Due to her parents' divorce, Chae-yeon became reluctant to interact with men. She decided that, rather than getting hurt like her mother, she would avoid relationships altogether.

However, Chae-yeon's resolve began to waver later on, and the reason was Su-yeon's remarriage.

When Chae-yeon realized that there was a man like her stepfather who could love a woman unconditionally, she decided to meet such a man herself.

'But.. how am I supposed to find a man like that?'

Just like her mother, Chae-yeon was incredibly beautiful. Countless boys confessed to her as if it were a part of their daily routine. However, filtering out someone like her stepfather among them was no easy task.

So, she asked her mom about it and found out that her stepfather confessed to her mother a total of five times.

'Five times... is that even possible?'

Even Chae-yeon, who received many confessions, only ever received two from the same person. The thought that she might never find a man like her stepfather left her feeling despondent.

Then, one day.

"If it's okay with you... would you go out with me?"

Her university classmate, Kim Si-hyun, confessed to her. It was a cliched line, and his voice lacked confidence. Without any hesitation, Chae-yeon turned him down.

'Was I too harsh?'

Worried that she might never find a lifelong partner, Chae-yeon responded even more sharply than usual.

It had only been a short time since she started her college life.

Feeling as though she had turned away from one of her classmates right from the start, Chae-yeon began to feel a headache coming on.

However.

Despite her harsh rejection, Si-hyun's confessions did not stop. Though he appeared dejected the day after being turned down, he would later return with a determined expression and conveyed his feelings to her again.

'Could it be that Si-hyun...'

A man who could love her for a lifetime, like her stepfather. With the hope that Si-hyun might be that man, Chae-yeon paid close attention to his every action while continuing to reject his confessions.

She watched his expressions, followed him to meals with Sohui, and gazed anxiously when he spent time with other women.

Around the time of his fourth confession.

Although she rejected his confession, inwardly, Chae-yeon was hoping that he would approach her again.

'Just once more. Then I’ll accept...'

It might seem deceptive to others, but Chae-yeon, feeling that this might be her first and last relationship, wanted to choose her partner carefully.

'I wonder what it feels like to date someone...'

Full of anticipation, Chae-yeon anxiously awaited his next confession.

But then.

Perhaps unable to overcome the repeated rejections, Si-hyun looked more despondent than ever.

As the days went by and he still didn't show any signs of recovering, it was Chae-yeon who began to feel uneasy.

'Is this how it ends?'

Regretting that she didn't accept his fourth confession, Chae-yeon hit the ground in frustration.

She then hovered around Si-hyun, hoping he would confess once more…

“Si-hyun, give it up already. Lim Chae-yeon doesn’t have any feelings for you. Sticking around her like this is just being a nuisance!”

A girl was demanding that Si-hyun stop confessing. It was Han Ye-rin, the girl who followed Si-hyun around like glue.

‘He’s not a nuisance.’

Chae-yeon wanted to reveal herself, but it was a secluded spot, and appearing suddenly would be awkward. So, she hid and listened to the conversation.

“Just one more time. I’ll try one last time, I promise.”

Hearing this unexpected news, Chae-yeon’s heart pounded. How much must he love her to go this far? A warm feeling spread through her chest.

‘This is not the time for this.’

Hurriedly fixing her makeup, Chae-yeon passed by Si-hyun, pretending it was by chance. As a result:

“This is my last confession. If you reject me this time, I’ll give up.”

She succeeded in hearing his fifth confession. Chae-yeon finally got a man who would only look at her, just like her stepfather.

This time, she had no intention of rejecting him. Instead, she felt grateful. With her heart pounding, Chae-yeon accepted his confession.

After that, it didn’t take long for Si-hyun to find a place in Chae-yeon’s heart.

He would always contact her to make sure she was eating properly, and if she couldn’t sleep, he would sing to her on the phone.

His gaze was always filled with affection, and above all, he prioritized and loved her unconditionally.

Chae-yeon found herself falling for him quickly. And on the day she became sure of her love:

“Chae-yeon, I like you.”

“I like you t—”

Just as she was about to convey her feelings for the first time, an image of her devastated mother flashed through Chae-yeon’s mind. No, it wasn’t just her mother—it was herself she saw in that image.

‘You must never love a man. Or even if you do, never show it. The moment you show your love, you’ll be abandoned.’

Words hammered into her from a young age. Although her mother wasn’t around, that voice echoed in her ears incessantly.

‘Look at your mother. Even without showing her heart, she built a harmonious family, didn’t she? Your father offers his love, and your mother receives it. If she fully accepts his love, our family can be together forever.’

Every time she tried to express her feelings, it was as if a curse resonated in her mind. Cold sweat would break out, her breath would become short, and her chest would tighten.

She couldn’t express the love overflowing in her heart.

‘This can’t be happening…’

Sensing that something was wrong with her, Chae-yeon hurriedly sought psychological counseling. The result revealed that her past experiences had shackled her mind.

‘I’m sorry… I’m really sorry for being like this…’

She couldn’t even tell him she liked him.

‘What makes me any different from my mom at this point?’

Although Si-hyun continued to love her regardless, Chae-yeon battled with self-loathing every time.

As she regularly attended psychological counseling, guilt accumulated over her inability to express affection.

One day, Chae-yeon saw Si-hyun and Ye-rin sitting together amiably. She was seized by an inexplicable unease. Despite having asked and learned that Ye-rin was an old friend with no romantic feelings involved...

Unlike Chae-yeon, who felt incomplete for being unable to say ‘I love you,’ Ye-rin was beautiful and honest with her emotions. She posed a threat, someone who could take Si-hyun away from her at any moment.

"Can you keep your distance from other girls?"

Chae-yeon, anxious about that fact, tried to prevent Si-hyun from getting close to other women to avoid infidelity.

"Ye-rin is quite shy around strangers... She doesn’t have many friends besides me. Can’t you make an exception for her?"

Si-hyun, concerned about leaving Ye-rin alone, couldn’t easily let go of his childhood friend. Frowning, Chae-yeon spoke firmly.

"No. I want you to keep your distance from Ye-rin as well."

Si-hyun hesitated. While he treasured his romantic relationship, cutting off Ye-rin, who had been like family for 15 years, was painfully harsh.

But the longer he remained silent, the more anxious Chae-yeon became.

"Why can't you answer? You said you like me. If you do, then I should be enough, shouldn’t I? Why do you keep defending other girls?"

Which comes first: his love with his first romance, or his friendship with his childhood friend?

As the scale tilted back and forth in Si-hyun’s mind, Chae-yeon, growing more anxious, grabbed Si-hyun by the shoulders and shouted.

“Is this really something you need to think about? If that's the case, why don't you just date Ye-rin instead of me?”

“Chae-yeon...”

“Then let's break up!”

Those words were the exact opposite of what she truly felt. Realizing her mistake, Chae-yeon covered her mouth, but at that moment, Si-hyun embraced her.

“Huh?”

Trying to calm Chae-yeon, Si-hyun gently patted her head and spoke with difficulty.

“I'm sorry for making you anxious... I’ll do everything you asked.”

“O-okay…”

It felt like taking love hostage. For a moment, Chae-yeon behaved just like her mother did with her stepfather.

‘I hate this…’

Despite her aversion, she knew it was the most effective method. After all, Si-hyun, who had been hesitant just a moment ago, chose her immediately at the suggestion of breaking up.

This was the only way Chae-yeon, emotionally incomplete, could keep Si-hyun by her side.

After Si-hyun distanced himself from Ye-rin, he constantly looked back with pity at his increasingly gaunt childhood friend.

Si-hyun, who wouldn't look at her and kept fixating on another woman.

Seeing this, Chae-yeon's anxiety twisted her personality, and she became more forceful to firmly hold onto Si-hyun.

However, every time she did that, Si-hyun’s face showed sadness, and Chae-yeon wrestled with guilt. She tried to erase her memories with alcohol and repeatedly ended up being carried home by Si-hyun.

‘At those moments... I liked that I could be in his arms without having to ask.’

The dependable back and the familiar scent of fabric softener. With the gentle nagging to drink moderately,

Chae-yeon, who was insanely in love with Si-hyun, hugged him tightly while pretending to be asleep.

'I'm really sorry, and I love you so much...'

Despite facing several hardships, their relationship started to run somewhat smoothly.

Every chance she got, Chae-yeon would look through photos she took with Si-hyun and boast to her friends. These moments, she could proudly say, were the happiest days of her life.