When Yuki returned to the group outside the restaurant, all the girls instantly circled her like anxious bodyguards.
Momo grabbed her shoulders."Did he scold you? Did he look suspicious?"
Jihyo leaned in dramatically."Blink twice if we need to run."
Haewon whispered, "Is he spying for you?"
Yuki laughed, shaking her head."No, no. Everything is under control. He wasn't mad at all."
Jennie flicked her hair proudly."Of course he wasn't. You looked so pretty today he probably forgot what 'anger' means."
The girls relaxed with a chorus of relieved sighs, linking arms with Yuki as they headed down the street.
They did some small shopping—hair clips, cute socks, a few snacks—and wandered through brightly lit stores like a group of carefree high-schoolers.
Finally, they stopped at a cozy restaurant for dinner.
Warm lights, soft music, and plates steaming with ramen, chicken stew, and fried dumplings.Laughter floated across the table.The day felt like a bubble of pure comfort.
Halfway through her meal, Yuki set her spoon down and exhaled softly.
"…After so many months," she whispered, "I finally had a day this good. I feel like… I can breathe again. Like I'm actually alive."
The girls didn't tease her—didn't joke, didn't interrupt.
They just smiled quietly, each one reaching out to touch her hand, shoulder, or hair.
Haewon said gently, "Then we should have days like this more often."
Jennie nodded. "We're not letting you disappear into stress again."
After dinner, they all walked home together, exchanging hugs at the building entrance before parting to their floors.
Jennie and Yuki reached their shared apartment, kicked off their shoes, and immediately changed into soft oversized shirts and shorts.The apartment felt peaceful, warmed by the dull streetlights outside.
Yuki flopped onto her bed and suddenly gasped.
"My class! I need to check the notes—"
She grabbed her phone and quickly texted Somi:
"Hey Soyoon, can you tell me what happened in class today? I missed it."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Ahhhh Yuki I'm so sorry 😭 Junghye kept me so busy with him I didn't even hear the lecture… who knew a guy like him could be THIS clingy?? I swear he didn't leave me alone for a second."
Yuki's face drained of color.
She stared at the screen like it was announcing her final exam results.
Jennie, who had been brushing her hair, noticed immediately."What happened to you? You look like a ghost."
She peeked over Yuki's shoulder.
The moment she read Sooyoon's message, she rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared.
"Oh my god. I always hate how dumb she is," Jennie muttered."Who asked about her boyfriend? Study is more important than that clown."
Before Yuki could protest, Jennie snatched the phone.
"Jennie—!! What are you doing—"
Too late.
Jennie's fingers were already flying.
'Okay okay I understand, you two had more fun in class.I'll send you the notes myself.If you fail, I doubt he'll marry you though :)'
She hit send—then burst into a laugh.
Without hesitation, she added another message.
'Just kidding! If I get the notes, I'll share. Have a good time.'
Yuki covered her face."What did you send?? Why are you laughing???"
Jennie waved a hand, still giggling."Nothing, sweetheart. Just something funny and polite."
She cupped Yuki's cheeks, smoothing her expression.
"Now listen. I'm giving you a face mask. You're not stressing tonight. I'll ask some people from your class and get all the notes. You just rest and stay beautiful."
Yuki blinked."…But Jennie, you're not even in my department. How will you—"
Jennie tapped her forehead."Silly girl. Everyone who knows you knows me. If someone can't reach you, I'm literally the first person they call. I'm connected to almost everyone."
She pressed a cooling sheet mask onto Yuki's face.
"Now relax. You saw today, right? Your cute appearance saved you from getting scolded by the boss."
Yuki mumbled through the mask,"…Still embarrassing…"
Jennie tucked her into bed like a child.
"Shh. No thinking. Just healing."
She smiled softly."Tomorrow will take care of itself."
Yuki lay back on her pillow, the cool sheet mask hugging her face.The lavender scent drifted up gently… but it did nothing to calm the storm inside her.
The moment Jennie stepped out to grab something from the kitchen, Yuki's smile slowly faded.
Her chest tightened.
Her fingertips curled into the blanket.
And the thoughts she had been avoiding all day slipped through the cracks—quiet but sharp enough to hurt.
Every time I see them together… my breath just stops.Why does it ache like this?Why do I feel like I'm sinking even though I survived today?
She swallowed, throat trembling.
I wanted to stand beside him.I thought maybe… maybe he'd look back at me again.
Her eyes burned behind the mask.
Where did I go wrong?At what moment did he decide I wasn't someone worth choosing anymore?
Her chest rose and fell heavily—slow, weighted, almost painful.
The laughter from earlier felt like a dream now.
Alone in the dim room, her heart felt raw and exposed.
Meanwhile, Jennie—who could sense Yuki's emotional storms like a psychic—checked her phone and immediately texted the group chat which they made for supporting yuki.
Jennie:Code Red!! CODE RED!!That dumb ghost Soyoon bragged about Junghye AGAIN.Yuki only asked about a class note.You guys were in the same class—GO COLLECT EVERYTHING.She said she missed class because of her clingy BF??? Idiots everywhere.
Two seconds later—
Momo:WHATTT???Why didn't she text me instead of that ghost!?I was just late once!!
Jennie:Because you were NOT in class.Now MOVE.FIND. THE. NOTES.
Haewon:I can get the attendance sheet.
Jihyo:I'll ask the TA.
Momo:On it! I'm running like my life depends on it!!!
In less than twelve minutes, Momo sent everything:
lecture slides
professor's board photos
assignment updates
small details the professor mentioned
even the joke the professor cracked
Momo:DONE! Check your inbox.
Jennie smirked, stealing Yuki's phone again.
She forwarded every single file to Sooyoon with a message:
"Here's the material since your boyfriend made you miss class. Enjoy."
Then she tossed the phone down like she had just saved the nation.
A moment later, Yuki removed her sheet mask, face dewy and glowing.
Jennie hopped onto the bed like an excited puppy.
"TA-DAAA! Here's your class info!" she sang, waving the phone.
Yuki sat up, stunned."All… all of this? Already?"
Jennie lifted her chin proudly."When you're connected to half the campus, things move fast."
She gently tapped Yuki's forehead.
"See? I told you—you don't stress tonight. You're safe. We've got you."
Yuki blinked, her heart softening.
All the pain, jealousy, and heartache still lingered inside her…but the warmth of her friends wrapped around it like a blanket.
And for the first time in a long while—
She didn't feel alone.
Next Morning — Hanyang University
The sun hadn't even fully risen when Yuki stepped into the business department building.Her backpack felt heavier than usual… or maybe it was her heart.
Momo caught up from behind, patting her back cheerfully.
"Good! You're early today."
Yuki smiled weakly. "Trying to start right."
They walked into class together—only for the air to immediately feel… off.
A small group of Junghye and Sooyoon's friends looked up.Whispers.Smirks.The kind of reactions that made Yuki's stomach twist.
One girl leaned forward with a fake-sweet voice.
"Ohhh look who decided to show up today."
Another laughed."Yeah… must've been too busy chilling yesterday. We saw your Instagram story."
A boy next to them added,"You can go out with those other friends, but not with us? That's kinda rude, Yuki."
"And because you weren't here," another girl chimed in,"you missed an important chunk of info. Yesterday's assignment was BIG."
It felt like their words were tiny needles poking at her.
But Yuki simply smiled—calm, composed, almost too soft.
"Yesterday wasn't planned. It just… happened," she said gently."And about the assignment—I already have all the information, don't worry."
She paused, tilting her head slightly.
"But I'm confused… if it was that important, why didn't any of you tell me?"
Silence.
The entire row froze like someone had unplugged them.Eyes widened.Faces stiffened.
Even Momo raised an eyebrow.
"And," Momo added innocently,"even Sooyoon was in class… but she didn't know about the assignment either.If Yuki didn't send her the details last night, she wouldn't have done it."
The group went dead silent, suddenly fascinated by their phones, bags, nails—anything but the truth.
Yuki simply walked past them and sat with Momo.
Class began.
Scene: Restaurant – The Weight of Two Worlds
The dinner rush had already begun by the time Yuki slipped into the restaurant, tying her apron with tired fingers. The neon lights outside cast a pale, flickering glow through the windows, and the familiar clatter of dishes felt louder than usual—almost echoing inside her head.
"Yuki, table six needs water," Minji, the senior waitress, called out.
"네… I'll do it," Yuki replied automatically.
She picked up the jug, stepped toward the table—and froze.
For a moment, she couldn't remember why she was holding it. The shape felt unfamiliar in her hands, like it belonged to someone else. The chatter around her blurred into a distant hum. Her chest tightened, breath shallow, heart beating too fast.
Focus. Just breathe.
The blackout lasted maybe four seconds, but it felt longer—like she had dropped out of time.
A customer cleared their throat."Excuse me…?"
Yuki blinked, forced a smile. "Sorry—here's your water."
She poured it with steady hands, but inside she was trembling. When she returned to the counter, Minji frowned slightly.
"You okay? You look pale."
"I'm fine," Yuki lied, pressing her fingertips to her temple as a dull ache pulsed behind her eyes. "Just didn't sleep well."
Minji didn't push, but she watched her for a beat longer than usual.
As the hours passed, Yuki moved on autopilot—taking orders, delivering dishes, bowing politely. But every so often, the world tilted a little. A few seconds slipped away. Her memory snagged on simple things.
A customer would ask for an extra spoon, and she'd forget the moment she turned around.
The kitchen chef would shout an order number, and Yuki would blink at the screen, unable to recall if she had already picked it up.
Even her muscles felt heavy, like her body was slowly sinking into mud.
By closing time, her apron strings felt like ropes around her waist, tying her down.
She clocked out last, stepping into the cold night air. Her breath came out in a shaky cloud. She waited for the bus, shoulders slumped, eyelids drooping.
When she finally reached her tiny dorm room, she didn't even take off her coat before collapsing onto her mattress. A faint buzzing sounded from her phone—someone from class asking about tomorrow's notes.
Yuki stared at the screen for a long moment, trying to gather the energy to type a reply.
Her fingers moved eventually, slow and clumsy.
Then she fell asleep without noticing.
Scene: Study Room – Two Weeks of Quiet Collapse
The following days blurred together.
In the library, Yuki sat with her laptop open, screens full of business reports and graphs. The cursor blinked accusingly on an empty document.
Her eyes scanned a paragraph for the fifth time.
"Market segmentation allows companies to…"
But each time she reached the end, she realized she'd retained nothing. The information slipped through her mind like water through cupped hands.
She rubbed her forehead, whispering under her breath,"Come on, focus…"
But the letters on the screen began to vibrate slightly—just enough to make her question if she was imagining it.
She tried to take notes.She wrote a sentence, paused, and then frowned.
Her handwriting had changed halfway through—smaller, messier, as if someone else had written it.
She didn't remember shifting her grip on the pen.
Momo, sitting across from her, leaned forward."Hey… were you listening? I asked if you're joining the group meeting tomorrow."
Yuki blinked."I… Sorry. My mind blanked. What meeting?"
Momo's face softened immediately. "Yuki… you don't look good. Are you eating properly? Sleeping?"
"I'm okay," Yuki whispered, even though her throat felt tight saying it.
But she wasn't okay.
Sometimes, she'd reach for her coffee and realize she had already finished it long ago.
Sometimes, she'd forget where she placed her phone—only to find it in her hand.
Sometimes, she'd look at a familiar word—assignment, lecture, deadline—and it would suddenly appear foreign, meaningless.
Burnout wasn't something she could see happening.It crept up quietly, like shadows lengthening at dusk.
Scene: End of the Two Weeks – A Quiet Breaking Point
One night, after a long shift, Yuki returned to her dorm and stood in the small kitchenette, staring at an unopened cup of ramyeon.
She knew she was hungry.
She knew she needed to add hot water.
But she stared at the cup as if it were a puzzle.As if she had forgotten what came next.
Her hands began to shake.
She sank down onto the floor, leaning against the cabinet, pulling her knees close.
The exhaustion pressed on her chest—not just physical, but something deeper. Like her body was slowly shutting down, piece by piece.
The tears came quietly, not from sadness, but from sheer overwhelm.
I can't keep doing this…
But she had to work.She had to study.She had to survive.
And so, the next morning, she pretended everything was fine—again.
Scene: The Cancelled-Class Afternoon
The announcement popped up on the group chat:"Professor sick. Class cancelled."
Immediately the classroom erupted—chairs scraping, voices rising as Junghye, Soyoon, and their friend group excitedly threw around ideas for a sudden lunch trip.
Yuki stayed behind, quietly packing her notes, smoothing loose sheets, stacking pens. Her stomach growled loudly in the silence that followed the others' chatter.
She placed a hand over her abdomen, almost embarrassed.It's fine… I'll just grab something later.
She bent down to zip her bag, moving slower than usual. Her body felt heavy again—fatigue wrapping around her like a thick blanket she couldn't shake off.
A shadow fell over her.
"Yuki."
She looked up.
Junghye stood by her desk, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable—one of those cold, controlled looks he often wore. But something was different today. His eyes softened for a split second before sharpening again.
"You know…" he said slowly, his tone carrying irritation but also something gentler underneath it, "…you should learn to make time for eating. That's basic survival."
Yuki blinked at him, slightly taken aback.
Junghye clicked his tongue softly, as if annoyed at her carelessness."What's the point of getting good grades if you collapse like this?"
Collapse?Her heart skipped.
A strange warmth flooded her chest—confusion mixed with embarrassment and a flicker of fear.
Collapse like this?Does he… notice?How? Why him? Why does he see it when I'm trying so hard to hide it?
Her eyes rose to his face—his sharp jawline, the neat hair, the unfairly pretty bunny-like eyes that somehow always made him look both stern and gentle at the same time.
For a second, she forgot how to breathe.
She forced a smile, light and casual."Ah… yeah. I just didn't get time to eat today."
His expression darkened—cold, almost angry, but she could sense the frustration came from somewhere protective.
He exhaled sharply through his nose."Come and eat with us."
Yuki blinked. "Huh?"
Junghye tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing."You always starve yourself. It's annoying to watch."
She couldn't tell whether he was scolding her… or worrying about her.
Maybe both.
His friends were already by the door, calling out,"Junghye! We're going!"
He didn't look away from her.
"Well?" he asked, voice low.
Yuki swallowed, her heart fluttering unexpectedly.
Because Junghye said it—because he asked—she found herself nodding.
"…Okay. I'll come."
He gave a small, satisfied nod and walked ahead, holding the door for her without turning back.
And somehow, without meaning to,Yuki smiled at his retreating figure—a quiet, fragile smile she hadn't felt in weeks.
Lunch with her school friend felt happy and healing
but how would it go with her university friends ?