The lovely month of March, when flowers bloom and new buds sprout.

Just as the final year as a student that seemed like it would never come had begun, Yoo In heard shocking news before she could even be enveloped by the gloom of impending graduation.

It was that her best friend Han Jae Hee was having her 23rd birthday party at a club.

Yoo In frowned with displeasure at her friend who only seemed excited, and said sharply.

“I’m obviously not going.”

“What are you talking about? Did you forget we’re one and the same?”

“I don’t want to. What would I even do there? I don’t like alcohol and I hate loud places.”

“How long are you going to live as a princess in a dark cave? It’s time to escape! The time has come.”

“What princess? Anyway, I’m not going!”

From the moment Yoo In refused, Han Jae Hee’s determination ignited and blazed fiercely.

As a result of tormenting Yoo In at every opportunity, employing all means and methods without restraint, Yoo In eventually surrendered, unable to overcome her friend’s persistence and stubbornness.

“Now, promise. You absolutely can’t back out later, okay?”

“…Sigh. Fine, I got it.”

Completely fed up with Han Jae Hee, who extended her pinky finger saying they must go with the happiest face, Yoo In linked her finger with a ‘whatever happens, happens’ attitude.

Yeah. What could happen if I just go for a little while? With such a complacent and simple thought.

But Yoo In should have known then. That it was a very wrong choice.

That people shouldn’t do things they’re not used to doing.

****

Saturday evening, the bustling downtown area on the weekend was noisy, loud, and crowded.

Yoo In kept pulling down the hem of her short, clingy dress, uncomfortable, but the already short dress remained just as short.

Jae Hee, who had barged into her house in the morning and dolled up Yoo In like a doll, was humming happily as she walked, apparently in a great mood.

Yoo In, once again bowing to her friend’s stubbornness, sighed and followed her tall friend with quick strides.

Finally, in front of the club entrance. Jae Hee put an arm around Yoo In, who was glaring at the bustling crowd, and said:

“Well, are you ready, Nam Yoo In?”

“Ah, I don’t know. Let’s just go in quickly.”

“You’re ready? Okay!”

The club they entered, pushed by Jae Hee’s force as she arbitrarily announced their departure, was exactly as Yoo In had imagined.

Suffocating, stuffy air. Music so loud it made not just the speakers but her head throb. People already stumbling drunk despite the early hour.

For Yoo In, who occasionally drank with friends but had no interest in enjoying nightlife and didn’t like people to begin with, such a place was the worst.

“…Ugh.”

Involuntarily letting out a groan, Yoo In clung tightly to Jae Hee’s back.

Jae Hee, with Yoo In attached to her back like a koala, vigorously climbed the stairs and flung open a door about halfway down the second floor corridor.

Suddenly, friends who had been waiting burst party poppers and champagne towards Jae Hee, singing happy birthday loud enough to burst eardrums.

“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to Han Jae Hee~”

“Congratulations, Han Jae Hee!”

“Jae Hee, happy birthday!”

“Jae Hee, super happy birthday−!”

The birthday song and gift-giving ceremony seemed endless.

Yoo In, barely escaping through the tightly packed crowd, leaned against a table, completely drained.

Though it had been barely a few minutes since entering the room, her body, jostled this way and that, was already exhausted.

Thinking once again that such places really didn’t suit her, Yoo In was about to down the pink drink in the crystal glass on the table to quench her burning throat.

“Hey, isn’t that Nam Yoo In?”

“It is. First time I’ve seen her dressed up like that.”

“Right? But you know, I’ve felt this for a while, doesn’t she look a lot like Nam Yoo Jin?”

“Oh? She really does. Why didn’t we notice before?”

Thanks to the conversation clearly audible even in this noisy room, Yoo In had to swallow the liquid without even tasting it.

The words that she resembled Nam Yoo Jin.

That one phrase, insignificant to others, stirred Yoo In’s heart.

The reason she didn’t enjoy makeup or have any interest in dressing up was because of the inescapable stigma of Nam Yoo Jin that always followed her.

Not wanting to hear that name anymore, likely to remain an attached label until her death, Yoo In turned around, trying hard to hide her distraught expression.

Just as she was about to take a step, someone grabbed her shoulder from behind.

“Nam Yoo In!”

“Eek!”

Yoo In, who had let out a yelp, raised her head in shock.

Discovering a face smiling gently while emanating a kind light, Yoo In, with surprise and relief intertwined, complained with irritation.

“Yoon Ji Han, you scared me!”

“Were you very surprised? I’m sorry.”

Ji Han, who was gently patting Yoo In’s tensed shoulders, was one of her close friends she had been close with since high school and came to university with, just like Jae Hee.

Though it was Yoo In who had overreacted to a light prank, Ji Han was the one being more considerate. As he asked again if she was alright, Yoo In waved her hand saying it was fine.

Following Ji Han, who naturally led her to a less crowded place, Yoo In was about to sit on the sofa when she noticed Ji Han frozen, slightly furrowing his brow as he looked at her.

“What?”

“It’s an outfit I haven’t seen before.”

“Ah, Jae Hee said I had to wear it. Does it look really strange?”

Yoo In, already uncomfortable with her appearance, awkwardly wiggled her feet in the boots.

Ji Han, who had looked her up and down with a somewhat disapproving gaze, answered in a slightly lowered voice.

“…No, it’s not strange.”

“Really? I feel so awkward. I want to go home and take it off right away.”

“When are you going home?”

“Um… soon?”

At that moment, a loud voice calling “Yoon Ji Han, what are you doing!” was heard from among the noisy crowd, and both their gazes turned simultaneously.

Yoo In patted Ji Han’s back, pushing him away.

“They’re calling you. Go quickly.”

“What about you?”

“Me? Well, it’s Han Jae Hee’s birthday, so I should at least have a glass of champagne. I’ll leave after drinking this.”

Yoo In picked up a glass from the nearby table. Earlier, she had swallowed without tasting due to the uncomfortable conversation, so this was essentially her first drink.

Ji Han hesitated for a moment, watching her gently swirl the faintly shimmering pink alcohol, then spoke.

“Then I’ll take you home, so wait here for a bit. Okay?”

“Huh? No−”

Yoo In was about to tell Ji Han, who sometimes overprotected her like this, that there was no need, but nodded vaguely, sensing the conversation might drag on unnecessarily.

Ji Han patted Yoo In’s head as if praising her, then quickly blended into the group that had called him.

Yoo In, watching the group where loud noises kept erupting with disinterest, sipped the champagne she was holding.

Savoring the drink she hadn’t tasted earlier, the intense peach aroma melted on her tongue along with a sweet-tart flavor, and the pleasantly cool sensation as it went down felt good.

Like that, waiting for her friend who didn’t come, she drank one glass, two glasses, and by the time the champagne bottle was more than half empty, Yoo In’s eyes were glazed over and her body was limp.

“Ah, this isn’t good…”

Yoo In, who hadn’t realized she was getting drunk, deceived by the sweetness, buried her face in both hands.

Showing such a disheveled appearance in an unfamiliar space with many strangers was not part of her plan.

She needed to get out of here before getting more drunk.

With weakened hands, she fumbled through her pockets to barely send a message to her friends saying she was leaving first, then stood up.

Yoo In, who tightly closed and opened her eyes against her spinning vision, soon dragged her weakened legs, avoiding and stepping over the drunk people, and flung open the room door wide.

“Cough… cough!”

Yoo In, who had inhaled the more acrid and murky air than inside, coughed while stumbling forward.

Pushing through the hazy smoke and barely descending the stairs, she found the large hall now had twice as many people as before and the music was thumping much louder.

In a state where she couldn’t think properly, with alcohol added on top, Yoo In just spun in circles in the same spot, unable to find the entrance let alone think straight.

As she circled the hall like a sailboat that had lost its destination, constantly bumping into people, Yoo In’s eyes caught sight of a slightly open door.

With the joy of finally finding an exit, she rushed towards it.

“…Ah, what’s this? Why isn’t it outside?”

However, contrary to her expectations, a quiet corridor stretched out before her.

The silent passage, painted entirely in purple, had such a different atmosphere from the club that small chandeliers gently illuminated the walls, giving it an even noble feeling.

She should have first questioned why such a corridor existed in a club with psychedelic lights spinning and loud music blaring, but Yoo In’s body was already past its limit.

Her thin upper body leaning against the wall slid down helplessly, and groaning sounds echoed through the corridor.

As Yoo In was fighting against the increasingly severe headache and nausea, heavy footsteps piercing the quiet air were heard from the other end of the corridor.

Thud.

Thud.

Yoo In, who had been hanging her head low, slowly raised it to look in the direction of the sound.

From the opposite side, a man in a neat black suit with sharp creases was walking towards her.

When the shiny black shoes stopped at a distance where his face was visible, Yoo In, with eyes half-closed and soaked in alcohol, just stared blankly at the large figure.

The man, with his hands in his dress pants pockets, tilted his head and examined Yoo In sitting there, then asked.

“Nam Yoo Jin?”

“…No, I’m not.”

“…You’re not?”

“…”

Though he asked again in a voice as heavy and low as his footsteps, Yoo In didn’t answer.

She was tired of hearing the annoying Nam Yoo Jin talk. It was all bothersome and she wanted it to stop. Please.

As Yoo In bowed her head deeply between her legs like a hermit crab retreating into its shell, quickened footsteps were heard above her head, and an imposing bass voice called to her.

“Hey.”

“…”

“Look up.”

It was a voice with force that made it seem like she’d have to look up.

Yoo In slowly raised her face, and her gaze intertwined closely with that of the man bending over above her head.

As the features that weren’t clearly visible from afar came into view at once, Yoo In began to trace them with an uncharacteristically bold gaze.

Elegant eyes as if drawn, a high, straight nose bridge leading to firmly closed lips. And a sharp, firm jawline matching his eyes. And pitch-black pupils likewise staring intently at Yoo In.

Yoo In, finishing her appreciation, unconsciously raised her cheeks slightly and grinned. It was the first time she’d seen a man more handsome than Yoon Ji Han, she noted internally, mixed with the effects of alcohol.

It was a natural expression after seeing something beautiful and pretty.

“Ha… unbelievable.”

The man tilted his head and muttered softly, almost like a sigh.

Not understanding what he meant, she tilted her head quizzically as a large hand was suddenly thrust in front of her face.

“You can’t stay here, so let’s go out.”

“…Huh? Why?”

“Let’s just go out first. Quickly.”

He waved his hand impatiently as he said this.

When Yoo In, blinking in confusion, grabbed the large palm without knowing why, the strong grip pulled her body up in one swift motion.

The man began to move quickly, not giving time for the startled Yoo In to catch her breath.

However, they had to stop after not going far.

“Ah. Wait! Just a moment… please. I’m too dizzy.”

The alcohol aftereffects, which seemed to have subsided a bit, had suddenly transformed into a big wave rapidly engulfing Yoo In’s body.

A low voice tinged with contempt flew towards the top of her head, accompanied by a shallow sigh.

“How much did you drink?”

“My head… my head hurts so much. I think I’m going to throw up.”

Yoo In tried to let go of the hand holding her annoyingly, breathing more heavily than before.

The man tightened his grip, not allowing her to do so. After letting her lean her collapsing body against his torso, he asked roughly, as if angry.

“Hey. What’s your name?”

“…Na, name… why?”

“Name.”

“I’m… Nam… Yoo In.”

With those words, Yoo In let go of the thread of consciousness she had been barely holding onto.