“It was you, after all.”

Chae-yeon froze at Si-hyun's penetrating gaze.

Why did she have to be discovered like this? His voice, which she usually found pleasant, now filled her with intense fear.

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

Not wanting to reveal her unguarded face, Chae-yeon quickly bowed her head. She picked up the fallen shopping bag and slipped through the gap as Si-hyun held the door open.

She sprinted towards home with whatever energy she had left, but...

“Ah!”

Unable to withstand the weight of the bag, she soon stumbled. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt, but the impact sent the instant porridge tumbling across the ground.

“What do I do...”

Fearing that Si-hyun might approach, she hurriedly swept up the porridge, as if she was facing a ticking time bomb. Just when her trembling hand reached for the last cup of porridge...

“You really are too much, doing things like this...”

Si-hyun, who had come over at some point, placed the fallen porridge back into the bag. He then looked inside at the contents with raised eyebrows.

“What’s with all this porridge?”

“I haven’t been feeling well lately... It’s the only thing I can digest.”

Si-hyun crouched down. He looked into Chae-yeon’s downturned face and let out a sigh.

‘She really doesn’t look well.’

Her dark circles reached down her nose, and her lips were chapped. Her body had grown thin, so different from when they were dating. Seeing his ex-girlfriend in such a ruined condition left him feeling uneasy.

With a shallow sigh, Si-hyun scratched the back of his head and helped Chae-yeon off the ground.

"You... haven't been showing up to school lately. What's the reason?"

"Well..."

Chae-yeon pressed her lips firmly together.

She couldn't possibly admit, ‘I snuck into your house and accidentally saw your intimate moment with her. The shock kept me from going to school.’

Chae-yeon hesitated, her foot nervously tapping the ground. Watching her carefully, Si-hyun voiced his own guess.

"Did something happen with your parents, maybe?"

Chae-yeon quickly shook her head.

While she denied his assumption, her silence indicated she had no intention of revealing the real reason.

Observing Chae-yeon's anxious state, Si-hyun quietly made a call to a woman.

Ring... ring...

The call connected after the second ring.

[Si-hyun! You’re calling me? What's going on?]

It was Sohui. Surprised that Si-hyun was calling unexpectedly, her voice was full of confusion.

"I met Chae-yeon. She doesn’t look well, so you should come and get her."

[You saw Chae-yeon? Where are you right now!]

"Near the house, at Yee Mart."

[Really? So you two are alone right now?]

"Yes, that's right. So please come take her home. Her bags look heavy, so help her carry them too."

There was a brief pause from Sohui after Si-hyun's request. Then she replied with a trembling voice.

[Si-hyun... I'm at my grandmother's place right now, so I don't think I can come... Could you possibly take care of her instead?]

"Do you think that makes sense? I reached out not to just leave her alone, and you're trying to hand her responsibility to me?"

[I'm really sorry... If you take Chae-yeon home, I'll treat you to a big meal!]

"Hey. Why would I have a meal with you? Oh, whatever, I don't need it, just hanging up."

Si-hyun ended the call irritably and looked over at Chae-yeon. Her eyes were wide and sparkling with expectation, almost overwhelmingly so.

Her gaze seemed to be asking for something. Si-hyun tried to ignore it and asked her, "Do you have money for a taxi?"

Chae-yeon opened her wallet at an angle only she could see. Five yellow bills and two green ones.

Chae-yeon shook her head instinctively, even though she had enough money to take a taxi to another district.

"Ha..."

Si-hyun wanted to pay for her, but he only had enough money to buy groceries. Still, he couldn't just leave her there, especially when he noticed her legs trembling as she held the shopping bags.

In the end, Si-hyun ran his fingers through his hair and said, "I'll walk you home, so hand those over."

Chae-yeon clutched her chest in gratitude at Si-hyun's kind gesture and nodded. She handed him the shopping bags, feeling relieved that she had bought a lot of food. She followed behind him.

Step. Step.

An awkward walk between ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend. Si-hyun walked ahead, while Chae-yeon lagged behind.

'When we were dating, he used to match his pace to mine...'

The distance between them hurt her, but this was an opportunity she couldn’t afford to waste.

Clap. Clap.

Chae-yeon quickened her pace, determined to approach Si-hyun and win him over.

Just as the distance between them closed, Si-hyun spoke up, "By the way, aren't you worried about managing your grades? Skipping classes might be quite serious."

How many days had she missed? For a moment, Chae-yeon tilted her head in confusion, but she managed to continue the conversation.

"Yeah, but when it comes to actually going, I just don't have the courage..."

"...I'm not sure why, but when you feel better, show your face at least. Yoon Sohui keeps asking about you after every lecture."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even though it's none of my business, it's annoying how persistent she is..."

Si-hyun grumbled, then paused in his steps.

After a moment of reflection, he looked at Chae-yeon with a meaningful expression and asked, "Are you skipping classes because of me?"

Chae-yeon opened her mouth and then closed it repeatedly, unable to answer his pointed question. Si-hyun, observing her closely, continued speaking.

"Since you're not denying it, I guess it's true. So, why don't you tell me what I did to make you act this way?"

She felt her courage shrink to nothing. Now that Si-hyun had connected her absences to him, there was no point in hiding the truth any longer.

With her heart feeling like it might burst, Chae-yeon closed her eyes tightly and finally confessed.

"Actually, I heard everything..."

"What are you talking about, heard what?"

"On your birthday... I heard the noise of you two doing that..."

Chae-yeon mimicked the action with her hands, forming a circle with her thumb and index finger and inserting her forefinger into it.

Si-hyun, realizing everything in that instant, blushed deeply and shouted.

"What the hell... why were you eavesdropping like that!"

"I went to your house to give you a birthday gift, and I overheard it by accident... It was a shock, so I avoided school for a while..."

"Ugh..."

Feeling the heat rise to his face, Si-hyun dragged his hands down his face in frustration. As Chae-yeon observed him, she felt both guilty for deceiving him and compelled to continue the conversation.

"Si-hyun… Is there really no chance for us to get back together?"

"Absolutely not."

"I can do whatever you ask... Even if it’s like what Ye-rin did on your birthday, I can..."

"Stop spouting nonsense before I lose my patience."

Si-hyun's firm rejection made Chae-yeon breathless. While she wiped the sweat from her palms on her clothes, Si-hyun ran a hand through his hair and spoke.

"Believe it or not, I'm someone who stays committed once I'm in a relationship. When I was with you, I didn’t even look at other girls."

"That's true... No matter how badly I treated you, you always liked me..."

"Exactly. And you're the one who broke up with me. So, don’t come back now acting like this. Just as much as I liked you... No, even more than that, I like Ye-rin now."

Si-hyun's shocking declaration twisted Chae-yeon's vision. Her stomach churned and dizziness swept over her, but she managed to stay upright by leaning against the wall.

And just as her emotions collided within her...

Ding-ding-ding—

Si-hyun's phone rang.

[...It's Ye-rin calling.]

Si-hyun placed a finger over his lips, signaling silence. Understanding this, Chae-yeon nodded, though barely able to do so.

"Hello."

[Not your 'honey' here~]

"Well, I'm not your husband either."

Click.

Si-hyun waited with a playful expression as the call ended, and for Ye-rin to call back again.

"Hello."

[Hey! How can you respond like that!]

"What do you mean? I was just returning a joke with a joke."

After grumbling for a while, Ye-rin finally got to the main point.

[What are you doing right now?]

"There aren't any side dishes at home, so I came out to do some grocery shopping."

[Are you going to cook yourself?]

"Yeah. I’m planning to make braised spicy chicken, do you want some too?"

[I'd love that! I'll send you money for the ingredients, so make plenty!]

"Alright. Then I’ll have to buy some more rice too."

The sweet exchange between the two lovers spiraled from idle chat into plans for a cozy home date.

‘Si-hyun's homemade cooking is really delicious…’

Chae-yeon watched the ingredients Si-hyun was holding with a vacant look. She hated the feeling of them drifting apart, so she reached out to grab his hand.

But all she got in return was a cold glance, as if telling her not to cross the line.

"Sniff..."

While Chae-yeon quietly wiped away her tears, the phone call between the two was wrapping up.

[Okay. Then let me know after you finish shopping. Love you~]

"Love you too."

The sound of a kiss echoed through the speaker. Matching it, Si-hyun made a kissing noise and, with another declaration of love, ended the call.

Then, without looking back, he moved forward. Only a heavy silence lingered between them, and Chae-yeon gazed at Si-hyun's back with a forlorn expression.

'Si-hyun's heart... has completely leaned towards Ye-rin...'

Him carrying her bags wasn't because he had feelings for her; it was simply because Si-hyun was kind hearted. It was thanks to his sympathy that he offered such help.

In the midst of such thoughts, Chae-yeon felt utterly pathetic, and while she was absorbed in her self-reproach, they arrived at her house.

"I'm going to head off now, so get home safely."

Si-hyun handed over the shopping bags and was about to leave immediately. Not wanting to let him go just like that, Chae-yeon hurriedly asked.

"Si-hyun! If it's as friends and not as a couple, would you allow me to stay in your life?"

Chae-yeon's voice, tinged with emotion, tightened Si-hyun's chest.

A first love that missed its chance due to trauma. Hearing those words, he wondered if she was ready to let him go. After a long silence, Si-hyun spoke.

"If you completely let go of those feelings, and if Ye-rin agrees... we can stay friends."

Had Chae-yeon not had a troubled family background, he might have ignored this request entirely.

However, due to many misunderstandings between Chae-yeon and Si-hyun, he offered a bit of kindness.

And with that warm gesture, Chae-yeon smiled gently through her unwashed tears.

"Thank you... Then tomorrow, I'll try asking Ye-rin once..."

"Alright, then take care of yourself and see you at school."

Chae-yeon watched Si-hyun's retreating figure until he disappeared from view.

Clenching her fists tightly enough to tremble, she thought, 'I'm not giving up yet...'

If they parted like this, meeting up again would be impossible, even in a dream. So, even if it meant using their friendship, she intended to stay by his side.

'Just one more time, I'll gather my strength.'

By naturally closing the distance between them, she believed there would eventually be an opening. Resolving to seize that moment, Chae-yeon entered her house.

And then... she began to prepare her strategy to persuade his current girlfriend.