That night, she couldn’t fall asleep at all. 

She groaned and writhed until dawn, getting crushed under Eun-seong’s touch, and by the time she came to her senses, it was morning. 

She remembered him sucking and kissing every inch of her body until she was practically half asleep, but…

'When did I even fall asleep?'

Hye-yeon’s eyes flew open. Thinking it might have been a dream, she jerked her head to the side, only to see that she was resting on Eun-seong’s arm. 

This was definitely not imagination. It was reality. The narrow single bed forced two grown adults to curl up just to lie down together. 

Especially when Eun-seong was so much bigger than average. Hye-yeon lay there on the verge of rolling off, staring at the line of his neck. 

Thankfully, he still seemed to be asleep. Both of them were completely naked, not a single thread of clothing left on their bodies in broad daylight. Hye-yeon squeezed her eyes shut.

'I’ve completely lost my mind.'

Last night had clearly been fueled by anger. She’d been furious after what happened with Hyunwoo, and Eun-seong’s provocations had pushed her over the edge. 

When he said he wanted to have her, she’d charged in out of sheer stubbornness, but she hadn’t expected to be tormented all night long like that…

'What kind of stamina does this guy have? National team level or what?'

And after ejaculating that much, was he really still fine? 

Hye-yeon cautiously lifted her gaze. Even in a completely ruined state, his handsome face stood out. Long eyelashes. In the sunlight, they looked a deep brown. His hair was curly and thick, but the strands themselves were fine, making him look almost like a Western prince. 

As she studied him up close, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

'With a face this good… why does he hide it?'

She used to think it was because he had social anxiety like some foreign singers, or that he was extremely shy. 

But thinking back, he didn’t actually have a few people around him. 

If anything, despite keeping his hair long and messy, he never seemed intimidated and always became a central figure wherever he was.

'Didn’t I think he hated standing out?'

She’d believed that all this time, but looking back quietly, he’d always been class president. On school trips, he didn’t necessarily lead talent shows, but he did take charge as a leader. And during sports festivals, she always ran into him in the mixed relay races. And more than anything…

"I feel like my dick’s about to burst…”

"Our Hye-yeon is using me… like a masturbation toy.”

"Fuck, you’re way too tight…"

How could someone who said things like that possibly be shy? 

Hye-yeon’s face flushed in an instant. The more she remembered last night, the more heat flooded her body. Even after being sucked raw down there, if he asked her to take it again now, she honestly felt like she could.

"Hah…"

The pleasure of trapping the face of the top student between her thighs and grinding down on it. She’d never experienced anything that dizzying in her life. And despite spending the entire night biting and sucking each other without real sleep, her head felt surprisingly clear.

'I slept really well.'

Without a single worry. She dragged her phone closer from the bedside and checked the time. It was 10 a.m. 

Since the festival shift was in the afternoon, if she started showering and getting ready at noon, she still had two hours left… 

Her gaze drifted slightly to the side. As if sensing it, Eun-seong’s sharp brow twitched.

"Hng."

Startled that her lewd stare might have been caught, Hye-yeon quickly looked away and pretended to sleep. But maybe she’d already been found out, because a large hand settled over her shoulder and slowly slid down her back.

"Mmm…"

She continued pretending to sleep, making soft noises as she shifted. Sticky fluid dripped from the tip of Eun-seong’s cock and smeared against her thigh. 

Not knowing what to do, Hye-yeon squeezed her eyes shut and turned her back to him, but the bed was too small to escape anywhere. 

His heated body pressed tightly against her back. Their size difference was almost double, and when Eun-seong threw one leg over her body, it was so heavy she couldn’t move at all.

"Haa."

Hot breath spilled out. Someone once said there was no retreat in skinship, only advance. Now she understood why. 

The deeper they explored each other, the more intense the pleasure became, until there was no way to go back. Eun-seong’s hand stroked her bare body. He pressed his roughened lips lightly to her shoulder and pulled his body flush against her back. Then he pushed his swollen cock between her thighs. The hot shaft slipped into the gap of her thighs, thrusting back and forth.

"……"

When it brushed against her entrance, she felt like she might moan, so she hurriedly held her breath. Maybe because she’d been sucked so much yesterday, there was a strange, twisted pleasure mixed with a dull ache. Hye-yeon quietly endured her trembling breaths. Behind her, a low, drowsy voice spoke, still thick with sleep.

"I know you’re awake.”

"Huh…"

She let out a strained, heated breath. He kept moving his hips back and forth. The single bed let out sharp creaks, crying out in protest. The air quickly grew hot and heavy, the scent of last night’s thick release filling the entire room.

"You’re not going to say we should pretend this never happened, are you?"

His languid voice tickled her ears.

"A bet’s a bet. And you lost."

His hot breath brushed her ear, and he lightly bit her earlobe.

"From now on, I can devour you all I want. You’re mine."

At those words, Hye-yeon’s stomach clenched tight. Memories of the pleasure he’d given her all night resurfaced, making her throat burn with dryness. 

Squish. Squish. 

She squeezed her eyes shut. She tried not to show how aroused she was, but her body betrayed her, growing wet first. 

The slick fluid between her thighs turned into lubrication, sliding against Eun-seong’s thick cock and making wet, obscene sounds. 

“This is mine too now."

Eun-seong’s hand kneaded the mound of her sex. As he touched her soaked, squelching heat, a sharp pleasure rose up, bringing tears to the corners of her eyes.

"Hhh…”

"Does it hurt?"

Hye-yeon nodded. 

With a long, regretful sigh, he kissed the top of her head and stopped moving his hips. Then he pulled her tightly into his arms and breathed deeply.

"Haa…"

When she told him to stop, he actually stopped again. It wasn’t that it only hurt. There were good parts too. 

Stopping like this felt… a little disappointing. 

After a brief moment of hesitation, Hye-yeon slowly pushed herself up. Sitting on the bed with her arms propped behind her, she faced Eunseong, her chest fully exposed. 

His gaze lingered on her bare breasts. One nipple had always been slightly inverted, but after he’d sucked on it all night, it now stood fully erect. 

And more than anything, it felt strange having him see her naked in bright daylight, but… 

That might be why it was even more exciting. A faint blush spread across Hye-yeon’s face. With her round eyes and gently sloped brows, she thought the reflection of herself in his eyes looked dangerously erotic. 

Deliberately cupping her breasts with her hands, she whispered softly,

"Can I… try being on top?"

What she realized yesterday was that, while there was a sense of conquest when Eun-seong went down on her, what really mattered was how shaken he became. The man who had seemed godlike, not even blinking no matter what happened in front of him, contorting his face in a way that was almost frightening as he reached his peak… 

That was when Hye-yeon felt an overwhelming surge of euphoria. 

Honestly, it was unfamiliar and embarrassing behavior, but there was no undoing something once everything had already been laid bare. If that was the case, then she might as well enjoy it as much as she could while she still could. 

Eun-seong lay half-reclined against the bed and crooked his fingers, gesturing for her to come over. Hye-yeon stood up, grabbed his arrogantly beckoning hand as if to crush it, and climbed onto his body. The cock that had refused to die down all night was still standing hard, pressed tightly up against his stomach.

"Hoo…"

She wasn’t sure this would work, but… 

Like going to the bathroom back in the day, she grabbed his cock and tried to slowly lower herself, aligning herself with the opening. But… 

‘Where is it?'

Not knowing how to line it up properly, she kept shifting her position, her face full of awkward confusion, while the bed continued to creak and groan beneath them. 

‘Is this how you put it in…?'

She lightly bit her small lips and tried to sink down just like that. 

When her body wobbled and she lost her balance, Eun-seong’s hand lightly caught her waist and guided her down. And at that moment. 

Thud! 

With a massive sound, as if an earthquake had struck, one side of the bed collapsed.

"Kyaa!"

Startled, Hye-yeon clung tightly to Eun-seong’s neck. A moment later, when she lifted her head and saw one side of the bed completely broken and sunken, her gaze turned hollow.

"……”

"……"

The two of them, completely naked, quietly stepped off the bed and stood side by side, staring at the wreckage. It looked as if an earthquake had struck only that spot. The blanket was in complete disarray, the pillow was inexplicably torn, and most decisively, half of the bed had collapsed and was tilted to one side. 

Hye-yeon, her hair matted and sticky, scratched her itchy head softly and glanced to the side. The scene was so hard to believe that the first thing she said was almost laughable.

"I don’t have any money."

Eun-seong took the blanket that had been draped over the desk chair and wrapped it around her shoulders, replying gently.

"That’s unfortunate."

Their eyes met, and the sheer absurdity of it made them both let out hollow laughs.

"Pfft."

Hye-yeon covered her mouth with her hand as her shoulders shook. 

“I think we’ve really lost our minds…"

Eun-seong, who had roughly picked up his clothes from the floor and pulled them on, chuckled quietly as he said,

"Want to come to my place and keep going?"

But thanks to that, Hye-yeon came back to her senses. Her expression hardened completely as she drew a firm line.

"What are you talking about? We have to go to school."

She had lived her entire life diligently, and no matter if it was a festival, she couldn’t just abandon her responsibilities. 

In the end, the two of them washed up, hurriedly got dressed, and left the studio apartment. Luckily, they took Eun-seong’s car and made it in time for the booth shift at the festival, but on the way there, Hye-yeon had a hard time dealing with a phone call from the landlord.

"So what on earth did you do for the bed to collapse? Were you doing somersaults on it?”

"What? Ah, no…”

"I’ve been managing buildings my whole life, and this is the first time I’ve seen something like this."

Hye-yeon squeezed her eyes shut and thought,

'It’s my first time too.'

She had no idea how to explain it. In any case, feeling like she had committed a serious offense under the landlord’s scolding, she apologized several times. Eun-seong said it was just a matter of paying for it, but she still felt bad for causing trouble and thought an apology was necessary. The landlord was a middle-aged woman, speaking in a strict, no-nonsense tone.

"That bed has to be custom-made to fit the size, so I can’t replace it right away.”

"Then how long will it take…?”

"I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the company about that."

Hmm. 

That’s a problem. 

The studio wasn’t as small as a goshiwon, but it was still cramped. With a bed, a desk, and a small wardrobe inside, the remaining space was barely enough for one person to walk through. 

Laying out bedding on the floor would be awkward at best. So either she slept on the broken bed for a while, or she moved things around and slept on the floor where the walkway was… 

Wasn’t that realistically impossible?

"What’s she saying now?"

Eun-seong asked from the driver’s seat. Hye-yeon brought a finger to her lips and quietly motioned for him to hush. 

He said not to worry about the money and that he would pay, but since this was her personal matter, she didn’t really want him getting involved beyond that. 

More than anything, her mother occasionally contacted the landlord. If word got back that there was a man’s voice in the background, it would be a disaster.

‘She’d worry.'

So she was trying to handle it cleanly on her own. But the landlord, clearly annoyed by the inconvenience, kept grumbling.

"Even if they rush production, it’s basically construction work. Can’t you stay at a friend’s place for a while?"

At that, Jiwon briefly came to mind, but it felt awkward. Come to think of it, Jiwon’s home was in Seoul, and she lived with her parents.

"Ah…"

Holding the phone politely with both hands, Hye-yeon’s eyes darted around. What should she do? Should she stay at a jjimjilbang for a while?

"If we’re doing construction, you’ll probably need to move some of your stuff too."

It sounded like it wasn’t just a matter of bringing in a bed and setting it up, but doing some kind of work to fit standardized dimensions. 

She said all the rooms were unified that way. Hye-yeon ended the call with an awkward expression. 

Honestly, if she thought about it, the easiest place to go right now was Eun-seong’s place, especially considering he’d casually suggested going there earlier. 

Even back in high school, Eun-seong had been very strict about managing his private life. So while she’d heard rumors that his family was incredibly well-off, she didn’t really know what kind of place he lived in…

'What if I go, and his parents ask why I’m there?'

Hye-yeon lowered her gaze with a troubled expression. A memory surfaced of the one time, in her first year of high school, she’d gone to a friend’s house. 

When she said she wasn’t going back to the countryside that weekend, her roommate had invited her over. Because her school was a prestigious private high school, many of her classmates came from wealthy families. Sitting in front of a table filled with food, her friend’s parents kept urging her to eat while asking questions.

"So, what do your parents do?"

With glossy braised ribs in front of her, Hye-yeon felt her throat tighten as she placed a piece of meat on top of her rice. 

They seemed to be expecting a certain kind of background from their daughter’s friend, but she couldn’t lie, could she? 

She told them the truth.

"My mom works at a cosmetics store. My dad passed away early because he was sick."

For a moment, an inexplicable silence settled over the table. Her friend’s father cleared his throat and shot his daughter a look, while her mother, visibly flustered, asked in an overly bright tone,

"Ha ha. You must’ve had a hard time at such a young age. Um… you live in Jinpyeong? Where is that? Gangwon Province?”

"…Chungbuk.”

"Oh. Your mother must’ve struggled a lot, raising you alone in the countryside. Do you have things like this out there? Eat up and gather your strength so you can repay her next semester with excellent grades."

As she pushed the ribs toward Hye-yeon, she remembered feeling weighed down by their lavish hospitality. 

Sure enough, after returning to the dormitory, she suffered from indigestion for over a week. 

And it wasn’t just that once. One night at the dorm, when the girls were all having a pajama party together, someone looked at Hye-yeon and said,

"You know that, right? Our roommate’s dad talks behind your back. He even told my dad. Said your face always looks full of shadows.”

"When did he say you looked so refined and elegant? What a joke."

In other words, no matter how smart she was or how pretty she looked, they didn’t want her hanging around. Her environment didn’t match theirs.

"If you think about it, adults are even more childish. Talking behind the back of a kid young enough to be their daughter. Right?"

When one friend asked for agreement, everyone there nodded. But among them, not a single person stayed friends with Hye-yeon until senior year. 

At some point, they all started hanging out only among themselves, bragging about souvenirs they’d bought overseas during breaks, quietly pushing her out. 

That was just the kind of school it was. A school with lots of rich kids. A place that often made her wonder whether she really belonged there. 

On days when loneliness weighed on her more heavily, she would recall something her roommate’s mother had said.

"Gather your strength and repay her next semester with excellent grades."

Back then, she hadn’t even realized she’d been hurt, and she thought the words were only right. And in part, they were true. Among all the things she couldn’t change, the only thing she could alter through effort in her circumstances was her grades. 

But… 

What about now? She is twenty years old now. 

She hadn’t spent that long in college yet, but even so, social hierarchy still existed. 

Just looking at the friends who gathered around Eun-seong, you could tell they all came from money. Even the watch David wore was something his father had passed down to him, and it looked expensive. And Eun-seong himself had parents who gifted him a foreign car just for getting into college at twenty.

"……"

Hye-yeon stared silently out the window. 

To be honest, she’d learned back in high school how not to look poor wherever she went. If she wanted to blend in with them, even briefly, she had to look at things far better than anything she owned without reacting too much, as if it were all perfectly natural. 

It was the same now. Truthfully, she was shocked inside. 

This was the first time in her life she’d ever ridden in such a nice car. The seats weren’t black but a yellow closer to orange, and whether it was genuine leather or not, they had a pleasant scent and were incredibly soft. Unlike taking a taxi, the engine was quiet and stable. Sitting in the passenger seat felt like stepping into an entirely different world. 

Maybe because of that, Eun-seong also felt like someone from a completely different category. Back in high school, she’d briefly imagined becoming close with him, but those thoughts always ended badly.

'So that’s why.'

Why I’ve always kept my distance from Eun-seong.

'It was an inferiority complex.'

The realization hit her all at once, and Hye-yeon tugged her lips upward in self-mockery. 

The car passed through the main gate and headed toward the parking lot.

"Drop me off at the library intersection."

At her calm request, Eun-seong turned the wheel toward the intersection and said,

"I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on your call.”

"You heard everything?"

With just the two of them in such a quiet space, it must have all been audible even with the volume lowered. 

Hye-yeon shrugged as if asking him to pretend he didn’t know and turned her head away. 

As he entered the parking lot, Eun-seong spoke gently.

"Want to come to my place?"

It sounded like he was saying it because she’d been worried. But still… going to his place after sleeping together for just one day felt like too much.

"I think your parents would hate that.”

"I live alone."

What did that mean?

"You live by yourself?"

Hye-yeon’s questioning gaze turned toward Eun-seong in the driver’s seat. His face was half hidden behind his thick, unruly bangs. 

She couldn’t see his expression clearly, but it didn’t seem like he was living alone for a good reason.

"Did you run away from home?"

The car stopped in the parking lot. Checking behind him, Eun-seong smoothly backed into the space. With a faint smile, he replied casually,

"No. It’s my place. My mom is sick and hospitalized, and my dad…"

Beep.

The parking warning sound rang out. Eun-seong stopped mid-sentence, turned off the engine, and lifted his head.

"We’re here. Shall we get out?"

What about his dad? She was curious since he’d cut himself off, but prying further felt rude, so she kept quiet. 

As she opened the car door and got out, Eun-seong took her bag from the back seat and handed it to her, lifting the corner of his mouth slightly.

"I’ll come pick you up this evening."

Then, as Hye-yeon took her bag and started walking, he walked alongside her. 

The campus was chaotic, with the festival still in full swing. Fireworks popped here and there, and loud music filled the air. 

Raising her voice slightly in the crowd, Hye-yeon asked,

"You have something to do too?"

She thought the talent show teams were done after yesterday. When she looked at him with wide eyes, Eun-seong caught her hand as if scooping it up.

"Yeah."

Then, making a point of lacing their fingers together, he smiled slyly and said,

"I have a date."

At that casual remark, Hye-yeon’s heart jolted. 

What is this? This really makes it sound like we’re dating. A date? She hadn’t noticed before, but now that she thought about it, Eun-seong seemed to have a mischievous side.

"I-I have to work at the booth."

Her ears burning red, Hye-yeon fidgeted awkwardly with their joined hands and avoided his gaze.

"I’m working too. I just switched shifts with Jiwon."

He showed her a text message on his phone. 

Jiwon, who had been complaining that the festival didn’t suit her at all, had been thrilled at the idea of Eun-seong filling in and had sent back a thumbs-up emoji.

"……That’s good."

Hye-yeon smiled awkwardly as they walked. Honestly, after what happened yesterday, she’d been scared to come to school alone. If she did, surely… 

Hyunwoo would be waiting.

'And how much will people gossip?'

Who knew what Hyunwoo had been saying to his friends behind her back again. Thinking about it made her tense. 

Sweat dampened Hye-yeon’s palm. Hyunwoo was one thing, but Eun-seong beside her made her even more aware. The hand he’d been holding since the parking lot felt slick. She could feel his heartbeat, the pulse traveling from hand to hand.

'This is ridiculous.'

After everything they’d already done, why did holding Eun-seong’s hand now feel so awkward and nerve-racking? 

She even felt like people passing by were sneaking glances at the two of them.

"Did you see that? Isn’t that him?"

It felt like people were whispering as they looked back at them. Maybe it was just her overthinking. Maybe she was just extra conscious of other people’s eyes because holding hands felt so strange. 

As Hye-yeon swallowed and looked down at their joined hands uneasily, Eun-seong said while looking straight ahead,

"I won the bet, so today is day one for us."

His handsome eyes curved beautifully, filled with a soft, wistful light.

"We’re dating, obviously. And you’re mine now."

Ahead of them, she could see the booth where their classmates were gathered. 

On the morning shift, Jungwon seemed to be grilling skewers again, flames flaring wildly. Among them, she spotted Hyunwoo carrying a water container, trying to control the fire. 

Watching the kids wearing gloves circle the flames like some strange ritual, Eun-seong muttered slowly,

"So don’t talk to Choi Hyunwoo anymore."

For a brief moment, his grip tightened around her hand. The sweat-soaked hand turned cold in an instant, and Hye-yeon’s cheek trembled slightly. 

For a split second, Eun-seong’s gaze seemed to sink into something fierce and dangerous. Maybe her whole body was out of sync, creaking and reacting too sensitively to everything.

'Don’t overthink it.'

He probably just meant she shouldn’t accept Hyunwoo’s apology if he gave one. He’d already been furious yesterday over the idea that she’d used Hyunwoo to try to beat him. 

But still… she was a hardened realist.

"I don’t think it’s possible to not talk to him at all."

If something wasn’t right, she had to say it.

"He’s right there. How am I supposed to not say a word?"

Muttering as she walked toward the booth, Hye-yeon added,

"We also have a group project tomorrow.”

"So if he apologizes, you’ll accept it?”

"No."

Even if she didn’t accept it,

"Not talking at all is impossible."

Hye-yeon let out a deep sigh at Eun-seong’s stubbornness. 

“Like you said, a bet is a bet, and I lost. I admit that. Dating you is fine too. But.”

"……”

"You can’t control everything about me, Eun-seong."

She gently slipped her hand out of his and took a step back. As they got closer to the booth, Jungwon recognized her from afar and shouted,

"Jeong Hye-yeon, hurry up and get over here! Put this fire out!"

Putting out a single fire and causing this much chaos. Jaemin was, as usual, hovering nearby and butting in.

"That’s not how you put out a fire! No, that’s not it!”

"Aaah!"

With all kinds of screams erupting, people passing by the chaotic booth pointed and snickered. Black smoke billowed up, and in the middle of the commotion, Hyunwoo spotted Hye-yeon and stopped in his tracks, pulling off his gloves one by one. 

Naturally, the look in his eyes as he watched the two of them was far from pleasant. Honestly, who would want to be in that spot? With hostile gazes tearing into her from both sides, the one who felt like she was about to lose her mind the most was Hye-yeon.

"Eun-seong."

She swept her long hair aside with one hand, the wind having messed it up, and spoke with a bit more emotion in her voice.

"I’m the one who’s the most suffocated here. I already feel like my head’s going to explode all semester because I picked the wrong friends, so I really wish you wouldn’t add to it. Okay?"

She’d ended up in this sort of relationship because she lost a bet, not because they liked each other, and marriage was even more out of the question. 

At the very least, she thought she needed to draw a clear line from the start. If she let Eun-seong do whatever he wanted right away, she’d just get tossed around and end up hurt.

'So that’s as far as your interference goes.'

Eun-seong was smart. If she set the boundary clearly like this, wouldn’t he understand? He did look a little disappointed, but still.

"Hey! Hurry up!”

"Coming!"

When Jungwon shouted, Hye-yeon raised her voice in response. She glanced back as if urging him along, and Eun-seong nodded gently with a smile.

"Yeah. I get what you mean."

As expected. 

“Smart."

Hye-yeon nodded, gave a quick two-finger salute, and ran toward the booth. Eun-seong quietly watched her back as she ran away. 

* * * 

“Wow, there are so many people!"

The result of the bet she’d proposed in anger was massive. Once Eun-seong switched teams with Jiwon and joined the booth, people who recognized him started gathering one by one. Jungwon was so busy he could barely think straight, running around serving customers.

"Where the hell did that bastard Choi Hyunwoo go again!"

He didn’t forget to curse Hyunwoo for disappearing when things were this busy. 

After showing up on the giant screen on such a big stage yesterday, she’d thought everyone would know what Hyunwoo had done by now, but maybe people were too busy with the festival to notice. 

The booth was packed like a famous restaurant. Eun-seong silently grilled skewers, and female students crowded near the front of the booth, excitedly taking photos of his back. 

Click. 

They didn’t even open the beer they’d ordered, just kept taking pictures of Eun-seong. 

Was he a celebrity or something? He wasn’t even a public figure. Why were they taking so many photos? 

The scallion pancake in front of them was getting cold, and they hadn’t even picked up their chopsticks, so Hye-yeon approached with a bottle opener. She deliberately stepped in front of the camera aimed at Eun-seong and asked,

"Would you like me to open that for you?"

The girl holding the phone lowered it with a disappointed look when her angle was blocked.

"Yes, please!"

The girls, all around Hye-yeon’s age and carefully dressed up, giggled and greeted her cheerfully. 

Pop. 

Hye-yeon lightly opened the beer and turned to leave, wishing them a good time, when—

"Um, excuse me."

One of the girls grabbed Hye-yeon’s arm and stopped her. When Hye-yeon turned around, the girl with long hair and a cute face blushed and pointed at Eun-seong.

"That guy… does he have a girlfriend?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Hye-yeon froze. What should she say? Should she say, that’s me? But accepting that herself after just one day felt awkward. As Hye-yeon hesitated and smiled awkwardly, Jungwon, who was carrying over a scallion pancake, answered for her.

"Do you think he would? Engineering students don’t have that.”

"Oh, why not?”

"He just doesn’t.”

"Why though?”

"Because he doesn’t."

As Jungwon joked, the girls burst into loud laughter again. With the festival’s noisy atmosphere, everyone seemed giddy. 

Thankfully, it passed without issue, but the feeling it left behind was oddly unsettling.

'Was Eun-seong… always this popular?'

Since he usually kept his face half hidden, you could tell he was handsome, but there were hardly any girls who openly approached him. 

In high school, he also had an aura that made him hard to get close to. But still… 

Jaemin, who loved sticking his nose into things, shuffled over to Hye-yeon. Pretending to help with the kimchi pancakes, he spoke up.

"Did you see the video yesterday?"

Hye-yeon, pulling kimchi pancake batter out of the icebox, shook her head. Well. After spending all night with Eun-seong, she hadn’t really had time to check her phone.

"What video?"

She thought maybe something else had gone viral besides the talent show clip.

"Eun-seong."

Jaemin pulled out his phone from his apron pocket and showed her. It was a high-resolution video of Eun-seong singing. 

It was late spring, when the wind blew strongly. Against the backdrop of a campus just beginning to sprout fresh green, a man stood on stage, playing guitar and singing. The audience was completely absorbed, someone next to them even wiping away tears. At the climax, a refreshing breeze swept in, and Eunseong, eyes closed and chin lifted as he poured himself into the song, was shown in full. 

That celebrity-like face… It was revealed to the whole world. 

Overnight.

"Everyone’s losing their minds saying he’s handsome."

Apparently, he hadn’t even won the talent show for his looks, but completely dominated the grand prize with his singing alone. The comments were overflowing with praise.

'What are talent agencies doing, not debuting someone like this?'

‘Looks like a Korea University festival. Smart, handsome, and can sing? Isn’t that a total cheat character? Sorry, but please nerf him.'

‘Nice to meet you, I love you.'

‘Let go. He flirted first.'

Even just looking at the top comments, the number of likes rivaled those of actual celebrities. 

As Hye-yeon scrolled down the screen, her heart felt like it might burst. 

Thump, thump, thump… 

Slow but steady, it beat with a constant rhythm. Along with the distant sound of singing, last night’s sensations came rushing back. 

A man who could capture everyone’s attention on stage the moment he decided to. She hadn’t imagined the aftermath of their bet would grow this big.

'Does Eun-seong even know?'

That the world had changed this much overnight. 

Just in case, she looked toward the skewer grill, but Eun-seong, who’d been standing there moments ago, was gone.

'Where did he go?'

Hye-yeon’s eyes darted around. The girls who’d been sitting near the booth entrance after ordering scallion pancakes were gone too. And there was Eun-seong, surrounded by them, pressing something on one girl’s phone as she handed it to him.

"Huh."

A short breath escaped Hye-yeon’s lips. She still couldn’t believe it. Tae Eun-seong, an existence so distant he felt almost godlike. 

That guy becoming her boyfriend overnight wasn’t enough. Now he’d turned into a public figure too. It felt fascinating, and yet, at the same time, a little disappointing. 

In a way, the face of Eun-seong that she alone had known was now something everyone else knew too.

"So that’s why our booth’s been completely packed since yesterday."

Jaemin handed the phone back to Hye-yeon and shrugged.

"Everyone keeps asking where Tae Eun-seong is."

It seemed he wanted to explain why the booth had turned into such a mess today. Apparently, it wasn’t just customers either. Even casting agents had been coming and going.

"Hyunwoo took the business cards earlier. But do you think he’ll hand them over? Eun-seong would be shaking like crazy if he saw them."

Jaemin shuddered as he spoke, recalling how Hyunwoo had been glaring at Eun-seong and losing his temper since yesterday. 

Just as expected, he must have been running his mouth to their friends again, but the reactions seemed different from before. Just as Jaemin was about to say something else, someone shouted loudly,

"One more kimchi pancake here!"

Things really were hectic.

"Yes!"

Hye-yeon and Jaemin answered at the same time, then immediately started moving without needing to say anything more. 

According to Jaemin, the booth that used to be so empty because they grilled skewers like garbage was suddenly busy, all because of that one guy.

"Wouldn’t it be better to tell him to leave?"

While clearing a table, Hye-yeon wiped the sweat from her face and looked toward Eun-seong. 

At this point, he was practically standing in front of the booth like a mascot. People gathered around him from all directions, striking up conversations, and Eun-seong calmly talked back, smiling. 

She hadn’t realized it before, but…

"Is he the type to become famous?"

Maybe she’d discovered Eun-seong’s true calling. Hye-yeon tilted her head as she scrubbed the table hard. You were supposed to cheer when someone did well, but for some reason, her mood had felt strangely irritated for a while now.

'He’s not going to back out of dating, is he?'

You hear stories like that, don’t you?

People becoming famous and catching celebrity syndrome, treating the people they used to know badly. 

They hadn’t decided to date because they liked each other, but ending it as just a one-night thing felt a little disappointing.

'It was good.'

Last night, when they were tangled together, shaking like animals, all the negative emotions in her head had evaporated, replaced by a clean, popping euphoria. She wanted to feel that again if possible. She also wanted to try taking that huge thing properly from on top…

'Am I thinking too much in that direction?'

Hye-yeon’s face turned red as she scrubbed the table, a rag clenched in her hand. 

‘He broke my bed and everything…'

The man who had focused on her all night, as if nothing else mattered. 

Seeing that same man laughing and exchanging phones with other girls made anger surge up inside her. 

Stretching her sore back, Hye-yeon pointed toward him.

"The more I look at it, the more I think we should tell him to leave."

But the other engineering guys seemed to feel differently. Jungwon, in particular, was grinning from ear to ear as he walked around clearing bottles, flashing a lewd, monkey-like expression.

"Why? It’s great. Thanks to him, tons of girls are coming."

His nostrils flared obscenely. If you really looked at him, he was just as bad. Hye-yeon frowned deeply.

"Ugh."

What a mess this was. Resting her hands on her hips, she surveyed the scene. Even the upperclassmen looked pleased. When Eun-seong tried to go back to grilling skewers, they waved him off like he was royalty, telling him to just stand in front.

"Thanks to Eun-seong, sales are great. Heh."

One senior printed out the sales report at the register and smiled with a capitalist grin.

"All right, all right. Scallion pancakes are sold out now!"

Most of the others, like Jungwon, were calling it a miracle for engineering, thanks to all the female customers. 

From Hye-yeon’s perspective, there was nothing enjoyable about any of this. Looking at the mess left behind by the last wave of customers, she wondered if this was really a festival or just hard labor. 

Since today was the final day, there was still a lot left to clean up. Maybe because she hadn’t slept properly, exhaustion came crashing down on her all at once. Taking off her apron and placing it on the payment table, Hye-yeon said,

"I’m going to take a short break."

As she left the booth, she sent Eun-seong a message. 

[Eun-seong, go home.] 

Please. 

* * * 

‘He hasn’t even read it.'

Leaving behind Eun-seong, who still looked busy, Hye-yeon entered the central library. 

Compared to the chaos of the festival outside, the library was far quieter than usual. Inside, there were signs of the festival, skewer sticks piled in trash cans and packaging bags here and there, but it was still relatively clean.

"Ugh."

Hye-yeon flopped down into a chair in the lobby. Her whole body ached. Two days in a row of intense schedules had taken their toll. Maybe she should get some sugar. She’d just washed her hands after using the restroom, and when she reached into her pocket, she pulled out a Pepero stick. Sitting cross-legged, she crunched on the Pepero and opened social media.

"Korea University talent show."

When she typed it into the search bar, everything that came up was Eun-seong’s videos.

"That’s wild."

While all of this was happening, the two of them had been completely absorbed in something else all night. It had been intense enough that her legs still felt weak. 

Feeling her energy dropping, Hye-yeon kept stuffing snacks into her mouth. She kept scrolling through Eun-seong’s videos and comments, crunching away, when a shadow fell over her.

"You keep watching."

At the familiar voice, she turned around quickly. 

It was Choi Hyunwoo. The central library at a late hour. Outside was noisy, but inside the wide space, there weren’t many people. Even those who were there were spaced far apart, busy with their own things. 

After glancing around, Hye-yeon shifted slightly and sat properly. She’d known they would run into each other eventually, so after a small deep breath, she opened her eyes and faced him. 

Hyunwoo looked like he hadn’t gone home yesterday. He was wearing the same clothes, and his face looked a little gaunt, like he hadn’t shaved. Hye-yeon spoke first.

"They were looking for you earlier.”

"Yeah."

Hyunwoo nodded and sat down across from her. The round chair without a back dipped under his weight.

"You didn’t answer your phone again yesterday."

He spoke calmly, but his voice sounded strangely tight. He avoided her gaze, restlessly rubbing his jaw.

"That…"

It seemed like there was something he wanted to say. Hye-yeon held her breath, tense.

"I’m sorry about yesterday."

Biting his lip, Hyunwoo let out a breath full of regret and lowered his head.

"I was too hasty."

Each word seemed difficult for him. He frowned deeply, took off his cap, and blinked rapidly.

"You’ve been acting strange lately. We haven’t been spending as much time together like before… and I know now, but actually, I…”

"……”

"I…"

Overwhelmed, Hyunwoo covered his eyes with his hand, then continued,

"I liked you."

This wasn’t how he’d planned to confess. The man spoke with a face that looked like he might burst into tears at any moment. He bit down on his lip, then covered his face with both hands. 

Choi Hyunwoo swept back the hair that had been pressed flat by his cap and let out a sigh like he was losing his mind.

'Seeing him like that, it really does seem sincere.'

And yet, why did it feel like his true feelings were something else entirely? 

Hye-yeon recalled the way Hyunwoo had strutted in front of his friends at the freshman welcome party. She didn’t think the gentle sides he’d shown her before were lies. If all of that had been an act, that in itself would have been impressive. Hye-yeon wasn’t an idiot. 

The worries she’d carried about Eun-seong. Hyunwoo had been someone she trusted enough to confide all of that in, and there had been a time when she genuinely liked him. But the deeper a relationship went, the more devastating it was when trust shattered. Hye-yeon spoke quietly.

"I know you messed up. Coming here like this to apologize… I think that takes courage."

It was better than pretending nothing happened and moving on.

"But."

The snack bag in Hye-yeon’s hand crumpled. 

“Honestly, I can’t trust you anymore."

It wasn’t just because he’d been talking about her in front of other people. What he’d done after the performance yesterday had played a big part in her decision. 

When Hyunwoo had forcibly grabbed her chin and kissed her, the stale, damp smell of cigarettes had clung to him. Her mood had soured instantly. She shoved him away and ran up the stairs as fast as she could, but the nausea lingered, and she kept gagging. Covering her mouth, pushing through the crowd as she ran without direction, a thought had suddenly crossed her mind. A scene she’d never imagined before. More than anything, she was furious and disgusted that it had happened in front of Eun-seong. But Hyunwoo had chased after her, repeatedly trying to stop her with brute force.

"Wait, Jeong Hye-yeon!"

He grabbed her shoulder as she tried to escape and yanked her back.

"I said let’s talk!"

He dragged her by the collar behind a secluded patch of bushes. She couldn’t tell if he really wanted to talk or if he was trying to overpower her, and a suffocating fear washed over her. 

Even now, just thinking about it made her hands shake. Humans instinctively sense danger. Just like you can smell wet earth the moment rain falls, she could feel what kind of emotion was behind the hand gripping her shoulder hard enough to hurt. At that moment, Choi Hyunwoo wasn’t apologizing. He was angry.

"Come here!"

In that urgent situation, the violence he showed terrified her. That was why, as she struggled to break free from his grip, she ended up slapping him. 

It had only brushed him with the back of her hand, but the silver ring on her index finger scraped his cheek, leaving a thin line behind. That mark was still clearly visible on Hyunwoo’s face today. What remained on Hyunwoo was a physical injury. What remained inside her was something far worse. 

She didn’t know how deep or desperate his feelings for her truly were. Honestly, she didn’t need to know. All she could think was that if the situation had been reversed, Eun-seong would never have acted the way Hyunwoo did.

‘There’s no need to drag this out.'

Eun-seong was right. The group project mattered, sure, but if Hye-yeon had truly hated Hyunwoo, she would have cut him off immediately. Her judgment had wavered only because of her obsession with beating Eun-seong. Now, it was time to decide before things got worse. Hye-yeon spoke clearly, putting distance between them.

"You apologized, so that’s that. I’ve heard you out, and from here on, let’s end any personal conversations between us."

She stood up.

"We can’t avoid seeing each other while we’re in the same department. We’ll run into each other in class. I don’t want it to be uncomfortable every time."

That would just interfere with class.

"Let’s keep it appropriate."

Not close like before. Once her mind was made up, drawing the line was simple. She made an effort not to mix emotion into her words. Getting worked up wouldn’t make anything better. 

Hye-yeon glanced around the now-quiet lobby, tossed the snack bag into the trash, and started to leave. 

But Hyunwoo grabbed her arm, his eyes full of refusal.

"I still have things to say."

Hye-yeon shook his hand off.

"I’m done."

Hyunwoo grabbed her again and spoke stubbornly.

"Fine. Okay, I get it. I get everything. But hey."

He stood up. He wasn’t as tall as Eun-seong, but he was still big enough that when his shadow fell over her, Hye-yeon had to tilt her head up.

"Ha… fuck."

When persuasion didn’t work, he raked his hand through his hair in frustration and stomped his foot. 

Thud. 

The sole of his sneaker scraped loudly against the polished marble floor.

"Why do you… always make people feel this miserable? Seriously… fucking awful."

Choi Hyunwoo rubbed at the corners of his eyes, his voice thick with tears, and bit down on his lip.

“You think everything’s fine just because you hurt someone?"

Hye-yeon twisted her arm free and shot back,

"So in the end, it’s all my fault. Do you think everyone reacts like you just because their feelings aren’t returned? What you’re doing right now is violence too. Grabbing someone who said no and clinging pathetically. You’re the one being disrespectful, so don’t try to dump that on me."

As she spoke slowly, looking him straight in the eyes, Hyunwoo’s brow crumpled instantly.

"You and that mouth of yours…"

Annoyed that he couldn’t cut in, he grew more flustered, then finally raised his voice even louder.

"Fine. Fine, fuck it, say all that’s true. Then promise me one thing. That you won’t see Tae Eun-seong."

Hye-yeon was dumbfounded. Why was the conversation going there? And more than anything—

"Why would I promise you that?”

"You hated him.”

"But.”

"Did you lie to me then?”

"No, back then—”

"Then promise me!"

When Choi Hyunwoo suddenly shouted, people turned to look. The festival was nearly over, and a cleaning lady who’d stopped by to tidy the trash bins flinched and turned around. 

That was when Hye-yeon’s own anger flared. After terrifying her like that yesterday, what right did he have to raise his voice? She shouted back even louder.

"Who do you think you are, yelling at me?”

"Jeong Hye-yeon.”

"Who I meet is none of your business. And don’t go around running your mouth wherever you want, you bastard!”

"Ha, fuck. What are you even talking about now?"

Hyunwoo lowered his head in irritation, his brow deeply furrowed.

"At the freshman welcome party. I heard everything you said. That bullshit about whether you slept with me or not.”

"Ha…”

So that was it. Only now did understanding dawn on his face.

"That’s when it started."

He rubbed his face with his hand and laughed, almost as if relieved. The sight made her skin crawl.

"No wonder you were acting weird from the moment you left with that bastard Tae Eun-seong."

Crushing his baseball cap in his hand, Hyunwoo let out a broken, choking laugh. 

Looking closely, his expression was somewhere between laughter and tears, and Hye-yeon sensed danger. 

The engineering booth was right in front of the library. If she ran, she’d be there in seconds. Realizing she needed to get away, she tried to leave quickly. 

That was when—

"Hng!"

Hyunwoo grabbed her arm and pulled her into his chest. He whispered into her ear,

"Did you sleep with him?"

Locking both her arms tight so she couldn’t move, he continued in a voice thick with resentment.

"Did that bastard come inside you? Tell me, Jeong Hye-yeon."

The grip on her was so tight she felt like her body might shatter.

"Let go of me!”

"Fuck, answer me! Where did he touch you? Here?"

That filthy hand slid down from her shoulder, trying to grab her chest. The few people nearby started whispering and gathering closer. And then Hye-yeon bit down on Choi Hyunwoo’s finger.

"Aaagh!"

As he staggered back, the door burst open with a loud clatter.

"What the hell? Is that guy crazy?”

"Shouldn’t we report him?"

Hyunwoo shook his hand in pain, and Hye-yeon was shoved aside, collapsing to the floor. 

Splat. 

She fell forward hard, then lifted her head with reddened eyes.

Her mind was a mess. Stars spun in her vision, everything blurred, and her strength drained away. If I’d just been a little stronger, I could’ve beaten that bastard to death. 

Gritting her teeth, she planted her hand on the floor and pushed herself upright.

"Are you okay?"

A woman from the crowd reached out her hand. And just as Hye-yeon was about to take it, a different hand grabbed hers instead. The one who pulled her to her feet was none other than—

"I told you not to talk to him."

It was Eun-seong. And he was furious. 

* * * 

The lobby of the central library fell into chaos. It was the final stretch of the festival. With closing time approaching, security guards and cleaning ladies were tidying up in small groups, while young students who had slipped inside to escape the crowds mingled among them. 

How had Eun-seong even managed to find her among all these people?

"You really never listen."

He gripped Hye-yeon’s shoulder and looked her over.

"Are you hurt?"

Hye-yeon showed him her hand, scraped against the marble floor when she fell. It was swollen and red, probably from sliding across the hard surface.

"Hah."

Between Eun-seong’s disheveled hair, his brows drew together sharply. At that moment, the sound of Hyunwoo, furious after getting his finger bitten, reached them.

"Hey! You crazy bitch, you bit me?"

Hyunwoo was the type who lost all reason when he got worked up. Just like her father. 

When Hye-yeon’s father was sober, he had been a gentle man, but once he drank, he turned into someone else entirely.

"Get over here, fuck!"

People were already standing between Hyunwoo and Hye-yeon, blocking him with their bodies. Hyunwoo shoved through them like tearing through bushes, and when he heard Eun-seong’s voice, he became even more enraged. 

“Sir, please stop!"

It didn’t seem like he could hear anyone telling him to stop. Seeing Hye-yeon standing there with Eun-seong the moment she got up made Hyunwoo completely snap.

"You fucking slut…"

It felt like something terrible was about to happen. As Hyunwoo charged toward them, Hye-yeon grabbed Eun-seong’s arm.

"Eun-seong…"

She hoped he would avoid the situation like before, listen to her and step back. But it happened before she could say anything else. 

Thud! 

Eun-seong, who had been standing in front of her, knocked Hyunwoo down with a single punch. 

Already boiling with anger, Hyunwoo went flying backward into the crowd. The moment Hyunwoo’s not-small body was sent flying, people sensed the danger and scattered. 

He scrambled up from the floor, face flushed red, and lunged at Eun-seong again. His expression said he had nothing left to lose. 

Thud! 

This time, Hyunwoo’s fist smashed into Eun-seong’s face. His glasses shattered and skidded across the lobby floor. Blood splattered and smeared across the marble.

"Stop it, you psycho!"

Hye-yeon tried to intervene, but it was useless. 

This was nothing like the playful scuffles they’d had before. The atmosphere was vicious, as if it wouldn’t end unless one of them was dead. 

An older man tried to restrain Hyunwoo, but when Hyunwoo violently shoved him away, even the man went tumbling to the ground.

"Oof!"

A cleaning lady picked up the man’s glasses and handed them back as people slowly backed away.

"He must work out."

Someone muttered that this was beyond stopping and that the police should be called. 

Hye-yeon’s eyes were glued to Eun-seong’s fallen glasses. Seeing them smeared with blood on the marble floor made it feel like her temples were pounding. 

Hyunwoo grabbed Eun-seong by the collar and started punching him again and again. Knowing Hyunwoo sometimes went boxing made Hyeyeon feel like she was losing her mind.

“Stop it!"

She tried to rush between them, but people around her grabbed her.

"It’s dangerous!”

"Can’t you see his eyes? If you get hit wrong, it’s over!"

Held back by strangers, Hye-yeon cried helplessly where she stood. But Eun-seong wasn’t just taking it. 

No, if anything, Hyunwoo was being pushed back more and more, and Eun-seong was beating him down unilaterally. 

In the blink of an eye, the fight shifted completely in Eun-seong’s favor. When Hyunwoo threw punches like before, Eun-seong twisted his body and dodged lightly, then kicked Hyunwoo hard in the stomach. 

Thud.

"Ugh!"

Hyunwoo collapsed, curling around his abdomen like a shrimp. But Eun-seong didn’t stop kicking. It looked like someone was going to die.

"Tae Eun-seong, stop!"

Hyunwoo was almost a bloody mess now, barely able to do anything but cover his head with his arms. 

Even though the outcome was already decided, Eun-seong didn’t stop. Like a car with broken brakes, he kept kicking wildly. Then he paused, and his shoe pressed down hard on Hyunwoo’s head.

"I told you not to crawl back up."

I warned you. 

He spoke while staring down at a man bleeding all over the floor, his eyes devoid of emotion. His low, heavy voice spread through the lobby, thick with suffocating tension.

"I said it was the last time. Don’t talk to her."

He didn’t feel like someone she knew anymore. Hye-yeon felt a jolt of fear. This was far scarier than when Hyunwoo had been shouting or showing violence earlier. 

Not because of that, but because she was terrified Eun-seong might lose his future over this.

"Stop…"

Tears clouded Hye-yeon’s vision. She remembered Eun-seong in high school. Sitting quietly by the window at sunset, solving math problems. Always sitting straight, his hand moving like a machine. And the strange feeling she’d had whenever their eyes met. 

If this was Eun-seong’s true nature. If he was this dangerous. Then what would all his past efforts, everything he’d endured, amount to? 

She imagined Eun-seong’s future evaporating into the sky, light and fragile like scraps of paper. Hye-yeon bit down hard on her trembling lips.

'I can’t wait for the police.'

She broke free from the people holding her and sprinted toward the booths in front of the library. 

Running was the one thing she was confident in. She tripped over a jutting paving stone but got back up and kept running. She ran without looking back. When the booths came into view, she screamed sharply over the loud music.

"Jungwon!"

The festival was winding down, customers slowly thinning out. Hye-yeon ran to the booth, crying uncontrollably. She was so out of breath it felt like her insides were on fire. Her throat was bone-dry, her heart pounding like it might burst out of her chest. Her heartbeat thundered in her head, out of sync, as tears spilled down her face and she barely managed to speak.

"Guys…"

The classmates were in the middle of turning customers away, saying they were sold out. 

The once peaceful stall changed instantly the moment Hye-yeon ran up.

"What’s wrong?"

Seeing the blood on her hand, everyone rushed toward her, faces drained of color. Her legs gave out after running with all her strength, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

"Hic… Eun-seong and Hyunwoo…"

She couldn’t even breathe as she cried and pointed toward the library. Jungwon and several of the guys immediately dropped whatever they were holding and ran in that direction. 

Their footsteps thundered as they sprinted off.

"Get up first."

Jaemin, now the only one left, came over, helped Hye-yeon up, and sat her down on a booth chair.

"Drink some water."

He brought water, telling her to calm down, but Hye-yeon shook her head. 

Thankfully, after Jungwon and the others ran over, it seemed they had managed to stop Eun-seong. She could see the crowd that had gathered near the library beginning to spill back outside.

"Haa."

Letting out a painful breath, Hye-yeon stood up. 

“Where are you going?"

Jaemin grabbed her, but she shook her head.

"I have to go. I’m worried.”

"About who?”

"……”

"Seriously. I knew this would happen someday."

Even though Jaemin tried to stop her, she stubbornly got up and limped toward the library. With a sigh, he followed and supported her.

"Do you really have to go?"

She heard him telling her to just sit still, but she didn’t have the strength to respond. 

Hye-yeon pressed on and returned to the library. Soon after, a police car arrived. Red and blue lights took over the main road cutting through the festival grounds. The dizzying swirl of lights made passersby whisper, wondering what had happened. 

Hye-yeon entered with the police who had just arrived, and the moment she saw Eun-seong with both hands covered in blood, her face drained of color.

"Eun-seong."

Hyunwoo was slumped in a corner, one knee raised, his head hanging low.

"Can you open your eyes?"

As a police officer checked Hyunwoo’s condition, Hye-yeon’s heart dropped. She remembered the question Jaemin had asked earlier. 

Who are you worried about? When she was younger, she had seen fights break out at school a few times. Back then, what mattered was who had deserved it more. Now, Hyunwoo had done something deserving of being hit, and Eun-seong had beaten him up in her place, so she should have felt relieved. 

To be honest, seeing Choi Hyunwoo, who had acted so tough, get overpowered by Eun-seong even felt a little satisfying. He had tried to solve things with violence in front of her, only to be crushed by greater force. 

But apart from that, she was unbearably worried about Eun-seong. The police spoke among themselves.

"These two should be separated, and that one needs to go to the hospital first.”

"Looks like a concussion.”

"Yeah, get him to the hospital right away."

“Any witnesses? Same department?"

Because it was a festival, two nearby police cars had shown up, and several officers were canvassing the area. 

When the police tried to take Jungwon as a witness, Hye-yeon raised her hand.

"Me. I was there from the beginning.”

"Alright. Then you come too."

When Jungwon asked if she was okay, Hye-yeon nodded. Her knee, scraped when she fell, throbbed, and her palm, ground against the library floor earlier, stung sharply. 

Up until now, Hye-yeon had always been someone who protected her body above all else if it meant maintaining good grades.

"You’re really selfish."

When asked who would take a performance evaluation in place of a sick friend, she’d raise her hand without hesitation if it benefited her. While others read the room, she had always chosen the most practical option.

"Mom, I don’t think I’m feeling well, so I can’t come down for my birthday this time."

She was in pain. Her whole body trembled with exhaustion, and she felt like she might collapse at any moment. In this state, it would be hard to even study tomorrow. 

But even so, there was such a thing as being human, and she felt she had to stay by Eun-seong’s side. 

Clutching one trembling hand to her chest, Hye-yeon bit down hard on her lips and, legs shaking, followed the police car. 

* * * 

There was no chance to talk to Eun-seong. Hyunwoo was immediately transferred to the hospital, and after giving a few simple statements at the police station, Hye-yeon and Jungwon were told they could go home. 

Despite being a weekday evening, the police station was busier than expected. Apparently, there had been several group incidents that day, and they were short on staff. 

As the wait dragged on, Jungwon, sitting with Hye-yeon on a sofa in the corner, glanced at her and said,

"If you’re not feeling well, you can head out first.”

"No. I need to stay."

She shook her head. In her hand was a warm cup of tea someone had given her, saying she looked pale. Eun-seong was being questioned on the other side. She kept glancing that way, unable to help it, when Jungwon, legs crossed and looking at his phone, spoke.

"Hyunwoo’s okay."

He had a mild concussion and a broken arm, but his life wasn’t in danger.

"They said his jaw got split open and needed stitches too. Man, how hard did he beat him? Looking at it, Tae Eun-seong’s totally an alpha."

Hye-yeon pressed her lips together and lowered her head. She felt like a criminal. Thinking about it, it all felt like her fault, like she was the one who’d pushed Eun-seong this far. Regardless of what his true nature was, Eun-seong had always been someone who ran along a fixed path. 

Even in school, she only remembered him being exceptional. Up until the day she suggested going off track, Eun-seong had been… 

Hye-yeon sucked in a shaky breath and quickly wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Is that really something to joke about?”

"Then should I pound the ground and cry here?"

Jungwon let out an irritated sigh at the sight of her.

"Looks like you’re feeling guilty, but hey. Guys fight. That’s just how it is. Even gentle deer turn into stags during mating season and ram each other with their antlers. Nature and all that crap."

Seriously. Why was he bringing up nature here? Hye-yeon let out a hollow laugh. But ignoring her reaction, Jungwon continued.

"And those two were the type who had to settle things with a straight-up fight anyway.”

"What nonsense. Not all men fight."

Hye-yeon shot back, her voice nasal with tears. Jungwon frowned his patchy eyebrows.

"I’m serious. Me too, fuck. Here."

He lifted his right elbow to show her.

"See the stitches? And here."

He stood up and lifted his shirt to show his stomach, and Hye-yeon turned away, calling it an assault on her eyes.

"This one’s actually from appendix surgery."

Jungwon snickered, but it wasn’t funny at all. Hye-yeon drank the tea in her hand with a serious face. After holding it for so long, the warmth finally went down her throat, and she felt a little better.

"Anyway… Choi Hyunwoo’s been out of line lately."

Jungwon plopped back down on the bench and swung his legs. Opening his foldable phone and starting a game, he muttered in a careless tone, 

“It’s true he’s been annoying you."

“I thought you came here to take Hyunwoo’s side."

“What side? A witness doesn’t take sides. I’m neutral as hell. I’m just saying what I saw."

Hye-yeon flinched.

As she quickly looked away, Jungwon, tapping rapidly on his phone as if he might break it, continued.

"You went to the same high school as Tae Eun-seong, right?”

"So what.”

"You guys weren’t already close or something? You never showed it to us, but I thought maybe you were exes or something."

That was the first she’d heard of it. Hye-yeon tilted her head. Jungwon said that when he saw the two of them leave together at the freshman welcome party, he’d just assumed it was that kind of relationship.

"Come on. The way you two look at each other doesn’t seem normal."

He said that since there were so many couples who dated, broke up, and got back together, he’d just figured they were one of those too.

"Did we really look like that?"

Without taking his eyes off his phone, Jungwon nodded vaguely.

"Yeah. And since that bastard Hyunwoo likes you, he was just trying to sabotage things between you two. Acting like things were going well between you and him in front of everyone. But come on, the others aren’t idiots. They can read the room.”

"……”

"At first, since you guys didn’t seem close, people probably thought, oh, Hyunwoo’s just talking big again. But after a while, they start putting the pieces together. Especially after what happened yesterday."

By yesterday, he clearly meant the kiss that had been caught on the big screen.

"So… everyone knew?"

Hye-yeon’s grip tightened around her cup. So back at the booth, had they all been pretending not to notice?

"Of course they knew. That’s why that asshole Hyunwoo started watching his step and bolted the second you showed up."

Hye-yeon let out a hollow sigh. She had no idea how things had spiraled this far in the first place. All she’d ever wanted was to be first. She thought she’d just keep going to school normally, enjoy a busy but ordinary college life with her friends, laughing and joking along the way. 

In Hye-yeon’s model life, the only worries had been money and that frustrating second-place ranking. And now here she was, sitting in a police station.

'Living as second place is really brutal.'

And in the middle of all this, the fact that she’d briefly thought, what if Eun-seong goes to jail, does that make me first place? 

That thought was the most disgusting of all. 

Hye-yeon rubbed her face with her hands, her tears dried and smeared, trying to pull herself together. It wasn’t too late yet. What had happened had already happened. The best thing she could do now was keep the situation from getting any bigger.

'Get a grip. Say what you need to say.'

Just then, the officer in charge stood up and motioned for Hye-yeon and Jungwon to come over. As they rose to move—

"Huh?"

A man could be seen walking toward them from afar.

"Whoa, who’s that?"

One of the officers muttered in awe. It felt like the scattered noise that had filled the place moments ago faded for an instant. 

The tall man, easily over six foot three, wore a three-piece suit with a long, stylish coat draped over his shoulders. He walked down the aisle with three or four people who looked like lawyers trailing behind him. He was so tall that he caught the eye even through the windows. His hair was neatly cut and slicked back. Though he looked middle-aged, his face was frighteningly handsome. 

But more than anything, there was one reason their eyes were drawn to him. Jungwon seemed to be thinking the same thing. His mouth fell open before he hurriedly covered it with both hands.

"Holy shit."

He almost dropped the phone he was holding, barely catching it.

"This way."

Guided by a staff member, the man walked straight up to Hye-yeon and Jungwon, then pulled a business card from his inner pocket and handed it to the investigator. 

A face that looked exactly like Eun-seong’s. But unlike Eun-seong, this man looked perfectly groomed from head to toe, and the scent of expensive cologne wafted strongly from him.

"I’m Kang-jun Tae, CEO of Taesung Department Store."

He offered the business card instead of a greeting, and the investigator stood up and accepted it with both hands.

"Ah, yes."

The investigator’s face showed clear confusion. And understandably so. The Taesung Group was one of the most well-known conglomerates in South Korea, a name no one didn’t recognize. 

On top of that, anyone in a management position with the Tae surname within the Taesung Group was practically considered part of the royal family. 

All eyes in the room turned toward him at once. The murmuring grew louder. He had done nothing more than hand over a business card, yet everything began moving at breakneck speed, as if a motor had kicked in. 

One of the lawyers behind him presented prepared documents and spoke.

"This is the father of student Tae Eun-seong."

She had thought he came from a wealthy family, but still.

"I’m Jin-beom Lee, legal counsel for the Taesung Group. Where is student Tae Eun-seong?"

As the lawyer immediately questioned why Eun-seong had been moved elsewhere instead of being questioned here, the investigator’s face grew awkward.

"No, it’s just that there weren’t enough seats, so he was taken to the back. As you can see, there are a lot of troublemakers tonight."

The investigator replied, clearly flustered. 

Like the investigator, Hye-yeon also stood frozen in place, unable to move. Her gaze kept drifting toward the man. He looked far too much like Eun-seong. If that man were twenty years younger, she might have believed they were twins. 

While the lawyer continued talking, the man scanned the area with a relaxed smile. Then, at last, his gaze settled on Hye-yeon below his shoulder line. The moment their eyes met, a chill ran through her, goosebumps racing down her spine. It felt like a dog locking eyes with a butcher. The man’s smooth lips curved upward.

"So you’re Hye-yeon."

How did he know her name?

"You’re even prettier in person."

It was their first meeting, yet it didn’t feel like one. His hand reached out and lightly lifted her chin. She should have slapped it away and demanded what he thought he was doing, but like a dog frozen before a butcher, her eyes trembled as she stared at him.

"Hello."

For the first time in her life, she looked at someone smiling and thought.

He looks like a killer.