That day, she tried her best to take to heart the scolding her friends poured on her like a downpour, but it didn’t do much good.

One thing was certain, she needed Seo Hee Won now.

“I’m hungry.”

Hee Won looked down at Na Eun, who said something she should have said at a restaurant, with a complex expression.

“So?”

“Make me something.”

“……”

“I bought all the ingredients. Here.”

When she contacts him saying she has something to tell him, Hee Won has no choice but to go.

It was not just a matter of being her bodyguard, but also because of his heart that was drawn to this girl, it was irresistible.

However, the shamelessness of calling someone over and then immediately asking them to cook while showing a bag of groceries she bought in front of his eyes was quite irksome, more than he thought.

Is this what she has to say now after making someone cry on the street last night?

Hee Won clicked his tongue inwardly, but decided to have a moment of repentance, thinking of the women he had made cry on the streets until now.

Karma. Hee Won was keenly feeling these days that people reap what they sow.

“Make it yourself.”

“I can’t cook. You know that.”

Na Eun hesitated for a moment at Hee Won, who deliberately spoke coldly, and then said.

“I skipped lunch today too.”

“……”

“I’m really hungry……”

As she glanced at him, Hee Won slowly took the grocery bag from her hand with a low sigh.

Hee Won, looking resigned, entered the house before her.

Na Eun, who was staring intently at his back, soon followed him in with a determined expression.

Hee Won hesitated for a moment at Na Eun’s request to make pasta.

Because he knew the reason why she couldn’t eat it.

After hesitating for a moment, he confirmed that she had bought groceries and prepared the ingredients, and started moving his hands.

As the joke that he was good at everything was not a false word, Hee Won quickly oiled the heated pan and began preparing the food.

Before long, Na Eun looked down at the alio olio neatly plated on a white dish with amazed eyes.

Hee Won, who had roughly cleared the table and set up the surroundings so that she could eat, handed her a fork.

Na Eun unknowingly gripped the fork tightly in her hand out of nervousness.

Because in fact, she herself could not be sure whether she could really eat it or not.

Regardless of what she did, Hee Won sat across from her and pondered what else he could make with other ingredients if Na Eun couldn’t eat this and spat it out.

Right now, there was no more important issue to him than feeding the hungry Yoon Na Eun something.

Eventually, she brought the fork to the plate.

Na Eun, who carefully rolled the white noodles and put them in her mouth, was moved after a while when the food was safely swallowed down her throat.

She thought she might never be able to eat it again in her life.

There is no eternal trauma, and no matter how deep a wound is, it will eventually leave only a scar.

Na Eun was amazed at herself, who was now eating the pasta someone had made for her without much difficulty, and acknowledged that this was not only the result of her overcoming the past.

It’s okay because it’s Seo Hee Won. For food, the ingredients are important, but the person who made that food is also important.

Na Eun knew that better than anyone.

“Don’t overdo it, and tell me if you can’t eat it. I’ll make you something else.”

Although he made the food himself, Hee Won did not make his own portion and only filled an empty glass with water and drank it, urging her.

Na Eun quickly shook her head.

No, it’s delicious. Hee Won stared intently at Na Eun, who said that while chewing the pasta noodles again.

Since everything in the world was fine now if Yoon Na Eun was okay, he just thought ‘oh well’ and drank the water in front of him.

Na Eun was engrossed in her meal, and Hee Won stared at her and drank only cold water for some time.

At the end of the silence, Na Eun, who had already emptied about half of the plate, carefully looked at him and soon opened her mouth.

You know what, Seo Hee Won.

“Should we date?”

“……”

Hee Won stopped his hand that was drinking water. Na Eun leaned her arms on the table and carefully waited for his reaction.

Eventually, when a moment of silence that seemed like an eternity passed, Hee Won put the glass of water he was holding on the table and opened his mouth.

“Yoon Na Eun.”

“Uh, yes?”

Na Eun’s eyes widened, feeling like she was being scolded for some reason. Hee Won, who was silently staring at her hunched shoulders, said.

“Do you remember what you told me before?”

Before she could ask what he meant, Hee Won answered.

“You said not to wave someone’s sincerity too much when they show it to you.”

“……”

“That I should be a little less cruel to someone who said they liked me.”

Na Eun delved into the past for a moment at Hee Won’s words.

She vaguely remembered saying something like that before. But why is he bringing that up now?

Hee Won, who clearly saw what kind of thoughts were going through her small head, said bitterly.

“From now on, if you ask me to do something for you, I’ll do it all like today.”

“……”

“If you’re lonely, I’ll accompany you home like before. I won’t secretly be your bodyguard.”

Na Eun was startled by Hee Won suddenly changing the subject and leaned her upper body back from the table she had been leaning towards.

In the meantime, she felt embarrassed rather than joy at him only saying what she wanted to hear.

“If you need it…… I’ll kiss you too.”

Na Eun was startled for a moment and dropped the fork she was holding onto the plate. Hee Won continued, staring at her without a hint of wavering.

“If you ask me to hug you…… I’ll hug you.”

“……”

“Whatever you want… I’ll do it all. I’ll do it all, so….”

Hee Won bit his lip for a very brief moment as if composing his emotions.

Then he stared at Na Eun and opened his mouth to ask a favor.

“You promise me just one thing too.”

“……”

“To be a little less cruel.”

As soon as Hee Won finished speaking, Na Eun’s cheeks flushed red.

She lowered her head to hide her burning cheeks out of embarrassment. She couldn’t look Hee Won in the eye as he looked at her.

She knows. Seo Hee Won knew the feelings she had unintentionally harbored, the feelings she thought she would hide flawlessly.

It’s not that she likes him with the same feelings. But she needed him.

Life was difficult because the past misfortunes, including Jae Kyung, were still weighing on her back.

The one who had been constantly supporting her by her side until now was Seo Hee Won.

So she wanted Hee Won to stay by her side.

She wished he would continue to indulge her whims, let her lean on him, and lend her his shoulder whenever things got tough, just like before.

But it seemed like that wouldn’t work, so she unknowingly chose another method.

It won’t last long anyway.

Even if it’s sincere, Seo Hee Won will get tired of me someday.

…… Since he’s that kind of person originally, we can just date for a short while, and after that, we can go back to being close acquaintances, right?

Like now.

Na Eun felt unbearable embarrassment at Hee Won, who immediately grasped and drew out her bad intentions that she herself didn’t know.

Na Eun, whose cheeks were burning red like a roasted sweet potato, covered her mouth with one hand.

She couldn’t even lift her head and didn’t know what to do.

Hee Won stared intently at her, who was flustered and couldn’t even make eye contact, without being shaken.

Eventually, an apology spilled out from her, who was acting flustered.

“I’m sorry……”

At her sincere apology, Hee Won smiled without a word.

Yoon Na Eun’s sincerity always hurt Seo Hee Won like this.

The stormy December passed and the new year arrived.

She, who was now twenty-four, found it strange that her mind hadn’t matured at all even though she had aged.

When she was young, being over twenty felt old, but looking at herself now, it seemed like she had only grown physically from when she was a seventeen-year-old immature child.

Will I become more mature when I’m thirty? With a meaningless expectation, she decided to devote herself to studying for her final semester graduation.

Na Eun, who had come to the campus for the first time in a while because she had something to do at school regarding job preparation and scholarship issues, smiled as soon as she left the department office and made eye contact with the person she saw.

“Ah, long time no see, Na Eun.”

Na Eun approached Seok Hoon, who greeted her with a good-natured smile.

“Have you been well? What brings you here?”

“I have a club activity meeting.”

In charge of department events, club president, and even religious activities at an outside church.

Seok Hoon was a much more active person who did a lot of work in many areas than she thought.

Even so, she vaguely remembered hearing that his grades were high, and Na Eun newly realized that he was an amazing person in many ways.

“Are you meeting Seung Joo today too?”

With one more connection now added between the two, Na Eun only felt Seok Hoon was closer. Seok Hoon shook his head at her friendly question.

“No. She seems busy, so I don’t think I’ll be able to see her for a while.”

Come to think of it, she hasn’t been reachable since the day before yesterday.

Na Eun nodded in understanding, and then suddenly glanced at Seok Hoon’s expression.

During the few years she had been friends with Seung Joo and Sun Jin, Na Eun had given up counting how many times contact with them had been arbitrarily cut off.

Since they were friends, not lovers, and she knew all their secret circumstances, Na Eun was understanding of everything.

But Seok Hoon might not be.

First of all, he was a lover, not a friend, and he didn’t know Seung Joo’s secret either.

So his range of understanding could not be the same as hers.

“Seung Joo, is she not reachable by any chance?”

At her cautious question, Seok Hoon laughed nonchalantly and nodded.

“Yes. She must be busy.”

“Seung Joo has a lot of work. It won’t be on purpose, and I’m sure she’ll definitely contact you again once the situation gets better.”

Na Eun deliberately stepped up and made excuses for Seung Joo, not wanting her friend to be misunderstood by her boyfriend.

But Seok Hoon smiled without showing a single bit of a sad expression, even though her protective action was embarrassing.

“Yes. I’m waiting.”

“…… She’s not in contact with me either. She must be very busy.”

Na Eun deliberately emphasized that Seung Joo was not in contact with her either.

Then Seok Hoon would gauge how busy she was, and perhaps be more understanding.

At least that was her expectation.

“…… Yes. I hope she’s okay even if she’s busy.”

“What?”

“Ah, it’s almost time for my club meeting. I’ll get going first. Let’s meet again next time, Na Eun!”

Na Eun, who was dumbfounded for a moment after hearing Seok Hoon’s muttering, asked back, but she couldn’t hear the answer again.

Seok Hoon, who checked his watch by lifting his wrist, hurriedly took a step and ran away to the other end of the corridor.

In the meantime, Na Eun absentmindedly waved back at Seok Hoon, who was waving his hand saying to see her next time.