"He must've been struggling all this time," Mi  Yeon whispered to herself in the car. She had just told her mother what she had learnt from Seung Cheol and she quieted, taking it in on her own. Won Woo shifted next to her, adjusting to the quieted mood.  

After they came off of the highway, her mother said, "He could've done something." 

Mi Yeon glanced at her mother in the rearview mirror, not sure how to respond. Suddenly, Won Woo spoke up.  

"If I may, Ma'am, Seung Cheol did look well-rested today." 

"How can you say that?"Mi Yeon turned her gaze to him. She knew that there was tension between the two boys, but she couldn’t believe that he was being insensitive. "He is obviously having a hard time adjusting." 

"But he still blamed you, which was immature and hurtful." 

"Enough!" Mi Yeon's  mother exclaimed just as Mi Yeon was about to counter. 

The remainder of the drive was spent in silence.  

When the group arrived home, Won Woo brought in the shopping bags and waited to be alone with Mi Yeon. Her mother retreated to her bedroom, leaving Mi Yeon in the living room. Won Woo approached and touched her forearm. 

"Mi Yeon-ssi, mianhaeyo." 

She didn’t look at him, but nodded. She moved to pull away from him, but he rushed up to her and placed his arms around her shoulder, hugging her from the back.  

"I was just focused on how he had hurt you and I couldn’t empathize." 

Mi Yeon placed her hands on his and turned to face him. "Seung Cheol helped me when I was in Chilyo and then a little after that. He was my brother's best friend. I shouldn’t have abandoned him, despite what he said. I need you to understand that." 

"What if I can't? I really don’t like the way he looks at you." 

Mi Yeon turned her gaze to their hands and shook her head slightly. She released his hands and retreated to her room, ignoring his calls after her.  

--- 

That night, Mi Yeon mustered up her courage to message Seung Cheol. 

Mi Yeon: Hey. 

Seung Cheol: Hey you.  

Mi Yeon: Thanks for letting me know all that stuff today. 

Seung Cheol: You deserved to know.  

Mi Yeon: Still, you must've had a hard time keeping all that to yourself. 

Seung Cheol: I thought I could, but after I blamed you, I had to set things straight. 

Mi Yeon: Still, thanks. 

Seung Cheol: Okay, enough sad talk. I gotta know, what's going on with you and that Driver? 

Mi Yeon: You really don’t like him, do you? 

Seung Cheol: Of course not! He spends way too much time with you. 

Mi Yeon: Courtesy of my father. 

Seung Cheol: Aish, that man. Can we meet up sometime before the semester begins? 

Mi Yeon: Sure. The park again? 

Seung Cheol: What about for dinner? 

Mi Yeon: Anywhere I go, I will have to be accompanied by Won Woo. 

Seung Cheol: You two are on a first-name basis, huh? 

Mi Yeon: Anyway, so the park, tomorrow?  

Seung Cheol: Deal. See you then.