Chae-yeon, having slipped into Si-hyun's house, carefully placed her shoes inside the shoe cabinet just in case someone noticed. Then, with silent footsteps and as if in a trance, she moved forward.

"What am I doing... I must be crazy..."

The realization that she was committing a crime made her breath quicken, and her chest began to tighten. Her mind was screaming at her to leave immediately, yet her feet wouldn't budge toward the front door.

Starved for Si-hyun's affection, Chae-yeon couldn't bring herself to leave this place filled with traces of him.

"Si-hyun, I'm really sorry... I'll leave after just a little while."

Feeling conflicted for a while, Chae-yeon silently apologized and ventured further, like a hiker savoring fresh mountain air. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent lingering in the air, and started to explore every corner of the house.

First, the living room.

There, scattered across the sofa and near the large window, were Si-hyun's short-sleeve t-shirt and shorts.

"Did he change out of these before going out?"

With anxious eyes, Chae-yeon glanced around nervously. After some time, as her feet grew more restless, she slowly approached the crumpled clothes.

Swoosh—

The short-sleeve t-shirt dangled in her hand, and imagining that Si-hyun had worn it that very morning, she fancied that it still retained his warmth.

At the same time, an ignoble desire arose within her.

"What... what am I even thinking?"

Was it because she hadn’t been able to be near Si-hyun for a while? The clothes soaked with his scent made Chae-yeon want to bury her face into them.

‘Isn’t this just perverted?’

Her rational mind struggled to maintain control, but her body was honest to its instincts. Even when she loosened her fingers and the t-shirt was about to slip, she grabbed it tightly.

For Chae-yeon at this moment, abandoning this opportunity was like telling a bee to leave a beehive right in front of it.

In the end, with her hand trembling as it held the t-shirt, she thought to herself:

‘Just once... I'll smell it once and put it back.’

With self-justification, she slowly brought it to her nose, shutting her mouth firmly as she began to take a deep breath.

“Sniff… Ahh…♥️”

Si-hyun's scent filled every corner of her lungs, and the guilt that had been weighing down her chest was smothered by satisfaction.

Lost in her senses, Chae-yeon inhaled Si-hyun’s scent as if she were taking in a potent drug.

‘This is dangerous. I think I might get addicted…’

It was an unsightly act as a human, one she would be scolded for if seen. Yet, surrendering entirely to her instincts, Chae-yeon clutched the t-shirt to her chest, her breathing erratic.

By the time some of her own scent had lingered on the shirt, she carefully placed it back in its original spot.

‘The next place is…’

With glazed eyes, Chae-yeon moved without hesitation.

Creak…

Her destination was Si-hyun’s room.

As she opened the door, she slowly scanned the interior.

A sky blue bed, large enough for two. Opposite it, a large wardrobe. And even a damp towel lying on the floor.

Seeing this, Chae-yeon swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth.

'Si-hyun's bed...'

Plop—

Moving closer, Chae-yeon lay down on Si-hyun's pillow and pulled the blanket over herself. The scent of fabric softener, reminiscent of him, enveloped her, making her feel as if she were being held in his arms.

'I'm happy...'

Things that once seemed trivial now felt incredibly precious to Chae-yeon. Everything related to Si-hyun stirred her memories, bringing a sense of nostalgia.

'I remember back when Si-hyun caught a cold, and I took care of him.'

When Si-hyun had been too weak to even move properly, lying in this bed, Chae-yeon had placed a cold towel on his forehead.

On the other hand, on nights when Chae-yeon was inebriated, Si-hyun would let her sleep in the bed while he took the sofa.

To Chae-yeon, this bed was one of the precious pieces of furniture filled with memories.

'Ah... I'm about to cry again.'

She wiped her tears on the back of her hand to avoid staining the pillow. Sniffling, she sat up, and her eyes caught sight of the Sky Blue Album placed on a chair.

'The Sky Blue Album should be at my house... Could it be!'

With a glimmer of hope, Chae-yeon picked up the album. She perched on the edge of the bed and quickly flipped it open.

".........."

However, the moment she saw the contents, her mind went cold.

Even though it was an album with the same design as hers, the pictures inside were not of her.

All Ye-rin. Ye-rin. Ye-rin.

No matter how quickly Chae-yeon flipped through the pages, there wasn't a single photo of her. The album was completely filled with pictures of Si-hyun and Ye-rin.

"Room Cafe, Wine Bar, 228 Park, even ones taken at home..."

Creak...

Despite grinding her teeth, Chae-yeon continued flipping through the pages. Each memory of the two made her stomach churn, yet Si-hyun's innocent smile compelled her to keep turning the pages.

"It would be so nice if he'd smile at me like that..."

Her grip on the album tightened. She wanted so badly to tear up this album and burn it, replacing it with one filled with memories of herself and Si-hyun.

But realizing the high risk of getting caught, she decided against it. After taking a deep breath to suppress her anger, she began...

Click. Click.

...snapping photos of Si-hyun's pictures with her phone.

As evening fell, the two of them left the Main family House and were on their way home.

"The fried rice from your mother. I'll keep it in the fridge and savor it slowly~"

Si-hyun responded warmly to Ye-rin, who was swinging the shopping bag.

"You can just eat it all if you like. If it's not enough, I'll bring more."

"Nope. Next time, I'll go myself. I plan to visit your mom and dad frequently."

"Okay. We'll go together then, so let me know in advance before you go."

"Sure!"

The two continued on in their cheerful atmosphere. However, Ye-rin suddenly stopped, as if something urgent had come to mind, and spoke quickly.

"Si-hyun, I'll go grab something to eat from the convenience store."

"Even after finishing a whole pot of rice by yourself, you're still hungry?"

"I need dessert too... I'll be quick, so wait for me here."

Leaving Si-hyun nodding, Ye-rin headed to the convenience store. By the time Si-hyun had read about two and a half webtoon episodes, Ye-rin returned with a convenience store bag.

"Want some ice cream?"

"Sounds good."

Ye-rin handed him an ice cream shaped like corn, and they began walking again, both enjoying the same treat.

Before long, they arrived home.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep—

Si-hyun opened the door with practiced ease, letting Ye-rin inside. As he placed the food from his parents into the refrigerator, he said, "You're going straight home, right? Just wait a moment. I'll escort you after I put these away."

Ye-rin gently shook her head.

"I think I'm a bit tired. I'd like to rest in your room for a bit."

"Alright? I'll be quick, so rest over by the bed."

"Okay.."

Ye-rin made a fist and released it repeatedly as she headed to his room. As soon as she opened the door, she sniffed the air and tilted her head in curiosity.

'The smell seems different from usual...'

There was a scent reminiscent of women's perfume lingering in the room rather than Si-hyun's usual scent. Though Ye-rin frowned, she couldn't imagine anyone else had entered the house, so she dismissed her suspicion.

'He must have changed his fabric softener recently.'

She sat gently on the bed. While stroking the sheets with a distant look, Si-hyun came into the room after finishing putting things away.

"If you're tired, take a nap. Or we can watch a movie together."

"I'm not tired enough to sleep. I've already seen all the movies I want to watch, so not really..."

"Really?"

What could he do for her, he wondered, rubbing his chin. As Ye-rin lightly rubbed her thigh, she asked,

"Si-hyun, do you feel disappointed because I didn't give you a present?"

"Not at all. Today was enjoyable enough even without any gifts."

Si-hyun gently patted the top of Ye-rin's head. Truth be told, he felt a slight twinge of disappointment at not receiving a gift, but the time spent with Ye-rin was far more precious.

Rustle - Rustle -

Under Si-hyun's gentle touch, Ye-rin's face gradually turned red, and eventually, even her ears were flushed. Lowering her head, she asked, "Si-hyun... between peach, orange, strawberry, and melon, which do you like?"

"Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

Was she planning to buy him some fruit as a gift?

While Si-hyun smiled contentedly, Ye-rin twisted her toes and spoke.

"I was just curious. If you had to choose one among those four, which would you pick?"

"Hmm... if I have to choose, then peach."

"R-Really? Then peach scent it is... Just wait a moment."

Ye-rin turned her back so Si-hyun wouldn't see and fumbled around in her pocket. She put it in and took it out repeatedly as if she couldn't find what she wanted, but soon enough, she took something out.

Then she gently placed it in Si-hyun's hand, and whispered shyly in his ear.

"Si-hyun, happy birthday. This is my gift to you."

"Huh? Weren't you not going to prepare a gift?"

As soon as Si-hyun checked what was in his hand, he froze in place. The surface was smooth, but the edges were slightly rough.

It looked like packaging for vitamins, but it had a peach drawing on it.

Even with Si-hyun's inexperience, he couldn't not know what this was.

"Han Ye-rin, you..."

"I was originally going to do it without, but since your mom said to make sure to use protection..."

Ye-rin smiled sweetly while letting out a gentle breath as she approached him, fiddling with her shirt buttons.

Creak—

The closet, which had been firmly closed, opened slightly.