To Jaekyung’s question of why she was asking him about the cause and timing when it was all because of him, Naeun simply nodded her head, saying “I see.”

“For me, it was from the first time we had a long conversation in front of the vending machine.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“You were transparent from the beginning.”

But now, it’s driving him crazy that he can’t see through her at all.

Jaekyung had to use all his strength to hide his agitation.

Naeun must have found his words amusing, as she laughed and affirmed.

“That’s right. I never once tried to hide that I liked you.”

“…What’s the point of having this conversation?”

The quick-witted Jaekyung sensed greater danger in the fact that Naeun was not clawing at him and hurting him, but calmly having this conversation.

His intuition was correct.

After a brief silence, Naeun looked up at him intently and spoke.

“We never properly broke up.”

“…”

“It was the same last time. I said you abandoned me, and you said I abandoned you. Our claims differ, but the conclusion is, we abandoned each other.”

Their miserably shattered relationship, having not gone through a proper breakup, began to rot.

So whenever they met, they were desperate to hurt each other.

Naeun knew that this tie with Jaekyung was eating away at her in a bad way.

So she made a decision.

To return to her past self who could love others without any hesitation, she needed a proper farewell.

“It’s too late, but let’s really end it now.”

Carefully scanning Jaekyung’s hardened face, Naeun declared the breakup in a small but distinct voice.

“Let’s break up.”

“…”

“And let’s never meet again.”

Her eyes, saying she never wanted to see him again as long as she lived, looked gentle at a glance.

Just enough to make him want to die.

“If you have even a shred of regret left for me, do as I wish. I don’t want to run into you as long as I’m alive now. Whether you live, die, go somewhere to be happy or unhappy, I don’t want to know anything. I don’t want to know what you’re thinking, what intentions you have lingering around me.”

Every word contained in the warm voice that made her want to cry was cruel.

“Don’t protect me either. There are many good people who will protect me besides you. And you have no right to protect me anyway.”

Even if she died, she hoped he wouldn’t care. Naeun was about to pass Jaekyung and head to the closed rooftop door when she heard his icy cold voice.

“Stop.”

“…”

“Stand there if you don’t want me to kill every student and teacher in this academy right now.”

Naeun stopped for a moment and looked back at him. She could somehow see the expression on Jaekyung’s back.

She secretly admired how natural such a ruthless threat was. So that’s his true nature.

Naeun walked back and stood in front of him again without any hesitation.

Soon, Jaekyung’s eyes widened at the white fingers touching his cheek.

Naeun, who had been closely observing his icy eyes trembling, spoke kindly.

“Don’t do that, Jaekyung.”

It’s not a suggestion, but a warning.

You don’t want to be hated by me any more.

Her gentle tone, as if soothing a child, was clearly conveying one fact to him.

The reason I’m not manipulating you is simply my choice.

At her warning that seemed audible even without being heard, Jaekyung’s heart rapidly sunk to the other side.

It was a complete wreck.

Though it was a bit disappointing that they met less often due to actively supporting their friend’s relationship, it was okay.

Even if they couldn’t meet, their affection remained the same, and they were just as precious to each other.

The three, gathering after a long time, chose a pub in the bustling area a short distance from her house.

Naeun was aware that her safety was at risk, and the other two also had clear duties as heroes before being friends, so they refrained from going out far to hang out as much as possible.

They promised to definitely travel together once everything was resolved.

Seungjoo, who had been quietly drinking for a while as if pondering something, glanced around and opened her mouth.

“…I stayed out overnight last week.”

There was no need to ask with whom.

Naeun and Sunjin, who had been engrossed in catching up, immediately turned their attention to Seungjoo.

“With Seokhoon oppa?”

“That senior of Naeun’s?”

At the simultaneous questions, Seungjoo uncharacteristically shrugged her shoulders.

It was fortunate for now that their conversation was buried in the noise of the crowded pub.

Seungjoo averted her gaze, poking at the side dishes with her chopsticks.

Naeun covered her mouth with both hands in surprise at the silent affirmation, and Sunjin shook Seungjoo’s shoulder, urging her.

“How did it happen? Why? While doing what?”

You two already progressed that far? It hasn’t been long since hearing you were dating, but you’ve already become that intimate? At Sunjin’s question, Seungjoo shook her head while putting food in her mouth.

“It’s not like that! Just… we went together to volunteer at a church on the island, and the ferry got cut off due to the weather.”

“…Wow. It’s such an obvious setup.”

“So cliché I can’t even speak.”

Sunjin and Naeun expressed their honest reactions in turn.

Seungjoo sighed in frustration, saying that wasn’t the important part.

“Nothing happened.”

“Huh?”

“We even shared a single room, but nothing happened!”

Muttering to herself, Seungjoo realized her friends might not have heard properly and raised her voice, irritably putting down her chopsticks.

At her words, Sunjin laughed, and Naeun tilted her head.

“But are you angry about that?”

“Then what were you expecting?”

At Sunjin’s slightly teasing tone, Seungjoo scratched her forehead with a complicated expression for a moment, then picked up her glass and aimlessly swirled her wrist.

It was a habit that emerged when she had a lot on her mind.

“I don’t know. At first, I was wary too. I wondered if this oppa had planned this… Well, I wasn’t scared, of course. I would win in a fight anyway. Plus, I like him.”

But spending the night together when they hadn’t been dating for long was unacceptable in Seungjoo’s view of relationships.

He wasn’t that kind of person, but if he tried to forcefully push it, she was prepared to knock him out.

However, that night, they couldn’t find even a common motel and had no choice but to go to the small accommodation provided by the church where they had volunteered.

Inevitably sharing the same room, Seungjoo had to feel a strange mood all night.

“…Do you know what we did there that day?”

“What? What did you do?”

Now that they knew nothing had happened, it piqued their interest even more.

Seungjoo spoke to Sunjin, who was resting her chin on her hand and blinking her eyes, with a slightly resentful expression.

“QT.”

“Huh?”

“I said we did QT!”

“What’s QT?”

Naeun tilted her head, not understanding, and Sunjin also blinked, not knowing what term Seungjoo had used.

Naeun, quick at searching for information, quickly looked up the term Seungjoo mentioned on her phone, figured out what it was, and let out a gasp.

“You read the Bible and prayed together?”

“Hmph.”

At Naeun’s words, Sunjin looked at Seungjoo with a chuckle as if asking if it was true.

Seungjoo lowered her head, not minding her long hair falling like a curtain and obscuring her view.

Her face had a pouty expression, full of embarrassment, shame, and dissatisfaction.

“I like that kind of thing too, but when he smiled so innocently and suggested it… It felt strange. Like I became a fool for being wary until right before entering the room, and wondering if I was the only one thinking that way, it’s a bit embarrassing.”

“…Hmm.”

Sunjin and Naeun nodded their heads, fully empathizing that such feelings were understandable.

Empowered by her friends’ attentive listening, Seungjoo pushed her fallen hair behind her shoulders and continued, as if frustrated.

“Don’t guys usually turn from pure to perverted when they’re in that situation with a girl they like? But he acted so nonchalant about it, it made me feel weird instead. Like… do I not have the charm to make him want to do that?”

At Seungjoo’s uncharacteristically unconfident tone, Naeun quickly added.

“It’s because Seokhoon oppa is a good person. You would’ve been disappointed if he had ulterior motives, right?”

“I know that too, but it just feels bad.”

Her reason acknowledged it was right, but her heart strangely felt neglected.

Seungjoo, who always had a clear stance on things, whether agreeing or disagreeing, was very unfamiliar with her own strange state that didn’t yield a definite answer.

Naeun stared at Seungjoo for a while, then smiled.

“You’re really in love.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s normal when you like someone. Logic doesn’t apply to yourself at all. Your head can assess the situation, but how should I put it… emotions devour reason? Anyway, you can’t control your own feelings.”

So it’s natural for you to feel neglected by Seokhoon oppa, she maturely comforted her friend.

The story of Naeun, who had dated for over 2 years, albeit a failed relationship, easily reached Seungjoo’s heart.

Seungjoo was lost in thought for a moment before opening her mouth.

“…Did he not feel anything being alone with me?”

Now, rather than the unfamiliar feeling about herself, the worry that Seokhoon might not find her sexually attractive took over.

“You haven’t been dating for long. He probably wanted to protect you.”

“Ha. Protect what? If something happens, I’m more likely to protect him.”

While Sunjin gently soothed her, Seungjoo muttered as if holding back anger, downing her glass in one gulp.

It wasn’t a joke. In a truly dangerous moment, it would be Seungjoo, not him, who would physically protect the other.

Of course, they had to do their best to prevent such a situation from occurring in the first place.

“If a similar situation arises again, do you intend to do it next time?”

“…A little?”

“Wow.”

The day has come when Kwon Seungjoo wants to do that with a man. Sunjin covered her mouth with her hand, feeling a bit moved.

Unlike Seungjoo, Sunjin, who had a bit of dating experience, smiled without hiding her proud expression.

“You must really like that person.”

Seungjoo pursed her lips but didn’t deny it.

“…He’s a good person.”

“So it’s okay?”

“…That kind of thing can’t be done in the first place unless love is the foundation.”

This late first love, which was the first time she liked someone, was special to Seungjoo in many ways.

She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a side dish in front of her, and said,

“I don’t know when I’ll meet someone I like this much again. Especially while doing our job.”