"Huh? Si-hyun, what are you doing here?"

The woman with brown hair sat across from Si-hyun, holding the food she had ordered.

As she swept her hair behind her ear with a bright smile, Si-hyun's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ye-rin?"

Sitting across from him was Han Ye-rin, a friend he had known for 15 years since their kindergarten days after moving to Daegu.

They had always attended the same schools growing up and now even went to the same university in the same major.

Although they used to stick together all the time, their relationship had become strained after Si-hyun started dating Chae-yeon, making this the first time in a long while they were alone together.

As Ye-rin dipped some soy sauce for her fish cake, she asked, "What's up with you? You hate drinking, so why are you drinking alone?"

Feeling embarrassed by this unexpected encounter, Si-hyun lowered his head to hide his disheveled appearance.

"It's nothing... I'm just not in a good mood today, so just eat and leave quickly."

Ye-rin, who was usually playful, waved her hand dismissively and laughed off his response.

"We haven't seen each other in a while. Why are you being so serious? Anyone would think you just broke up with your girlfriend."

At her words, Si-hyun's expression twisted into a grimace.

Though he didn't realize how he looked, Ye-rin's laughter fading indicated that his face must have been quite menacing.

"...Wait, did you really break up?"

"Yeah. So don't bother me and just go on your way."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

Ye-rin scratched the back of her head awkwardly.Feeling frustrated, Si-hyun reached for the soju.

"Stop drinking. You'll only upset your stomach."

Ye-rin, noticing he looked already quite drunk, snatched the bottle from him. To prevent him from drinking more, she took a swig herself.

"Ugh, so bitter."

She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and continued with a giggle.

"Don't suffer alone. Come on, spill the beans. How did you two break up?"

"Really, you..."

Just as Si-hyun was about to tell her to mind her own business and leave, he recalled the KakaoTalk message from earlier.

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: Huh? Why is that a problem? It's normal to seek comfort from friends and vent about your ex after a breakup.]

‘Could following the advice of the relationship counselor and opening up help him feel better?’

Si-hyun, whose mind was a turmoil of emotions, looked at Ye-rin, who had turned red-faced after just half a bottle. She leaned forward, ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

'Since we ran into each other, should I just lay it all out?'

Letting out a deep sigh, Si-hyun buried his face in his hands for a moment.

After a long struggle, he finally made a decision. He gazed wistfully at the empty soju bottle and spoke with difficulty.

"The truth is..."

Si-hyun began to recount everything that had happened today.

How he had rushed to the place where Chae-yeon was supposed to be on a blind date after getting a tip-off from a friend.

How she not only ignored his messages but also lied blatantly to his face.

As a result, they ended up arguing. Chae-yeon claimed she did nothing wrong and took a defiant stance.

Ultimately, she suggested they break up, and Si-hyun agreed. That's how he ended up drinking alone at the street food stall, where he ran into Ye-rin.

The longer Si-hyun talked, the more shocked Ye-rin's expression became.

With wide eyes and her hand over her mouth in sympathy, she said, “Lim Chae-yeon, that girl is a complete lunatic!”

In the end, she slammed her fist on the table in rage.

Face as red as a tomato, Ye-rin ordered another bottle of soju.

“That crazy b

Ranting about smashing Chae-yeon's head with a soju bottle, she took another swig.

While her anger felt somewhat refreshing to Si-hyun, he felt a bit concerned that things might get out of hand if he let her keep drinking, so he grabbed the soju bottle from her hands.

“Why are you taking it? Give it back.”

Ye-rin, her face bright red like a ripe tomato and barely able to focus her eyes, reached out for the bottle.

“You're more drunk than I am. Stop drinking now.”

“Damn it...”

On the verge of tears, Ye-rin clenched her fists, trembling from the frustration.

Si-hyun couldn't help but laugh at Ye-rin's tantrum, which made her snap back at him.

"How can you laugh after what she did to you? Wake up... You'll have to see those two again soon."

Si-hyun, Chae-yeon, Ye-rin, and Sohui were all in the same department. So, no matter how hard they tried to avoid each other, it was inevitable that they would meet again.

'Right, I almost forgot about that.'

He had been so focused on the breakup that he hadn't considered the fact that they would soon run into each other at university.

The thought of seeing those two again already gave Si-hyun a headache.

Tap, tap.

Si-hyun tapped the soju bottle he took from Ye-rin with his finger and said,

"I really don't want to deal with them again... Should I just take a leave of absence?"

Ye-rin pointed an odeng skewer at him and retorted.

"Why should you take a leave of absence? They're the ones who should."

"I just don't want to face them."

Ye-rin clicked her tongue in frustration. Then, she patted her chest and declared, "Don't worry. I'll make sure they don't come near you."

Although her hiccuping while speaking didn't inspire much confidence...

Just having a friend by his side made Si-hyun feel comforted.

"You're reliable."

"Giggle... You think so?"

Ye-rin gave a goofy smile and blinked her slightly unfocused eyes repeatedly.

Si-hyun glanced at his watch and realized it was already past midnight. He stood up, noticing how tired Ye-rin looked.

"Let's call it a night."

"Huh? But I want to talk more..."

"I'm just really sleepy."

"Really? Well, if you insist."

After settling the bill, Si-hyun helped the staggering Ye-rin out of the tent bar.

Fortunately, the rain had stopped, so there was no need for an umbrella.

"This isn't why I let myself go..."

Ye-rin mumbled something unintelligible and leaned on Si-hyun's shoulder.

At first, she matched his steps well, but soon she dozed off, leaving Si-hyun to support her completely.

With every step, Ye-rin's shoes dragged on the ground.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Pretending she would console him, only to get drunk and pass out. Si-hyun couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.

Her feet were about to drag on the pavement, and seeing this, Si-hyun lifted her legs and carried her on his back.

"Making someone with a wounded leg do all this..."

Though her weight wasn't much, his injured shin sent sharp twinges with each step.

The saving grace was that Ye-rin's house was only a five-minute walk away.

Determined to hang on a little longer, Si-hyun limped forward.

"Sigh... Hoo..."

The scent of alcohol wafted from Ye-rin's breath.

The familiar weight and warmth on his back made Si-hyun suddenly think of Chae-yeon.

"When Chae-yeon got wasted, I always ended up carrying her home like this."

Whenever Chae-yeon got too drunk and passed out, Si-hyun would rush to her rescue, carrying her home after receiving Sohui’s plea for help.

"I never understood why someone who didn’t even like alcohol would drink until they were completely out of it..."

Shaking his head, Si-hyun thought to himself, ‘What an unpredictable girl. There won’t be any more times I’ll walk her home though, I suppose.'

With these thoughts about Chae-yeon running through his mind, they quickly arrived at Ye-rin's house.

Si-hyun turned his head and asked the woman he was carrying.

"Hey. We're at your house. Want to open the door?"

"Mmm... Si-hyun, you do whatever you want..."

Even though she was asleep, she answered him clearly.

Si-hyun adjusted Ye-rin, who was about to slip off, and entered the passcode on the door lock.

'1017. In times like these, she's using her birthdate as the passcode.'

Sighing at her carelessness, Si-hyun opened the door. The interior was quite drab for a woman’s house.

No fancy decorations, just the bare necessities in the space.

Among them, a particularly large fridge was covered with menus from various restaurants.

'Hasn't changed a bit since the last time I was here.'

Surveying the house, Si-hyun entered Ye-rin's room and turned on the light.

He caught a faint scent of cosmetics and tossed Ye-rin onto the sky-blue bed.

Thud... Bump!

But perhaps due to a miscalculation with his strength.

Ye-rin rolled and banged her head against the bedpost, letting out a groan as she woke up.

"Are you okay?"

Ye-rin, sitting on the bed, rubbed the top of her head and responded.

"Ouch... Why'd you throw me like that?"

"Sorry about that."

Seemingly in a lot of pain, Ye-rin rubbed her head, her eyes welling up with tears.

Suddenly, she lowered her gaze and, mumbling nervously, pointed at Si-hyun's lower body.

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"Huh?"

Following Ye-rin's pointing finger, Si-hyun looked down. His shin was stained red.

'Seeing it in the light, it does look serious.'

Between the torn jeans, a gruesome wound that made one want to look away was visible.

Si-hyun wasn't bothered since he was aware of the injury, but Ye-rin, seeing it for the first time, was stunned, covering her mouth.

To reassure her, Si-hyun tried to downplay it.

"This? I just... on the way here..."

"Was it because of Lim Chae-yeon?"

His words were cut off. When Si-hyun turned his gaze from the wound to Ye-rin, he saw her expressionless face.

"Is this because of her?"

With Ye-rin's persistent questioning, Si-hyun scratched the back of his head.

'Is it fair to blame Chae-yeon for this?'

Although Chae-yeon did cause it, since Si-hyun had fallen on his own, he wasn't sure if he could blame her wholly.

During his moment of hesitation, Ye-rin took his silence as a confirmation. She swept her bangs with a look of disbelief.

"Looking at your silence, it seems so. What was that crazy girl doing while her boyfriend was in this state?"

Ye-rin, suddenly standing up, stomped off loudly to get a first-aid kit.

"Just give me the medicine. I'll apply it myself."

Ignoring Si-hyun's plea, Ye-rin bit her lower lip and refused.

"Shut up and stay still."

Si-hyun's body instinctively flinched. As he nodded quietly, Ye-rin dabbed antiseptic on a cotton swab and gently touched his wound.

"Sss..."

"It'll be over soon, so just bear with it."

Si-hyun clenched his fist tightly, holding back a groan.

After finishing the disinfection, Ye-rin began applying ointment with a new cotton swab while looking upset.

"If it leaves a scar, what should we do..."

Ye-rin's medical treatment ended with applying a large square bandage.

Staring at the wound for a while, she sighed deeply and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You can't go home. Stay at my place tonight."

"It's fine. My place is close. I'll just walk...”

"No way. Don't strain your injured leg unnecessarily. In the morning, let's visit the hospital together and then go to lectures."

Seeing Ye-rin's resolute expression, Si-hyun felt a headache coming on.

He knew from past experiences just how stubborn Ye-rin could be.

'If I ignore her and leave now, she'll keep pestering me endlessly.'

She would either sulk and show it or act hysterical as if every day was that day.

Si-hyun knew his decision would have negative consequences later.

"Alright... I'll stay over."

He agreed powerlessly.

Ultimately, he was somewhat pleased with the suggestion since he wanted to lie down as soon as possible, and because he considered Ye-rin more like family than anything else, he didn't feel particularly uncomfortable sleeping in the same place.

"I'll bring you some clothes to change into."

With a smile, Ye-rin started humming a tune as she rummaged through the wardrobe.

One by one, men's clothes started to come out. All of them were Si-hyun's.

"I thought I lost all those clothes, but they were at your place?"

"Yeah. You left them at my house."

"Really?"

Si-hyun tilted his head in confusion.

'Have I ever worn these clothes while visiting Ye-rin's place?'

After trying to recall for a while, he quickly concluded it wasn't worth the effort.

'Maybe I left them a long time ago.'

Si-hyun didn't think much of it and, after taking a shower, changed into the clothes Ye-rin had given him.

When he returned to the room, Ye-rin, who was lying on the bed, lifted the blanket halfway and said, "Come here. Let's relive the old days and sleep together."

"No way. How is it that you haven't changed at all?"

Annoyed by her thoughtless act, Si-hyun shook his head.

Thinking that it was a good thing it was him who heard this and not any other guy, as it could have caused big trouble, Si-hyun spread out a fresh blanket on the floor.

"I'm going to sleep on the floor, so you should sleep too. You looked really tired earlier."

Ye-rin, who was watching Si-hyun's actions with disapproval, snorted and pulled the blanket over her head.

"I'm turning off the light. Good night."

"...Good night."

Before he could even dwell on the pain of the breakup, Si-hyun passed out as soon as he lay down.

Mentally and physically exhausted, he soon began to snore softly.

Swoosh.

Only Ye-rin, who had poked her head out from under the blanket, stared at his defenseless state with a meaningful look in her eyes.