“Oppa! It’s been so long.”

“Oh, Yoo Mi. Have you been well?”

As Yoo Mi approached Ji Ho, the eyes of Ji Ho’s friends all turned towards her at once.

Thanks to Won Jin, the plastic surgeon, Yoo Mi had become unrecognizably beautiful with refreshing features and slightly upturned eyes, a typical cat-like face.

Wearing a knit dress that revealed her slim figure and smiling with long hair flowing down to her waist, Yoo Mi was enough to capture the attention of passing men at a glance.

“Ji Ho, who’s that?”

Ha Joon asked in a small voice close to Ji Ho’s ear.

Feeling their gaze, Yoo Mi greeted them kindly first.

“Hello. I’m Jung Yoo Mi.”

“She’s a younger friend I know.”

At Ji Ho’s answer, Yoo Mi gently bit the inside of her cheek.

Even though it was true, those words made her feel disappointed.

“I also attend this school. I’m a freshman in the dance department this year.”

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

Ha Joon said, nodding slightly to Yoo Mi.

Ji Ho seemed indifferent, but the woman’s eyes looking at Ji Ho were full of joy and affection.

It was common, so not surprising.

What was unexpected was that Ji Ho was smiling and accepting the woman’s greeting.

Ha Joon discreetly moved his friends away, taking the first step.

“Yoo Mi, did you perhaps come to see me?”

“No, that’s not it. I just happened to see you as I was passing by.”

She had actually come intentionally because she missed him, but she couldn’t say that.

Knowing Ji Ho’s personality well, Yoo Mi was careful not to be too forward.

Anyway, it wasn’t a complete lie since they did meet by chance.

Now that she was actually facing Ji Ho, Yoo Mi’s mind went blank and she couldn’t think of what to say right away.

Her heart was pounding wildly, overwhelmed by the feeling of standing face to face with Ji Ho on the Han University campus she had dreamed of.

For now, she was just a younger friend he knew, but she smiled happily, imagining the day they would become lovers someday.

“I see. Well then. I’ll be going now.”

Ji Ho nodded lightly and was about to turn away.

“Oh, oppa. Wait a moment!”

Yoo Mi, suddenly coming to her senses, called out to Ji Ho urgently.

How could she let this chance encounter end so futilely after coming all this way.

“What is it?”

“Oppa, do you know you still haven’t replied to the text I sent?”

Yoo Mi barely managed to suppress her excited feelings and forced out something to say.

Now that they had met, she could get a direct answer.

“Huh? Did I do that?”

Ji Ho took out his phone from his pocket as if he had no idea.

He touched the screen, looking for the texts he had exchanged with Yoo Mi.

-Oppa, you haven’t forgotten your promise to buy me a meal when I start school, right?

-Yeah.

-When will you treat me? Let me know when it’s convenient for you and I’ll make time.

-Okay.

-Oppa, how about this Saturday? Sunday is fine for me too.

-I’m busy that day.

-I see. Then when are you free?

He had completely forgotten about it.

“Ah. I’m sorry, Yoo Mi. I forgot to reply after meaning to.”

Ji Ho said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

“Tsk. If you’re sorry, then treat me to something even better.”

An irresistible smile wouldn’t leave Yoo Mi’s face as she pouted cutely.

Seeing Ji Ho apologize, the disappointment she had felt for days melted away like snow.

“Do you want to go together now? I was on my way to get lunch.”

“Now?”

Yoo Mi asked with wide eyes.

This wasn’t what she meant when she asked to be treated to a meal casually at school like this.

She had wanted to eat delicious food at a nice restaurant and go on a date.

“If not now, we can meet another time.”

Take it or leave it. Ji Ho’s expression said exactly that.

Yoo Mi hesitated for a moment.

Should she eat together like this, or make plans for another time?

In truth, where they ate or what they ate wasn’t that important.

Being together with Ji Ho was what mattered.

“No, now is good! But next time, treat me to something even more delicious.”

Yoo Mi followed Ji Ho with a bright smile.

**

After curing their hangovers with bean sprout soup, Ae Ra and Yi Soo walked across campus with coffee in hand.

It was perfect weather for a stroll, with a cool breeze blowing under a clear sky without a single cloud.

Trees lush with fresh green foliage lined both sides of the central path through campus.

Ae Ra, who had been sipping her iced coffee through a straw, suddenly slapped Yi Soo’s arm excitedly.

“Hey hey, look over there!”

“Where?”

“Look at that woman next to Seo Ji Ho. She’s so pretty. And her body is no joke. She looks like a model.”

Yi Soo narrowed her eyes as she looked where Ae Ra was pointing.

“Ah.”

The woman Ae Ra was calling so pretty with an amazing body like a model was none other than Yoo Mi.

Yi Soo could see Yoo Mi smiling brightly and Ji Ho smiling faintly as they stood in front of the student union building.

“When two good-looking people stand together, see how everyone passing by takes a second look.”

As Ae Ra said, Ji Ho’s presence was overwhelming even just standing still.

Yoo Mi beside him was also receiving attention and gazes as a bonus.

‘I told her to talk to Seo Ji Ho directly, and she really went to meet him.’

From a distance, the atmosphere between the two seemed quite intimate.

It made sense since they had known each other for over 10 years.

Yoo Mi was looking at Ji Ho with eyes full of affection.

It was surprising to see such an expression anew.

I wonder if Yoo Mi looks so pretty to Seo Ji Ho’s eyes too, like how Ae Ra sees her.

Seeing Ji Ho smiling gently, it seemed that might be the case.

Although she had received a lot of help from modern medicine, it was true that Yoo Mi had become unrecognizably beautiful, and it looked so natural that no one would know she had plastic surgery unless told.

Every time Yi Soo saw Yoo Mi’s face, she was impressed by Won Jin’s amazing skills as a plastic surgeon.

“Ae Ra, let’s go now.”

Ae Ra knew nothing about Yi Soo’s family situation.

It wasn’t a secret that needed to be hidden, but it wasn’t a fact Yi Soo wanted to reveal either, so she hadn’t told anyone.

But as she kept running into Yoo Mi at school like today, Yi Soo thought the day might come when she would have to talk about it someday.

As that thought occurred to her, a long sigh escaped Yi Soo’s lips.

“Why? You still have time before your class starts.”

“It gets crowded, so I need to go early to get a good seat.”

Yi Soo turned and walked away first.

She wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible.

**

Throughout the meal, Yoo Mi gazed at Ji Ho with a pleased expression.

She was so distracted she could barely tell if the food was going into her mouth or nose.

The envious gazes pouring in from all directions were a bonus.

‘So this is what it feels like to eat alone with oppa at school.’

The thought of having Ji Ho all to herself made her feel full even without eating.

‘If we become a campus couple, every day would be like this?’

Yoo Mi couldn’t stop smiling just imagining it.

“Is school going okay?”

Ji Ho asked as he looked at Yoo Mi whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

Every time he saw her, her impression seemed to change slightly, and now her face barely resembled her childhood face, which felt a bit unfamiliar.

“Yeah. It’s fun. But oppa, do you eat at the student cafeteria every day?”

“Not every day. Why? Is it not good?”

“No. I just thought it would be nice to meet and eat with you every day. We could just meet here, right?”

Ji Ho lowered his gaze and picked up his chopsticks.

Yoo Mi, whom he had known since childhood, was comfortable and cute, but nothing more than that.

A younger friend he got to know through their mothers’ friendship.

That’s all Yoo Mi was to Ji Ho.

“Yoo Mi, hurry and eat. I have class at 2, so I need to go soon.”

There are women who cross the line when you’re just a little nice to them.

Even though Yoo Mi was comfortable like a younger sister, he felt awkward at times like this.

If it were someone else, he would have coldly drawn the line, but for Yoo Mi, he tended to reject indirectly out of consideration for his mother and Aunt Soo Min.

“Okay.”

It wasn’t the answer Yoo Mi wanted, but it was fine.

You can’t expect to succeed on the first try.

Ji Ho quickly finished eating and put down his utensils.

He usually didn’t care about others’ gazes, but perhaps because he was with Yoo Mi today, the stares pouring in were noticeably blatant.

Yoo Mi seemed to be enjoying it, even making eye contact as she received the attention, which made him more uncomfortable.

“If you’re done eating, let’s go out.”

“Okay. I’ll buy the coffee.”

“We don’t need to have coffee.”

“Ah… Okay.”

Yoo Mi was disappointed but had no choice but to follow Ji Ho outside.

“Oppa…”

Yoo Mi wanted to ask about Yi Soo but was at a loss for how to bring it up, her lips just trembling slightly.

Ji Ho probably knows something about Yoo Mi’s family through Yeon Soo.

But he probably can’t imagine that Yi Soo is his father’s daughter from a previous marriage, only a year younger than me.

“What is it?”

“By the way, why did you join the ski club?”

Yoo Mi finally gave up on talking about Yi Soo and brought up the club instead.

“Just thought it would be fun.”

Ji Ho chuckled.

Since joining the club, so many people had been asking about it that even Ji Ho was taken aback.

What’s the big deal about that?

Yoo Mi bit her lower lip hard.

Why did it have to be the same club as Yi Soo, not me?

The more she thought about it, the more bitter she felt.

“Yoo Mi, don’t you have class?”

“I do.”

“Then you should go now.”

“Okay. I enjoyed lunch today. Next time, treat me to something really delicious. Not student cafeteria food.”

Yoo Mi said with a bright smile towards Ji Ho.

“Okay.”

“And from now on, please reply right away when I text you.”

“Alright.”

Ji Ho nodded half-heartedly and carelessly turned his gaze away.

That’s when he saw Yi Soo standing in the distance.

A faint smile spread across Ji Ho’s face.

He kept his gaze fixed, intending to at least exchange a eye greeting, but Yi Soo turned her back and walked away.

Ji Ho’s gaze followed Yi Soo’s retreating figure.

“Yoo Mi, I’m going now. Take care.”

“Already? It’s only 1:30…”

Ji Ho walked away with long strides before Yoo Mi could finish speaking.

Yoo Mi watched Ji Ho’s back with regretful eyes.

A moment later, Yoo Mi’s expression twisted strangely and she began sniffling in an unsightly manner.

**

Yi Soo entered the [Understanding Film] lecture hall and sat in the front row as usual.

While waiting for class to start, Yi Soo put on her earphones and played a song by ‘J’.

‘J’ was a singer about whom nothing was known to the public except that he was male, but he was so popular that he dominated all music charts whenever he released a new song.

Many of them were songs he wrote himself, and above all, his unique tone and singing ability were overwhelming.

Yi Soo listened to the song with her eyes closed, resting her chin on her hand.

The sweet song made her heart feel warm and fuzzy.

‘This is what it means to melt your eardrums.’

Just as one song ended, Yi Soo looked up at the light touch on her shoulder.

“Oh! Ha Joon, are you taking this class too?”

Yi Soo asked in surprise as she took out her earphones.

“Yeah. I missed last week because of appendicitis, so today is my first time.”

“I thought I didn’t know anyone here, I’m so glad to see you.”

Yi Soo smiled brightly.

That’s when Ji Ho suddenly appeared next to Ha Joon.

Yi Soo’s eyes widened as she belatedly noticed Ji Ho.

“Aren’t you glad to see me?”

Ji Ho asked with a grin as he naturally sat down next to Yi Soo.

In the end, the three of them ended up sitting in a row.

“…I’m glad. Is today your first time too?”

“No.”

The lecture hall was so large that if Ji Ho had been sitting in the back, they might not have seen each other.

Thinking that, Yi Soo nodded.

“I saw you last week. You were watching the movie intently.”

Ji Ho said with a crooked smile.

Yi Soo looked at Ji Ho with surprised eyes, recalling last week’s class.

While watching the movie, she had suddenly choked up, moved by the protagonist’s paternal love.

Once the tears started, they wouldn’t stop easily, and she had cried quite a bit.

Could it be that he saw all of that?

Yi Soo’s face turned red as she became extremely embarrassed.