Seok Jun looked up, his eyes widening as he saw the room full of people—Jae Vin's family and Eun Shin's mother. His breath hitched, and for a moment, he stood frozen. A nervous laugh escaped him as he quickly bowed.
"Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't realize everyone would be here," he stammered, trying to act as if this was just another visit. Seum Tae smiled, misreading the situation, and thought he was simply lost.
"Seok Jun! It's been so long since secondary school. How have you been? How's school?" she asked warmly. Seok Jun forced a smile, scratching the back of his neck.
"School's going okay. Though, to be honest, Eun Shin still beats me hands down in all the subjects," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. The mothers laughed in response, but Seok Jun's smile faltered slightly as he noticed the questioning looks. Their laughter shook Eun Shin out of her uncomfortable world. She turned and saw Seok Jun.
"Jun-oppa…" she whispered. Seok Jun quickly recovered, his expression shifting back to that practiced casualness.
"Oh, right, my parents are here too. They were asking about Eun Shin. They really miss her. Would it be alright if I borrowed her for a while? They'd love to catch up," he said quickly, hoping the excuse would pass. Lim Rin looked at Eun Shin, her gaze thoughtful.
"Alright. Say hello to his parents for me," Lim Rin said. Eun Shin nodded as she stood. She bowed to them.
"I'll see you guys next time," she stated. The room smiled politely in return, but Jae Vin's gaze lingered, uneasy. Seok Jun grinned brightly as Eun Shin reached for his arm.
"I'll bring Eun Shin home afterwards. It was nice to see you all again," he said, waving. The smiles held until the door shut behind them. Lim Rin's expression tightened; she looked visibly upset. Seum Tae glanced at her and Jae Vin, disappointment flickering across her face. The plan had not gone as intended.
Seok Jun wrapped his arms around Eun Shin as she trembled, clutching him tightly. She couldn't meet his eyes, her breath shallow and uneven. Without a word, he pulled her closer, a steady presence in her storm. A sharp inhale finally broke from her lips as she buried her face against his chest. Eyes shut tight, she gripped his sleeve like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
"You're safe now," Seok Jun whispered. "Let's go."
Eun Shin broke into quiet sobs at his words and gave a small, shaky nod. Seok Jun led her to the car. Neither spoke. As the driver took them to his place, Eun Shin leaned into Seok Jun, her grip on his sleeve never loosening.
She stared out the window, lost in thought. Would she keep letting this hurt her? She had known for a while now—she never truly liked Jae Vin. She did it for her mother. Because being born by her mother meant everything. But her mother had wanted more than just a polite relationship—she had wanted compliance, sacrifice.
Eun Shin felt like she couldn't take it anymore.
Her father? He would have supported her, always had. If only she had said something. But she hadn't—for her mother's sake.
Now she wasn't sure what hurt more: the choices she made, or the silence she kept. She had to fix it. She would.
MONDAY
Eun Shin walked to school, her thoughts drifting to the Saturday dinner and Seok Jun's help. When she looked up, she spotted Seung Jee ahead of her, walking alone. Her thoughts cleared, a rare calm in the chaos. He glanced around as if trying to memorize the school building—eyes shifting from left to right. She smiled faintly. Curious as always, she thought.
Just then, a black car swerved to a stop in front of Seung Jee. He froze, startled. The back door swung open, and out stepped Jae Vin, his blazer open, tie loosened. His usual smug grin tugged at his lips.
"Oh? Didn't see you there," Jae Vin said coolly and casually, as he tried to be as sincere as possible. "You okay?"
Seung Jee gave a small nod.
"Y-yeah… I'm fine."
Jae Vin chuckled. Not kindly.
"Huh? What was that?" he said, leaning in, cupping a hand around his ear like he didn't hear. Seung Jee looked down, flustered.
"I said… I'm fine."
The car door slammed shut behind Jae Vin. His smirk twisted into something else.
"Fine, huh?" he echoed. He stepped closer until Seung Jee had no choice but to look up. Then, without warning, Jae Vin grabbed the front of Seung Jee's uniform. His voice dropped, low and sharp.
"She's mine. Got it?"
His grip tightened.
"Don't even breathe near her."
Seung Jee winced, his fingers twitching at his sides. He said nothing. Jae Vin let go with a scoff, straightened his collar, and walked past as if nothing had happened. The car pulled away, its tires grinding against the pavement. Eun Shin shot Jae Vin a furious glare as he strolled toward the school building. Seung Jee trembled but kept walking into the school. Eun Shin stormed past him, eyes locked on Jae Vin. She yanked at the strap of his backpack, pulling him to a stop.
"What the hell?" Jae Vin snapped, turning around—but then he saw her, standing there with fury in her eyes. Eun Shin didn't flinch. She glared at him coldly. Seung Jee was still a few steps behind, hesitating. She didn't care.
"Why do you have to act like this?" she asked sharply and directly. Jae Vin raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion.
"Like what?" he asked in return as if he didn't understand her. Eun Shin looked down at the ground in disgust.
"You think you're so great, huh? Like you own the world?" she paused. "You're pathetic. You think just because your parents have money and everyone else kisses your ass, you're special? So what?"
She let the words settle between them, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. Jae Vin glared at her, challenging her to say more. Eun Shin gave him a small, cold smile.
"I need some time to think about our relationship. If you can't learn to be kind to others, then go find someone who suits your attitude." She bumped his shoulder as she passed, not sparing him another glance. Jae Vin scoffed, his mouth opening in disbelief, but no words came. Seung Jee bowed and quickly walked away, afraid that if he lingered, Jae Vin would snap.
The school bell rang, pulling them back into routine. In class, Seung Jee hovered awkwardly near Eun Shin's desk, glancing at her, unsure if he should say something. Eun Shin looked up and smiled—not one of dismissal, but of quiet assurance. They didn't speak. The silence between them felt tense, thick with everything that couldn't be said. It lasted until the final bell rang.
Before Eun Shin walked out of the gates, she stopped and waited for Seung Jee. Seung Jee slowly appeared as he wasn't sure whether to approach her. She smiled and walked towards him as he walked toward the gate behind her. Students who walked past them noticed the unwavering look that she had while she walked to Seung Jee. They whispered among each other.
"What happened to Jae Vin?"
"Oh my gosh. Isn't that the transfer student?"
"What? Golden couple broke up?"
"No way!"
They continued walking away. When Eun Shin was one foot in front of Seung Jee, she tightened her shoulder.
"Hey," she said. Seung Jee awkwardly nodded.
"H-hi…" he whispered. Eun Shin smiled gently.
"I'm sorry that he was bullying you. I'll do a better job in making sure the bullying stops," she explained. Seung Jee stared at her, breathless at her unbounded kindness. He slowly smiled.
"You… don't need to do that," he replied. Her smile faltered.
"If no one stands up, people start to think they deserve it. And sometimes… they break. I won't let that happen," she said firmly. Seung Jee stared at her, mesmerized—not just by her courage, but by the way she looked at him like he mattered. He didn't understand why someone like her, who seemed weighed down by her own storms, would still offer shelter to someone else.
But Eun Shin knew exactly what it felt like to be crushed under someone's heel. Her mother had made sure of that. And she also knew what it meant to be held up with quiet strength—her father had taught her that. That's why she chose kindness. Not because life had been kind to her, but because someone had once reminded her it could be.
She turned around after relaying what she wanted to him. Seung Jee was surprised.
"Eun… Eun Shin!" he called out. She paused and looked back at him. He ran to her, breath short, voice trembling, but sincere. "If you ever... need someone to talk to or something… I'm around."
She blinked, caught off guard. Seung Jee, who could barely lift his eyes to meet another's, was offering her strength. Her smile came slowly, but it was warm and full. She nodded assuredly. She reached her hand towards him—because that was what people did when they wanted to be kind. He paused and looked at her hand. Slowly, he looked at her face.
"I've never properly introduced myself," she said, smiling like this moment mattered. "I'm Park Eun Shin."
He stared at her, realizing—this was the first time she'd said her name, after everything.
"I'm Seung Jee. Hae Seung Jee," he replied, gently taking her hand. They smiled at each other. At the building entrance, Jae Vin stood still, watching—his eyes narrowed, jaw tight. He hated how Seung Jee made her smile.
Seung Jee headed home. Eun Shin walked to her tutoring academy, her steps light.
Lim Rin didn't mention the dinner incident again, though the silence between them held a sharp edge. Yung Ji, on the other hand, was relieved—peace had returned, at least on the surface.
Months passed.
Jae Vin stopped going near Seung Jee. He watched from a distance instead, eyes bitter.
Eun Shin slowly became close to Seung Jee and Min Ying. Min Ying, unused to genuine kindness, found herself drawn to Eun Shin's quiet strength. Seok Jun began noticing it too—the brightness in Eun Shin's face when she laughed with them—and eventually drifted away from his old crowd and toward theirs.
Jae Vin didn't like it, but he knew better than to touch Seung Jee himself. If he laid a finger on him, Eun Shin would walk away for good. So instead, he whispered behind her back, pulling strings in the dark.
One month before the end of the school year—
Taek Il caught sight of Eun Shin and Seung Jee laughing together and smirked. He walked straight toward them. He slammed his shoulder into Seung Jee. Hard. Seung Jee stumbled and hit the ground. Eun Shin turned, furious.
"You must be blind to walk that rough," she snapped.
Taek Il chuckled mockingly. "What? I didn't see you two."
Eun Shin scoffed. "Then go get your eyes checked. While you're at it, get your brain looked at too."
Taek Il froze, surprised by the venom in her words. He hadn't expected her to talk back like that.
"What, you think I'm supposed to act all scared just because you're some rich boy?"
"You—"
"Back off."
Seok Jun stepped in between them, face unreadable, but spoke firmly and authoritatively. He glared at Taek Il. Seung Jee got up quietly, brushing the dirt from his clothes. Eun Shin helped him, her hands steady.
"She's got a boyfriend, you know," Taek Il sneered. "Why be friends with a slut like her?"
Eun Shin laughed—a sharp, mocking sound.
"At least he's a real friend. Not a coward hiding behind daddy's money."
Taek Il's face twisted as he tried to step forward with a hand.
"I said back off," Seok Jun repeated, eyes locked on him. Taek Il met his stare—and understood. If he tried to fight Seok Jun just to prove a point, he'd lose. Badly. So he straightened his shoulders and scoffed.
"Stop sticking your nose into other people's business," he muttered before turning and walking away. Eun Shin kept her glare on him until he was gone, then turned quickly to Seung Jee.
"You okay?" she asked softly. Seung Jee nodded, still a little shaken.
"I'm fine…"
Seok Jun let out a frustrated sigh. "That guy's a prick. Stay away from him if you can. He's Jae Vin's favorite lapdog."
Seung Jee nodded more than once—clearly understanding this wasn't just a complaint. It was a warning.