“So… you like him, right?”

            Winter stared at Yu Ri with agape, not understanding how such sacred words could be used so flippantly by someone with such a cute face. “N-no, t-that’s not what I meant—“ she stuttered.

            “And he likes you,” she carried on as if Winter hasn’t spoken, munching on her apple as she did so. Her eyes were cast sideways as if she were thinking hard trying to solve a math problem. “Or you think he likes you,” she corrected herself.

            “That’s not the case!” Winter spluttered, her cheeks growing red instantly. It was lunch hour and she had just shared the fact that that Eun Woo was giving her small gifts on a regular basis in an effort to clear her mind, and hopefully to listen to some advice from her about how she should react to it. Yu Ri had kept distinctly silent and thoughtful throughout her explanation, but Winter had never thought Yu Ri’s first response would be something close to what she was currently suggesting. Feeling completely taken aback and not knowing how to react, she stared at Yu Ri with a look of atrocity and said none too calmly, “I-only-said-he-keeps-giving-me-food-how-does-that-translate-to-me-liking-him?”

            Despite her obvious outrage, Yu Ri continued chewing on one side without changing her calm demeanour. Using a tone that sounded much like how one talks to kindergarteners, she said thoughtfully, “Well, the fact that you brought up this recurring situation means that Eun Woo has been on your mind quite a lot. That’s why you feel frustrated and had to share it with me, hoping that I would give you my share of opinion on why he is behaving like that. Also, if you had zero interest in him at all, then you wouldn’t have split thoughts about him or think about him at all. That shows that you like him to some extent. However, Eun Woo’s actions could have rooted from more than one intention. First intention: he likes you, and he is trying to bait your heart by giving you these wonderfully wrapped up food to get you to notice him. Two, he simply pities you and is giving you some food to make you feel better as a friend. From my perspective though, it is highly likely that your case applies to the second scenario more than the first.”

            Winter blinked. After a short moment she said, “Wow, you should be a fortune teller.”

            “I’m right, aren’t I?” Yu Ri chirped more excitedly, waving her fork in round circles in front of Winter like she was waving a victory flag. “You like him and you think he likes you, though I highly doubt he does.”

            “Why are you so sure he doesn’t like me?” Winter snapped, feeling indignant. I know I’m not perfect, but it could happen.

            “Because he is too perfect,” Yu Ri said easily in a matter-of-fact tone that sparked a tiny fire in Winter’s heart. “He is everybody’s prince charming, with that beautiful statue-like face of his, that tall, lean body and a smile that could melt a woman’s heart. What makes you think the chances of him liking a normal person like you or me is high? He is someone that fulfils our girly fantasies, but none of this could happen in real life.”

            Winter’s heart sunk lower and lower as Yu Ri talked, and she knew what Yu Ri was saying was absolutely cruel but true. But she couldn’t fight the pain that came with it.

            But I want to.

            Winter’s heart skipped a beat as his sweet voice saying those words rang in her head for the hundredth time. It felt like a small but significant spark of light in a bunch of damp firewood.

            “Well, there was something else—“ she started.

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