At Mr. Choi's house, things always worked in patterns.
When Mr. Choi traveled, Jaehan managed the house.
When Mr. Choi stayed home, Jaehan disappeared into the company.
That day, his phone rang.
He ran.
By the time Jaehan reached the mall, both of them were sitting near the security office, heads lowered, trying to hide their faces.
He stopped in front of them then stared at the princess's outfit.
"What the hell are you wearing? How old are you?"
Jisoo, still hiding his face, snapped back,
"She can wear whatever she wants. She has free will. I can take care of her."
Jaehan exhaled slowly. "Can you? That's exactly why I had to come."
"You didn't have to come," Jisoo muttered. "We can deal with our own problems. You already left us alone in that house… now leave us alone again. We don't need you."
Silence.
Jaehan didn't move. The princess stared at Jisoo shocked. He had never spoken like that before. The air turned heavy. A staff member approached Jaehan and called him aside. He left without another word.
The moment he was gone, she grabbed Jisoo's arm.
"Why would you say that to him?"
"Am I wrong?" Jisoo's voice trembled with anger. "He left us with Mom. I know he hated her but what about us? We suffered alone. I hate him."
Then he looked at her again.
"And next time… don't dress like that."
She immediately flared up. "I can wear whatever I want! No one was even looking at me but you? Look at your pants. They're so tight."
Jisoo instantly glanced down. "Wait… they were looking at me?"
Embarrassment flooded his face. Time dragged.
The wait became so long that the princess eventually fell asleep in his lap, wrapped in his jacket while he sat stiffly beside her.
Jaehan finally returned. In his hand the bag.
Jisoo grabbed it immediately and hugged it tightly.
"My money…" he whispered, almost on the verge of tears.
They were escorted back into the private room.
The saleswoman brought a jewelry set its price almost exactly equal to the money inside the bag. Jisoo chose it. But when it was time to hand over the cash, his hands wouldn't move.
Jaehan watched him. "Do it."
Jisoo stayed frozen.
"Oppa?" the princess asked softly.
His voice cracked. "This… was the last thing Seungmin ever gave me with his own hands. It's hard to let go."
Jaehan spoke quietly, "Then don't. We'll go home. Keep the money."
"How can we keep this much cash at home?" she protested.
"I'll deposit it in my account," Jaehan said.
Jisoo instantly stood. "No. If it goes to the bank, I'll never get these notes back. I need this money."
The princess looked at him gently.
"Then let's buy the set," she said. "At least you'll know where it went… and you'll still have something he became part of."
Jisoo sat down again. For a long time, he didn't move. He just stared at the bag, lost in thought.
He didn't want to give it away not because of the money, but because of what it meant.
It was the last thing left between him and Seungmin. The last proof that those days had existed.
Then he remembered Seungmin once saying, people have to take responsibility for their own feelings.
Maybe… it was time to move on.
Slowly, Jisoo stood and handed the bag to the saleswoman yet his fingers still clung to it.
He wouldn't let go. Until he looked at the princess.
She wasn't pressuring him. She wasn't rushing him. She was just quietly waiting beside him.
Only then did Jisoo finally release the bag.
He took a deep breath.
"…Let's go."
The lady packed the jewelry set and placed the box into Jisoo's hands.
The moment he held it, regret stabbed through him.
Jaehan led them outside. "I'll drop you home. And we still need to figure out where to keep that set."
"Oppa, buy us a locker," the princess said.
"We should also change the house locks," Jaehan replied.
Jisoo's tone hardened. "I can take care of our things. Just leave us alone."
He got into the back seat. The princess sat in front. Jaehan started the car.
Jisoo kept looking at the box again and again… until he finally hugged it tightly.
Tears fell.
Then he broke.
A quiet sob turned into uncontrollable crying.
Both of them heard him but neither spoke.
They stayed silent.
Because that was how they had grown up: when pain appeared, you let it exist, you didn't interrupt it.
After a long while, the crying faded.
Jisoo wiped his face.
For the first time in a long time… the weight inside him felt lighter.
He had finally let it go.