The two women came back to the waiting men with unchanging smiles on their faces, looking as if nothing was wrong.
"What took you two so long? Did you have a talk about something?" Heo Woo Seung asked, his gaze alternating between the two suspiciously.
"Oh, yes. We were just talking about how pretty Yeo Ri was," Mrs. Heo smoothly replied.
Heo Woo Seung turned to look at the aforementioned girl with a questioning gaze. Something told him that that was not all they talked about.
Yeo Ri did not miss a beat and said, "I was asking about how Auntie Heo maintained her skin. It's so soft and smooth; it's hard to believe that Auntie is already in her forties!" Yeo Ri widened her eyes as though she was truly pleasantly surprised.
The two women smiled at each other, laughing naturally as if they had connected after the brief intermission.
No one had noticed anything strange. Even Heo Woo Seung could not detect any peculiarities from their behaviour.
"Is that so?" He asked with a small, slightly doubtful smile.
"I'm sorry, but it seems like something urgent came up at the office. I'll have to excuse myself," Heo Woo Seung said, signifying the end of the lunch meeting. He glanced at his wife, impatient to know what the two really talked about while they were gone.
"Then, shall we go?" Mrs. Heo smiled and nodded to the rest. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Yeo Ri, Gun. I hope to see you again soon."
"Yes. Thank you for inviting us," Gun bowed towards the couple. Yeo Ri gingerly copied him, similarly thanking the two with a bow.
"Mom, Dad, you guys go first. I'll stay around and hang out with Yeo Ri and the rest. I'll be back later," Jin Goo informed his parents.
The two elders nodded in acknowledgement. Then, the six people left the restaurant, splitting into two groups and going on their own ways.
"So what should we do now?" In Guk asked.
Both Jin Goo and In Guk had made the spontaneous decision to accompany the Lee duo for the rest of the day, but they hadn't actually made any concrete plans yet. Jin Goo glanced at Yeo Ri and Gun, "Did you guys have anything planned?"
Yek Ri shrugged while Gun shook his head.
"I was just thinking about surveying some apartments near S University since I'll be attending there from March onwards," Gun says.
"Oh, that's right. Since Yeo Ri's already discharged from the hospital, where are you two staying right now?" In Guk pointed out. Ever since Yeo Ri's hospitalisation, Gun had been staying at the hospital with her. Weren't they homeless now?
"Don't worry about it, In Guk-oppa," Yeo Ri chuckled as she took in his worried expression. He must have been overthinking again, she thought amusedly. "Our previous landlord agreed to lend the apartment we were staying in before, so we'll be living there for the time being."
"Oh... that's a relief," In Guk visibly relaxed.
"Yeah," Jin Goo agreed with a slight smile, mirroring Yeo Ri's amusement. He'd also been worried about them, but it seems like there was nothing to worry about. Both of them had grown up; Gun was now a dependable adult. Although he felt troubled leaving the two alone, he was relieved that Gun was such a mature and reliable guy. At least he could take care of Yeo Ri even though it was just the two of them left.
"Then, should we go with you? My dad owns a few properties around that area... I'll make sure to give you a friendly discount," In Guk grinned, throwing his arms around the two other men. "Let's go!"
"Sure, sure," Jin Goo rolled his eyes. In Guk was too excited about this.
Yeo Ri laughed at his antics, "Then, we'll be counting on you, In Guk-oppa."
Having made the girl laugh, In Guk became even more enthusiastic, "Leave it to me!"