On the day of the group project, when several events transpired, Si-hyun, Ye-rin, and Sohui went home. Not long after, it began to rain.

The dark clouds that gathered felt like a fog weighing down the heart, and the falling raindrops resembled tears, as if reflecting a woman’s inner feelings.

"......."

Left alone at home, Chae-yeon gazed blankly into space.

‘Even my last desperate attempt to have Si-hyun ultimately failed...’

Believing that if she couldn’t win his heart, she could at least make him notice her by getting pregnant.

However, Chae-yeon's meticulous plan for this crime was thwarted by her old friend, and Sohui, now resolute, not only stopped her friend's crime but also offered a new path.

‘You know, Chae-yeon... No matter what, I will take responsibility for you. Whether I find someone as good as Si-hyun for you or care for you all my life, I will pay for my sins somehow...’

Sohui’s voice played in Chae-yeon's ears like an echo. Her longtime friend’s sincere words seemed sweet but were mixed with poison.

Chae-yeon hugged her knees and spoke.

"As if there's anyone as good as Si-hyun... It’s impossible."

Chae-yeon liked Si-hyun for his occasionally clueless side and his dependable moments. Bringing someone who only faintly resembled him or had exceptional abilities couldn’t fill his absence.

Yet, regardless of what Chae-yeon thought, the echo persisted.

‘So... let him go now. If you truly love him, you should be able to wish for his happiness...’

“Why can’t I be a part of that happiness? Why is it Han Ye-rin beside Si-hyun and not me?”

Chae-yeon covered her ears as if refusing to listen.

The only friend who had supported her love was now telling her to give up on Si-hyun. She didn't want to believe such a reality existed.

"Why can't I be with Si-hyun... why, why, why!"

Whoosh!

In a fit of anger, she threw a pillow, which flew toward the dresser. As a result, the skincare lotion on top fell to the floor, and the medicine inside a pouch spilled out.

Looking down at the mess in her room, Chae-yeon spoke.

"I want to date Si-hyun too... Now that I've overcome my trauma, I can do anything for him. I want to do everything for him! Why did it have to end up like this!"

She felt a deep sense of resentment towards the sky. If this was fate, she felt, it would have been better not to have been born at all.

Unrequited love was a painful thing.

"Please, let me be reborn as Han Ye-rin... I would do anything just to date Si-hyun. So, I beg you..."

A cry that sounded like a scream escaped from her throat. The pillow she had been using was stained with tears, and the blanket she had struck with all her might was full of crumpled marks.

Chae-yeon, who was sobbing uncontrollably in her room, hugged the sky blue album tucked in her bookshelf.

However, the warmth that used to console her from the album was absent now.

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

As she opened the album, she took in his smile, which appeared like a mosaic of wrinkles across the page. But even this couldn't fill the void in her heart.

Crunch.

Chilled by loneliness, Chae-yeon bit her nails. Once neatly trimmed, her nails were now jagged from her chewing.

'I want to hear your voice...'

After carefully placing the album back in its spot, she picked up her smartphone with trembling hands.

Press-

She pressed speed dial number 1, and the call connected immediately. But with every prolonged ring, Chae-yeon’s heart grew more anxious, wondering what she would do if it went unanswered.

Just as she wished for the call to connect quickly.

[Hello.]

The voice of her beloved spread warmth through Chae-yeon’s chest. Her once gloomy expression brightened, and she cleared her throat before speaking.

"Si-hyun, it's Chae-yeon. Can you talk right now?"

[Now? I think it might be difficult.]

"Why?"

Why was he giving such a harsh response? As a bewildered Chae-yeon clutched her hair, an answer resolving her confusion came back.

[Ye-rin seems to be really tired, she's still asleep.]

"She's asleep... Are you two together right now?"

[That's right.]

Chae-yeon shuddered as she imagined Si-hyun and Ye-rin lying in bed together. She kept her mouth tightly shut for a while, trying hard to suppress her jealousy before speaking.

"Can't you sneak out to talk?"

[I'm afraid that’s not possible. Ye-rin has a habit of falling asleep hugging me. If I try to slip away, she'll probably wake up immediately.]

"Oh, I see..."

Forcing an awkward laugh, she pinched her knee. However, the pain didn’t register as her emotional wounds ran deeper.

[Is it something urgent?]

"No... it's not urgent..."

[Alright, then let's talk next time. I don’t think I can right now.]

"Okay..."

Click.

She hung up. As soon as Si-hyun's voice disappeared, the warmth that had briefly filled her during the call began to dissipate.

And just when her heart felt as cold as ice, Chae-yeon stared blankly out the window like a doll whose batteries had run out.

"What am I even..."

She realized there was no place for her. She couldn't be Si-hyun's girlfriend, and to stay as Sohui's friend, she'd have to give up on Si-hyun.

Cornered, Chae-yeon could only let out a hollow laugh.

The next day.

Worried about her friend, Sohui headed to Chae-yeon's house early in the morning, anxious about whether she might have made a wrong choice.

To her relief, she found Chae-yeon ready to go out.

'I'm really glad...'

Sighing in relief, Sohui accompanied Chae-yeon to the university. However, unlike their usual lively chatter, the two didn't exchange any words.

Chae-yeon, at present, was like a robot following commands, suppressing her emotions and focusing only on tasks at hand.

'Chae-yeon...'

Each time Sohui saw the lifelessness in Chae-yeon's eyes, she felt like bursting into tears.

Deep down, she wanted to apologize immediately and comfort her by taking back what she'd said the day before. But she knew that if she showed weakness now, Chae-yeon might repeat her mistakes.

'I have to guide Chae-yeon in the right direction.'

To do so, she needed to create some distance between Si-hyun and Chae-yeon. The closer Chae-yeon was to Si-hyun, the more her obsession and emotional wounds would grow.

Creak-

Chae-yeon entered the lecture room first and, like a butterfly searching for a flower, sat in the seat in front of Si-hyun. She listened intently to his voice.

"Why do you seem so down today?"

"I don't know... my body just feels sluggish for no reason. I think I might have indigestion."

It was the sound of Si-hyun and Ye-rin having a conversation.

Chae-yeon let Ye-rin's words go through one ear and out the other, focusing solely on Si-hyun's voice.

"Maybe you ate too much breakfast?"

"I usually handle that amount easily. I could eat even more and still digest it quickly, but today I'm just not feeling well."

Si-hyun looked at his tired girlfriend with a sense of sympathy.

"Should I get you some digestive medicine after the lecture? Or maybe we could go to the hospital together..."

"Nope. Relying on medicine isn't good... I'll probably feel better by the time the lecture ends, so let's just go eat something delicious for lunch."

As Ye-rin smiled brightly, Si-hyun gently patted her on the head.

"Alright. I'll find a good restaurant, but make sure you feel better first."

Ye-rin's expression softened at Si-hyun's touch, and he looked at his now relaxed girlfriend with a content smile.

‘I should check out restaurants just in case she feels better.’

Hoping for Ye-rin's quick recovery, Si-hyun browsed through restaurant reviews. Then he remembered something he needed to do when he saw Chae-yeon sitting in front of him.

"Oh, Chae-yeon."

"Hmm?"

Chae-yeon's eyes brightened at Si-hyun's call. As she turned around, Si-hyun brought up something he hadn't said yesterday.

"Sorry for falling asleep in the middle of it yesterday. It must have been tough doing our share of the group project, huh?"

‘Project?’

While Chae-yeon tilted her head in confusion, Sohui nodded as if to encourage her to go along with it.

Seeing this, Chae-yeon continued the conversation naturally.

"Oh, no. It wasn't hard at all."

"You fell asleep halfway through, so you must have been tired."

"Ah..."

Chae-yeon scratched her cheek awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed.

Si-hyun watched the scene quietly before speaking again.

"Anyway, as a token of gratitude, I wanted to buy you a meal. Is there something you'd like to eat?"

Chae-yeon's face gradually brightened at the unexpected opportunity. Even at the simple offer of a meal, she smiled as if she had the world in her hands, and automatically mentioned Si-hyun's favorite dish.

"I feel like having pork bone soup."

"Alright. Then after the lecture, let's all go eat..."

Before Si-hyun could finish his sentence, Sohui interjected between the two of them.

"Sorry, Si-hyun. Chae-yeon already has plans with me, so could we postpone the meal to another time?"

"Oh? I don't mind."

‘Plans?’

Chae-yeon, hearing this unexpected news, tugged at Sohui's sleeve.

But Sohui shook her head with a stern expression, as if she wouldn't allow Chae-yeon to engage with Si-hyun.