“Sooyoung-ah, I… I think I should send you home. I don’t feel safe with you going home alone since you’re not feeling well,” insisted Sungjae.

Sooyoung knew that was not what Sungjae really wanted to say but she let it slide as she was still feeling a little groggy from her lack of sleep.

“Arasso, oppa,” replied Sooyoung.

Sooyoung walked out of Sungjae’s house first, Sungjae following close behind her. As Sungjae had just closed the door and turned around, Sooyoung went down the few steps from Sungjae’s door to the pavement. She slipped on a wet spot on the second step and lost her footing. Sooyoung gave a scream, which made Sungjae lunge out instinctively to grab her. Sungjae pulled a little too hard and made Sooyoung collide into him, their faces barely an inch away from each other. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long while. Sungjae felt his whole mouth become dry and his ears turn redder than they had ever done. Sooyoung blushed deeply before she finally looked away. She stepped back carefully and turned away. Sungjae blinked and realised that he had been holding his breath.

“Let’s go, oppa,” said Sooyoung in as normal a voice as she could manage.

Sungjae walked Sooyoung home with as normal an expression as he could manage as well. Although birds twittered cheerfully around them, the silence between them was deafening and the awkwardness that hung over them was thicker than custard.

“So what kept you up last night, Sooyoung-ah?” asked Sungjae, in an attempt to push apart the awkwardness between them.

Sooyoung hesitated for a while before replying, “Can you promise me that you’ll keep your temper if I tell you, oppa?”

“Of course!” replied Sungjae immediately.

“I went to find Hyunwoo-oppa yesterday,” began Sooyoung.

Rage welled up inside Sungjae at the mention of Hyunwoo but he it down firmly and replied in a calm tone, “And?”

“He broke up with me,” said Sooyoung.

Sungjae took another few moments to control the raging beast inside him before replying in the same calm tone, “Isn’t that good for you, Sooyoung-ah? He’s been cheating on you. He broke your heart and admitted it in front of the whole class after our fight. It’s no loss to you, Sooyoung-ah.”

“I know that, oppa. But I couldn't stop thinking about it for the whole night and ended up losing sleep over it for the whole night. I had already realised before last night that I never really loved Hyunwoo-oppa. All my feelings towards him have been friendship, gratitude and now guilt and shame. If anything, I should be the one at fault. I accepted his feelings before I realised what my own feelings were,” said Sooyoung.

The raging beast in Sungjae quietened instantly and sniffed hopefully at the air. “You never had feelings for him in that way?”

“No, not at all. Even when we went out on dates, I realised it was as if I was going out with a friend. My feelings for him were platonic from the start. Even he realised it and I think that's what made him do what he did,” said Sooyoung.

“You may have led him on but he still had no right to do what he did, Sooyoung-ah,” insisted Sungjae.

“Arasso, oppa. It’s just… I feel I’m to blame for this whole issue as well,” said Sooyoung.

They continued to walk in silence and reached Sooyoung’s house in a few minutes. As Sooyoung opened her front door to enter, she turned around and said, “Thank you for everything today, oppa. Please don’t confront Hyunwoo-oppa anymore. You promised.”

Sungjae smiled awkwardly and replied, “Arasso, Sooyoung-ah. Rest well today. Can I still walk you home tomorrow after school?”

Sooyoung smiled and said, “Of course, oppa. See you tomorrow.”

Sungjae turned to leave as Sooyoung entered her house.

I can’t possibly tell her my feelings now. Not when she’s just been through with Hyunwoo.

…

Hyunwoo heard a knock on his front door and went to answer it. He opened it to reveal the girl who helped him treat his wounds at the nurse’s office the other day.

“Why are you here?” asked Hyunwoo in surprise.

“I came to see how you were doing,” said the girl. “Can I come in?”

“Of course,” said Hyunwoo, as he stepped aside to let her in.

As she settled herself down on Hyunwoo’s couch, Hyunwoo brought her a drink and set it down on the table in front of her.

“How are you holding up?” asked the girl.

“I’ll be fine,” said Hyunwoo. “Sungjae didn't hit me as hard as I thought he would.”

“Don’t lie to me. How can you be fine after staging all that for Sooyoung?” said the girl.

“I had to. She never loved me in the way I hoped that she would. Whether she realised it doesn’t matter. I just want her to be happy and only Sungjae can give her the happiness she wants. Even if she had realised her feelings, she would have cared too much about my feelings to make things clear with me,” ranted Hyunwoo. “She would never have broken up with me because she feels guilty towards me. I don’t want to hold her back like that. She deserves better.”

Hyunwoo paused for breath, as he suddenly realised that he was blinking away tears in his eyes. The girl reached for the tissue box near her and passed a piece of tissue to Hyunwoo.

“But regardless, thanks so much for your help. I don't think Sooyoung would have been convinced if you hadn’t helped me,” said Hyunwoo gratefully.

“I’m just doing this for Sooyoung because I believe she would do exactly as what you just said. But I feel so sorry for you, oppa,” said the girl.

“I’ll be fine. Jinjjayo. Don’t worry about me. What about you? Are you sure Sooyoung has no idea you’re helping me?” asked Hyunwoo.

“I’m sure she still has no idea. I also intend for it to remain that way,” said the girl firmly.

“Well, as long as you’re sure,” said Hyunwoo.

The pair talked for a while more before the girl got up to leave.

“Thanks for everything. Remind me to buy you dinner some time,” said Hyunwoo with a smile.

“Don’t worry about it. Focus on getting better, physically and emotionally. If you need someone to talk to, I’m just a phone call away,” said the girl.

“Arasso. I’ll see you around,” said Hyunwoo, as he opened the front door.

The girl stepped out of Hyunwoo’s house and headed down the street back home. However, she had not realised that someone had seen her walk out of Hyunwoo’s house.

…

“…I never really loved Hyunwoo-oppa…”

This line kept replaying in Sungjae’s mind over and over again that night as he lay in bed. Though it was barely 10pm, Sungjae was already in bed thinking about what Sooyoung had told him earlier that day. It didn't help that he also kept recalling how close they h