Knock. Knock.

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

The fragile voice of his ex-girlfriend filled the house with silence.

Although the movie they were watching depicted a physical altercation between a couple, the atmosphere between Si-hyun and Ye-rin felt more tense because they were just staring at each other without speaking.

"Ugh…"

Seeing Ye-rin's eyes sharp with irritation, Si-hyun swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. The room was filled only with the knocking sound and Chae-yeon's desperate calling. Si-hyun, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles, found himself kneeling without realizing it.

"Si-hyun."

When Ye-rin called his name in a chilly voice, Si-hyun hesitated to respond.

"Uh..."

"So, do you call your ex-girlfriend to deliver packages now?"

As Ye-rin scoffed and mocked him, Si-hyun’s mind started to spin. As he tried to think of a way to escape this situation, Ye-rin continued her interrogation.

"You lied about ordering meat too, right?"

"That's true…"

Ye-rin sighed heavily, placing a hand on her forehead. Feeling the weight of her disappointment in him, Si-hyun lowered his head and spoke.

"I'm sorry for lying. I was afraid you'd be anxious if you knew Chae-yeon was here."

"I'm more worried about you secretly meeting with Chae-yeon. If I wasn’t here, you would have met her without me knowing."

"Even if we met, I would have sent her away."

"And what good is sending her away? She'll just come back like now. In my opinion, Lim Chae-yeon will never give up on you. No matter how coldly you push her away, she'll stick like glue."

Knock. Knock.

"I hear something... Si-hyun, are you in there?"

As Chae-yeon kept interrupting, Ye-rin clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. Determined to get rid of the fox trying to cling to her boyfriend, she walked confidently to open the door.

"Si-hyun!"

Thinking Si-hyun had come out, Chae-yeon was smiling brightly. But upon realizing it was Ye-rin, she stood there, momentarily stunned. Then, with a furrowed brow, she asked, "What’s this... Why are you coming out of Si-hyun's house?"

"Because Si-hyun and I are having a date here at his house. We were enjoying our time until you interrupted."

What exactly were you doing to have such a 'good atmosphere'? Such unsavory and negative thoughts kept swirling in Chae-yeon's mind, and irritated, she bit her lower lip.

"...Where's Si-hyun? I have no business with you, so just bring him out."

"Hah. You've got some nerve trying to interfere while his girlfriend is right here. You're really something else, aren't you?"

"Never mind that, I'm asking where Si-hyun is!"

As Chae-yeon shouted, Ye-rin glared at her coldly. Ye-rin opened the half-closed door wider, revealing Si-hyun standing behind her. Upon seeing him, Chae-yeon's eyes lit up with hope.

"Si-hyun!"

As Chae-yeon tried to approach, Ye-rin blocked her with her body. Finding her path blocked, Chae-yeon glared at her adversary as if she wanted to eliminate her, while Ye-rin met her gaze with an icy stare.

While the two women were engaged in a tense standoff, Si-hyun spoke with a voice tinged with a sigh.

"I told you I started dating Ye-rin, so you shouldn't come here anymore. Why did you come?"

"I... I came to return this."

Chae-yeon picked up a box from the floor with both hands. It contained items filled with memories from their time together. She had hoped to come to Si-hyun's house, wishing he would keep them once more.

However, for Si-hyun, who had begun a new relationship, these were things he should not take back. So, shaking his head, he promptly replied, "I don't need them, so take them back. Do whatever you want with it—throw it away or sell it."

"I couldn't possibly throw this away. These are things you cherished so dearly..."

Chae-yeon set the box down again and pulled out the Sky Blue Album from it.

"I looked through this album at home many times. Seeing the smudges and creases in it reminded me of how much you cared for me, and I reflected on my behavior..."

Embracing the Sky Blue Album, Chae-yeon displayed a wistful expression.

"Si-hyun... as I said yesterday, I'm really sorry for being so mean all this time... Going forward, I'll do whatever you want, and express my feelings plenty... Could you give me just one more chance, just once more?"

Chae-yeon's earnest plea. Her beautiful tears lent more credibility to her expression of remorse.

Unable to watch any longer, Ye-rin was about to intervene, but Si-hyun held her by the shoulders.

Then, approaching Chae-yeon, he took the box along with the Sky Blue Album from her.

"Ah…"

Chae-yeon's spirits lifted, perhaps thinking Si-hyun had accepted her feelings, bringing warmth to her heart as her expression started to brighten rapidly.

In contrast, Ye-rin, feeling as if her boyfriend had betrayed her, raised her voice.

"Kim Si-hyun! What on earth are you doing.."

However, Ye-rin's sentence didn't finish. With the box in hand, Si-hyun walked directly ahead.

Thud.

Because he threw the box into the dumpster near the utility pole. The contents like the sky blue album bounced out and got buried among trash bags.

"Si... Si-hyun!"

Chae-yeon, shocked, hurriedly retrieved the box. Despite the sour smell emanating from the trash bags, she inserted her hands without hesitation.

Then, after recovering all the items of memories, she looked up at Si-hyun with tearful eyes.

However, Si-hyun met her gaze with nothing but coldness.

"I told you during our uni trip, not to expect the old me anymore."

Si-hyun reinforced his resolve, made just yesterday, to himself. Rather than giving Chae-yeon false hope by being ambiguous, he decided it would be better to firmly let go.

To let go so that she could live her own life.

"I did like you, that's true. But it's all in the past now. So why do you keep bringing it up and causing trouble?"

Chae-yeon felt an indescribable fear at Si-hyun's unwavering attitude. Terrified, she clung to his leg, trembling as she spoke.

"I made mistakes... But I'll do better from now on. I'll do whatever you say. Can't we go back to how we used to be?"

"It's too late for that. I don't have the same feelings for you as I did before, and seeing you cling like this just seems pathetic to me now."

"Si-hyun..."

No matter how much Chae-yeon cried and apologized, Si-hyun didn't even pretend to listen. He simply stood there, looking down at his ex-girlfriend, and soon freed himself from her grip.

Then, as he approached Ye-rin, he said, "Let's go inside."

"Uh, okay..."

Just moments ago, Si-hyun seemed so lost, yet now his cold response was so intense that even Ye-rin felt a sense of pity.

"Si-hyun, I made a mistake. So please, don't leave me..."

Si-hyun ignored Chae-yeon, who was left crying and helpless, as he held Ye-rin's hand and walked into the house. Chae-yeon stared incredulously as he did so.

Thud.

As the door closed, a cry that almost resembled a scream echoed.

The two of them sat silently on the bed after they entered the house. Although Si-hyun's face was expressionless, Ye-rin could sense the sadness lingering around him.

Shuffle—

Ye-rin gently brushed his hair and asked.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course... I'm completely fine."

Even though Ye-rin knew his words weren't true, she didn't press him further. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and conveyed her true feelings.

"Thank you so much for choosing me. When you got the box from Chae-yeon, I was terrified for a moment that you might get back together with her... But I'm so relieved that didn't happen."

"I would never do that..."

"Right."

Si-hyun gently stroked Ye-rin's back as he asked, "You're not feeling anxious anymore, right?"

"Yeah, I think I can trust you now. No matter what happens, you won't waver because of Chae-yeon."

Si-hyun nodded at Ye-rin’s trust. As his childhood friend and girlfriend, he had decided to take full responsibility for her. For her sake, Si-hyun could not stray from the right path.

"I'm glad to hear that I've earned your trust."

He smiled warmly as he lay down, wrapping his arms around Ye-rin. In a gentle voice, he asked, "So what do you want to do now? Should we finish watching the movie?"

"No..."

Ye-rin shook her head gently and wrapped her arms around him. The two held each other tightly. As Ye-rin felt his warm embrace, she said, "I just... want to fall asleep like this."

"Alright, sounds good."

In their exhausted state, the warmth they shared acted as the perfect remedy. They didn't want to be apart, not even for a moment.

The two of them slept in a tight embrace for the whole night.

As soon as Ye-rin woke up, she gave Si-hyun a light kiss and said, "Thanks to you, I slept well. I should head home now."

"I'll walk you. Let's go together."

Ye-rin shook her head.

"It's just nearby, so you don't have to."

"Even so..."

"Pfft... I'll just take the thought."

"Alright. But be sure to let me know when you get home, okay?"

"Yeah."

Ye-rin gently waved her hand as she left Si-hyun's house. A few street lights remained unlit, as it wasn't long after sunset.

Even though it was dark, Ye-rin continued on her path without hesitation. However, she stopped in her tracks, let out a shallow sigh, and said, "I knew it... If it were you, I thought you'd wait until I came out."

When Ye-rin turned around, she saw a mess of jet-black hair in her view. Chae-yeon, now haggard looking, was staring at her with vacant eyes, holding a crumpled box.