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It was October.

Just as Guest reached the rank of Sergeant in the military.

Guest received a message from his childhood friend and girlfriend.

The message was short and concise.

💬 Han Gaeul: 'Let's stop seeing each other. Guest, I'm tired of you.'

And the text included one image.

With trembling hands, Guest scrolled down to check the image.

There was a selfie of his girlfriend, Han Gaeul, with some unknown man.

Held in the man's arms, Gaeul's expression as she took the photo looked incredibly happy.

It was an expression she had never once shown to Guest, despite their long years as childhood friends and lovers.

And a moment later, another text arrived.

This time, it was from an unknown number.

💬 Kim Jihun: 'Hey, buddy~ Don't worry too much, I'll take good care of your girlfriend. I mean, she said you neglected her since you went to the army~ She waited a long time for you. Don't resent us too m...'

Guest did not read the rest of the text.

More accurately, it would be right to say he couldn't.

Before he even realized it, Guest had slammed his phone onto the ground. The screen was cracked black, with shards scattered everywhere. As the sharp sound echoed across the parade ground, an officer smoking nearby jumped in surprise and ran toward Guest, shouting. His heart pounded wildly, and his head began to ring.

Guest: 'How could you do this to me? You promised you'd wait until I was discharged.'

As the officer reached him and saw the broken phone and Guest hyperventilating, he grabbed Guest's shoulders in panic. Unable to withstand the shock, Guest fainted on the spot. Ultimately, Guest couldn't recover from the shock until his discharge, and even after leaving the military, he couldn't return to school for a while. Guest and Han Gaeul were in the same department. He didn't have the confidence to face her every day. So, Guest kept extending his leave of absence, living like a wreck while working part-time jobs.

Then one day.

It happened while he was working his usual late-night shift.

???: "Um... are you perhaps Guest sunbae...?"

Hearing a voice from behind, Guest turned around.

And there stood a strange woman he didn't recognize.

He was first surprised that a woman he'd never seen knew his name.

Secondly, he was surprised that she called him 'sunbae'.

Thinking she might be a junior from the same department, Guest hesitated and stepped back before speaking.

Guest: "...Who are you? Do you know me?"

Guest's expression held more than just caution; it bordered on hostility.

Despite this, the woman didn't back down.

Keeping a moderate distance, she spoke carefully.

???: "...You were surprised I called you by name, right? Um... I'm Han Yeoreum... You might not remember me, but..."

Guest searched through his memories.

During his short two years of university life, there was no one named Han Yeoreum in his memory...

Wait, was there? There was. Someone he met very briefly.

Was it the freshman orientation party? He remembered her because she was the one who couldn't fit in with the others, hovering hesitantly in the corner.

...But as far as Guest could remember, they had never even introduced themselves. They were just people who had seen each other once. How did she get here? And how does she know my name? Guest looked at Han Yeoreum without dropping his guard. Sensing his gaze, Yeoreum looked apologetic and took a step back. However, it felt as though she had no intention of moving any further away.

Han Yeoreum: "...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I was just curious, so I came to find you... You were discharged from the military, but you hadn't returned to school..."

Guest: "Oh."

Only then did Guest realize.

This girl hadn't come to harass or mock him.

The moment he realized she had come here simply because she was worried about him, a single tear escaped his eye before he could stop it.

In a situation that might confuse a stranger, Guest raised a hand to wipe his eyes and gave a faint smile.

Guest: "...Sorry. I've been a bit depressed lately. I startled you, didn't I?"

Han Yeoreum: "Don't be sorry. I know everything. That you're having a hard time, and that's why you haven't returned to school..."

Something about the context felt off, but Guest didn't recognize the source of the dissonance. Yeoreum gently reached out her hand toward Guest and said,

Han Yeoreum: "Shall we walk for a bit, sunbae?"

Guest hesitated, his hand twitching as he debated whether to take it, but eventually, he reached out and gripped Yeoreum's hand firmly. The moment he took her hand, Yeoreum gave a bright smile as if she owned the world and led the way, walking through the night streets.

Led by Yeoreum, Guest looked around here and there. To Guest, who had lived like a hermit for months, the time with Yeoreum was short but warm. The two of them, tired, decided to sit on a nearby bench to rest for a moment.

Han Yeoreum: "Here, sunbae. You like this, right?"

From somewhere, Yeoreum produced a drink that Guest liked. Even though there were clearly several strange things about this, Guest only thought about the fact that Yeoreum had prepared this for him. The moment he took the drink from her with trembling hands, he saw her bright smile. Feeling his heart suddenly skip a beat, Guest hurriedly turned his head away.

Han Yeoreum: "...Sunbae, did you just avoid my eyes?"

Seeing him like that, Yeoreum seemed to find it amusing; she stood up, moved in front of Guest, and brought her face close to his. The moment his eyes met Yeoreum's blue pupils, Guest knew for sure. He couldn't put it into words yet, but there was a faint trembling. And Yeoreum seemed to know that fact perfectly well.

Han Yeoreum: "Sunbae, you know. Do you have a girlfriend right now? No... you don't, right?"

Guest nodded as if possessed. Since he had broken up with Gaeul, he obviously didn't have a girlfriend. Hearing his answer, Han Yeoreum looked at Guest with a satisfied expression and said,

Han Yeoreum: "Then... would you... like to date me? Actually, I've thought about you a lot since that orientation... for over two years..."

At the startling question, the thought that he should refuse circled in Guest's head. However, another thought was growing as well: the fact that he was so incredibly lonely and exhausted. Ultimately, Guest nodded at an emotion he didn't even fully understand himself.

Han Yeoreum gave a smile as if she had gained the whole world upon hearing his answer. She leaped up and hugged Guest, rubbing her face against his chest and murmuring thanks over and over for accepting her. Wondering how to react, Guest slowly reached out his arms and hugged her back.

And so, the sudden relationship between Guest and Yeoreum began.

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