Sensing my intention to divert the topic, he responded with a subtle smile. However, without even glancing at where I pointed, he answered,

“I find you more beautiful than the scenery in front of my eyes.”

“Don’t joke around.”

As Jaeha’s eyes, which had sparkled playfully, intensified, I tried to remove his hand from my waist.

Such teasing eyes naturally created a peculiar atmosphere. The more entangled our gaze became, the harder it was to push away. But the more I tried to escape, Jaeha pulled me closer with even greater strength, clearly indicating that he had no intention of letting go.

“This is not a joke.”

“Even by just looking at your eyes, I can tell it’s a joke. And because it’s ticklish, could you let go of this hand?”
When I asked him to let go, he shook his head with a mischievous expression.

“I like it this way.”

“I’m uncomfortable and don’t like it.”

Normally, I wouldn’t have spoken so firmly.

However, looking at Jaeha, who seemed unwilling to let go, words contrary to my feelings slipped out.

Perhaps sensing my dishonesty, his gaze narrowed like a thin thread.

“You always say the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“Even now, you say you dislike it for no reason.”

Is he playing hard to get? My face heated up as if he had revealed all my feelings.

Jaeha looked at me with a strange smile.

“I prefer an honest look.”

An honest look? I’ve never been like that…

“Why am I being so honest today? It’s hard to endure.”

Suddenly, a vague memory spread through my hazy mind.

The dawn when I fell asleep on the sofa after tilting a glass of alcohol alone.

I was impulsive that day and didn’t hide my feelings.

‘Again, this thought…’

I thought I had just imagined it under the influence of alcohol.

But as doubts arose, one strange thing after another came to mind.

Jaeha’s eyes looking at me, saying that I had no memory in the morning, and the subtly added words.

‘If it’s not a dream, what’s going on…? What did I do?’

It led to an uncomfortable situation, dismissing it as an unreasonable thought.

“I’m curious about something.”

“Suddenly?”

He was still standing close to me. He nodded as if telling me to ask the question I wanted.

Even after moving away, my lips tingled for no reason. I wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask.

‘Is it unnecessary to ask?’

Jaeha’s face, staring at me as if pondering, looked puzzled.

“Why are you hesitating so much to ask?”

“Because… it’s embarrassing, so I didn’t want to ask.”

Once I tried to ask, it felt awkward, so I turned my head.

“At that time… you mean that?”

“At that time? I’m not sure if you say it like that.”

He narrowed his eyes at the ambiguous words. Then, trying to meet my gaze more, he said,

“What are you trying to ask by hesitating like that?”

“I’m… There’s something I’ve seen a bit… I kept getting worried. Is it true, what happened that night? I thought it was a dream because I was drunk…”

“That night? Just a moment.”

Jaeha raised his hand to me in confusion.

‘What is this? It feels like we’re telling different stories.’

Seeing him, it seemed that I wasn’t the only one feeling discomfort.

“Huh. I thought I would be jealous again.”

“Jealous?”

He mumbled with a disappointed voice.

The word “jealousy,” which didn’t fit the situation at all, was perplexing.

“I thought you were talking about the interview video. But we were completely talking about different things.”
“…….”

“If what happened that night is the story from a few days ago that Yoon Yeo-jin couldn’t remember because she was drunk.”

Jaeha drew circles with his lips and then pulled me closer.

As he came even closer, he looked down at me and continued speaking.

“That’s right. That wasn’t a dream.”

“It can’t be… You’re saying it wasn’t a dream?”

Too surprised to close my mouth, I stared at him.

Jaeha’s words denying it was a dream made my heart pound like crazy.

‘Crazy!’

Faint memories came back, and my face flushed red.

Remembering the scenes that had remained blurred in my mind, I withdrew my hand from his grip.

“Why? You don’t remember what happened that night?”

“…I remember it vaguely.”

“Vaguely? How much do you remember?”

‘How much do you remember? You remember everything, especially the important parts.’

I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud and whispered it to myself.

The scene of lying on the sofa and facing Jaeha flashed through my mind.

His jet-black hair that I was playing with, his deep and dark eyes as he looked down at me that day.

Even the sensation of touching his lips came back to me.

‘This wasn’t all a dream.’

My mouth felt dry and parched.

It was shocking to realize that Jaeha remembered every word and action of mine.

“Jaeha said you came in the morning!”

“That’s because Yoon Yeo-jin couldn’t remember, so I played along with the situation.”

I believed that! I felt disheartened.

“Curious? About what happened that day?”

“No! I’m fine!”

I wasn’t curious at all.

Even with fragmented memories, this situation was awkward. I didn’t want to remember.

I just wanted to get out of this uncomfortable situation.

As I tried to escape, Jaeha firmly held onto my waist, not letting me move.

“Why?”

Because he knew more about what happened than anyone else.

“Is there something you shouldn’t remember?”

Jaeha, with a mischievous smile, asked me, knowing everything about me.