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Baeksulhwa’s Perspective

There were many unsettling aspects and things that didn’t sit well with me, but if I had to pick one silver lining among it all, it would be that the two hadn’t crossed that final line yet.

What if they did, though?

Given Dogun’s strong sense of responsibility, it would have undoubtedly escalated to an irreversible situation.

Even if I somehow tried to squeeze in between them, Dogun would never have given me the opportunity to do so.

Of course, the current situation was already sufficiently dangerous.

Recalling the previous conversations exchanged between the two, it seemed that things had unfolded while they were both intoxicated… Despite being in a drunken state, a thread of conscience appeared to remain, as it seemed they ultimately hadn’t crossed that final line, but that only meant they nearly reached it.

After all, the first time is always the hardest.

If it’s a place you’ve already been to once?

Reaching there a second time wouldn’t be as difficult.

And when the moment came to face that line again, would Chae-rim hesitate like last time?

No, even if that’s not the case, what if the current situation persists?

In the end, Chae-rim would be the one to claim victory.

So I really needed to intervene right now.

What happens if a person in ‘that kind of relationship’ becomes two?

Dogun wouldn’t easily come to a decision then.

So for now, I needed to defer Dogun’s decision like that, and then it would be right to face Chae-rim afterward.

The only problem, as always… was figuring out how…

How could I become ‘that kind of relationship’ with Dogun?

To be honest, nothing came to mind that could be called, “This is it!”

That’s why I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

‘For now… the same method might be excessive.’

I hadn’t actually confirmed it, but it was surely the case.

From Dogun’s perspective, since that chaos happened because of alcohol, he wouldn’t want to touch it again no matter what.

Moreover, Chae-rim’s method might carry an inappropriate vibe for me to use.

It was only natural; Chae-rim often enjoyed sipping on drinks alone.

Compared to that Chae-rim, what about me?

I had tried drinking a few times out of curiosity after becoming an adult, but no matter what I tried, I could never figure out what the appeal was, and once I realized how high in calories they were, I never touched alcohol again.

But to suddenly approach Dogun and suggest sharing a drink?

I had no such intention, but if I actually did so, I would likely receive a look that screamed, “What is wrong with you?”

Still, if that method could yield results, I’d be willing to endure that level of discomfort… but it probably wouldn’t happen.

There was a high chance that Dogun would refuse.

Sigh…

So what on earth should I do?

How can I wedge myself between those two?

If I was going to do something, I needed to be quick about it.

As time drags on, their relationship would only continue to strengthen.

Slowly, my worries began to deepen.

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Bora’s Perspective

At the very moment both Yoonseo and Baeksulhwa were wringing their hands over the changes sensed between Dogun and Chae-rim, there was someone else suffering in a different way—none other than Bora.

What can I say?

Recently, Bora, who had been quite calm, was now suffering because of Dogun.

Although it’s a bit late to say this now, Bora used to try to suppress her feelings for Dogun not too long ago.

It made sense; she thought that she and Dogun didn’t fit together.

It wasn’t that Dogun was lacking.

Rather… it was me who didn’t measure up.

Compared to Dogun, who had numerous friends and admirers, I was someone who hadn’t even received my family’s love properly.

Given that, did I really have the right to like someone?

To be honest, I couldn’t say for sure.

What’s more, I had even put Dogun in jeopardy once while trying to force a connection, so it was only natural for those thoughts to arise even more.

So I attempted to give up.

I tried to bury my feelings, but human emotions are so fickle that the moment I truly decided to give up, it was precisely then that Dogun’s presence started to loom larger in my mind than before.

When I was at school, I secretly avoided Dogun out of sight, and that was really the reason behind it.

And through subtly lingering around him and observing, I learned something.

People who receive love from others have their reasons, regardless of numbers.

As for Dogun… he was kind.

And he was mature, unlike his peers.

In fact, just observing how often he looked out for me provided the answer.

If I had experienced the same thing as Dogun, how would I have reacted?

In other words… if I had naively indulged in someone’s unreasonable insistence that nearly led to my demise, I would’ve probably sworn never to associate with that person again.

But Dogun?

He didn’t ignore me or turn away.

Instead of treating me with contempt or dismissiveness, he constantly worried and tried to take care of me.

That was a bit burdensome but also a source of joy.

And so… I couldn’t bring myself to give up on Dogun.

More accurately, I didn’t want to.

There was no guarantee I would meet someone else who would care for me selflessly like Dogun does, possibly the only person like him, so how could I give that up?

Thus, regardless of whether the outcome would be good or bad, I had to… confront him.

At the same time… I wanted Dogun to know.

How special he was to me.

So what could I do?

The immediate thought was to share a secret.

A secret that he’s the only one I’ve told, even if I’ve been caught before, making it all the more unique.

Doesn’t that sound incredibly special just by saying it?

That was why I subtly stole glances at the one thing I had hidden deep under my desk, ensuring it wouldn’t be seen if someone entered the room.

It felt a bit strange to call it a coincidence, but anyway, there was precisely one element that perfectly matched the conditions I had just thought of.

Of course, if Dogun is as perceptive as he seems, perhaps he’s already taken a guess.

‘Still…’

There’s a huge difference between guessing and directly hearing it from the person involved.

But there was just one thing worrying me—Dogun’s reaction.

Given Dogun’s character, I didn’t think it would be a problem, but what if his response was different from my expectations?

That would be quite, no, it would be very disappointing.

So it was hard to solidify my resolve, but… I somehow managed to do just that.

After solidifying my determination, I began to linger around Dogun as I sought out opportunities.

Honestly, it wasn’t easy.

For some reason, both Yoonseo and that girl, Baeksulhwa, were now sticking to Dogun more than ever, leaving almost no chance for the two of us to be alone.

Even Chae-rim had become an even greater obstacle because of that.

Still, I didn’t give up and continued to wait for an opportunity… and perhaps someone acknowledged my efforts.

I finally managed to seize an opportunity.

That said, I wouldn’t act recklessly.

If I were to stir the suspicions of others, I could easily squander the opportunity I had fought hard to capture.

So rather than being reckless, I patiently bided my time until I caught the moment Dogun had finished cleaning up and headed to the kitchen.

As expected, Dogun was still in the kitchen.

“Hmm?”

Was it a bit surprising for him that I returned to the kitchen?

He looked at me wide-eyed for a moment, taken aback, and after hesitating briefly, I decided to speak.

“Um… you see.”

Fortunately, Dogun’s reaction wasn’t bad.

As soon as I began to speak, he looked back at me as if to ask what was going on.

Gaining courage from that, I continued.

“D-Do you have a moment…?”

“It’s fine, but… why?”

What should I say?

After thinking for a moment, I swallowed hard and continued.

“…I have something I want to show you.”

Thankfully, it seemed that my answer piqued Dogun’s interest.

After seemingly contemplating for a moment, he nodded in agreement.

“So what is it that you want to show me?”

“It’s in the… room, so… let’s go to my room to show you!”

I quickly guided Dogun to my room, worrying that any hesitation might invite an interruption.

 

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