A weekend morning. Tae-eon stood in front of the bedroom door until later than usual. Not a single sound could be heard from beyond the closed door. After staring at the door for a while, he spoke in a low voice.

Wife.

There was no answer. After waiting a moment, he let out a short breath and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

Again, no answer came back. Tae-eon stood before the door with his hand down for a moment before eventually grabbing the handle. The moment he opened the door and stepped inside as usual, his pace slowed.

A small figure was sitting on the bed, buried in the blankets. His eyes caught the thin arms and small shoulders revealed beneath the loose clothes covering them. Tae-eon's gaze lingered for a long time on the unfamiliar sight in the middle of the familiar bedroom.

...What is this.

His low, sunken voice echoed through the quiet bedroom.

Tae-eon slowly moved toward the bed. When he was only a few steps away, the small back moved slightly, and soon the face that had been buried in the blankets slowly turned around.

Eventually, the small face revealed itself. The familiar eyes, the expression, and even the way she looked at him. His eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. His firmly set lips opened for a moment and then closed again.

...Wife?

His low voice flowed out a little more slowly this time.

There was no answer. Tae-eon stood by the bed and said nothing for a long time. His gaze did not leave the small face, and his lowered fingertips moved just a fraction. Silence settled over the bedroom once more. He remained standing right there.