The day of the group project finally arrived.

Si-hyun and Ye-rin were heading to Chae-yeon's house with tired faces.

"Si-hyun... I'm so sleepy, do we really have to go?"

"No, we can't. Since we're gathering for the group project, it would be rude to back out suddenly."

Si-hyun declined Ye-rin's plea, although he didn't want to go either. More than going to someone's house, he just wanted to lie down and sleep right there.

'Did we overdo it yesterday...'

It had been an intense night. Each time Si-hyun regained his energy, Ye-rin eagerly approached him again, leaving both of them short on sleep.

As they trudged along, Si-hyun spoke in a weary voice.

"Let's finish the project quickly and then go home to sleep."

"Are you suggesting that again after the morning? You're full of energy~"

"Don't joke about that. I'm so drained that I can barely walk."

"Hehe... I'm just as worn out..."

Even though Ye-rin was exhausted, she wore a satisfied expression. Reflecting on last night's events made her flush with warmth, but she was too tired to act on impulse.

While Ye-rin leaned against Si-hyun, groaning, Si-hyun gently patted her back.

"We're only five minutes away from Chae-yeon's house, so hang in there a little longer."

"Knowing the ex-girlfriend's place so well, huh..."

"You're going to twist it like that?"

Watching Si-hyun's flustered reaction, Ye-rin smiled mischievously. Whispering that it was a joke into his ear, she held his hand and quietly followed along.

"Welcome, both of you."

Chae-yeon greeted them with a bright smile as she let them into the house. Inside, Sohui, who had arrived earlier, was fiddling with a laptop, looking a bit tousled as if she'd had a good sleep.

Afterward, Chae-yeon went to brew coffee for the guests, leaving Si-hyun and Ye-rin to approach Sohui.

"Were you working on it already?"

"Just doing some simple research. But you both don't look so well, are you okay?"

At Sohui's concerned question, Si-hyun and Ye-rin flinched simultaneously. They exchanged awkward smiles before nodding and assuring her they were fine.

Then, they began the research with Sohui.

Slurp.

The two, steeped in fatigue, were trying to shake off their sleepiness with caffeine. They blinked their sleepy eyes while conducting research, sending the useful files to Chae-yeon.

While Chae-yeon was diligently preparing the PPT, Ye-rin stretched and said, "I need a little break... Chae-yeon, can I explore the house?"

"Sure, I don't mind."

A break after about an hour and a half. Ye-rin got up, thanked her, and started wandering around. She stopped in front of a door.

'Is this Lim Chae-yeon's room?'

In fact, Ye-rin visited Chae-yeon's house not just for convenience. Her main intent was to uncover Chae-yeon's true feelings, possibly to find traces of Si-hyun that might still be there.

'Where could it be?'

With her hands clasped behind her back, Ye-rin looked around the room. On the dressing table were skincare lotions and medicine packets, a single bed, a reasonably sized wardrobe, and… a bookshelf.

Ye-rin skimmed through the books on the shelf, looking up and down.

Biographies of various figures, English textbooks from middle school, and even old comic books caught her eye. Then she spotted a sky blue album that stood out.

‘This is it.’

The album that Chae-yeon had confidently shown when visiting Si-hyun’s house. Ye-rin took it off the shelf.

‘She claimed to have given up on Si-hyun, yet she kept this album from when they were dating.’

As she opened it, she could see the pages marked with fingerprints. It was clear how often it had been looked through, with wrinkles lined up like a spider's web.

‘Does keeping this album mean she simply forgot to throw it away? Or is it because her feelings for Si-hyun linger?’

Without needing to deliberate, Ye-rin thought it was the latter.

‘She acts so well. I almost fell for it.’

Ye-rin let out a scoff. Whenever Chae-yeon praised how well Si-hyun and she suited each other, how bitter must she have felt inside? Realizing Chae-yeon’s darker intentions, Ye-rin brushed back her hair incredulously. And then...

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Upon hearing someone's footsteps, Ye-rin quickly returned the album to its place. The owner of the footsteps arrived shortly afterward.

"Ye-rin, Chae-yeon says she's ordering Gukbap, will you join us?"

It was Sohui. Ye-rin responded with a feigned smile.

"Sure. I was just getting hungry, so that’s perfect. Please order mine too."

Sohui nodded in acknowledgment and left, while Ye-rin cast a cold glance at the album before walking away.

The ordered Gukbap arrived.

They cut the bag open and took out the food, but curiously, there seemed to be no additional ingredients to adjust the seasoning.

"What kind of Gukbap place is this?"

Ye-rin grumbled as she took a spoonful of the broth. She thought it might have been pre-seasoned, but it was just bland.

"I’ve never seen a place like this in my life. Chae-yeon, give me their number so I can tell them a thing or two."

At Ye-rin’s request, Chae-yeon scratched the back of her head.

"Sorry... It seems the order went through with my preferences. I usually eat things bland, so I noted that there was no need to adjust the seasoning."

Sohui tilted her head in confusion, and Ye-rin remained silent as if at a loss for words.

Then Si-hyun spoke up with a light sigh.

"We've already ordered it, so what can we do... Chae-yeon, do you have any salt or chili powder?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then just give us that."

Chae-yeon smiled brightly and nodded.

With light steps, she brought the salt and chili powder to the table.

Everyone except Chae-yeon took their preferred amount of salt.

And...

Not long after the meal ended, people started to fall asleep one by one. Especially Si-hyun and Ye-rin, who were already sleepy, nodded off quickly.

"........"

While everyone was asleep, only Chae-yeon was still awake. After confirming everyone around her was asleep, she stealthily approached Si-hyun.

"Si-hyun..."

She softly called his name, her beloved. Though he was sound asleep with no response, just his presence was immensely endearing to her.

Hug.

After confirming Si-hyun was asleep, Chae-yeon hugged his head tightly. Gently stroking the back of his head, she whispered into his ear.

"I'm really sorry for doing this. But, you know, I like you so much I can’t stand it..."

Chae-yeon tenderly caressed Si-hyun's cheek as if handling a precious porcelain. Her tears began to fall one by one on his face, soaking into his clothes.

"I knew that without doing this, there was no chance left... because your heart has completely gone to Han Ye-rin... I wanted to have you, even if it was just like this..."

An undeniable act of crime. Chae-yon felt like she was going crazy with self-loathing, yet she was grateful for the brief moment she could pretend Si-hyun was hers.

"I love you, Kim Si-hyun. Although you won't remember this, I'll do my best to ensure you're happy, even in your dreams."

Smooch.

Chae-yeon kissed him gently. The long-forgotten taste of her ex-boyfriend's lips was so sweet that the mere contact sent chills down her body.

Tap. Tap.

She knocked on his closed teeth with her tongue and, when they didn't open, gently pried them apart with her hand. She slipped her tongue through the gap and gradually coated his mouth with her saliva.

'So delicious...'

In reality, it tasted like Gukbap, but psychologically, she found another kind of fulfillment. Something sweet enough to alter her taste buds, something that tickled her heart.

"Ha... Ha..."

Chae-yeon grasped her chest, on the verge of bursting, and breathed irregularly. The person before her was so lovable she felt she might go mad.

His appearance, his scent, his voice—all of it, she wanted to capture with her five senses.

"Si-hyun..."

Chae-yeon reached out for the forbidden fruit once more. There was no longer any rationale to stop her; she simply followed her instincts.

Slurp.

Chae-yon gently licked the drool from Si-hyun's lips, wanting to indulge in him yet again.

She wanted to become one with Si-hyun and pour out her uncontrollable affection.

Just as she was about to kiss Si-hyun's lips again,

"Chae-yeon... what are you doing right now?"

Suddenly, a woman's voice was heard.

It was strange. Everyone should have been asleep by now. Why was she hearing someone else's voice?

A dizzy Chae-yeon searched her memories to identify the voice.

That's right. It was the voice of a friend who had been with her since middle school. The friend who always protected and comforted her.

"I'm asking what you're doing right now..."

The normally kind and timid voice now had a tone of reprimand. That voice slowly began to weigh on Chae-yeon's chest.

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

Chae-yeon pulled away from Si-hyun's lips, trembling all over, and turned around. She didn't want to look away, but now that everything had been exposed, she had to face reality.

As she turned her head, Chae-yeon...

For the first time, she witnessed her longtime friend's angry face.