their house's bathroom had nothing but a pipe and a large basin for keeping the water, so she was tempted to try the bathtub. After all, when else would she be able to enjoy such luxuries?

But Yeo Ri kept herself rooted. Hyuk and the rest were waiting for her at the dining table. She didn't want to be rude so she took a quick shower to wash away the cold sweat and changed into more comfortable clothes.

The temperature of the house was controlled at a comfortably warm level, so she didn't need to put on a thick coat.

Within a quarter of an hour, Yeo Ri was finished and she came out to join the rest for a late lunch.

Gun arrived half an hour after they finished eating.

Since there was only one guest room, Jin Goo had both Hyuk and Gun settle in his room. Neither Hyuk nor Gun liked the arrangement, but since Jin Goo was the host, his words were the law.

By the time dinner rolled around, the Lee trio were finally getting used to the house.

Yeo Ri sat in the living room, flanked by Gun on one side and In Guk on the other. Hyuk sat alone on another sofa, using it as a makeshift bed. Jin Goo sat at the recliner, scrolling through his social media in boredom. Despite that, there was a slight smile on his face. His house felt less colder than usual, and it was definitely more festive with so many people around. He was even looking forward to eating dinner even though he usually skipped the meal.

Suddenly, the entrance door opened.

None of them expected another guest, so they were alarmed.

An older man came in.

"Dad?" Jin Goo abruptly got up, eyes wide in surprise. He was not expecting his father to come home. He was rarely ever home and would often come back when it was late into the night, so the younger man thought that it would be the same as usual.

The rest stood up, following Jin Goo. They offered a greeting towards the older man awkwardly.

"I thought you'd be at your office today," Jin Goo says.

Senior Heo paused for a moment. Just like Jin Goo and the rest, he was not expecting to have guests at home. "I came back to pick up some things. Don't be so stiff, all of you. Sit down, sit down." He smiled amiably towards Jin Goo and his guests.

"Good evening, sir," In Guk bobbed his head.

"Dad, you know Hyuk. This is his younger brother and sister, Lee Gun and Lee Yeo Ri," Jin Goo took the lead and introduced the three new faces to his dad.

"It's nice to meet you sir," Yeo Ri and Gun simultaneously said.

"I've seen you on TV before. It's an honour to meet you, Uncle," Yeo Ri smiled, a starstruck look on her face. She had no idea that Jin Goo's father was a public figure.

Heo Woo Seung was a famous politician in their town, and was often in the medias. It was hard not to recognise him in their small town.

Heo Woo Seung stared at the group with a subtly odd gaze. After half a second, he widened his smile, "Yes, thank you. It's nice to meet all of you, as well."

He moved closer to the group, his eyes glancing at Yeo Ri briefly. Nobody had noticed the action as there was two other people close to the girl. He patted Gun's shoulder, "Student Lee Gun, was it? I've heard of you before. You are the pride of our town. Keep up the good work," he amiably said. Heo Woo Seung was the sponsor for a scholarship programme in which Gun was a part of, so it was not strange that he knew the boy.

Gun, who had seen the older man during the award ceremonies, simply nodded politely, "Yes, thank you."

"Well, I'll leave you young people to have fun. I'll be going, Jin Goo-ya," Heo Woo Seung bade them goodbye. He headed to his room casually.

As soon as Heo Woo Seung was out of their sight, he dropped his smile and walked away quickly.

He locked himself in the bedroom he shared with his wife.

Slowly, he sat on the bed, his back hunched.

"Lee Yeo Ri..." he slowly whispered. "Lee Yeo Ri... Yeo Ri..."

Heo Woo Seung cupped his face with trembling hands.

"Yeo Ri..." he repeated again.

"Heo Yeo Ri..."