The blind date was arranged so that my friend could connect with the guy she liked.

I made the foolish choice to invite Chae-yeon there, and as a result, caused the two of them to break up.

'What on earth have I done..'

Since that day, I've been tormented by guilt every single day.

I even avoided making eye contact with Chae-yeon, and five times a week, I'd meet her in my dreams while I slept.

In those dreams, I'd find Chae-yeon alone, sitting in a park on a rainy day.

She'd be crying, saying she wanted to express her affection too.

In the end, I'd see her watching Si-hyun and Ye-rin dating, transforming into a shadow of her former self.

And then the dreams gradually became reality. The more Chae-yeon deteriorated in reality, the more disgusted I felt with myself.

I was disgusted with myself to the point of being unforgivable for driving away the man who could have been Chae-yeon’s sole source of happiness.

'I wonder if it would have been easier if she had at least yelled at me and told me it was my fault.'

But the kind Chae-yeon didn't blame me. Instead, she criticized herself, saying the problem was with her.

Even though the mistake was mine and she must have had resentment, she worried about hurting me, so she didn’t accuse me.

'Truly, she's a precious friend to someone as pathetic as me.'

I always pondered what I could do for this wonderful friend. I always pondered but failed to find an answer.

Since I was the one who took away Chae-yeon's greatest happiness, no matter what I did, I couldn't fill the void I had created.

Thus, I wandered every day, merely skirting around Chae-yeon...

But why? Now, I thought I knew clearly what needed to be done.

I glared at the restless Chae-yeon with my eyes wide open.

"Lim Chae-yeon, what did you do to the salt... Why did perfectly fine people suddenly fall asleep?"

When I think about it, there were countless strange things.

After eating the Kimchi Stew, an overwhelming sleepiness hit, and when I woke up, it was already dawn.

Chae-yeon, who used to eat spicy food just fine until yesterday, suddenly could only eat bland food.

Suddenly, I remembered the salt tasting bitter, so I pretended to sprinkle it and didn't actually add any. I never imagined it would lead to this result.

Si-hyun and Ye-rin fell into an unnaturally deep sleep. If I had used the salt too, I would have been in the same situation as them.

And whatever Chae-yeon did, I would have known nothing and just slept through it.

"I've kept quiet up until now because I have my own mistakes. You said you'd win Si-hyun back, and even though I knew taking someone else's partner was the worst act, I had no right to say anything, so I silently supported you."

I still don't have the right to say anything. I didn't want to rebuke her; I wanted to comfort the friend who was trembling anxiously looking at me as soon as possible.

However, now is the time to endure and press her gently.

"But Chae-yeon, this is a crime... No matter how much you like Si-hyun, this isn't right!"

If I don't stop a friend from committing a crime, then I'm not a friend—I'm just garbage.

True friends should guide each other back when they stray down the wrong path.

And now was the moment.

'How did things end up like this?'

Gradually, anger surged within me. However, it wasn't directed at Chae-yeon but at myself for letting it get to this point.

When Chae-yeon said she would win Si-hyun back, I should have stopped her, even if it meant risking her anger.

If I had convinced her to give up quickly, she wouldn't have resorted to such impulsive actions.

Feelings of guilt and regret swirled around, tearing at my heart. It wasn't a physical wound from a weapon, but it felt more painful than being cut by a knife.

While I was tormented by this pain, I heard Chae-yeon's defeated voice.

"I know what I did was wrong... But if I don't do this, Si-hyun won't notice me. Even when we're together, he's always looking at Ye-rin, only being close with her..."

"What do you think will change by doing this? Are you planning to force him to take responsibility by having his child?"

I needed to stop her from that. Even if she succeeded, the happiness she sought wouldn’t be there.

"When will you stop being selfish... You said you know there's no chance, so why do you keep clinging on?"

"Because I like Si-hyun... Without him, I don't have the courage to go on..."

Chae-yeon gently stroked Si-hyun's hair, as if she couldn't let go of him like a cherished object. She looked down at the sleeping Si-hyun with eyes moist with tears.

Her sad aura enveloped me as well, and I turned away, feeling like my heart would burst.

"I don't have anyone I like, so I can't understand how you feel… If a friend is about to go down the wrong path, I can only stop them."

"Sohui..."

I met Chae-yeon's pleading gaze. It was possibly an unspoken request for me to pretend I hadn't seen this.

It was a simple request I could fulfill by either stepping outside or tasting the spoonful of salt sitting nearby.

However, knowing what future awaited them, I shook my head in refusal. Then, with a firm voice, I warned Chae-yeon, who was still touching Si-hyun's face.

"Take your hands off Si-hyun immediately. If you keep touching him, our friendship will be over. Even if it means waking Ye-rin, I will stop you from committing this crime."

Chae-yeon's eyes turned vacant.

Her fingers, which had been caressing Si-hyun's lips, hovered in the air. She looked between me and Si-hyun repeatedly.

And then...

My friend's wavering hand dropped, losing its strength.

As the sun was setting.

After shaking him gently to wake him up, Si-hyun opened his eyes with a drowsy expression. It wasn't until he saw the sky turning orange that he seemed to fully wake up.

"What is this? Have I been sleeping all this time?"

Si-hyun wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. Then he noticed Ye-rin, who was also asleep.

As his expression gradually turned serious, I hesitantly began to speak.

“If it's about the project, Chae-yeon and I have finished it. So you can go home now.”

“...Sorry for leaving it all to you. To make up for it, let me treat you to a meal next time.”

I shook my head at Si-hyun’s offer. It was us who needed to apologize, not him.

“No, it’s fine. We can call it even since you walked Chae-yeon home last time.”

“Yeah… By the way, where is Chae-yeon?”

“She seemed really tired, so she’s sleeping in her room right now.”

“Then I’ll save my thanks for next time.”

Si-hyun approached Ye-rin, looking affectionately at his girlfriend who was sprawled out asleep. While tidying her hair, he said, “What are you doing falling asleep here like this... Both you and I have been nothing but a nuisance.”

Si-hyun acted carefully so as not to wake Ye-rin. He gently wrapped her arms around her neck and hooked his arm under her legs to lift his sleeping girlfriend.

‘What a perfect couple…’

If I hadn’t intervened, would Chae-yeon have been the one on his back now?

My stomach churned with a renewed sense of guilt. I forced myself to smile as I saw Si-hyun off.

“Anyway, thank you so much. We promise to work harder on the next group project.”

“No problem. Don’t worry about the project; just get Ye-rin home safely.”

“Got it.”

Si-hyun adjusted his posture to hold Ye-rin securely. With a gentle smile, he left.

"........."

After Si-hyun left, silence enveloped the house.

Now, it was just Chae-yeon and I left. Taking a deep breath at the front door, I headed for my long-time friend's room. However, I didn't go inside; instead, I spoke from beyond the door.

"Si-hyun and Ye-rin have gone home. Fortunately, they didn't notice anything about the sleeping pills."

Was she ignoring me? Or was she so tired from crying that she had fallen asleep? When Chae-yeon didn't respond, I let out a small sigh and leaned my back against the bedroom door.

Then, hoping she'd hear me, I spoke in a serious tone.

"Listen, Chae-yeon... No matter what, I'll take responsibility for you. Whether it's finding you someone as great as Si-hyun or taking care of you my whole life, I'll pay for my sins somehow. So..."

I hugged my knees. Knowing full well how harsh my next words would sound to Chae-yeon, my mouth wouldn’t open further despite trying to continue.

My overgrown nails dug into both legs. Red tears, similar to my bitten lower lip, began to fall.

Awakened by the pain, I forced my mouth open, not allowing it to close.

"So... let's let go of Si-hyun now. If you truly care for him, you should also be able to wish him happiness..."

Again, there was no response.

But as I listened, I could hear the faint sound of her sobbing from beyond the door. My heart too grew heavy with the realization of her pain.

'I'm sorry for making you break up and then saying something so irresponsible...'

I didn't deserve to cry, so I forcibly held back the sob trying to escape my throat. Looking up at the ceiling, I wished for the tears to stay at bay while I listened to Chae-yeon's cries from beside her, silently offering my presence.

"I'm sorry... Chae-yeon..."

The guilt of breaking her precious first love. I would carry the burden of this guilt for the rest of my life, until Chae-yeon's obsessive love reaches its end and she begins a new life.

As her long-time friend, I will stay by her side.