"What am I going to do about this..."

Si-hyun was shocked as he looked at himself in the mirror on top of the dresser. The reason was the kiss mark imprinted on his neck. Yesterday's passionate moments had left distinct marks, as if he had a rash.

"It's summer, so I can't wear a scarf... How can I even go out like this?"

With the thought of postponing his plans to go out, Si-hyun approached Ye-rin, who was drying her hair. After he discussed the matter with her, he got an unexpected response.

"Huh? Just go out like this."

Si-hyun was dumbfounded by Ye-rin's outrageous answer and blinked several times.

"Be reasonable. The moment I go out like this, everyone will be staring."

"So what? I think it might actually make me feel good..."

Ye-rin lightly tapped Si-hyun's neck.

"I marked it to show you're mine, so other women won't even look at you."

"Huh..."

Finding Ye-rin's overwhelming affection a bit embarrassing, Si-hyun scratched his cheek and averted his gaze. Despite that, he couldn't accept her suggestion and grumbled in a low voice.

"Even if you're okay with it, I’m too embarrassed to go out."

"Then how about couple rings!"

"We'll have to wait a few days and get them once the marks fade."

Ye-rin shook her head in disagreement. However, both of them were clueless about removing kiss marks since it was their first time having them. In a haste, Ye-rin searched online and found some bizarre tips.

"Apply ice... Rub with a coin. Huh. They even say to use a banana peel."

She successfully gathered some unusual knowledge.

"It seems like they can't be removed right away."

"Si-hyun... Let's just go out like this, okay?"

Walking around with Ye-rin already drew attention from people nearby. Walking around with visible kiss marks on each other? It could spark glares of disapproval and envy from countless onlookers.

"No way. Under no circumstances.”

“Huh.”

Ye-rin narrowed her eyes at Si-hyun's refusal. Pouting, she continued to search for ways to remove the kiss marks, her eyes widening shortly after.

"They say if you use a concealer similar to your skin tone, it's less noticeable! I actually have some at home, so I'll just get it.”

Caught up in the idea of couple rings, Ye-rin dashed home without waiting for Si-hyun's consent. Since it was nearby, she returned quickly, slightly out of breath.

"So if we apply this, we're going out...right?"

“Ugh... Fine.”

Seeing her determination, he couldn't just ignore her. Sighing, Si-hyun reluctantly agreed, resolving in the worst case to at least cover it with a bandage.

Ye-rin, looking triumphant, followed the instructions she had found online to erase the kiss marks.

They rubbed the marks with a coin, applied ice, and layered on concealer until the red spots significantly faded.

"Not completely gone, but this should be okay."

Having managed to conceal the kiss marks to some extent, the two of them finished getting ready and left the house.

Their destination was a nearby downtown area, Daegu’s Dongseong-ro. Though it held unpleasant memories with Chae-yeon, thanks to frequent visits with Ye-rin, Si-hyun had long grown accustomed to it.

However, there was one thing that he found harder to get used to.

"Oppa, you just stared at that woman's chest."

"When did I ever?"

"You didn't, my foot. I saw lasers shooting out of your eyes clearly!"

This was due to Ye-rin's superior beauty and physique, which often caused arguments among surrounding couples. Men looked at Ye-rin as if entranced by her perfect appearance, while women who were with their partners felt a sense of inferiority. Ye-rin was nothing short of a couple breaker.

"Come to think of it, it was the same when I was with Chae-yeon."

Because Chae-yeon was also very beautiful, similar situations frequently occurred back then, too.

As Si-hyun nodded while reminiscing about those times, Ye-rin pinched his arm.

"Ow... Why all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. I suddenly felt really upset for some reason."

Could it be that she instinctively noticed he was thinking of another woman? Nervous, Si-hyun quickly changed the subject.

"Have you checked out the store?"

"Yes. Fortunately, it's nearby."

Following Ye-rin, it wasn't long before they arrived at a jewelry store called Daegu Jewelry Jeongipum Jewelry Store.

The interior was nearly 100 pyeong (about 330 square meters), with a marble floor. Adding to that, the dazzling lights enhanced the luxurious atmosphere of the store.

Seeing this, Si-hyun slightly opened his mouth and spoke.

"It'll take a while just to look around."

"Indeed… It seems harder to choose than to find something I like."

As Ye-rin stated, there were so many rings that it appeared it would take a long time just to choose. From simple silver rings to ones with gemstones in the middle, and even rings with various curves.

As the two hesitated on what to choose, a female employee, who noticed them, approached.

"Is there something you're looking for?"

"We're considering couple rings."

"I see. So, will you go with 14K or 18K?"

Faced with the question about the gold purity, Si-hyun consulted Ye-rin and chose 14K. It was cheaper, and Ye-rin didn't mind as long as it was a ring.

"Then what about the gold color? Typically, there's yellow gold, pink gold, and white gold."

Is choosing a couple ring always this complicated? Si-hyun, who thought he could just pick any, became speechless at the barrage of questions from the employee.

"Ye-rin, you should tell her. I have no idea..."

"Huh? Okay."

While the female employee and Ye-rin chatted away, Si-hyun wandered around the store.

Besides rings, there were sophisticated necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a plethora of accessories, making browsing quite enjoyable.

‘I should come back here when I buy a gift for Ye-rin.’

While Si-hyun was mentally noting gift candidates, Ye-rin finished her conversation and beckoned to him.

"Si-hyun, I'm thinking of choosing from these, what do you think?"

As he listened, it seemed the rings Ye-rin picked were in yellow gold. They ranged from simplistic, plain rings to gold rings adorned with gemstones at the edges.

Fortunately, the rings Ye-rin selected perfectly matched Si-hyun’s taste.

"Everything looks good, so I think I’ll have to try them on."

"I asked if we could try them earlier, and they said to try as we please."

"Really?"

"Yes, then..."

Ye-rin smiled softly and extended her hand.

"Put it on for me."

There was an emphasis on the word 'for' in Ye-rin's request. Nodding, Si-hyun gently slid the ring onto her left ring finger.

As he did, Ye-rin beamed brightly and gently touched the ring.

"This is so pretty... Si-hyun, give me your hand. I'll put it on you."

The two tried various rings on each other's fingers. Many looked good, leading them to snap a few commemorative photos, and after much deliberation on which they liked best...

"I like this one the most."

Ye-rin chose a gold ring with a transparent gemstone set in the middle.

They then measured their finger sizes, wrapping a Post-it or paper around their fingers and marking the ends with a pen.

After measuring, Si-hyun was size 18, and Ye-rin was size 13.

"Now we just need to pay, right?"

"Seems like it."

They completed the purchase by mentioning each other's initials. Once the rings were ready, they would be engraved with the inscription K♥️H.

Ye-rin left the shop with a satisfied smile.

Having bought the couple rings, the two returned home. It was a hot day, and they had spent a considerable amount on the rings.

Tap. Tap.

Si-hyun logged into Netflix on the TV and began searching for a movie to watch.

"Do you have a movie you want to watch?"

"Um... A thrilling romance!"

A thrilling romance? Si-hyun wondered if such a thing even existed. He remembered a movie called ‘Taken Boyfriend’ they watched together last time.

'Does she want something similar to that genre?'

Receiving dried squid from Ye-rin, Si-hyun started chewing on the legs as he played a movie called ‘War of the Roses.’

"Oh my..."

It was the kind of affair story you’d find in a morning drama. Ye-rin clucked her tongue at the villainous actor, but since her eyes stayed glued to the screen, it seemed she was enjoying the movie itself.

On the other hand, Si-hyun, who wasn’t a fan of mud-slinging battles, tried to get some shut-eye until the movie ended.

Ding dong~

The sudden ring of the doorbell jolted him awake.

'Who could it be...'

Si-hyun slowly opened his eyes and tried to figure it out. He hadn't ordered any deliveries, and Ye-rin was right next to him. That could only mean...

'Could it be... Chae-yeon at our place again?'

While Si-hyun's body gradually grew tense, Ye-rin cocked her head and asked, "Aren’t you going to check?"

"Yeah. It's probably a delivery; they'll leave it if we don't answer."

"What did you order?"

“...Meat.”

Every time Si-hyun told a lie, his conscience screamed. But he couldn’t let the already anxious Ye-rin meet Chae-yeon.

"Meat? Then you'd better get it quickly. What if it spoils being left outside?"

"It won't spoil so soon, it'll be fine. Let's just finish watching the movie instead."

Ye-rin looked displeased but soon nodded and turned her gaze back to the TV. Si-hyun let out a sigh of relief, hoping that whoever was at the door would leave quickly.

Knock. Knock.

Along with the clear sound of knocking.

"Si-hyun, it's Chae-yeon... Could you please open the door?"

The fragile voice of his ex-girlfriend echoed inside the house.