“Let’s talk.”

Ha Jun grabbed Ji Hyun’s arm as she tried to turn and head into the kitchen without a word.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

Ji Hyun coldly retorted and looked at the stairs with anxious eyes. If someone saw them like this and asked if they already knew each other, she felt like she would feel sorry to Ha Jun for some reason.

So she treated him coldly with a pretentious attitude.

She was afraid that the fact that they knew each other would somehow negatively impact his reputation, and that her precious friend Ha Jun would be pointed at for something trivial…

“Then go on up. Your friend will be looking for you.”

Ji Hyun, nervous about being caught, pushed him away while looking towards the stairs, but Ha Jun was adamant.

“It doesn’t matter. It’ll only take a moment.”

“…Follow me.”

Sighing at his determination to not back down unless they talked, Ji Hyun led him to the garden behind the mansion.

Only when they reached a place with few people did Ji Hyun finally stop walking. Ha Jun’s gaze remained fixed on her, refusing to leave.

“Ji Hyun…”

His voice calling her name was quite heartfelt, but instead of answering, Ji Hyun tapped a white pebble at her feet with her foot.

Knowing his considerate personality of hesitating to speak for fear of hurting her, she couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Ha Jun. Instead, she bluntly spat out.

“Just get to the point. I need to go back in soon.”

Her insides twisted. It would be nice if they could laugh together as friends on equal footing, but it was impossible here.

‘You came here as a guest, but I’m in a position where I work.’

However, Ha Jun seemed to think differently.

“Ji Hyun, look at me for a bit. Please?”

Unable to ignore the desperate voice calling her any longer, Ji Hyun reluctantly raised her head. Right now, she was the one feeling infinitely miserable, but Ha Jun had a face that looked like he was about to cry.

“I hope you’re not upset about being found out. I told you, working is never shameful. Rather, it’s admirable.”

Ha Jun offered the world’s kindest comfort, but to the recipient, it became a sharpened blade that painfully stabbed her heart. Receiving comfort from a classmate only further reminded her of her circumstances.

“Are you done talking? I need to get back to work quickly. Then, excuse me.”

“Wait!”

Ha Jun urgently stopped Ji Hyun as she tried to pass by him and enter the mansion, taking out a thin notebook from his breast pocket.

“It’s a notebook with the class contents. I organized it while you were absent from school. It’ll help you catch up.”

The classes she took with Seung Ho overlapped on the notebook he handed her. The image of her foolish self unable to understand anything and Shin Seung Ho mocking her came to mind. She felt strangely angry.

“I don’t need this. I’m fine.”

Ha Jun forcibly placed the notebook in Ji Hyun’s hand as she refused.

“I’m okay with however you are. Now, and in the future, I’m your friend. That will never change. So…”

Ha Jun took a deep breath before bringing up what he really wanted to say.

“Don’t distance yourself from me.”

“Ha, this is hilarious enough to die laughing.”

Seung Ho let out a chuckle as he watched Ji Hyun and Ha Jun, who had been in the garden, enter the mansion until the end. He had snickered so much while listening to their conversation that tears were about to come out.

As Ha Jun grabbed Ji Hyun, who was entering the kitchen, with such a desperate face, Seung Ho’s interest was piqued and he secretly followed the two.

Positioned at a wall that was out of sight from the garden, Seung Ho heard every single word exchanged between the two without missing anything. As expected, it was very entertaining. Incomparably so…

“A friendship that brings tears to your eyes.”

Sometimes when he thought about the reference books he had thrown away for Ji Hyun, he cursed the unknown dimwitted guy who had given them to her, but now he finally knew the owner for sure.

‘Kim Ha Jun, that bastard is the dimwitted guy. What’s the use of a good family background when he’s so stupid…’

The dimwit who went on about friendship was so worried that his words would hurt Ji Hyun, yet he failed to notice her shoulders trembling slightly.

It would be more helpful to pretend not to notice, but with his overflowing warm and noble character, he couldn’t possibly do that. Seung Ho clicked his tongue at the comfort and requests Ha Jun offered Ji Hyun.

“Talking like a friend, my ass. What kind of friend says that crap.”

Having reached the second floor while pondering how to further torment Ji Hyun now that things had come to this, Seung Ho was momentarily taken aback.

The existence that should have been in the corner was nowhere to be seen. Ha Jun, who had entered together, was talking with Min Woo as if nothing had happened, but Ji Hyun did not appear in her spot.

At that moment, Manager Kim came up to the second floor and placed drinks and desserts on the table. It was the work Ji Hyun was supposed to do.

“Where is she?”

Seung Ho opened his mouth while shifting his gaze to Manager Kim after slowly sweeping the table with his eyes.

“Ah, Ji Hyun said she wasn’t feeling well at all.”

Seung Ho couldn’t help but laugh at Manager Kim’s troubled answer.

‘Look at this.’

Even though she pretended to be fine, it must have been difficult to keep working in front of her friend. Seeing how she tucked tail and ran…

Seung Ho brushed his hair back with his long fingers. He didn’t find Ji Hyun pitiful or sympathetic at all. The twisted state of mind caused by the unwelcome guest merely stimulated his reason.

‘It’s no fun if you react like this.’

“Tell her to come.”

“Pardon? Ah, Ji Hyun’s complexion is really bad. Wouldn’t it be better to let her rest a bit?”

Seung Ho’s gaze grew even colder at Manager Kim’s rare attempt to dissuade him.

“Tell her to come. Right now.”

Soon, Ji Hyun appeared before Seung Ho with a pale complexion. As Manager Kim had said, her condition was so poor that it seemed like she would collapse if lightly touched.

Ji Hyun stared at Seung Ho with her lips pressed tightly together, as if glaring at him. The area around her eyes was red, as if she had gone to her room and cried. Ha Jun chased after Ji Hyun with worried eyes but did not outwardly show it as she wished.

‘You couldn’t even make eye contact with the dimwit who blabbered about being friends…’

Seung Ho, whose mood had turned foul, leisurely opened his mouth.

“I heard about your situation. You’re not feeling well?”

“…”

“But what to do.”

He leaned his upper body forward and raised his right hand for her to see. That hand was tightly wrapped in white bandages.

“I’m also not in a good condition today.”

The moment her eyes met his prettily curved black eyes, the nape of Ji Hyun’s neck stood up.

The smile on his face, which seemed apologetic and awkward for calling her out, was clearly malicious, but the others were only concerned about his hand. The kind yet piercingly cold eyes commanded her.

“Hey, could you hand me that glass of water?”

Following his instructions, Ji Hyun silently handed him the glass of water. And soon, the water in the glass was spilled onto Ji Hyun.

The empty glass tumbled to the floor. It happened in an instant. As she blankly stared at her wet pants, Seung Ho’s voice, sounding sorry and at a loss, was heard.

“Ah, I’m so sorry. My hand slipped.”

His voice didn’t sound sorry at all, but he was frowning as if his right hand was truly in pain. Ji Hyun remembered Seung Ho’s hand that received the glass.

‘I’m pretty sure he took the glass with his left hand…’

However, she was too exhausted to add to his apology. Swallowing a sigh, Ji Hyun brought a towel from the bathroom and wiped the floor.

Seung Ho, who had been looking down at Ji Hyun’s round head with an expressionless face, shifted his gaze to Ha Jun. He was sitting between Bo Ra and Min Woo, roughly exchanging words but his attention was entirely on Ji Hyun.

Watching him fidget his knees as if he would jump out of his seat at any moment while chasing after Ji Hyun with worried eyes, Seung Ho mocked himself.

“It’s truly an amazing friendship…”

To Ji Hyun, who had finished wiping the floor and stood up, Seung Ho kindly pointed to the table and said.

“I want to eat some shine muscat. Could you bring it to me?”

Ji Hyun picked out the large, firm-fleshed ones and placed them on a plate as he requested.

Seung Ho, who leisurely crossed his legs, picked up a muscat and threw it up a few times as if to show off before dropping it to the floor. Although she clearly saw him toss it as if discarding it, he smiled at the floor and Ji Hyun as if it was a mistake.

Knowing the meaning behind his smile, Ji Hyun bent down to pick up the muscat. At that moment, Seung Ho’s slipper heavily stepped on Ji Hyun’s fingers that were grasping the muscat.

When Ji Hyun, who frowned, raised her head and their eyes met, her body stiffened. Seung Ho, devoid of emotion, was warning Ji Hyun with his freezing cold eyes.

“I told you not to disappear without my permission.”