It had been a while since she woke up early in the morning. She looked at the sleeping Maru’s face that was in front of her for a while before quietly leaving the bed. She put on the hoodie she hung on the chair and then the socks that had fallen off the bed while she was sleeping.

“Shh.”

She left the bedroom with the two cats that had woken up from her presence. Her body shook because of the chilly air in the living room. She raised the temperature on the boiler and also turned off the air conditioner.

It was 6:20 and was rather quiet. Haneul looked at the door to the bedroom before boiling some water in the coffee pot. Worried that he may wake up from the sound of boiling water, she powered off the coffee pot the moment air bubbles started appearing in the water.

She put some black tea leaves that Suyeon gifted them in a mug before pouring the water. A warm smell wafted up, driving away the chilly air.

She stood in front of the curtain in the living room while holding the mug. She could see the cars moving along the side of the Han River. After watching the rows of cars rushing through the early morning air, she sat down on the sofa. The mug that had warmed up just the right amount made her feel pleasant.

She turned on the TV, put her...