At the gates. Will be there soon! Naeun texts Hayoung.

Her day was shorter than usual, with school and work practically breezing by. Work was slow and her boss, Yongsun, didn't see any reason to keep her late, so she let her go an hour earlier. Naeun normally would've insisted on staying, but she instead readily accepted going home. She was eager to see Hyewon and, secretly, Hayoung.

Happiness highlights her steps as she strolls past Joohyun, who is conducting her nightly routine of visiting the nighttime guard. Whether it was to harass her or subtly flirt, Naeun still had yet to figure it out.

Surprise flashes across Joohyun's face seeing Naeun, used to the young woman racing home at late hours. "Good to see you back." She comments, then pauses to think of a biting comment. "Now I don't have to sit here until midnight waiting for you to run through." Naeun rolls her eyes. "You secretly love waiting for me." She retorts. Joohyun scoffs, then waves her away. Naeun giggles a small good night as she continues heading towards Hayoung's apartment.

She finds it to be both lucky and slightly offputting that Hayoung lives just two buildings down from her. Her mental debate on whether it was fate or just coincidence is halted as a harsh wind blows. She rubs her hands together and quickens her pace, unable to withstand the biting cold for much longer.

She reaches Hayoung's apartment on the second floor and knocks. Moments later, a woman comes to the door. "Can I help you?" She asks, looking Naeun up and down. Naeun feels self-conscious as she looks down at her hurriedly put together outfit, with her bookbag hanging on one shoulder and her waitress apron partially covering her hands.

"Uh, yes. Hayoung was watching my sister, Hyewon?" She replies. "Hyewon?" The woman thinks for a moment, then frowns. "So, you're the famous Naeun she kept mentioning." An uneasy feeling begins to settle in her gut as she notices how the woman is now looking at her. It's a mixture of disgust and irritation, as if Naeun were roadkill she had to get rid of simply because Naeun should've been better at avoiding her car. And here I thought it couldn't get any colder. Naeun mentally scoffs.

"By the way, I'm Park Sooyoung, Hayoung's girlfriend." She says, emphasizing the 'girlfriend'. Naeun's face falls momentarily, but she quickly forces a smile. In her excitement, she'd forgotten one crucial detail about Hayoung: she had a girlfriend.

Naeun hates it, but a small part of her feels intimidated as she looks again at Hayoung's girlfriend. Hayoung's tall, beautiful, and extremely fashionable girlfriend. Sooyoung seemed perfect in every way without trying, but her behavior told Naeun otherwise. She has no idea what she could've done to the other woman in the span of a few minutes, but she guessed it must've been something truly awful with the way Sooyoung is currently watching her shift uncomfortably in the cold.

Getting bored, as Naeun guessed, Sooyoung goes inside, leaving the door open for her to follow. Naeun trails behind her to a slightly larger replica of her own apartment. The only difference is Hayoung's photos all consist of her with either Sooyoung or another woman. Naeun's