Hye Ri found it ironic that Do Han liked a girl named Sa Rang, considering their father had abandoned them for a woman with the same name.

“What do you call her? Sa Rang? Do you tell her you love her?”

Her curiosity was evident, wondering if Do Han really spoke and acted that way.

But Do Han ignored her question and turned away.

“Does she know? That you abandoned your thirteen-year-old sister?”

He paused mid-step.

Slowly turning around, Hye Ri smiled slyly.

“Guess she doesn’t. I told her I was your sister, thought you might have told her that too.”

“What do you want to say?”

Do Han’s face hardened.

Hye Ri seemed pleased by his reaction, smiling more broadly.

“I thought I might tell her.”

“Why would you?”

“She should know what kind of person her boyfriend is. How dreadful a person you are…”

Do Han froze in place.

Hye Ri seemed to know exactly what he feared the most.
Do Han felt a coldness in his heart, fearing that Hye Ri might soon tell Sa Rang the truth.

Mockingly, Hye Ri smiled and said, “Aren’t you curious? If she’ll still like you after knowing everything.”

She then stood up and glanced at Do Han briefly.

His unfocused eyes, his frozen face.

Though she had hoped for such a reaction, seeing Do Han affected only this much made Hye Ri feel rather disappointed.

It meant he really did care for Sa Rang.

In the end, she had only confirmed his true feelings.

With a bitter smile, Hye Ri walked past him.

After she disappeared, Do Han gasped for air.

It felt like someone had been choking him just moments ago.

No, it felt like a hand was gradually tightening around his throat.

Do Han wondered if the owner of that hand might not be Hye Ri, but perhaps Sa Rang.

If so, he was afraid of returning to his old ways.

Without Sa Rang, he feared all that would be left of him was his vile self.

The first heatwave warning of the year was issued.

Sa Rang stood outside the student union building, basking in the harsh midday sun.

It was a perfect day for ice cream.

Do Han had asked her to eat ice cream with him yesterday, so she was waiting for him.

The memory of Do Han’s whiny voice made her smile.

Then he appeared before her.

Sa Rang stared intently at Do Han, wondering if this was the same boyfriend who had been jealous over the phone.

His face revealed no emotions.

“Why.”

His tone was so stiff that Sa Rang furrowed her brow.

She thought someone had chosen his nickname well.

At times like this, he was truly ‘Jidokhan’ (Dreadful).

“Yesterday, my boyfriend was jealous, accusing me of eating ice cream with another guy. I thought, ‘Ah, he really likes me.’ But today, he’s treating me like a junior he’s seeing for the first time.”

Sa Rang explained, prompting a slight smile from Do Han.

“I don’t think I was that bad.”

He had been jealous, but not to the extent she described.

Do Han, feeling unjustly accused, held Sa Rang’s hand and led her into the student union.

He couldn’t agree with being compared to a stranger.

To him, Lee Sa Rang looked even prettier today, making him crave her lips more than ice cream.

“That’s not the point.”

“Is the point about the other guy?”

“No, it’s about being a junior. How can someone who got into Hankuk University not know this?”

Sa Rang pouted her lips, and Do Han stopped in front of an ice cream shop.

“Shall we eat something other than ice cream?”

“Something else?”

Confused, she widened her eyes.

Do Han, as if to explain, let his gaze fall to Sa Rang’s lips.

He swept his eyes over her lips and tilted his head slightly, imagining taking those lips in his. Sa Rang, as if reading his thoughts, stepped back startled.

It felt like a kiss had happened, just by the intensity of Do Han’s gaze.

Feeling hotter than she had in the sun, Sa Rang quickly pulled him into the shop.
The only thing that could cool the burning heat was ice cream.

“You said you wanted to eat ice cream with me. Let’s leave other things for another time, and just…”

Sa Rang hurried to order, but suddenly stopped.

Wondering what was wrong, Do Han followed her gaze.

Among the women choosing ice cream in front of the transparent display, Hye Ri was there.

Remembering what Hye Ri had said the day before, Do Han tried to take Sa Rang outside.

He had a bad feeling about this.

But then, their eyes met with Hye Ri’s.

She approached them happily.

“We see each other often.”

Sa Rang nodded briefly to Hye Ri’s greeting.

Remembering Hye Ri had seen her kissing Do Han in the library square yesterday, Sa Rang blushed.

“Are you dating him?”

“…Yes.”

Her voice was small, feeling somewhat embarrassed to affirm it again.

“I’d like to have a meal with the three of us sometime, but I think Oppa wouldn’t like it.”

Hye Ri smiled, glancing at Do Han before turning her attention back to Sa Rang.

“Is it okay if we have ice cream together for a bit?”

“Park Hye Ri.”

Before she could finish, Do Han intervened, leaving Sa Rang in an awkward position.

The atmosphere between them tensed, palpable.

His sharp gaze was on Hye Ri, but she ignored him, focusing only on Sa Rang.

“Is it uncomfortable for you? To be with me?”

As Do Han tried to pull Sa Rang outside, she resisted, firm in her stance.

“No, it’s okay.”

It seemed odd to refuse just sharing ice cream for a while.

After all, spending that much time with her boyfriend’s younger sister was doable.

Deciding to take it easy, they sat at a table with their individually ordered ice creams.

In the awkward silence, Sa Rang wondered what to say. Then, Hye Ri started the conversation.

“Is it nice having a boyfriend?”

Sa Rang glanced at Do Han sitting next to her and nodded.

“Yes, it’s nice.”

“What’s so nice about it?”

“Just, being able to go out together, meeting on weekends…”

“You can do that with friends too.”

Confused by Hye Ri’s expression, Sa Rang asked, “Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

Hye Ri’s face looked as if she had never experienced a relationship, making Sa Rang puzzled.

She couldn’t understand how someone so pretty could be without a boyfriend.

“No. I’m a bit scared of men.”

Wondering if there was a story behind it, but not close enough to ask, Sa Rang stayed quiet.

Then Hye Ri spoke up.

“When I was young, my cousin brother abandoned me on a rural road, saying he disliked me.”

At that moment, Do Han felt his heart freeze.

His mind went blank, and his vision momentarily darkened.

His hands trembled, and his eyes shook. He managed to turn his head to look at Hye Ri.

“How could someone…”

Sa Rang was speechless.

She couldn’t even begin to imagine the shock Hye Ri must have felt.

“Fortunately, a passerby took me to a police station, and I got home safely.”

“That’s really lucky. It could have been a big problem.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m a bit scared of men. Even now, when I see that brother, I remember that time.”
Sa Rang felt she understood why Do Han was so attentive towards Hye Ri.

She regretted being jealous without knowing the full story, especially about him ensuring his grown-up sister got home safely.

“It’s silly to still be like this over something that happened so long ago, isn’t it?”

Hye Ri smiled self-deprecatingly, causing Sa Rang to feel uneasy.

Not knowing what to say about such a shocking event seemed to have led to a misunderstanding.

“No, not at all. I would probably feel the same. If I were in that situation, I would run away every time I saw my cousin brother. I’d absolutely detest him.”

Hye Ri thanked her for saying that, giving Sa Rang a grateful smile.

Then she turned her gaze to Do Han.

She seemed quite pleased with Do Han’s fragile appearance, as if he could crumble with just a slight touch.