On their way to the west coast, Si-hyun and Ye-rin were traveling by express bus.

Ye-rin, who hadn't visited her grandmother's house in a long time, was humming cheerfully. She tried to lean her head on Si-hyun's shoulder but was blocked by the armrest.

"Darn, if I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have chosen the premium seats."

"What's wrong with premium seats? They're comfortable."

Si-hyun, who was almost lying down with his shoes off, was met with an annoyed glare from Ye-rin.

"You really have no sense of romance. None at all."

Wondering what he did wrong, Si-hyun, who was just quietly sitting there, tilted his head in confusion.

Looking pouty and staring out the window, Ye-rin suddenly lit up after a short while.

"Come to think of it, Si-hyun, you've met my grandma a few times, right? Do you remember?"

"Of course. She always attended the school sports days and parent-teacher classes without fail."

Even though his memories from childhood were vague, he clearly remembered her kind face.

'I never understood why it was always her coming instead of Ye-rin's parents...'

Despite knowing Ye-rin for a long time, Si-hyun had never met her parents. Whenever he asked, she would just say they were busy. Eventually, she would awkwardly change the topic, leaving Si-hyun to conclude there must be a reason behind it.

'I wonder what her parents do for a living...'

Though curious, he couldn't force her to talk about something she wanted to keep secret. Everyone has things they'd rather not share.

"Si-hyun, do you want a bite?"

"Sure."

Si-hyun absentmindedly took a bite of the triangle kimbap Ye-rin had handed him. The spicy stir-fried pork filled his mouth with its hot flavor, and he chewed and swallowed it.

Watching him closely, Ye-rin smiled and said, "Oh... you ate it without hesitation."

"What?"

"The part you just ate. That's where my lips touched first."

Ye-rin giggled and tapped Si-hyun's lips with her index finger.

"So, indirect kisses don't bother you anymore, huh?"

As Ye-rin switched into Nine-Tailed (sly) Fox Mode, Si-hyun's face became rapidly red. When he touched his burning cheeks, she found his reaction endearingly cute, almost to the point of madness.

'I might just devour him.'

Ye-rin smacked her lips while looking at Si-hyun. Even though she said she was willing to wait, her true desire was to start dating him as soon as possible.

"Want another bite?"

"No, you eat it."

"Geez... you're embarrassed."

Seeing Si-hyun's awareness of her made Ye-rin happy every time...

"I can't take it anymore!"

She hugged Si-hyun’s head tightly. The fruity scent from her chest was sweet, yet overwhelming, making it hard for Si-hyun to breathe.

Overcoming various temptations, a tired Si-hyun got off the bus. After telling the taxi driver their village's name, they traveled for several more minutes until they reached an area close to their destination.

"If we walk for about ten minutes from here, we'll reach my grandmother’s house."

"That's quite far..."

They strolled side by side, taking in the salty scent of the ocean. Though it was hot, the sea breeze kept them from sweating.

"I heard the West Sea is dirty, but it doesn't seem that way at all."

"Of course not. That's all just prejudice."

Despite Ye-rin's attempt to highlight the West Sea’s good points, Si-hyun, deep in thought, didn't really listen.

'So, this is the place Ye-rin always talked about visiting during her vacations.'

When she was younger, Ye-rin would disappear during vacation and only reappear just before the term started again.

Remembering Ye-rin coming back with her skin browned from the sun and her radiant smile saying she had just returned from her grandmother's house, the scene was still vividly clear to Si-hyun.

Lost in his recollections, Si-hyun continued walking until he saw an elderly woman waving at them from afar.

"Oh, is that our Ye-rin?"

"Yes!"

Upon closer inspection, it wasn't Ye-rin's grandmother. It seemed to be a long-time resident of the village who knew her well.

"And who's this next to you? Could he be your boyfriend?"

"That's right!"

Without hesitation, Ye-rin clung to Si-hyun's arm. Si-hyun thought of denying it but sighed and greeted the elderly woman.

"Ah, you two must be in the prime of your lives... Our Ye-rin is a good girl, so take good care of her, alright?"

"Yes..."

Scratching the back of his head in response, Si-hyun's reply made the elderly woman nod in satisfaction. Curious Ye-rin tilted her head and asked,

"By the way, do you know where my grandmother is?"

"She said she went back home early expecting you. You should go and check."

"Thank you~!"

After bidding farewell, they kept walking until they eventually reached an old thatched cottage. Ye-rin's steps quickened as she went straight to the door and called out in a sweet, playful voice.

"Grandma~!"

"You're here."

So delighted, Ye-rin hugged her grandmother tightly, her feet tapping the ground in excitement. Her grandmother, like calming an excited puppy, gently patted her back, then noticed Si-hyun who was standing there awkwardly.

"Could you be Si-hyun?"

"Yes, I am."

"Oh my… Wow, you've grown so much taller!"

It seemed like she was more pleased to see Si-hyun than her own granddaughter. As the grandmother patted his back, Si-hyun awkwardly smiled.

"You must be really hungry, right? The food is almost ready. Come in and sit down."

"Okay!"

In no time, dishes were placed on the table. Si-hyun watched with an intrigued look.

"Eel*, oysters, abalone, octopus, shrimp... As expected from a seaside area, there's a lot of seafood." (*Said to boost vitality ;).)

Si-hyun flinched at the sight of the eel, but surely such an impure motive couldn't be behind the grandmother's welcoming meal.

"I don't ask for much... Just seeing a great-grandchild who looks like a healthy boy before I die would be enough."

"Grandma, you're so funny!"

There probably wasn't any impure motive...

While Si-hyun was breaking out in a cold sweat, Ye-rin placed a large piece of eel on his bowl.

"Eat a lot, Si-hyun. You'll need your strength for later, so make sure to fill up."

He wondered what strength she was talking about. With a hesitant expression, Si-hyun nodded and started eating.

Watching them warmly, the grandmother also gave Ye-rin some eel and said, "Babies grow strong from their mother's nutrients, you know? You need to eat a lot so your baby will be chubby and healthy."

"Okay!"

That day, Ye-rin cleared every dish on the table.

Meanwhile, at the same time… Chae-yeon, who was wearing panda pajamas, was flipping through a red album as soon as she woke up.

Rustle.

The album's plastic cover was covered with fingerprints, evidence of how often it had been touched. The common theme in the photos was that Si-hyun appeared in every one of them. Chae-yeon looked at them with a face full of happiness.

"This is the photo we took at the aquarium. Si-hyun was smiling so adorably while watching the dolphin show then..."

Next was the amusement park.

"The photo where we wore animal ear headbands against the backdrop of the red sunset... The lady who took the picture for us said we looked like a perfectly matching couple."

From the university festival.

"This one is a photo of us dancing around the campfire in the center... Both of us were such poor dancers that we kept stepping on each other's feet. It was a disaster."

The album, having been flipped through hundreds of times, was a source of memories and nostalgia. Feeling lonely after breaking up with Si-hyun, Chae-yeon had been looking at it throughout the vacation.

"...I wonder what Si-hyun is doing right now?"

The more she looked at the photos, the more she missed him. She hoped Si-hyun was at home resting well. She wished he wouldn't meet anyone and stay that way until the semester started again.

"Surely, he's not with Ye-rin, right?"

After the Uni Trip ended and everyone dispersed, there was something odd about the atmosphere between the two. Their eyes seemed to have changed when they looked at each other.

At that time, Chae-yeon had felt a strange sense of anxiety watching them.

"If those two end up dating, it'll be a disaster..."

Chae-yeon quickly shook her head. Her jet-black hair fluttered in all directions as her face moved from side to side.

'Get it together.. Si-hyun would never do that.'

To prevent herself from having such worries, she needed to get over her trauma quickly, but despite receiving constant psychotherapy, she showed no signs of improvement.

‘The next session is still a long way off.. What should I do to kill time?’

Was winter vacation always this boring? As Chae-yeon kept feeling Si-hyun's absence, she flipped through her calendar in frustration. Then, she noticed the family photo on her desk.

'Mom...'

After she began dating Si-hyun, Chae-yon minimized contact with her mother. She subconsciously resented Su-yeon for planting the seeds of trauma within her.

However, she had never expressed that resentment directly, knowing better than anyone else what kind of past Su-yeon had.

Chae-yeon didn't want to burden her struggling mother with unnecessary weight.

'Come to think of it, I haven't contacted them in a while...'

How are they both doing? The last time she visited was during the previous winter vacation. Determined to visit again, Chae-yeon made up her mind.

'And... I should have a conversation with Mom, too.'

Talking to her mother could be the key to resolving her trauma. Since her mother was the one who instilled those misguided beliefs in her, persuading her might help solve Chae-yeon's psychological issues.

‘If I manage to overcome it... then I'll confess to Si-hyun.’

For the sake of the man she loved, Chae-yeon resolved to conquer her trauma before the new semester began.

Now that she had a goal, waiting seemed like a luxury. Chae-yeon quickly packed her things, called a taxi, and headed to her parents' home.