"Yurim."
A soft, familiar voice echoed.
Yurim looked up.
It was Rian.
The moment she met his eyes, her tears finally fell.
Rian's eyes widened slightly.
"What happened, Yurim?" he whispered as he knelt in front of her.
There was a strange concern in his eyes—something she had never seen before.
He took out his handkerchief and gently placed it in her hands.
"Please… can you help those kids?"
Yurim pointed toward the helpless children nearby.
"Can you buy them sweet candies? As many as you can… please," she whispered.
Rian's eyes widened a little.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he stood up.
"Don't cry," he said gently.
"Wipe your tears."
---
"Thank you, kind brother!"
The children laughed happily, stuffing their pockets with sweet candies.
"Now I can give my mother sweet candies too!" one child said excitedly.
Rian knelt in front of them, rubbing their heads softly.
"Don't work this hard," he whispered.
"Little fighters."
A gentle smile rested on his face.
Yurim watched him, her eyes filling with something unfamiliar—respect… and warmth.
Her heart suddenly started beating faster.
"What is this?" she thought.
"Am I crazy to think he looks… cool like this?"
She quickly shook the thought away.
"Yurim—have you seen Ria—"
Mira came running, but stopped mid-sentence.
Yurim was smiling, her gaze fixed somewhere ahead.
Mira followed her line of sight and spotted Rian standing at the other side of the shop.
So he was with Yurim, Mira thought. I thought he went to another shop.
The thought left a strange, faint disappointment in her chest.
"Mira," Yurim called softly.
"Did you buy everything you wanted?" Yurim asked, her voice bright.
"Huh?" Mira blinked.
"Y-yes… I'm done. Let's go back," she replied.
---
Meanwhile, back in the city—
The crowd grew restless in the market.
"Sale! Sale! Come here, ladies!" a shopkeeper shouted.
Every woman rushed toward the stall.
"Huh? Why are they in such a rush?" Yunho muttered after being pushed by one of them.
"Dad, remember—the truck is old and rusty," he said, turning to his father.
"We've been doing this daily. How could I forget?" his father muttered, clearly focused on the meat and groceries in front of him.
"My idiot kind son…"
"Dad, keep it down!" Yunho muttered, snatching the meat from his father's hand.
"Stop, Yunho!" his dad shouted, grabbing the meat back—
Suddenly—
"Hey! Look—what is that?" someone from the crowd shouted, pointing at the sky.
Yunho and his father looked up—
Their breath caught.
Eyes wide.
"W-What—" Yunho's dad quickly pulled Yunho closer to his side.
Everyone stared at the sky, frozen.