Yuki stopped talking.
Her voice had carried the weight of years, the kind of memories people rarely voice aloud.
Min-jae had been listening the whole time—quiet, unusually still, completely absorbed. The others were hanging on every word too, the room thick with emotion.
When she finally paused, letting her story settle in the air between them…
Min-jae blinked.
Then leaned back with a thoughtful expression."So… you want to get rich because… you wanted your parents' rich experience? Like, you wanted to feel what they had?"
The room froze.
Yuki slowly… painfully slowly… turned her head and gave him the driest side-eye imaginable.
Immediately, the others reacted.Jihyo huffed, glaring."Yeah, Haewon, I'm gonna kill your boyfriend someday!"
Haewon leaned in, crossing her arms, voice sharp."Don't make your hands dirty, I'll do it myself."
Before anyone could stop her, she lightly poked and smacked him a few times on the shoulder."One… Two… Three—"
"OW! Okay! Okay! Stop! I didn't mean—" Min-jae flailed, half laughing, half terrified.
Yuki just shook her head, trying not to laugh despite herself."Well… that was dramatic."
Haewon glared, muttering,"Seriously, do you have no filter?"
And yet, slowly, the room's tension eased. Min-jae held up his hands in surrender, still trying to look innocent.
Finally, Yuki's voice returned—softer, steadier, deeper. She continued her story, her words now carrying the strength of someone determined to claim her own path.
Yuki Continues
The memories come back to me sometimes… quietly, like someone tapping on a door I thought I locked years ago.
People see me now and they think I'm strong. Ambitious. Sharp. Someone who wants everything life can offer.
But the truth is…
I only ever wanted one thing.
A life where my family never had to worry again.
I remember those years in Daegu far too clearly—the arguments, the distance, the nights I cried myself to sleep because the world felt too small for my feelings. I wanted to go back to the village, to the sky that didn't judge me, to the river that didn't expect anything from me.
But I also remember the day I ran away.
And the moment I looked up and saw my father sprinting across the street, shouting my name like the world was collapsing—
Something in me changed.
They loved me.They just didn't know me yet.
That night, quietly, silently, without knowing it was a promise…I decided something.
Someday, I'll make enough money so my family never chooses between bills and dreams again.Someday, I'll make life easier for the people who held me when I couldn't hold myself.Someday, I'll get rich—not for luxury, not for pride…but so my parents never feel small again.
When you're poor, even your feelings become expensive.I learned that too early.
So yes, Min-jae jokes about "rich experience"—but what I really wanted was freedom.For them.For me.For all of us.
People say I'm ambitious.That I work too hard.That I dream too big.
They don't know these dreams are built from the memory of my mother trying to buy me a dress she couldn't afford…or my father quitting his job so he could understand me…or my brother choosing to sacrifice for me without ever making me feel guilty.
Those things stay with you.They become your drive.
And that's why I promised myself:
I will get rich.I will change our story.I will make sure the next generation never shrinks themselves just to fit a price tag.
This… this is where my story truly begins.
When Yuki finally finished, silence settled for a heartbeat.
Then Jennie burst first, eyes wide. "Wait… all this time… this is why you push so hard? I… I never knew!"
"No kidding," Haewon said softly, shaking her head with a small smile. "We thought you were just obsessed with money."
Min-jae leaned back, quiet for once. "Wow… I assumed you just liked luxury. Didn't realize it came from… all that."
Jihyo nodded, chuckling lightly. "Makes sense now. All those late nights, all that stress… it was love, wasn't it?"
Yunki, frowning thoughtfully, added, "So you weren't being selfish. You were doing it for your family."
Jennie grinned, nudging Yuki lightly even though she was still sitting upright. "Honestly, I'm proud of you. And kinda scared of you at the same time."
Haewon elbowed Min-jae. "See? Even we're humbled now."
Min-jae raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay… I get it. You've got me completely humbled."
The conversation drifted naturally after that—small jokes, quiet admiration, soft questions, laughter threading through the room. The tension melted into warmth.
After a while, the room grew quieter. Someone finally noticed.
Yuki's head had tilted to the side. Her eyes were closed. Breathing slow and steady.
"She's asleep," Jennie whispered. A soft smile touched her lips.
Haewon nodded, gently adjusting the blanket over Yuki. "All that sharing… took a lot out of her."
The girls huddled together near Yuki, whispering in low voices so as not to disturb her sleep.
The room was quiet except for the soft rustle of blankets and the occasional whisper. Everyone was lying or sitting on the floor, the makeshift beds from the sleepover forming a cozy circle around Yuki.
Momo leaned closer, her hand hovering over Yuki's face. Softly, almost reverently, she whispered, "What mess took over you… even your eyes… they're so tired." Her fingers traced the dark circles lightly, careful not to wake her.
Momo leaned closer to Jennie, her hand resting lightly on her own lap as she whispered, "Jennie… do you think she… cried? Today… or maybe just now?" Her voice was soft, careful not to wake Yuki.
Jennie's eyes widened slightly, concern flickering across her face. She shook her head slowly, her whisper tight with emotion. "No… I don't think she did. But… I don't know. I've never seen her like this before. She's so… quiet, so heavy… like she's carrying everything inside herself."
Jihyo, sitting cross-legged nearby, leaned closer, voice low and gentle. "Yeah… even I feel it. The way she's forcing herself to be strong… it feels unnatural. Like she's stretching herself too thin."
Haewon, wrapped in a blanket, tilted her head thoughtfully. "We should… do something. Small. Something to make her feel better. She can't keep doing this alone."
Jennie nodded, eyes soft. "Yeah… like a little surprise. Or something comforting. Something to remind her she's not alone. She doesn't need grand gestures, just… care."
Momo whispered, almost reverently, "Even a cup of warm tea… something small. Something that says we're here."
Jihyo added, "Or notes… little notes she can read when she wakes up. Things that remind her we see her… and we care."
Haewon's lips curved faintly. "Or music… soft music, while she sleeps. Something to soothe her."
Min-jae, sitting a little apart, still looked completely confused. "Wait… what's happening? Is Yuki… dying? Why are you all whispering and fussing over her like this? I had to make that lie detector because Haewon threatened me with a breakup… and now I don't understand why you guys are helping her. Why whispering so much?"
All the girls turned to him at once, glaring. Soft punches rained on his arms and shoulders.
"Be quiet, Min-jae!" Momo hissed. "Yuki needs to rest!"
"But I need to know! Tell me!" he protested quietly, eyes wide.
Haewon shook her head gently, whispering firmly, "Can't you understand? She's changed. She's carrying so much, and she won't say it out loud. That's why we're whispering… so she doesn't feel pressured."
Jihyo added softly, "Remember… she was with us during our first heartbreak. Now it's our turn to care for her. Quietly. Gently."
Min-jae blinked in disbelief. "Wait… she had a heartbreak? Yuki???"
Momo leaned closer to Jennie again, whispering under her breath, "Did she… really cry?"
Jennie's face softened with concern and a hint of upset frustration. "No… not that I saw. But… I'm at a loss. I've never seen her like this. She's holding everything inside… it's… hard to watch."
Haewon nodded, her voice a gentle murmur. "So we stay quiet, watch over her… help her feel cared for, even without words."
Yuki shifted slightly in her sleep, and a soft, peaceful exhale escaped her lips. Around her, the circle of friends whispered, plotted small comforts, and simply… stayed.
Even Min-jae, sitting frozen, began to understand. This wasn't about rules, or games, or teasing. It was about Yuki. And for the first time, he felt the weight of what they were all silently promising her.
As she slept, unaware of the circle of care around her, none of them could guess what the next chapter of her life was about to bring.