Mi-mo returned to the office after parting with Gyeoul. Sitting in her chair, she immediately slumped forward, resting her head on her arms atop her desk. She rubbed her head against her arms and then turned her gaze to the bookshelf, muttering to herself.
"I don't remember his face well, but there was a doctor's coat I saw from time to time. If that person is Kang Jae-su... if he really is Kang Jae-su... what have I done? If I mentioned anything about that incident, how could I ever face Woon-su oppa..."
She buried her face between her arms and nervously tapped her feet against the floor.
---
**At Woon-su's Café**
A sign reading "Break Time" was hanging on the door, and the large windows were covered by blinds. After finishing cleaning, Woon-su walked to a chair and sat down alone.
"This is exhausting."
He tried to loosen his stiff neck, rotating his head. At that moment, the door to the café opened.
"Hyung!"
As soon as he saw Jae-su, Woon-su threw the towel hanging from his waist toward him. Jae-su quickly caught it in midair before it could hit his face.
"Nice catch."
Jae-su exclaimed "nice catch" to himself as he sat across from Woon-su, who, wearing a face full of irritation, snatched the towel back from him.
"Why the face?"
"You're asking like you don't know."
Woon-su, as if waiting for this, began venting his frustrations.
"I asked you where I could find a quiet place to open my café. You said this area was quiet! You even said being near Mom's shop would be great, that we could help each other out. But there are more and more people coming every day. What's going on?"
"Isn't it good for business if there are a lot of people?"
"I told you from the start. I wanted it to be *quiet*."
Woon-su emphasized the word "quiet" and continued his rant.
"Today, I asked a few customers how they heard about the café. They said the doctor recommended it. But you know what's strange? All the customers are saying the same thing."
"While talking to patients, I might mention a good restaurant or café in the neighborhood. Where else would you find a brother who works so hard to promote his sibling's business? This is what helping each other looks like."
Jae-su's words didn't convince Woon-su, who shook his head, disagreeing.
"Enough already. Hyung! Please, stop. It's too much. Look. I was so overwhelmed that I had to start a break time from a month ago. I never imagined I'd be working this hard."
"Hey. You make money while you can, take breaks, and then make more. You said you were hiring an assistant, right? Working with two people should make things easier."
"There isn't anyone."
"What do you mean there isn't?"
"There's no one to work with!"
Woon-su slumped back into his chair, his exhaustion showing.
"Why not? I thought a few people applied. Isn't that your fault? You're way too picky."
"All I want is someone who can work a bit faster, understand the taste of coffee better, and be more diligent. What's wrong with that?"
"Hah... Are you hiring for a full-time job? You can't expect someone exactly like you. Just find someone who can help with the counter and clean the tables. You don't need someone who loves coffee as much as you. Everyone has different tastes."
Though Jae-su's point was valid, Woon-su wasn't ready to concede.
"Fine. I'll think about it. Want some coffee?"
"Sure. I'll take a hot Americano."
As Woon-su got up and went into the kitchen, Jae-su's phone buzzed with a message. When Woon-su returned with coffee, Jae-su looked at him with a troubled expression.
"Woon-su, we need to call the girls again."
"The girls? Who?"
"Our girlfriends."
---
**Epilogue**
The night before the family gathering.
"So, she's supposed to be my girlfriend?"
Jae-su sat on the couch, a beer can in hand, looking less than thrilled. Fresh out of the shower, Woon-su, still drying his wet hair with a towel, headed for the fridge.
"Yep."
Woon-su grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down in a single armchair beside Jae-su.
*Click.*
He opened the can and took a big gulp, clearly thirsty.
"Ah, refreshing. Beer is the best after a shower."
"Refreshing, huh? I'm drinking cold beer, but I feel suffocated."
Jae-su put down his beer, sighing.
"Do we really have to do all this just to get Cheon-su married?"
"Hyung."
"I know. I get it, but it's still frustrating. The cute little kid who used to follow me around calling me 'hyung' has turned into a total brick wall..."
"That's exactly why we need to help him. You know he's always struggled in relationships because of that cold personality. Now that he finally wants to get married, if we don't help, it'll be nearly impossible."
"You should worry about yourself more than Cheon-su. It's been over three years since you've dated anyone."
"Has it really been that long...?"
A shadow fell over Woon-su's face as he took another deep gulp of beer. He finished the can in one go and stood up, heading back to the fridge.
"I need more beer."
Watching him, Jae-su tried to change the topic, glancing around the room for something else to talk about.
"Hey! I told you to dry off properly. You're leaving watermarks all over the couch."
The water stains from where Woon-su had been sitting caught Jae-su's eye.
"Always nagging... You're becoming more like Mom every day."
"What did you say?"
"Haha."
Woon-su laughed as he grabbed two more beers and returned to the couch.
"Two? You're going to drink both?"
"No, I figured you'd want another one too."
"Alright, let's drink."
Jae-su finished off his current beer and set the empty can down. Woon-su handed him a fresh one.
*Click.*
They opened their cans at the same time and clinked them together before taking a drink.
"Why are all the people involved from our building?"
"It's convenient. It's easier to ask for favors from people nearby, and Mom probably checked their contracts, so she won't ask too many questions. Plus, I'm too busy these days. The café's sales keep going up, so I don't have time to reach out to anyone else."
"If you say so. But why did you ask Gyeoul?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. She's got her kid, and this whole fake girlfriend thing is bound to get complicated."
"That's exactly why I asked her. I'm curious to see how Mom reacts."
"Man... You're the one who's always seen as the nicest of us three, but honestly, you stir things up the most with Mom. You know that, right?"
With a grin, Woon-su flashed a peace sign with his fingers.
"Ay... Look, just don't make things worse. I don't want to see Mom faint."
"Yes, yes. Our family's most dutiful son, Kang Jae-su."
As Woon-su raised his beer can toward Jae-su, he clinked it with his own. After a sip, Jae-su asked,
"What's the name of that girl in the tracksuit?"
"Han Mi-mo. Easy to remember, right?"
"Yeah. I heard she spends most of her time holed up in the basement. How'd you even get her to agree to this? It's surprising she said yes."
"She said she wanted to repay a debt."
"What?"
"You know the saying, 'If you wish for something earnestly, the universe will help you out.' I was looking for someone to play my girlfriend, and she appeared at the perfect time. Plus, I helped her out with something, so she immediately agreed to return the favor. At first, I thought she was a bit odd, but after talking with her, I think she's genuinely nice."
"Nice? She didn't get mad or anything?"
"Huh? What would she get mad about? Has she ever been mad at you?"
"Well..."
"Haha, that must have been your fault. You're a bit different when you're not wearing your doctor's coat, you know."
"My motto is to be a kind and warm doctor."
"Yes, yes, Dr. Kang. But if you've met her before, wouldn't she recognize you?"
"She probably doesn't."
"How could she not? You're famous around here."
"She's never been a patient at my clinic, and when we first met, I wasn't wearing my coat. So maybe it makes sense... but I've seen her a few times in front of the café. *Sigh*..."
Noticing his sigh, Woon-su asked curiously.
"Why the sigh?"
"Don't ask. I'm too embarrassed to talk about it."
"Now you've got me even more curious. Come on, spill."
"Nope."
This time, Jae-su held out his beer can, and Woon-su clinked his against it.
"Let's hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow."
"For Cheon-su's wedding!"
They both finished their beers and set their cans down simultaneously.