Episode 25
13 March 2025, Thursday. Late afternoon.SNU's park zone.
Den and Mi-yeon sat down on a park bench.
Mi-yeon slowly stretched her legs forward in a slightly awkward yet endearing way and bent toward them as she listened to him, quietly giving her feet a break from her heels. Even without looking closely, it was obvious how comfortable she felt beside him. She smiled softly, unguarded.
A little higher up, along another path, Yu-ra was walking.
She slowed… then stopped.
She saw them together.
For just a moment, a faint shadow passed over Yu-ra's face, as if something sharp had pricked her heart.
But she did not let the pain spread. She straightened, turned her head away. Then walked on in the direction she had been heading—her steps confident, composed, elegant as ever.
Meanwhile, Mi-yeon and Den knew nothing of this.
They talked quietly. Then Mi-yeon looked up at him, meeting his eyes.
"Den… can I ask you something?"
Her voice was gentle, searching.
"That first day… during the dance contest… I still don't understand… why did you help me?"
She looked away for a second—then gathered herself and looked back at him.
Den straightened his back slightly, as if the question itself demanded honesty and posture.
"I noticed you were panicking."
She smiled sadly, her eyes drifting to the side.
"I see… So you felt sorry for me?"
"No," he answered immediately. "I just believed you could do it."
Mi-yeon froze, openly studying his features.
You… believed in me?
If only you knew how loud it sounds inside me.
She exhaled slowly, realizing she had stopped breathing for several seconds.
"Den… will you walk me back to the dorm?"
She hesitated.
"If you… don't mind."
He stood and offered her his hand to help her up.
She took it—shy, careful, yet savoring every second of the contact.
Once she was on her feet, she quickly fixed her hair and folded her arms in front of herself, as if afraid she might lose control and reach for his hand again.
Den started walking to the right.
Mi-yeon stopped.
"Wait—Den! Where are you going?"
She pointed left.
"The women's dorm is that way. We can take a shuttle bus there. It would be faster."
Den smiled, amused.
""Sure, or we can walk through the park. It'll be longer."
She flushed, catching the implication at once. It was subtle, yet warm—enough to make her heart flutter.
She turned, caught up to him, and they continued walking through the park together.
They walked mostly in silence, wrapped in the quiet ease of spring.
Near the dormitory, Mi-yeon spoke again.
"Den… thank you for walking me home."
She hesitated, then pushed herself.
"Maybe we could… spend time together again sometime? Maybe have lunch—with Han-bin and Min-jae?"
She almost added 'or maybe go to the movies, just the two of us', but the words never left her lips.
Because Den lit up at once.
"All four of us?" he asked without hesitation, already thinking of Min-jae and how much Han-bin meant to him.
"That's a great idea! I'll definitely convince Min-jae."
She could only nod. Her feelings were almost bittersweet.
"Okay… I'll talk to Han-bin then."
A pause.
"Then… goodbye?"
"Yes." He gave a small nod. "Goodbye, Mi-yeon."
14 March 2025, Friday. Morning. SNU's park zone.
Den and Min-jae were walking to their lecture together.
Den spoke casually.
"By the way… yesterday when I got back, you were already asleep. And this morning it completely slipped my mind. Mi-yeon said she'd like for her and Han-bin to have lunch with us sometime."
Min-jae's eyes widened so much that he suddenly looked almost as Russian as Den.
"And you're only telling me now? Are you kidding me? What did you say to them?!"
Den put on a perfectly neutral face, though an attentive observer would have caught the amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Well, at first I thought about agreeing. But you're always saying you're busy and need more time to study. So I told her we wouldn't be able to."
Min-jae grabbed his hair in horror.
"What? What the hell, Den?! Is this one of your stupid jokes? Tell me the truth right now or I swear I'll beat you up!"
Den finally smirked.
"Relax, relax. I'm joking. I said I'd talk to you and we'd pick a time. Maybe invite them next week?"
Min-jae calmed down just as quickly as he had panicked. He was glowing.
"For a second there, I thought you were a demon. But now I see it clearly—you're my guardian angel. Yes. Exactly that."
At that moment, Den noticed Soo-yeong and Se-a walking toward them.
"Speaking of demons," Den muttered, unimpressed, "look—Soo-yeong and Se-a are coming this way. I wear a cross, but you… probably shouldn't make eye contact."
Min-jae grinned and turned toward the girls.
"They're really coming to us? You sure?"
"You don't need a fortune teller for this one," Den answered dryly.
Sure enough, Soo-yeong and Se-a noticed the boys looking their way. Both froze for half a second—then broke into radiant smiles. With light, almost theatrical steps, hair swaying as if scattering magic through the air, they hurried over.
Soo-yeong spoke first.
"Hi, boys! We were just talking about you."
Min-jae blinked, momentarily overwhelmed by the attention.
"About… us?"
Se-a cooed sweetly, exaggeratedly gentle.
"Yes, about you. Walk us to the lecture, won't you? We can't remember which classroom it's in, and we really don't want to go all the way to the office to check the schedule. You'll be our knights today, right? Save us?"
Min-jae agreed without hesitation.
Den only raised an eyebrow and followed along as the girls naturally positioned themselves on either side of him and Min-jae—leaving the boys with absolutely no chance of appearing unattached as they walked together.
Min-jae was glowing like a Christmas tree. Walking beside Se-a, he beamed at her.
"Isn't it a beautiful morning, Se-a? If my heart weren't already taken, I'd fall in love with you right now. Instantly. You look amazing today."
Se-a smiled. The compliment from a cheerful, handsome guy was pleasant, and the mention of a "taken heart" made it sound playful and safe. She played along easily.
"What? Someone beat me to it? How devious! Just tell me her name and I'll scratch her eyes out!" She laughed, then waved it off.
"Just joking. I'll wait until your heart is free. For now, I'll take your arm—let her get a little jealous, so she loves you even more."
Den couldn't help but smile at their exchange.
"And what about you, Den? How are you this morning?" Soo-yeong asked, casually brushing his shoulder as they walked.
He didn't even turn toward her.
"Not living the dream."
Soo-yeong frowned. She put on an expression of hurt and said softly,
"Why are you always so cold with me? I'm just trying to be your friend, but you're like a stone wall. Why do you keep hurting me when I'm sincerely trying to get close to you?"
Den looked at her as he opened the door to the university building—Se-a and Min-jae having already gone inside moments earlier.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you, Soo-yeong. That wasn't my intention. But I think you and I understand the word sincere very differently."
Soo-yeong froze. She hadn't expected that.
Usually, her beauty did all the work for her; even the most obvious pretense, spoken in her sweet voice, was taken by men as absolute truth.
In a desperate attempt to regain control, she let pain flicker across her face, about to argue back.
But Den, after holding the door open for a few seconds and realizing she wasn't coming in, simply tightened his jaw and walked inside—leaving her standing outside.
The fake hurt on Soo-yeong's face melted into genuine irritation.
That Russian… so annoying.
What's wrong with me that he won't even look at me?
Is he blind? Deaf? Both?
With a sharp motion, she adjusted her hair, lifted her chin, slipped on her practiced smile—and followed him inside.
Several dozen meters away from the entrance, Baek So-mi was standing with her arms crossed.
She watched the scene unfold and let out a quiet, knowing scoff.
14 March 2025, Friday. Morning. SNU's chemical facility, lecture hall 500-301
Han-bin was sitting in the lecture hall beside Mi-yeon.
She noticed Min-jae entering the room together with Se-a. They were laughing, clearly in a good mood.
Han-bin's mood, however, darkened instantly.
Without directly revealing the reason for her irritation, she muttered to Mi-yeon, "All men are so fickle. You fall for one, trust those shameless eyes of his—and the next thing you know, he's giggling with another girl, while your heart is left in pieces."
She frowned and puffed out her cheeks.
"Men bring nothing but suffering."
Mi-yeon looked at her friend, still resting her head on her elbow. "What's gotten into you, Han-bin? You don't even have a boyfriend."
Han-bin snapped back indignantly, "Exactly! And I won't have one either if he keeps acting like that!"
Mi-yeon propped herself up on her elbow. "Who are you talking about?"
Han-bin inflated her cheeks again and crossed her arms tightly. "No one. I'm just… speaking in general. Metaphorically."
Mi-yeon gave her a skeptical look but did not argue.
Den entered the classroom and sat down next to Min-jae. His gaze briefly swept over Mi-yeon and Han-bin, though he made it look as if he were simply scanning the room.
A moment later, Soo-yeong walked in.
Se-a waved eagerly and called out, "Soo-yeong! Over here, I saved you a seat!"
Han-bin let out a quiet, irritated snort. "So annoying."
Mi-yeon stiffened slightly. "Who's annoying? Soo-yeong?"
Han-bin replied, glancing between Se-a and Min-jae, "What does Soo-yeong have to do with it? Se-a."
Mi-yeon lowered her eyes back to her textbook. "Oh. I see."
She didn't, really—but she decided not to push it. Instead, she gathered her courage and changed the subject, something she had been meaning to bring up for the past two days.
"Han-bin… there's something I wanted to tell you, but I never found the right moment."
She paused, making sure Han-bin was listening.
"Den and Min-jae suggested we all go out to eat together sometime. The four of us. Do you… want to? What should I tell them?"
Han-bin crossed her arms again, cheeks puffed out, jealousy wrestling with desire.
"As if!"
Mi-yeon's face fell. "You… don't want to?"
Han-bin stared at her as if she had missed the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course I want to! Hurry up and text them 'yes' already!"
Mi-yeon blinked—then smiled.
She opened her phone and tapped on Den's name in the group chat.
After a brief hesitation, she saved his number to her contacts.
She smiled softly to herself. For her, this was a big moment.
I have a friend… a boy friend… and I'm about to send him my first personal message.
She immediately scolded herself internally.
Mi-yeon, please don't mess this up.
She started typing.
I talked to Han-bin…
She deleted it.
Typed again.
Hi Den! Han-bin said…
Deleted that too.
Han-bin leaned over impatiently, peeking at the screen.
"Why are you digging around like that, Mi-yeon? Just let me write it!"
Mi-yeon pulled the phone away, surprised at her own boldness. She smiled, embarrassed but firm.
"No. I'll do it myself."
This is my first text to a guy. This is my moment.
She finally typed:
Hi Den, so when are we going to have lunch together, the four of us?
She sent it.
Han-bin immediately hovered over her shoulder, whispering conspiratorially, "Add that we're already hungry. I'm not waiting forever."
Mi-yeon giggled and quickly added another message, this time with a laughing emoji.
Han-bin says she's already hungry… and I am too!
A couple of rows ahead, they heard the faint vibration of a phone.
Den glanced down at his screen. He murmured something to Min-jae, then calmly picked up his phone and replied.
Then right after this lecture.
He set the phone down.
Mi-yeon stared at her screen, holding her breath—and only exhaled when she saw his reply.
A few minutes later, when the lecture was already in full swing and the monotonous voice of the chemistry professor had begun to lull the students into half-sleep, Den's phone vibrated again.
He glanced down.
A message from Yu-ra.
He opened it.
Hi Den. I'm stuck in the department office, buried under paperwork. Can you come and save me? Let's have lunch together.
Den frowned slightly.
For the first time, the conflict that had been quietly forming at the edges of his mind took a clear shape.
Who do I go to lunch with?
Yu-ra—she seems to be the obvious choice. She likes me. I like her.
She's stunningly beautiful, but not shallow. Popular but good-hearted. Smart. Confident. Sexy.
Or Mi-yeon.
The feelings I have for her… I can't even put them into words.
He knitted his brows.
Can't put them into words… or am I afraid to?
Den took a slow, deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, pushing the confusion aside and approaching the dilemma rationally.
Alright.
In any case, I already agreed to lunch with Mi-yeon.
And Min-jae needs this—with Han-bin. Breaking my word and letting my friend down in something this important would be unmanly.
He typed his reply.
Yu-ra, I'm sorry, I already promised to have lunch with friends. But I'll stop by after the lecture, bring you coffee, and we'll figure out how I can make it up to you.
He put the phone back on the desk, waiting, glancing at the screen more often than he would have liked to admit.
The reply came almost immediately—clearly, she had been waiting.
Medium. Cream, no sugar. While you're bringing the coffee, I'll come up with your punishment. Don't expect to get away with just lunch. The weekend is mine.
A heart emoji followed.
Looks like she's not upset, he thought.
After the lecture ended, Den and Min-jae approached Han-bin and Mi-yeon. The girls were busy packing their things, pretending not to wait—though it was obvious they were.
Den spoke first.
"Guys, go downstairs and wait for me by the university entrance, okay? I need to stop by the department office for a minute. It won't take long. Then we'll go have lunch right away."
Min-jae looked at him questioningly but decided not to ask.
"Alright. But if you take too long, I'm taking both girls and we're going to eat without you."
Den gave a light bow, half-smiling.
"I'll be quick."
14 March 2025, Friday. Noon. SNU, Building 501, 3rd floor, chemistry department office.
Den stepped into the department's administration office.
Yu-ra had not been exaggerating—her desk was truly buried under folders, loose forms, and thick stacks of student lab reports she was clearly supervising. She sat straight-backed, typing rapidly, her fingers moving across the keyboard with practiced elegance.
Den came up behind her and set a paper cup of hot coffee on the desk.
"Medium. Cream. No sugar. As requested, Your Highness," he said, giving a theatrical bow and addressing her like a queen of Goryeo. There was a hint of mischief in his eyes, though he did his best to maintain an air of calm, aristocratic formality.
Yu-ra turned around and smiled. She answered in the tone a Korean queen might use toward someone not of royal blood—yet someone she was fond of.
"Your flattery pleases me," she said lightly, "but it does not release you from your obligations to the crown. Next Saturday, I am embarking on a dangerous adventure. And you, shall accompany me."
Den raised an eyebrow, staying in character, though his voice grew just a touch more cautious. "A dangerous adventure, my queen?"
Yu-ra laughed—bright and genuine—immediately dropping the act.
"Relax, Den. I just want to take you to night racing."
He replied, masking his surprise.
"I thought street racing in Korea was taboo."
Still smiling, Yu-ra shook her head slightly. "It is. Even talking about it can get you expelled. But who do you take me for? Do I really look like a delinquent?" She paused, then added, "Don't worry, it's a completely legal event. Lots of great cars, real competitions. The Nexen Tire Speedway Festival."
Den smiled, tension easing. "Of course you don't look like a troublemaker. Sorry—I was judging by myself. I'd love to go with you."
They held each other's gaze for a moment.
Den then glanced at his watch. "Sorry, Yu-ra. I really have to run now. I'll message you later, alright?"
"Alright," she replied easily, already turning her attention back to the computer screen. Her expression returned to its familiar look—focused, slightly bored, but fully in control.
Den turned and hurried off, heading back to his friends.