Eun-seong had claimed a seat in the library lounge and was studying. They had picked out predicted exam questions and were solving them while facing each other, but Hye-yeon had run straight into a wall. 

She struggled for a long while, then lifted her gaze with a quick glance upward. Across from her, Eun-seong was calmly working through the problems, just like back in high school, his expression steady and unshaken as his pencil moved smoothly across the page.

'Is he a robot or what?'

He doesn’t even stop. Hye-yeon swallowed a sip of her drink, looking at him with envy. She slouched crookedly against the back of her chair and watched the equations unfold under his hand.

'How does that turn into that there?'

What had looked like a brutally difficult math problem was being written out in such an easy, elegant solution that just looking at the figures made everything instantly clear. 

Before she realized it, Hye-yeon had been completely pulled into watching Eun-seong solve the problem. Just moments ago she had been studying a different subject, but now he had already caught up to the very math question she herself had been stuck on. 

Sensing her gaze for a while now, Eun-seong drew a line under the problem and spoke quietly.

"This one’s kind of tricky, right?"

She almost thought he was a ghost. Wondering how he knew without even looking, Hye-yeon gave a small shrug. Eun-seong lightly jerked his chin toward the notebook across from him.

"I saw you working on it the whole time."

She had tried this method and that one, failed, and then briefly set it aside to rest. 

Apparently, he had noticed all of it with that sharp eye of his. Eun-seong stood up and moved to sit beside her. 

Closing the distance until their shoulders nearly touched, he pulled her notebook toward him and studied the problem she had been working on.

"You did well up to here."

Like a teacher, he carefully checked the steps of her solution, then took his mechanical pencil and drew a line.

"But from here, it’s faster if you draw a graph."

As he spoke, he placed points neatly along the straight line he had drawn without even using a ruler. Clean, tidy scales appeared along the x and y-axes, and the solution continued in a graceful flow, almost like a piece of artwork. 

Holding an ion drink can in her hand, Hye-yeon found herself more and more captivated by the beautiful movements of his hand. 

Maybe because he was sitting so close, a faint woody scent drifted from Eun-seong. He didn’t wear perfume, but there was a subtle mix of men’s lotion in the air. The scent, the complete opposite of the soft cosmetics Hye-yeon usually used, pricked her nose, and her stimulated heart began to thump quietly like a drum.

"From here, it just connects straight through like this."

With the pencil in hand, he drew lines linking one vertex to another. His fingers were long and elegant, yet the veins standing out vividly made them look powerful. Those bulging veins continued up from the hand writing the solution, along his firm, muscular arm. 

Hye-yeon swallowed hard. She knew exactly what it felt like when those thick arms wrapped around her tightly enough to crush her.

"From here on, it gets a bit… complicated."

As Eun-seong continued explaining, his gaze turned toward her. He glanced sideways, checking if she was listening, but Hye-yeon only blinked. He tapped the pencil against the notebook a few times and asked with a faint sigh.

"What is it? That look."

Whenever they studied together, Hye-yeon was always the one who focused even more intensely than Eun-seong. 

It was the first time she had ever let her mind wander during problem-solving. But today, it was hard to concentrate. 

And really, whose fault was that? Since when was a guy solving math this sexy? Hye-yeon’s face flushed as she tightened her grip on the drink can. Pretending nothing was wrong, she turned her gaze away and pressed her lips together.

"I don’t know.”

"Which part don’t you get?"

Eun-seong pushed the notebook toward her as he asked. His gentle, calm tone made Hye-yeon quietly stare at him.

"I don’t know why I’m shaking like this."

Something’s wrong with my heart. At first, she thought it was just nerves because the problem wouldn’t be solved, but watching Eun-seong work beside her made everything clear. 

Pressing her palm against her chest where her heart was beating strangely out of rhythm, Hye-yeon lifted her chin. Her eyes met Eun-seong’s as he held the pencil beside her. 

Maybe because his hair was more neatly styled than usual, she could see his eyes more clearly. The moment she did, her pupils trembled. She swallowed. Barely managing to wet her dry lips with her tongue, she pressed both hands firmly against her chest and spoke.

"Eun-seong.”

"Yeah."

The man sitting with the sunlight behind him was dazzling. A cool breeze drifted in through the open window, and the deepened green leaves of the paulownia tree swayed gently outside. 

Shaaa. 

With the sound of the wind, the acrylic cord of the blinds swayed and lightly struck the window, clattering softly. Listening to the almost musical tapping sound, Hye-yeon’s eyes widened even more as she spoke.

"I think… I like you."

Hearing that, Eun-seong froze, unable to say anything. 

A moment passed. 

As she waited, hoping he would say something, Eun-seong shifted his posture with a soft rustling sound. 

His lips twitched as if from a muscle spasm, then he lowered his long eyelashes and let out a small laugh.

"Me too."

He lifted his head again and met her eyes. With the sunlight breaking brightly behind him, he blinked slowly.

"I like you."

Was it because the day was a bit warm? She had opened the window on purpose to ventilate the room, but Hye-yeon suddenly felt heat rush through her entire body. Her face burned red, like it might burst. 

She didn’t know what to say. Fidgeting with her hands and unsure where to rest her gaze, she scanned the table aimlessly. 

Thankfully, there were only the two of them in the library lounge. After a quick glance around, Hye-yeon gathered her courage and spoke again.

"Do you want to… really date?"

Her tone was extremely careful. At that, Eun-seong’s brows, which had never wavered once, creased slightly, and his gaze softened. His voice, a bit thick with emotion, came back to her.

"I thought we already were."

Hye-yeon laughed awkwardly.

"Heh, really?"

She scratched her head and slowly lowered her gaze. 

That was when Eun-seong carefully stepped closer and pressed his lips to hers. His warm lips met hers gently. 

The soft flesh she had been nervously biting earlier was lightly drawn into his mouth, then released. It felt chewy, elastic. 

It was brief, like they had stuck together for a moment before separating, and maybe because she had just had a drink, there was a faint sweetness. A ticklish sensation bloomed inside her chest, and her toes curled slightly inside her shoes. 

As Hye-yeon touched her still-warm lips with two fingers, Eun-seong pulled her head in and held her tightly against his chest. She had always thought she was the only one whose heart raced like this, but Eun-seong’s heartbeat was just as intense. 

Thump, thump, thump. 

Listening to that strong, healthy rhythm, she suddenly felt that nothing else really mattered. Their circumstances were wildly different, and the future was far too distant to promise anything. 

It was scary, not knowing when they might part. But for now, they liked each other.

'That’s enough.'

Hye-yeon wrapped her arms around Eun-seong’s waist and gently closed her eyes. She felt like she could listen to his heartbeat for hours without getting bored. 

What if someone walks into the lounge like this? The worry crossed her mind briefly, but it wasn’t like they were doing anything wrong, so what did it matter anyway? 

Just as Hye-yeon was breathing in his scent and savoring the moment— 

Bzzzt.

A single vibration buzzed from Eun-seong’s pocket. 

* * * 

The final exams began in earnest.

"There are side dishes in the fridge?"

Hye-yeon’s mother pulled out the containers Eun-seong had put in and looked at Hye-yeon, who was sitting at her desk studying, with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah. A friend.”

"A friend’s house sent this many side dishes?"

Was it because all the containers were brand new? 

“I should thank his mother."

They weren’t made by his mother, though. Hye-yeon’s hand, which had been moving her pen, stopped awkwardly in one place. 

She glanced over at her mother, who was fiddling with the containers with a curious look. 

Eun-seong had said the food was made by the aunts at his family’s home and sent over. The cleaning was the same. He usually tried to do everything himself, but his grandfather worried, so the aunts from the main house came by two or three times a week.

"Sometimes my dad’s girlfriends come over too."

He had said it so she wouldn’t misunderstand or be startled if she ever saw a strange woman there.

"Girlfriends… plural?"

At Hye-yeon’s confused response, Eun-seong nodded.

"He says they’re all people he loves."

In other words, he called himself "polyamorous."

He dated multiple women at the same time and claimed he loved them all. Eun-seong’s father had been unusually flirtatious since his youth, a man who never intended to live with just one woman. 

Normally, that would simply mean not getting married, but the problem was that he happened to be the eldest son of Chairman Tae, the head of a massive conglomerate. 

His sexual promiscuity was an open secret in political circles, and he was known for falling in love with any woman who wore a skirt, even if he barely knew what kind of person she was. Ordinarily, that sort of thing would earn nothing but criticism, but his exceptional looks drew admirers who consumed even that part of him. The media had once covered his scandals almost like celebrity gossip. He really was something else. 

You’d think he would stop after being criticized so much. But no matter what people said, he lived exactly as his heart dictated. From a young age, his grandfather’s strict control had at least prevented the disaster of him bringing home children born outside, but who really knew? How many women had erased children because of him?

"And then he ended up in a political marriage."

When he told that story, Eun-seong’s expression had grown heavy. 

Sitting on the sofa, he explained in a low, calm voice, and of course, he didn’t look happy. A political marriage. Eun-seong’s father had naturally opposed it, but his grandfather had thought differently. For the sake of the company’s interests, he believed that forcing his son to marry might make him grow up, and so he pushed the arrangement strongly. 

From there on, nothing about what followed seemed happy. Just as Hye-yeon’s thoughts, pen in hand, drifted far away, she heard the sound of a lid closing behind her.

“Does your friend’s mother not work?"

At her mother’s question as she finished organizing the side dishes, Hye-yeon shook her head. Honestly, she didn’t know much about Eun-seong’s mother.

"She’s sick."

She had heard that she was in the hospital. From what little she’d gathered, it sounded like she hadn’t been able to come home for quite a long time.

"For someone who’s ill to take care of you like this."

Her mother frowned gently, wondering how she could repay such kindness.

"Uh…"

Hye-yeon hesitated, debating whether to correct the misunderstanding. But she worried that saying more might lead to something wrong being said about Eun-seong, so she quickly sat down at the small table her mother had set and started eating in silence with her chopsticks. For some reason, talking about Eun-seong made her uneasy. 

Especially because if her mother asked where she had been during the recent renovation of the studio apartment, Eun-seong would be the first person she thought of. 

Her mother ladled out some soybean paste stew and sat across from her. Telling her to eat a lot, she placed a fluffy rolled omelet on top of Hye-yeon’s rice. She even pushed over some ketchup, saying she should dip it. As Hye-yeon opened her mouth and blew on the freshly made, piping-hot omelet before taking a bite, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

'Has Eun-seong ever had this?'

She had always thought he lived without lacking anything. But had he ever been moved by a warm, lovingly prepared meal like this?

"Mom."

Hye-yeon asked as she ate more than half of the omelet happily.

"How do you make this omelet?"

* * * 

It was a thought she had often had. 

Why hadn’t Eun-seong gone abroad when he was so good at English? 

He was so outstanding that he would have done well at an overseas university, too. It wasn’t like his family lacked money. 

According to David, he had even lived in the United States as a child. That was why David, as a Korean American, felt like they were on the same wavelength.

"Alright, turn your papers over."

It was the last day of the final exams. 

Maybe because she had studied together with Eun-seong, every subject felt manageable this time. The general education courses were never that hard to begin with, and the real issue was her major. 

But judging from the exams she’d taken over the past few days, it was clear she had done better than friends who attended private academies. 

She and Eun-seong were the only two who had solved the final problem everyone else said was impossible. Jungwon had once again ramped up the pressure by saying it was probably just the two of them battling it out for first place. When Hye-yeon shot him a warning look while studying in the department room, Jungwon didn’t forget to shout "Fighting!" in revenge for the last time. 

Anyway. 

No matter what the others said, no matter if Hyunwoo was plotting exam-related schemes with the few friends he had left by his side. Hye-yeon didn’t care and focused solely on studying. 

It felt like the first time since middle school that she had truly concentrated on studying without being affected by anything around her. As a result, her stress had actually decreased. 

She was someone who usually became extremely sensitive during exams, but this time she ate her meals in the middle of exam week without getting indigestion. She didn’t even need the assortment of digestive medicines she always carried in her bag during exams.

"Twenty minutes left."

The clock in the major lecture hall was broken, so the teaching assistant announced the time periodically. Each time, a heavy, silent tension flowed through the exam room. 

Eun-seong was sitting in the seat directly in front of Hye-yeon. Not much time remained. The last math problem was the exact type Eun-seong had kindly explained and solved for her in the library lounge the other day. 

How strange. She resented the professor for including such a difficult problem as a killer question, yet at the same time felt relieved. It was hard, but since she had already solved it once, she felt confident she could write a perfect solution if she spent the remaining twenty minutes steadily. 

Rushing to solve the problems within the given time, Hye-yeon’s tense hand trembled lightly. But her eyes shone brightly. She had just finished underlining the last problem and was reading it when it happened. 

Knock knock.

"We’re in the middle of an exam."

At the sound of knocking from outside, the teaching assistant carefully opened the door, about to send the person away. But the visitor seemed to be in urgent need and called the teaching assistant outside. 

After exchanging a few words at the door, the assistant came back in and called Eun-seong’s name.

"Eun-seong, could you step out for a moment?"

People around them grew curious, and a few students lifted their heads. Even those who had half-given up on the exam or were stuck glanced toward the front.

"It’s about your mother."

At the teaching assistant’s quiet words, Eun-seong immediately stood up with his exam paper. 

For a brief moment, Hye-yeon caught a glimpse of his answer sheet. The other sections were densely filled with solution steps, but the very last problem was completely blank. She couldn’t see the details clearly, but she quickly lowered her gaze and underlined the last problem again. 

Without a word, Eun-seong submitted his exam paper and stepped out of the lecture hall.

"I’m sorry. We couldn’t reach you…"

The person who had come out to the hallway was wearing a black suit. He looked like the same man who had shown up late at the police station before. 

Just hearing his voice echo through the quiet corridor, it was clear that something urgent had happened, even without knowing the details. 

Because Eun-seong had turned off his phone for the exam, they couldn’t contact him, so they called the department office and came directly in their haste.

'What could it be?'

She couldn’t stop worrying. 

Even as she tried to solve the problems, it felt like someone kept pressing the pause button in her head, making it hard to continue the solution. 

But it wasn’t as if she could just get up and follow Eun-seong out right now. She had to finish the remaining exam with everything she had.

"……"

Hye-yeon silently focused on her test. Students who had already finished or given up midway were submitting their papers and leaving. 

“Have a good break."

“Yes, you too, sir."

Hye-yeon stayed until almost the very end, densely sketching graphs as she wrapped up the problem. She had concentrated so intensely in such a short time that sweat formed on her hand, making her pen slip. She tightened her grip and continued writing. Just as she placed the final point and released a deep, trembling breath—

"Time’s up."

With the teaching assistant’s final announcement, she stood from her seat.

"Please submit your papers now."

The students who had been struggling until the end, like Hye-yeon, stood up together and handed in their answer sheets. The assistant stacked the large pages one by one, then looked at Hye-yeon’s paper and spoke.

"You solved the last problem, too?"

He sounded slightly surprised. Hye-yeon, who had been about to turn and leave after submitting, stopped.

"We’re almost done grading the exam from a few days ago."

The assistant, who had looked over her answer sheet especially carefully, nodded and spoke lightly.

"Yeah. Looks like you’ll take first place this time."

Her vision went hazy as she heard that. First place. The first place she had longed for so desperately.

"Wow, that’s insane."

Jungwon, who had heard it too, shook his head.

"Human victory, Jung Hye-yeon.”

"Congratulations."

Jiwon stepped closer and lightly patted Hye-yeon’s shoulder. For a moment, reality slipped away from her.

'Me? First place?’

Really? Me? She couldn’t believe it. In an instant, a flood of bitterness she had kept tightly sealed deep in her chest burst forth. As voices of relief at the end of the exam and excited talk of vacation filled the room, Hye-yeon couldn’t even walk to where her bag was. She stopped in place and suddenly broke down in tears.

"Hng… hhk."

I’m first place. It felt like her chest was tearing apart. First place. The first place she had wanted so badly. First place… 

She had thought that if she ever beat Eun-seong, she’d be so happy she wouldn’t even cry. But this was strange. Why were the tears coming like this? She had achieved her lifelong wish. She was so happy. So happy… I’m sorry, Eun-seong. For being like this.

"Hwaaaah…"

When Hye-yeon sat there and burst into loud sobs, Jiwon panicked and checked her face.

"What is it, what’s wrong!"

She hugged Hye-yeon’s shoulders and patted her gently. The teaching assistant had already left after collecting all the papers, and Jungwon, David, and a few other classmates who were still in the lecture hall gathered around her.

"Why are you crying? You crying because you got first place?"

Instead of comforting her, they started teasing her.

"Hwaaah.”

"Hwaeeng."

Hye-yeon threw a crumpled wad of tissue at them and grabbed Jungwon by the collar, and just like that, her tears stopped.

“Jung Hye-yeon looks ugly when she cries.”

"What are you talking about? She’s still pretty.”

"Nope. Ugly as hell.”

"Before you judge someone else’s looks, maybe close your own pores first. Hard to tell where your mouth is when everything’s just wide open.”

"Could you shut up?"

The exam was over, so time was plentiful. Relaxed now, the friends stayed seated, bickering and laughing.

"I’m going to the dermatologist over break, okay?”

"May the medical gods close the gates of your pores."

When Jaemin kept teasing him, Jungwon snapped and jumped to his feet. Hye-yeon flinched in surprise, her shoulders twitching. Seeing her face still soaked with tears, Jungwon said flatly,

"If you’re that worried, go check on him."

Hye-yeon stood up, clutching the completely crushed tissues in her hand. 

He was right. If she was worried, she shouldn’t be sitting here like this. She should run to him right now. 

Thinking that Eun-seong would have done the same, she shot to her feet, grabbed her bag, and burst out of the lecture hall. 

Then she suddenly stopped in the hallway, took a few steps back, and returned to the room. Poking her head in, she said,

"Thanks. Have a good break."

Her friends smirked and waved her off. Hye-yeon started running without hesitation. 

* * * 

Thirty minutes earlier. Eun-seong followed Director Jung’s lead and got into the car parked in front of the engineering building. As the black car glided into motion, Director Jung, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and spoke.

"We didn’t have time to stop by your place to pick up a suit. I just searched, and there’s a place ahead that sells ready-made ones, so I’m planning to stop there."

Even in the middle of this emergency, he enlarged the location of a suit shop on his phone.

"I bought some wax from a convenience store for your hair. We’ll just have to make do with this."

The situation was so urgent that cold sweat beaded on his forehead, yet he was still searching for suit shops. Something he’d always taken for granted suddenly felt strange.

"Director.”

Eun-seong pulled the corners of his mouth up bitterly and shook his head.

"It’s fine.”

"But—”

"I’m not pretending to be my father anymore. I’ll go like this."

His voice weak, Eun-seong leaned back heavily against the seat and turned his gaze to the window. 

The campus road was lined with tall plane trees. Early summer, when the greenery was lush. Sparkling sunlight filtered through the leaves and spread across Eun-seong’s face inside the car. Whenever the car passed into the shade, his reflection appeared darkly in the window, and he quietly placed his hand over it. 

Was it really true what she had said?

"Eun-seong, you don’t look like your father."

What if it had been a lie? Worry rose in his chest, but at the same time, he kept telling himself again and again that it was the right decision. 

After all… He couldn’t keep being a substitute for his father in front of his mother forever. The car quickly pulled into a psychiatric hospital. 

Just from how urgently Eun-seong had been summoned, it was obvious how dire the situation was. 

Even from outside the building, people were already gathered in a restless crowd. After getting out of the car, Eun-seong looked down at his feet. Sneakers, not dress shoes. Casual pants, not a suit. Was this really the right thing to do? 

He hesitated for a moment. But a shout that allowed no hesitation cut through the air. At the familiar voice that stabbed at his ears, Eun-seong lifted his head.

"Please call Tae Kang-jun! Doctor, please, please…!"

The moment he stepped into the lobby, he pushed through the crowd.

"Please!"

A woman in a hospital gown was holding a box cutter. It looked like she had already sliced her wrists several times. Drops of blood were falling onto the floor.

No one knew how she had made it outside, but she was barefoot, her hair hanging loose, unaware that Eun-seong had arrived. She screamed and begged at the nurses and doctors who approached to restrain her.

"Tae Kang-jun! I know you’re here! Come out right now!"

Her wailing roared through the hospital lobby like thunder.

"Young master."

He heard Director Jung’s voice. And there, burned into Eun-seong’s vision, was his mother, who had lost her mind because of his father. 

The symptoms had started when Eun-seong was studying abroad in the United States. His mother had lived her whole life gently and carefully. Born the daughter of a National Assembly member, she had completed her studies in America and even finished a doctoral program. She had always excelled academically, never once losing first place. She spoke more foreign languages fluently than anyone. With her soft, calm voice, she raised Eun-seong. 

A woman who combined beauty and intellect, she never fell short wherever she went. But the refined woman could not overcome her husband, just as she had learned from her mother. She lived exactly as her maternal grandmother had, following that traditional way of life. 

Endure. Endure again. Endure some more. Endure until… 

Like this.

"Tae Kang-jun!"

The woman screamed the resentful name into the air until her voice was hoarse. 

Since when had she become like this? Why hadn’t they stopped it? Why had they let it go this far? 

Watching her stagger, drained from sobbing and choking on her cries, his chest felt like it was being crushed. Eun-seong swallowed the tears that threatened to spill and lifted his head.

"Doctor, where is my husband? Call my husband! If you don’t, I’ll die!”

"Ms. Kim Mi-kyung, your husband said he’ll be here soon. He’ll be here very soon.”

"Really? You’re not lying again, are you? If you are, I’ll slash myself for real!”

"It’s true!"

The nurses surrounding her slowly stepped closer, trying to calm her.

"Did you contact the guardian?”

"We did earlier!”

Then why isn’t he here yet? As the nurse muttered that, her urgent gaze suddenly landed on Eun-seong, who was standing still. 

Oh. Why did he come like that? That strange look flickered across her face. That was when Eun-seong stepped forward. Every time he came to the hospital before, he dressed sharply in a suit like his father, styled his hair, even removed his glasses on purpose, making himself look exactly like his father in his younger days. But today…

"Kim Mi-kyung."

He had come as he was. As her son. At the sound of her name, Mi-kyung looked around in confusion. As if seeing hallucinations, she shook her head, then shouted without caring about her voice.

"Where are you! Where are you, Tae Kang-jun!"

Eun-seong took another step closer, trying to speak.

"Tae… Kang-jun…"

His throat tightened, and no words came out. His eyes burned. He couldn’t cry here. Eun-seong dragged a hand down his face, then forced himself to ask again through trembling lips.

"Why do you want to see Tae Kang-jun so badly?"

The nurse’s eyes shook with tension. Until now, Mi-kyung had always calmed down when she saw Eun-seong dressed like Tae Kang-jun. 

When her symptoms were at their worst, she hadn’t recognized anyone in the family, but she still seemed to recognize Tae Kang-jun, even if only within her delusions. 

That was why, at some point, Eun-seong had begun visiting her dressed like his father every time. They said she would remain stable for a while afterward. 

If his sick mother could be stabilized that way, then even if he hated it to the point of wanting to die, he could pretend to be his father a hundred times over. 

But still… He couldn’t understand it. Why did his mother search for his father so desperately? Why? What was so lovable about him?

Eun-seong stepped closer again.

"Tae Kang-jun."

His voice trembled into fragments.

"Was he really that good to you?"

Around them, people subtly shook their heads at Eun-seong. The medical staff gathered, eyes wide, silently warning him not to provoke her now. Even the security guards were inching closer, closing in on the two of them. The way they moved, like hunters circling an animal, made Eunseong’s chest feel like it was collapsing. 

His thick hair fell messily over his forehead. Tears kept coming, and as he stared at the floor, Eun-seong let out a shaky breath and walked toward Mi-kyung one step at a time. 

It was when he had come right up behind his mother. The woman tightened her grip on the weapon in her hand, her shoulders shaking violently. She clenched her fists and answered in a trembling voice.

"That’s… not it.”

"Then."

If not that, then what? At Eun-seong’s low question, Mi-kyung shivered as if she were cold and replied,

"Tae… Tae Kang-jun said that if I waited here, Eun-seong would come."

At those words, it was as if all sound vanished. It was something Eun-seong had said exactly once, three years ago.

"When is Eun-seong coming?"

She hadn’t recognized him and had spoken deliriously, so Eun-seong had held his mother’s hand tightly and said,

"If you take your medicine properly here and get your treatment, Eun-seong will come."

He had never said it again. 

After that, Mi-kyung took her medication faithfully and underwent treatment, and her delusions and violent behavior had improved significantly. 

But… She had believed that single sentence from three years ago the entire time. Without telling anyone, she had waited alone for three years, every day, for those words to come true. 

Eun-seong squeezed his eyes shut as hot tears surged up from his chest. The forced smile he had worn until now disappeared, his mouth trembling violently as ragged breaths escaped. 

All this time, she had been calling out his father’s name, so everyone had assumed the same thing.

That she had gone mad because she loved her husband too much. But that wasn’t it. Not his father…

"Ha."

She had been waiting for me. 

Eun-seong finally let out a sob that sounded almost like laughter and stepped right in front of Mi-kyung. The woman, frightened, couldn’t lift her gaze, her eyes darting anxiously across the marble floor. 

Three years had passed while Mi-kyung stayed in the hospital. Since returning from the United States, Eun-seong had become a high school student, and even in the span of a single month of vacation, he had shot up in height. So it made sense. If, at some point, his mother couldn’t recognize him anymore. 

The Eun-seong she remembered from when her mind was clear would have been a child. In her memories, he was still a boy who hadn’t even finished puberty yet. A boy who would never grow up. 

Drawing in a shaky breath, Eun-seong wiped away the tears falling from his eyes with his sleeve and murmured,

"So that’s why."

I see now… Not my father. Me. That was why she had been searching like that.

"Mom."

Eun-seong called out in a voice thick with tears. Mi-kyung still stared at the floor like a frightened child, her hands trembling violently.

"Mom, it’s me."

He stepped closer and bent down so she could see his face.

"It’s me, Eun-seong."

He gently and carefully lifted her bloodstained hand. It was so cold, like a corpse, devoid of any warmth, as it rose in his large grasp.

"Eun-seong?"

Only then did some light return to Mi-kyung’s eyes. Her trembling slowed as she slowly lifted her head. 

How many nights had she cried so sorrowfully for her cheeks to be so chapped? That once smooth, beautiful skin, how had it ended up like this? 

Eun-seong cupped her cheek and smiled.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

"Not Tae Kang-jun?”

"No. Not Tae Kang-jun. Eun-seong.”

"Eun-seong!"

Mi-kyung dropped the knife in her hand and threw her arms tightly around Eun-seong’s neck.

"Eun-seong, why did you only come now? Is your dad still stopping you from coming to see Mom? Is he still saying we’ll never see each other again if you don’t listen?"

Ah. 

“Eun-seong… I was scared I wouldn’t be able to see you. Eun-seong… Mom, Mom missed you so much. So I endured it here. I listened to Tae Kang-jun and really endured it."

Silent tears streamed down Eun-seong’s cheeks.

"I see…"

He replied quietly, pulling Mi-kyung’s shoulders firmly into his embrace and burying his face. It was the scent of his mother, one he hadn’t smelled in a long time. 

For the past three years, Mi-kyung had kept her distance whenever he came, never letting him get close. She constantly watched his reactions and listened carefully to everything he said. Even when she stopped taking her medicine and refused food, if he came and told her to eat, she would follow it as if it were heaven’s will. 

But… She hadn’t simply been listening to Tae Kang-jun. She had been waiting for me.

"I didn’t even know.”

"It’s okay. You came like this."

Mi-kyung cried as she stroked Eun-seong’s cheek. 

Only then did she truly look at her son’s face. Brushing back his hair, she pulled him tightly into her arms again. Seeing her sleeve soaked in blood, Eun-seong let out a painful sob and murmured,

"Mom, can’t you get treated first? What is this…”

"I will. Now that I’ve seen Eun-seong, I’ll do everything."

At those words, Eun-seong could no longer hold back his cries. His legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees, and the medical staff rushed in to support the two of them. 

The situation was quickly brought under control. The staff soothed her, separated her from Eun-seong, and took her into the treatment room. 

Left behind, Eun-seong remained kneeling as people dispersed around him, sobbing bitterly. He didn’t think he had ever cried so desperately before. Not as a child. Not ever. 

Once the tears started, they poured out uncontrollably, like a faucet turned on full blast. Even when he clamped his mouth shut, his shoulders shook violently.

Drained of all strength, swaying unsteadily, Director Jung approached and held his arm.

"Madam has been given a sedative and is asleep."

They told him she wouldn’t wake easily today and to come back tomorrow. Eun-seong somehow managed to stand and head home. 

When he had first arrived at the hospital, the sun hadn’t even set yet. Exams were no longer anywhere in his mind. 

After getting out of the car and riding the elevator alone, he checked his phone. Multiple missed calls and messages from Hye-yeon filled the screen. There were messages from several people, but Hye-yeon’s stood out overwhelmingly. 

She must have been so worried. Feeling guilty, he called her first. The elevator doors opened. As he stepped onto the hotel-like, carpeted hallway, he stopped after only a few steps. 

Since when had she been waiting here? The tears he had barely stopped welled up again.

"Why are you here?"

His clogged voice barely came out.

"Do you know what time it is?"

As he approached, Hye-yeon, who had been crouched by the door with her knees pulled up, lifted her head with swollen eyes. Had she dozed off in the hallway? 

Come to think of it, today is the last exam. She probably hadn’t slept properly even the night before. She must be exhausted. Feeling sorry, Eun-seong stepped closer to help her up.

"Eun-seong!"

The moment she saw him, Hye-yeon sprang up and ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. 

She didn’t say anything, but he could tell how worried she had been from her trembling breath alone. He wrapped his arms around her head and pressed her against his chest, letting out a shaky breath. 

Everywhere else, he could cry. But not in front of Hye-yeon. Biting his lip hard, he gently stroked her hair.

"Were you really worried?"

With her face buried against him, Hye-yeon nodded quickly.

“What about food?”

"Is that really important right now?"

Hye-yeon choked up as she clung to his waist. Eun-seong frowned slightly and said,

"You hate it when you skip meals. You say your brain doesn’t work."

She punched him weakly, telling him not to pretend he didn’t know, but it didn’t hurt at all. 

It was the first time. The first time he had thought it was a relief that someone was waiting for him when he came home. Eun-seong had always endured the darkness alone. 

After leaving the main house where his father lived and moving here alone, there were countless nights when he returned home, turned off the lights, and collapsed into sleep in pitch-black darkness. 

It had been the same when he was in high school. Somehow, Eun-seong felt like he had regained a longing he’d forgotten. 

He had forgotten how to smile, how to cry. But now, thanks to her, he could smile. He could cry. All of it. So, hugging Hye-yeon even tighter so she wouldn’t see him cry, he said,

"I think I’m starting to feel like a person again."

He bent down, resting his chin on her shoulder, and closed his eyes. 

In that moment, a thought crossed his mind. That he wanted to hold Hye-yeon like this for the rest of his life. Someday, in some future he couldn’t yet see, he wanted to live together with her. 

The few days they had spent together during the repairs had felt like a dream to Eun-seong. He had even wondered if he had ever been this happy since the day he was born. If possible, he had wished the studio apartment repairs would never end. 

It was true that he wanted Hye-yeon to stay longer, but knowing she wasn’t the type to stay just because he asked, he had silently helped her pack. Eun-seong had always endured things like that. Even when he wanted to suggest holding hands and walking by the lakeside during exam season, he chose instead to sit her in the library with the best view of the lake and study, because he knew she would refuse. 

If she seemed too stressed, he opened the window in advance so she could get some fresh air, calculated the timing before she arrived, and bought her favorite ion drink so it wouldn’t get warm. If she seemed stuck while studying, he watched carefully and stepped in to help her, which she liked.

That was probably why he had heard those words.

"Eun-seong. I think… I like you."

He was happy, thinking that his efforts had finally come back to him. If he kept trying like this, could he someday claim her future too?

"Hye-yeon."

Eun-seong gently pressed his lips to the crown of her head. At his low call, Hye-yeon lifted her face, her hair tousled. Holding her close with a tender expression, he smiled and said,

"I like you. A lot."

At the quiet voice echoing through the hallway, Hye-yeon flushed slightly and murmured something. 

It sounded like "me too," and even that clumsy confession was enough to make Eun-seong smile as he let out an easy laugh. Thinking that even her timid side looked cute, he realized just how much he truly liked her. 

A warm breeze drifted in. As the two of them smiled and opened the front door together, the lights inside the room flicked on, filling the space with brightness. Under the yellow light glowing from the ceiling, Eun-seong pressed Hye-yeon back against the entryway wall, lifted her chin, and sealed their lips together. 

When their wet lips fit softly against each other, he tasted tears. Eun-seong lightly sucked at the faintly salty flavor lingering on Hye-yeon’s mouth, parted her lips, and carefully slid his tongue inside. It didn’t take long for their damp tongues to brush together, and a soft, pleased sound slipped out.

"Hh…"

As he traced the sensitive flesh inside her mouth with the tip of his tongue, teasing her, strength drained from her legs and she began to sway.

"Hng…"

Hot breaths leaked through the small gap between their lips. Unwilling to allow even that much space, Eun-seong shifted his angle and captured her mouth completely. 

Just moments ago she’d been blushing shyly at his confession, but now, even as he devoured her lips, Hye-yeon only trembled and didn’t pull away. 

Even while gasping for breath, she kept opening her mouth, trying to accept his tongue, and the sight of it drove him further. She clenched her fists like a child and rested them against his chest, and feeling the nervous flutter of her hands made his arousal swell hard in an instant.

"Seriously…"

Why is everything you do so damn cute? 

It just makes me want to tease you more. Eun-seong shot her a resentful look, then lifted his thigh. When his leg slid between Hye-yeon’s, pinning her tightly to the wall, he felt the heat of her sex. Her inner thighs tightened and twitched, moving against him.

All they’d done was kiss, yet whatever obscene thoughts she’d had, she was already soaked.

"Pervert."

Muttering that, he rubbed his thigh against her hot, damp center, then suddenly scooped her up before she could protest.

"Ah!"

She was so small and light. With their size difference, he could lift her easily with one arm. Striding quickly into the bedroom, Eun-seong laid her down on the bed and pulled his shirt off.

"W-wait, Eun-seong, hh…"

Her head felt like it was spinning with heat. The moment he shed his top, Eun-seong bent down and kissed her again, fixing her between his legs as he tugged off her T-shirt.

"Th-the light…"

Sliding his hand inside her gray bra and lightly twisting the tip of her nipple, a sweet moan spilled out.

"Ah, turn it off…"

Even her broken, fragmented voice sounded obscene. He removed her bra completely, and her soft, pliant breasts bounced free under the bright light. 

Since he hadn’t adjusted the lighting when they came in, the entire room was flooded with light. Because of that, looking down at her naked body, he could clearly see her small nipples, pink and taut. 

And that wasn’t all. Hye-yeon lay on the bed, ears flushed red, her face in complete disarray, and it made his erection harden even more. His cock throbbed painfully, leaking precum as it rubbed against her body.

"Hah!"

If he made a sound, it only grew harder, his body reacting like a beast that had been waiting for this moment, swelling as if it might burst. Even seeing her face every day was almost unbearable. 

Exams or not, he’d wanted to pounce on her anytime, anywhere, fuck her like an animal, but he’d held himself back with everything he had. Did she know that? Knowing she was embarrassed, Eun-seong pretended not to notice and deliberately dragged his tongue along her earlobe.

"Is it too bright?"

Before she could answer, he covered her eyes with his large hand. Keeping her vision blocked, his other hand undid the button of her jeans. When it popped open, his hand slid down the zipper and brushed over her soaked panties. He felt the warmth of her sex, and her hips shook as her whole body trembled.

Seems like you like it. He straightened his fingers and rubbed up and down along her slit.

"Haa…"

With her eyes covered, she seemed even more aroused. He felt her lower abdomen tighten. Pulling her panties aside, he hooked a finger into her sticky folds and stretched them slightly, and Hye-yeon bucked, shuddering violently.

"You like it?"

His low voice tickled her ear. She hunched one shoulder and moaned, her brows knit like she was about to cry.

"Hah!"

Her skin was especially pale, the touch unbelievably soft. He’d never felt anything like this anywhere in his life. And when he buried his face between her legs, there was the obscene, addictive scent of a female in heat.

'Ah… fuck.'

Just imagining it made his cock stand rigid, almost reaching his stomach. Dark red and veined with tension, it twitched in the air.

"Hh…"

Just as aroused, Eun-seong breathed out and kissed all over her body, rubbing his cock along her belly. Smearing his leaking precum over her skin, he pressed kisses everywhere, then moved down and lined himself up with her opening.

"Hng…"

By then, Hye-yeon, already used to the taste of him, wiggled her hips impatiently, urging him to put it in. Worried the ceiling light might hurt her eyes, he covered them again and slowly lowered his hips. Even that demanded enormous restraint. He wanted to thrust in all at once, but he knew it would hurt her. Very slowly, inch by inch, he pushed the head inside, and even that seemed too much, as Hye-yeon gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hah!"

It felt like forcing his way between fine clay and boiling lava.

"Uh, hng… ah…"

Her tight heat clenched around him, making his mind go white. It felt like pushing a finger into the neck of a rubber balloon, squeezing him mercilessly, and his reason nearly evaporated. If he were an animal, he would have already been ramming into her mercilessly.

'Fuck… seriously.'

He swallowed the curse. Biting down on his lower lip, Eun-seong muttered,

"Why do you clamp down this tight every time, like it’s the first?"

When will you ever get completely used to my body?

“Ah, it’s b-because you’re big… hng."

Even when he patted her hips, telling her to relax, her inner walls kept twitching and closing around him.

"Hah, it f-feels good…"

He’d only put it in, and she was already reacting.

"Eun-seong, that feels so good…”

"Does it taste good?”

"Hng…”

"Then spread your legs more. I’ll let you have plenty.”

"Hah!"

Still blindfolded, she seemed even more excited. 

She soaked the bed as she clutched his shoulders and spread her legs wide. Her legs stretched open on either side, trembling. Inside her, his cock swelled even more. She must have felt it too, because she tightened around him, greedily swallowing him. 

Eun-seong’s eyes reddened. He couldn’t hold back any longer. Letting out a ragged breath, his hips began to move on their own. Their wet bodies met with slick sounds as his cock slid in and out of her narrow opening. 

Each time, Hye-yeon cried out in pleasure. When she writhed and trembled, he pressed down on her lower abdomen to hold her in place and thrust harder. She only gasped more, and Eun-seong smiled, answering the way her body spoke to him.

"Hah… I like it too."

It wasn’t just liking it. His brain felt like it was melting in the heat. He couldn’t push away or endure this raging desire anymore.

"Hye-yeon."

Was there any way in the world to have her closer than this? If there was, he’d do that too, with her. Calling her name, Eun-seong drove his hips harder. 

As his cock sank deeper than before, pounding into her deepest place, Hye-yeon let out a strained breath. He captured her lips lightly and poured all his boiling desire into her, thrusting over and over as his thick cock pulled out and slammed back in with a heavy sound. 

Each time, Hye-yeon met him eagerly, snapping her hips up. Whenever her body answered his, Eun-seong smiled, stroking her delicate form from head to toe with his big hands. He said,

"I want it to be like this. Just us. Always.”

"Hah… yes, ah!”

"I want all of your firsts.”

Will you give it to me? Eun-seong stroked Hye-yeon’s sweat-soaked hair as he drove his hips wildly. The woman who had been gasping shook helplessly and nodded her head. 

Satisfied, Eun-seong smiled brightly and grabbed her chest. 

He didn’t just want the animal satisfaction of bodies colliding. He wanted everything about her, if possible. He wanted himself etched into every future and every present she envisioned so brilliantly. He wanted her to love him completely, to never be able to escape him for the rest of her life. Just like he always had. He wanted her to keep being aware of him. Just as she had once hated him enough to tear up his drawing, he now wanted her to love him instead. Hye-yeon. 

For that to happen, he would probably need even greater patience. To keep remaining a normal, lovable person in front of her. She could never know. That he had deliberately tried to end up in the same class as her. That he had volunteered for the seat right in front of her. That among all the universities he was accepted to, he had stubbornly chosen the one with the same department as hers. Maybe while she had been obsessing over first place, the one who benefited from monopolizing her attention was actually him. But now, he had given first place to her.

'From now on, I’ll have to stand out in a different way.'

He knew that would be even harder. Still.

'This is how we move forward.'

Thinking that, Eun-seong’s large hand grabbed Hye-yeon’s chin. As he kissed her with love and moved his hips faster, Hye-yeon, trapped around his thick cock, cried out sweetly. Sweat streamed down their bodies. Whenever tears flowed, he licked them away, acting as gentle as possible so she could feel every bit of pleasure. 

Because the way Hye-yeon trusted him completely and gave herself over whenever he gave her pleasure was beautiful to him. And when the moment she wanted approached, Eun-seong slammed into her like a beast, shaking his hips wildly as if bursting with ecstasy. 

Even then, he bit down hard on his lips and buried deep in his chest the desire to completely crush her. These filthy urges were nothing more than passing emotions. They weren’t important. 

Aside from a few vile instincts that must never be revealed, he could show her everything. He didn’t need to hide himself in front of her. He wouldn’t need to wear weak prescription glasses anymore.

He wouldn’t need to cling to the heavy bangs that fell over his forehead either.

"Hah, yes, hng, ah, Eun, ngh…!"

Hot cries burst from Hye-yeon’s lips, and as brilliant fireworks bloomed in the night, that alone made him happy. Happy enough to serve her for the rest of his life. As he shattered inside her, Eun-seong felt truly happy.