The weekend unfolded like a warm embrace, wrapping the city in a sense of freedom and joy. As people shed the weights of their workweek, the air came alive with the sweet scent of relaxation and leisure. Families and friends, united in their quest for adventure, set out to create unforgettable memories.

It was also similar in a certain mansion . The mansion looked lively . Servents and workers rushing here and there to do preparation. In the midst a old beautiful woman in her 50's giving order to workers . The mansion was glowing as if a festival was being celebrated.

" Zoa did you cleaned the room which I told you to do ? " asked old lady in a sweet yet firm tone .

" Yes Mrs Lee" the worker name Zoa spoke in a calm tone .

Today it was an important day for the family as certain someone special was coming from US after so many years . Mrs Lee was very happy as her son like nephew was coming after so many years . She was sweet and kind in nature. She always cared for the family. She was the backbone of this family , always caring and supportive with a kindness that touched everyone around her .

She walked upstairs and found Hana coming towards her . She smiled at her before asking.

" Good morning Hana , how is your headache now ? " She asked in concern.

Hana bowed to her and spoke " yes mom my headache is okay now..how is the preparation for the day going? She asked in excitement.

This was another intresting topic because Mrs Lee always treated Hana like her daughter. She was always supportive and caring towards her . She is even very protective towards her . One day she even scolded Ji-hoon for arguing with Hana .

Even Hana's eyes sparkled with affection whenever Mrs. Lee was near, her face lighting up like a blooming flower. She cherished the warmth and wisdom that radiated from Mrs. Lee, seeking her counsel and guidance with unwavering trust. Hana's voice softened when speaking to Mrs. Lee, her words infused with gratitude and respect.

In Mrs. Lee's presence, Hana felt seen and heard, her thoughts and feelings validated by the older woman's empathetic listening. She admired Mrs. Lee's strength and resilience, her heart swelling with pride as she witnessed her unwavering support for those around her. She never got a mother's warmth from childhood which she got from Mrs Lee.

It was a relationship of love , warmth, care , comfort and admiration between them.

Back to the conversation, Mrs Lee chirped happily " It's going great Hana .. I hope everything gets well on their place ." Her eyes twinkled with joy while speaking about it.

Their conversation was cut by a thud of the door . They looked at the direction and saw Ji-hoon approaching towards them.

As Ji-hoon approached , Mrs. Lee's face lit up with a mix of joy and sass. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here. The prodigal son returns."

Ji-hoon chuckled, knowing his mother's fiery personality. "Mother, always a pleasure."

Mrs. Lee snorted, her hands on her hips. "Pleasure? You think it's a pleasure to worry about you for years? To wonder if you're even alive?"
Hana intervened, placing a calming hand on Mrs. Lee's arm. "Mom, please..."

But Mrs. Lee waved her off. "No, no, Hana. I need to give my son a piece of my mind."

Ji-hoon smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'm shaking in my boots, Mother."

Mrs. Lee's eyes narrowed. "You should be. Now, come give your mother a proper hug."

As Ji-hoon obliged, Mrs. Lee whispered in his ear, "And don't think for a second I've forgotten about how you've been treating Hana. We'll discuss that later."

Hana's eyes widened, sensing the tension between them. She knew Mrs. Lee was fiercely protective of her, and Ji-hoon's past behavior had not gone unnoticed. She also knew that Mrs Lee and other family members were still unaware of the contract.

Ji-hoon, a strong and confident individual, stood tall in front of others, but in front of his mother, he was a different person. He knew better than to cross Mrs. Lee, whose sassiness and sharp tongue could cut down even the bravest of men.

As they prepared for breakfast, Ji-hoon's mother turned to him and said, "And don't think you're off the hook that easily, young man. I still haven't forgotten about your behavior towards Hana."

Ji-hoon's eyes dropped, his broad shoulders slumping slightly as he muttered, "Yes, Mother..."

Mrs. Lee raised an eyebrow, her voice firm but playful. "Yes, Mother? What's that supposed to mean?"

Ji-hoon cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "I mean, I'll do better, Mother. I promise."

Hana watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. She had never seen Ji-hoon so... subdued before.

Mrs. Lee smiled sweetly, patting Ji-hoon's arm. "I'm holding you to that promise, dear son. Now, let's go eat ."

As they walked to the dining room, Ji-hoon shot Hana a look, his eyes sparkling with a mix of frustration and admiration for his mother's unwavering spirit.

Mrs. Lee turned to Hana and Ji-hoon, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Now, I need you both to do me a favor. I want you to pick up Tae-oh from the airport."

Hana's eyes widened, "Me? But mom is it necessary for me to also go ?"

Ji-hoon interrupted, "I'll go alone, Mother. I can handle it."

Hana raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? You think you can handle it? You can't even handle your mother's sass."

Ji-hoon smirked, "Hey, that's not fair. I can handle anything."

Mrs. Lee chuckled, "We'll see about that. Hana, you're going with him. I want you to keep him in line."

Hana rolled her eyes, "Great, just what I wanted. A road trip with Mr. Grumpy Pants here."

Ji-hoon shot back, "Hey, I'm not grumpy. I'm just... focused."

Hana snorted, "Focused? You're focused on being annoying, maybe."

Ji-hoon's face turned red, but before he could respond, Mrs. Lee intervened, "Alright, alright. That's enough. You two can bicker on the way to the airport. Now go!"

As they reluctantly headed out, Hana muttered under her breath, "This is going to be a long day..."

Ji-hoon heard her and smiled to himself, "Oh, it's just getting started..."
.

.

.
The young couple were still sour about the argument between them . Although they sort out the situation among them last night with Ji-hoon loosing . But they made up with eachother .

As they drove to the airport, the bickering continued, with Hana teasing Ji-hoon about his driving skills and Ji-hoon retaliating by turning up the volume of the music.

Hana laughed and hit the button to turn it down. "Hey, I'm trying to conserve my hearing here!"

Ji-hoon smirked. "You're just mad because you can't handle a little bit of K-pop."

Hana playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I can handle it. I just prefer not to have my eardrums shattered."

Ji-hoon chuckled and turned up the volume again, this time singing along to the music.

Hana couldn't help but laugh at his silly antics, and for a moment, they forgot about their differences and just enjoyed the ride.

But as they approached the airport, Ji-hoon's expression turned serious. "So, Hana, what's the plan when we get to the airport?"

Hana shrugged. "I guess we just find Tae-oh and bring him back to your mother's house."

Ji-hoon nodded. "Okay, sounds simple enough. But what if something goes wrong?"

Hana smiled sweetly. "Oh, don't worry, Mr. Grumpy Pants. I'll protect you."

Ji-hoon raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, they arrived at the airport.

As they stepped out of the car, Hana turned to Ji-hoon and said, "You know, for a grumpy person, you're not so bad."

Ji-hoon smiled slightly. "And for a pesky person, you're not so annoying."

Hana grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

As they entered the airport, Hana and Ji-hoon were immediately struck by the chaos and noise. They looked at each other and shrugged, before Hana took out her phone to check the arrival time of Tae-oh's flight.

"Okay, it says here that his flight has landed. Let's go to the arrivals gate," Hana said, leading the way.

Ji-hoon followed close behind, his eyes scanning the crowd. "I don't see him. Do you think he's already out?"

Hana shook her head. "I don't think so. He's probably still going through customs."

Just then, a loud voice echoed through the airport, "Ji-hoon! Man! Over here!"

They turned to see a young man with a big smile and a messy mop of hair, waving at them.

Soon they approached Tae-oh, Hana couldn't help but notice how different he looked from Ji-hoon. While Ji-hoon was tall and brooding, Tae-oh was shorter and had a more playful air about him.

Tae-oh was an photographer student back in US . He completed his studies months ago and now was back to Korea. He was here in Seoul a week before but he and his group went on a trip for photography.

Tae-oh's eyes landed on Hana, and he flashed her a charming smile. "Ah, you must be Hana! I've heard so much about you." She can't help but feel connected to Tae-ho .

Hana felt happy as Tae-oh took her hand in a warm handshake. "Nice to meet you, Tae-oh."

Ji-hoon cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah, let's get going. Everyone is waiting for us."

Tae-oh winked at Hana. "Don't worry, I can handle Ji-hoon's grumpiness. I've had years of practice."

Hana giggled, feeling an instant connection to Tae-oh's lighthearted nature.

As they walked out of the airport, Tae-oh fell into step beside Hana, asking her questions about herself and listening intently to her responses. Ji-hoon trailed behind, looking like a disapproving shadow.

Hana couldn't help but tease him, glancing back over her shoulder. "Hey, Ji-hoon, don't be so grumpy. Tae-oh is nice."

Ji-hoon's expression turned even darker, but Tae-oh just chuckled. "Don't mind him, Hana. He's just jealous because I'm stealing the spotlight."

Hana playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh, I think Ji-hoon can handle himself."

Tae-oh grinned mischievously. "We'll see about that."

Tae-oh continued to tease, "Come on, guys, tell me the truth. How did you two lovebirds meet?"

Hana rolled her eyes and smirked, "Oh, it's a romantic story. We were set up by our families. Afterall Who in dreams would want to marry Mr. Grumpy Pants here?"

Ji-hoon's face turned red, and he looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Tae-oh burst out laughing. "That's amazing! I knew it! You two are like a K- drama come to life."
Hana chuckled, "Hey, it's not that exciting. We just...tolerate each other."

Tae-oh grinned mischievously. "Tolerate each other? That's love right there. I mean, who needs romance when you have tolerance?"

Ji-hoon shook his head, trying to hide a smile. "Tae-oh, you're enjoying this way too much."

Hana playfully hit Ji-hoon's arm. "Hey, someone has to keep things interesting in this marriage."

Tae-oh laughed. "I'm just getting started. So, who's the real boss in this marriage?"

Hana smirked, "Oh, it's definitely me. I'm the one who has to put up with him."

Ji-hoon raised an eyebrow, but Hana just winked at him. Before getting inside the car .

As they stepped into the grand foyer of the mansion, Tae-oh's eyes widened in wonder. But then, a look of nostalgia washed over his face.

"Wow, it's just like I remembered," he said, his voice filled with a mix of awe and sentimentality.

Tae-oh's eyes scanning the room as if reliving old memories. "I used to play here when I was a kid. My family would visit Ji-hoon's family during summer breaks."

Ji-hoon's expression softened, and he smiled. "I had forgotten about that."

Tae-oh's gaze landed on a large portrait hanging on the wall. "And there's the infamous portrait of Ji-hoon's ancestors. I used to be so intimidated by it."

Hana chuckled. "I can imagine. It's pretty imposing."

Tae-oh's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I used to try and make funny faces behind the adults' backs, pretending to be one of the ancestors."

Ji-hoon rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You were a handful, even back then."
Hana chuckled, "Hey, it's not that exciting. We just...tolerate each other."

Tae-oh grinned mischievously. "Tolerate each other? That's love right there. I mean, who needs romance when you have tolerance?"

Ji-hoon shook his head, trying to hide a smile. "Tae-oh, you're enjoying this way too much."

Hana playfully hit Ji-hoon's arm. "Hey, someone has to keep things interesting in this marriage."

Tae-oh laughed. "I'm just getting started. So, who's the real boss in this marriage?"

Hana smirked, "Oh, it's definitely me. I'm the one who has to put up with him."

Ji-hoon raised an eyebrow, but Hana just winked at him. Before getting inside the car .

As they stepped into the grand foyer of the mansion, Tae-oh's eyes widened in wonder. But then, a look of nostalgia washed over his face.

"Wow, it's just like I remembered," he said, his voice filled with a mix of awe and sentimentality.

Tae-oh's eyes scanning the room as if reliving old memories. "I used to play here when I was a kid. My family would visit Ji-hoon's family during summer breaks."

Ji-hoon's expression softened, and he smiled. "I had forgotten about that."

Tae-oh's gaze landed on a large portrait hanging on the wall. "And there's the infamous portrait of Ji-hoon's ancestors. I used to be so intimidated by it."

Hana chuckled. "I can imagine. It's pretty imposing."

Tae-oh's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I used to try and make funny faces behind the adults' backs, pretending to be one of the ancestors."

Ji-hoon rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You were a handful, even back then."

As they stepped into the grand foyer of the mansion, Tae-oh's eyes widened in wonder. But then, a look of nostalgia washed over his face.

"Wow, it's just like I remembered," he said, his voice filled with a mix of awe and sentimentality.

Tae-oh's eyes scanning the room as if reliving old memories. "I used to play here when I was a kid. My family would visit Ji-hoon's family during summer breaks."

Ji-hoon's expression softened, and he smiled. "I had forgotten about that."

Tae-oh's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I used to try and make funny faces behind the adults' backs, pretending to be one of the ancestors."

Ji-hoon rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You were a handful, even back then."

Soon they entered the living room, the rest of the family turned to greet them. Tae-oh's eyes widened as he took in the sea of familiar faces.

"Ah, Tae-oh! Welcome back!" Ji-hoon's mother exclaimed, opening her arms for a warm hug.

Tae-oh returned the hug, beaming with joy. "It's so great to see you, Aunt!"

Ji-hoon's father, a stern-looking man with a kind face, nodded in approval. "Tae-oh, it's been too long. We've missed you."

Tae-oh bowed respectfully. "Uncle, it's an honor to be back."

The rest of the family chimed in with their greetings, welcoming Tae-oh back with open arms. Hana watched with a smile, happy to see Tae-oh so loved and accepted.

As they all sat down on couches. , Tae-oh regaled the room with stories of his adventures abroad. The family listened with laughter and delight, clearly enchanted by his charm.

Ji-hoon's mother turned to Hana and whispered, "I'm so glad Tae-oh is back. He brings such joy to our family."

Hana nodded in agreement, feeling grateful for the warm and loving atmosphere.

As the night wore on, Tae-oh's presence seemed to bring the family closer together. Even Ji-hoon couldn't help but crack a smile or two, despite his initial reservations.

The conversation turned to Ji-hoon's marriage to Hana. Tae-oh a mischievous glint in her eye, spoke up.

"So, Ji-hoon, how's married life treating you? Still grumpy as ever?"

Ji-hoon rolled his eyes, while Hana shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Their mother chimed in, concern etched on her face. "Ji-hoon, are you and Hana doing okay? You two seem a bit...distant."

Hana forced a laugh. "Oh, no, we're fine. Just...adjusting."

Ji-hoon's father gruffly added, "Yes, son, you need to work on your communication skills. A good marriage takes effort.

Tae-oh, never one to miss an opportunity, teased, "Yeah, Ji-hoon, maybe you should take some tips from me. I'm the expert on love. And Hana, don't worry, I'm sure Ji-hoon's grumpiness will wear off...eventually."

Hana's face turned bright red as she tried to change the subject. "So, uh, how's everyone's week been?"

But Ji-hoon's sister persisted. "No, no, let's talk about the newlyweds. Ji-hoon, do you still love Hana's cooking?"

Ji-hoon hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Uh...well..."

Hana's eyes widened in embarrassment.

The room fell silent, with each family member lost in their own thoughts. Hana and Ji-hoon's discomfort was palpable.

Soon everyone left the room , Hana was about to leave when someone grabbed her hands and pulled her . A sudden yelp came out from her mouth . She turned and found it was Ji-hoon .

"What happened? Why you pulled me ? He asked raising an eyebrow at Ji-hoo who was looking at her..

Hana's squinted her eyes looking  into Ji-hoon's eyes, her pulse racing from the sudden pull. "You scared me half to death! What's wrong with you?"

Ji-hoon's expression softened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just...wanted to talk to you."

Hana raised an eyebrow, her hands still trapped in his. "Talk to me? Is it that important leave my hands ."

Ji-hoon's gaze dropped to their entwined hands, his voice low. " what if I  wouldn't leave you ."

Hana's cheeks flushed, her heart fluttering. "Why wouldn't I leave?"

Ji-hoon's eyes locked onto hers, his voice barely above a whisper. "Because...I don't want you to go."

The air between them seemed to vibrate with tension, Hana's breath catching in her throat. She felt like she was drowning in Ji-hoon's gaze, her senses overwhelmed. She was off gaurded by sudden words of Ji-hoon .

Suddenly, Ji-hoon released her hands, his face returning to its usual stoic mask. " Never mind Forget it. Just...forget it."

Hana stood there, feeling bewildered and confused, as Ji-hoon turned and walked away, leaving her wondering what had just happened.

Tae-oh, watching from the sidelines, grinned mischievously. "Oh, this is getting intresting. Popcorn, anyone?"

Ji-hoon's sister giggled. "Tae-oh, stop you are so funny but I like it I hope they will get soon together."

"Me too " he whispered  , a smug smile on his face . Looking at Hana , who  was lost in her own world . He hopes that his cold of a brother and Hana get together and fall in love soon . He is looking forward to witness a love that is about to bloom.

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So I would like to tag one of my first and favorite reader who supported me from the beginning she is a great reader and-and-and (I FREAKING DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE HER T^T) so she is also going to publish a ff please check it out

@AuUeeeee__
Thank you my dear Loki..!!♡