“What, what do you want to raise? Something living?”

The surprised Min Woo straightened his tilted body.

“……”

“Who? You, Shin Seung Ho?”

As he muttered a few times in disbelief, Seung Ho’s eyes narrowed. Reading the look that told him to shut up, Min Woo had no choice but to close his mouth tightly, but his face was full of shock and fear.

As a child, Min Woo admired Seung Ho, who exuded a mysterious aura despite being the same age as his friends. And he wanted to be friends with him.

Stimulated by the story that collecting butterflies was Seung Ho’s hobby, Min Woo even raised birds recklessly just because they had wings in common.

The first bird he brought in, pestering his parents who opposed, was a Java sparrow. The white and cute bird was intelligent and very adorable.

Min Woo put the Java sparrow in a cage and brought it to Seung Ho’s house, panting. He wanted to brag that he also had a similar hobby. As if his wish was granted, Seung Ho showed interest in Min Woo’s Java sparrow.

Watching Seung Ho closely observe the bird moving and chirping as a captive, his shoulders shrugged involuntarily.

“It’s a bird that recognizes its owner. It’s incredibly smart.”

Seung Ho’s eyes, doubtful as if he couldn’t believe it, turned to Min Woo.

“You can touch it directly with your hands.”

It was good until Min Woo opened the cage door and reached out his hand, excited by Seung Ho’s interest, but the Java sparrow flew out of the cage to avoid Min Woo’s touch.

“What should I do.”

With a tearful face, Min Woo stretched out his hand into the air, but the Java sparrow flying around Seung Ho’s room was not easily caught as he boasted.

After flying around for a while, the bird seemed tired and perched on a low bookshelf. In an instant, Seung Ho, who was following the movement with his eyes, swiftly snatched the Java sparrow.

Chirp.

The caught bird cried out in pain. Min Woo hurriedly opened the cage door, but Seung Ho only stared at the bird without loosening his grip. The frightened bird panted as if it would soon die.

“Seung Ho, let it go. Please?”

Only then did Seung Ho raise his head at Min Woo’s tearful voice and threw the bird into the cage. The powerless bird fell to the bottom as it was.

“The bird flew away because you acted like a fool.”

Seung Ho’s voice reprimanding Min Woo was dry, unlike a child.

“If you want something living, break its legs or tear its wings a little.”

“Hic.”

Surprised by the somewhat cold and cruel words, Min Woo hiccuped. There was no emotion in Seung Ho’s black eyes looking at him.

“If you want to keep it by your side, make it unable to fly forever.”

Recalling childhood memories, Min Woo burst into laughter involuntarily.

What does such a guy want to raise? Something living? A passing dog would laugh.

Min Woo’s expression turned solemn as he watched Seung Ho meticulously checking the case, turning it this way and that to see if the mounting work was well done.

“I express my condolences in advance.”

“What?”

“To that living thing you will raise in the future……”

Seung Ho, who had been quietly looking at Min Woo to see what he was saying, smirked.

“You crazy bastard.”

At his smile, Min Woo’s mouth fell open.

It was shocking. He laughed. That cold-blooded Shin Seung Ho……

‘What the hell is that poor creature that has captured the heart of that cold-blooded human?’

At that moment when curiosity and pity ceaselessly alternated in Min Woo’s mind, click, Ji Hyun appeared, opening the door. In her arms was a bundle of study books.

‘Why is she here?’

As Min Woo slowly alternated his gaze between Ji Hyun and Seung Ho with a questioning look, his expression gradually distorted.

‘Hey, you crazy bastard!’

The room where Min Woo left as if being pushed out was as quiet as a dead mouse. The gaze of Ji Hyun, who ended up studying in Seung Ho’s room, was only on the book. The position called study mate that she was assigned was very simple.

It was to run errands ordered by Seung Ho while sitting next to him studying. Manager Kim repeatedly urged Ji Hyun, saying that even the young master preparing to study abroad, not for the college entrance exam, is a proper examinee, so she should take care and serve him well.

It was bitter. Ji Hyun was also an examinee.

Remembering Manager Kim, who looked at her with somewhat unreliable eyes, strength entered the mechanical pencil she was holding without her knowing.

‘At least for the sake of your aunt, don’t think of anything else and work hard.’

Thinking of anything else, it was really ridiculous. Ji Hyun, who entered Seung Ho’s room, never looked at him.

As soon as she entered the room, she unconditionally sat at the table and opened a book first. Turning away was the best way she could avoid misunderstandings and suspicions.

Fortunately, Seung Ho also did not torment her like before or repeatedly order her to do something. He also treated her like a transparent person, as if he couldn’t believe the fact that he specifically requested her.

Thanks to that, a perfect environment for studying was created. Ji Hyun’s hand, which was pressing hard on the paper and diligently writing spellings, paused.

“……what?”

‘I think I heard something……’

Ji Hyun, whose concentration was blurred, raised her head. Seung Ho was looking at her. She hadn’t misheard.

“What did you say?”

Ji Hyun, who made eye contact with his gaze, which she didn’t know how long he had been looking at her, swallowed dry saliva. Seung Ho slowly opened his mouth as if enjoying the sight of her, who was visibly nervous.

“What kind of butterfly do you like?”

Ji Hyun was stunned for a moment.

What kind of out-of-the-blue question was this? I’ve never liked butterflies……

“You’re not going to answer that you don’t like any butterflies, are you?”

Ji Hyun, who opened her mouth to speak honestly, soon changed her mind after facing Seung Ho’s sharp eyes that seemed to read her thoughts. She had forgotten.

Shin Seung Ho was crazy about butterflies. If she answered wrong, he might make her memorize all the names in the butterfly encyclopedia instead of studying for the exam.

‘Let’s just say any butterfly.’

Ji Hyun racked her brain. No butterfly names came to mind with the sudden question. But she couldn’t say swallowtail or cabbage white butterfly. That was too simple.

She had to say a more plausible butterfly name.

“Yellow butterfly.”

The name that was too simple for the complex thought came out of her mouth thoughtlessly.

And Ji Hyun immediately regretted it. Yellow butterfly, even a kindergartener wouldn’t answer like that.

‘Ah, if I knew this would happen, I should have just said cabbage white butterfly……’

Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, Seung Ho was staring at her with a slightly surprised face.

Ji Hyun sighed involuntarily at what was about to happen. Soon, Shin Seung Ho would mock and ridicule her ignorance, saying that she insulted butterflies, and bring a thick butterfly encyclopedia.

He was a person who would do more than that. But……

“Ha, yellow butterfly……”

It was unbelievable. Seung Ho was laughing out loud. Covering his mouth with his long, white fingers and shaking his shoulders as if he was dying of laughter……

Ji Hyun, who was blankly looking at that sight, felt worse and worse.

‘I don’t think it was that funny of an answer.’

Seung Ho, who had been laughing for a while, tilted his head back and brushed his hair. His even breathing and slightly more relaxed expression than before looked much more languid.

“You really don’t know anything.”

His refreshing voice contained a sharp mockery towards her.

“Not everyone is crazy about butterflies like you, no, they don’t know much.”

Ji Hyun, who answered sulkily in return, lowered her head and continued writing the English spelling she had been working on. She wanted to jump out of her seat right away if she could.

“Hey.”

Seung Ho called her in a slightly lower voice.

Could it be that he understood the curse that he was crazy about butterflies?

Ji Hyun, who was startled, rolled her eyes without being able to raise her head.

“What?”

Seung Ho’s gaze, frowning, was directed at the English notebook she was writing in.

“You, you spelled it wrong.”

Ji Hyun’s face turned red in an instant at being pointed out.

‘So embarrassing!’

When she buried her head in the notebook to correct the misspelled word, Seung Ho’s hand quickly snatched the notebook. After scanning through the English words written densely, he threw out a word.

“You made a lot of mistakes for studying hard.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Ji Hyun covered her face with both hands.

“Stop it. Please.”

If making her want to die of shame was his torture and tactic, he was a great success this time as well.

The self-loathing Ji Hyun felt had now reached its maximum. It was unfair. It was Shin Seung Ho who asked a ridiculous question, but she didn’t know why she was feeling self-loathing.

Seung Ho’s hand movement was indifferent as he threw the notebook down with a thud.

“I’ve seen it all, so take it. Putting aside the yellow butterfly, can you even spell butterfly?”

Now, in her eyes, Seung Ho was the devil himself. Unfortunately, Ji Hyun, who was distracted by picking up the notebook with trembling hands, didn’t hear the devil’s last murmur as he smiled brightly.

“It really makes me want to raise it……”