One week ago.

After watching Si-hyun and Ye-rin together, I found myself succumbing to instinct and tried to comfort my own body.

At the time, it was exhilarating, but what followed was predictably a phase of enlightenment and endless emptiness.

With Si-hyun and Ye-rin now together, I was reduced to being just part of the background.

Losing Si-hyun left my life utterly barren. I was living without purpose or direction, only questioning why I was still alive after having lost all hope.

"Si-hyun... Si-hyun..."

Whenever I spaced out, I heard echoing moans that haunted my ears. In my dreams, I saw them intertwined.

To avoid this, I spent days with my ears covered, terrified of sleeping and watching the sun rise and set without rest.

During this time, I completely lost track of the days. I no longer knew how many had passed or how many classes I'd missed.

Every morning would bring Sohui’s voice and the sound of the doorbell, but I refused, not in the mood to meet anyone.

Because I wanted to be alone.

Until this unrequited love stopped burning inside me. Until something could fill this endless void.

Was it fate that Si-hyun and Ye-rin are together?

Perfect match. Maybe what people mean by a relationship destined by heaven are couples like Si-hyun and Ye-rin.

A long 15 years of connection. The relationships their parents came from. From the beginning of their relationship to their pace of progress.

Everything about them seemed superior to what I could ever offer, making me think Si-hyun was always meant to be with Ye-rin.

And I was merely a tool necessary for their union.

As a legendary femme fatale who wielded power and used love as a hostage, I have this victim complex haunting me, thinking I was utilized to strengthen their bond.

"If only... if only I were Ye-rin, how wonderful it would be."

Even knowing it’s a pointless imagination, I often dreamed about it. If I were Ye-rin. If I had met Si-hyun since childhood, built memories together, gained knowledge about him, and could date him sweetly like now...

Assuming a devil exists, I might wish to make that wish come true by offering my soul. I was that desperate to rely on such an imaginary entity.

Grumble-

Holding my knees in my melancholic state, my stomach, empty for three days, growled loudly.

I thought about ignoring it as usual, but I reached my limit, and my stomach ached intensely.

"Ugh..."

Unable to just dismiss this alarming pain, with my stomach burning and feeling nauseous, I realized I needed to eat something.

So I searched the kitchen, hoping to have some porridge, but it seemed I had finished the last of it previously.

"I guess I need to go buy some..."

To venture out, I put on a black hat, a black t-shirt, and black shorts.

Except for the exposed parts, everything was all black, as if reflecting my innermost thoughts.

Looking at the full-length mirror in the shoe cabinet afterward, I hardly recognized myself; my appearance had changed so much.

Perhaps due to neglect, blemishes appeared on my once-pale skin, and purple dark circles danced beside my nose.

Above all, the gloomy aura emanating from my expression. If someone who knew me saw me like this, they would probably be shocked and fall flat.

"It's okay. I'm not going to meet anyone right now..."

I wondered if Si-hyun would have felt sorry for me seeing my current state. Or would he have ignored it, saying it's no longer his concern?

With these meaningless thoughts, I left the house, my shoulders sagging. As I stepped out of the elevator, the cool summer night's air brushed against my arms.

"......."

Although it was my first outing in about a week, it didn't feel refreshing. Just numb.

Step. Step.

On the section of pavement where white and red blocks were mixed, I tread only on the red blocks.

Doing such pointless things feels oddly good. It lets me escape my gloomy thoughts, even if just for a moment.

Tap. Tap.

Like that...As I was nearing the end of the section with the paving blocks:

"Sweetheart, is there anything you want to eat?"

I couldn't help but listen to the passing male voice.

"Hmm... I want some spicy tteokbokki."

The woman's playful reply made the man smile gently.

"Last time, you said the same thing, and when I got it for you, you only drank Coolpis, saying it was too spicy."

"Ugh. I can finish it all this time!"

"Haha... Okay, then let's go to the snack shop nearby."

"Yay!"

A couple passed by me.

In the past, I would have thought nothing of it since I had a boyfriend too. But now, I felt an indescribable envy. If only I could be with the one I love, it would be wonderful to return to such a relationship with Si-hyun.

I kept watching the couple until they disappeared, then shook my head slowly.

"Get a grip... Why do I keep dreaming of things that can't happen?"

Afraid of encountering more couples on my way, I took a less crowded route. Every time I saw such sweet scenes, it pained me to think of Si-hyun and Ye-rin.

Because of that, I just wanted to finish my errands quickly and go home to rest.

Buzz—

The automatic doors of the large supermarket, my destination, opened, and I headed towards the instant porridge section.

Besides porridge, there were various instant foods like curry, meatballs, and hamburg steaks in that area.

However, since I couldn’t digest anything other than porridge, I ignored everything else and filled my cart with porridge only.

After grabbing a few electrolyte drinks to quench my thirst, I headed to the checkout.

"Oh?"

Amidst the crowd—I spotted Si-hyun holding a shopping basket.

'Why is Si-hyun here?'

The answer was simple when I thought about it. This supermarket was exactly in the middle between Si-hyun's house and mine, so it wasn’t surprising that we’d both shop here at times.

Thump. Thump.

Seeing him standing there, casually checking his phone while leaning on one leg, filled my dry heart with life.

And since Ye-rin wasn’t with him, it was the perfect chance to approach him.

Taking a deep breath... I walked over, feeling even more nervous than when I was hungry. My heart pounded violently as I lined up behind him.

"That will be 40,600 won."

"Just a moment."

Si-hyun’s pleasant baritone voice resonated in my ears. As he lowered the basket that had been covering his face slightly, I could see him reaching into his coin pouch.

Clink. Clink.

Was he having trouble picking out the coins? Or maybe he was trying to separate the 10-won coins. His anxious face as he fumbled through the pouch was irresistibly cute.

I found myself staring, captivated by the sight.

Ping! Ting!

A 500-won coin dropped by Si-hyun started rolling towards me, and with each inch it closed in, my heart tightened with panic.

'Of all times, why now!'

I hadn’t bothered with makeup, thinking no one would notice me here. What if Si-hyun saw me like this and looked at me with disdain?

I wished the coin wouldn't roll to me, but...

Tick. Clink.

Unfortunately, the coin stopped right at my feet. Even though I was trying to hide my face behind the shopping bag, I could feel Si-hyun's gaze directed towards me.

To quickly shake off his attention, I hurriedly picked up the coin and held it out to him.

"Oh, thank you."

As soon as his warm hand touched mine, a shiver ran through my body.

I didn't respond, fearing my voice might give me away. Perhaps curious about me, Si-hyun lingered nearby for a while after finishing his payment.

But soon enough, he headed toward the exit, and I took that as my cue to place my porridge on the counter.

"29,500 won, please."

"Here you go. You don’t need to worry about the change..."

I handed over 30,000 won to complete the payment. Quickly stuffing the porridge into my shopping bag, I glanced at the exit.

'Luckily, I don’t see Si-hyun...'

Relief washed over me since I didn’t have to show him my bare face, but a tinge of disappointment lingered for missing the chance to talk to him.

Feeling a bit down, I held the shopping bag in my hand.Buying 30,000 won worth of light porridge feels somewhat heavy in my hands.

Or maybe... it’s because I haven't been eating properly lately that even just holding it makes my legs tremble.

'I should take a taxi...'

I struggled towards the exit with both hands holding the bag. With every step I took, it felt as if my arms were being torn off.

Time was precious to me, yet the automatic door seemed to take forever to open... and I was worried about how I would deal with the sliding door that came after.

Creak—

Someone opened the door at the exact moment I was trying to leave.

"Oh, thank you..."

I lifted my head to thank the person. But the moment I realized who it was, I froze on the spot.

"Si, Si-hyun..."

Why is Si-hyun, whom I thought had gone home, standing right in front of me? Startled inwardly, I dropped the shopping bag to the floor.

With my vision blurring, when I looked at Si-hyun, his eyes stared down expressionlessly.