Eun Shin avoided the places where Jae Vin might appear. Seung Jee was worried because she seemed to be struggling inside. Although she felt relieved about the breakup, the aftermath was still visible. Was she really in love with Jae Vin? Or was it her mother she was most concerned about? She moved on quickly.
After school ended, Jae Vin waited at the school gates. Eun Shin walked silently beside Seung Jee. But the moment she saw Jae Vin's face, she quickly grabbed Seung Jee's arm and pulled him down.
"Let's walk faster," she whispered. Seung Jee awkwardly nodded and followed her. Jae Vin saw them, but a group of students passed between them, blocking his view.
"Eun Shin!" Jae Vin shouted, but she kept walking with Seung Jee. He groaned as she moved further and further away. Eun Shin held onto Seung Jee's arm, and this time, instead of going home, she tagged along with him. He panicked.
"E-Eun Shin… Y-your," he stammered. She smiled.
"Let's study together! You're smart, so you'll help me pass," she said. Seung Jee scratched his neck.
"B-but… you're smart too," he replied. Eun Shin chuckled.
"Then the two of us will make it to the top together!" she said as she pulled him along. Seung Jee was nervous, but he enjoyed her company, so he followed her as she dragged him to a nearby café.
At the café, she sat down and looked around. It was spacious and quiet. Slowly, she turned her gaze to Seung Jee. He took his books from his backpack and neatly arranged them on the table. She was surprised and smiled.
"Wow! You're so organized!" she complimented. Seung Jee paused and smiled nervously.
"I-I… Thank you," he replied. Eun Shin noticed how awkward his response was. She smiled at him and placed her hand gently over his hand on top of his book.
"No need to be nervous. Let's study!" she beamed. Seung Jee nodded, avoiding the memories that were circling inside of him, trying to push away the memories that hovered just beneath the surface.
Eun Shin studied effortlessly. Whenever she didn't understand something but Seung Jee did, she'd scoot closer to hear him explain. He blushed at first when she was close, and now he was comfortable and enjoyed it. Unseen in the corner, a woman sat with her tea untouched—eyes fixed on Eun Shin, watching every move.
When night fell, the cafe was still lit. Eun Shin glanced out the window. She suddenly straightened and turned to Seung Jee.
"I've got to go home now! I almost forgot," she said, panicking. As she hurried to gather her things, a book slipped from her hands. She and Seung Jee both reached for it at the same time. Their hands brushed, and they looked at each other and smiled.
"Here you go," Seung Jee said softly. Her smile grew, and she nodded.
"Thank you! You've helped a lot," she replied. He blushed and nodded, slowly looking down.
'You've helped too…" he mumbled, almost too softly to hear. She stood and packed her things into her backpack. She then pulled out a sticky note and scribbled something down. She slid it across the table toward him, careful not to meet his eyes. Eun Shin then leaned forward with a peace sign.
"See you tomorrow!" she said with a grin, then turned and walked away. Seung Jee slowly waved, but he was speechless. He looked at the sticky note, staring at it. Eun Shin's number.
"Believe in yourself! Fighting! –Eunnie Shin"
Seung Jee chuckled as he imagined her saying it. He put his things back into his backpack carefully, making sure the note wouldn't fall out. Then he stood and left the cafe as well. The woman watched them for a long time and sighed.
"You seem to really like this school…" the woman murmured to herself.
Seung Jee arrived home before Eun Shin. Meanwhile, the woman had sent someone to follow Eun Shin as she walked through the streets—no child should be alone in the dark. When Eun Shin finally reached her house, the watcher returned and reported she had arrived safely.
Eun Shin opened the door and slipped off her shoes. She leaned toward the table, looking for her father. He smiled knowingly. She smiled back and waved.
"Abeoji! I'm back!" she called. Yung Ji nodded.
"You're back safely. It's late. Did you study with a friend?" he asked curiously. She hopped toward the table and hugged his arm.
"I did! Finals are coming up, so I'll need to study some more!" she replied. Yung Ji chuckled and patted his daughter's head—his sweet, grown daughter.
"Okay, okay. Make sure to eat too!" he demanded. Eun Shin smiled, letting go and nodding. She walked up the stairs.
"I will!" she called before entering her room. After she closed the door, she heard her mother storming through the hallway. Lim Rin walked downstairs and stood next to Yung Ji.
"Yeobo, when are you going to stop making my life miserable?!" she asked loudly enough for Eun Shin to hear. Yung Ji sighed with frustration. Eun Shin leaned her head against the door to listen closely.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. Lim Rin let out a heavy sigh.
"What are you going to do if the Lee family deems us opponents? We won't survive!" she screamed. Yung Ji glared at her.
"Why should I care about the Lee family? Does this have to do with that boyfriend of hers again?" he asked urgently. Lim Rin bit her lip.
"Yeobo! She needs to stop being defiant and be more disciplined!" she argued. Yung Ji slammed his hand on the table out of frustration.
"My daughter is disciplined! Her finals are coming up. Why are you trying to make her fail by acting like this?! I don't care about the Lee family. I care that my daughter has a mother who supports her!" he shouted.
Eun Shin froze. What if her parents divorced because of her? The guilt gnawed at her again. Family was supposed to matter most, yet it felt like she was tearing it apart.
Lim Rin grabbed her purse and keys and stormed out of the house. She didn't return until the next day.
Yung Ji didn't go after her. He didn't even look up. Eun Shin tried not to look either. She couldn't afford to—finals were days away. But even as she flipped through pages, her mind refused to let go of one thing—her mother had been gone for hours.
FINAL DAYS
The finals were here. The school buzzed with quiet tension as every student focused on their tests.
Eun Shin did her best to concentrate, pushing away thoughts of the dysfunction at home. Whenever she began to panic over a question, she glanced at Seung Jee. His calm, focused expression—the way he approached each problem with quiet precision—soothed her. It reminded her that she could breathe.
Soon, everyone finished their finals. School was finally over. Summer vacation was near. All they had to do now was step off campus and head home.
Seok Jun ran through the crowd, craning his neck to spot Eun Shin. He caught sight of her walking beside Min Ying and Seung Jee. A grin spread across his face, and he stormed forward.
"Eunnie!" he called out. Eun Shin turned around slowly, smiling as she raised an arm to wave. They stopped, laughing as Seok Jun pushed through the crowd. When he managed to get to them, he panted and laughed with them.
"Jun-oppa! How did you do?" she asked. Seok Jun beamed.
"Obviously! This time, I'm beating your score!" he replied. They laughed at the joke. Eun Shin glanced at Seung Jee, her smile lingering a little longer.
"I don't think you will. Seung-oppa helped me study!" she said, gently pulling Seung Jee into the conversation. Seung Jee glanced at her, noticing her eyes were locked on him. Seok Jun paused, blinking, then laughed
"Wait, what? He helped you study?! You don't need a study partner. Why didn't you help me instead, Seung Jee?" he said, nudging Seung Jee's shoulder playfully. Seung Jee awkwardly looked at Seok Jun, then at Eun Shin, clearly flustered. They both smiled at him.
"I-I…" he mumbled, eyes flicking between them. Eun Shin laughed and, without hesitation, grabbed his arm.
"Let's go! That cafe's calling our name!" she said brightly, tugging him along. Min Ying and Seok Jun exchanged amused smiles and followed after them.
They returned to the cafe where Eun Shin and Seung Jee had once studied. Each of them ordered a drink and sat down together, laughing and enjoying their time together.
"So, you two…" Seok Jun suddenly said, prying and pointing at Eun Shin and Seung Jee. Eun Shin blushed.
"What?" she snapped, her face heating up. Seok Jun smiled as he leaned forward.
"Are you two dating?" he teased, grinning. Seung Jee flushed at the word, scrambling for words.
"N-No… W-we…" he stuttered. Eun Shin frowned.
"Stop teasing him before I drop your milkshake," she replied. Seok Jun laughed. Min Ying stared at them and smiled.
"You guys seem so close," she said. Eun Shin almost gagged on her drink.
"No. We just grew up together. He's just… like a brother, I guess. A really annoying one," Eun Shin replied. Min Ying chuckled. Seok Jun's jaw dropped.
"Hey! At least, I'm like a good older brother!" he stated. Eun Shin chuckled.
"By a whole month. Don't get cocky," she said, smirking from across the table. Seok Jun laughed.
"A whole month older means a lot. You should be respecting me," he said, sticking his nose up. Eun Shin laughed.
"Okay, old man," she replied, taking a slow sip of her drink like it was a mic drop. Min Ying and Seung Jee started giggling at the last comment as Seok Jun dropped his face and stared at Eun Shin. He slowly smiled and shook his head.
"I can't believe you…" he mumbled softly, teasing her still.
After finishing their drinks, they headed out of the cafe, ready to return home. Seok Jun and Min Ying were picked up by their drivers. Eun Shin stared at Seung Jee as he shifted awkwardly, unsure whether to say goodbye or ask her to stay longer. She smiled.
"Can I come over to your place?" she asked suddenly. Seung Jee turned pale and looked at her.
"Huh?" he said. She chuckled.
"Can I come and visit your place?" she asked again. Seung Jee quickly blushed.
"M-My place? It's small…" he said, avoiding the question. She leaned down to look at his face from below.
"It's okay! I don't mind at all!" she replied. Seung Jee turned redder than before. She stayed quiet, giving him time—watching as he tried to stay composed.
"Okay…" he finally answered, glancing away. She smiled and nodded. She stood and extended an arm toward the sidewalk, grinning.
"After you, leader," she replied.
Seung Jee smiled and nodded. He walked ahead, then paused. Slowly, he turned and reached a hand back toward her. Eun Shin blinked at it. For a moment, she just stood there, staring. Then she smiled—soft and sincere—and took it.
Once they arrived at his place, Eun Shin waited outside by the door. Seung Jee opened the door and smiled at her.
"You can come inside," he said. She nodded and stepped in. She looked around and smiled while removing her shoes.
"This home…"
"It's a bit small…" Seung Jee said, scratching his neck nervously. She shook her head.
"No. It's warm. Very warm, like a good family lives here," she replied faintly but happily. Seung Jee paused, catching the faint, bittersweet note in her voice—a quiet yearning for the perfect family she never had. She put her backpack down next to her as she sat at the table near the sofa. She turned to look at Seung Jee, who was still at the door. She smiled and patted next to her, eyes glistening brightly.
"Come, sit," she said softly. He chuckled and nodded, walking over to sit beside her.